《道樞》Vol. 42

A Modern Interpretation:

After Zhongli Quan had imparted the true transmission of the Dao to Lü Dongbin, he said, “I once traveled through Mount Zhongnan, where I obtained the Golden Mandate and Jade Register and the hidden teachings on the ‘True Source.’ These are the essential principles at the heart of the Supreme Dao. Now I will pass them on to you.” Lü Dongbin respectfully replied, “Yes.”

Zhongli Quan then said:

Heaven receives the Qian Dao, the way of pure Yang, and gathers Yang Qi above the earth. Earth receives the Kun Dao, the way of pure Yin, and supports all things between Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth are eighty-four thousand li apart, but Qi and substance cannot directly mingle. Therefore, Heaven uses the Qian Dao to make three requests of the Kun Earth. Once these requests are fulfilled, Yang Qi returns to the earth: it bears Yin Qi on its back as it rises. Earth uses the Kun Dao to make three requests of Heaven. Once these requests are fulfilled, Yin Qi returns to Heaven: it carries Yang Qi within it as it descends. Rising and descending in turn, they revolve ceaselessly within the Dao, allowing Heaven and Earth to endure.

Between Heaven and Earth, the upper region is Yang, extending forty-two thousand li downward from above; it is called the “Yang position.” The lower region is Yin, extending forty-two thousand li upward from below; it is called the “Yin position.”

Thus, at the beginning of the year, at the winter solstice, Yang Qi rises from within the earth. It rises seven thousand li every fifteen days. Three such periods make one season, about forty-five days, during which Yang Qi rises a total of twenty-one thousand li. Two seasons make one qi, about ninety days, during which Yang Qi rises a total of forty-two thousand li, reaching the midpoint between Heaven and Earth, where Yang Qi joins the Yin position. At this time, half of the Yang Qi is already present within Yin; cold Qi turns to warm Qi. This is the spring equinox. After the spring equinox, Yang Qi continues rising into the Yang position. It begins to draw on the earth’s Qi and keeps rising for another forty-five days, reaching the Beginning of Summer. Another forty-five days after that comes the summer solstice. The Yang Qi rises through the full distance of eighty-four thousand li, reaching the summit of Heaven. At this time, Yang is within Yang, and warm Qi turns to hot Qi. As Yang Qi accumulates to fullness, Yin arises: one Yin emerges from within two Yang, beginning at the summer solstice. Yin Qi in Heaven then begins to descend, falling seven thousand li in each fifteen-day period. After two periods…

This passage describes the rising and falling of the Yin and Yang vital energies (qi) over the course of a year, and the correspondences between Heaven and Earth and the human body.

The text reckons time in xun (ten-day periods, ten days making one xun). Counting from the Autumnal Equinox, Yin qi descends about 21,000 li (an ancient unit of distance, roughly 500 meters) every four xun and five days, or about forty-five days. After nine xun (ninety days) one reaches the Autumnal Equinox, by which point Yin qi has descended a total of 42,000 li and arrives at the midpoint between Heaven and Earth. Here Yin and Yang meet in position, Yang qi already contains half its measure of Yin, and the climate turns from hot to cool. After the Autumnal Equinox, Yin enters its own position and continues to descend. Four xun and five days later comes Lidong (the Start of Winter), and four xun and five days after that comes the Winter Solstice. At the Winter Solstice, Yin qi has descended to 84,000 li and reaches the ground.

The text holds that when Yin qi accumulates to its extreme, Yang qi is born, arising between two Yin. After the Winter Solstice, a single Yang begins to rise again, and the cycle renews itself. The Winter Solstice is therefore the season when Yang qi is generated and ascends to return to Heaven, while Yin qi descends to the ground. It is called yi yang lai ("the one Yang arrives"). The Summer Solstice is the reverse: it is the season when Yin qi is generated and descends to return to Earth, while Yang qi rises to the heavens. It is called yi yin lai ("the one Yin arrives").

After the Summer Solstice, Yang qi rises, passes the Spring Equinox, and enters the Yin position, leaving the Yang position. This is the Spring Equinox. After the Winter Solstice, the same pattern holds as Yang rises past the Autumnal Equinox. Yin and Yang do not separate sharply in their rising and falling but contain one another. At the Winter Solstice, the rising Yang still holds some descending Yin, but this Yin is only a residue within Yang, and if it remains in the Yang position it dissipates. At the Summer Solstice the reverse occurs: the rising Yin carries residual Yang, which dissipates if it lingers in the Yin position.

Thus the rising and falling of Yin and Yang move within a range of no more than 84,000 li, corresponding to 360 days. One who can distinguish the four climatic conditions of wen (warmth), liang (coolness), han (cold), and re (heat) understands Yin and Yang. One who grasps the eight nodes of the year, bajie (the two equinoxes, the two solstices, and the four seasonal beginnings), understands the regularities of Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth are the greatest of all things, and humans are the most spiritually refined among them, so humans can be matched with Heaven and Earth. The heart corresponds to Heaven, the kidneys to Earth, the liver dwells in the Yang position, and the lungs dwell in the Yin position. The distance between heart and kidneys is eight cun and four fen, comparable to the span between Heaven, which covers, and Earth, which supports. The qi within the body likewise circulates and moves through that span.

This scripture explains the correspondence between the movement of Yin-Yang energies and fluids within the human body and the seasonal transitions of heaven and earth, as well as methods for prolonging life through breath cultivation.

The four daily periods of Zi (11 PM-1 AM), Wu (11 AM-1 PM), Mao (5-7 AM), and You (5-7 PM) correspond to the solar terms of winter solstice, summer solstice, spring equinox, and autumn equinox respectively. Kidney Qi (vital energy) arises during the Zi hour, reaching the liver by Mao hour. The liver belongs to Yang, when Yang Qi flourishes like the spring equinox. At Wu hour, Qi arrives at the heart and begins generating fluids, just as Yang Qi peaks at summer solstice while Yin energy starts emerging. The heart fluids then travel to the lungs by You hour. The lungs belong to Yin, when Yin fluids flourish like autumn equinox. By Zi hour, fluids return to the kidneys, accumulating until transforming back into Qi - mirroring how winter solstice's extreme Yin gives birth to returning Yang. Maintaining this cyclical process without depletion enables longevity.

Heaven and earth follow the patterns of the Dao (the Way). Those who comprehend these rhythms can commune with cosmic forces. But after birth, human primal Yang Qi becomes depleted through emotional disturbances, disrupting the natural rise and fall of internal energies that occur effortlessly in nature. Thus specific cultivation methods become necessary.

The key lies in breathing: exhaling releases primordial Qi outward, while inhaling draws it inward. If inhaled Qi isn't retained but escapes with exhalation, heaven and earth reclaim this energy. Therefore during peak Qi periods (Mao hour), practitioners employ methods corresponding to the Zhen trigram (symbolizing thunder and growth) - inhaling deeply while exhaling minimally to store energy in the abdomen. When ascending Qi doesn't leak downward and incoming Qi temporarily accumulates, their fusion generates the five viscera's fluids. Accumulated fluids then transform into more primordial Qi - this constitutes the preliminary achievement of Bodhidharma's fetal breathing method.

The essential practice involves seeking the "Eldest Son of Yang" (referring to Qian trigram's claim of energy from Kun trigram, symbolizing ascending Yang energy where Zhen represents the eldest son) - namely the dynamic equilibrium between rising kidney Qi and descending heart fluids during Mao hour. By suspending breath at this critical moment to balance Qi and fluids, one obtains "True Unity" (primordial prenatal energy).

A Vernacular Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao (Daoshu)

The One is true Water. What principle does this express? When Qi accumulates, it can produce fluids; when fluids accumulate, they can produce Qi. The fluid within Qi descends along with it, while the Qi within fluid rises along with it. This is how Qi and fluid generate one another. Practice this method for a year and you can wrest the workings of Heaven and Earth; with three hundred days as the limit, the results of ten days’ work will already become apparent. You eat normally, yet your head is free of illness; your mind is clear and your eyes bright; your body is full, yet your abdomen is empty. Within it, there seems to be the sound of wind and thunder. Are these not signs of its efficacy?

As for sitting quietly to regulate the breath, cutting off distracting thoughts, and sitting in silence all day, only to enter a state of stillness and produce a Yin spirit, that is not the way to become an immortal.

Lü Dongbin said: Is this the method of a Yang embryo and Yin breathing, in which Yin and Yang are brought together? And how do Water and Fire gather and disperse?

Zhongli Quan said: Within the Great Dao, Heaven and Earth come into being; within Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang come into being. Thus Heaven and Earth have their divisions of above and below, while Yin and Yang have their sequence of beginning and end. I therefore observe the rising and sinking of Heaven and Earth and examine their measures; in this way, the Great Dao can be known. From the heights and depths of Heaven and Earth, we can understand the Dao’s exalted and humble aspects; from the beginning and end of Yin and Yang, we can understand what comes first and what follows. Heaven and Earth do not depart from number, and their cycle completes itself within a year. Yin and Yang do not lose their proper measure, and their division is marked by the eight seasonal nodes. At the winter solstice, Yin reaches its extreme and the first Yang begins to arise. By the spring equinox, within Yin, Yang has reached half its strength; after the equinox, all is Yang. At the summer solstice, Yang reaches its extreme and the first Yin begins to arise. By the autumn equinox, within Yang, Yin has reached half its strength; after the equinox, all is Yin.

To understand the substance of the Great Dao, one must follow the example of Heaven and Earth and examine Yin and Yang. At the winter solstice, Yang arises and ascends. By the beginning of spring, it has ascended to the Yin position, twenty-one thousand li beneath the ground, where Yang struggles to overcome Yin. At the summer solstice, Yin arises and descends. By the beginning of winter, it has descended below, sixty-three thousand li from Heaven and twenty-one thousand li from Earth. Yin has reached its proper position, and Yang is about to be extinguished.

Thus, within the course of the year, the beginning of spring corresponds in daily practice to the end of the Ox hour and the start of the Tiger hour, and to the position of the Gen trigram (☶). At this time, Qi in the kidneys has already arisen, but has not yet reached the liver; it remains within the Yin position. This Qi is contained in the fluids, weak and unable to rise. Within the course of the year, the beginning of winter corresponds in daily practice to the end of the Dog hour and the start of the Pig hour, and to the position of the Qian trigram (☰).

A person whose yin has reached its height while yang is exhausted, and who is about to return the primordial qi (yuanqi) to the kidneys, will find the jinye (fluids) of the heart flowing down into the kidneys. At this stage yuanqi is scarce and jinye is abundant. People fall ill and die young because yin and yang fall into disorder and can no longer rise and descend, so qi and jinye are depleted and cannot generate one another. When qi is exhausted and shen disperses, the person dies.

At Lichun (the Beginning of Spring), yang qi rises from below. If it is able to ascend, before long half of the yin within will have transformed into yang. At Lidong (the Beginning of Winter), yin qi descends from above. If it is able to descend, before long half of the yang within will have transformed into yin.

When a person is in Gen (corresponding to the period around spring when yang qi begins to stir), yuanqi is feeble, yet they do not know how to nurture it. In Qian (corresponding to autumn and winter, when yang qi gathers inward), yuanqi dissipates, yet they do not know how to collect it. Instead, the six desires and seven emotions deplete the yuanyang, so that zhenqi (true qi) is not strong and zhenye (true fluids) is not produced. This is truly lamentable.

At the time of Gen, I used daoyin (guiding and stretching) exercises, extending and contracting the hands and feet so that the qi of all four limbs was stirred. Inwardly this nourishes yuanqi, and upward it directs yuanqi toward the heart-palace. I then swallowed the jinye once or twice and rubbed my face with my hands twenty to thirty times. Over time the skin became moist and lustrous. This is called the minor method of "dispersing fire and refining the form."

At Qian I gathered yuanqi. I sat quietly, swallowed qi, and contracted the outer genitals (the male external reproductive organ). What is called swallowing qi is leading the heart-fire down into the Lower Dantian (xiadantian). What is called contracting the outer genitals is gathering the qi of the bladder back into the body. Once the kidney qi had united, the three fires came together as one, and this was used to replenish the jinye lacking in the Lower Dantian. When qi gathers, it generates fluid, and once that fluid is refined, qi is produced again. This is called "gathering fire into Taiyi," that is, the method of holding and guarding zhenqi.

The principle of this practice is that heart-qi should be drawn in, and bladder-qi should be gathered, so that it does not disperse. In this way it connects with Kan (symbolizing kidney water, with yang qi hidden within yin), and this is the first qi generated in the qihai (sea of qi). Practice begins in autumn and winter and may stop once results appear. One year is enough for success, with three hundred days as a period. Within ten days the effects will show: the skin will be full and lustrous, the Lower Dantian will be harmonious and full, and the spirit will be bright and clear. This is probably the sign of efficacy.

Master Lü (Lü Dongbin) asked: Is there a Dao in the joining of Dragon and Tiger (referring to the practice of uniting water and fire, yin and yang)? Zhongli Zi (Zhongli Quan) replied: The origin of the Dao already existed at the time of the initial division, and from it arose the Tai (that is, Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate, or Taiyi).

The Great Beginning first appeared (Taishi), followed by the Great Void (Taiwu). Within the Great Void arose the Great Vastness (Taixu), within which arose the Great Emptiness (Taikong), and within the Great Emptiness was generated the Great Substance (Taizhi). This Great Substance refers to Heaven and Earth. The qi of Heaven and Earth divided into the clear and the turbid. Its form was like an egg, its color a dark black mixed with yellow, and it was a thing within the Great Emptiness.

At the winter solstice, yang qi rises from within the earth. By the summer solstice, yang qi has risen to the height of heaven and reached its peak, and then yin qi begins to arise. Yin qi arises because yang qi comes forth from within yin and rises from the earth. At this time, qi appears and disappears, is difficult to grasp, and contains water without having form. Therefore, the qi accumulated at the summer solstice transforms into water. At the summer solstice, yin qi descends from the heavens. By the winter solstice, yin qi has descended to the earth and reached its peak, and then yang qi begins to arise. Yang qi arises because yin qi comes forth from within yang and descends from the heavens. At this time, it is deep and hard to discern; water contains qi without having form. Therefore, the water accumulated at the winter solstice transforms into qi.

The hour of Zi corresponds to the Kan trigram, when kidney qi is generated; the hour of Wu corresponds to the Li trigram, when heart fluid is generated. Kidney qi rises from the Kan position, and as it moves toward the Li position it reaches the heart, joining and uniting with heart qi and heart fire. Yin and yang thereby reach their peak, and heart fluid is produced. The reason is that qi comes from the kidney, and within qi is invisible true water. This is like yang qi accumulating to a certain degree and giving rise to yin. Heart fluid rises from the Li position, and as it moves toward the Kan position it reaches the kidney, joining and uniting with kidney water. Yin and yang thereby reach their peak, and kidney qi is produced. The reason is that fluid comes from the heart, and within fluid is invisible true qi. This is like yin qi accumulating to a certain degree and giving rise to yang.

From this we know that the yang that is produced contains water, and the yin that is produced contains qi; the changes of yin and yang in the human body are the same as the changes of yin and yang in Heaven and Earth. Therefore it is said that the kidney generates qi, and that qi contains true water; this is like the tiger. The heart generates fluid, and that fluid contains true qi; this is like the dragon. Heaven is like an inverted basin, so yang qi can still ascend; Earth is like a hard stone platter, so yin qi can still enter. Humans, however, cannot do this, because they suffer depletion: their primordial yang is damaged and their true qi is lost.

The Li trigram corresponds to the heart in the human body and to the hour of Wu in time. True yang in the human person is primordial yang, and in Heaven and Earth it is the sun. Therefore, during the Li period, that is, at the hour of Wu, once kidney qi has reached the heart and the heart and kidney have joined, one should enter a quiet chamber, clasp the hands, sit cross-legged, and focus the mind, lifting it upward.

Sit upright and composed, settle the mind-spirit within the inner chamber, and regulate the breath so that inhalation is light and shallow and exhalation is slow and long, fine and continuous, as if barely there. Keep the mouth full of saliva, neither spitting it out nor swallowing it. In this way the qi of the kidneys naturally joins with the qi of the heart, as the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) gives birth to the myriad things, and produces jinye (bodily fluid). When the fluid unites with the true water, the zhenqi (true qi) clings to the fluid, and the true water clings to the zhenqi. Qi and fluid are not things that originally combine with each other. Rather, the fluid contains true qi and the qi contains true water, and when the two intermingle, they cling to each other and sink downward. This is called "the coupling of the Dragon and Tiger" (longhu, the Dragon and Tiger are the alchemists' metaphor for the two kinds of yin and yang essential qi within the body). If one grasps the huohou (fire timing), makes no errors, and knows how to increase or decrease nourishment according to the seasons, then after three hundred days the zhentai (true embryo) will form and the dayao (great elixir) will be complete. This is the root of transcending the ordinary world.

Why is this so? Yuanqi (primordial qi) is the true water, and it must not leak out of the body. Once the qi disperses, saliva can no longer be produced; with less saliva, the true qi has nothing from which to arise; and if qi and water do not unite, the great elixir cannot be accomplished. Therefore it is said that when the true-one water in the kidneys and the upright yang fluid in the heart join, life is gestated within the body and spirit illumination arises within it. This is called neidan (internal alchemy).

After cultivating for thirty xun (about three hundred days), one may attain longevity. Within a year, time is measured by months, and one should presumably begin counting from the winter solstice. Within a day, time is measured by the double hours, and one should presumably take the wu hour, which corresponds to the Li trigram, as the limit. Beginning at the winter solstice and passing three hundred days, the embryonic immortal is complete. Its shape is like a pellet, its color like a vermilion tangerine, and it forever guards the lower dantian (lower energy center) without decay.

As for those who take up the Way late in life and whose foundation is not firm, one may use the method of "replenishing one year for every ten years expended." This too can prolong life. This is called caibu huandan (the return elixir of gathering and replenishing). Caibu refers to a method of nourishing the body by gathering and replenishing essence and qi, and huandan refers to returning essence and qi so that they condense into an elixir. When the nourishing effort reaches sufficient measure, sweet saliva arises naturally in the mouth, the mind becomes clear and quiet, stray thoughts fall away, desires no longer stir, the whole body's hundred bones find ease, and the eyes shine as bright as lightning. Spirit light appears even in a dark room. Is this not the proof of its efficacy?

Lü Zi asked, "What is the fire timing of the zhoutian (circulation of the microcosmic orbit)?" Zhongli Zi replied: cold, heat, warmth, and coolness are the manifestations of the qi contained in material forms. Cloud, mist, rain, and dew are the images that qi presents. When the earth qi rises, it becomes cloud, and when it disperses, it falls as rain. When the heaven qi descends, it disperses into mist, and when it condenses, it becomes dew. When yin qi accumulates to excess, dew becomes frost and rain becomes snow. When yang qi accumulates to excess, mist becomes smoke and cloud becomes rosy haze. If yang qi lies hidden within yin qi, the yang qi cannot rise.

Daoshu (The Pivot of the Way): A Vernacular Interpretation

When yin and yang (Yin-Yang) violently collide, they give rise to thunder and lightning. Yang qi conceals yin qi within it, and when that yin cannot escape, it condenses into hail and sleet (ice pellets). Thus, when yang disperses, it becomes thunder, and when yin stirs, it becomes wind. When yin and yang are mismatched and rub against each other, they produce lightning. When they become tangled and disordered, they form rainbows (the bow and the secondary bow).

Only when true yang (pure yang qi, zhenyang) accumulates can it become spirit (Shen). What appears in the heavens, the greatest example is the sun and moon. When true yin (zhenyin) accumulates, it takes form, and what is most precious within the earth is gold and jade. The sun and moon are true yang, yet they depend on true yin to be made complete. Gold and jade are true yin, yet they depend on true yang to come into being.

The true qi (zhenqi) within the fluids (jinye, the clear liquid in the mouth) of our hearts is like true yang, and the true water (zhenshui) within kidney qi is like true yin. True water cannot arise without true qi, and true qi cannot be formed without true water. At the stage of the Li hexagram (symbolizing fire and the heart), the two join above the heart and below the lungs, like a mother and child clinging to one another, or like husband and wife in love.

From Li to Dui (symbolizing marsh and the mouth), Dui is the time when yin is strong and yang is weak, like the moon in its last quarter, or gold and jade still uncarved in the raw stone. The sun and moon wax from darkness to the new moon, and light is born only once the count is full. Gold and jade grow from the rise of yang until yin is ample, and then the treasure is formed. To form a treasure, one must rely on sufficient qi to advance yang again. To become luminous, one must rely on a full count to receive the soul again. This is like our own practice: at the Li stage we accumulate qi and generate fluid, and the fluid must then return to the lower cinnabar field (the area around the Dantian). If qi is not advanced further, it is like the moon in its last quarter, where the soul does not connect, and the yang of gold and jade cannot emerge from the raw stone. Therefore, at the Qian hexagram (symbolizing heaven and vigor), one must advance the fire according to the count (through intention-guarding and nurturing warmth), refining yang without letting it decline. By adding to the fire count, yang can attain longevity.

At the Li stage, the Dragon and Tiger (longhu) have already united, which is the moment for gathering medicinals (caiyao, collecting and holding the essence and qi). When one reaches Qian, qi and fluid are about to return to their origin (huanyuan). They are born above the bladder and below the spleen and stomach, in front of the kidneys and behind the navel, with the small intestine on the right and the large intestine on the left. At this time, spleen qi is strong and lung qi is vigorous, while kidney qi is exhausted and liver qi is weak. True qi originally comes through the coming together of qi. Once yang weakens, true qi has nothing to linger upon and can only be gathered once, at the Li stage. Yet when true qi has nowhere to stay, it will disperse. Therefore, one must begin at the moment true qi is about to be exhausted, which corresponds to the Kun hexagram (symbolizing earth and compliance).

Note: This piece uses the metaphors of thunder, lightning, wind, hail, the sun and moon, and gold and jade to discuss the principles of Neidan (Internal Alchemy), particularly the union of heart and kidney and the completion of water and fire (shuihuo jiji). It covers gathering and refining at the Li and Dui stages, advancing fire at Qian, gathering and consolidating at Kun, and the shifting strengths and weaknesses of the liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneys at certain stages. Technical terms such as the trigram names, Dragon and Tiger, gathering medicinals, returning to origin, and advancing fire are terms of internal practice. They should not be read literally as weather forecasts or mining.

Entering Stillness and Restraining the Yang Pass

Enter a quiet chamber and sit upright in the spirit chamber (shénshì). First enter concentration (dìng), breathing softly and evenly while gently drawing in the abdomen so that Qi sinks into the Dantian (dāntián). Warmth will then be felt at the navel and the kidney region. If the warmth is very strong, relax slightly and apply a light restraint. If no warmth has appeared, tighten and then gradually release until it arises, and then let the abdomen expand and contract naturally. Practice until this reaches the completion of the Qian hexagram. This method is called Restraining the Yang Pass (lè yángguān). Cultivating Neidan in this way keeps the true Qi from rising and unites it with true water. The spleen fluid joins with them and, following the breath, is carried into the Life Palace (mìngfǔ) and the Yellow Court (Huángtíng). Qi thus transforms into essence (Jing), essence into a pearl, the pearl into mercury, mercury into cinnabar, and cinnabar into gold. This is the accomplishment of the Neidan. As the saying goes, "Learning the Way in old age, lose ten and gain one." How could this step be neglected?

Gathering Medicine and Fire Timing (Practice Through the Four Seasons)

Gather the medicine at the time of the Li trigram (Lí) and refine it at the time of the Qian trigram (Qián). In spring and winter, gather much and refine little: with Qian at one and Li at two, double the effort. In autumn and summer, gather little and refine much: with Li at one and Qian at two, double the effort. After one hundred days the medicinal power is complete. After two hundred days the sacred embryo is firm. After three hundred days the true Qi is abundant and the embryo-immortal is complete. Once the medicinal power is complete, advancing the fire and increasing its count is called fire timing (huǒhòu). When the sacred embryo is firm, adding fire timing leads to the Lesser Heavenly Cycle (xiǎo zhōutiān). When the embryo is complete and Qi is born, adding fire timing leads to the Greater Heavenly Cycle (dà zhōutiān).

Guarding Stillness and Protecting the Cultivation

One must dwell in seclusion, cut off all contact, and turn the mind inward, so that inner states do not go out and outer states do not come in, like a dragon nurturing its pearl. Between waking and sleeping, eating and drinking, speech and silence, be like an infant and conduct yourself like a maiden. Even so, one should still fear some loss or harm, and never stray from the Dao for a moment.

Master Zhongli (Zhōnglí Zǐ) said: This is still not the ultimate, only a minor attainment. There are further methods, the Golden Crystal and Jade Fluid (jīnjīng yùyè) and the Method of Golden Fluid (jīnyè zhī fǎ). Taking the year by months, and using the numbers of the six pitch-standards (liù lǜ), the six pitch-pipes (liù lǚ), and the six leaps (liù chāo), count through six positions of six. This yields thirty-six days as the number of Yin completion. Reckoning by days, one phase occurs every five days, giving seventy-two phases. Using the numbers eight and nine, and the nine leaps, count through six positions of six nines. This yields fifty-four days as the number of Yang completion. One six and one nine together make fifteen, and fifteen is the number of Qi.

Interpretation of the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao)

Twenty-four (often referring either to the twenty-four solar periods of the year or to the segments of a single body) can be reduced to eight joints, and through these one may come to understand the principle of the ascent and descent of Yin-Yang. In numerological practice, one takes 1, 6, 1, and 9, with 4 as the working number. The Yang numbers sum to 216 and the Yin numbers to 144, for a total of 360, which is what is called the Zhoutian (zhōu tiān, the degrees of one full circuit of qi circulation).

The ascent and descent of Yin and Yang within Heaven and Earth resemble the mingling of qi and fluids between the heart and the kidneys within the human body. The movement of the sun and moon beyond Heaven and Earth corresponds to the practice of the Zhouhou Feijin (zhǒu hòu fēi jīn, "Flying Golden Crystal Behind the Elbow"), a method of driving the "golden crystal" qi upward from the area behind the waist and along the spine. The Yin and Yang of the lungs and liver are like the sun and moon moving back and forth. Advancing the fire (jìn huǒ) and adding or reducing (jiā sǔn), which adjust the strength of the fire, resemble the sun and moon meeting, and the ascent and descent of Yin and Yang resemble the courses of the sun and moon.

In the year, the summer solstice, and in the month, the sixteenth day, correspond roughly on the human body to the hour of noon (wǔ shí). The winter solstice in the year, and the first day of the month, correspond roughly to the hour of midnight (zǐ shí). If Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and the sun, moon, and the hun and po souls each have their own order of meeting and turning, then the heart, the kidney qi and fluids, and the liver, lungs, and souls may be cultivated according to the seasons in daily practice. Yet should one not also add or reduce at the level of the year? At the Kan hour (kǎn shí, around midnight, when water qi is dominant), Yang qi begins to stir in the Gen position, and the kidney qi is about to meet the liver but has not yet done so. At this time, throw a robe over the shoulders, sit upright, and focus the attention on the lower abdomen. After a moment, the upper body rises slightly, the chest leans forward a little, and the head tilts back slightly. Use the elbow to lightly fan the Shuangguan (shuāng guān, the "twin passes," key points along the spine) once or twice. Then stretch the waist. Beginning at the weilu (wěi lǘ, the tailbone), a heat like fire rises from below the waist to just below the spine. At this stage, do not fully open the Shuangguan. Wait until the heat is strong and the qi is vigorous, then gradually open the spinal passes so that the qi can pass through. Next, lift the face and tilt the head firmly back, closing the Shangguan (shàng guān, the "upper pass," the area of the back of the head and the crown). When the heat is extreme and the qi is strong, gradually draw the qi into the interior of the head to nourish the Niwan (ní wán, "Mud Pellet"), the upper Dantian. This is what is called the foundation of longevity.

Next, apply the method of the Huandan (huán dān, "Returning Elixir"). Lean the chest forward again and stretch the waist to close the spinal passes, visualizing the qi continuing to rise. If the fire does not rise from the waist, sit quietly and look inward, then repeat this method to ignite the fire. Practice from the chou hour (chǒu shí, about 1 to 3 a.m.) until the yin hour (yín shí, about 3 to 5 a.m.) ends. This is called the Zhouhou Feijin, and its aim is to enable the kidney qi to transform into the liver qi.

The spinal column, the Jiaji (jiā jǐ), has twenty-four segments. Counting from the bottom upward, at the third segment, the inner kidney points on either side face each other; this point is called the Tianzhu (tiān zhù, "Heavenly Pillar"). Above the Tianzhu lies the Yujing (yù jīng, "Jade Capital"). Below the Yujing, where the inner kidney points on either side face each other, lies the point above the weilu.

Dao Shu (The Pivot of the Dao): A Vernacular Interpretation

The work is divided into eighteen sections, and its core is the shuangguan (Dual Passes), the Upper Pass and the Lower Pass, each of nine stages. Only after one hundred days of practice are the qi channels opened, allowing one to enter the Niwan (Mud Pellet Palace), the "Upper Dantian" near the Baihui point on the crown of the head, which Daoists regard as the seat of the Primordial Spirit.

The essentials of practice are as follows. Beginning at the position and time period represented by the Gen trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), let the Flying Golden Crystal (feijinjing, the refined qi moving upward from the Lower Dantian) travel all the way to the position of the Xun trigram, where it is accomplished. This corresponds to the Li trigram, whose function is gathering medicine (caiyao): at a specific fire-timing, one condenses the "medicinal substances" within the body, namely the vital qi. The Qian trigram governs advancing the fire and binding the Yang Pass (jinhuo leyangguan), that is, intensifying intention and breath so as to gather yang energy at the single cavity known as the Yang Pass.

Practice must begin at the Winter Solstice. After a hundred days, the Golden Crystal enters the brain, and the Three Passes (the Weilü, Jiaji, and Yuzhen passages) are broken through in one thrust, leading straight to the Upper Palace of Niwan.

Gathering medicine takes place at the Li position, from Gen to Zhen. At this stage there is no need to unite again with kidney qi. Once liver qi arises naturally and heart qi is pure yang, the "yin of the two-eights" (sixteen liang of yin substance) dissolves. Qi steams up into the lungs and gathers into a lump the size of a millet grain, which enters the Huangting (Yellow Court), the Middle Dantian about four finger-widths above the navel. This is the "medicinal material" of Neidan (Internal Alchemy).

If, after a hundred days without error, the medicinal power is complete, one continues to gather medicine at the Li position, but with finer methods and more detailed inner observation. One advances the fire and binds the Yang Pass according to the method of the Qian trigram, from Dui to Qian. After another hundred days, the Flying Golden Crystal is complete. One then sits in practice from Gen to Xun, with medicine-gathering at Li as before. After three hundred days without error, the Sacred Embryo (shengtai, the embryo formed by Neidan) becomes firm.

For binding the Yang Pass, sit in practice from Kun to Qian. After another hundred days, the Niwan is filled, and there are signs of returning to childhood (huantong). This method embodies the meaning of the Five Phases in reversed order and the repeated circulation of the Three Dantian, upper, middle, and lower.

First, harmonize Yin-Yang so that qi and fluids generate one another. Next, gather and disperse water and fire to secure their root, so that qi moves and fluids settle. Then unite the Dragon and Tiger to gather and replenish the Returning Elixir. This is what is called Minor Accomplishment (xiaocheng). Within the year, choose the month, beginning with the month of the Winter Solstice. Within the month, choose the day, beginning with a jiazi day. Within the day, choose the hour, beginning at the times of Gen, Li, or Qian. Practicing from Gen to Xun, and from Qian onward to Kun, over three hundred days is named Intermediate Accomplishment (zhongcheng).

One who practices this Way must do so in a quiet and pure place. The eyes do not see desire-inducing forms, the ears do not hear noise, the nose does not smell foul odors, and the mouth does not crave the five flavors. The six desires and seven emotions do not stir the heart. One remains constantly alert, whether awake or asleep, as if fearing to lose something. Only then is this acceptable. Without diligent effort, the Dao of immortality is hard to achieve, and one merely postpones the day of death.

This is the method of employing the Three Origins (sanyuan: Jing essence, Qi vital energy, and Shen spirit). The Flying Golden Crystal is the path by which essence and qi return from the lower field back up to the upper brain.

Commentary on the Dao Shu (The Pivot of the Dao) in Plain Language

Is one to work at the upper Dantian (shàng dāntián) or the lower Dantian (xià dāntián)? If the aim is gathering medicine (cǎi yào), which means collecting essence and qi, then one returns from the lower field to the middle field. If the aim is reining in the Yang Pass (lēi yángguān) and advancing the fire (jìn huǒ), which means nourishing yang qi and working at the gate of the pass, then one returns from the middle field to the lower field.

When initial results appear, one may be easily startled during sleep, and the four limbs and hundred bones may feel slightly unwell. These symptoms resolve on their own without medicine. At nightfall, with the eyes closed, a light appears within, as if covering the body. The Golden Gate and Jade Lock (jīnguān yùsuǒ), the gate of essence, is firmly sealed, so seminal emission can be stopped. A single sound like thunder arises, the joints open, qi flows through them, the spirit becomes clear, and the lower Dantian (the qi sea below the navel) becomes harmonious. The agitation in the heart then dissolves on its own. Sleep resembles holding an infant on the way home, or rising to float through the void, and the eight evils (bā xié, external pathogens such as wind, cold, summer heat, and dampness) cannot do harm. After three hundred days, the embryonic immortal (tāi xiān), the "infant" cultivated internally, is complete, and refining the form with jade fluid (yùyè liànxíng), nourishing the body with clear fluids, may then begin.

When yang qi rises, why is it said that yin is born from the Supreme Ultimate (Tàijí)? Because yin is insufficient and yang is in excess, accumulated yang gives birth to spirit (shén). When yin qi descends, why is it said that yang is born from the Supreme Ultimate? Because yang is insufficient and yin is in excess, accumulated yin forms the body. What is called spirit is what I have called sun and moon, and what is called form is gold and jade. The substance of gold and jade comes from accumulated yin, and within it is stored true yang qi. When it responds to sun and moon, true yin and true yang descend and congeal into a supreme treasure, which is indeed precious. Just as accumulated yin forms a body that embraces yang qi within, I accumulate medicinals as the true womb and true qi to form the embryonic immortal. When this qi surges into heaven, it rises with yang, and when it enters the earth, it returns with the descent of yin. Because it rises and falls with yin and yang, the east, the west, and the four seasons can be distinguished. Likewise, my golden fluid (jīnyè) returns to the Dantian, and my jade fluid (yùyè) refines the form, with adjustments across the four seasons and shifts across the day.

After three hundred days, when true qi is complete, one may refine the form through the returning elixir (huándān liànxíng). Therefore one takes the Gèn trigram (Mountain) to fly the golden crystal, stopping at Xùn (Wind/Wood). The gathering of medicine associated with Lí (Fire) and the yang gate associated with Kūn (Earth) both stop here and are no longer practiced. Only Duì (Lake) is used to rein in the yang gate, stopping at Qián (Heaven). Since the gathering of Lí medicine is no longer practiced for the returning elixir, this becomes the swallowing method (yàn fǎ), a method of swallowing saliva. The method is as follows: stir the tongue between the upper and lower palate and the cheeks, first swallowing the foul, turbid saliva. Then draw the tongue tip back from the Jade Pool (yùchí), the source of mouth fluids. When saliva is produced, swallow it without rinsing. In spring, liver qi is strong and spleen qi is weak, so the daily practice of Lí is applied…

(The original text breaks off here. The following section, on the seasons and the daily practice of the trigrams, is not included.)

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

I. The Four Seasons and the Trigram Directions

In summer, heart qi is strong and lung qi is relatively weak, so daily practice should draw on Xun (Wind, southeast).

In autumn, lung qi is strong and liver qi is relatively weak, so one may use Gen (Mountain, northeast) to practice the method of swallowing the Flying Gold Crystal.

In winter, kidney qi is strong and heart qi is relatively weak, so one should draw on Zhen (Thunder, east).

In the final month of each season, spleen qi is strong and kidney qi is relatively weak. The kidney is the root of a person, so for the eighteen days following the final month of each season, one should draw on Dui (Lake, west).

Li (Fire) may be combined in spring, and Xun in summer and Zhen in winter, as appropriate to the corresponding seasons. Only in autumn is Dui used exclusively.

II. The Jade Fluid Swallowing Method

What is the principle behind this? Because one understands the roots of the Five Phases (Wuxing) and their processes of generation and overcoming, one can apply practice precisely according to one's condition.

Essentials of the swallowing method: If no saliva is produced between the teeth and the Jade Pool (the oral cavity), swallowing cannot be carried out. The method is to use the tongue to stir the entire mouth, both upper and lower, and then to draw in both cheeks through the Jade Pool. With an empty swallowing breath, qi itself contains water, and one may then swallow.

Number of swallows: Begin with thirty-six, then forty-nine, then eighty-one, and then one hundred and eighty-one, according to the depth of one's skill. This is what is called Jade Fluid (Yuye).

After practicing this method for one year, one may irrigate the Dantian (energy center) and bathe the embryonic immortal, and true qi will gradually grow strong.

III. The Alternative When the Swallowing Method Is Not Practiced: Flying the Gen-Direction Crystal

If the swallowing method is not practiced, then within three hundred days the inner elixir (Neidan) will be completed, and true qi will arise on its own. At this stage, one uses the Flying Gold Crystal from the Gen direction to strike through the Three Passes at once and enter directly into the Niwan (Mud Pellet, the upper Dantian).

When qi has just begun to rise, one should plug the ears with the hands, because the ears are the gate of the kidneys and one must guard against the leakage of kidney qi.

While practicing this method, from the crown of the head one moves forward, and the gold and water flow down like water poured from a high roof, entering the Huangting (Yellow Court, the middle Dantian) and transforming into the Golden Elixir (Jindan). Therefore, to practice the method of Golden Fluid, one must enter a quiet chamber, sit cross-legged with the hands folded, cut off all thoughts and forget all feelings, and inwardly visualize the gold crystal of the Gen direction flying into the top of the head.

IV. The Golden Fluid Swallowing Method: Concrete Steps

First, slightly raise the head, so that the back of the head feels as if it were blazing with fire. Next, repeatedly tilt the head back and forward, and then lower the head and bend it toward the throat. Then, draw the tip of the tongue back toward the rear and press it against the upper palate. Finally, the sweet, fragrant water of the Shangqing Lingzhi (Numinous Fungus of Highest Clarity) may either be rinsed around the mouth or swallowed, returning downward to the Huangting. This is the Golden Fluid (Jinye).

The Golden Fluid may be practiced at any time of year, without a fixed hour. Only when the gold crystal is flying does one swallow once for each flight, continuing until the flight reaches the Zhen direction.

Glossary of Terms

An Interpretation of the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao)

Once the jing and qi (essence and vital energy) have ascended into the brain, they circulate according to the seasonal cycle, beginning with Gen (one of the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing stillness and cessation) and ending with Xun (symbolizing entering and yielding). At sunset, when the Yangguan (the Yang Pass, the gate that seals the leakage of essence and qi) is shut, the cycle begins with Dui and ends with Qian.

To practice this work, one must cut off worldly traces, calm the mind, and reduce desire, and only then will it bear results.

On this path, one must wait until the jinjing (golden crystal) has ascended, the yao (medicinal substance) has been fully gathered, the Yangguan has been sealed, and the neidan (internal alchemy elixir) has been completed, which takes about three hundred days, before continuing further cultivation. Otherwise, if one uses only the huandan (returning elixir, which draws essence and qi back) to cleanse the huachi (Florid Pool, where saliva gathers in the mouth), the great medicine will scatter and nothing will be gained.

The effects are as follows: the skin becomes moist and glossy, the spirit radiant and refined, the pupils black, the hair deep-hued, and the face youthful as a child's. Qi is abundant within, and one feels no hunger. The mortal bones are exchanged and the spirit chamber transformed. Steps become light as a galloping horse, the saliva thickens like cream and curds, and cold and heat can no longer harm the body.

If yang qi is prevented from rising to the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate, the crown point known as Baihui), then one irrigates and bathes with the yuye (jade fluid, the saliva of the mouth), and the inner elixir is thereby nourished.

After three hundred days, one practices the method of the jinye (golden fluid), the gate of jiji (After Completion, the completed union of yin and yang). One kindles the fire to greet the zhenshui (true water, the essence held in the kidneys). As water descends and fire rises, one ascends while the other sinks, refining yin with yang until it transforms into pure yang. At this stage one can soar and wander beyond the mundane realm. The effect may be seen within a hundred days, and the work is complete within a year.

What are the golden and jade fluids? When yang accumulates it becomes spirit, and within spirit there is form: one is born of the sun, two are born of the moon. When yin accumulates it becomes form, and within form there is spirit: one is born of gold, two are born of jade. The sun moves through nine and the moon through six, waxing and waning with yin and yang. Gold and jade likewise follow yin and yang, rising in spring and summer and descending in autumn and winter.

The qi of the kidneys is like the moon, and its hidden fluid becomes gold. The qi of the heart is like the sun, and its fluid becomes jade.

Jade fluid arises when the qi of the kidneys rises to the heart and joins the heart's qi. When the two qi intermingle and pass through the chonglou (the upper gate at the throat), and the mouth is closed so that nothing escapes, the fluid fills the yuchi (jade pool, the mouth). Swallowing it becomes jade fluid.

I stir the tongue to fill the upper and lower gums, close the jade pool, draw in both cheeks, and swallow the qi emptily. This is the method of huandan.

Within qi there is zhenshui: where qi gathers, water gathers; where the mother moves, the child follows. Since jade fluid is already called the returning elixir, how is the form refined? The fluid comes from the kidneys and is born in the heart, just as earth gives rise to stone and stone gives rise to jade.

Commentary on the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao): A Plain-Language Reading

Jade (yu) and Golden Fluid (jinye) refer to the qi of the kidneys and the qi of the heart, which rise together once they have united.

The two streams steam the lungs. The lungs are the "Canopy" (huagai), which covers them from above, so the practitioner draws from them day after day and refines their fluid. This fluid collects in the lower field, rises from the Weilu (tail-end pass), and is called the Flying Golden Crystal (fei jinjing). It nourishes the Niwan (Mud Pellet, the upper dantian). Once the Niwan has been nourished to the right degree of fire, the qi descends from above into the lower dantian. This is the Golden Fluid Returning Elixir (jinye huan dan).

After returning to the lower field, the qi rises again and circulates through the four limbs. This is called Golden Fluid Tempering the Form (jinye lian xing), in keeping with the principle that "gold is born from earth." As for the claim that the flying of the golden crystal can pass the three gates and enter the Ninth Heavens, the meaning is this: the Weilu is the lower gate, the spine pass (jiaji) is the middle gate, and the back of the head is the upper gate. The crown of the head is the Ninth Heavens. Once the Jade Fluid has returned to the elixir, the practitioner should sit in a quiet chamber with a sealed room, where no wind can enter and no sun can shine. In silence, the practitioner recites the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and reflects that, if one wishes to practice the Dao and undergo transformation, one must first temper the form beyond the realm of yin and yang.

The practitioner then lights incense and swallows the qi, beginning at the hour of Zhen (Thunder), which corresponds to the Zi hour. The practitioner closes the eyes, gathers the mind, straightens the body, and sits upright. The breath should be fine and continuous, with light inhalations and slow exhalations. As inner observation becomes finer, no inner state arises and no outer state enters. The mouth is kept full of saliva, which is neither spat out nor swallowed. The qi fills the four limbs and is guided by intention so that it does not scatter. When fatigue sets in and the intention gradually stops, the practitioner rises again to the hour of Li (Fire), which corresponds to the Wu hour. Once the qi has met and mingled, its wonder is beyond words. This is Jade Fluid Tempering the Form, which broadly allows one to preserve the body and remain in the world.

If one can truly abandon outside affairs and set one's sights on becoming an immortal, then one should practice the Flying Golden Crystal at the Elbow (zhou hou fei jinjing). Once the initial stage has been filled, one continues by the same method, letting the Golden Fluid Returning Elixir travel from the crown down to the kidneys, and running from Zhen to Li before stopping. The method for Golden Fluid is the same as that for Jade Fluid, but the difference lies in inner observation (neiguan). Moreover, the returning elixir and the tempering of the form must be practiced together, so one should not compare them only in terms of Jade Fluid. The essential secret is to make yang pure and yin exhausted.

In spring and summer, one swallows once for each rise. What is meant by "rise"? It is the raising of the body (shengshen) described earlier. In autumn and winter, one swallows once for every five rises. As for the number of swallows, autumn and summer call for fifty, while spring and winter call for slightly more than one hundred. The practitioner uses Dui (Lake), which corresponds to the You hour, to diligently open the yang gate, and stops at Qian (Heaven).

Brief glossary (for first-time readers):

Three gates (sanguan): the Weilu (lower gate), the spine pass (middle gate), and the back of the head (upper gate), which are the passages that regulate the inner rise and descent of qi. Niwan / lower field (xia tian): the upper and lower dantians. Zhen, Li, Qian, Dui: trigrams paired with the hours of the day, used in this text to set the start and stop points of practice and the rhythm of swallowing.

Methods of Refining the Form: Golden Liquor, Golden Crystal, and After Completion

The method of refining the form is broadly the same as that described earlier. Golden Liquor refinement (jinye lianxing) proceeds by "first reviving (su) and then rising, first leaning back (yan) and then rising." Flying the Golden Crystal (fei jinjing) proceeds by "leaning forward." The Golden Liquor belongs to the path of the Returning Elixir (huandan). The Golden Crystal descends from the crown of the head and returns to the Dantian (energy center), where it joins the qi that refines the form. Here one must not swallow in haste. Wait until the breath fills the four limbs, the mind opens out, and the spirit becomes clear. Then, when the mouth grows dry and the heart-qi surges upward, swallow gently, so that the saliva and the momentum are in balance. This is the practice of After Completion (jiji).

When practicing this method, one may also ascend from Gen to Li before swallowing. How, then, is the body itself refined? Kindle the fire by flying the Golden Crystal, so that qi enters the crown of the head. First let it rise, then lift it further. This is called burning the body in the fire. Next, practice the Returning Elixir, adjusting it to the four seasons, and continue cultivating in accordance with the rhythm of the years. Within a single day there is also Qian and Kun: before noon refine Qian, and after noon refine Kun. In the human body, the abdomen is Kun and the back is Qian. This is flying the Golden Crystal behind the elbow. When refining Kun, begin at Dui, restrain the Yang Pass (yangguan), and stop at Qian, never letting up even for a moment. In winter and spring, the After Completion method may be practiced once every three or five days. While the fire is burning, guard the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji) and then swallow, so that the golden elixir does not wither and scorch.

This burning of the body does more than refine form into qi. It also drives out yin ghosts and nourishes the spirit (shen). It eliminates the Three Corpses (sanpeng) below and destroys the Nine Worms. Only after this can one speak of the methods of Audience with the Origin (chaoyuan) and of refining qi into spirit.

The Effects of Refining the Form

Question: What are the effects of refining the form? Answer: One's aspirations become lofty and merge with the Great Void. The hun and po souls no longer wander, and dreams cease. Once yang essence is complete, the spirit's dwelling becomes firm. Fire cannot burn the practitioner, and water cannot drown them. True qi steams out through the Spirit Gate (shenmen), white hairs appear between the eyebrows, and the breath is pure yang. One can then reduce mercury, use breathing to cure illness, and foresee blessings and misfortunes. These are the effects. Yet none of this compares with the subtle wonder of Audience with the Origin!

Audience with the Origin and the Root Numbers of the Dao

One, three, five, seven, and nine are numbers that arose from the differentiation of the Dao. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are images that arose from the transformations of the Dao. Without division there are no numbers, and the numberless is the root of the Dao. Without change there are no images, and the imageless is the substance of the Dao. I know that the images of heaven and earth come from qi and water, and I know that the numbers of heaven and earth are rooted in the One.

(The passage that follows quotes Laozi's line "Heaven attains the One and becomes clear," and argues that all things keep to their one, and that this unity is the basis of Audience with the Origin and of guarding the oneness of the Dao.)

Commentary on the Daoshu (The Pivot of the Dao)

Knowing its distance and nearness, then how could the Dao be far away?

Once one understands the principle of the Dao's distance and nearness, how could the Dao be remote at all?

Between Heaven and Earth there are the Five Emperors (wudi), the Daoist celestial deities corresponding to the Five Phases (wuxing) and the five directions, just as we have the five viscera within our bodies.

The Azure Emperor, whose De is Wood, whose heavenly stems (tiangan) are jia and yi. Jia is yang and yi is yin, like the qi and fluids of the liver.

The Azure Emperor, the Eastern deity of Wood virtue, corresponds to the heavenly stems jia and yi. Jia is yang and yi is yin, just as the liver contains qi and fluids.

The Vermilion Emperor, whose De is Fire, whose heavenly stems are bing and ding. Bing is yang and ding is yin, like the qi and fluids of the heart.

The Vermilion Emperor, the Southern deity of Fire virtue, corresponds to the heavenly stems bing and ding. Bing is yang and ding is yin, just as the heart contains qi and fluids.

The White Emperor, whose De is Metal, whose heavenly stems are geng and xin. Geng is yang and xin is yin, like the qi and fluids of the lungs.

The White Emperor, the Western deity of Metal virtue, corresponds to the heavenly stems geng and xin. Geng is yang and xin is yin, just as the lungs contain qi and fluids.

The Black Emperor, whose De is Water, whose heavenly stems are ren and gui. Ren is yang and gui is yin, like the qi and fluids of the kidneys.

The Black Emperor, the Northern deity of Water virtue, corresponds to the heavenly stems ren and gui. Ren is yang and gui is yin, just as the kidneys contain qi and fluids.

The Yellow Emperor, whose De is Earth, whose heavenly stems are wu and ji. Wu is yang and ji is yin, like the qi and fluids of the spleen.

The Yellow Emperor, the Central deity of Earth virtue, corresponds to the heavenly stems wu and ji. Wu is yang and ji is yin, just as the spleen contains qi and fluids.

In the spring months, the qi of the liver is abundant.

In spring, liver qi is at its height. This is because the innate true qi (xiantian zhenqi) passed down from one's parents gathers in the liver as the heavens move through their cycles.

On a Wood day, when the heavenly stem is jia or yi, one should aid the Earth during the hours of chen, xu, chou, and wei, the hours when Earth is dominant, and use Fire to refine the qi of the spleen.

On a Wood day, when the heavenly stem is jia or yi, one should support the Earth element during the hours of chen, xu, chou, and wei, when Earth is dominant. Fire is then used to refine the qi of the spleen.

On other days, if the Dui trigram, associated with the West and Metal, presides, Metal is diminished and the qi of the lungs is consumed. At such times one should not undertake the work of the lower Dantian.

On other days, when the Dui trigram, the Western position of Metal, presides, Metal is weakened and the qi of the lungs is depleted. At such times one should not undertake the inner alchemy (neidan) practice of the lower Dantian.

During the hour of the Kan trigram, kindle fire to refine the qi of the kidneys. During the hour of the Zhen trigram, enter a quiet chamber and breathe in much and out little. Cessation of breath is best, prolonged retention is second, and a thousand breaths is the measure.

During the hour of the Kan trigram, the Northern position of Water, one kindles fire to refine the qi of the kidneys. During the hour of the Zhen trigram, the Eastern position of Wood, one enters a quiet chamber and inhales much while exhaling little. Stopping the breath (zhixi) is considered best, and prolonged breath-holding (jiubi) is second. A thousand breaths serves as the measure.

In inner observation, focus the mind on the liver. Quiet the heart and close the eyes, and a green light will naturally appear. Slowly raise the body's energy to enter Niwan, the Mud Pellet Palace, which is the upper Dantian at the crown. Proceed from the hour of yin until the hour of chen, concluding with the period of Zhen.

In inner observation, the mind is focused on the liver. One quiets the heart and closes the eyes, and a green light, the color of Wood virtue, naturally appears. Slowly raise the body's energy to Niwan, the Mud Pellet Palace, which is the upper Dantian located at the crown. This ascent proceeds from the hour of yin through the hour of chen, concluding with the Zhen period.

The breath through the nose becomes extremely faint. With practice, the breath will naturally cease. One must not seek to hasten the result.

The breath through the nose becomes extremely faint, and with practice it will naturally stop. One should not seek to force this result.

In the summer months, the qi of the heart is abundant.

In summer, heart qi is at its height. The innate true qi passed down from one's parents gathers in the heart as the heavens move through their cycles.

On a Fire day, when the heavenly stem is bing or ding, one should aid the Metal during the hour of the Dui trigram, kindle fire, and refine the qi of the lungs. On other days, if the Kan trigram presides, Water is diminished and the qi of the kidneys is consumed. At such times one should likewise not undertake the work of the lower Dantian.

On a Fire day, when the heavenly stem is bing or ding, one should support Metal during the hour of the Dui trigram. Fire is kindled to refine the qi of the lungs. On other days, when the Kan trigram presides, Water is weakened and the qi of the kidneys is depleted. At such times one should likewise avoid the practice of the lower Dantian.

During the hour of the Zhen trigram, kindle fire to refine the qi of the liver. During the hour of the Li trigram, the Southern position of Fire, enter a quiet chamber and practice stopping and settling the breath as before. A red qi (the color of Fire virtue) will naturally appear. Slowly raise the body's energy into Niwan, from the hour of si until the hour of wei, concluding with the period of Li.

During the hour of the Zhen trigram, one kindles fire to refine the qi of the liver. During the hour of the Li trigram, the Southern position of Fire, one enters a quiet chamber and practices stopping and settling the breath as described above. A red light, the color of Fire virtue, naturally appears. One slowly raises the energy into Niwan, from the hour of si through the hour of wei, concluding with the period of Li.

In the autumn months, the qi of the lungs is abundant.

In autumn, lung qi is at its height. The innate true qi passed down from one's parents gathers in the lungs as the heavens move through their cycles.

On a Metal day, when the heavenly stem is geng or xin, one should aid the Wood during the hour of the Zhen trigram, kindle fire, and refine the qi of the liver.

On a Metal day, when the heavenly stem is geng or xin, one should support Wood during the hour of the Zhen trigram. Fire is kindled to refine the qi of the liver.

Note

This passage offers core guidance on internal alchemy (neidan) in Daoist cultivation. It correlates the Five Emperors, the Five Phases, the heavenly stems, the Eight Trigrams, the five viscera, and the seasons, and it specifies the timing and methods of practice for different seasons and days. Here "lower work" (xiagong) refers to the practice of the lower Dantian, while Niwan, the upper Dantian and Mud Pellet Palace, is the final destination of the ascending essence and qi. The practice emphasizes accord with the rhythms of Heaven and forbids forcing progress against the natural current.

An Interpretive Reading of the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao)

"At the Li (Fire) position, when one dissipates heart-qi by reducing the fire, this is not the time to apply effort."

At the Li position, when the fire is being reduced and heart-qi is being dissipated, one should not undertake cultivation work.

"At the Xun (Wind) time, one raises the fire to refine spleen-qi. At the Dui (Lake) time, one enters the chamber, stills the breath, and settles the breath as before. White qi appears on its own, and one gradually raises the body so that it enters the Niwan (Mud Pellet), the upper field at the crown of the head. From the shen hour to the xu hour, one completes the work at the Dui position."

At the Xun time, one raises the fire to refine spleen-qi. At the Dui time, one enters the chamber, stills the breath, and settles the breath as described above. White qi becomes visible, and one slowly lifts it up into the Niwan, the upper field at the crown of the head. This runs from the shen hour (3 to 5 p.m.) to the xu hour (7 to 9 p.m.), and the practice is completed at the Dui position.

"In winter, the kidney-qi is strong, because the parental true qi follows the movement of heaven and gathers in the kidneys. On water days, whose stems are ren and gui, one rescues the fire at the Li time and raises the fire to refine heart-qi. On the remaining days, at the chen, xu, chou, and wei hours, one reduces earth to dissipate spleen-qi. At these times, too, one should not apply effort."

In winter, kidney-qi is strong, since the parental true qi follows the cosmic cycle and settles in the kidneys. On water days, whose heavenly stems are ren and gui, one counteracts the fire at the Li time and raises the fire to refine heart-qi. On the other days, during the chen, xu, chou, and wei hours, one reduces earth and dissipates spleen-qi. These times are also unsuitable for cultivation work.

"At the Dui time, one raises the fire to refine lung-qi. At the Kan (Water) time, one enters the chamber, stills the breath, and settles the breath as before. Black qi appears on its own, and one gradually raises the body into the Niwan. From the hai hour to the chou hour, one completes the work at the Kan position."

At the Dui time, one raises the fire to refine lung-qi. At the Kan time, one enters the chamber, stills the breath, and settles the breath as before. Black qi becomes visible, and one slowly lifts it up into the Niwan. This runs from the hai hour (9 to 11 p.m.) to the chou hour (1 to 3 a.m.), and the practice is completed at the Kan position.

"In spring, one refines the liver. After a thousand breaths, green qi emerges. In the last ten days of each season, one devotes eight days exclusively to fixed breathing, sitting quietly all day to nourish the spirit that has not yet gathered and to refine the true qi. At the Kan time, one raises the fire to refine the kidneys, for fear of depleting the true qi."

In spring, one refines the liver. After a thousand breaths, green qi emerges. In the last ten-day period of each season, eight days are devoted entirely to fixed breathing. During these days one sits quietly all day to nourish the spirit that has not yet gathered and to refine the true qi. At the Kan time, one raises the fire to refine the kidneys, for fear of depleting the true qi.

"In summer, one refines the heart, and after a thousand breaths red qi emerges. In autumn, one refines the lungs, and after a thousand breaths white qi emerges. In winter, one refines the kidneys, and after a thousand breaths black qi emerges. In each season, during the last ten days, eight days are devoted to fixed breathing, and the raising of the fire is carried out exactly as at first. Then the yellow qi is formed, and its light fills the whole body."

In summer, one refines the heart, and after a thousand breaths red qi emerges. In autumn, one refines the lungs, and after a thousand breaths white qi emerges. In winter, one refines the kidneys, and after a thousand breaths black qi emerges. In each season, eight days of the last ten are devoted to fixed breathing, and the raising of the fire follows the original method. Then yellow qi is formed, and its radiance fills the whole body.

"What is fixed breathing? Does it lie in forcibly holding the breath and shutting it in? The essential point is to keep it 'mian mian ruo cun,' as if faintly present, to use it without strain, to pass from existence into non-existence, and to let it stop on its own. That is sufficient."

What, then, is fixed breathing? It does not consist in forcibly holding the breath or shutting it in. The essential point is to keep the breath mian mian ruo cun, faint and continuous, as if barely present. One uses it effortlessly, moves from presence into absence, and lets it come to rest naturally. This is enough.

"What is 'gathering the medicine'? It means holding the saliva in the mouth and clasping the fists, with the thumb folded into the palm, to press down the true qi of the heart so that it does not scatter."

What is "gathering the medicine"? It means holding the saliva in the mouth and clasping the fists, with the thumbs folded into the palms, to press down the true qi of the heart so that it does not scatter.

"What is 'entering the chamber'? One settles in a secluded, quiet place, where no noise can be heard, and leaves a small opening through which one can faintly make out objects. When the yang spirit (Yangshen) first gathers and the true qi seems to condense, it is like an infant not yet six months old. The ears must not hear anything, for if they do, the spirit-qi is startled and escapes."

What is "entering the chamber"? One dwells in a secluded place, free from clamor, with a small opening through which objects can be faintly discerned. When the yangshen (yang spirit) first gathers and the true qi seems to condense, the practitioner is like an infant not yet half a year old. The ears must hear nothing, for if they do, the spirit-qi is startled and escapes.

"As for foul odors, the stench of decay, and seductive colors, these not only disturb the true qi; they are also repugnant to the spirit."

Foul odors, the stench of decay, and seductive colors do more than disturb the true qi. They are also repugnant to the spirit.

"Thereupon one bows with the head touching the ground and offers three invocations: first, to the Earth Immortal (Dixian), one whose merit is half complete; second, to the Heavenly Immortal (Tianxian), one who transmits the Dao and transforms others; third, to the Spirit Immortal (Shenxian), one who removes great harms."

Then one bows with the head touching the ground and offers three invocations. The first is to the Earth Immortal (Dixian), one whose merit is half accomplished. The second is to the Heavenly Immortal (Tianxian), one who transmits the Dao and transforms others. The third is to the Spirit Immortal (Shenxian), one who removes great harms.

Explanation of the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao) in Modern Vernacular

One who has achieved great merit yet withdraws into seclusion without leaving a trace has, through quiet sitting (jingzuo), forgotten the mind of cleverness and diligently cultivated the Way.

This method of cultivation must proceed step by step, advancing further only after results have appeared. If one directly practices chaoyuan (returning the Yuanshen to its origin) without preparation, one will ultimately fail, and will likely see the yin spirit leave the body and become a guixian (ghost immortal) and nothing more.

How could the Way of chaoyuan be easily described? It requires a thousand days to regulate a single Qi, overcoming ten with one. Effects appear at a hundred days, and true Qi is abundant at five hundred days. From then on one may engage in neiguan (inner observation), gathering the yangshen (yang spirit) to enter the heavenly palace and refining it to unite with the great Dao. What is the result? The body seems to rise into the air, the light of the elixir penetrates the bones, and purple mists fill the eyes.

When one Qi returns to the heart, it must not be seized by external things. When one heart moves one Qi, it must not be enslaved by any method. When the source of the mind is clear, one illumination breaks all darkness, and one does not even know that there is a thing. When Qi battles with strength and myriad feelings are stilled in a single breath, one does not even know that there is a method. Each thing, being without thing, returns to its original image. Each method, being without method, attains the self-realized truth.

When my cultivation succeeds, the harmonious Qi condenses without dispersing, the utmost empty true nature is serene and nonacting (wuwei), the Shen (spirit) merges with the Dao and returns to naturalness, and then one takes no-mind as mind and does not know that one has a body. Is this the one who enters the realm of xiyi, the profound and remote state of faint, dim transcendence?

Is this method cunxiang (visualization)? Is it chanding (meditative absorption)? I choose a blessed site as a quiet dwelling, sit upright with the legs coiled, let the hair fall loose and the robe hang open, grasp the woguo hand gesture (the thumb folded into the palm and held by the four fingers) and store the Shen, and close the mind and eyes. Slightly raise the body forward to kindle fire and refine Qi. After noon, slightly gather the body and draw the fire inward to refine the elixir. Thus one passes through day and night, with the Shen and Qi clear and harmonious, and sits without slackening.

At this time, when there is sound, do not listen; when there is a scene, do not look. Then the disturbances will naturally be extinguished. If mo (demonic obstruction) presses in, quickly lean the body slightly forward and gather it, then straighten the waist. Next, let the chest project slightly backward and arch, without straightening the waist. Before long, fire rises both in front and behind. Raise the body high and do not move. This is called the fenshen zhi huo, the fire that burns the body. Once this fire has risen, the mo will flee of its own accord, and yin evils cannot enter.

Thus one persists through a second time, a third time, and so on. If one hastily seeks transcendence, the yin spirit may not disperse. It may emerge as a ghost or spirit whose form cannot be seen, with no place to return to, and end by entering a womb or seizing another's dwelling to become human again. Or, if one's comings and goings are not yet skilled and one's method is not yet sound, one may be lost in a single departure.

Notes:

Chaoyuan: the return of the Yuanshen to its source, a high stage in neidan (internal alchemy).

Guixian: an adept whose cultivation is incomplete and whose spirit leaves the body, so that it cannot return to life and attain immortality.

Woguo: a Daoist hand gesture in which the thumb is folded into the palm and held by the four fingers.

Fenshen zhi huo: an image from neidan referring to the heat produced as the true Qi circulates within the body, used to drive out obstructions that arise during cultivation.

Commentary on the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao)

If one's cultivation goes astray, the hun and po (ethereal and corporeal souls) leave the body and can never return to the original physical form. The shen and hun drift off, no one knows where. This resembles what Buddhists call zuohua (dying while seated in meditation) and what Daoists call shijie (liberation by feigned death, shedding the mortal body and departing).

For this reason, the ancient texts say:

• "Ji chu er fu ru, ru er bu chu" (having gone out and returned, having entered, it does not go out again). The yuanshen (primordial spirit) has left the body yet returns to it serenely, and from then on it dwells constantly within and no longer escapes outward. In this way, form and spirit both attain a wondrous state, living as long as heaven and earth and standing level with the transforming processes of creation.

• "Ji ru er fu chu, chu er bu ru" (having entered, it again goes out, having gone out, it does not enter). The spirit has entered the body to cultivate, and can again leave to roam and transform. It is no longer bound by the physical body and wanders freely beyond it. In this way, the consciousness is elevated to sagehood and roams freely above the Three Isles and Ten Continents of the Eastern Sea, the immortal realms.

Supplementary Notes: