《道樞》Vol. 5

Vernacular Interpretation

Zhiyouzi says that the year has twenty-four solar terms (jieqi), each about two fen, an ancient unit of time, apart. The summer solstice (xiazhi) has the longest day, the winter solstice (dongzhi) the shortest, and the spring equinox (chunfen) and autumn equinox (qiufen) have days and nights of equal length.

After the winter solstice the days gradually lengthen, and after the summer solstice they gradually shorten. This is the cycle of the rising and falling of Yin and Yang.

The Zi hour corresponds to the Heavenly Stem Wu, and the Stem Gui corresponds to the hour of Daxue (Major Snow) and Dongzhi. On the day of the winter solstice, the sun rises at about the second ke of the Chen hour and sets at about the third ke of the Shen hour, giving 35 minutes of daylight and 65 minutes of night. It belongs to the Kan trigram (Kangua) in the Upper Origin. On the day of Major Snow, the sun rises at about the first ke of the Chen hour and sets at about the third ke of the Shen hour, giving 38 minutes of daylight and 62 minutes of night. It belongs to the Qian trigram (Qiangua) in the Lower Origin.

The Chou hour corresponds to the Stem Si, and the Stem Ji corresponds to the hour of Xiaohan (Minor Cold) and Dahan (Major Cold). The sunrise and sunset, and the lengths of day and night, at Minor Cold are the same as at Major Snow, and it belongs to the Middle Origin of the Kan trigram. Major Cold is the same as Xiaoxue (Minor Snow), and it belongs to the Lower Origin of the Kan trigram.

The Yin hour corresponds to the Stem Si, and the Stem Jia corresponds to the hour of Lichun (Beginning of Spring) and Yushui (Rain Water). At Beginning of Spring, the sun rises at about the second ke of the Yi hour and sets at about the second ke of the Geng hour, giving 43 minutes of daylight and 57 minutes of night. It belongs to the Gen trigram (Gengua) in the Upper Origin. At Rain Water, the sun rises at about the fourth ke of the Yi hour and sets at about the fourth ke of the Geng hour, giving 45 minutes of daylight and 55 minutes of night. It belongs to the Middle Origin of the Gen trigram.

The Mao hour corresponds to the Stem Wu, and the Stem Yi corresponds to the hour of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects) and Chunfen (Spring Equinox). At Awakening of Insects, the sun rises at about the second ke of the Mao hour and sets at about the second ke of the You hour, giving 48 minutes of daylight and 52 minutes of night. It belongs to the Lower Origin of the Gen trigram. At the Spring Equinox, the sun rises at the exact middle of the Mao hour and sets at the exact middle of the You hour. Day and night are equal, and it belongs to the Upper Origin of the Zhen trigram (Zhengua).

The Chen hour corresponds to the Stem Si, and the Xun hour corresponds to the Stem Si as well, marking the hour of Qingming (Clear and Bright) and Guyu (Grain Rain). At Clear and Bright, the sun rises at about the third ke of the Mao hour and sets at about the second ke of the You hour, giving 53 minutes of daylight and 47 minutes of night. It belongs to the Middle Origin of the Zhen trigram. At Grain Rain, the sun rises at about the fourth ke of the Jia hour and sets at about the ... of the Xin hour.

(The text continues with Grain Rain, Beginning of Summer, and the other solar terms. Each follows the same structure, matching the Stems, Branches, trigrams, and day-night lengths one by one.)

Note: This passage concerns the coordination of fire timing (huohou) with the solar terms in Neidan (internal alchemy) microcosmic orbit (zhoutian) cultivation. In the text, ke is an ancient unit of time, and "Upper, Middle, and Lower Origin" refer to the three stages of trigram influence within each solar term. The Earthly Branches such as Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao denote both the hours and the months of the calendar, and they correspond to the directions of the Bagua. They are used to identify the right moment for "drawing and adding" (chōutiān) the fire during practice.

Zhen Trigram, Lower Origin (continued from the preceding passage)

A day is divided into four ke (units of time), with fifty-five ke of daylight and forty-five of night. This belongs to the Lower Origin (Xiayuan) of the Zhen trigram.

Ji is four, Bing is four: Beginning of Summer (Lixia) and Grain Buds (Xiaoman)

At Lixia, sunrise falls at the third ke of the Jia position and sunset at the third ke of the Xin position. Daylight lasts fifty-eight ke and night forty-two, belonging to the Upper Origin of the Xun trigram. At Xiaoman, sunrise and sunset fall at the same positions, with sixty ke of daylight and forty of night, belonging to the Middle Origin of the Xun trigram.

Wu is five, Ding is four: Grain in Ear (Mangzhong) and Summer Solstice (Xiazhi)

At Mangzhong, sunrise falls at the first ke of the Yin position and sunset at the second ke of the Xu position. Daylight lasts sixty-two ke and night thirty-eight, belonging to the Lower Origin of the Xun trigram. At Xiazhi, sunrise is at the second ke of Yin and sunset at the second ke of Xu, with sixty-five ke of daylight and thirty-five of night, belonging to the Upper Origin of the Li trigram.

Wei is four, Kun is five: Minor Heat (Xiaoshu) and Major Heat (Dashu)

Sunrise, sunset, and the lengths of day and night at Xiaoshu are the same as at Mangzhong, so it belongs to the Middle Origin of the Li trigram. Dashu matches Xiaoman and belongs to the Lower Origin of the Li trigram.

Shen is four, Geng is four: Beginning of Autumn (Liqiu) and End of Heat (Chushu)

Liqiu matches Lixia and belongs to the Upper Origin of the Kun trigram. Chushu matches Guyu and belongs to the Middle Origin of the Kun trigram.

You is five, Xin is four: White Dew (Bailu) and Autumnal Equinox (Qiufen)

Bailu matches Qingming and belongs to the Lower Origin of the Kun trigram. Qiufen matches Chunfen and belongs to the Upper Origin of the Dui trigram.

Xu is four, Qian is four: Cold Dew (Hanlu) and Frost's Descent (Shuangjiang)

Hanlu matches Jingzhe and belongs to the Middle Origin of the Dui trigram. Shuangjiang matches Yushui and belongs to the Lower Origin of the Dui trigram.

Hai is four, Ren is four: Beginning of Winter (Lidong) and Minor Snow (Xiaoxue)

Lidong matches Lichun and belongs to the Upper Origin of the Qian trigram. For Xiaoxue, sunrise falls at the third ke of the Yi position... (The original text continues below.)

Points to keep in mind while reading

The ke was a traditional unit for dividing the day and night into parts, used to express their length and the time of day. Here, daytime and nighttime are each given a count of ke. Upper, Middle, and Lower Origin (Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, Xiayuan) are the three segments into which Daoist calendrical reckoning divided a longer cycle, each paired with particular trigrams and solar terms. The phrase "its sunrise, sunset, and day-night lengths are the same as those of a certain solar term" means there is no need to record a new set of numbers; one only has to compare with the solar term already given. Terms such as Jia, Yi, Yin, and Xu are Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, used to locate where sunrise and sunset fall within the ke divisions.

(Continuing from above) Engraving the first of the "Geng" marks: during the day, forty; at night, sixty; situated in the center of the Qian hexagram. This is the "Yuan" (origin).

The Yellow Emperor Asks (After returning from Kongtong, the Yellow Emperor again visits Huangren and investigates the Dao of the "Three Ones," coming to know the subtle and the true.)

The Perfected Huangren (Tianzhen Huangren) lived in seclusion on Mount Emei. After subduing Chiyou, the Yellow Emperor sought the Dao of Wuwei (non-action) and traveled throughout the world. On reaching the plains of Qingcheng, he first met Perfected Ning (Ning Zhenren) and received the essentials of the "Nine Ones." Hearing that Huangren was clear about the Great Dao, he went again to ask for instruction.

Huangren said to the Yellow Emperor: "To cultivate the body, first purify the intention, and only then may one begin. Therefore, settle the spirit within and remove desire without. If the various afflictions arise, they should be treated with qi."

The Yellow Emperor asked: "Do those who cultivate the Dao also suffer illness?"

Huangren replied: "Those who hear the Dao too late have often already lost their true qi. With the body already depleted and damaged, how could they be free of illness?"

The Yellow Emperor asked: "May I ask, with which qi may they be treated?"

Huangren replied: "For minor ailments, use water; for major ailments, use fire. Among all the afflictions of the world, none can resist water and fire."

Outline of the Cultivation Method:

Dwell in a quiet chamber and close the eyes. Hold the attention on the area above the nose; although one gazes at a single thread, one must never leave the body. When rising from sitting, this is ding (settled concentration, samadhi). Do not chase after any external objects.

Next, contemplate the white hair light (baihao guangming) emerging above the eyebrows, and strive to draw it into the crown gate (dingmen). When the samadhi of sanmei is firm and real, the achievement is then superior.

With the center free of action and external thoughts not entering, proceed from nine to nine, refining seven to seven.

If one wishes to remain hidden in the world, constantly imagine the crown gate opening so that yellow clouds fill heaven and earth. Quietly and attentively reflect that there is spirit within, use the intention to move it, and let it come and go at will.

If one wishes to leave the body: let the yellow clouds cover heavily, and the spirit may return to its origin, or divide its form, or enter the body of another person, or take over another to settle oneself, or cause another to leave their body. Such methods are for rescue and for broadly bestowing virtue, and then they are permissible. To benefit oneself at the expense of others is to incur guilt.

However, the method of dividing the form must await the arrival of one of the yang numbers of generation. In a quiet chamber, with the mind still, clearly refine the Five Phases above the crown; store forty-five of the Greater Yang, and when that number is complete, and the five wheels below the eyebrows are whole, rise within concentration. Then fire holds the spirit of wood, and water holds the qi of metal; the five viscera of water and fire pass back and forth without leaving Earth. Afterward, visualize its truth...

(The original text breaks off here, before the contemplation of "truth.")

Glossary of Terms (for ease of reading):

Overall, this passage is Huangren's teaching to the Yellow Emperor: first purify the intention, remove desire, and settle the spirit; then treat illness with the intention of water and fire, combined with visualizations such as the white light entering the crown gate and yellow clouds filling heaven and earth; and within concentration, refine the Five Phases and bring water and fire into mutual exchange. The higher method of dividing the form to rescue others is governed by strict numerical timing and precepts and must not be used carelessly.

Jingers (Essence) of the kidneys unite in a single Qi, and blood from the heart condenses downward to become the "infant"; its image is a yellow sprout rising from the earth. This is my life-destiny (ming). The essence of the two kidneys joins with one Qi, and blood from the heart condenses downward to form the image of the "infant." Its form is a yellow sprout growing out of the soil, and this is what is called one's "life" (ming).

Bathe in the first light of the rising sun reflected on water a hundred times, and daily tread upon its shadow. Then the light of sun and moon within the two kidneys each emits red and white Qi. At night, over forty-nine cycles, it exits through the crown of the head; after ten months it matches the height of the body. Such spiritual potency makes one an Earth Immortal (dixian). By bathing in the first light of the rising sun reflected on water a hundred times, and by treading daily upon its shadow, the light of sun and moon within the two kidneys each manifests as red and white Qi. At night, it passes out through the crown of the head seven times seven (forty-nine times). After ten months, the emanation equals the body in size, and such spiritual efficacy makes one an Earth Immortal.

Refining the Qi of the kidneys, which moves in and out through the ears, for a hundred days, and pouring it into rivers and seas, one refines the essential light within to forge a sword. One refines the essence of the Five Viscera until it fills the nine-times-nine count, so that the Golden Cauldron gathers its Qi. The body then ascends to Heaven, and within stillness one re-enters the womb. Cultivating and reconsolidating for twelve years, one transforms into four bodies, and its responses are without end. The Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) said: "Good."

Refining the kidney Qi that moves in and out through the ears for a hundred days, one pours it out into the rivers and seas, and within, refines its essential light into a sword. Refining the essence of the five viscera until it reaches the full count of nine times nine, the Golden Cauldron (jinding) gathers this Qi, and the body rises and ascends to Heaven. Within concentration, one again enters the womb, cultivating and re-forming for twelve years until one transforms into four bodies, and the resonances are endless. The Yellow Emperor said: "Excellent."

Xuanyuan Asks (Heaven Clear, Earth Still: Drawing Near to the Body; Using Fire to Guard Yin, Then Yang Becomes Pure)

Master Zicui said: Those who study the Dao must first clarify the mind through non-action (wuwei). Inner and outer realms, right and wrong, are all forgotten. Then regulate the breath and nourish the form, so that form and spirit are both refined and one merges with the Dao to attain truth. The mind is Heaven, the kidneys are Earth. When Heaven is clear, Earth is still. Master Zicui said: Those who study the Dao must first clarify the mind and practice non-action, letting go of inner and outer realms and of right and wrong alike. Then regulate the breath and nourish the body, so that form and spirit are both refined and one merges with the Dao to attain truth. The mind is Heaven, and the kidneys are Earth. When Heaven is clear, Earth is still.

Xuanyuan asked: How is Heaven made clear? How is Earth made still? Xuanyuan asked: How is Heaven made clear, and how is Earth made still?

Master Zicui said: Oneness is the clarity of Heaven. Master Zicui said: Oneness (the Supreme Ultimate, taiji, pure unity) is the clarity of Heaven.

Xuanyuan said: Within the year there are twelve periods, and between the zi and wu hours the yin and yang shift. Yin clouds and mists cannot remain clear. Why is this? Xuanyuan said: Within a year there are twelve months, and between the hours of zi and wu, yin and yang shift in motion. Yin clouds and mist cannot always remain clear. Why?

Master Zicui said: Sun and moon are always in use. When yin and yang turn and move, this is called yang reaching its extreme and yin being born. Yin and yang rise and fall, and so Heaven cannot always appear clear. The seasons change in their quarters, each quarter receiving its own Qi. Thus the death and birth of the myriad things is not due to Heaven being unclear, and the growth of the myriad things is not due to Earth being unstill. Master Zicui said: Sun and moon constantly serve their function. Yin and yang turn in motion, which is what is meant by yang reaching its extreme and yin arising. Because yin and yang ascend and descend, Heaven cannot always remain clear. Each of the four seasons shifts, and each season receives its own Qi. Therefore the birth and death of the myriad things is not because Heaven is unclear, and their growth is not because Earth is unstill.

Xuanyuan said: That Earth is still gives birth to the myriad things. Why is this? Xuanyuan asked: Why is it that Earth, being still, gives birth to the myriad things?

Master Zicui said: Earth is yellow; it is the central soil. This soil receives the turning of sun, moon, yin and yang, and each season receives one Qi. Each month of a season has about eight days in each ten-day period, and the four seasons together make seventy-two days. This is when soil is most abundant, and so it can complete the myriad things. Master Zicui said: Earth is yellow, the central soil. The central soil receives the movement of sun, moon, yin and yang, and each season receives one Qi. Each season's months contain about eight days per ten-day period, and the four seasons together total seventy-two days. This is the time when earth Qi is at its height, and so it is able to bring the myriad things to completion.

Xuanyuan said: How is the life of a human being? Xuanyuan asked: And how is the life of a human being?

Master Zicui said: It is likewise formed when yin and yang unite and receive one Qi. When yang reaches its extreme, it meets yin essence and treats it as treasure; when yin reaches its extreme, it meets yang essence and treats it as treasure. Master Zicui said: It is likewise formed when yin and yang join and receive a single Qi. When yang reaches its extreme, it finds yin essence and regards it as precious; when yin reaches its extreme, it finds yang essence and regards it as precious.

Without yin, yang cannot be born; without yang, yin cannot be completed. Therefore yin and yang function through each other, and so the myriad things and the human body are formed. Without yin, yang cannot give birth; without yang, yin cannot be completed. Thus yin and yang function reciprocally, and this is how the myriad things and the human body are formed.

Note: In this text, terms such as "infant" (ying'er), "yellow sprout" (huangya), "Earth Immortal" (dixian), "Golden Cauldron" (jinding), "nine-times-nine" (jiujiu), and "four bodies" (sishen) are technical terms of Neidan (Internal Alchemy). Master Zicui is a pseudonymous immortal, and Xuanyuan is the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi).

Yang could no longer transform and give birth to the myriad things. In a man, the left side of the kidney forms first; in a woman, the right side forms first. Only then is xing (nature, the root of life) established, making humans the spiritually aware beings among all things.

Xuanyuan (the Yellow Emperor) asked: Why do people die?

Zi Cui replied: Men are purely yang, and women are purely yin. Over the twelve double-hours of a day, xing changes, and qi disperses with it. When the yang side is overcome by yin, its jing (essence) is drawn away. When the yin side is overcome by yang, its blood is drawn away. Thus both dry up and die.

Xuanyuan asked: Can one attain non-death?

Zi Cui said: Extinguish the three essentials (jing, qi, and shen, or, in other accounts, the upper, middle, and lower Dantian), open the nine orifices (the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, and the front and rear lower openings), and grasp the principle of the Five Phases (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth). Cut off the external realm (outside temptations) so that external objects cannot enter and internal disturbances cannot leave. When qi is settled, one can avoid death. When the joints flow freely, the nine orifices are quiet, the Five Phases generate one another, the five viscera are unobstructed, and the six bowels are clear, where would sickness come from? This is called obtaining fire within water and generating water within fire. When one enters ding (stillness, concentrated sitting) without a mind, the shen becomes clear. Qi circulates through the four seasons, transforming and giving birth to all things. When yin is diminished and pure yang remains, longevity becomes possible.

Xuanyuan asked: How does one enter stillness, achieve no-mind, unite water and fire, and remain in pure yang without death?

Zi Cui said: Within stillness, qi is generated; within qi, shen is generated. When shen is settled, it is the Dao; qi is its instrument. Shen can use method, method can use fire, and within fire water is generated. If one can transform it, one can use this water ordinarily. If the mind cannot settle the water and fire, then use fire to guard the yin. Over time, pure yang remains, yin softness does not arise, and this is the completeness of the Dao.

Xuanyuan said: Excellent.

Hundred Questions (The Methods of Cultivating Realization Are Boundless / The Words of Zhengyang Carry the Chariot of Dong)

Chunyangzi (Lü Dongbin) studied the alchemical classics and mysterious texts, whose meanings he found unfathomably deep. Fearing that later readers would struggle to understand them, he asked Zhengyangzi (Zhongli Quan, courtesy name Yunfang):

The Qingjing Jing (Scripture of Purity and Stillness) says "there is movement and there is stillness." What does this mean?

Zhengyangzi said: What moves is gui (mercury), a metaphor for the light, clear qi that rises and floats, so it flies. What is still is qian (lead), a metaphor for the heavy, turbid qi that sinks, so it does not rise. This is the old teaching: lead's flight comes from encountering fire, and mercury's failure to rise comes from meeting lead. Movement brings arising and ceasing; stillness brings no attachment.

Chunyangzi asked: Where is the Dongting Zifu located within the body?

Zhengyangzi said: This

The "sea" of essence (Jing) and the dwelling of stillness and tranquility (qingjing) are in the liver, specifically the gallbladder.

Chunyangzi (the Pure Yang Master) asked: What is Niwan (the Mud Pellet Palace), and what is its shape? Zhengyangzi (the Correct Yang Master) answered: It is the "Sea of Blood" (Xuehai). It has nine chambers, each about one inch square, with a total circumference of nine inches, and its color is white. One of the chambers holds blood and is called the Sea of Blood.

Chunyangzi asked: The elixir (dan) has a yin and a yang aspect. What color is each, and where does each dwell? Zhengyangzi answered: The yin elixir dwells in the Sea of Blood and the yang elixir dwells below the navel. Each contains a meeting of shen (spirit) and qi (vital energy), and this is the root origin (benyuan) of the elixir. The root of the yin elixir is blood. It governs blood, the hun and po (ethereal and corporeal souls) are contained within it, and it dwells in the Dantian (energy center). It is the silver within lead (qian). The root of the yang elixir is jing (essence). It governs jing, the xin shen (heart-mind spirit) is contained within it, and it dwells in the Dantian. It is the dragon within mercury (gong).

Chunyangzi asked: Why must one refine through the "nine refinements" (jiulian)? Zhengyangzi answered: The nine refinements are the nine mechanisms (jiuji), that is, nine orifices and nine levels of effort. In the first year, qi is increased. In the second year, blood is increased. In the third year, the vessels (mai) are increased. In the fourth year, the flesh is increased. In the fifth year, the marrow is increased. In the sixth year, the sinews are increased. In the seventh year, the bones are increased. In the eighth year, the hair is increased. In the ninth year, the form is increased.

Chunyangzi asked: What is the "returning elixir" (huandan)? Zhengyangzi answered: It is the completion of the work in nine years. The eyes are as bright as lacquer dots, the skin is like congealed fat, the bones turn to jade, and the intestines turn to sinew. White hairs grow between the eyebrows, a golden light surrounds the body, one moves as swiftly as six horses, one can see a hundred paces beyond, and a clear fragrance is always present in the mouth and nose.

Chunyangzi asked: Why are lead (qian) and mercury (gong) named as they are? Zhengyangzi answered: Lead is born on the left of the kidney. Its outside is dark (xuan) and its inside is white. It is the correct qi of Wood, dwells in the northern position of zi, and is yin within yang. Within it there are two further aspects: the lead essence obtained from fire, and the essence and blood in the brain. Mercury is born on the right of the kidney. Its outside is green and its inside is red. It is the correct qi of Metal, dwells in the southern position of wu, and is yang within yin. Within it there are four further aspects: the jade of glazed stone, the water that reaches the central palace, the sand that forms from saliva, and the qi of the gallbladder's fluid.

Chunyangzi asked: How must the transformation proceed for the elixir to form? Zhengyangzi answered: One must draw water from the mountain's summit and draw fire from the highest point of the earth. (Heaven and earth serve as the furnace, water and fire serve as the medicinals, and the elixir forms through their combined cultivation.)

Plain Interpretation

The scripture says: gather mercury from the "Sea Bottom," gather mercury from the "Chonglou" (Double Tower), and gather lead from the "Nine Heavens." Once the mercury enters the body, the lead settles and returns, coalescing in the Central Palace (zhonggong). Its form resembles a chicken's egg and its color is like vermilion tangerine. It is called the Sacred Embryo (shengtai). Thus Xuan (lead, the dark) and Bai (mercury, the white) separate and then unite, and from this the creative transformation arises.

Chunyangzi asks: In advancing the fire and circulating the Microcosmic Orbit (zhoutian), sometimes drawing in and sometimes adding, the practice also depends on the years, months, days, and hours. What do these refer to?

Zhengyangzi answers: If the year, month, day, or hour belongs to Water, it falls on the Yin side and can overcome Fire. Therefore the months of mid-spring and mid-autumn, the seventh and eighth days, the twenty-second day, the third day, and times such as the full moon (jiwang) and the dark moon (jihui) are all unsuitable for practice. When the Three Corpses (sanpeng), namely the Upper, Middle, and Lower Corpses, which stand for miscellaneous thoughts, desires, and the like, dwell in the Numinous Dwelling (lingfu), the work is hard to accomplish and must be carried out according to the proper method.

Chunyangzi asks: When fire is within the body, what exactly is taken as the fire?

Zhengyangzi answers: Foolish people take the heart as the fire. Within the heart there is Shen (spirit), called the furnace of heaven and earth and the cauldron of Yin-Yang, located beneath the heart. If one takes the heart as fire, the fire ends up above, and how could it refine anything? This is not the way of Jiji (Already Complete). The fire should rise from below, like steam rising from a cooking pot. Therefore fire is the true One Qi of the Lower Origin, and when it reaches its extreme it becomes fire, rising from below the navel. Water, by contrast, issues from the brain.

Chunyangzi asks: What is the furnace?

Zhengyangzi answers: It is within the body. In a great smelter, the furnace holds the fire, and only inside the furnace can the ingredients be placed to be melted. Within the melting vessel is the medicine, and a lid is placed above. The furnace of the human body is no different.

Chunyangzi asks: Could you describe the gate of the smelting and its form?

Zhengyangzi answers: Purple vapor is not ordinary worldly fire; purple vapor is Qi itself. The Three Plain (sansu), that is, the qi of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, or the Three Origins, rise and fall within and without. The breath continues unbroken, and only then is purple vapor refined.

Chunyangzi asks: The snake has four and the rat has two. What do these refer to?

Zhengyangzi answers: Four refers to the four seasons, and two refers to sun and moon. The subtle point lies in what cannot be put into words.

Chunyangzi asks: Where is the Palace of the Bridal Chamber (donfang)?

Zhengyangzi answers: It is between the eyebrows, two inches inward. It lies in front of Niwan (the Upper Dantian), shaped like a jade mountain, with a bright pupil within that connects the three palaces. It is mysterious and spiritually penetrating, as praised by the three scriptures.

Chunyangzi asks: What is meant by the carp leaping at the Lung Gate (longmen)?

Zhengyangzi answers: The golden carp hangs above "clang," its scales divide the water, its form contains the cinnabar, and yang returns to life and comes home.

Chunyangzi asks: How many Dantians are there?

Zhengyangzi answers: There are three, called upper, middle, and lower. The heart is the upper Dantian, beneath the heart is the middle Dantian, and two inches below the navel is the lower Dantian. Its form is like a chicken's egg, one inch long, and Shen dwells within it.

Chunyangzi asks: How are water and fire distinguished?

Zhengyangzi answers: Water comes from the north, with the Gate of Life (mingmen) as its source. It is not the scorching water of the kidneys. Salt water issues from the heart.

Chunyangzi asks: What is the "three-patterned bone" within the Sand Marrow?

Zhengyangzi answers: Within the Sand Marrow is a three-patterned bone. In the secluded, clear realm one obtains red lead, and at cockcrow (a metaphor for the first stirring of yang qi), the true lead is then harmonized.

Chunyangzi asks: How are the Twelve Hours to be practiced?

Zhengyangzi answers: At the hour of mao (morning), lead is strong, Yin is abundant, and fire is vigorous, so one must not gather. At noon... (the following describes the observances and taboos of each hour, as continued in the original scripture.)

Interpretation of the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao)

The Spirit of the White Origin (Baiyuan zhi shen) dwells in the Purple Pole (Ziji), in the region of the Muddy Pellet Palace (Niwan gong) at the crown of the head. Pure Yang Master (Chunyangzi) asks: what, then, is the Bright Hall (Mingtang), the space between the eyebrows and at the center of the forehead?

Zhengyangzi (Master Zhengyang) answers: Before the Cave Chamber (Donglfang), the space between the two eyebrows, and rising up to within about an inch of the brow, the Spirit of the Middle Origin (Zhongyuan zhi shen) abides there.

Pure Yang Master asks: what is meant by the Way of Preserving the Three and Guarding the One (cun san shou yi) that the Most High spoke of?

Zhengyangzi answers: One substance divides into three bodies, which are water, fire, and earth (or, in other accounts, the vessels of essence, qi, and spirit). When they gather and take form, they become the heart, kidneys, and spleen. When they transform and circulate, they become qi, blood, and essence. Qi, blood, and essence then transform again into spirit (shen). While these remain within the human body, they are like a cauldron of three colors, red, yellow, and black, which is to say the Central Palace (zhonggong), the region of the Dantian and the Yellow Court (Huangting).

Pure Yang Master asks: why does the cycle of human birth and death seem to have no end?

Zhengyangzi answers: In truth, there is no difference. The key lies in nature (xing), meaning one's original, true nature. Consider: when one yields the mind (wei xin), giving free rein to one's intentions, greed (tan) arises. Greed gives rise to attachment (zhuo), and attachment gives rise to afflictions, which trouble the heart with suffering. When the heart is disordered, the spirit is agitated. When the spirit is agitated, desire flourishes. When desire flourishes, illness follows, and eventually death.

Pure Yang Master asks: what is nature?

Zhengyangzi answers: Is it within the Great Void (taixu), the original substance of emptiness? This is difficult to fully express in words. The arising and waning of form and qi is what nature manifests.

Pure Yang Master asks: what is spirit?

Zhengyangzi answers: It is the True Qi of Taiyi (Taiyi zhenqi), the primordial qi of the Palace of the Supreme Mystery (Shangxuan zhi gong). Its measure is thirty-six thousand, and it changes according to the place where it arises. Thus, when it is within qi, it becomes spirit, and when it is within spirit, it becomes qi. Where qi remains, spirit persists; where spirit departs, qi disperses. When qi disperses, it becomes cloud or mist, which is called form (xing). When it emerges, it becomes an immortal (xian); when it enters, it becomes a true person (zhenren). Above, it coalesces in the Three Origins (sanyuan), the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, or the essence, qi, and spirit. Below, it coalesces in all things, and thus there is a Way of nurturing and growth (changyang). Therefore, what does not disperse is true, and what disperses is death.

Pure Yang Master asks: one dies only when both spirit and qi are exhausted, so how can qi come to an end?

Zhengyangzi answers: The body has six orifices (liu qiao), such as the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. If blood is depleted and leaks out, the spirit is no longer refined or upright. When it is not refined, the fluids (jinye) stagnate and block the passages. When it is not upright, evil qi gathers and invades. Then the path of life is obstructed, and the path of death lies open.

Pure Yang Master asks: what are the Golden Fluid (jinye) and the Jade Liquor (qiongjiang)?

Zhengyangzi answers: The Jade Liquor is the tears in the eyes. The remaining qi that flows to the right side of the upper palate becomes the Golden Fluid.

Pure Yang Master asks: and what is the Divine Water (shenshui)?

Zhengyangzi answers: It is the blood within the heart. The remaining qi that flows to the left side of the tongue becomes the Divine Water.

Huachi (Flowery Pond)

Chun Yangzi (Pure Yang Master) asked: "If so, what does 'Huachi' refer to?"

Zhengyangzi (Upright Yang Master) replied: "It is the water in the kidneys. Its surplus qi flows to the right side of the tongue."

Huangya (Yellow Sprout)

Chun Yangzi asked: "And what is 'Huangya'?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It arises in the brain and dwells in the Central Palace (the center of the body, where spirit and qi gather). It is the saliva of the brain and the fluid of the spleen. The qi left over from these fluids flows to the upper lip."

The Four Emblems and Gouchen (Organs Paired with the Five Phases)

Chun Yangzi asked: "What is 'Qinglong' (Azure Dragon)?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It is the liver, which belongs to Wood. Within it is 'spirit water' (shenshui), which enters and leaves through the interstitial spaces (couli) on the left side of the spine, the flesh between the vertebrae and the skin, and connects inwardly to the eyes."

Chun Yangzi asked: "And 'Baihu' (White Tiger)?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It is the lungs, which belong to Metal. Within them is spirit water, which enters and leaves through the interstitial spaces on the right side of the spine and connects inwardly to the nose."

Chun Yangzi asked: "And 'Zhuque' (Vermilion Bird)?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It is the heart, which belongs to Fire. It is located in the south, and its Heavenly Stems are Bing and Ding. Within it is spirit water, which passes from the right side of the abdomen to beneath the tongue."

Chun Yangzi asked: "And 'Xuanwu' (Black Tortoise)?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It is the kidneys, which belong to Water. They are located in the north, and their Heavenly Stems are Ren and Gui. Within them is spirit qi, which passes from the left side of the abdomen to the ears."

Chun Yangzi asked: "And 'Gouchen' (Hook Array)?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It is the spleen, which belongs to Earth, and its Heavenly Stems are Wu and Ji. Within it is spirit qi, which passes from between the two kidneys, above the spine, through the interstitial spaces and enters the brain."

Huangpo (Yellow Matron) and Jinweng (Metal Old Man)

Chun Yangzi asked: "What is 'Huangpo'?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It refers to the earth of the spleen. Because the spleen belongs to Earth and is yellow in color, it is called 'yellow.' In truth, it is the qi of the spleen."

Chun Yangzi asked: "And 'Jinweng'?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "It refers to the metal of the lungs. Because the lungs belong to Metal, it is so named. In truth, it is the qi of the lungs."

Chanü (Maiden) and Yinger (Infant)

Chun Yangzi asked: "What do 'Chanü' and 'Yinger' each refer to?"

Zhengyangzi replied: "Chanü is the saliva of the heart, and Yinger is the water of the kidneys."

Xu, He, Xi, Hu, Xi, Si, Chui, Jiao, and the Organs

Chun Yangzi asked: Of the breaths xu, he, xi, hu, xi, si, chui, and jiao, which organ does each belong to when it is expelled from the body?

Zhengyangzi replied: "The breath expelled through the nose belongs to the lungs, which is why it is called xi (inhale). The breath expelled through the mouth belongs to the liver, which is why it is called chui (blow). As for the rest: si belongs to the lungs, chui belongs to the kidneys, hu belongs to the spleen, he belongs to the heart, xi belongs to the Triple Burner (sanjiao, the general term for the upper, middle, and lower segments of the body's qi channels), and jiao and xu belong to the bladder."

The above names often borrow celestial and mythological symbols to describe the paths of essence, qi, and bodily fluids within the body and their coordination with the organs. This is a common formulation in Neidan (internal alchemy) literature from the Song and Yuan periods onward, in discussions of "refining the self and laying the foundation" (lianji zhuji). It should be read in light of the fire-timing (huohou) and the sequence of practice throughout the whole text, and should not be taken literally as medical anatomy.

Pivot of the Dao (Dao Shu): A Vernacular Reading

Outer and Inner Trigrams

Zhengyangzi says: The liver corresponds to Zhen, the heart to Li, the lungs to Dui, the kidneys to Kan, the upper abdomen (the upper belly) to Qian, the gallbladder to Xun, the lower abdomen to Kun, and the bladder to Gen. These are the Inner Bagua (nei bagua), which assign the trigrams to the viscera.

Chunyangzi asks: What, then, are the Outer Bagua (wai bagua)?

Zhengyangzi says: The eyes are Li, the tongue is Zhen, the mouth is Dui, the ears are Kan, the neck is Qian, the toes are Kun, the abdomen is Xun, and the hands are Gen. These assign the trigrams to the head, face, and limbs.

Tiancang, Tieniu, and Chonglou

Chunyangzi asks: What is the Tiancang (the "Heavenly Granary")?

Zhengyangzi says: It has three names: the Shitang (the "Dining Hall"), the Yanmen (the "Gate of the Throat"), and the Dihu (the "Earth Door"). It refers to the human mouth.

Chunyangzi asks: What is the Tieniu (the "Iron Ox")?

Zhengyangzi says: It is the Qinglong (the Azure Dragon), which in internal alchemy (neidan) often symbolizes the liver or the eastern qi.

Chunyangzi asks: What is the Chonglou (the "Double Tower")?

Zhengyangzi says: It is the Yulou (the "Jade Tower"), which is the human esophagus (shidao, the food passage).

"Within the Hazy, There Is a Thing; Within the Dark, There Is Essence"

Chunyangzi asks: What is meant by "Within the hazy, there is a thing; within the dark and obscure, there is essence" (huanghu zhi zhong you wu, yaoming zhi zhong you jing)?

Zhengyangzi says:

The "thing" (wu) is the water within qi. This water has no form. Beginning at the winter solstice, the yin qi rises to Heaven and accumulates, producing the Taiji's generation of yin. It has three names: true water (zhenshui), lead (qian), and the soul of the tiger (hu zhi po). Its form is white and its nature belongs to Metal. For this reason it is also called the golden crow within the sun, the jade within the stone, the gold within the water, and the blood within the brain. Together these are called the Blood Sea (xuehai), which resides in the brain.

The "essence" (jing) is the qi within water. This qi has no form. Beginning at the summer solstice, the yin qi descends to Earth and accumulates, producing the Taiji's generation of yang. It has three names: true fire (zhenhuo), mercury (gong), and the soul of the dragon (long zhi hun). Its form is red and its nature belongs to Fire. For this reason it is also called the jade hare within the moon and the sand within the water. In the human body it becomes the sinews and bones, which belong to the category of the hard and firm.

The Crow and the Hare

Chunyangzi asks: What are the crow and the hare?

Zhengyangzi says: The golden crow (jinwu) is the water within the heart and the true qi within the water. The jade hare (yutu) is the qi within the kidneys and the true water within the qi.

How the Five Peaks, Six Viscera, Four Rivers, and Others Correspond

Chunyangzi asks: How are the Five Peaks, the Six Viscera, the Four Rivers, the Five Lakes, the Nine Rivers, the Three Terraces, and the wind and rain to be distinguished?

Zhengyangzi says: The left cheek is Mount Tai (the Eastern Peak), the forehead is Mount Heng (the Southern Peak), the right cheek is Mount Hua (the Western Peak), the face's central area is Mount Heng of Changshan (the Northern Peak), and the nose is Mount Song (the Central Peak). The five viscera correspond to the five lakes, and the six viscera correspond to the six offices. The triple burner (sanjiao) corresponds to the three terraces. The nine bends of the large intestine correspond to the nine rivers. The essence corresponds to the rivers, and urine corresponds to the streams.

Note: The passages above apply the trigrams, Yin-Yang, lead and mercury, and the crow and hare to the body-cosmos correspondences of internal alchemy. They are not geographical or anatomical textbooks. They are symbolic correspondences used in cultivation practice.

On the Analogies of Blood, Fluid, Sweat, and Qi (continuing from above)

Blood is like the Huai River, and bodily fluid is like the Ji River; together they are called the "Four Seas." Sweat is like rain, and Qi (qì) is like wind.

Chunyangzi asks: The body is like a kingdom. Who are its ruler and ministers?

Zhengyangzi replies: The heart is the sovereign, and Qi (qì) is the chancellor. The spleen is the grand minister, and the lungs are the Minister of Rites. The kidneys are the "Virtuous Woman," the official who guards the interior. The liver is the Ministry of Revenue, the gallbladder is the Ministry of Rites, the stomach is the Ministry of War, and the bladder is the Ministry of Justice. The sea of Jing (jīng), where essence resides, is the Ministry of Works.

Chunyangzi asks: What is the dragon?

Zhengyangzi replies: Primordial Qi (qì) is born between the left and right kidneys, in the "Dark and Obscure Palace," a profound place that is difficult to name. This is the "Primordial Sea." It is as large as a ring, and its movement in and out is like a red thread. It is the "father of Shen (shén)," the root of yang Qi, and the source of Yin-Yang.

Chunyangzi asks: What is the tiger?

Zhengyangzi replies: The tiger is the blood and fluid of yin nature, transformed. It is born in the Li position and steals the true Qi of the grains. It transforms in the heart and flows to the kidney palace, where essence Qi is formed. This is called cinnabar mercury (zhūgǒng). The fire dragon lies in the Kan position; it is the root of life and the mother of Shen (shén).

Chunyangzi asks: Lead governs stillness and nature. Where does nature arise?

Zhengyangzi replies: The true Qi of the grains is stolen by the heart and transformed into blood. The blood is further transformed into fluid, and the fluid again into true Qi, which condenses into Shen (shén). This is nature (xìng).

Chunyangzi asks: Mercury governs movement and life. What does this mean?

Zhengyangzi replies: Life resides between the two kidneys, within the Primordial Sea. What issues forth from it is the true primordial Qi, and within it there is true water. Life originates in the heart, flows to the kidneys, and is transformed into Jing (jīng). Jing is most closely related to these two. If the primordial Qi in the spiritual source does not come to rest, the Shen (shén) will not be at peace.

Chunyangzi asks: "When the root is established, the Dao (dào) arises." What is meant by the root?

Zhengyangzi replies: Are Shen (shén), Qi (qì), Jing (jīng), marrow, nasal mucus, saliva, fluid, blood, sweat, and tears the "root"? If the root is not established, it is like a tree that breeds worms, with withering branches. Therefore, when the whole body circulates freely and smoothly, the body becomes moist and lustrous. This is called divine water.

Chunyangzi asks: What are the Three Pools?

Zhengyangzi replies: The mouth is the Jade Pool. The Niwan (the mud-pellet, or the brain) is the Heavenly Pool. The stomach is the Central Pool.

Note for the Reader: This text uses the metaphor of the body as a state to describe the division of labor among the organs. It also draws on inner alchemy (Neidan, nèidān) terminology, such as dragon and tiger, lead and mercury, and Kan and Li, to explain its ideas. The primordial Qi in the kidneys is the "dragon," and the blood and fluid that move between the heart and kidneys are the "tiger." Lead symbolizes stillness, nature, and Shen (shén), while mercury symbolizes movement, life, and Jing (jīng). The Three Pools refer to the places in the mouth, the brain, and the stomach where fluids gather, and they are frequently mentioned in cultivation practice.

Dao Shu (Pivot of the Dao) presents this passage as a dialogue in which Chunyang Zi (the Pure Yang Master) asks questions and Zhengyang Zi (the Correct Yang Master) answers them. The explanations below follow the order of the questions.

Chunyang Zi asks: What are the Nine Palaces?

Zhengyang Zi answers: Within the head there are nine "chambers," or compartments, and the skull has eight plates. Among these nine chambers, "four females and five males" stand guard. (In Neidan (internal alchemy) and the teachings on the Upper Dantian, this is a metaphorical description of the internal structure of the head.)

Chunyang Zi asks: What are the Three Passes?

Zhengyang Zi answers: Some people call the mouth the "Heavenly Pass," the hands the "Human Pass," and the feet the "Earthly Pass." They also name Niwan (the Upper Dantian, located roughly behind the space between the eyebrows) the Upper Pass, Jiangong (the Middle Dantian, around the region of the heart) the Middle Pass, and Xiayuan (the Lower Dantian) the Lower Pass. If these are understood only as barriers to be sealed shut and blocked, then this is not the view of someone who truly grasps the principle.

I will now give you another account: the eyes are the Upper Pass, the nose is the Middle Pass, and the mouth is the Lower Pass. These are connected to the Nine Orifices and are the places where malign qi most easily enters. For this reason, they must be guarded and kept closed, as though fitted with locks and keys.

Chunyang Zi asks: What do Heaven, Earth, Yin, and Yang refer to within the human body?

Zhengyang Zi answers: The head is Heaven and the feet are Earth. This is the external correspondence in the body. The heart is round and the kidneys are square. This is the internal correspondence. The sun is Yang and the moon is Yin. This is the external correspondence, while qi rises and fluid descends is the internal one.

Heaven and Earth are eighty-four thousand li apart, and the heart and kidneys are about eight cun and four fen apart. This uses the heart and kidneys to model Heaven and Earth. The human microcosm and the cosmic macrocosm correspond to one another in their numbers and structure.

Chunyang Zi asks: What can we learn from the Two Solstices (winter and summer) and the Two Equinoxes (spring and autumn)?

Zhengyang Zi answers: The hours of Zi and Wu (midnight and noon) may be compared to the Two Solstices, and the hours of Mao and You (dawn and dusk) may be compared to the Two Equinoxes. This is the correspondence between one day and the Solstices and Equinoxes.

The Hui (the last day of the lunar month) and the Wang (the fifteenth day), together with the Solstices and Equinoxes, correspond to one month.

At the northern solstice (winter), Yang qi rises from below and returns to Heaven, and so one Yin arrives. At the southern solstice (summer), Yin qi descends from above and returns to Earth, and so one Yang arrives.

At the spring equinox, Yang qi rises above and, meeting the equinox, enters the midst of Yang and leaves the realm of Yin. At the autumn equinox, Yin qi rises above and, meeting the equinox, enters the midst of Yin and leaves the realm of Yang. (In cultivation practice, the rising and falling turning points of the sun, the moon, and the seasonal nodes are often used to explain the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang within the body.)

Chunyang Zi asks: What are the Five Thieves, and where are they?

Zhengyang Zi answers: People are nourished by the five grains and give rise to life through the Five Phases. Where there is life, there is also death. Thus the Five Phases, which sustain a person, can also harm them, and the Five Phases are the very place where the so-called "thieves" reside. (The "Five Thieves" generally refer to emotions and desires, or to the disturbance of body and mind by the qi of the Five Phases. They must be recognized and subdued.)

Chunyang Zi asks: What do the Lunar Phases, Qi, Seasonal Nodes, Hours, and Years each refer to?

Zhengyang Zi answers:

Reading note: This entire passage takes the form of questions and answers, linking the Nine Palaces of the head, the Three Passes, the Heaven-Earth and Yin-Yang of the human body, the solar terms and the hours of the day, and the Five Thieves together. It belongs to the "correspondence between Heaven and humanity" approach common in Neidan and alchemical scriptures from the Song and Yuan periods onward. Many of the terms are metaphorical and should not be read as literal anatomy.

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

Twelve double-hours (shichen) make up one day; five days make one hou (pentad); three hou make one qi (breath-period); two qi make one jie (node); two jie make one shi (season); and four shi make one year.

Chunyangzi asked how the method of "bridling the Yang Pass" (lè yángguān) is practiced. Zhengyangzi replied: Enter a quiet chamber, settle the body, and sit upright. Keep the shen (spirit) and consciousness held inward, and gently draw in the lower abdomen.

Chunyangzi asked what is meant by "gathering" (cǎi) in the elixir work. Zhengyangzi replied: Swallow the saliva that has collected in the mouth and lead it down into the Mingfu (Life Palace), circulating the qi and fluids within the Huangting (Yellow Court). Once transformed, the qi and fluids become jing (essence) fluids. These accumulate into blood, the blood condenses into a pearl, the pearl becomes mercury, the mercury becomes cinnabar sand, and the sand becomes the elixir. This is what is meant by "gathering."

Chunyangzi asked what the Huangting is. Zhengyangzi replied: It lies above the bladder, in front of the spleen, stomach, and kidneys, behind the navel, to the right of the liver, and to the left of the lungs. It is shaped like a chicken's egg and resembles a steelyard weight.

Chunyangzi asked why the spleen is called the Yellow Matron (huáng pó) but not the Yellow Court. Zhengyangzi replied: The spleen can receive the fluids of the heart and the qi of the kidneys and combine them to form the elixir, but the spleen itself is not the Huangting.

Chunyangzi asked where the fire should be advanced. Zhengyangzi replied: The fire is born below the navel. It is formless when observed, too distant to be grasped yet too near to be abandoned, and it appears like a dark blue sky beyond all naming.

Chunyangzi asked what is meant by "Golden Elixir refining the form," in which the form is refined until its subtle spirit merges with the Dao to become true. Zhengyangzi replied: Refine mercury into spirit and refine qi into form. Then raise the two and swallow them, and when the two substances unite they form an embryo. This is becoming one with the Dao and attaining truth, and it is what is called Golden Elixir refinement of the form (jīnyè liànxíng).

Chunyangzi asked what is meant by the "daily Bagua" (rìyòng bāguà). Zhengyangzi replied: When the hour is matched to the trigrams, the hour of Hai corresponds to Qian, Zi to Kan, Yin to Gen, Si to Xun, You to Dui, Shen to Kun, Wu to Li, and Mao to Zhen. This describes the correspondence between external hours and trigram images.

Chunyangzi asked whether the three passes along the spine (jiājǐ) can be explained. Zhengyangzi replied: The spine has twenty-four vertebral segments, and each pass directly corresponds to three of them. The pass below the brain is called the Jade Pass. The pass opposite the spine's midsection is called the Middle Pass, and the pass opposite the inner kidneys is called the Lower Pass.

Only the name of the Great Dao (Dao, the Way) has been heard, yet its form and appearance have never been seen. Zhengyang Zi said: the Dao has no form and no image, so to describe it in words is already to lose it. The Dao is fundamentally empty and void, so to describe it with concrete, substantial things is also not the Dao. The Dao takes emptiness as its essence, like calling out into a valley and hearing the valley echo back.

What is nourished in the lungs is spirit-qi (qi, vital energy) and true nature. Chunyang Zi asked why those who cultivate the Dao are so often troubled by demonic disturbances. Zhengyang Zi answered that when the mind cannot be unified and scatters outward, demons arrive. When the mind stirs, the shen (spirit) becomes confused; when the shen is confused, a person grows dull and drowsy; and when dullness is strong, the work cannot be accomplished.

Chunyang Zi asked whether there is a method for resisting such disturbances. Zhengyang Zi replied that this is difficult to explain. Chunyang Zi then asked how wind, clouds, rain, mist, frost, snow, and rosy haze are formed. Zhengyang Zi answered that they are transformations of the true primordial qi (zhenyuan zhi qi). This qi has no fixed form: when exhaled it becomes haze, when inhaled it becomes mist, when blown out it becomes wind, when breathed out in warmth it becomes cloud, and when it condenses it becomes frost and snow. Vapor that rises goes up into the sky, and when it falls it descends to the earth. The clear rises and the turbid sinks, each changing according to its nature.

Chunyang Zi asked whether the human body also embodies the numerical patterns of Heaven and Earth, with its upper and lower positions and its stringed correspondences complete. Gold of eight liang makes one hundred and ninety-two zhu, and silver is the same, as are yin and yang. Thus there are sixty-four hexagrams and three hundred and eighty-four lines, with one fen and four zhu corresponding to the fire-numbers of yin and yang, and there are also the sun, the moon, and the seasons. What, Chunyang Zi asked, do these refer to in the human body? Zhengyang Zi said he had already explained the numbers of Heaven and Earth: eighty-four thousand li are a figure for Heaven and Earth, and eight cun and four fen are a figure for the heart and kidneys. One who has attained the numbers of Heaven and Earth handles them as if turning them in the palm, and counting two and five yields ten.

Chunyang Zi asked what the teeth of the white horse look like. Zhengyang Zi answered that when the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are complete, the upright qi of the five viscera, together with the jing (essence) and fluids, condense, and the qi and fluids unite in the cauldron. Then a white vapor rises, shaped like a vertical flame, like the teeth of a white horse.

Chunyang Zi asked whether the heart has other names. Zhengyang Zi answered that the heart is the compass (sinan), which points to the south and figuratively signifies governance. Among the Heavenly Stems it belongs to bing and ding, its virtue (de, Virtue/Power) lies in fire, and its trigram is Li. It is also called cinnabar mercury, the feet of the red dragon, the maiden Cha, the daughter of Li, and the Jade Terrace.

Daoshu (The Pivot of the Dao): A Vernacular Commentary

Heart and Blood: What relates to the heart in the blood is called the "marrow of the vermilion phoenix" (chifeng zhi sui). When it flows into the brain it is called the "Sea" (hai), and when it flows into the Flowery Pool (huachi), the mouth, it is called "divine water" (shenshui).

Other Names for the Kidney: Chunyangzi asks whether the kidney has other names. Zhengyangzi replies that the kidney governs the north, corresponds to the Heavenly Stems ren and gui, belongs to the Water Phase, and is represented by the trigram Kan. It is also called the Infant, Strange Lead (yiqian), Golden Light, Golden Essence (jin jing), Spiritual Root (linggen), Jade Vase (yuhu), Jade Furnace (yulu), and the Turtle of the Northern Sea.

Nine Reversions and Seven Returns: Chunyangzi asks what the Nine Reversions and Seven Returns mean. Zhengyangzi explains that from the zi hour to the shen hour is the "Nine Turns" (jiuzhuan). Cultivation is reckoned in nine-year turns, with three turns forming one cycle. Heaven has the Seven Luminaries (the sun, moon, and five planets), and the human body has seven orifices. In the night practice, five turns correspond to the Seven Luminaries, and the inner circulation of the five viscera corresponds to the seven orifices. The True Qi (zhenqi) circulates up and down within the body, moving from the shen hour to the yin hour through one yin and one yang, one ascent and one descent, one floating and one sinking. It involves essence (jing), marrow (sui), nasal mucus (ti), saliva (tuo), qi, fluids (ye), and sweat (han). Guarding these through day and night without letting them leak away is what is called the "Seven Returns."

Golden Cauldron and Golden Flower: Chunyangzi asks what the Golden Cauldron (jinding) and the Golden Flower (jinhua) are. Zhengyangzi replies that the Golden Cauldron lies beneath the Flowery Canopy (huagai), in the west. It corresponds to the Heavenly Stems geng and xin and its virtue (dexing) belongs to Metal. The Golden Flower refers to the lungs, which are also in the west. Their color is white, and qi emerging from the lungs condenses into something like a flower.

Divine Light: Chunyangzi asks about the divine light (shenguang). Zhengyangzi replies that when nine years of cultivation are complete, the divine light appears of its own accord.

Horse and Monkey: Chunyangzi asks whether the mind's images are like a horse or a monkey, and what shape the "dry horse" (qianma) and the "post horse" (yima) take. Zhengyangzi replies that the dry horse is the fluid of the heart, the post horse is its qi, and the monkey is the intention of the heart.

Dry Ox: Chunyangzi asks what the dry ox (qianniu) is. Zhengyangzi replies that it is the qi of the kidney, the water of the northern Heavenly Stems ren and gui, and is what is called the "iron ox" (tieniu).

Six Thieves: Chunyangzi asks what the six thieves (liuzei) refer to. Zhengyangzi replies that they are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, heart, and intention. The roots of all affairs mostly arise from these.

Three Carts: Chunyangzi asks what the three carts refer to. Zhengyangzi replies that the areas beside the front and back of the ribs are the great ox cart and the sheep-and-deer cart. The stomach duct (weiwan) is the River Chariot (hache), which is the Celestial River and the Water Palace (shuifu). The True Unity Qi (zhenyi zhi qi) comes from within heaven and connects to the mouth and nose, which is why it is called the River Chariot.

Below the navel lies a place that practitioners often call the "fire cart" (huǒchē), referring to the circulation of yang energy around the Dantian. Chunyang Zi asks which place is Penglai (Pénglái dòngfǔ), the cavern dwelling of the immortals in legend. Zhengyang Zi answers that it lies within the belly, in the region where what rises and what descends connect.

Chunyang Zi then asks which place resembles Caoxi (Cáoxī), the ancestral site of Chan Buddhism that is often used as a metaphor for the source of the teaching of the mind. Zhengyang Zi replies that it is the ring along the inner side of the lips, just outside the teeth.

Chunyang Zi asks what the Three Corpses (sānshī) are. Zhengyang Zi says they are formed from the qi between the heart and the kidneys. Some call them the Three Poisons (sāndú) and others the Three Corpses, and only when all three are eliminated can one become a true person. Chunyang Zi next asks where the Two Springs (èrquán) arise. Zhengyang Zi answers that they come from the mouth and beneath the tongue. On each side under the tongue is a point as small as the tip of a needle, linked to the heart and lungs. Saliva is constantly produced at the throat, moistening all things and nourishing the five viscera.

Chunyang Zi asks how a human being resembles heaven and earth. Zhengyang Zi describes the correspondences in turn. The eyes are like the sun and moon, and the intestines and stomach like lakes and seas. Joy and anger are like clear and overcast skies, and the nose and forehead like the Five Sacred Peaks. Breath is like thunder, and the five viscera like the Five Phases. Qi is like wind and clouds, and the hair like grass and trees. Sweat and tears are like rain and dew, and the blood vessels like rivers. Nasal mucus and saliva are like frost and snow, and waste like dung and soil. Men and women correspond to Yin-Yang, and the body's frame to the beams of a house. The nine orifices are like the Nine Luminaries, the four limbs like the four directions, and the pores like the Four Images. The Five Phases within the body are like the five stars in the sky, and the bodily fluids like springs. The Four Images correspond to the four seasons, and the Eight Trigrams (bāguà) to the eight solar nodes, since the earth too has eight nodes. Waking and sleeping are like day and night. Lice and fleas on the body are like ants on the ground, and old and young like cold and heat. Fortune and misfortune are like the waxing and waning of the sun and moon, and life and death like the cyclical reversal of heaven and earth. One who can fathom the workings of heaven and earth can share in their longevity.

Having heard the essential method, Chunyang Zi opened the mysterious key and came to understand the prohibitions of the "eight leaks" (bālòu). Tears flowing from the eyes are a liver leak, and a runny nose a lung leak. Saliva flowing from the mouth is a kidney leak, and sweating from the external genitals a heart leak. Night sweats are a small intestine leak, and seminal emission during sleep is also a leak. The source text leaves one item in this list incomplete, and later alchemical manuals commonly supply an additional entry. In sum, the loss of essence and qi through the eyes, nose, mouth, sweat, and dream emission all count as leaks that must be guarded against in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice.

This passage comes from the internal alchemy (neidan) tradition of Daoist practice. It discusses several kinds of "leakage" (lou) that practitioners recognize, and how to gather the jing (essence) and qi (vital energy) and refine them within the body's dingchi (cauldron pool).

The first leakage is "brain leakage" (nao lou), which refers to excessive drooling that cannot be controlled. It was regarded as the outflow of essence from the head, the upper region of the body.

The second is "spirit leakage" (shen lou), which concerns dreams of intercourse with ghosts or other lewd dreams. These were thought to show that the mind (xin) and shen (spirit) had lost their guard, so that spirit-qi escaped outward.

The third is "body leakage" (shen lou, bodily), which refers to sexual desire and lust while awake. This was understood as depletion at the physical level, and it corresponds to the bodily aspect of practice. The three leakages correspond to the upper body (the head), the spirit (the mind), and the physical body, and all of them are what internal practice most strongly warns against, since they cause the loss of essence and spirit.

The phrase "these eight" (fu ba zhe) refers to a set of key points for protecting body and spirit. In the context of the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao), it commonly designates a number of essential practices or "eight treasures" (ba bao). The exact list must be checked against the full text. The general meaning is that if these eight practices are kept firm, so that the leakages stop, then essence and qi can be gathered and drawn into the body's "golden cauldron" (jin ding) and "jade pool" (yu chi), which are metaphors for the dantian and the qihai. There they condense into what internal alchemy calls lead and mercury (qian gong). This is not literal mercury. It is an image for the condensation of yin and yang energies.

The closing phrase, "can one then be liberated?" (qi ke du zai), means that only when leakage is stopped and the energies gather into lead and mercury does liberation (du), meaning transcendence, freedom from death, or realization of the Dao, become a real possibility. If the three leakages continue unchecked, the golden cauldron and jade pool remain mere words.

Reading note: This is the kind of discourse on restraining desire, conserving spirit, and refining essence and qi that became standard in internal alchemy from the Song dynasty onward. It uses medical, dream-based, and alchemical metaphors to express the principle of "conserving essence and preserving spirit." A plain-language reading should stay faithful to the logic of leakage, retention, gathering, lead and mercury, and liberation. It should not be recast as a modern psychological case study, nor should the "dreams of ghosts" be treated as a specific historical event beyond the conventions of ancient spirit belief.