《道樞》Vol. 41

“Master Lü asked: What does ‘refining the body’ mean?

“Master Zhongli replied: Shen (spirit) governs the body, and the body is where Shen resides. Jing (essence) within the body gives rise to Qi (vital energy), and Qi in turn nourishes Shen. This is the parent-child relationship within the body. Qi arises within fluids, and Qi in turn transforms into fluids. This is the husband-wife relationship within the body—that is, Yin-Yang within the body.

“Water transforms into fluids, fluids into blood, and blood into bodily moisture. This is the process by which Yin receives Yang and comes to life. When Yin and Yang lose their proper balance, mucus, tears, saliva, and sweat spill out uncontrollably, and Yin loses its ability to give life.

“Qi transforms into Jing, Jing into pearls, pearls into mercury, and mercury into cinnabar. This is the process by which Yang receives Yin and takes form. When Yin and Yang lose their proper balance, illness, aging, death, and suffering follow, and Yang loses its ability to bring things to completion. Thus it is said: Without Yang, Yin cannot come to life; without Yin, Yang cannot take form. If you cultivate only Yang and not Yin, or refine only the body and not the substances within it, how can you endure for long?

“At first, a person takes shape in the womb from Yin. Through this body, another body is formed; after gestation, the person enters the world. In adulthood, the entire six-foot body belongs to Yin, while the original Yang within it is no larger than a grain of millet. Refining that grain until you can refine the body and transform it into Qi, with a body beyond the body, is the goal.

“Master Lü said: If that is so, the body belongs to Yin, and Yin has substance. How can what is ‘something’ become ‘nothing,’ so that the body transforms into Qi and enters the realm of the sages? What is the method for refining the body?

“Master Zhongli replied: Preserve Qi through the body, and nourish the body with Qi. At the highest level, one may live forever and remain ever-present; at the next level, one may prolong one’s years. Three hundred and sixty days make a year; thirty-six thousand years make an eon; and thirty-six thousand eons make a great eon. One who refines the body can reach the great eon.

“Yan—or another seeker of the Dao—asked: I would like to hear more.

“Master Zhongli replied: The human body is about five chi and five cun tall. If it does not measure evenly, use cun to determine the chi. This is the generative number of the Five Phases. Above the heart are the Nine Heavens; below the kidneys are the Nine Earths. The distance from the kidneys to the heart is eight cun and four fen, in accord with the principles of Heaven and Earth. The distance from the heart to the first ring of the layered tower [in the throat and chest] also corresponds to the measure of Heaven and Earth…”

Note to help with the following passage:

• Refining the body and refining the substances are terms from Neidan (internal alchemy). They refer to refining the body with Qi and refining the Jing, Qi, Shen, and other substances within it.
• Original Yang, a grain of millet refers to a single spark of pure Yang within the body, a metaphor for something tiny yet precious.
• A body beyond the body refers to the “Yang Shen” or another level of body and mind experienced in cultivation; it does not mean growing another physical body outside the ordinary one.
• The layered tower refers to layers in the throat and chest, often used as an image for Qi channels and apertures.

From the kidneys to the crown of the head is about two feet, five inches, and two tenths of an inch. This measures the course of the body’s original Qi. In one day and night, a person’s original Qi completes a cycle of three hundred and twenty degrees. Each degree corresponds to two feet, five inches, and two tenths of an inch, making a total of eighty-one rods, which corresponds to the “nine times nine” number of pure Yang. The distance from the kidneys to the crown also represents the “five times five” number of pure Yang. Thus original Qi goes out with the exhalation. As it leaves, the nutritive and defensive Qi flow freely, and the righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth responds to the proper times and seasons, sometimes joining and sometimes separating, undergoing endless transformations. With inhalation, the channels open. So, between each breath in and breath out, the true Qi of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—moves through the “twelve towers.” One outward and inward movement makes a single breath; in a day and night, there are about thirteen thousand five hundred breaths. Thus, through thirteen thousand five hundred exhalations, original Qi goes out; through thirteen thousand five hundred inhalations, the righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth enters from outside. If the root is firm and original Qi abundant, then between inhalation and exhalation one can draw upon the righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth for use. Qi is refined with Qi, spreading throughout the whole body: the clear becomes nutritive Qi, the turbid becomes defensive Qi, and both circulate freely. The vertical channels and horizontal network vessels are all open and unimpeded. Cold and heat cannot harm the body, and life can be prolonged. But if the root is ruined and Jing and Qi depleted, the vast Qi of Heaven and Earth that one draws in pours out again, while original Qi is lost according to the “nine times nine” measure, and Heaven and Earth instead take it away.

Lü asked, “How can original Qi avoid being lost? Is it used to refine the physical body? How can the righteous Qi of Heaven and Earth be drawn upon?” Zhongli Quan replied, “To win a battle, one needs strong troops; for the people to live in peace, the state must be prosperous. Original Qi is like an army: within, it can dispel the Yin of the physical body; without, it can draw upon the Qi of Heaven and Earth. The body is like a state: what has form must be made full and abundant, what is formless must be made firm, and all the apertures must be open without loss. It is like a fine steed that, though it strays from the path, still gathers much. Sometimes one refines the substance from front to back, refining the body through fire; sometimes one nourishes Yang from above or below and diminishes Yin. The refinement of Qian and Kun has its proper times; the tempering of Qi and fluids has its appointed stages.”

Classic: The Pivot of the Dao

Plain-language interpretation:

One day, if you refine your bodily form with “Jade Fluid,” you will rise to heaven like a dragon in armor, with snow-white Jing and Qi filling your muscles. If you refine it with “Golden Fluid,” you will descend like a chariot of thunder, and golden light will fill the room.

As the Jade Fluid rises, it is carried by the “River Chariot” (the image of Qi moving along the Governing Vessel) through the “Four Greats” (the body’s four parts or the positions of the Four Symbols). It reaches the liver first: when the liver receives it, the effect appears in the eyes, whose gaze becomes clear and bright. Next it reaches the heart: when the heart receives it, the effect appears in the mouth, where saliva becomes abundant and rich. Then it reaches the spleen: when the spleen receives it, the effect appears in the skin, which becomes smooth as congealed fat. Next it reaches the lungs: when the lungs receive it, the effect appears in the nose, with a heavenly fragrance emerging and the countenance growing strong and healthy. Finally, it reaches the kidneys. Once the kidneys receive it and return it to its original source, the effect appears in the ears: heavenly sounds become clear, and the beard and hair turn black.

The Golden Fluid follows a different path of advancement. Before the Returning Elixir has returned, it appears in the “Ruler Fire”; this is called “Water and Fire in Balance.” Once the Elixir has returned and risen again, opposing True Yin, this is called “Refining the Form.” Earth overcomes Water: with the Golden Fluid in Earth, the Yellow Emperor turns his light inward, bringing it into accord with Great Yin. Fire overcomes Metal: with the Golden Fluid in Fire, the Red Child shares the same furnace, and purple Qi is born. Fire arises from Water: this is Yin being diminished within Yang. The Golden Elixir is transformed within the “Yellow Court” (the central palace Dantian), while the Yang Spirit is refined amid the Five Qi. Thus the liver’s blue-green Qi surges upward, the lungs’ white color appears outwardly, the heart’s red radiance becomes manifest, the kidneys’ auspicious black sign rises, and the spleen’s yellow brilliance responds. Then one faces the Central Origin and follows the Ruler Fire, transcending into the inner court.

The Lower Origin is Yang within Yin, its Yang without Yin; the Central Origin is Yang within Yang, its Yang without life. The “great medicine of the Yellow Court” is where Yin is exhausted and Yang made pure. All three rise and gather in the spirit palace. Thus the Lower Origin is attended by the Five Fluids, the Central Origin by the Five Qi, and the Upper Origin by the Three Yangs.

Lü Dongbin asked, “What does it mean to attend the Origin?” Zhongli Quan replied, “When chaos divided, it became Heaven and Earth. Once Heaven and Earth took their places, the five directions were laid out. Each direction has its own emperor, and each emperor has two sons, one Yin and one Yang. These are called the two emperors, who generate and complete one another, dividing into the Five Phases. Once the Five Phases were established, the Six Qi (the Three Yangs and Three Yins) came into being. As a human being first forms in the womb, Jing and Qi are one. When Jing and Qi divide, they give rise to two: on the left of the kidneys is the Dark One, and on the right the Female One; the Dark One raises Qi…” (The original text does not continue.)

The Pivot of the Dao: A Plain-Language Interpretation

(Continuing from the previous passage) …It then passes upward to the liver—which in alchemical practice is often likened to the “female,” the receptive and nourishing aspect—to gather and hold the bodily fluids. It passes downward to the bladder, which is likened to the “Mysterious Female,” the deeply hidden, fundamental aspect.

Where does all this come from? Does it begin from “nothing,” taking “nothing” as its “being”? Thus Laozi says: “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female. The gate of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth.” From the kidney, associated with Water, the north, and the Black Emperor, arise the five viscera and six bowels: the liver belongs to Wood, corresponds to jia and yi, lies in the east, and is paired with the Green Emperor; the heart belongs to Fire, corresponds to bing and ding, lies in the south, and is paired with the Red Emperor; the lungs belong to Metal, correspond to geng and xin, lie in the west, and are paired with the White Emperor; the spleen belongs to Earth, corresponds to wu and ji, lies at the center, and is paired with the Yellow Emperor; the kidneys belong to Water, correspond to ren and gui, lie in the north, and are paired with the Black Emperor.

One Qi sets the Five Phases in motion, and the Five Phases in turn drive the six Qi. Yin-Yang is the first to take effect: within Yang there is the Yang of Yin, and within Yin there is the Yin of Yang. The Five Phases come next: for example, there is Fire within Water, Water within Fire, Metal within Water, Wood within Metal, Fire within Wood, and Earth within Fire. Within the human body, these forces meet and circulate.

The Great Dao disperses into the Five Phases, which can also be compared to the course of a single day. At the summer solstice, the first Yang is born. The vital energy of dawn is in Heaven, and Yang Qi rises in all five regions of Earth. At this time, one emperor governs while the other four assist. When spring’s season is in command, if the Black Emperor (north, cold) does not withdraw his command, cold cannot turn to warmth; if the Red Emperor (south, heat) does not prepare his command, warmth cannot turn to heat. At the winter solstice, the first Yin is born. The vital energy of dawn is on Earth, and Yin Qi descends from the heavens over all five regions. One emperor governs while the other four assist. When autumn’s season is in command, if the Red Emperor does not withdraw his command, heat cannot turn to coolness; if the Black Emperor does not prepare his command, coolness cannot turn to cold.

Extending this comparison: as the Sun and Moon move, when the first Yang begins to arise, the Qi of the five viscera gathers at the “Central Origin”; when the first Yin begins to arise, the fluids of the five viscera gather at the “Lower Origin.” Then the three Yang gather within the inner court (the Yang of Yin and the Yang of Yang together are called the three Yang), and the heart’s spirit returns to the celestial palace. All of this is called “paying homage to the Origin.”

Even so, the Dragon and Tiger must still unite to form the great medicine. Only when the great medicine is complete does true Qi arise.

Plain-language interpretation:

Once True Qi (pure life energy generated through cultivation) has formed, its waxing and waning over the course of a year should be determined month by month; the workings that govern each month should be calculated day by day; and the number of breaths should be regulated hour by hour.

In spring, the Liver is strong and the Spleen weak; in summer, the Heart is strong and the Lungs weak; in autumn, the Lungs are strong and the Liver weak; in winter, the Kidneys are strong and the Heart weak. The Kidneys are the body’s foundation. At the end of each of the four seasons, the Spleen is strong and the Kidneys weak. On Jia and Yi days (Wood days), the Liver is in season; if it is not properly protected, the Spleen’s Qi will fail to flow freely. On Wu and Ji days (Earth days), the Spleen is in season; if it is not properly protected, the Kidneys’ Qi will fail to flow freely. On Geng and Xin days (Metal days), the Lungs are in season; if they are not properly protected, the Liver’s Qi will fail to flow freely. On Ren and Gui days (Water days), the Kidneys are in season; if they are not properly protected, the Heart’s Qi will fail to flow freely.

Qi is stored in the Five Zang organs, and they cannot all be strong at the same time. When one Qi is abundant, another is weak; when one organ is strong, another is weak. This is why people so often fall ill.

The Heart’s Qi stirs in Hai, comes to life in Yin, flourishes in Si, and weakens in Shen. The Liver’s Qi stirs in Shen, comes to life in Hai, flourishes in Yin, and weakens in Si. The Lung Qi stirs in Yin, comes to life in Si, flourishes in Shen, and weakens in Hai. The Kidneys’ Qi stirs in Si, comes to life in Shen, flourishes in Hai, and weakens in Yin. In spring, follow the Liver; in summer, the Heart; in autumn, the Lungs; in winter, the Kidneys. The Spleen’s Qi runs through all four seasons. If you do not understand these principles, is that not why you fall ill so often?

When the three Yangs of day, month, and hour have gathered, use Yang to refine Yang so that Yin does not arise. When the three Yins have gathered, use Yin to refine Yin so that Yang does not disperse. Once True Qi has formed, refine the Five Zang organs ceaselessly with pure Yang. Each displays its own color, and in a single ascent reaches the Heavenly Pool (the Muddy Pellet Palace at the crown of the head). First, let there be no Yin in the Kidneys: then the Nine Rivers (the water of the Kidneys) will be still. Next, let there be no Yin in the Liver: then the Eight Passes (the body’s vital gates) will remain closed. Next, let there be no Yin in the Lungs: then Metal and Fire will share one furnace. Next, let there be no Yin in the Spleen: then the Jade Gate (the entrance to the Dantian) will not open. Then True Qi rises, and the four Qi unite as one; the Golden Liquor (the essence produced through cultivation) then descends. How could a single cup of water put out a cartload of fire? Unite Water and Fire, enter the spirit palace (within the Heart), settle the breath, and turn the gaze inward.

Note: This text discusses “fire timing” and the movement of Qi in the Five Zang organs within Neidan cultivation. It concerns the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the four seasons, and the refinement of Yin and Yang, and should be understood in relation to a specific cultivation method. Specialized terms have been marked according to common usage in the Daoist canon.

“One’s intention does not scatter, and awareness becomes wondrous. In stillness, one hears the sound of supreme delight; half asleep yet not asleep, one roams in the realm of emptiness. This is called ‘transcending the inner court.’”

At this point, the Yang spirit gathers and returns to the upper Dantian. One refines the spirit to unite with the Great Dao, ascends through the Gate of Heaven, and returns to one’s own body; then one’s form is equal with Heaven and Earth. If one sheds the body as though casting off a skin, one can ascend to the Purple Palace and pay court to the Great Tenuity.

Master Lü said: “Only then did Yan realize that refining the body can merely prolong one’s life. To become an immortal, one must refine Qi.”

Those shallow-minded practitioners attempt fetal breathing without medicine, forcibly holding their breath and accumulating excessive cold. This may stir deficient Yang and cause severe illness. They do not understand that when the fetal immortal is formed, true Qi arises; when true Qi arises, fetal breathing follows naturally. Fetal breathing is used to refine Qi, and refining Qi is used to form the spirit.

Yan heard that anyone who refines Qi must carefully choose the month within the year, the day within the month, and the hour within the day, then sit upright in a quiet place, letting go of worldly concerns and withdrawing from the world. But what should one do if, at such a time, one has not cleared the mind’s realm—that is, if delusions persist—and one’s understanding remains flawed? If one is single-mindedly seeking immortality while the mind and spirit remain unsettled, what then?

Master Zhongli said: “You have not yet understood inner observation. Through inner observation, awareness will naturally come to rest.” Master Lü asked: “What is inner observation?” Master Zhongli replied: “It is what is called sitting in forgetfulness.”

Even so, those shallow-minded practitioners do not know the right time for sexual union or the proper method of practice, yet hope to succeed through inner observation. They imagine an elixir forming in the mind, seek medicine in thought, sniff through the nose and swallow through the mouth, hoping to draw the sun, moon, Heaven, and Earth into the Qi storehouse. This is like dreaming of receiving a bribe. When Heaven and Earth remain blocked off from one another and no connection comes after a long time, the fault lies only in a confused mind.

Those who look intently at a painting may fail to see Mount Tai and Mount Hua; those who listen intently to strings and pipes may fail to hear thunder. The functions of the eyes and ears are limited. How much more so the mind, which encompasses the Six Directions and yet is expected to achieve inner observation and sitting in forgetfulness?

At the beginning of inner observation, when Yang rises, one may imagine a man, a dragon, fire, Heaven, clouds, a crane, the sun, a horse, smoke, rosy clouds, a carriage, a team of horses, blossoms, or Qi. When Yin descends, one may imagine a woman, a tiger, water, Earth, rain, a tortoise, the moon…

A Vernacular Interpretation of Daoshu

The ox symbolizes metal, mud, a boat, and a leaf—but what I mean by inner observation goes beyond these. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise; the Five Sacred Mountains, Nine Provinces, Four Seas, and Three Islands; the Golden Youth and Jade Maiden; the River Chariot and tiered tower—all are images established within the formless to settle consciousness.

Thus, before the fish is caught, one cannot discard the fish trap; before the rabbit is caught, one cannot release the snare. Yet one cannot hold on forever. In the end, it all takes place within a single thought and instant. Only when thoughts are exhausted and imaginings have vanished is there true emptiness, and only then can one face the Real.

Inner observation is the beginning of laying the foundation. One must diminish day by day and enter the realm of the rarefied and obscure—without sound or form. This, too, is the path reached through inner observation. Lüzi asked, “When the Dragon and Tiger unite and Yin-Yang are matched, how should one practice inner observation?” Zhongli said, “In visualization, the Nine Sovereign Perfected One leads a boy in crimson robes upward, while the Nine Sovereign True Mother leads a girl in dark robes downward. They meet in a yellow-roofed courtyard, brought together by a matchmaker dressed in yellow skirts. Once the girl has descended and the boy ascended, as though they had parted, the matchmaker takes something resembling a vermilion orange and places it inside the yellow-roofed chamber, storing it in a vessel of refined gold.”

“What is the boy? Qian seeks from Kun; Yang returns to its root, bearing Yin, and meets its counterpart. What is the girl? Kun seeks from Qian; Yin returns to its root, embracing Yang, and meets its counterpart. This is the union of Kan and Li and the pairing of Yin-Yang. Flames blaze, and within them the Dark Tiger rises; waters surge, and within them the Red Dragon descends. The two battle before a tower. The wooden doors swing wide, fiery energy surges forth, and a ruler gestures with a glance. Blazing flames scorch the sky, while above them waves tower ten thousand yards high. The fire rises, then falls; its flames fill Heaven and Earth. The Dragon and Tiger coil and entwine, enter the vessel of refined gold, and descend into the yellow-roofed chamber, as if placed inside a box. This is the visualization of the Dragon and Tiger joining.”

Lüzi again asked, “How should one visualize advancing the fire?” Zhongli said, “In visualization, there is a vessel, like a cauldron or a tripod, with dark and yellow intermingled, shaped like a wheel; the Azure Dragon is on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Black Tortoise behind…”

A Plain-Language Interpretation of Daoshu

“Two ministers in purple robes stand holding jade tablets, while below them assistant scribes bring firewood and kindle a sacrificial fire in a vessel.”

Imagine two ministers in purple robes holding jade tablets, ritual objects used in ancient ceremonies. Below them, clerks bring firewood and light a sacrificial fire in a ritual cauldron.

“Then a king appears, dressed in red, riding a red horse and driving a red cloud. He descends from the sky and issues commands below.”

At this moment, a king appears in red robes, riding a red horse and driving a red cloud. He descends from the sky and gives orders below.

“His radiance blazes upward, piercing the heavens as if to break through. The heavenly gate does not open, and he falls back down.”

His radiance flares upward, shooting toward the edge of the sky as if trying to pierce through. When the heavenly gate does not open, he descends again.

“The fire blazes all around the vessel. Those holding jade tablets and those riding horses compete to feed the flames.”

Flames roar around the vessel, and those holding jade tablets and riding horses all hurry to add wood to the fire.

“Then the water in the vessel loses its vapor and congeals, while the pearl in the water loses its usual sheen and shines with a different light. This is the visualization of ‘adding fire.’”

The water in the cauldron gives off no more heat and congeals. The pearl in the water loses its ordinary luster but begins to shine with a strange light. This is the visualization for the stage called “adding fire.”

Lü Zu says: “Stop here.”

Zhongli Zi (Zhongli Quan) continues:

“Clouds and thunder descend, and blazing flames rise. Sometimes a rain of precious flowers falls; auspicious winds and festive mists arise in the Clear Capital. Immortal maidens and jade maidens ride phoenixes and luan birds down from the highest skies, bearing golden trays of jade dew and rosy elixir to present to the king.”

Clouds and thunder descend as fierce flames rise. Sometimes precious flowers rain down, while auspicious winds and joyful mists appear in the Clear Capital, a celestial realm. Immortal maidens and jade maidens arrive from the high heavens riding phoenixes and luan birds. They carry golden trays bearing jade dew and rosy elixir, which they offer to the king. This is the visualization for “the Golden Liquid returns to the Elixir and reaches completion” in internal alchemy.

“Dragons and tigers pull a chariot through the flames and charge upward through the Three Passes. Each pass has its own guards. First the dragons and tigers break through; then a great fire attacks. Once the passes are opened, the ascent continues to Kunlun and ends at the Heavenly Pool.”

Dragons and tigers pull a chariot through the fire, surging upward through the Three Passes, the upper, middle, and lower barriers in cultivation. Each pass has its own guards. First the dragons and tigers smash through; then a great fire assaults the barriers. Once they open, the ascent continues to Kunlun and stops at the Heavenly Pool.

“Sometimes three cranes soar into the Three Heavens; sometimes two butterflies enter the Three Palaces. Sometimes, above the five-colored clouds, a red-robed youth passes through the heavenly gate; sometimes a king rides a golden carriage and jade chariot beyond the Three Realms.”

One may see three cranes fly into the Three Heavens, or two butterflies enter the Three Palaces. A red-robed youth may pass through the heavenly gate above the five-colored clouds, or a king may ride a golden carriage and jade chariot beyond the Three Realms. This is the visualization for “the golden essence flies from behind the elbow, and the great river chariot”—the circulation of true Qi and the ascent of spiritual awareness.

“A red-robed messenger rides a relay horse through the lands of the Nine Provinces. He begins in Ji and enters Yan, then goes from Yan into Qing … From Yong he returns to Ji. He completes the journey through east, west, south, and north, then stops in Yu; from there he travels onward again, and continues without end.”

A red-robed messenger rides a relay horse across the Nine Provinces. He sets out from Ji and enters Yan, then goes from Yan to Qing … From Yong he returns to Ji. After completing the circuit through east, west, south, and north, he stops in Yu, then begins the journey again, turning without end.

“What is summoned is gold and jade; what is opened is what has been blocked and obstructed. Once the messenger delivers the command, the Nine Provinces flow freely together, circling and beginning again.”

What is summoned is gold and jade; what is opened is whatever has been blocked or obstructed. When the messenger delivers the command, the Nine Provinces are brought into harmony and flow freely, completing one circuit and beginning another.

“Sometimes one travels among the Five Sacred Peaks, beginning at Changshan; sometimes one sails across the Five Lakes, setting out from the Northern Marsh. Sometimes a heavenly talisman commands the Five Emperors; sometimes five decrees summon the Five Lords.”

One may travel among the Five Sacred Peaks, beginning at Changshan, the Northern Peak, or sail across the Five Lakes, setting out from the Northern Marsh. A heavenly talisman may command the Five Emperors, or five decrees may summon the Five Lords. This is the visualization for the “returning Elixir” stage.

“Pearls and jade may be scattered across the ground; dew may fall upon all things; tides may rise and ebb in the rivers; Yang may arise and bring forth the myriad beings; fire may blaze across heaven and earth; or clouds and rosy mists may surge through the cosmos.”

Pearls and jade may cover the ground, or dew may nourish all things. Tides may rise and fall in the rivers; Yang may arise and bring forth the myriad beings; a great fire may sweep across heaven and earth; or clouds and rosy mists may surge through the cosmos. This is the visualization for “refining the body,” the transformation of the physical form.

The text uses images of the imperial court, sacrificial fire, a king, the Nine Provinces, and the Five Sacred Peaks as metaphors for the visualizations used in the stages of internal alchemy known as adding fire, returning the Elixir, the river chariot, and refining the body. It does not tell a literal story; it describes the images that arise in the mind during practice. In alchemical scriptures, terms such as the Three Passes, Kunlun, the Heavenly Pool, the Three Realms, and the great river chariot often refer to the pathways and states through which Qi and spiritual awareness move within the body.

The Dragon leaves the place where it has coiled, and the Five Emperors come to pay court—an image known as “Paying Court to the Origin.” Clouds in five colors rise, and four phoenixes soar through the vast, open sky. In dreams, a person travels along the streets of Heaven. Celestial flowers drift down, heavenly music rings out, and golden light shines within the palace. This is the contemplative vision of “Paying Court to the Origin.” Only after this does one speak of “inner observation.”

Lüzi asked, “What is inner observation?”

Zhonglizi replied, “Inner observation is a method for transforming Yin and Yang. It has no fixed schedule and no unchanging rules. One dwells in a quiet room, sits upright morning and evening, distinguishes the Yang spirit and drives away Yin ghosts. Bodhidharma’s nine years facing a wall and six years of cultivation in Tianzhu (India) were both devoted to this Way. Is it not difficult?

“At first, from top to bottom, the ‘Purple River Cart’ turns and enters the Celestial Palace. The Celestial Palace is a place of splendor. Those who cultivate the Real are usually accustomed to austerity and content with simplicity. Once they arrive there, they become immersed in its pleasures, no longer knowing where they are. Their body and spirit linger there and cannot transform. What is more, within the body are the Three Corpses, Seven Po, Nine Worms, Six Thieves, and other disturbances. Once people give themselves over to ease and indulgence, they have no restraints. Thus images arise from thoughts, and realms arise from images, causing cultivators of the Real to drift away and fall onto deviant paths. This is especially worthy of vigilance.”

Lüzi said, “Through inner observation, one gathers the Yang spirit; by refining the spirit, one transcends the ‘Inner Court,’ leaps upward and exits the Gate of Heaven, entering directly into the rank of the sages. One comes and goes without confusion, welcomes and sends off, rises and descends without attachment. With prolonged vision, spirit and body unite; upon ascending to immortality, one journeys far to Fanghu. The power of inner observation is indeed credible. But how can one avoid drifting away and entering a deviant path?”

Zhonglizi replied, “There is no other way. Most people hear the Way but fail to pursue it with determined effort, and instead let external things rob them of their innate nature. There are ten kinds of demonic obstacles and nine kinds of ordeals. Before the Great Medicine is formed, one suffers the hardships of cold and heat; before the true Qi is born, one is troubled by hunger and thirst. The pressures of clothing and food make up the first ordeal. Within any household there are parents and elder siblings; wishing to leave home to study the Way, one is held back by family ties. This is the second ordeal. People are born through love, and love gives rise to bonds of gratitude and duty. Parents bind one through their kindness, wives and children hold one through affection, and each becomes a fetter to the other. This is the third ordeal. Wealth and rank are things people crave; asking them to give these up and turn toward the Way of solitude is the fourth ordeal. Just when a person is young and able to hear the Way…”

The Pivot of the Dao: A Plain-Language Interpretation

(On “Difficulties” and “Demons” in Cultivation)

Living extravagantly and without restraint, growing lax and indolent, and consequently dying young: this is the fifth difficulty. To seek a teacher in haste yet struggle to encounter a true person; some choose people by their words, while others judge them by their appearance: this is the sixth difficulty. A false teacher instructs people in heterodox ways, like someone holding only the light of a torch and knowing nothing of the sun and moon’s radiance, or like a frog croaking at the bottom of a well, unaware of the power of thunder: this is the seventh difficulty. To practice in the morning and change course by evening, to work at it while sitting and forget it while standing, to crave a brief moment and grow weary of what lasts, until at last one becomes lax: this is the eighth difficulty. To chase fame and profit when young, then settle into private desires in old age, losing years within one’s life, months within each year, and hours within each month: this is the ninth difficulty.

Greedy eyes captivated by worldly splendor, ears indulging in the six modes of music, smells and flavors alternating, desires running wild, and Qi becoming impure: these are the demons of the six thieves. Carved walls and lofty halls, gold and jade displayed in rows: these are the demons of wealth. Splendid carriages and horses, ornate plumes and banners, wearing silver and gold, trailing official sashes: these are the demons of rank. The gentleness of spring and the lengthening days, violent winds and downpours, great thunder and hail, now glad or joyful, now sorrowful or weeping: these are the demons of emotion. A death in the family, illness and suffering in the household, the deceased laid out in the eastern chamber: these are the demons of affection. Falling into a boiling cauldron, tumbling down a dangerous slope, being seized by raptors, devoured by insects, or plundered by bandits: these are the demons of calamity. The Ten Grounds shining in the heavens, the Jade Emperor of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Five Sacred Peaks and the Eight Kings, the Four Spirits and the Seven Luminaries: these are the demons of saints and worthies. Rows of the legendary swords Ganjiang and Tiange, bristling in formation: these are the demons of weapons. Immortal Chang’e and jade maidens each performing their arts: these are the demons of female music. Beautiful women in gorgeous clothes and lavish adornments, spirits granting visions and casting beckoning glances: these are the demons of female beauty.

There are three ways in which demons come to disturb me: first, they appear amid external circumstances (whatever appears is an image of a trigram); second, they appear in dreams; third, they appear during inner contemplation. If one recognizes them when they appear amid external circumstances, one’s resolve becomes steadfast. If one recognizes them in dreams, the spirit is not confused and the intention does not scatter. If one recognizes them during inner contemplation, one can use the fire of samadhi to burn up one’s form, and the demons will be destroyed. Then, using the Purple River chariot, one carries the Yang Spirit beyond the inner court and returns to the Heavenly Palace.

Lü Dongbin asked, “Are there a set number of methods? Are there a set number of times?” Zhongli Quan replied, “There are twelve categories of methods. The first is matching Yin and Yang; the second, gathering and separating Water and Fire; the third, joining the Dragon and Tiger; the fourth, firing and refining the supreme medicine; the fifth…”

Note: The source is a Daoist discussion of Neidan cultivation, involving “difficulties,” “demons,” and twelve categories of methods. Specialized terms such as samadhi, Purple River chariot, Yang Spirit, inner court, Heavenly Palace, matching Yin and Yang, and Dragon and Tiger are retained according to common Daoist usage, with brief explanations in parentheses. The fifth through ninth difficulties, the various kinds of “demons,” and the three methods for overcoming them are translated in the source’s order without adding or removing doctrinal meaning.

The sixth method is “Flying Golden Essence Behind the Elbow”; the seventh, “Returning the Elixir with Jade Liquid”; the eighth, “Refining the Form with Jade Liquid”; the ninth, “Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquid”; the tenth, “Refining the Form with Golden Liquid”; the eleventh, “Refining Qi in Paying Homage to the Origin”; the twelfth, “Inner Contemplation and Exchange”; and the thirteenth, “Transcending the Ordinary and Dividing the Form.” The methods must accord with three kinds of timing: the yearly cycle follows the principles of Yin-Yang rising and descending between Heaven and Earth; the monthly cycle follows the patterns of the Sun and Moon’s essence and Qi moving to and fro; and the daily cycle follows the measures of the Eight Trigrams (the eight directions and trigram images), the Ten Heavenly Stems, the Twelve Earthly Branches, and the divisions of one day into one hundred ke and six thousand fen.

With practice according to these methods, the stages of transformation proceed roughly as follows:

The daily cycle completes and begins again, and illicit desires gradually fade, making outer practice possible. Then Golden Essence becomes abundant and the mind grows clear. Next, the Heart channel surges, and sweet fluid arises spontaneously in the mouth. Yin and Yang clash in the abdomen with a sound like thunder. The hun and po souls become unsettled, and one is easily startled during sleep. Minor ailments may arise in the six viscera and the limbs, but heal on their own without medicine. The Dantian grows warm at night; one’s appearance becomes clear and refined, and the eyes shine with spirit. During sleep, outside influences cannot intrude, as if one were holding an infant and returning home. The Golden Pass and Jade Lock close tightly, and nothing leaks during sleep. The joints open freely with a rumbling like thunder, and sweat flows steadily. Jade Liquid is heated and gargled until it congeals into a creamy substance. Numinous fluid becomes a salve, and foul, rotten odors disappear. The bones and body grow light, the spirit chamber is transformed, and movement becomes nimble. The outer world can no longer disturb one, and cravings are cut off. True Qi enters another person and can cure illness. Inner contemplation becomes clear. The pupils shine brightly; beard and hair regain their black color, and the face regains its youthful vigor. With Qi abundant, one no longer feels hunger, and one’s lifespan becomes immeasurable. The skin gleams, the spirit shines with beauty, the sacred Elixir is born, and numinous fluid becomes fragrant. The gaze grows clear enough to discern the finest details, like a mirror. Nasal mucus, tears, saliva, and sweat gradually cease, and dark spots and scars disappear. The embryo is complete and Qi is full, enabling one to abstain from grain. The inner will unites with the Great Void; the seven emotions are exhausted, and the nine worms and three corpses perish. The hun and po souls no longer wander, and there are no dreams. Yang essence is perfected and the spirit palace becomes firm, so cold and heat cannot invade. One transcends life and death, sits in oblivion and inner contemplation, and wanders in Huaxu, the ideal realm. When practice and merit are complete, one may receive the register of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and know the future. The embryo immortal appears.

This is a plain-language outline of the passage from the Dao Shu. The names of the methods and the sequence of cultivation have been preserved in the order of the original, without adding or omitting any meaning.

Further still, pure Yang (a state in which the body’s Yang energy is pure and abundant) is sufficient to dry up external Mercury (refining and gathering in external or Yin “Mercury,” the Yin substance in Neidan often set against “Lead”).

Further still, the fetal immortal (the sacred embryo or spiritual body formed through inner cultivation) ascends, and auspicious light appears.

Further still, in stillness and concentration, celestial music plays of its own accord.

Further still, one’s form transcends the ordinary, and abundance and fulfillment are complete—not merely in worldly wealth, but in body, mind, and spiritual attainment.

Further still, one’s appearance and features change, and even the spirits are commanded and dispatched.

Further still, purple clouds fill the sight, and golden light surrounds one on every side.

Further still, the fire dragon ascends, the dark crane soars high, and flesh and bones dissolve—a sign of shedding the mortal body and being remade.

Further still, colored clouds gather and swirl, and jade maidens descend to bestow a purple decree, a document of command from Heaven or the realms of the immortals.

These are the stages and manifestations of achievement in cultivating the Dao.

At this point, Master Lü (Lü Dongbin) was fully convinced. He stepped forward and asked: “I understand the wondrous principles, but I have not yet learned how to practice and uphold them. Without knowing how to put them into practice, I will ultimately achieve nothing and be no different from those who do not know. Since you are transmitting the Dao, what method should you teach people?”

Master Zhongli (Zhongli Quan) then chose an auspicious day and transmitted to him the Lingbao Bifa, a complete set of esoteric methods for Daoist inner cultivation.