《雲笈七籤》Vol. 64

Taiji Yuanzhen Dijun (that is, Xuanyuan Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor; after attaining the Dao he was titled Taiji Yuanzhen Jun) ascended from Dongting to Wangwu Mountain, then climbed to the Heavenly Altar (Tiantan), and inspected the celestial realms in all directions. Tianlao, Fenghou, Fangming, Limu, Changxian, Changyu, and others attended him on left and right. The mistresses of the Six Xuangong Palaces all led the assembled immortals of the heavens to gather at Yuntai Abbey. Dragon carriages, crane-mounted riders, and the ceremonial retinues of immortals were neatly arrayed and halted in midair.

At this time, the Emperor Lord ordered Tianlao to ride a dragon to the Six Xuangong Palaces to convey greetings to the six Xuannü (Mysterious Women). The six palace mistresses each also sent immortal maidens riding cranes to come pay respects to the Emperor Lord. When the ceremonies were concluded, the mistress of the Jiayin Palace, Taixuan Jinhua Yunü (the Jade Woman of Great Mystery and Golden Flower), entered the hall; yet she did not descend from her immortal seat, but floated forward on it to the presence of the Emperor Lord and said: “Immortal Venerable, I have already paid respects throughout the celestial realms to the Heavenly Kings, immortal Perfected Ones, and the assembly of the Dao, and all revere your sagely De. The Jade Emperor’s precious registers, the secret texts of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen/Dongxuan/Dongshen), the True Scripture of the Great Dao, and the Essential Methods of Universal Illumination—all these the Emperor Lord ought to know. Heaven has conferred a patent, ranking me among the immortal kings and ordaining that you and I share the same original teacher; this is a blessing worthy of celebration.”

Yuanzhen Dijun said: “My knowledge is shallow; I do not understand by what method you can share the same original teacher as I.”

The Xuannü replied: “Zhonghuang Yuanjun is our original teacher; the Solar Primordial Jing (Taiyang Yuanjing) is the elixir I take, namely the divine elixir now in the Jade Chamber to the left of the Taiqing Palace, called the ‘Heaven and Earth Primordial Treasure Life-Protecting Elixir.’ Therefore the Heavenly Emperor commanded me to receive the patent, reside as guardian of the Yin Palace, and bestow on me the title ‘Jinhua’ (Golden Flower), to proclaim my station in the Dao methods.”

Yuanzhen Dijun said: “I am about to receive the Jade Emperor’s precious registers and the Scripture of the Solar Primordial Jing (Taiyang Yuanjing Jing), and I also know that its numinous transformations are extremely evident and that it is truly the way of the immortals; but I still do not understand its fundamental nature. Why does the Solar Primordial Jing become associated with Lord Taiyi (Taiyi Jun), and why is it also renamed ‘Dragon and Tiger’?”

The Xuannü replied: “My ritual rank in the Dharma is sufficient to explain the principle therein. The dragon belongs to the De of Wood; the tiger is the Jing and Qi of Metal. Cinnabar is born from Wood; lead bloom emerges from Metal. The De of Golden Flower is something the Emperor Lord should already understand—why ask in this way?”

Yuanzhen asked, “Is the Sun’s primordial essence (taiyang yuanjing) mercury or lead bloom? Or are the two together what is called primordial essence?”

Xuannü replied, “Neither. I once heard Taishang say in the Purple Micro Upper Palace (a celestial palace): the Sun’s primordial essence is the centered and upright spirit within the Sun, the essence transformed after it becomes one with the Dao. Passing through water it appears black; meeting fire it becomes bright. It lodges in the fetal substance of mercury, but it is not mercury itself. As the Five Phases generate one another, the Sun’s primordial Qi (yuanqi) therefore lies hidden and transforms into essence-substance.

“Why do I say this? Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, and Fire generates Earth. The essence of Earth produces stone; the yin essence of stone becomes jade, and its yang essence becomes metal. The essence of Metal produces numinous liquid; the essence of numinous liquid produces mercury; the essence of mercury produces cinnabar; the essence of cinnabar produces Yang-light; the essence of Yang-light produces primordial Qi; the essence of primordial Qi produces Shen illumination. Shen illumination is true numen, and the true Dao is accomplished through it.”

Yuanzhen asked, “What is Yang-light?”

Xuannü replied, “Yang-light is the essence of cinnabar. Numinous liquid is like the blood of Metal; mercury is like the marrow of Metal; cinnabar is like the Shen of Metal; the Sun’s primordial essence is like the father of Metal. Therefore, Yang-light is the essence of cinnabar; it occupies the place where Metal and Fire intersect, and from this primordial Qi is generated; primordial Qi is the offspring of Metal.”

Yuanzhen asked, “Why is it said that Yang-light generates cinnabar? Since cinnabar is the essence of Wood, why is it also said to generate primordial Qi? I still do not understand.”

Xuannü replied, “This is determined by the workings of cyclic numbers and by the relations of the Five Phases: the Earthly Branches take up the Heavenly Stems, the Nayin correspondences combine, and then, according to the Five Phases, they are divided into Yin and Yang. Metal is assigned to You, and You corresponds to Metal; Metal is married to Fire, passes through the Pig and enters the Rat’s hole, and so generates Water. Thus mercury carries the attribute of You and is white in color; its form corresponds to Zi, appearing liquid, and Zi belongs to Water. Water attaches to the Ox, follows the Tiger into the Rabbit’s hole, and so generates Wood. Thus lead carries the attribute of Zi and is black in color; its form corresponds to Mao, congealing into a solid, and Mao belongs to Wood. Mao corresponds to the Dragon, so it is called father; You corresponds to the Tiger, so it is called mother.

“Fire can cause matter to coagulate and preserve primordial Qi. Therefore, one who ingests primordial Qi can make Qi and bodily form enduring and firm; Shen joins with primal harmony and thus penetrates numinous subtlety.”

Yuanzhen said, “The principle of primordial essence is truly profound. Does the superior medicine that communicates with the numinous end here? Or is there something else…”

Miaoyong replied, “That is so. In former times, together with the gods of the heavenly realm, I paid homage to Lord Taiyi, listened as he expounded the supreme Great Dao, instructed celestial beings and humans, and explained the essential methods. Among them, the first was called the ‘Golden Liquid (Jinye),’ and the second the ‘Nine-Turn Divine Elixir (Jiuzhuan Shendan).’ These were transmitted to the assembled Zhenren (Perfected ones) so that they might universally relieve the sufferings of sentient beings.”

Yuanzhen asked, “What is the principle behind this?”

Miaoyong replied, “Use left-flavor (zuowei, vinegar) to blend the Golden Liquid, causing gold to transform into water. When the Golden Liquid enters the five viscera, it makes the four limbs firm and supple, regulates and supplements the hundred spirits, and moistens the six bowels. It can also transform the hair and bones, enabling one to preserve the living bodily form for a long time; its efficacy is remarkably rapid.”

Yuanzhen asked, “I understand the principle of the Golden Liquid. What is the method for refining the Nine-Turn Divine Elixir?”

Miaoyong replied, “Burn lead and refine it into sand, then transform the sand into cakes; next, blend it with liquid so that it becomes a fully integrated juice. Put the medicinal cakes back into the furnace, collect and refine the lead so that it becomes sand, then make medicinal cakes from the sand again, repeating this process. After passing through the number of nine nines—nine multiplied by nine—it is refined and transformed into sand. If this transformation is not reached, the powder obtained is white and pure and may still be used. This is what is meant by the ‘nine turns.’”

Yuanzhen asked, “Since it has already been turned nine times, what should be done next?”

Miaoyong replied, “Use left-flavor to dissolve the medicinal ingredients, stopping when they reach a thick consistency, then stir in clam powder until they are like a lump of mud. Form the medicinal material into round cakes, their size depending on the vessel. Place the scripture text in the center of the vessel, then cover and seal it with the medicinal cakes; this is called the ‘inner cover.’ If the seal is not tight when closing it, it will be difficult to refine successfully. After the inner cover is complete, fill the vessel solid with mud and seal it firmly; be sure to tamp it tight, but do not fill it completely. An outer cover must also be added to the outside of the vessel, and the lid sealed securely. When everything is sealed properly, place the vessel in the furnace.

“The gentle-fire timing is to be governed by the months, and the strong-fire timing by the days. When the sun-and-moon firing schedule is finished, observe the bottom of the vessel: when the bottom turns red, the sun-and-moon firing is considered complete. After a red-black transformation appears inside the vessel, the refining is finished.”

Yuanzhen asked, “The method has been fully explained. What comes next?”

Miaoyong replied, “Take three zhu of powder and combine it with one, two, or seven liang; by proportion, convert from liang to jin. When the medicinal liquid boils, flashing like scattered stars, and the star-points disappear, the work is complete. Finally, take one daogui and ingest it, and one can hasten to the sun.”

Yuanzhen said, “Wonderful! My Daoist art has been set right.”

Before long, Jinhua (Golden Flower) returned to its original position. The lords of the Six Palaces, together with the Zhenren and flying immortals, slowly withdrew, gradually vanishing into the obscure darkness and pervading the realm of emptiness. Radiance blazed forth, and yellow light illumined the Zhen Palace. Lord Taiyi manifested amid the atmosphere within a red wheel of light; his carriages were like clouds, and feathered canopies screened the sky, filling the realm of light. Though mountains and rivers were bright, even the sun seemed dim and lusterless. At this time, Taiwei Zhenren (Perfected of Grand Subtlety) was paying homage below the purification altar, and Fangming, Limu, Tianlao, Fenghou, and others were also present.

Everyone joined together in reverent praise. Before long, numinous Qi drifted lightly amid the radiance, hazy and indistinct; within it divine spirits lingered and flew, circling and wheeling around. The Taiyi Divine Lord (a revered Daoist deity) and countless immortal hosts appeared faintly within the deep and mysterious. The Xuanzhong Dijun (Sovereign Lord of the Mysterious Center), together with his attendants, the attending maidens of the Six Palaces (female immortals in the sovereign’s palace), and the Daoist community in the mountains and forests—tens of millions in all—gave rise to the aspiration to seek the Supreme Great Dao and made firm, non-retreating resolve.

Xuanjie Lu (Record of Mysterious Explanations)

When I was young, I suffered from serious illness and concentrated on self-cultivation. I also diligently sought mineral and metallic drugs (elixirs made chiefly from minerals). I privately observed that some people of the time who were fervent about this path spared no expense and built furnaces and cauldrons (vessels used in elixir refining) on a large scale, claiming that the “River Chariot” (here referring to an alchemical furnace method) could soon be refined and that earth and stone could be transformed into drugs; they also said that golden sand could soon be refined and could strengthen the sinews and bones. Yet people were often harmed by elixirs, and even physicians could not save them in time. Why was this? Was it that the fundamental method was not correct, or that the master’s transmitted formula was not clear, so that from beginning to end the results were so far from what was expected?

For this reason I read Daoist books and happened upon the Essential Formulas on Elixirs by Liu Hong of the Nine Heavens. It states that worldly people who study the Dao have not grasped even a hair’s breadth of the Great Dao, yet recklessly boast and deceive and entice the world; all they do is take a shortcut to inviting disaster upon themselves. Is this not lamentable? The words spoken by true immortals certainly do not deceive the world.

I had long harbored doubts, and now was troubled by this very matter, so I deliberately excerpted its essentials and wrote them beside my seat, entitling it Xuanjie Lu, hoping that reading them would dispel all doubts. Even if I had not yet mastered the cultivation methods for refining the Golden Liquid and protecting myself, I could at least avoid harming my life by taking toxic elixirs. This might also count as a piece of good fortune for extending my years and increasing my longevity. If anyone shares my aspiration, I would gladly help him surmount what he has not yet understood.

Compiled on the jiazi day, the seventeenth day of the fifth month of the yihai year, the ninth year of the Dazhong era.

Essential Formulas for Distinguishing Mineral and Metallic Drugs and Removing Their Toxicity

During the reign of Emperor An of Han, there was a man named Liu Hong who studied the Supreme Dao for a long time and later abandoned office to enter the mountains. In the eleventh month of the first year of the Yanguang era, the Lord of the Nine Heavens descended. Pitying Daoists who did not understand the correct way of elixir refining, he pointed out the fundamental sources of superior drugs, distinguished the categories of various miscellaneous elixirs, explained the toxicity of mineral and metallic drugs and the methods for guarding the immortal elixir, and transmitted these formulas to Liu Hong. Liu Hong arranged the contents as follows.

The Lord of the Nine Heavens said to Liu Hong: “Among those who study the refining of Golden Liquid and Reverted Elixir and the taking of cinnabar, sulfur, and various milk-stone drugs, people in the world often seek these things bitterly, believing that once obtained they can easily refine superior immortal medicines. Without distinguishing the drugs’ depth and quality, they all learn to take them, seeking only long life and not…”

Even after death, people still do not understand: the Golden Elixir and the various mineral medicines each have their own natures, and within them lie severe poisons. Since the time of Xi and Xuan (Fuxi and Xuanyuan, legendary ancient emperors), not one in ten thousand among Daoist cultivators has attained deathless immortality through them.

Liu Hong bowed again and asked, “Why is this so?”

Lord Jiuxiao said, “People of the world refine the Golden Elixir and take elixirs and pills, all hoping for long life. Yet the foolish expend their mental effort on worldly affairs and also want to use the so-called supreme elixir to transmute gold and silver, so that they may become noble and support servants and concubines. As soon as such a thought arises, the signs of inevitable death have already appeared; and the supreme elixir will not appear on that account.

“In refining medicines, single-mindedness is essential; one cannot harbor other intentions at the same time. People do not yet realize that the medicines themselves may contain severe poison. After the elixir is refined, people of the world know only that emblic myrobalan subdues the River Chariot (heche), that lodestone draws needles, and that sulfur dries mercury, and so they think the Golden Elixir has already been made and its toxicity removed.

“For example, when the ancients refined Autumn Stone (qiushi, a mineral medicine made from urine and the like), they used Earth Frost to congeal it into stone form. It can activate raw mercury and can also suppress the toxicity of metals and minerals, but it may also intensify the toxicity of metals and minerals. If those who take it have a toxic reaction along the way, they often cannot be saved and will certainly die; even if they do not die at once, in the end they will develop malignant sores—precisely the signs of poisoning. Some say Autumn Stone can counteract poison, but it can even subdue toxic substances such as cinnabar, Powder Frost, and sulfur—does that prove it can truly counteract poison?

“The teachings left by the former sages are very difficult for people of the world to understand. Those who can understand them are true immortals; those who do not are merely ordinary people.”

Liu Hong asked, “Why can the medicine used to transform copper and iron not be taken?”

Lord Jiuxiao replied, “Because the refining method for transmutation medicines often uses various alum stones, saltpeter, and other materials, which combine and congeal into toxic substances. Although they can treat mercury in fire and can also turn copper and iron into something else, the fire regimen and refining methods they use are different from those for the supreme elixir. The toxicity has already congealed within them; even if they are repeatedly melted and transformed, the poison will not disappear.

“This is like a person’s poisonous heart hidden within the heart—it does not enter from outside; it is also like fire in wood, which is originally hidden inside the wood. In things produced by transmutation methods, the toxicity is likewise internal. Each material has its own nature; the refining methods differ; their Qi-natures generate one another, yet each contains poison; and miscellaneous substances such as realgar, orpiment, and saltpeter further increase one another’s toxicity. If, during refining, one does not follow the heavenly timing, earthly terrain, and the rules of the fire regimen, then regardless of distance, near or far, it will not accord with the Dao of Heaven. From this it can be known that the ancient immortals did not take such medicines, because their toxicity is great and their power to transform and generate creation is insufficient.”

Hong asked again: “As for the medicines used for transmutation, if they are mixed with stone powder and various poisons, of course they cannot be taken. I have often heard that ‘Huantou Zifen’ and ‘Qifan Dansha’ have not been mixed with alum, sal ammoniac, or the like—can they be taken?”

The Lord said: “Even if only one person in a thousand in the world knew how to refine these two medicines, they would still not be suitable for taking. Why? ‘Huantou Zifen’ is a powder refined by immortals and used for building palaces and chambers; it contains sulfur. Once mercury enters sulfur, it becomes extremely toxic—how could it be taken? As for ‘Qifan Dansha,’ although it has been heated to subdue its fiery nature, it inherently lacks the Four Images and Five Phases that constitute heaven, earth, and the myriad things, and it also lacks the sinews, bones, blood, flesh, and Yin-Yang Qi required by the human body. If taken, it will cause the blood in the five viscera to dry up. When a person’s blood diminishes, illness arises; when the blood is exhausted, death follows.”

Hong asked: “People in the world cultivate and take cinnabar. If the cinnabar grains are intact and their color unchanged, and even when burned with a great fire they remain unchanged, how is it to take such cinnabar?”

The Lord said: “When cinnabar first congeals into form, it always forms within sand and rock. Even cinnabar that looks lustrous, when refined, yields only twelve liang of mercury per catty; the remaining four liang are impurities from mountains and marshes. These impurities contain severe poison. If Daoists extract these impurities and then mix them with other substances to take, they will cause a person’s Qi channels to stagnate and the blood to dry up—what benefit could there be?

“Moreover, since ancient times, Daoists who had not obtained the method of becoming immortals have all called fire-refined cinnabar ‘dead mercury,’ and have recklessly claimed that golden sand entering the five viscera can keep a person from dying. This is completely wrong. Do people in the world not know this? Of those who took such things in the past, there was not one who did not die. Only sulfur, used alone, can still remove accumulated cold from the body, but it too must not be taken in quantity, because its Yang Qi is excessive and its Yin-Yang is incomplete. Other minor methods are even less worth discussing.”

Hong asked: “Then what medicine is suitable for taking and can prolong life and extend one’s years?”

The Lord said: “The superior medicines that we immortals refine are usually modeled on the sun’s soul, the moon’s soul, and the Four Qi. The sun’s soul never leaves the sun, and the moon’s soul never leaves the moon. Even superior medicines cannot be produced without wood. Why? Wood is blue-green and is used to symbolize mercury; wood also contains fire, and fire belongs to Yang and is used to symbolize cinnabar. Cinnabar belongs to the Li trigram; Li occupies the south and represents fire. Therefore cinnabar is also like the fire contained in wood. Combine wood with fire and bring them into the central palace…”

Earth can restrain Water, and Fire can generate Earth; only through such mutual interaction is the Dao accomplished. It is like a person growing from infancy and later becoming a parent, with generations replacing one another and continuing without cease. The root of the supreme medicine (zhiyao, the highest-grade elixir in Daoism) likewise lies not in external things but in the Dao; and the Dao takes the heart-mind as its root. The Dao itself has no fixed form or function, yet it is like the four seasons receiving Qi (vital energy) and operating, causing the myriad things to grow and each attain its proper place; thus it exerts its function.

The Dao arises with Qi and also perishes with Qi. After the supreme medicine is taken, it can make people live long without dying, because it is not mixed with other substances and has no toxicity. After being refined it becomes a medicinal liquid; when placed in a vessel, whether the vessel is square or round, it is bright and transparent, shining day and night. Only such medicine can be ingested. It can dispel people’s stupor and sluggishness, settle the heart-mind and Shen (spirit), drive away malevolent specters, enable people to endure cold and heat, make the skin moist and the hair at the temples not turn white, and restore youth to the aged. After a thousand days of taking it, effects appear; hence it is said to be able to make people undying.

Hong asked again, “How many kinds of supreme medicine are there?”

The Lord replied, “There are three kinds of true elixir methods: the first is called the Divine Talisman (Shenfu), the superior elixir used by upper immortals; the second is called White Snow (Baixue), also a superior elixir used by upper immortals; the third is called the Ninefold (Jiuzhuan), a superior elixir used by lower immortals. These three elixirs come from the same gate of method, differing only in name, and each has three key formulas. These formulas must not be casually transmitted to others.

“Why must they not be lightly transmitted? Take Shenfu: if one lacks the conditions for refining it in the Taiyi Palace and Tianyi Palace, it will only become a white liquid and ultimately cannot be refined into an elixir vessel; this is because it takes Tianyi Palace as its name. These three key formulas cannot be transmitted.

“If White Snow does not congeal firmly into ice, is not brought into harmonization, and does not receive green Qi, then it is no different from the poison of powdered frost. It is like the sun not being bright without the crow—the three-legged crow said to dwell in the sun—and the moon having no lunar essence without the cassia; the key lies in guiding the medicine to congeal into hard ice and making it green, as a lodestone attracts needles. These three key formulas also cannot be transmitted.

“As for the Ninefold, it causes Puqing and White Snow to congeal into an elixir, which is then brought into the Purple Palace (Zigong, a Daoist term for an inner or symbolic space used in elixir refining). This relies on concentrating the four Qi and gathering the myriad phenomena to give the elixir its form. These three key formulas likewise cannot be transmitted.

“If the supreme medicine does not receive the four Qi and merge into Hundun (primordial chaos), how can it be called the Dragon-Tiger elixir? Therefore, the method I, an immortal, transmit accords with the mysterious transformations of Heaven and Earth and is as bright as the sun and moon. Only when Shenfu and White Snow are successfully cultivated is there a path to ascend and become an immortal; the Ninefold can restore youth, make the countenance like a young girl’s, and prolong life as enduring as the Southern Mountain. The secret formulas of these three elixir methods are not permitted to be lightly transmitted—is that not as it should be?”

Liu Hong said, “The purport of the three elixir methods is truly mysterious and concealed. I still do not know what kind of person may be…”

Master Chuanshou said, “Only someone like me is qualified to transmit this method. The Three Ones (San yi) are the pivot of the creative transformation of Heaven and Earth. They are present not only in elixirs but also in the human body. If one can cultivate the Three Ones within the body, one can keep child and mother from separating, cause Shen and Qi to guard one another, and attain peace, harmony, warmth, moisture, luminosity, and clarity.

Have you not seen the appearance of the month of utmost yang and of broad daylight? When wind and clouds disperse, even the fine-meshed net does not stir; the azure sky is clear and without any obstruction. The human body also has such a state. If one can constantly harmonize the Three Ones, so that the mind does not stir recklessly and no distracting thoughts arise, and if one joins with the Qi of the azure sky, then inside and outside are luminous, body and mind become one with emptiness, and one may ascend.

Some people in the world happen to hear of this Daoist method and think it is merely ingesting Qi: inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth, then puffing out the cheeks and forcing themselves to swallow. This quickly costs them their lives, like mistakenly taking a poisonous elixir among medicines, with no way to save them. Therefore, the Three Ones in the body are no different from the Three Ones in the supreme elixir; the Three Ones in the body also cannot be casually transmitted.”

Hong asked again, “If someone has previously taken medicines such as cinnabar, mineral stalactite, sulfur, and purple powder, and their toxicity erupts, how should they be treated?”

Master Chuanshou said, “Those who have already died from taking such medicines need not be discussed; if there is still a chance of rescue, one can only do one’s utmost to save them. People should advise one another and urge those who have the Dao to resolve to refine and preserve the ‘Guardian Immortal Pill’ (Shouxian wan) for use in rescue; perhaps lives may still be preserved.

For example, if in refining purple powder one changes the ‘head’ (the key medicinal material or stage used in the refining process), causing it not to enter ‘Congealed White Snow’ (the refining stage or finished state referred to in the original text) and not to become bone; and if what is called ‘bone is yang’ is not blended with ‘green’ (the medicinal material or stage used in refining), then it is called ‘greatly toxic purple powder.’ If a person takes this medicine, regardless of how much is taken, how much time has passed, or whether other things are afterward eaten that conflict with its medicinal properties, once the toxicity erupts it is beyond the scope of ordinary medical treatment; if no medicine is given for rescue within three to five days after the eruption, there is no remedy.

If the toxicity of sulfur, purple powder, fire-subdued cinnabar, and various mineral stalactite medicines erupts, taking the Shouxian Pill may still save only one or two out of twelve or thirteen people; whether life can be preserved depends on the specific circumstances. If one has already taken various mineral medicines, although the toxicity has not erupted, if one can take precautions in advance, taking the Shouxian Pill is especially good.”

Hong asked again, “Since the three great elixirs can prolong human life and are without toxicity, if they have not yet been successfully refined, can they be taken first?”

Master Chuanshou said, “Elixirs such as the Divine Talisman, White Snow, and Nine-Turn have not yet passed through the Taiyi Palace (the refining place or stage referred to in the original text), and the Four Images (Sixiang; the four elements or stages referred to in elixir refining) are not yet complete; therefore they cannot be taken. If someone mistakenly takes them and suddenly feels the medicine acting and the body becoming unsettled, they should immediately take Fulonggan juice, licorice decoction, and raw lu...”

After drinking the bean juice, the person will become calm, and few die from it. Why is this? Because these three medicines are not mixed with other medicines that clash with one another; they have only the toxicity of empty fire, so they are not lethal. Apart from these three, other miscellaneous medicines such as cinnabar, if taken in large quantities over a short period, will endanger one’s life once their medicinal power takes effect.

Liu Hong asked: “May I hear the formula for the Shou Xian pill?” Lord Jiuxiao replied: “The method for making the Shou Xian Five-Seed Pill is a secret formula transmitted among immortals. However, it should be taught only to those who possess the Dao, in order to protect the lives of those who take it. Now I will teach it to you one by one, and also briefly explain the essentials of the three elixirs. You should think carefully and pass these contents on to help those who have not yet understood; do not forget my words. I am about to leave now.”

Liu Hong wept uncontrollably and bowed his head again and again. Lord Jiuxiao raised his hand in farewell, entered the clouds, and disappeared. Liu Hong then carved these words in stone in the mountains. Later, a Daoist priest saw the stone inscription, copied it down, and thus it circulated in the world. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang, Mr. Tongxuan, Zhang Guo, presented this formula to the emperor; Emperor Xuanzong was greatly pleased and kept it secretly in the palace. Tongxuan also explained in detail the effects of the three elixirs, but did not write down the methods for refining them. These are not copied here, to avoid excessive length.

Formula for the Shou Xian Five-Seed Pill

Phyllanthus emblica, raspberry, dodder, schisandra, and plantago seeds.

For the five medicines above, take five large liang of each and pound them separately into fine powder. Take the tender stems and leaves of Chinese wolfberry from the second and third lunar months, pound them to obtain two large sheng of juice, and mix it into the medicinal powder until the powder has absorbed the juice. Then, in the seventh and eighth months, gather lotus grass, obtain one large sheng of juice, again mix it into the powder, and let it dry thoroughly.

Next take one large sheng of apricot kernels, grind them with good wine to obtain five large sheng of juice, place it in a silver vessel, and decoct until the apricot juice no longer has a bitter taste. Then add half a large sheng of raw rehmannia juice, five liang of pure butter, and five large liang of deer horn glue; first roast the deer horn glue, then pound it into powder. Put these together into the previous juice and simmer briefly. Then add the five-medicine powder, stir rapidly with a willow wood spatula, adjust until the moisture is suitable, and have several people together roll it into pills the size of wutong seeds.

Take thirty pills daily with wine; if increasing or decreasing, adjust as appropriate. While taking the medicine, avoid pork, garlic, mustard greens, radish, and the like. The original text states that after one hundred days of taking it, the toxicity of mineral and metal medicines will be completely eliminated; the medicinal power can also help the Qi of the Golden Elixir circulate through the five viscera, moisten the blood and flesh, and remove all kinds of harmful influences. The beard and temple hair will become black as lacquer, and a person will change from old to young—these effects the original text attributes to this formula... (the original text is interrupted here.)

The two attributes of Yin-Yang Qi mutually contain one another. This teaching was secretly transmitted by Master Tongxuan.

The “Song of Preparing the Five-Seed Shouxian Pill” praises its wonders in verse:

Returning from old age to youth depends on Huandan (the returning elixir); to guard immortal longevity is no easy matter. Seeing the temples turn gray, one hopes they will turn black again. Taking only thirty pills a day makes this possible. Pine and bamboo have no fire of their own, yet the golden liquid is refined with the help of fire timing. The five-seed medicine can keep a person youthful for a long time: a hundred-year body may seem to extend for ten thousand years.

When Master Yin spoke of the spiritual efficacy of the three grades of the Great Elixir, he also said: even the five-flavored Shouxian herbs can help prolong life; even if one cannot ascend to heaven, becoming an earth immortal at dawn means one will never die. This medicine can subdue all kinds of cinnabar and neutralize the toxicity of various mineral drugs so that the poison never breaks out; it can also enhance the efficacy of numinous elixirs, causing the medicinal power to circulate through Ying and Wei (nutritive and defensive Qi). These effects are certain and beyond doubt. Lord Yin’s meaning is this: if five-seed herbs can still keep people from dying, one can thereby know the efficacy of the divine elixir. This passage can now serve as supporting evidence for the Shouxian Pill, and so it is appended afterward.

The Numinous Chapter of the Secret Oral Instructions on the Yin Elixir Transmitted by the True Man of Wangwu

The Yang Elixir can cause a person to ascend to heaven; the Yin Elixir can prolong life. The Yang Elixir refers to Huandan; the Yin Elixir refers to the art of returning Jing, that is, prolonging life by refining and nurturing Jing and Qi.

When the Yellow Emperor asked Guang Chengzi about the Dao, Guang Chengzi said: “Do not wear out the physical form; do not agitate Jing and Qi. Hold fast to this principle, and you can attain long life.” This is what it means. The Hunyuan Emperor’s Dao De Jing says: “Deeply consolidating the root and making it endure long is the Dao of long life and enduring vision.” Heshang Gong’s commentary says: “People take Jing as root and Qi as stem.” This also means the same.

The scripture also says: “Make the mind empty and quiet and the belly full; weaken the will to contend and strengthen the bones.” The method of strengthening the bones also refers to this principle. The Huangting Jing says: “The essence of the sun and moon can rescue one from aging.” Because Yin and Yang unite, it is called the “splendor of the sun and moon”; this also means the same.

The Huangting Jing also says: “Single-mindedly nurture the wondrous root and branches, and they will not wither; close and secure the Mingmen and care for the Jade Capital.” Mingmen is below the essence chamber; the Jade Capital is the five viscera. With no desires, the four limbs have no source of illness; only when root and branches both flourish can one attain long life.

The Way of Heaven endows people with intelligent or dull dispositions, but does not predetermine the length of their lives. Intelligent or dull dispositions are like the sweetness or sourness of tree fruits. As for trees, when moistened by water they flourish; when dry and lacking water they wither. Flourishing allows long growth; withering will then…

The reason such cultivation methods can affect the length of a person’s lifespan is precisely this. Thus a saying handed down in Daoist circles goes: “My life is in my own hands, not decided by Heaven.” This is what it means.

A person’s primordial Qi moves and changes with the sequence of the seasons. Each year when spring arrives, the Yin Dantian (one of the Dantian [energy centers] within the body in Neidan [internal alchemy] cultivation) feels warm and comfortable; hence the complexion becomes moist and lustrous, the ears and eyes become acute, and the mind becomes calm. That being so, why worry that one’s lifespan will not be long?

In Daoist circles there is also a cultivation practice of watching the Three Corpses (sanshi, the deities believed in Daoism to reside in the human body, deplete life, and report people’s faults to the heavenly court) on Gengshen days. It is said here that this method is not the cultivation discussed at this point. This method is to let the Three Corpses disperse on their own and transform into Jing and marrow. An ancient immortal scripture says that there are ten kinds of immortals, one of which is called the “Walking Immortal”: firmly guarding Jing and Qi so that they do not scatter, cultivating continuously, and causing Jing and Qi to gather and become complete. Such a person can live for ten million years; this too expresses the same principle.

Wangwu Zhenren (Perfected of Wangwu) Liu Shou presented this text in accordance with the oral instructions of Wangwu Zhenren.

During the Daizong era there was a Wangwu Zhenren surnamed Wang and named Changsheng. He traveled among famous mountains, his whereabouts unsettled. Because he had once lived in seclusion on Mount Wangwu, people called him Wangwu Zhenren. He claimed to be a man of the Eastern Jin. His wife, surnamed Liu, claimed to be a person from the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Both husband and wife had appearances as clear and pure as ice and snow; when they visited deep and hidden places, they often went together.

My uncle was named Deng. For many years he studied the Dao at Mount Heng, the Northern Peak, and followed Master Zhang Guo for more than fifty years. He lived to one hundred and sixteen. In the third month of spring in the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), he said to his sons: “The circulation of primordial Qi is disordered; I cannot remain with you for long. I will go to the three immortal mountains on the sea to seek numinous medicine. If I return late, do not take offense.” After saying this he left and never returned. In the eleventh month of that year, the An Lushan Rebellion indeed broke out.

My family had originally been scholars for generations. Later I lived in seclusion on Mount Wangwu for more than ten years. Whenever I met woodcutters, I treated them with respect, and my cultivation never ceased. Once I met an extraordinary person, who was none other than Wangwu Zhenren. He asked in detail about my origins and relatives, then said he was from the region of Lu and had studied the Dao with my uncle under Master Zhang Guo; his care for me was even deeper than his care for my uncle in former years. At that time I was already old and frail, with dull ears and eyes. The Zhenren took pity on me and transmitted this set of oral instructions. Recently my various ailments have eased somewhat; although my appearance has not yet returned to youth, I gradually feel like a young man.

The oral instructions say: “I dare not be host, but rather be guest.” This sentence borrows a Daoist scripture to explain the matter here. What is raised first counts as host; what is raised later counts as guest.

To bestow kindness on others is like bestowing Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) on them; to receive others’ bestowal is like obtaining Jing and Qi from them. The giving party’s emotional intent disperses and Jing and Qi are consumed; the receiving party’s Jing and Qi become consolidated and the emotional intent becomes more single-minded. Since one can take in harmonized Qi to strengthen Yang Qi, what is there to worry about?

However, excessive Yang Qi becomes a calamity, and excessive Yin Qi becomes a poison. Calamity injures oneself; poison injures others. Blocked breathing through the mouth and nose is a manifestation of Yin poison Qi. Be sure to be cautious and do not leap down from high places. When Yang Qi is agitated and angry, it easily leaks and disperses outward; if one then leaps down, how could it be controlled? The troubles of the Weilü (the end of the spinal column, near the anus) arise especially from this. The Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Classic) says: “As if a great sea had breached and a hundred rivers poured out; leaves fall and trees wither, losing their green.” This is what it refers to.

“Turn the body sideways, visualize inwardly, and close all crevices” does not mean doing something to the Yin gate (yinmen, here the lower orifice of the body); rather, it means first turning sideways and then closing up the various gaps. The “gaps” spoken of here are the Mingmen (Gate of Life), located below the essence chamber at the lower end of the spine. The Huangting Jing says: “Single-mindedly nourish the spiritual root so that it no longer withers; close the Mingmen and preserve the Jade Capital.” This is what it means.

With the body upright and extended, relaxed and hanging down, and with the spine leaning slightly backward and the heels stretched out, this is the posture of the “hanging kettle” (chuihu). After turning sideways, if one then leans the spine backward and stretches the heels, the Mingmen will naturally close. The expression “the heels hang and stretch, and the body is like a kettle” may be taking its outward form; people at the time did not grasp its meaning.

Then settle the mind and spirit and, using wenhuo (gentle fire, a mild and slow method of breath regulation), perform “xu” and “he,” causing the Qing Qi (green Qi, the Qi spoken of in cultivation here) to flow back and disperse into the various bone marrows. Among practices for nourishing life, nothing is more important than this. Only after accomplishing these may one undertake cultivation concerning the Yin gate; its method also has a definite routine.

In the coming and going of the breath, whether four or five times, Yin and Yang will blend. The “four or five times” here refers to the process in which Jing and Qi gradually become activated and the various vessels gradually become open and harmonized. Jing and Qi are the root of Qi: on inhalation, gather Jing and Qi; on exhalation, use the “xu-he” method. Gathering Jing and Qi should be a drawing upward and inward from one’s own body; exhalation follows the xu-he method. Cultivated in this way, Jing and Qi will still be depleted somewhat; therefore one should release them moderately in order to preserve true Qi. This is the slight release spoken of in “about to become unobstructed.” The Huangting Jing says: “One need only gather the breath and retain Jing and Qi; the inch-field and foot-house can then be used to nourish life.” This is what it refers to.

Since ancient times, cultivators of the Dao have transmitted the saying that if one wishes not to age, the key lies in circulating Jing and Qi and replenishing the brain. Broadly speaking, Jing can be transformed into Qi; to do so is to refine Jing into Qi. The Daoist method that Guangchengzi transmitted to the Yellow Emperor says: “Do not disturb your Jing and Qi.” This is exactly the meaning.

This cultivation method emphasizes a breath that is long and continuous, so that “Lingke” (the living vitality and Jing-Qi, essence and vital energy, within the body) is no longer empty and the breath becomes full. Afterward, one must slowly repair “Yulei” (here referring to the parts of the body that need to be regulated and nourished), making up for previous depletion. Once the Qi movement becomes unobstructed, the skin and interstices (the texture of the skin and its pores) often become weak; if they are not nourished, illness may result.

Pengzu said: “Nourish the Yin aspect to foster the Yang Jing, and life can be long.” This is exactly the principle meant. From the fact that nourishing Yin can nurture Yang, one may also know that Yang can nourish Yin; this point too is clear. If neither Yin nor Yang receives nourishment, life will be harmed. Although “Lingke” and “Yulei” are not explicitly explained, this allows one to infer their meaning.

How, then, should one tonify and nourish? Here the question is first raised and then explained: when the “gate of the Mysterious Female” (Xuanpin zhi men)—referring to the portal of inhalation and exhalation—is unobstructed and harmonious, this is the method of tonification. What is called the union of Yin and Yang is mutual benefit and mutual nourishment. Here “Xuan” governs the nose, and the nose inhales breath; “Pin” governs the mouth, and the mouth exhales breath. The exhaled breath corresponds to the inhalation of Mingmen (the Gate of Life; in traditional health cultivation, the place where life’s original Qi resides), one exhalation and one inhalation continuing without interruption. When the breath flows smoothly to its utmost, it stops; there is no need to fix a number of repetitions. When the various breaths are not dissipated outward but gather, they become Jing-Qi; if Jing-Qi is replenished, what illness could remain?

By this method one can dispel the Three Corpses (Sanshi), the baleful impurities that Daoism describes as dwelling in the human body and obstructing cultivation. The human body is originally full, but if one constantly makes it empty, worms will arise, as when wood is eaten by insects; if it is originally empty and one constantly makes it full, worms will also arise. The Three Corpses dwell respectively in the three Dantian (energy centers): the upper Dantian is in the brain and marrow, the middle Dantian is in the heart, and the lower Dantian is in the essence chamber. The heart has apertures and belongs to what should be empty; if emotions such as grief and anger block the heart’s apertures, worms will arise. The essence chamber and the brain and marrow belong to what should be full; if one indulges desires and loses Jing excessively, worms will also arise. Keep what should be empty empty and what should be full full, and the worms of the Three Corpses will naturally disperse. What is there to worry about?

Cultivated according to this method, the skin becomes moist and glossy like spring flowers, and the face regains youth. This is what is called the technique. Cause Jing-Qi to move upward against its original course and direct Qi and blood to the brain, and the work in this regard is complete. Since “Lingke” is no longer empty, next one should also rub the hands and feet and knead the sinews and joints. In this way Jing-Qi will spread through the whole body, disperse into the muscles and bones, and make the joints and channels throughout the body unobstructed. The essential point may lie precisely here. “Su” means flowing backward; hence it is said that Jing-Qi returns upward and travels in reverse.

If husband and wife both attain the Dao, they can become immortals together. The husband takes Yang as principal and Yin as auxiliary; the wife takes Yin as principal and Yang as auxiliary. When the auxiliary assists the principal, the principal can be settled. If both are unobstructed and harmonious, how could they not be considered immortal? Nonetheless, this is only the stairway to immortality; as for feather-transformation and ascent, it too begins from this path.

The key to making this life long without limit lies in discerning the signs when “the Yin gate first opens.” These two sayings speak precisely of the true Dao of long life and enduring vision.

The art of longevity is like grafting trees: one joins the life of one tree to another. Although grafting requires branches, what truly enables the branch to live is the help of Yuan Qi (original Qi) and the power of yang harmony. The method for prolonging life is similar.

“The Yin gate first opens” refers to the moment when the Yin gate has just opened; at this time the blood signs (menstrual signs) appear, the menstrual blood first becomes normal, and the interstices (the skin’s texture and the openings on the body’s surface) also begin to open. This is precisely the time of Yin-Yang mutual resonance. At this moment conception is about to occur. Since bringing descendants to life and continuing one’s own line are, in principle, similar to prolonging one’s own life, the principle involved is quite clear. The key is not to leak Jing (essence) and Qi at this time.

Since ancient times, those who cultivate the Dao have transmitted this saying: applying this method to others can cause them to bear children; retaining it in oneself can nourish oneself. This is the principle stated above.

This method is especially suitable for practice in early spring, because at that time the myriad things begin to grow, and one should comply with the flourishing force of life. Each resonance can extend life by twelve years; twelve years is the cycle of Heaven and Earth’s revolution. If one resonates repeatedly ten times, one can extend life by one hundred and twenty years. This is what the books call the way of Xuanyuan (the Yellow Emperor) ascending to immortality.