《道樞》Vol. 24

Daoji, Volume Twenty-Four: “The Chapter on the Golden and Jade Green Dragon and Tiger” (Excerpt), A Plain-Language Interpretation

The Perfected Liu said: “Look up and observe the celestial signs, and you will understand how the four seasons succeed one another without end, and how Yin and Yang work through one another. From this, calculate the changing speeds and sizes of the sun and moon, and the principles of life will become clear. Thus the Way of generation, in which ‘the sun departs and the moon arrives,’ was set down in the Jing of Gold and Jade Green. ‘Gold’ means that hardness and softness each occupy their proper place; ‘jade green’ means that, after becoming an immortal, one roams through the emerald heavens. The sun is the essence of the sun and the soul of Heaven. Its nature is fierce and strong; it can generate and transform the myriad things. It dwells within Yin and corresponds to the Li trigram. The moon is the essence of the Great Yin and the soul of Earth. Its nature is still, yet it is often stirred by external influences. It dwells within Yang and corresponds to the Kan trigram.

“Kan is the time of ‘two Yin,’ from which one Yang emerges. This is called black lead and comes from mercury. When it reaches the Gen position, it gradually shows blue and white, becoming the Youngest Son. This is ‘one Yang arising within two Yin,’ the ‘initial position.’ After forty-five days, Yang rises from below: this is the Zhen trigram, called the soul of cinnabar. At this point, mercury gradually becomes concealed. At the Si position, all six Yang lines are complete; this is called red gold. After another forty-five days, it is refined with fierce fire in the southern land of vermilion. After a further forty-five days, it reaches the Kun position, where yellow and black mingle in its essence; this is called the Returning Elixir. After another forty-five days, it reaches the Dui position. The mercury body dries on its own and crumbles like mud; this is called fire-subdued mercury. Shorten the firing time, and it can enter the sun. At the Qian position, after thirty-six periods of ten days, the gold is properly formed and purple, then returns to the central palace. Great Geng joins with bird-fire; the first yellow joins with bird-earth. Cover it with realgar to make the elixir’s outer coat. Only the White Tiger can control it. After another sixty days, it is called the Puppy; after another fifty days, the White Gold Tiger Cub; after another sixty days, the Divine Elixir of the Five Metals; and after another fifty days, the Divine Powder of the Great One.

“If the substance rises to the top without being covered and swirls in the middle, it is called cinnabar. If it is purple-black and translucent, it is called the Great Return. If it is red and luminous, it is called the Elixir of Purple Tenuity.”

The chapter uses the sun and moon’s movements, the directions of the Eight Trigrams, and the lengths of firing periods as images for the stages and appearances named “lead and mercury,” “dragon and tiger,” and others in the refining process of Neidan (internal alchemy). This is the symbolic and numerological language commonly used in Daoist Golden Elixir writings. Readers unfamiliar with alchemical terminology can first grasp the overall pattern of the four seasons’ progression and Yin and Yang’s mutual function, then compare the elixir names associated with each trigram and period of ten days.

The Pivot of the Dao: A Plain-Language Interpretation

Purification and the Golden Elixir

Those who practice the Dao of the Elixir should first observe purification and keep the precepts for one hundred days. On days when “the qi of the King” is flourishing—that is, when vital energy is strong and the time is auspicious—they swallow the “Three Pills,” pills or images associated with internal cultivation. This is said to eliminate the Three Corpses, the Nine Worms (spirit beings of the “corpse-worm” kind, believed in Daoist thought to dwell in the human body and stir up desire and confusion), and the Seven Poisons. If they then continue taking the pills and refining for eighteen cycles of ten days, or 180 days, they are said to be able to ascend to Heaven.

The Treatise on the Ninefold-Transformed Golden Elixir says: The “One” that a person receives is the Primordial Fire. With Shen and Qi as aids, it is refined within the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian.

Kanglongzi

Kanglongzi was the sobriquet of the Daoist adept Duan Hao, from Mount Qingcheng in western Shu.

He said: The Dao gives birth to the One; the One is the single Qi within the Great Void. All things, including human beings, are born through this Qi and, at death, return to it.

Yin corresponds to nature, which emerges from “nonbeing.” Yang corresponds to life, which arises from “being.”

The body is the substance, and the mind its function. The mind is the substance, and Shen its function. Shen is the substance, and Qi its function. Qi is the substance, and its function is to circulate and refine, shaping and molding as a vessel-maker does.

The Shen of Heaven and Earth is born from Yin and Yang; the Shen of Jing and Qi is transformed by Yin and Yang. Why do some people’s Shen grow clouded and their nature become obscured? Because Qi and Shen do not unite, and Shen and Qi do not support one another.

Thus, the mind takes nature as its Shen, and Shen takes the mind as its function. Shen is the true manifestation of nature, while nature is the underlying substance of Shen. Therefore, by preserving Shen and nourishing Qi, and by keeping nature clear and Shen calm, one should continually let Shen support Qi and Qi support Shen. In this way, longevity may naturally be attained.

What is the “One” that Heaven and Earth receive? It is Yin and Yang. What is the “One” that a person receives? It is the Primordial Fire. Those who understand the One take emptiness and nonbeing as their medicine, the Elixir Core as their vessel, and upright Qi as their fire, refining within the Three Fields. When true Qi does not dissipate, Yin and Yang can no longer wear down and ruin the body.

The wondrous workings of the Dao have three levels:

At the highest level, one sets the Primordial Qi of the Great Void in motion and coordinates it with the Shen of Kan and Li. Entering deliberate action, the form transforms of itself; attaining non-action, the form becomes true of itself.

At the middle level, one guards the form and stabilizes Qi, nourishes the form and abides in truth, and directs Shen and Qi until they are calm, clear, and naturally numinous.

At the lowest level, one removes the turbid and retains the clear, so that Shen and the hun-soul do not scatter.

To master emptiness, set the Great Void in motion, and investigate beginning and end, the Eight Trigrams are essential. Each line corresponds to one Qi, and each Qi lasts fifteen days; the twenty-four lines thus correspond to the twenty-four solar terms. At the beginning of Heaven and Earth’s movement, above them was a wind wheel and the image of “Before Completion.” From this came the three Yin lines and three Yang lines.

Note: The original text gives equal weight to internal alchemy and numerical-symbolic correspondences. Traditions differ on the specific practices represented by “the Three Pills” and “the qi of the King.” This interpretation explains the terms broadly and does not present them as the definitive practice of any single school.

This passage speaks of the vital energy between Heaven and Earth: its essence descends from the Empty Sovereign, while below appears the image of “the water wheel completing its cycle.” The Qi of the Three Yang likewise comes from essence descending from the Empty Sovereign. According to directions and trigrams, it maps the Qi of the Nine Sovereigns of Heavenly Truth in turn onto the Five Phases, the organs, and the pairings of the Heavenly Stems.

The East belongs to Zhen: the true Qi of Lesser Yang Wood is born in water and corresponds to the liver. The liver takes Jia as elder brother and Yi as younger sister; Ji is Jia’s wife, and Geng is Yi’s husband. The Qi of Greater Yang Wood then transforms into Xun, born in the wind.

The South belongs to Li: the true Qi of Fire is born in the wind and corresponds to the heart. The heart takes Bing as elder brother and Ding as younger sister; Xin is Bing’s wife, and Ren is Ding’s husband. Among the Nine Sovereigns of Heavenly Truth, the Qi of Three Yin Earth is born in the wind and takes the image of Kun: black above, red below, white on the left, blue-green on the right, and yellow in the center. It is held within a single Qi, and its color is darkness.

The West belongs to Dui: the true Qi of Lesser Yin Metal is born in the wind and corresponds to the lungs. The lungs take Geng as elder brother and Xin as younger sister; Yi is Geng’s wife, and Bing is Xin’s husband. The Qi of Greater Yang Metal is born in water and takes the image of Qian.

The North belongs to Kan: the true Qi of Bright Yang Water is born in water and corresponds to the kidneys. The kidneys take Ren as elder brother and Gui as younger sister; Ding is Ren’s wife, and Wu is Gui’s husband. The Qi of Three Yang Earth is born in water and takes the image of Gen: red above, black below, blue-green on the left, white on the right, and yellow in the center. It is held within a single Qi, and its color is red.

The Center belongs to Kun and corresponds to the spleen. The spleen takes Wu as elder brother and Ji as younger sister; Gui is Wu’s wife, and Jia is Ji’s husband.

When the Qi of the Three Yang disperses within water and forms Heaven, this is Qian; its natural Qi is called the Lord of Great Harmony. When the Qi of the Three Yin disperses in the wind and forms Earth, this is Kun; its natural spirit is called the Lord of Great Time.

Qian gives birth to three sons—Zhen, Kan, and Gen—who are the essence of the dragon and the male phoenix. Kun gives birth to three daughters—Xun, Li, and Dui—who are the body of the tiger and the essence of the turtle. These Six Qi—the Three Yang and Three Yin—are the governing framework for the transformations described above.

The Pivot of the Dao: A Plain-Language Interpretation

The movement of Qi within the body

Qi moves through the human body. Each day it flows into the Five Viscera (the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys), rises and descends through the Six Bowels (the gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, and Triple Burner), connects with the Three Origins (the upper, middle, and lower burners), links to the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, and travels through the Twelve Primary Meridians and the fifteen connecting channels. It circulates through all three hundred and sixty-five acupuncture points in the body.

Qi can ascend to the Gate of Heaven and descend to the Earthly Gate. In the space of a single breath, its movement brings warmth; when a breath is lost and Qi stops, cold sets in. Yang Qi turns to the left, while Yin Qi revolves to the right. After five thousand circuits, this movement completes one full celestial cycle.

Thus, when Qi on the left meets, Qi on the right responds; when Qi on the right meets, Qi on the left responds. Yin and Yang each have their own correspondences.

The correspondences between the six meridians and the Nine Sovereigns’ True Qi

Setting the cauldron in the central palace and refining the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons

The cauldron is therefore set in the Central Palace (the Middle Dantian). It gathers the wondrous Qi of the eight directions, blends it with Earth, and refines it without allowing it to disperse. In time, this forms the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons.

This elixir has nine colors: blue-green, red, white, black, yellow, purple, green, azure, and ochre.

In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor refined a sword and cast a cauldron, then rode a fire dragon up to Heaven. This is an image of internal refinement, cultivation within the body, rather than seeking results outside oneself.

Why is this so?

• The heart is Fire.
• The liver is charcoal.
• The kidneys are the bellows.
• The lungs are liquid Metal.
• The spleen is the furnace and altar.

A scripture says: the heart is cinnabar, the lungs are mica, the liver is azurite, the kidneys are magnetite, and the gallbladder is realgar. These are all correspondences used in alchemical refinement.

Thus, the sage takes the body as the furnace and the Three Palaces (the upper, middle, and lower Dantian) as the cauldron, refining the ceaseless Qi and entering a form of Wuwei (non-action).

When the body is still and the spirit clear, the Nine Cauldrons circulate throughout

When the body is still, the spirit becomes clear of its own accord. When the spirit is clear, Qi naturally fills the body. When spirit and Qi are in harmony, the body naturally feels light.

Once the single Qi has settled, the hundred vessels remain full. When the Nine Cauldrons circulate throughout the body, the myriad spirits become responsive of their own accord.

The Nine Cauldrons are the functions of the Nine Palaces. The Dantian is the cauldron of the True Unity; it is the place where the Nine Cauldrons gather.

Refine the true form by cultivating the Qi of unity; refine the spirits by cultivating the nine Qi. What are these nine Qi?

They are the nine Qi, the nine provinces, the nine regions, the nine bends, the nine apertures, the nine palaces, the nine revolutions, the nine returns, and the nine cauldrons. Within the nine cauldrons lies the Way of “seven reversals, eight transformations, and nine returns.”

Reversal means drawing things together and gathering them in one place. It brings together the Qi and blood of the seven inner and outer layers and the eight channels of the meridians:

• At the first reversal, the pulses stop flowing.
• At the second, Qi gathers and congeals.
• At the third, blood transforms into white milk.
• At the fourth, Jing congeals like fine jade.
• At the fifth, the bones gleam with the luster of red jade.
• At the sixth, marrow transforms into dark frost.
• At the seventh, the form is clear and the Qi wondrous.
• At the eighth, Shen transforms beyond measure.

Return means going back to the source. It draws on the Qi of the Five Phases, activates the Jing of the three essentials, and settles the origin of the One Thing:

The first return is to the kidneys, the second to the heart, the third to the liver, the fourth to the lungs, the fifth to the spleen, the sixth to the Elixir Chamber, the seventh to the Qi Gate, the eighth to the Jing Hall, and the ninth to the Shen Chamber. When the nine transformations are complete, the form can be preserved and made imperishable.

The sequence begins:

• Qian (the large intestine) belongs to Heaven. It is called the “hinge of Metal,” its palace is the Palace of Numinous Talisman, and its number is six.
• Kan (the kidneys) belongs to Water. It is called the “uprightness of Water,” its palace is the Palace of Cinnabar Origin, and its number is one.
• Gen (the bladder) belongs to the Moon and the mountain. It is called the “hinge of Earth,” its palace is the Palace of the Jade Chamber, where the Qi of the spleen and stomach converge; its number is eight.
• Zhen (the liver) belongs to Thunder. It is called the “uprightness of Wood,” its palace is the Palace of the Orchid Terrace, and its number is three.
• Xun (the gallbladder) belongs to Wind. It is called the “hinge of Wood,” its palace is the Palace of Heavenly Mist, and its number is four.
• Li (the heart) belongs to Fire. It is called the “uprightness of Fire,” its palace is the Crimson Palace, and its number is nine.
• Kun (the small intestine) belongs to Earth. The Vermilion Bird is concealed within the earth. It is called the “hinge of Earth,” its palace is the Palace of Vermilion Mound, where the Qi of the spleen and stomach converge; its number is two.
• Dui (the lungs) belongs to Marsh. It is called the “uprightness of Metal,” its palace is the Palace of the Minister, and its number is seven.

The central palace is the Yellow Court, where lead and mercury are found. And yet—the cauldron within the cauldron is no cauldron.

This passage describes the correspondences between body and mind in Neidan cultivation. The following is a plain-language explanation of its main points.

The “medicine” is not something external that can be grasped. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—the Four Images and Five Phases—are all within oneself, not outside. Seeking them externally goes against the Dao. For one who cultivates the Golden Elixir, after nine years of practice the Qi naturally becomes abundant and the Shen naturally clear. The saying “five-colored clouds gather at the crown, and myriad visions pay homage to the form” describes this state.

Kan and Li are Water and Fire: Water flows toward dampness, and Fire rises toward dryness. Clouds follow the dragon and wind follows the tiger; what is above in Heaven has an affinity with what rises, and what is below on Earth has an affinity with what descends. Each follows its kind. When Yin Qi moves upward, it descends; when Yang Qi moves downward, it rises. This describes the ascent and descent of Qi in Neidan. Beginning at the winter solstice, Yang is refined into an embryo and takes form within the Dantian; this is called “life.” Beginning at the summer solstice, Yin is refined into a breath and takes form within the Crimson Palace—the palace where the heart resides, an important site in the Way of the Elixir; this is called “nature.” Yang Qi spirals upward from the soles of the feet on the left, rising like the sun. Yin Qi spirals downward from the crown gate on the right, sinking like the moon. Those who refine pure Yang may rise lightly and become immortals; those who refine pure Yin become ghosts, settled in stillness.

The heart is the Crimson Palace, the residence of mysterious spirit. Within it dwells the Teng Snake, also called the Green-Bearded One, the Demon King Huer Taisu, or the Jade Maiden True Demon. It breathes true Qi, which disperses like white light and causes Heaven’s true Yin Qi to descend. The kidneys are the Primordial Palace, the residence of the Crown Prince. Within them dwells the White-Primordial Tortoise, also called the Golden-Essence Fierce Beast or the Demon King Wenling. It breathes true Qi, which disperses like purple clouds and causes Heaven’s true Yang Qi to rise.

Above is the Wind Wheel, “Wind mixed, not yet completed”; its image is Li, and it corresponds internally to the Crimson Palace. Within Yang there is Yin, which responds and gives birth to the Maiden. She is the spirit of the Earthly Empress. Below is the Water Wheel, “Water settled, completion achieved”; its image is Kan, and it corresponds internally to the Dantian. Within Yin there is Yang, which responds and gives birth to the Infant, the spirit of the Heavenly Sovereign. The scripture says: “The man dwells in the chamber of Kan, the woman in the room of Li; opening primordial chaos, they join and unite at the center.” This is what the passage means.

The Crimson Palace contains five colors: black above, red below, white on the left, blue-green on the right, and yellow at the center, where white snow is stored. In time, the Maiden is born, produces the Golden Elixir, and returns it to the Dantian; the woman returns to the man’s palace. These are the spirits of the Three Yin. The Dantian is the root of life. Its correspondences with Kan and Li, the sun and moon, and the Infant and Maiden are all inner visions, not external things.

Plain-Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

Five colors appear within it: red above, black below, blue-green on the left, white on the right, and yellow hidden at the center. From this, the Yellow Sprout is born. The infant is produced in the Golden Liquor and returns to the Crimson Palace, around the heart aperture; the husband and wife return to their chamber. These are the spirits of the Three Yangs. The Yellow Sprout is transformed into an infant through the circulation of the fire. A red light crowns its head as it rides the Azure Dragon upward through the Golden Pass. White Snow is transformed from water into the Maiden, an image formed from Yin essence. A jade-green light crowns her head as she rides the White Tiger downward and back into the Jade Hall. Thus, Yang Qi becomes red light and descends, hiding in the Dantian (the place below the navel where Jing and Qi gather); this is called the “sun.” Yin Qi becomes jade-green light and rises to the Crimson Palace; this is called the “moon.”

The Yin Fire of the Li Palace is obscure and subtle. As it rises and falls, it casts from left to right and receives from right to left. Spirit and Qi meet and dwell in the Dantian, where an inner numinous light appears in the shape of a wheel of fire. This is Qi congealed in the Elixir Source, the core of Jing and Qi in the Dantian. The Yang Fire of the Kan Palace is likewise obscure and subtle as it descends, casting from right to left and receiving from left to right. Its numinous light shines inward in the shape of a wheel of water. The hundred bones draw together of their own accord, Jing settles in the Elixir Source, and Qi congeals in the Kidney Palace. Thus, those who refine Qi cause Shen to move back and forth, meeting above and below; the five lights blend into the Primal Unity and form embryonic breathing. When Qi congeals in the Kan Palace, the navel releases five-colored clouds that shine forth. When the breath rests in the Li Palace, a white light appears between the eyebrows. This is Yin and Yang settling into their proper places and naturally responding to one another.

Those who refine the Golden Elixir must distinguish left and right, water and fire, and the greater and lesser refinements, keeping both in balance. If one does not follow the movements of the hexagram lines, is that not like drilling into ice to get fire? Those skilled in cultivation must open the Gate of Heaven above and close the Earth’s Door below; gather Kidney Jing on the left to command the Celestial Dragon, and draw in Lung fluids on the right to drive the Earth Horse. Gather on the left and draw in on the right; let Qi go out on the left and enter on the right. Rise and descend, letting the two Qi circulate back and forth until they meet at the center. Cast from left and receive from right; cast from right and receive from left. Though they do not meet, Shen meets of its own accord; though they do not touch, Shen joins of its own accord. Suddenly it comes, suddenly it goes; suddenly it disperses, suddenly it gathers—all within the Yellow Court. Its dispersal is like wind; its gathering is like rain. This is the natural way of refining Qi.

For those who refine Qi, when Yang moves against Yin, Yin will inevitably be formed; when Yin moves against Yang, Yang will inevitably be born. Thus, inner Qi does not disperse and outer Qi does not enter; the joining takes place within.

The Pivot of the Dao (Daoshu): A Plain Language Interpretation

Qi rises and steams within the body, spreading throughout the limbs and frame. It surges up and down, in ceaseless motion, joining and joining again until Shen can govern Qi and Qi can govern Shen. When Shen and Qi regulate one another, fetal breathing—the inner practice of breathing naturally without the mouth or nose, like a fetus in the womb—comes about of itself.

To cultivate fetal breathing, first clear the mind, settle the spirit, and let Qi sink deeply and become whole. When the mind settles, Shen settles; when Shen settles, Qi settles; when Qi settles, the breath settles. Once the breath settles, Qi can harmonize. When harmonized Qi gathers and no longer disperses, that is fetal breathing. Then Shen joins within, and Qi connects within: body joins with Qi, Qi joins with Shen, Shen connects with the body, and the body returns to Jing. Clear and entering the wondrous state, one holds fast to the primordial root, guards one’s true nature, and keeps contemplation undisturbed. As mind and Qi descend and settled breath joins within, Shen and Qi meet in the three palaces—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, or the head, heart, and abdomen. Fetal breathing forms in the realm of “generation and transformation,” allowing one to share the repose and longevity of Heaven and Earth.

The firing process in the Great Elixir, or internal alchemy, must follow the sequence of hexagrams in the Yi (Book of Changes). The sixty-four hexagrams correspond to the cycles of the celestial circuit. A leap year has three hundred and eighty-four days, matching the numbers by which the climate and Qi of Heaven and Earth wax and wane, rise and descend. The Yi’s three hundred and eighty-four lines serve as the formulas for the daily firing times. A month has three ten-day periods; each period has three hundred and sixty “hours,” counted here according to the traditional hours and the movement of hexagram Qi. Two hexagrams govern each day. Among them, twelve changing lines—six Yin and six Yang—mark the mechanisms of movement and stillness and determine the numbers for conducting the fire through the changing lines. Beyond the sixty hexagrams used in a month are four more: Qian and Kun serve as the furnace and cauldron, while Li and Kan are lead and mercury, the central pivot. The Perfected Wei—usually identified as Wei Boyang, author of the Cantong qi (Token for the Agreement of the Three)—says that the sixty-four hexagrams are arrayed like a carriage, with the dragon and horse harnessed and the enlightened ruler holding the reins. This is what he means.

The twelve lines correspond to the twelve double-hours. Five days make one hou (a period), five days make one qi (a climatic phase), and four periods of five days make one seasonal division. The two double-hours Mao and You are the only ones omitted. Mao and You are the positions where Metal and Wood properly overcome one another. The River Chariot—a metaphor for Qi rising and descending along the Governing Vessel—is circulated only through the two key points, on the left and right, or above and below. When fluids and sweat then flow and exchange, this is the fire of “burning away demons and bathing.” Thus, ten double-hours are used each day, and ten months each year, with Mao and You excluded from both the daily and monthly cycles. The Return of the Elixir must therefore undergo “fetal development” over ten months, and is also governed by the principle that three ten-day periods make one cauldron.

(The meaning continues: the firing times, hexagrams, and union of body, Shen, and Qi all form parts of a single process of inner cultivation.)

Every thirty days the sun and moon complete a circuit and then alternately advance. I take and blend the nine kinds of Qi generated by creation, gather them, refine them, and condense them into a divine elixir. In my method of the ten cauldrons, only the “sun” is absent. What is the reason for this? The first nine line of the Fu hexagram in the Yijing says, “The hidden dragon should not be used,” meaning that the hidden dragon cannot be employed for the time being; applied to alchemy, it means that before the elixir has undergone transformation, one cannot employ talismanic fire.

Then is the actual time for using talismanic fire only nine months? Is this what “nine cauldrons” means? The so-called nine years take the number of nine nines and calculate it according to the movement of the sun and moon. The true Qi of the sun and moon’s movement is eight hundred and ten zhang; this is the number on which the completion of the elixir is based.

If considered in terms of a month, the alchemical method runs the fire regimen according to changes in the yao positions, while the rule of internal application takes one day as its cycle. Each day is divided into morning and evening, each paired with a hexagram: on the first day use Zhun in the morning and Meng in the evening, symbolizing the rising sun; on the second day use Xu in the morning and Song in the evening; on the third day use Shi in the morning and Bi (Holding Together) in the evening; on the fourth day use Xiaoxu in the morning and Lü in the evening; on the fifth day use Tai in the morning and Pi in the evening. This is one hou of sixty shi over the five days before the first quarter. A hou is an ancient unit of time for observing seasonal periods and arranging the fire regimen.

On the sixth day use Tongren in the morning and Dayou in the evening; on the seventh day use Qian in the morning and Yu in the evening; on the eighth day use Sui in the morning and Gu in the evening. At this point the first quarter is reached. On the ninth day use Lin in the morning and Guan in the evening; on the tenth day use Shike in the morning and Bi (Adornment) in the evening. This is one hou of the middle five days.

On the eleventh day use Bo in the morning and Fu in the evening; on the twelfth day use Wuwang in the morning and Daxu in the evening; on the thirteenth day use Yi (Nourishment) in the morning and Daguo in the evening; on the fourteenth day use Xian in the morning and Heng in the evening; on the fifteenth day use Dun in the morning and Dazhuang in the evening. This is one hou of the five days before the last quarter.

On the sixteenth day use Jin in the morning and Mingyi in the evening, symbolizing the sun descending. On the seventeenth day use Jiaren in the morning and Kui in the evening; on the eighteenth day use Jian (Obstruction) in the morning and Xie in the evening; on the nineteenth day use Sun in the morning and Yi (Increase) in the evening; on the twentieth day use Guai in the morning and Gou in the evening. This is one hou of the five days after the last quarter.

On the twenty-first day use Cui in the morning and Sheng in the evening; on the twenty-second day use Kun in the morning and Jing in the evening; on the twenty-third day use Ge in the morning and Ding in the evening; at this point the last quarter is reached. On the twenty-fourth day use Zhen in the morning and Gen in the evening; on the twenty-fifth day use Jian (Development) in the morning and Guimei in the evening.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

(Within the month) Each five-day period is one hou. On the twenty-sixth day, use the Feng hexagram in the morning and the Lü hexagram in the evening. On the twenty-seventh day, use Xun in the morning and Dui in the evening. On the twenty-eighth day, use Huan in the morning and Jie in the evening. On the twenty-ninth day, use Zhongfu in the morning and Xiaoguo in the evening. On the thirtieth day, use Jiji in the morning and Weiji in the evening. (Within the month) The following period, too, is divided into five-day hou.

The human being corresponds to the images of Heaven and Earth. From above, at the Crimson Palace (the palace of the heart, above the Dantian), down to the Cinnabar Origin (the Dantian, or lower Dantian), there are fifteen transport points (back-shu points) on either side of the spine, about seven fen from it. These are pathways through which the Five Zang organs, Six Fu organs, Eight Vessels, Three Origins, and myriad spirits move; where original Qi gathers; and along which it rises and descends. From the Crimson Palace, the fifteen transport points on the left are the route by which solar Qi rises. The fifteen points on the right are the route by which lunar Qi descends. Qi and spirit follow the sun and moon as they rise and fall, ascending and descending on opposite sides. On Yang days, they rise on the left and, from the sixteenth day, descend on the right, reaching their limit as the month ends. On Yin days, they rise on the right and, from the sixteenth day, descend on the left, becoming full as the month ends. This is what is meant by “Thirty spokes share one hub; it is precisely where there is nothing that the cart becomes useful”: the function of nonbeing makes the cart’s usefulness possible.

When the Winter Solstice falls on a Jiazi day (the Jiazi day in the sexagenary cycle), begin the practice. At the Zi hour, Lesser Yang corresponds to the Kan hexagram. Its spirit is the Hidden Dragon, and its Qi is the Heavenly True, one current of the Nine Sovereigns’ Golden Truth. Wood moves in Heaven, and hong (cloud Qi) meets Metal; it circulates through twenty-five degrees. The Liver’s Office of the Orchid Terrace transmits this Qi to the right Kidney. It corresponds to the first quarter of the Zi hour; after thirty-two quarters, it is transmitted at the Mao hour, where it is bathed and refined through circulation. Five days make one hou; fifteen days make one qi; that is sufficient. One portion of Lead is then generated and settled in the Kan Palace. It appears like a dew-bud forming in the Dantian and can be gathered and refined. One month makes one cauldron. The first fifteen days are the Yang firing phase. Refine one current of Lesser Yang: the first, middle, and final five days each form one hou, and each hou comprises sixty double-hours. In the first hou, the first two and a half days make thirty double-hours, during which one liang of fire is applied.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of Daoshu (The Pivot of the Dao)

(Continuing the fire-timing sequence) For the next two and a half days, increase the fire to one liang (one zhu out of sixteen zhu). In this phase, use a fire of two liang and twelve zhu for the first two and a half days, then increase it to three liang for the last two and a half days. At this point, the refinement of this one “Qi” comes to an end (the full sequence lasts fifteen days, or one hundred and eighty shi).

From the sixteenth day after the Winter Solstice until the end of that month, this period corresponds to Yangming, with its trigram position at Gen. Its spirit is called “Seeing Dragon,” and its Qi is one of the Qi of the “Heavenly True Nine Emperors’ Golden True Ones.” Wood Qi moves through “hong” in the heavens (the path along which it moves across the celestial dome), intersecting with the Metal cycle for twenty-five degrees; the Qi in the human body likewise moves for twenty-five degrees. The Qi passes to the right kidney, corresponding to the first quarter of the Chou hour. It then passes for thirty-two quarters to the liver’s “Office of the Orchid Terrace,” taking Chen as the starting point of its first cycle. It circulates in this way from three to nine times, beginning at the “Office of the Opening Origin” and reaching the area between the waist and the left flank, where it is refined and nourished for fifteen days. At this time, one new portion of lead is formed, shaped like a lotus bud. It is warmed with fire each day. Thus, the following fifteen days correspond to the measure of “Fire of Yin’s Retreat.”

When refining this one Qi of Yangming, the first, middle, and final five-day periods each form one phase, and each phase lasts sixty shi. In the upper phase, use a fire of three liang for the first two and a half days, or thirty shi, then reduce the fire to one liang and twelve zhu for the last two and a half days. In the middle phase, use two liang and twelve zhu for the first two and a half days, then reduce the fire to two liang for the last two and a half days. In the lower phase, use two liang for the first two and a half days, then reduce the fire to one liang and twelve zhu for the last two and a half days. The first fifteen days are called Strong Fire; their sign of efficacy is the ability to see five-colored lights at night. The following fifteen days are called Gentle Tally; their sign of efficacy is the appearance of spiritual light in sunlight.

Then change the cauldron (change the furnace and enter a new stage). Begin using fire from “one day after every three days” following the Winter Solstice, and continue until the forty-fifth day. This period corresponds to Taiyin (the text reads “Ling,” which may refer to the Kun position). Its spirit is “Resisting Dragon,” and its Qi is again one of the Qi of the Heavenly True Nine Emperors’ Golden True Ones. The Great Tally intersects with the Metal cycle in the celestial “hong” for twenty-five degrees, corresponding to the first quarter of the Yin hour. It then passes for thirty-two quarters to the liver’s Office of the Orchid Terrace… (The sequence of Qi transmission and refinement that follows is similar to the one described above.)

Notes on technical terms

• Zhu and liang: Ancient units of weight, used here as metaphors for the intensity of the fire, not as ordinary measures.
• Phase and shi: One phase is about five days; one shi is one double-hour. Fifteen days, or one hundred and eighty shi, is a common cycle calculation in Neidan (internal alchemy).
• Lead, fire, and cauldron: Lead represents precelestial Jing and Qi; fire represents their warming and nurturing through intention and breath; the cauldron represents the place within the body where the elixir is refined.
• Strong Fire / Gentle Tally: The first half involves vigorous nourishment, while the second gradually reduces the fire, corresponding to the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang.
• The characters “Ling” and “Cha” in the text may be transcription errors. Different editions have different readings; readers should compare them with the trigram positions and hour correspondences given throughout the book.

Source: Dao Shu (The timing of the firing process in Neidan and the sequence of vessel changes)

When the “lead” within the kidneys sprouts forth once more, taking the form of an egg being embraced, this is the time called changing the vessel.

Advancing Yang Fire (the first fifteen days)

The first fifteen days are for advancing Yang Fire and refining the single Qi of the Great Yang.

The first, middle, and last five-day periods each form one phase; each phase comprises sixty double-hours:

• First phase: For the first two and a half days (thirty double-hours), apply one liang and twelve zhu of fire; for the next two and a half days, increase it to two liang.
• Middle phase: For the first two and a half days, apply two liang of fire; for the next two and a half days, increase it to two liang and twelve zhu.
• Last phase: For the first two and a half days, apply two liang and twelve zhu of fire; for the next two and a half days, increase it to three liang.

The three Qi together make forty-five days, half the cycle of one vessel, or the measure of one section. By this point, the Three Yin have been extinguished. The Qi of the Great Yang enters the “gate” and gathers at the ancestral temple; its remaining Qi disperses and becomes cinnabar.

Withdrawing Yin Fire (the next fifteen days)

The next fifteen days are for withdrawing Yin Fire. Beginning at Start of Spring, the trigrams begin with Gen: the first, middle, and last five-day periods each form one phase, again comprising sixty double-hours apiece.

• First phase: For the first two and a half days, apply three liang of fire; for the next two and a half days, reduce the fire to two liang and twelve zhu.
• Middle phase: For the first two and a half days, apply two liang and twelve zhu; for the next two and a half days, reduce it to two liang.
• Last phase: For the first two and a half days, apply two liang of fire; for the next two and a half days, reduce it to one liang and twelve zhu.

Together these make sixty days, the fire measure for the second vessel. Thereafter, use fire according to the same pattern, nourishing and refining until Summer Solstice: the fire is increased again, but the vessel count does not increase. Thus, from Winter Solstice, the fire is advanced until Yang matures over six months. The embryo’s Qi does not disperse but gathers in the Dantian (the place below the navel where Jing and Qi accumulate). Its color is red, and it is called Red Lead or Yang Cinnabar.

Beginning the practice after Summer Solstice

From Summer Solstice onward, the six stages of advancing fire are the same as those from Winter Solstice. (The method is the same as before: five days to a phase, fifteen days to a Qi, one month to a vessel, and forty-five days to a section.) Accordingly, begin at the first quarter of the Wu hour on Summer Solstice and start the practice from Lesser Yin. This corresponds to the Li trigram. The spirit is like a submerged dragon, and the Qi comprises the three currents of Heavenly Reality, the Nine Sovereigns, and Wood Reality. Metal moves through the numinous talisman and joins the course of Fire.

Note on reading (not part of the original)

This passage uses calendrical cycles, trigrams, and fire measured in liang and zhu to divide cultivation into “sections,” “phases,” and “vessels.” It is a formula for the timing of the firing process in Neidan, and should not be taken literally as a recipe for making an elixir.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao (Daoshu)

First section (refining and transforming the liver and heart)

Qi circulates through the body twenty-five times, corresponding to its passage from the liver—often called the “Bureau of the Minister” in Neidan—to the heart, or “Palace of Li.” Here, the “quicksilver” begins to grow by a small measure, taking a form like dew on a flower’s stamen. It forms in the crimson palace, where the heart resides. As the refinement continues, blood can transform into an essence like white milk, and the skin becomes lustrous. Then continue refining and circulating it as before.

According to the seasonal cycle of the fire, at the winter solstice the fire is increased by five cauldrons, while no more water is added. This keeps Yin Qi from dispersing, gathering it in the heart’s crimson palace. Thus, fire is kindled from the summer solstice, and after six months the “Yin breath” forms. Its color is black, so it is called “black lead,” or, alternatively, Yin quicksilver.

Second section (red and black, lead and quicksilver)

Red belongs to Yang Qi, and black belongs to Yin Qi. Red and black are joined inside and out; together they are called red lead and black lead, and they form the foundation of the Great Elixir. When this practice has been carried out for a full year, nature and life have a governing principle.

Third section (the Dao of “three, five, and one,” and returning to the origin)

The Dao of “three, five, and one” works as follows: the body’s forms unite, but their Qi does not. Heaven is the dragon and Earth the horse; Qian is the father and Kun the mother. Heaven refers to the sun and Yang essence, while Earth refers to the moon and Yin essence. When Yin and Yang contend and draw each other back to their roots, this is the path of returning to the origin, restoring the source, and fetal breathing.

What did Laozi mean by “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female”? When a person breathes out, Qi leaves from the “three inches” (usually referring to the area of the Dantian), governed by the left kidney and associated with the three Yang, corresponding to the sun. When a person breathes in, Qi enters the three inches, governed by the right kidney and associated with the three Yin, corresponding to the moon. Over a day and night, breathing moves the six Qi in step with the sun and moon, amounting to about thirteen thousand five hundred breaths. Breathing produces about fifty-four thousand movements, and Qi and blood circulate for about eight hundred and ten zhang. Thus, day and night, Qi and blood flow throughout the body like beads strung together.

Fourth section (Nutritive and Defensive Qi, and breathing)

As for Nutritive and Defensive Qi, Yang moves on the left: in the course of a morning, the Nutritive channels make twenty-five circuits. Yin moves on the right: in the same period, the Defensive channels make twenty-five circuits. Blood is Nutritive Qi; Qi is Defensive Qi. With each breath in and out, Qi and blood travel about six cun. After two hundred and seventy breaths, they have traveled sixteen zhang and two chi, completing one circuit of the whole body. Thus, breathing is the key to nature and life.

When Qi goes out, it is the Sun’s soul; when Qi enters, it is the Moon’s spirit. The scripture says, “The Sun goes out, the Moon comes in; breathing is preserved.” The two Qi, the Sun’s soul and the Moon’s spirit, are the real thing. To understand this is to possess the seed of a true immortal. Refine it and nourish it; after a thousand days, there will be no Yin within the body. How could one die a needless death? That is what this means.

Fifth section (Jade Capital)

Below the Jade Capital…

Reading note (not part of the scripture)

This text uses the vocabulary of Neidan cultivation and refinement. Terms such as lead and quicksilver, the crimson palace, kindling the fire, and Yin breath are mostly metaphors for the workings of Shen, Qi, and the cycles of refinement; they are not advice to ingest Waidan. The associations of Nutritive and Defensive Qi, the three inches, and the left and right kidneys with the sun and moon reflect a view of the body shaped by both Daoism and medicine. The main thread to follow is the cycle linking breathing, Qi and blood, and the sun and moon.

A Plain Language Explanation of Daoshu

The first passage: The breath of Heaven, Earth, and humankind

The sun and moon divide day from night; this is the “breath” of Heaven and Earth. Human breathing is likewise the person’s “breath.” The sun is Yang and the moon is Yin. Because Yin and Yang move, there is life and death. If Yin and Yang did not interact, the sun and moon did not follow their courses, the four seasons had no order, and the myriad things did not come into being, how could there be life and death?

What is settled breathing? In the course of practice, one reaches settled breathing, and the primal fire burns within the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind. After a thousand days, breathing may cease. Then, when the five organs no longer interact, the six bowels no longer transmit, and the hundred vessels no longer circulate, the hundred gates open of themselves, Shen and Qi govern themselves, and the myriad transformations settle of themselves. This is returning to the origin through embryonic breathing.

The second passage: The great Elixir’s spirit embryo and the crucible

I possess a great Elixir spirit embryo in a golden cauldron. Its crucible has three levels: the uppermost is the Yellow Elixir Court (Yellow Court); below it is water, then earth, and at the very bottom, wood. To the left is the sealed and secured place; to the right, the Penghu. Outside are the eight gates—Scenery, Death, Alarm, Opening, Rest, Life, Injury, and Closure—which protect and uphold this cauldron.

One catty of great medicine corresponds to 384 lines. Of this, only fifteen taels are used, corresponding to 360 lines. One tael corresponds to four hexagrams, or twenty-four lines, serving as the pivot of Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li. Could this be the celestial and authentic fire method of transformation?

The third passage: Correspondences between hexagram lines and breathing

A hexagram has six lines, corresponding to the six breaths. One fen (one line) corresponds to one zhu. In the Tai hexagram, the upper three lines correspond to one exhalation, with the breath going out three cun; these belong to the three Yang lines. The lower three lines correspond to one inhalation, with the breath coming in three cun; these belong to the three Yin lines. What is the principle of using these hexagrams internally? Sixteen breaths make sixty-four movements, corresponding to ninety-six cun. If sixteen breaths are settled, four times that number is sixty-four breaths; likewise, four times ninety-six cun is 384 cun. Thus the cun, zhu, tael, and day in the Book of Changes all correspond to 384.

Each Yang line is counted as one. One line has thirty-six counting rods, and six lines give the 216 rods of Qian. Each Yin line is counted as one. One line has twenty-four rods, and six lines give the 144 rods of Kun. The 384 lines, half Yin and half Yang, together make 11,520 rods. At the winter solstice, the first Yang is born…

Note: This text aligns settled breathing and embryonic breathing in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice with the hexagram lines, rod counts, and measurements of the Book of Changes. It is a typical example of the integration of Daoist internal alchemy and the study of the Changes. Specialized terms such as Yellow Elixir Court, Qian-Kun-Kan-Li, and the sealed and secured place and Penghu often refer to the Dantian, the crucible, and the locations for guarding the apertures. Their practical meaning should be understood in conjunction with a teacher’s transmission and the complete texts.

At the first quarter of the Zi hour, the Qi of Lesser Yang begins to stir. It moves through thirty-six degrees, joining with the Qi of Jia and Yi, and travels through the “Earth Gate.” Each degree takes six ke, making 216 ke for this stretch. Next, the Qi of Bright Yang and Greater Yang move in the same way for a total of sixty-six degrees, bringing the overall distance to 108 degrees. This is the numerical principle of Qianyuan and Mercury, in which “the small responds to the great and carries it forward,” equivalent to 648 ke.

At the summer solstice, at the first quarter of the Wu hour, Yin begins to arise. The Qi of Lesser Yin stirs, moving through thirty-six degrees, joining with the Qi of Geng and Xin, and traveling through the “Heaven Gate.” Each degree takes four ke, making 144 ke. Then Jueyin and Greater Yin move according to the same method for thirty-six degrees, bringing the overall distance again to 108 degrees. This is the numerical principle of Kunyuan and Mars, in which “the small responds to the great and carries it forward,” equivalent to 432 ke.

The two Qi of Yin and Yang move through a total of 1,080 ke. This is the number governing the Sun and Moon’s circuit around the heavens and the cycles of generation and extinction through which all things turn.