《道樞》Vol. 26

The Pivot of the Dao, Scroll 26, “Sincerity II” — “The Mysterious Pivot of the Sun and Moon” (Taking Heaven and Earth as the Crucible, with Yin Still and Yang Active; Following Boyang’s Method to Clarify Lead and Mercury)

Liuzi (Liu Zhigu, a man of the Tang dynasty who lived during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign and once served as magistrate of Changming County in Mianzhou) said: “Nothing in the Daoist tradition is more hidden than restoring the elixir. Nothing can verify whether the elixir has been restored better than the Dragon and Tiger. And nothing explains the Dragon and Tiger more clearly than the Cantos of the Token for Joining the Three.”

Baopuzi (Ge Hong) said: “Wei Boyang (Wei Ao, a Han-dynasty alchemist also known as Master Boyang) composed the Cantos of the Token for Joining the Three and the Five Categories of Correspondences, together forming two sections. He used the hexagrams and line statements of the Zhouyi to discuss the essentials of cultivating the Golden Elixir.”

Master Xuanguang (a name adopted by a commentator) said: “Xu Congshi modeled the upper section of the Cantos of the Token for Joining the Three on writings about the celestial images of the Dragon and Tiger, then passed it to Lord Wei. Lord Wei composed the middle section and passed it to Chunyu Shutong. Shutong composed the lower section to represent the way of the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and humanity. ‘Joining the Three’ means comparing the principles of the Three Powers and showing how they correspond and fit together.

“I can briefly set out the general meaning. Only when Qian and Kun serve as the crucible is the way of Heaven and Earth established. Only when Kan and Li serve as the ingredients can the southern and northern positions be fixed. Only when the Dragon and Tiger are named can the eastern and western boundaries be clearly laid out. In discussing the stages of the fire and determining how things are generated and transformed, one always makes calculations according to the hexagram energies and the pitch pipes.

“Thus, when the energy of Huangzhong arrives, Yang is born in the Returning hexagram. It passes through Obstruction and Peace, and by the time it reaches Si, the count of Yang lines is complete. When the energy of Ruibin arrives, Yin is born in the Encountering hexagram. It passes through Retreat and Stripping, and by the time it reaches Hai, the count of Yin lines is complete. The cycle ends and begins again: this is the principle of the six directions, the Three Powers, the four seasons, and the Five Phases. The crucible and the ingredients are, in truth, one and the same thing.

“Some also say: the liver, green, is the father, and is copper sulfate; the lungs, white, are the mother, and are lead and silver; the kidneys, black, are the child, and are lodestone; the spleen, yellow, is the ancestor, and is the paired male and female substances. The restored elixir is originally white and red, but appears purple-red because it is tinted by the energies of copper sulfate and realgar. They do not understand that the restored elixir is formed from Yin-Yang energies, changes in accordance with Heaven and Earth’s sequence of generation, and accords with the natural principles of metal and water. Does the Jing not say: ‘Remove the five minerals of Wudu and cast them aside, putting them to no use’? The point is not to refine minerals into an elixir. The elixir I discuss is the Dragon and Tiger.

“Flowing Pearl is the Azure Dragon, and the Azure Dragon is the sun. Yellow Sprout is the White Tiger, and the White Tiger is the moon.”

The moon works the same way. The vital energies of the sun and moon follow their own principles of transformation; by ingesting them, one too may undergo transformation.

What does “transformation” mean? Cinnabar (mercuric sulfide) can turn into mercury, a reversal from Yang to Yin. Mercury can then become cinnabar again, a reversal from Yin to Yang. Thus “Flowing Pearl” refers to the Great Azure Elixir. Black lead turns into yellow lead, a reversal from Yin to Yang; yellow lead then changes back into black lead, a reversal from Yang to Yin. Each substance is called Yin, yet in an instant becomes Yang; called Yang, yet suddenly becomes Yin. They are husband and wife to each other, and also father and mother to each other. They arise through the interaction of Yin and Yang, a mystery beyond even the sages’ ability to fathom.

Lady Wei of the Shangqing school said: The “spirit” of the numinous sprout lies in the dragon’s song by the spring, as auspicious clouds descend from the sky, and the tiger’s roar in the empty air, which sets the winds surging in every direction. When a yang-sui fire mirror faces the sun, it produces vermilion flame; when a fangzhu dew vessel faces the moon, dark water fills it to overflowing. All these things happen naturally.

In ancient times, people used mercury, yet could not refine the Great Elixir from it alone. Why? They had a dragon but no tiger. If one does not understand this principle, why borrow the Four Symbols and Five Phases, or seek the Yin and Yang of men and women? Surely there is a principle of transformation in which the Dao acts on its own, independent of external things and beyond human will.

As for taking the Eight Minerals as the guiding framework, the basis lies in the two substances—the dragon and tiger, or gold and mercury. The dragon and tiger are one in essence, yet unfold into three paths. Why, then, do practitioners repeatedly fail? Because they do not understand “Three and Five become One”—the unity of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Zhuangzi said, “Know the One, and all things are accomplished.” Surely this is what he meant.

By what means can the Returning Elixir carry one beyond the world of death and rebirth? By ingesting the essences of the sun and moon. And what are the sun and moon? Are they the Heaven-born Dark Maiden and the Earth-born Yellow Lad? The dragon and tiger are gold and mercury; gold and mercury enclose one another and acquire their natural qualities. Is this not wondrous?

The Scripture of the Yellow Court says, “The essence of the sun and moon rescues the aged and frail.” It refers to the two luminaries and the two moons. Liuzi said, “I greet the radiance of the two luminaries and ingest the rosy clouds of the five dawns.” Many have followed teachings of this kind, yet few have truly transcended the world and attained long life. Why? The key to longevity lies in nourishing oneself through ingestion and cultivating both inner and outer practices. Success is possible only when one does not rely on a single method.

Some say to use lead; others say not to. Liuzi said: “I have heard the Upper Scripture say—”

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

The wonder of the Perfected (zhenren) seems at once present and absent, like a great spring that sinks and rises without warning.

The scripture says: “The Perfected dwells in a deep pool, keeping to the rule of the Center as it sinks and rises.” What does this mean? Refine lead into mercury, nurture the mercury with gentle warmth, then place it in the crucible. At first, when it has just been put in, all is so still that no movement can be heard. When the fire reaches its height, golden flowers rise to the surface, utterly unlike other things. Is this not like something in the depths of a great spring, sinking and rising without warning?

If one says this “lead” is not ordinary lead, outsiders will find it hard to understand. To say there is earth in the crucible is mere delusion. True lead is great lead. Water dwells in the north, whose trigram is Kan. Kan gives rise to the Six Wu, and the Six Wu belong to earth. Fire dwells in the south, whose trigram is Li. Li gives rise to the Six Ji, and the Six Ji also belong to earth. Thus “earth” means the energies of Wu and Ji, not ordinary soil. This is the meaning of Kan-Wu as the moon’s essence and Li-Ji as the sun’s light.

One Yin and one Yang together make water and fire: fire takes water as its husband, and water takes fire as its wife. The way of husband and wife lies in Wu and Ji. All things have earth as both their beginning and their end, and the work of forming earth cannot be separated from water and fire. Metal engenders water, and water engenders metal: this is the yellow sprout growing from lead. The formula says, “Lead can control mercury; mercury can subdue metal; metal and mercury take shape.” This is the principle of “silver subduing.” Wood engenders fire, and fire engenders wood: this is mercury emerging from cinnabar. Why does mercury belong to wood? It receives the energy of the sun and transforms into a flowing pearl. The sun is the sun; it rises in the east, and the east is the place of wood. Lead, by contrast, is metal: the moon is born in the west, and the west is the place of metal.

Thus the returning elixir must accord with the celestial patterns. The signs of the sun and moon meet at the conjunction of the dark moon and the new moon. Their energies of “virtue and punishment” must converge in accord with Mao and You; they emerge from and enter Qian and Kun, lingering between Zi and Wu. Heaven and earth serve as female and male; Yin and Yang as parents; the Azure Dragon is on the left and the White Tiger on the right. The scripture says, “The sun tilts, becoming a flowing pearl; the Azure Dragon accompanies it.” This is what it means.

People of shallow understanding combine mercury with things from mountains and marshes in a vessel and refine them. They call the result a “tree-seed”: at first the two substances enclose one another, but later lead and mercury each occupy a separate place. After one year or three, they claim the “silver mother” has formed. This is all contrary to the true Way.

This passage discusses common misconceptions in the making of Waidan (external alchemy), and the proper use of “Dragon and Tiger” and “Water and Fire” in the true method of the Elixir.

Fire Phases and Harmful Ingestion

When an elixir is buried in fire and slowly calcined—a process called “subduing fire” (fuhuo)—if it is buried deep, four or five parts out of ten may be preserved; if buried shallowly, only two or three parts remain. Taking it despite this may harm the body. Some believe that silver is born from lead, and that when lead’s essence combines with mercury, “Dragon and Tiger” naturally form. But they do not know that the Yellow Sprout comes from lead yet is not lead itself. A scripture says, “The Yellow Sprout is not lead, yet it must be perfected within lead.” This is what it means. In speaking of Dragon and Tiger, the Yellow Sprout must be taken as primary. Thus the ancients said, “From beginning to end, they serve one another”: mercury is paired with lead, and like is joined with like, as father governs son and son governs grandson, generation after generation.

Fire can melt metal, while metal can overcome Wood and help it flourish. This is the path by which the Returned Elixir is perfected. Some have heard the verse on Dragon and Tiger: Yin is above and Yang runs below; the beginning and end are martial, while the middle is civil. Why is a cup of water often placed above the furnace? Because the Returned Elixir begins when Yang is born, and cultivation continues until Yin reaches its extreme. Yang lies concealed below, Yin above. Water must be used when the Qi of Metal gradually grows and the Qi of Water reaches its peak. What does this mean? From the Returning hexagram to the Contemplation hexagram, after completing the ten-month cycle of fire phases, lead and Yellow Sprout have formed and the Elixir’s path is nearing completion—like a child emerging from its mother’s womb, no longer mingled with her. Yang wanes and Yin recedes; Metal flourishes and Water declines; Hun and Po are at peace, and firmness and softness unite. Then a Yin furnace is set above and blazing fire arranged below. This is what is meant by raising water to stimulate fire, so that the flames suddenly draw in. A scripture says: “When Water is abundant, Kan encroaches on Yang; when Fire weakens, Li grows wholly dark. Yin and Yang drink and feed upon each other; their way of interaction is natural in itself.” This is the proper response to the season, in harmony with the Qi.

The perfected person adds a covering here because the Golden Elixir is being transformed and refined in the fire. It must be moistened with the Yin fluid of water for the process to be truly wondrous. People of shallow understanding in the world sometimes calcine the flower of lead and Yellow Sprout with mercury to make purple powder; combine cinnabar, mercury, realgar, orpiment, azurite, malachite, alum, and mica to refine and subdue them; use various green minerals, alum, verdigris, and ash to bind mercury into red silver and then turn it into powder; boil sulfur with medicines to make jade powder; dye copper leaves with sulfur and refine them into red elixir; or use arsenic to transform copper and iron and to shrink tin. None of these is accepted as the proper way.

Someone asked, “Gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin are the Five Metals; realgar, orpiment, arsenic, alum, chalcanthite, azurite, turquoise, and arsenolite are the Eight Minerals. Does alchemical refining refer to these?”

Liuzi replied, “No, that is not what we mean here. The Eight Minerals we speak of are a set of names: Zi and Wu form Three, while Wu and Ji form Five. They pair the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches with the Five Phases; they are not eight kinds of stone on a mineral merchant’s shelf.

“The scripture also speaks of Nine Returning, Seven Reverting, Eight Returning, and Six Residing. These are the hidden principles of the Return Elixir. What do they mean?

“Metal has a generating number of four and a completing number of nine; Wood has a generating number of three and a completing number of eight; Fire has a generating number of two and a completing number of seven. These three combine through their original generating Qi. Fire combining with Earth is called Seven Reverting; Wood combining with Earth, Eight Returning; Metal combining with Earth, Nine Returning.

“Water has a generating number of one and a completing number of six. Metal generates Water, but Water cannot ‘combine with’ Metal; instead, it remains firm and self-contained. This is called Six Residing.

“But does Water combine with Earth? The Way of Heaven revolves to the left, while the sun and moon move to the right. Viewed from below, Metal generates Water and Wood generates Fire; viewed from above, Water generates Metal and Fire generates Wood. The scripture says, ‘Zi turns right; the tiger revolves east. Mao and You mark the dividing line, which fixes the two names.’ That is what it means.”

Chapter of the Nine True Jade Writ: The Body as Crucible, Qi as Medicine

Chunyangzi said, “In cultivating the alchemical Way, first set the furnace and crucible in their proper places. The furnace is the wall surrounding the crucible: it is this very body. The medicine of longevity within it is the essence, Qi, and bodily fluids of Shen.

“The furnace has eight gates: the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. These are the apertures for seeing and hearing, breathing in and out, and the openings through which the bellows open and close. Let each serve its proper purpose in movement and stillness, and guard them constantly without fail. Do not let forms, colors, flavors, the Eight Evils, or the Six Thieves injure the inner reality. Only then can you harmonize the ingredients, balance Yin-Yang, and refine and nourish Shen and Qi within the furnace of Heaven and Earth and the crucible of transformation.

“Heaven corresponds to Qian and to Metal. The Inner Landscape says: ‘Above the Lung Palace is the canopy; below it covers the other organs, and it connects with the nose.’ The nose is Heaven’s gate. Through it, breathing rises and descends, circulating nutritive and defensive Qi, moving through the five organs and filling the whole body. Its floating and sinking, its size and measure, each have their order, like the stars revolving in Heaven and the rivers flowing across Earth. Thus Heaven is the crucible: Heaven’s gate connects with the lungs, through which clear Qi enters and leaves.”

An Explanatory Reading of The Pivot of the Dao

Qi is like the lid of the cauldron used in alchemical refinement—the vessel of cooking and refining in the metaphor of internal practice.

Earth corresponds to the Kun trigram and also belongs to Earth among the Five Phases. An account of the body’s inner landscape says: the spleen contains food and drink and communicates with the heart. The heart is the “Earth Gate,” and also the throat: it receives food and drink and sends them down to the stomach. The water that circulates there corresponds within the body to the blood vessels. Thus the spleen receives the ascending and descending Qi of the “Heaven Gate,” moving and stirring, working the transformations of creation, and separating the clear from the turbid in food and drink. The clear rises to the upper burner and the tranquil realm of the lung palace, where it becomes spirit Qi and vital fluids; the turbid drains downward into the small and large intestines. Earth is therefore like the cauldron’s base—its bottom and foundation. Qi can transform the myriad things, while the stomach is the cauldron of creation and transformation.

The Sun is the Heavenly Soul, the essence of solar fire. Its positions are Qian and Gen among the Eight Trigrams. It flourishes in summer and wanes in winter; the nights are short and the days long. Within it is hidden Yin Qi, along with the concealed “Golden Rooster”—the Golden Rooster being You, the western branch. Outwardly, it corresponds to the four directions. It is said that metal and stone can produce water: Qian is Heaven and Metal, while Gen is Water and stone. Thus water is born within mountains and rocks. This is Yin within Yang.

The account of the body’s inner landscape also says: the upper burner is Heaven, and the heart is the abode of spirit. The head is Gen Mountain; the mouth is a cave valley, the source from which water emerges. Water is Kun, and thus Earth. The Qi of accumulated Yin rises to the high heavens and reaches the canopy at the crown of the head. Its droplets fall as rain and dew, moistening the heart palace. This is Yin within Yang.

The Li trigram is Yang on the outside and Yin within, like cinnabar: it is of the nature of fire, yet within it lies mercury, the soul of the Great Yin Maiden, clothed in five-colored robes. Li means “radiance”; its essence is the Sun. The Sun has five colors, and within it is the Crimson Palace, which connects above to the eyes—the eyes being the gate of the Mud Ball, or upper Dantian. A spirit dwells in this palace and rules Heaven and Earth; its virtue accords with Wuwei (non-action). Those who cultivate life first purify their spirit: when the spirit is clear and the heart upright, evil cannot intrude. If the heart cannot subdue itself, treacherous fire arises within, like cinnabar that has not been stabilized and flies away when exposed to fire. Is the heart, then, not the ruler of life?

The Moon is the Earthly Soul, the essence of Great Yin water. Its positions are Kun and Xun: it flourishes in winter and wanes in summer; the days are short and the nights long. Hidden within it is Yang essence, and it conceals the Jade Hare—the Jade Hare being Mao, the eastern branch. Wood in the east can generate fire. This is Yang within Yin.

The account of the body’s inner landscape also says: the lower burner and the five viscera; the two kidneys—at the center of the two kidneys…

(The original text breaks off here; the continuation is not included.)

The Classic Pivot of the Dao: A Plain-Language Interpretation

The Dantian is a vital place in the human body. Before it lies the Xun Sea, the human Water Palace, located in the direction of Yin.

Kan is a pit, a receptacle for water; rivers flow into the Xun Sea. People in the world do not understand the proper positions of Yin and Yang. They take the north to be Kan and the south to be Li, but this is not so. Kan occupies the southern positions of Kun and Xun. Its central yang line is the fire of Si and Wu in the south. Li occupies the northern positions of Qian and Gen. Its central yin line is the water of Hai and Zi in the north.

Kan has yang within and yin without, like lead and tin. It is water in which silver and sand arise from yang, enclosing red gold. Gold and silver are both yang within yin; these are the Infant. Above, they unite with the Great Yin Enchantress as husband and wife. Their feelings draw them together, and they congeal to form cinnabar.

Kan is thus the sea of water and the palace of the hidden dragon. Its dignity is like that of an emperor seated in the northern palace, facing south. The Moon belongs to Earth; without yang, nothing can grow. All things receive life from Heaven and Earth and grow toward the sun. Human beings are the most perceptive of all things—how could they fail to follow Heaven and Earth? Those who follow the Dao of Heaven continually preserve within themselves primordial yang, the True One, Great Harmony, and pure, undiluted Qi. In this way, they may attain long life while sitting at ease.

This requires cultivation day and night. Internal practice corresponds to one day, while the movement of Heaven corresponds to one year. Yin and Yang rise and descend, moving through the four seasons and the twelve double-hours. Day follows the pattern of spring and summer; night follows that of autumn and winter. Day and night complete their cycle, and Heaven and Earth unite in harmony.

During Hai, Zi, and Chou, corresponding to winter in Heaven, Yin rises to the heart while Yang descends to the Water Palace. It is gently nourished in the kidneys and transformed through refining in the bones, like mountain stone receiving the rising and descending Qi of Yin and Yang from Heaven and Earth and changing into gold, silver, cinnabar, and copper and iron.

During Yin, Mao, and Chen, corresponding to spring in Heaven, Yin descends to the Canopy while Yang rises above the cauldron. It is gently nourished in the liver and takes shape in the sinews and vessels, like plants and trees receiving the warm Qi of Yang from Heaven and Earth and producing blossoms, leaves, shoots, and vines.

During Si, Wu, and Wei, corresponding to summer in Heaven, Yin descends to the Water Palace while Yang reaches its peak in the Fire Palace. It is gently nourished in the heart and transforms in the blood vessels; True Yang is fired and refined into white milk.

The hours of Shen, You, and Xu correspond to “autumn” in the heavens. Once Yang Qi reaches its peak, it begins to decline, while Yin Qi from the earth rises back toward heaven. At this time, one should gently nourish the lungs and complete the transformation of Qi at the level of the body’s skin and hair. The cycle of day and night turns like the four seasons, while Yin and Yang remain united within the body. This is the way of entering sagehood.

The Inner Landscape Scripture says: The body is like a state, and the face like its city walls. The ears, eyes, mouth, and nose are the city gates; the hands, feet, and limbs are the generals guarding the four directions, protecting against unforeseen dangers. The ruler is the heart; the ministers are Qi and the kidneys. The heart governs Qi, and Qi is the spirit of the heart. When the heart and Shen are clear and still, Qi is harmonious and peaceful, like a realm at peace. When Shen and Qi unite, one can live long and see far.

The ruler refers to the pure, primordial Qi of the True One in the Crimson Palace (within the heart). The ministers refer to the liquid of Taiyin’s deep darkness in the Kan Palace (within the kidneys). True Qi descends from heaven and brings forth the myriad things, as a minister receives the ruler’s favor. Yin Qi rises from the earth and condenses into rain and dew to nourish the myriad things, as a minister benefits the people. The heart connects to the space beneath the tongue, where the “Jade Pool” lies: on the left is Golden Essence, on the right Jade Fluid, both originating in the Kan Palace. Qi rises above and transforms into rain, dew, springs, and streams, which moisten the heart and bring it to life. This is how a minister benefits the realm.

The kidneys are the palace of pure Yin and the harmonious Qi of the True One. Their Qi originates in the Li position and descends to warm and nourish the Dantian (energy center; said to lie between the two kidneys, though the center is also called the Dantian). This is the ruler’s sagacity. Governing the body is like governing a household: the body is the dwelling, and the five organs are its palaces. Qian Heaven is the father, and Kun Earth the mother; Kan is the middle son, Li the middle daughter, Zhen the eldest son, Xun the eldest daughter, Gen the youngest son, and Dui the youngest daughter. The three sons and three daughters are paired, and Qian the father and Kun the mother form a couple.

The Eastern Palace is the liver, belonging to Wood: Jia is the elder brother and Yi the younger sister; Ji is Jia’s wife and Geng is Yi’s husband. Thus the liver sinks when it receives Water, and Wood contains the Qi of Metal. The Western Palace is the lungs, belonging to Metal: Geng is the elder brother and Xin the younger sister; Yi is Geng’s wife and Bing is Xin’s husband. Thus the lungs float when they receive Water, and Metal contains the Qi of Wood. The Southern Palace is the heart, belonging to Fire: Bing is the elder brother and Ding the younger sister; Xin is Bing’s wife and Ren is Ding’s husband. Thus the heart can govern Fire without being harmed by it. The Northern Palace is the kidneys, belonging to Water: Ren is the elder brother… (The text continues by applying this pattern to the five organs, the Heavenly Stems, and the principles of Yin-Yang pairing.)

Throughout, the text relates the hours and seasons, ruler and ministers, Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li, and the five organs to the Heavenly Stems. It uses these correspondences to explain the principle of the “body as state” and “body as household” in internal cultivation: by maintaining Yin and Yang and harmonizing Shen and Qi, one follows the path to sagehood and long life.

A Plain Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao (Dao Shu)

Gui is the elder brother of the younger sister, and Ding is the wife of Ren; Wu is the husband of Gui. This is why the kidneys belong to Water Qi. The central palace is the spleen, which belongs to Earth. Wu is its elder brother and Ji its younger sister; Gui is Wu’s wife, and Jia is Ji’s husband. This is why the spleen can receive and contain grain: it is an organ of Earth that also carries Water Qi. Could this be what is meant by the “cauldron of creation,” the vessel in which Heaven and Earth bring forth the myriad things?

The “true image”—the actual scene within the body—is the Heaven and Earth inside the furnace: the sun, moon, and stars; the Milky Way; mountains and seas; plants and trees; clouds and wind. The furnace is our body. Heaven is the Qian trigram, which belongs to Metal. The canopy that shelters the crown of the head is the lungs. The mysterious images of stars and constellations, and the celestial wheels of the sun and moon, are the upper burner, the upper part of the chest: the pathways along which the nutritive and defensive forces, blood, and Qi circulate. The place where the clear and turbid are divided above and below in the realm of Great Clarity is the diaphragm, the partition of the middle burner. The Five Sacred Peaks and other mountains are the head and face. Ravines and valleys are the mouth and nose. Springs are bodily fluids and food and drink. Rivers rushing together into the sea are food and drink gathering in the storehouse of grain and water, the stomach. Clouds and rain arising from mountain valleys are the Qi of breathing: exhalation is wind, and warm breath is cloud. Plants and trees are the body hair.

Heaven and Earth endure because they hold to the Dao of Zhengyi, the pure and unified original Qi. We dwell within the furnace and cauldron of Heaven and Earth; if Yin and Yang unite without losing their original Qi, we too can naturally endure. Why is this so? Human beings receive life from Heaven and Earth, and the body likewise contains the Dao by which Heaven and Earth endure. If one can recognize within the inner realm the union of Heaven and Earth, the nurturing embrace of Yin and Yang, and Shen, Qi, Jing, and bodily fluids, then once the sun and moon have reached fullness and Jing and Qi are abundant, how could one fail to endure?

The essential practice lies in transforming and refining the Five Phases—the Five Phases of Qi within the body. The Five Phases correspond to the five organs. Wu and Ji serve as the cauldron and its stand, the vessels used for refining the elixir. One harmonizes the Four Emblems—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—and transforms the Five Phases. Water is fluid; within the fluid is Metal, called Golden Fluid. Metal overcomes Wood, and Fire arises within Wood; Fire then refines Metal once more. The Four Emblems return to their source, all governed by Earth—and Earth is Shen. When Shen follows the Dao, it rises to become an immortal; when it loses the Dao, it sinks to become a ghost.

Those who cultivate the true should cast aside worldly splendor, sever cravings and desires, abstain from meat and strong-smelling foods, and remain pure and free. They should observe purification and abstinence with solemn care, establish an altar and enter the meditation chamber, choose an auspicious day and await the proper time, sit facing south with their backs to the north, close their eyes, clench their fists and still their minds, then open the furnace gate within and set the Qi in motion.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

The firing process—the rhythm and intensity of the circulation of Jing and Qi during cultivation—is used to cultivate and refine the Five Viscera (the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys). This work must pass through nine revolutions, each a complete cycle of refinement in the alchemical path, often said to take three years or more.

In this scheme, four months correspond to three revolutions, while one full cycle comprises nine revolutions. After about three years, the Elixir—the internal Elixir—can be formed.

The formed Elixir is about one square inch in size and weighs one jin, an ancient unit of weight used here symbolically rather than as an ordinary modern measure. Yin and Yang are in equal measure, with inner and outer, movement and stillness, and firmness and softness brought into balance.

Its number also corresponds to the Yi: outwardly, it accords with the lines of the sixty-four hexagrams. (Note: By the ancient system of weights, one jin equals 384 zhu. The sixty-four hexagrams contain 384 lines in total. This is the great number of Yin and Yang, the governing number of the generation of Heaven and Earth and the workings of creation.)

This passage concerns the firing process and nine revolutions in internal alchemy. It uses time periods (four months, three revolutions, one full cycle, and three years), weights (one jin and 384 zhu), and hexagram lines (64 hexagrams and 384 lines) to show how cultivation repeatedly refines the Five Viscera according to a set rhythm, ultimately bringing Yin and Yang into harmony and aligning them with the great number of Heaven and Earth. Terms such as “Elixir,” “firing process,” and “nine revolutions” belong to the alchemical tradition and should be understood in light of the whole text and the teachings transmitted by a master, rather than taken as literal descriptions of physical objects.