《道樞》Vol. 40

“The Pivot of the Dao,” Scroll Forty: “On Transmitting the Dao” (Modern Interpretation)

Lü Dongbin asked, “What is the Yellow Sprout?” Zhongli Quan replied, “It is the Dragon and Tiger.”

Lü asked, “What do the Dragon and Tiger refer to?” Zhongli answered, “The Dragon is not the liver; it is the true Water of the Li Palace. The Tiger is not the lungs; it is the true Fire of the Kan position.”

Lü asked, “What, then, do Water and Fire mean?” Zhongli replied, “The ‘Water’ within my body has many names: the Four Seas, Five Lakes, Nine Rivers, and Three Islands; the Flower Pond, Jade Pond, Phoenix Pond, Celestial Pond, Jade Pool, Kun Pond, Primordial Abyss, and Langyuan; as well as Divine Water, Golden Waves, Jade Nectar, Jade Spring, Yang Su, and White Snow. The ‘Fire’ within my body is chiefly of three kinds: sovereign fire, ministerial fire, and people’s fire. All three have primordial Yang as their root. From this the true Qi arises. When true Qi gathers, the body is at peace; when it weakens, illness follows; when it disperses, death follows.”

Lü asked, “Primordial Yang is so faint, yet it must set the three fires in motion. And the three fires arise amid the many waters and Yin influences, where they are easily scattered and hard to kindle. What should be done?”

Zhongli replied, “The heart is the sea of blood, the kidneys are the sea of Qi, the Niwan is the sea of marrow, and the stomach is the sea of food and drink. These are the Four Seas within my body. The five viscera each have their own fluids and occupy their respective directions—east, west, south, north, and center. These are the Five Lakes within my body. The small intestine is about twenty-four feet long, winding nine times from top to bottom. This is the Nine Rivers within my body. The lower end of the large intestine is the Primordial Abyss within my body. The crown of the head is the upper island, the heart the middle island, and the kidneys the lower island. These Three Islands are the Langyuan within my body.

“Below the Yellow Court lies the Flower Pond; before the Cinnabar Palace lies the Jade Pond; the Kun Pond connects to the Jade Capital; the Celestial Pond surges into the inner courtyard; the Phoenix Pond lies between the heart and lungs; and the Jade Pool lies within the lips and teeth. The Divine Spring is born from Qi, and Golden Waves descend from Heaven. Where the Red Dragon rests, there are Jade Nectar and Jade Spring. Once the mortal embryo has been transformed, White Snow and Yang Su appear. I constantly irrigate and nourish them to temper their heat, and I must also seize the right moment. As the Highest One said, Jade Liquid and Golden Liquid can both be used to return to the Elixir.” (This is extracted and supplemented to accord with the Way of bathing.)

A Plain Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

Cultivation has its proper limits and stages. The Most High said: First take the Middle Field (zhongtian, the area of the Dantian), then the Lower Field (xi tian, below the navel); both can be used to refine the form—that is, to nourish and transform the body as though it were a furnace and vessel.

The Jade Pistils and Golden Blossoms—images of essence and Qi first budding like flowers—are refined until they change from green to white, then from white to yellow. The Cream of Immortality and Sweet Dew, metaphors for the purest, clearest essence and Qi, are refined until their fragrance grows rich and intense. This is the work of Water.

The common fire, corresponding to the bladder and Kidney Water, rises and assists the Qi in the kidneys, producing True Water. The ministerial fire, corresponding to the heart, rises and joins with the heart’s fluid, producing True Qi. In lesser practice, this can subdue demons and cure illness; in greater practice, it can refine the substance of the body and form the Golden Elixir. The practitioner burns and refines the body through the Circuit of Heaven, drawing in the Yang Barrier—gathering and containing essence and Qi so they do not leak out—to return them to the Origin, the primordial Qi. The configuration of the Nine Provinces nourishes the Yang Spirit; burning away the burden of the Three Peng, the three internal parasites that symbolize greed and other desires, dispels yin ghosts. The practice rises through the Three Passes, such as the Tailbone, Spinal Cord, and Mudball Palace, and circulates downward to dissolve the Seven Po, the soul aspects associated with yin and desire. Refining form into Qi brings one close to Heaven; refining Qi into spirit is like a cicada shedding its shell. This is the work of Fire.

Lü Dongbin asked, “Is there a method for the few to overcome the many, and the weak to prevail over the strong?” Zhongli Quan replied, “When the Yin of two and eight has diminished and the Yang of nine and three is full, the Golden Elixir is formed. Then, through the Seven Returns and Nine Restorations—the repeated rising and falling of Qi as it returns to the Origin—the embryo immortal is transformed.”

True Qi resides in the heart, which is the source of fluid; primordial Yang resides in the kidneys, which are the abyss of Qi. The bladder is the common fire and also the storehouse of fluids. If the kidneys do not stop—that is, if Qi is not recklessly discharged but instead gathered and contained—the common fire cannot be put to use. Why? The heart and kidneys are eight cun and four fen apart, corresponding to the positions of Heaven and Earth. Qi and fluid generate one another like the Supreme Ultimate: their interaction is the union of Yin and Yang. The twelve double-hours of a day correspond to the number of a year.

The heart’s fluid is not produced by the heart itself. Rather, fluid from the lungs descends to the heart and begins to flow. From above, it returns downward to the Lower Field. This is called “the wife returning to her husband’s palace.” The kidneys’ Qi is not produced by the kidneys themselves. Rather, as Qi rises from the bladder, the kidneys’ Qi begins to move. From below, it ascends to the Central Origin, the area of the Dantian and Sea of Qi. This is called “the husband returning to his wife’s chamber.” The Liver’s Qi guides the movement; the kidneys’ Qi rises from below until it reaches the heart, where it becomes Fire. The two Qi meet and warm the lungs. The fluid of the lungs descends from the heart, which is why it is said that “the heart produces fluid.” Produced in the heart and not dispersed, it is called True Water. The fluid of the lungs carries the heart’s fluid downward; from above, it reaches the kidneys and becomes Water. The two waters meet and moisten the bladder. Qi then rises from the kidneys, which is why it is said that “the kidneys produce Qi.”

The terms Middle Field, Lower Field, refining form, common fire, ministerial fire, True Water, True Qi, Circuit of Heaven, drawing in the Yang Barrier, Three Passes, Seven Po, Golden Elixir, Seven Returns and Nine Restorations, and embryo immortal are all Neidan terms. They mostly refer to the movement of Water and Fire, the rising and descending of essence and Qi, and the body’s passes and cavities; they need not be understood literally as places or physical objects.

An Accessible Reading of The Pivot of the Dao

Born from the kidneys and never extinguished: this is called true fire. True fire is born from water, in a dim and indistinct state. Something seems to be there, yet it cannot be seen or touched.

True water is born from fire, in a deep and obscure state. Something like essence seems to be there; once seen, it cannot be held, and even if held, it cannot be stopped.

The thing in the fire is the Dragon; the essence in the water is the Tiger. Could these be what is called the Great Medicine?

Lü says: “Heart fire generates fluid, so the Dragon hides in water, not in the liver. Kidney water generates Qi (vital energy), so the Tiger is concealed in fire, not in the lungs. They arise from the positions of Kan and Li. Why is this so?”

Zhongli Quan says: “The Dragon belongs to Yang. Among the myriad things it corresponds to Wood, and in the human body to the liver. The Tiger belongs to Yin. Among the myriad things it corresponds to Metal, and in the human body to the lungs. Though the liver belongs to Yang, it occupies a Yin position. Thus the Qi of the kidneys passes into the Qi of the liver, with water nourishing Wood. When kidney Qi is abundant, liver Qi is born. Once this Qi is born, it cuts off the remaining Yin in the kidneys, and the Qi of pure Yang then rises.

“The lungs belong to Yin, yet occupy a Yang position. Thus the fluid of the heart passes into the fluid of the lungs, with fire overcoming Metal. Once the heart’s fluid is generated, the spleen’s fluid is generated as well. Once this fluid is born, it cuts off the remaining Yang in the heart, and the fluid of pure Yin then descends.

“The liver is Yang and can cut off the remaining Yin in the kidneys. From this we know that when Qi passes through the liver, it becomes pure Yang. Within it is hidden the true water of the One, formless and unseen; this is called the Yang Dragon. The lungs are Yin and can cut off the remaining Yang in the heart. From this we know that when fluid reaches the lungs, it becomes pure Yin. Within it is borne the Qi of true Yang, concealed and unmanifest; this is called the Yin Tiger.

“Qi rises and fluid descends. How can they join? The true water of the One meets fluid and unites with it; the Qi of true Yang meets Qi and gathers with it. Is this not a case of things gathering with their kind and groups forming according to their nature?

“In circulating and transmitting them, use methods to regulate the process: keep the Qi of the kidneys from leaking away, and gather the true water of the One within that Qi; keep the fluid of the heart from dispersing, and obtain the Qi of true Yang within that fluid. When the two meet, they gather day by day, each grain-sized like millet. After one hundred days, the medicine’s potency is complete; after two hundred days, the sacred embryo is firm; after three hundred days, the embryonic immortal is perfected.”

Lü says: “When Qi is born, its fluid also descends—my true water of the One…”

Vernacular Interpretation of the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao)

…Can water fail to follow its natural tendency and flow downward, irrigating the five viscera? Once liquid is transformed and generated, Qi will also rise; can the true Yang Qi in my chest fail to rise with the Qi and emerge from the Chonglou (the throat and diaphragm area)? If true water keeps moving downward with the fluids, the “tiger” in the kidneys cannot intersect with the “dragon” in the heart; if true Yang keeps surging upward with the Qi, the “dragon” in the heart cannot unite with the “tiger” in the kidneys. If tiger and dragon do not intersect, how can one refine the “Huangya” (yellow sprout, the first sign of Neidan, internal alchemy)?

Zhongli Quan (the legendary Zhongli Quan, often called “Master Zhongli” in Neidan dialogues) said: Once the Qi in the kidneys is generated, it is like the sun rising from the sea, whose light mist and dew cannot obscure; when the Qi is full, the water of True One naturally comes to fruition. Once the liquid in the heart is condensed, it is like severe winter withering all things, when even exhaled warm breath cannot dispel the cold; when the liquid is full, the true Yang Qi naturally flourishes. But strength and weakness cannot necessarily be determined in a single moment.

Lü Dongbin said: The generation of Qi and liquid each has its own timing. It is said that when Qi is abundant, water is abundant, and when liquid is abundant, Qi is abundant; but how can flourishing and decline be guaranteed?

Zhongli Quan said: The Qi in the kidneys easily scatters, and the true tiger is hard to obtain; the liquid in the heart is hard to gather, and the true dragon is easily lost.

Lü Dongbin said: I beg the master to explain this thoroughly, so that students may know the method of the “Great Medicine” (Da Yao).

Zhongli Quan said: There are three kinds of illness. Improper diet and irregular daily routine invite illness; this is called seasonal illness. Not nourishing Jing (essence) and Qi, not caring for Shen (spirit) and consciousness, but instead indulging desires, hastens aging; this is called the illness of years. Once Ying and Wei (nutritive and defensive Qi) have deteriorated and cannot recover by themselves, one will ultimately deliver oneself to death; this is called the illness of the body. For seasonal illness, people generally know medical treatment, but they do not know to stop desires and nourish Shen. To be old and wish to “repel death”—how easy is that? Washing the intestines and replenishing flesh, replacing the crown and reconnecting limbs—ancient skilled physicians may have had such techniques, but who can recognize that returning to youth and preserving the bodily form also has methods? The first is Neidan, the second is Waidan (external alchemy).

I have heard that in high antiquity Gaoshang Yuanjun transmitted the scriptures of Waidan, which largely discussed the principles of the ascent and descent of heaven and earth and the cyclical movement of the sun and moon. Guangchengzi obtained it and taught the Yellow Emperor; the Yellow Emperor refined for a long time without success. Guangchengzi said: Between the heart and kidneys there is naturally true Qi and true water; within Qi and water there is again true Yin and true Yang. Combine and refine them, and they can be compared to minerals and metals. Thereupon he refined the elixir at Mount Kongtong, using the eight minerals, extracting cinnabar from stone and mercury from cinnabar (a Waidan term referring to lead-mercury combinations, not an encouragement to refine mercury in reality); he also selected the five metals…

Note: The original is a dialogue between Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin on Neidan themes such as the “copulation of dragon and tiger,” “Huangya,” and the “three illnesses” and “inner and outer elixirs”; tiger, dragon, Huangya, true water, true Yang, and similar terms are all inner-vision terminology and should not be taken literally as animals or plants.

On extracting white metal using lead and mercury: Mercury is the Yang Dragon; white metal is the Yin Tiger. Let the fire in the heart blaze fiercely like cinnabar, and the water in the kidneys be deep and dark as lead. The annual fire follows the four seasons and accords with the measures of Heaven and Earth. The monthly fire follows the civil and martial methods of increase and decrease. Build the furnace in three tiers, forming a vessel nine inches high, square on the outside and round within. It gathers the Qi of the eight directions and responds to the seasons; this is the Golden Cauldron. Within it, lead and mercury are stored like the lungs, while sulfur is blended and regulated like the spleen. After three years, a minor achievement can dispel illness; after six years, an intermediate achievement can prolong life; after nine years, a great achievement can endure through tribulations and persist for ages. Yet few have succeeded since antiquity. They simply did not know the properties of metals and minerals, did not understand the timing of the fire, or failed to prepare the external conditions. How, then, could they consume the elixir? Master Lü asked, “External alchemy is not enough to become a sage. What, then, of internal alchemy?” Master Zhongli replied, “How can external alchemy be dismissed lightly? The kidneys are the root of Qi; if the root is not deep, the branches and leaves will not flourish. The heart is the source of fluids; if the source is not clear, the flow will not last. Those who take up the Dao in old age must rely on the five metals and eight minerals to assist Qi and refine the body. But to rely on these alone to ascend to Heaven—to receive Heaven’s support and attain longevity—is also a shallow approach. To understand internal alchemy, its basis lies in the heart and kidneys, and its materials are nothing more than the Dragon and Tiger. When Dragon and Tiger unite, they transform into Yellow Sprout; when Yellow Sprout is formed, it divides into lead and mercury.

“Master Lü asked, ‘Lead and mercury belong to external alchemy. Why speak of them here as well?’ Master Zhongli replied, ‘Lead, which holds the treasure of the primordial unity of Heaven and stands foremost among the five metals, is the mother of white metal (silver). Cinnabar, which receives the Sun’s Qi and stands foremost among minerals, has mercury as its child. The white metal hidden in lead is hard to extract; the mercury in cinnabar is easily lost. Unite them and they become a supreme treasure—this refers only to the external. Now let us speak of the internal. When I was first conceived, my substance was lodged in a chamber of pure Yin. Yin and Yang had not yet been distinguished, and Shen was hidden within. After three hundred days, the fetus was fully formed; after five thousand days, Qi was full. I examined the Five Phases: at the beginning of conception there were only Jing and blood, yet water was already present. Examining the five viscera…”

(The opening phrase of the following passage, “Thus, at the beginning of its conception…,” appears in the source text to connect with “examining the five viscera.” If the text is incomplete after this point, the translation should be continued by consulting a complete edition.)

A Plain-Language Reading of The Pivot of the Dao (Dao Shu)

Main idea of the scripture: Jing (essence) and blood form the body, but the kidneys already exist before the body takes shape. The kidneys belong to Water and hold the true Qi (vital energy) obtained at the beginning of conception through the union of male and female. Hidden in the kidneys, this true Qi is what is called “inner lead.”

Qi arises in the kidneys, and within that Qi is the “Water of True Unity,” called the “Tiger.” It is also the “white metal” within inner lead. The Qi of the kidneys passes to the Qi of the liver, and the Qi of the liver passes to the Qi of the heart. When the heart’s Qi reaches Taiji (the state in which Yin and Yang converge), it gives rise to liquid. In this liquid is “pure Yang Qi,” which is the “inner mercury”; the liquid of the heart is “inner cinnabar.” The Water of True Unity in the Qi joins with the pure Yang Qi in the liquid and gathers to form an embryo. If the fire of cultivation is applied without error in the Yellow Court (the Middle Dantian, or energy center), the embryo can transform into an immortal.

Lü asked: How, then, does one obtain white metal from inner lead? How does one obtain mercury from inner cinnabar? Could you explain how mercury becomes cinnabar and white metal becomes a treasure?

Zhongli Quan replied: Inner lead is the true Qi of Yin and Yang, pure and unmixed. Once the body has formed, Qi is stored in the left and right kidneys. These face each other and rise together as Qi; this is the Qi of Original Yang. Within the Qi is water, the Water of True Unity. The water rises along with the Qi: when the Qi stops, the water stops; when the Qi disperses, the water disperses. When the two unite, this is the union of Dragon and Tiger, and they transform into Yellow Sprout, forming the great medicine.

Thus the Water of True Unity stores pure Yang Qi within itself, like an embryo. At first, Yin holds Yang; next, Yang is used to refine Yin. Then Qi becomes Jing, Jing becomes mercury, mercury becomes a pearl, the pearl becomes cinnabar, and cinnabar becomes the Golden Elixir. True Qi arises of itself. When the refinement is complete, the spirit transforms, like a fire dragon emerging onto the thoroughfare from great darkness and riding a dark crane into the city of Penglai.

Lü asked: When bodies join, one body meets another, and their union gives rise to a body. When Qi joins with Qi, their union gives rise to a body. This process takes no more than thirty ten-day periods. That is the principle by which human beings are formed, and men and women differ. What, then, of our elixir?

Zhongli Quan replied: When the father’s Jing enters first and the mother’s blood follows, the blood envelops the Jing and a female is formed. A female has Yang within and Yin without, with blood on the outside. When the mother’s blood enters first and the father’s Jing follows, the Jing envelops the blood and a male is formed. A male has Yin within and Yang without, with Jing on the outside. As for blood, it is born in the heart and has no…

Note: This chapter discusses Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy). It uses the kidneys (Water, lead, and Tiger), the heart (liquid, mercury, and cinnabar), and images such as Dragon and Tiger, Yellow Sprout, and the Golden Elixir to describe the refinement of Jing and Qi within the body. Set against the “thirty ten-day periods” in which the union of man and woman produces a human being, it explains the path of attaining truth through internal refinement.

“Primordial Yang Qi” is the essence Qi produced in the kidneys. It contains Primordial Yang Qi, which is the root of mercury. When joined with “True Unity Water,” one of the fundamental ingredients in alchemy, it enters the Yellow Court, the part of the body regarded as the place where alchemical ingredients are refined and cultivated. To refine mercury, one must use the firing process represented by lead; to refine lead, one must rely on the firing process represented by mercury. Lead without mercury cannot activate True Unity Water, while mercury without lead cannot transform Yin Qi into pure Yang Qi.

Lüzi said, “Mercury belongs to Primordial Yang, and True Unity Water takes it as its embryo. When the ingredients reach the Yellow Court, the Dragon and Tiger—the forces representing Yin and Yang—have already joined, and Yin and Yang have both settled. If we then refine them with lead, would that not make Yin too strong and harm Yang? Why, then, do you say that Qi can arise from Qi and be refined into the Great Medicine?”

Zhonglizi replied, “When the Qi of the kidneys joins with the Qi of the heart, Qi at its utmost gives rise to liquid. This liquid contains Primordial Yang Qi and is matched with True Unity Water. This is called the joining of the Dragon and Tiger. The medicine refined in a single day is about the size of a millet grain. Placed in the Yellow Court, it is called the Great Medicine of the Golden Elixir.

“Where is the Yellow Court? It lies below the stomach and above the bladder, north of the heart and south of the kidneys, west of the liver and east of the lungs. Its upper part is clear and its lower part turbid; externally, it corresponds to four colors. It holds about two pints and connects with the Eight Waters. Once the medicine is placed inside, if fire is not applied, it will disperse and cannot be stabilized. But if fire is applied without gathering the medicine, the Yang within Yin cannot be retained. This will only stir the kidney Qi, making it heat up in the lower origin, the region of cultivation in the lower abdomen. Therefore, there is a proper time to gather the medicine and a proper measure for applying fire.

“First, use the Qi within lead to apply fire, so that the Great Medicine congeals and is secured in the Lower Field, the Dantian in the lower abdomen. This is called gathering and replenishing. If you can extract lead and augment mercury, Golden Liquid can rise from behind the elbows. If you extract lead without augmenting mercury, you merely send Jing Qi back to the Muddy Pellet, the region of cultivation in the head, to replenish it. You will not produce True Qi or accomplish the Yang Spirit, the pure Yang spirit spoken of in cultivation. If you augment mercury without extracting lead, you merely refine mercury to replenish the Dantian. This may prolong life, but it cannot transform cinnabar, and so the Golden Elixir cannot be refined.”

Lüzi asked, “I understand the principles of gathering the medicine through the water within Qi and applying fire through the Qi within lead. What, then, are the principles behind extracting lead and augmenting mercury?”

Zhonglizi said, “Metal and stone are external medicines and have no feeling or nature of their own. Qi and liquid are internal medicines and have feeling and nature.”

This passage discusses the principle of extraction and increase: the changing balance of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, and the human body’s cultivation.

Plain-language interpretation:

Even things without consciousness can act upon external things to form precious substances, or reside within the human body to extend life and preserve health. How much more, then, can conscious human beings do? As the days accumulate and the months pass, one comes to know the time of conjunction: Qi arises within Qi, and Qi is refined into Shen (spirit). This applies on a scale as vast as Heaven and Earth, as bright as the sun and moon, outwardly as solid as metals and stones, and inwardly as subtle as Qi and fluids. Once something has been extracted, one must know how to increase it; once it has been increased, one must know how to extract it. This is the foundation of creation and transformation.

At the winter solstice, Yang Qi rises within the Earth, and the Earth extracts its Yin: Greater Yin is extracted and becomes Terminal Yin, while Lesser Yang increases and becomes Bright Yang; Terminal Yin is extracted and becomes Lesser Yin, while Bright Yang increases and becomes Greater Yang. Otherwise, there could be no cold that changes into warmth, through which warmth changes into heat. At the summer solstice, Yin Qi descends from Heaven, and Heaven extracts its Yang: Greater Yang is extracted and becomes Bright Yang, while Lesser Yin increases and becomes Terminal Yin; Bright Yang is extracted and becomes Lesser Yang, while Terminal Yin increases and becomes Greater Yin. Otherwise, there could be no heat that changes into coolness, through which coolness changes into cold. These changes verify the rising and descending, extraction and increase, of Heaven and Earth’s Six Qi.

The moon transforms the sun’s hun, and the sun transforms the moon’s po: during the first half of the month, the moon gives up its po, while the sun increases its hun; thus its radiance becomes full and shines down upon the Earth. Otherwise, there could be no waxing crescent developing into the first quarter, and the first quarter into the full moon. The moon returns to its Yin po, and the sun gathers its Yang essence: during the second half of the month, the sun gives up its hun, while the moon increases its po; the brilliance fades, and the Yin po grows full. Otherwise, there could be no full moon developing into the last quarter, and the last quarter into the dark moon and new moon. These changes verify the extraction and increase in the sun and moon’s alternation, and the transformations of nine and six.

A person’s Lead—the true Yin of the Water trigram—existed before Heaven and Earth. From the Great Beginning came the Great Substance, the mother of all things. From the Great Substance came the Great Simplicity: this is its body. It then became Metal within Water: this is its function. Thus it is called Water within Fire, the ancestor of the Five Phases and the foundation of the Great Dao. When Mercury increases, Lead is extracted. This does not mean moving between inside and outside; rather, it means traveling from the lower Dantian to the upper Dantian. This is the method of flying the golden essence behind the elbows, setting the River Chariot in motion, directing the Dragon and Tiger, and returning essence to replenish the Muddy Pellet. Lead is then extracted once more.

This passage explains the principles of “drawing out lead and adding mercury” and “the circulation of the River Chariot” in Neidan (internal alchemy), presented as a dialogue between Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin.

Plain-language interpretation:

“Descent through the center” means that Qi moves from the Middle Field to the Lower Field. First, the Dragon and Tiger join and transform into the Yellow Sprout. This is the practice of reversing the Five Phases. Next, lead is drawn out and mercury added, nurturing the embryo until one becomes an immortal. This is the repeated circulation among the Three Fields. Without this practice, the Dragon and Tiger cannot unite, and the immortal embryo cannot take shape.

Master Lü asked: Why must true lead be drawn out and true mercury added? Please explain in detail.

Zhongli Quan replied: Mercury must be controlled with lead, but lead itself cannot be used directly. It must first be drawn out and sent to the Upper Palace. After primordial Qi is transmitted and essence is returned to the Niwan (the crown of the head), the mercury accumulated over time will transform as Yin is exhausted and Yang becomes pure: essence becomes cinnabar, and cinnabar becomes gold. This is called true lead. True lead is obtained through the union of true Qi. Golden essence descends into the Dantian, then rises to refine the body, until the bones take on a golden hue. When true lead rises to the inner palace, the body turns white. Thus, moving from below upward and from above downward, returning the Elixir and refining the body, are all practices in which golden essence circulates back and forth. Moving from front to back and from back to front, burning the body and joining Qi, are all transformations wrought by true Qi. Without drawing out and adding, could you reach this stage?

Master Lü asked: How do you judge the measure of movement—downward and upward, upward and downward, from back to front, and from front to back?

Zhongli Quan replied: At times you can only rise, not descend; at times you can only draw out, not add. The force of the River Chariot keeps the movement up and down from going astray.

Master Lü asked: What is the River Chariot?

Zhongli Quan replied: In the human body, Yang is scarce and Yin abundant, so the “Water” in the center is especially plentiful. Our chariot travels through water. What does it carry? It carries primordial Yang Qi and transports it as it circulates. Sometimes upward, sometimes downward; sometimes backward, sometimes forward, it harnesses the Eight Jewels and races across the Four Seas. When it ascends to Heaven, it enters Kunlun above; when the crossing is complete, it rushes down to the Phoenix Tower. It carries primordial Yang straight into the Palace of Li, and bears true Qi along a winding path back to the Mansion of Longevity, traveling through the Nine Provinces and circling through the Three Fields without pause. Once the Dragon and Tiger have joined, the Yellow Matron drives the chariot into the Yellow Court; once mercury and lead have separated, the Golden Boy enters the Golden Palace.

The Gateway of Heaven, the Jade Spring (saliva in the mouth), and the Golden Liquid (the body’s essence) all gather through it. Thus the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) arise through it, and the two Qi of Yin and Yang meet through it. Working downward in accord with the seasons depends entirely on the function of this “vehicle.”

Who can nourish Yang and refine Yin without making a mistake? Who can circulate Yin and Yang within the Qi of Heaven and Earth before they have become wholly pure? Who can circulate Qi and blood within the Qi of Heaven and Earth before it has flowed everywhere? Who can move the pure Qi of Heaven and Earth from the outer realm inward, drawing forth their own original Yang? Who can pass from the ordinary into sagehood, moving the true Qi of Yin and Yang to refine and replenish their own original Shen? All of this is the vehicle in motion.

Lüzi asked, “What is this vehicle for? Is there a method for using it?”

Zhonglizi replied, “The River Chariot arises from the true Water of the north. It is generated by the true Qi in the kidneys and belongs to upright Qi. When Qian again seeks from Kun and gives rise to Kan—Kan is Water, the essence of Yin—Yang has sought from Yin, and so Yang in turn bears Yin back to its place. Passing through Gen, Zhen, and Xun, Yang seeks Yin and, through Yin, obtains Yin; it turns and enters Li, receiving Yang and being born. This is carrying Yin into Yang. When Kun again seeks from Qian and gives rise to Li—Li is Fire, the essence of Yang—Yin has sought from Yang, and so Yin in turn embraces Yang and returns to its place. Passing through Kun, Dui, and Qian, Yin seeks Yang and, through Yang, obtains Yang; it turns and enters Kan, receiving Yin and being born. This is conveying Yang into Yin.

“Gather the medicines above the Nine Palaces. Once obtained, let them descend into the Yellow Court (the middle Dantian). Draw lead from beneath the Crooked River, carry it upward, and raise it into the inner court. The liquids of gold and jade belong to the returning elixir (the Golden Elixir refined internally); carrying and circulating them can refine the body and cause Water to rise. The fire of ruler and people belongs to refining the body; carrying and circulating it can form the elixir and cause Fire to descend. Then the Five Qi converge on the Origin (the Three Origins), and the Three Flowers gather at the crown. Carrying and circulating them also follows set times and measures.

“When Shen gathers, demons arrive. Carry the true Fire to burn their bodies, and the Three Peng (the three insects within the body, a metaphor for desires and distracting thoughts) will vanish.”

A Plain-Language Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

Meaning of the passage:

Lü Dongbin said, “So far, we have only wandered along the shore and have not yet reached the source. I hope you will explain things in more detail.”

Zhongli Quan said, “When the Five Phases are reversed and the Dragon and Tiger join, they transform into ‘yellow sprouts.’ This is the Small River Cart (the initial stage in which Jing and Qi begin to move upward from below). When the three fields circulate back and forth, golden essence flies up behind the elbows, Jing returns to the Mudball Palace, and lead is drawn out while mercury is increased, the great medicine is formed. This is the Large River Cart (the stage in which Jing and Qi pass through the lower, middle, and upper fields). Once the Dragon and Tiger have joined to form yellow sprouts, lead and mercury have joined to form the great medicine, true Qi has arisen and the five Qi gather at the central field, and primordial Yang and Shen are complete and the three spirits ascend beyond the inner chamber, the purple Golden Elixir forms like a dark crane taking flight, while white jade mercury takes shape like a fire dragon rising. To go out and enter freely, to depart and return without hindrance—this is the Purple River Cart (the stage in which Shen and Qi unite and move freely of their own accord).

There are three grades of attainment with this cart: upper, middle, and lower. Beyond these three grades are three further kinds. When fire gathers in the heart and is directed by intention to treat illness, this is called the Messenger Cart. After the water-and-fire union, Yin and Yang align properly from above to below, and water and fire dwell together. When, in stillness, one can hear the sound of thunder, this is called the Thunder Cart. But when the heart is governed by external circumstances and one’s nature is pulled by desires, true Yang Qi is stirred by things and disperses outward from within, without ceasing. Over time, this leads toward decline and depletion. The Eight Pernicious Influences and Five Epidemics then enter the Qi storehouse; primordial Yang cannot withstand them, and so one grows old, falls ill, and dies. This is called the Broken Cart.

Lü Dongbin asked, “How does the Purple River Cart operate on its own?”

Zhongli Quan said, “First, Yin and Yang are brought into accord; then water and fire gather and disperse. Next, the medicine is gathered and the fire applied, mercury is increased and lead drawn out, and the Small River Cart naturally begins to run. When golden essence enters the crown of the head and the medicine of the Yellow Court has formed, one then strikes through the three passes and rises straight beyond the inner chamber. The Large River Cart naturally begins to run as one moves from behind to before, gathers what is above to replenish what is below, and refines it. The liquid of gold and jade is what is meant by returning the elixir to refine the body. After refining the body, one refines Qi; after refining Qi, one refines Shen; after refining Shen, one unites with the Dao and reaches completion. This is the Purple River Cart.”

Lü Dongbin said, “I do not yet dare to ask deeply about refining the body into Qi, refining Qi into Shen, and refining Shen to unite with the Dao. May I ask what is meant by returning the elixir?”

Note: “River Cart” is a metaphor for the movement of Jing and Qi within the body. “Drawing out lead and increasing mercury,” “Dragon and Tiger,” “yellow sprouts,” “Mudball Palace,” and “Yellow Court” are Neidan terms. This dialogue continues from the previous volume, with Lü still seeking Zhongli Quan’s instruction on the meaning of returning the elixir.

The “Elixir” is neither a color nor a flavor; it refers specifically to the Dantian (energy center). There are three Dantian: the upper Dantian is the dwelling place of Shen (spirit), the middle Dantian is the palace of Qi (vital energy), and the lower Dantian is the cavity of Jing (essence). True Qi is generated from within Jing and is stored in the middle Dantian. Shen is generated from within Qi and is stored in the upper Dantian. Jing is formed when true water and true Qi combine, and is stored in the lower Dantian. Who could be without these three? Yet true Qi arises in the kidneys and has not risen to the central palace; Original Shen is hidden in the heart and has not yet ascended to the upper court. So the vital essences cannot return and converge. How, then, can the three Dantian truly be put to use?

Lüzi said: “Within the mysterious, there is an even greater mystery. Who does not have life? If there is no Jing within one’s life, then it is not the Qi of my own body. Is its origin that single spark of Original Qi at the beginning of the fetal origin? Without Jing, there is no Qi. If the Shen hidden within Qi is absent, then it is not the Shen of my own body. Is its origin that single spark of Original Shen at the beginning of the fetal origin? Thus Jing, Qi, and Shen are the treasures of the three fields. If they are to remain settled in the three palaces, there must surely be a way.” (The upper, middle, and lower fields.)

Zhongli Quan said: “Qi is born in the kidneys, where true water of the One is already present. When water is returned to the lower Dantian, Jing nourishes the numinous root, and Qi arises naturally. Saliva and fluids are born in the heart, where the Qi of the True Yang is already present. When Qi is returned to the middle Dantian, Qi nourishes the numinous source, and Shen arises naturally. Gather the numinous to form Shen, unite Shen with the Dao, and return it to the upper Dantian; only then can one speak of becoming an immortal.”

Lüzi said: “‘Return’ means that what has gone forth has a place to come back to. Its principle is profound and subtle; I have not yet fully understood it.”

Zhongli Quan said: “Do you understand the return of the Elixir? There is the Lesser Return Elixir and the Greater Return Elixir; there are the Seven Returns and the Nine Revolutions, the Golden Fluid and the Jade Fluid. There is returning from the lower Dantian to the upper Dantian, from the upper Dantian to the middle Dantian, and from the middle Dantian to the lower Dantian; there is returning Yang to Yin and Yin to Yang. These are not merely names to be listed: each has its own timing and its own method of practice.

“What is called ‘lesser’ begins with the upper origin. The lower origin is the ruler of the Five Viscera and the foundation of the three Dantian. Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, and Metal generates Water. Follow their sequence in time: guide what should be born, and where it has not yet been born, let it be as close as mother and child. Fire overcomes Metal, Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, and Water overcomes Fire. Follow their measures: restrain what should be restrained—”

This passage comes from a discussion of Neidan (internal alchemy). It describes the circulation of Qi and liquid, the union of the Dragon and Tiger, and a method for understanding Yin-Yang in the human body through the numerical principles of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

Overcoming and replenishing, and union without overcoming, like a husband and wife joining

The relationship between “overcoming,” “replenishing,” and “not overcoming” is like the union of husband and wife: Yin and Yang work together, allowing Qi and liquid to circulate through the body. They flow continuously along the meridians, completing one cycle after another.

The Yin-Yang of a single day and gathering the medicine in the lower Dantian

From the hour of the Rat to the hour of the Horse, Yin and Yang are in the phase of “generation”; from the hour of the Rabbit to the hour of the Rooster, they are in the phase of “rest.” Practitioners of Neidan gather the medicine and advance the Fire through this cycle of day and night, enabling the foundation of the Elixir in the lower Dantian (energy center) to take shape.

Here, “great” refers to the union of the Dragon and Tiger and the sprouting of the Yellow Sprout, using lead to increase mercury and refine the “great medicine.” Golden essence rises from the Palace of the Dark Warrior—usually associated with the kidneys, the north, and the lower Dantian—while true Qi ascends to below the Jade Capital, often referring to the mouth, upper Dantian, or the region of the brain. The River Cart, the movement of Qi upward along the Governing Vessel, passes over the ridge like a cart crossing a mountain pass. Jade liquid fills the vital pathways, flowing from the lower field to the upper field, then returning from the upper field to the lower. The Qi that follows joins with the Qi that came before, completing the circuit. Within this cycle, the adept raises the Dragon and Tiger, sends forth the golden essence, and nourishes the immortal embryo. Only then is the Elixir in the lower field considered complete.

The Seven Returns

The “Seven Returns” refers to the Yang Qi of the heart returning to the heart; the Yang of the lungs arising from the heart and then returning to it. All of this depends on the pivoting role of the middle Dantian, around the chest center and heart region.

The Nine Transformations and the numerical principles of the Five Phases

The “Nine Transformations” derives from the generative numbers of the Five Phases: Heaven one, Earth two; Heaven three, Earth four; Heaven five, Earth six; Heaven seven, Earth eight; Heaven nine, Earth ten. Together they total fifty-five. The odd numbers—one, three, five, seven, and nine—are Yang and total twenty-five; the even numbers—two, four, six, eight, and ten—are Yin and total thirty. The human body, too, contains this full set of numbers.

Taking the kidneys as the starting point, the sequence of “generation” is Water one, Fire two, Wood three, Metal four, and Earth five. These are the generative numbers of the Five Phases: three Yang and two Yin. Taking the kidneys as the starting point again, the sequence of “completion” is Water six, Fire seven, Wood eight, Metal nine, and Earth ten. These are the completion numbers of the Five Phases: three Yin and two Yang.

Thus, the kidneys belong to Water and correspond to one and six; the heart belongs to Fire and corresponds to two and seven; the liver belongs to Wood and corresponds to three and eight; the lungs belong to Metal and correspond to four and nine; and the spleen belongs to Earth and corresponds to five and ten. Each of the five organs has its Yin and Yang aspects.

Yin numbers reach their limit at eight and are most abundant at two. Thus, when Qi reaches the liver, the residual Yin in the kidneys can be exhausted; when Qi reaches the heart, “the Supreme Ultimate generates Yin.” This can be understood through the correspondence between the number two in the heart and the number eight in the liver. Yang numbers reach their limit at nine and are most abundant at one. Thus, when liquid reaches the lungs, the residual Yang in the heart can be exhausted; when liquid reaches the kidneys, “the Supreme Ultimate generates Yang,” with one corresponding to the kidneys and nine to the lungs. By joining the Dragon and Tiger and uniting Water and Fire, Neidan practitioners work within this system of Yin-Yang numbers in the human body, bringing Qi and liquid to rise and descend and the Five Phases to cycle back and forth, thereby accomplishing the work of the Elixir.

How does one gather the true Yang Qi within the heart? This is “the heart’s seven.” In the sevenfold return, the original Qi of the middle realm enters the lower Dantian to nourish the embryo immortal, then returns to the heart. This is the sevenfold return.

How is the Yin of the two and eight dispelled? When true Qi arises, there is no Yin in the heart, thereby eliminating “two.” When the great medicine is complete, there is no Yin in the liver, thereby eliminating “eight.” The liver, in its pure Yang, assists the heart, so the Qi of “three” in the liver flourishes. Once the seven has returned to the heart, the lung’s fluid is eliminated. The lung turns nine times and assists the heart; then the Yang of “nine and three” gradually grows. This is the ninefold turning.

Lü said: “What is meant by the exchange of Metal Fluid and Jade Fluid among the three palaces, and by Yin and Yang moving back and forth?” Zhongli Quan replied: “The ancients said only that the lung’s fluid enters the lower Dantian and becomes Metal Fluid, while the heart’s fluid enters the middle Dantian and becomes Jade Fluid. This is not wrong, but it does not fully explain the hidden principle. The lung engenders the kidney; Metal engenders Water. The kidney overcomes the heart; Water overcomes Fire. If we speak only of Metal entering Water and Water entering Fire, how could this be called the return of the Elixir?

“Metal Fluid is the lung’s fluid. It forms the womb and embryo, joins the Dragon and Tiger, and is conveyed to the Yellow Court. As the great medicine is nearing completion, it is drawn up from behind the elbows; the fluid enters the upper palace, then returns from the middle Elixir to the lower Dantian. Jade Fluid is the kidney’s fluid. It rises with original Qi to pay court to the heart, where it gathers as Metal and Water. When lifted, it fills the Jade Pool; when dispersed, it becomes Jade Blossoms, refined into White Snow. When gathered in, it passes from the middle Dantian into the lower Dantian; when the medicine is present, it can bathe the embryo immortal. When raised, it passes from the middle Dantian into the limbs; through refining the form, it can transform the mortal bones. If it is neither raised nor gathered in, it circulates without end.

“When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang arises. Within Yang is the true One Water; as Water rises with Yang, Yin returns to Yang. When Yang reaches its extreme, Yin arises. Within Yin is the true Yang Qi; as Qi descends with Yin, Yang returns to Yin. Thus, replenishing the Niwan and refining the Nine Heavens is a return from below to above; harmonizing and irrigating is a return from above to the middle; refining the Elixir and advancing the fire is a return from the middle to below; refining the substance and burning away the form is a return from below to the middle. The Five Phases are reversed, and the three Dantian return to their source.”

This passage describes the Neidan (internal alchemy) process of “refining the body, refining Qi, and attaining spirit,” along with the three upward movements of Jing and Qi.

The practitioner first refines the body into Qi, then refines Qi into Shen. Jing and Qi first rise from the lower Dantian—the lower abdomen below the navel—to the middle Dantian, between the breasts. They then move from the middle Dantian to the upper Dantian, located at the brow or within the crown of the head. Finally, they pass from the upper Dantian through the Heavenly Gate, such as the crown point at the top of the head, where the spirit is said to leave the body. When all three movements—from the lower Dantian to the middle, then to the upper—are complete, this is called “the three migrations successfully accomplished.” At this point, the practitioner enters the current of the sages, attaining a state akin to theirs, and no longer falls back into the cycle of ordinary existence.