《雲笈七籤》Vol. 73

“The four, in primordial undifferentiation, are the ancestor of the Five Phases.” This means that these four elements remain in an undifferentiated state and are the root from which the Five Phases arise.

The commentary explains, in order, the process by which they transform and take form. First, Zengqing—a mineral spoken of in Daoist alchemy—acts as a guiding substance and causes Qi to arise; Qi then becomes sinews. Second, the Yang within Yin is like the sun’s soul; the sun’s soul transforms into the sun’s Jing; Jing becomes Yang, Yang in turn becomes the father, and the father becomes the placenta. Third, white fluid changes into hard ice; ice is the Yang within Yin; Yang becomes bone, and bone, relying on Qi, transforms into white fluid, which then transforms into marrow. Fourth, mercury becomes the Qi within the body and transforms into blood; blood transforms into hair, and hair, relying on the skin, forms the outer physical body.

From this it can be known that the fetus takes shape in three months and is born at ten months; after another two months of bathing and nurturing, making a total of one year, the physical form is then fully formed. The human form receives its endowment from Heaven, manifests its image, and cyclically changes with the movement of the Five Phases.

This treasure is called the supreme treasure between Heaven and Earth. If a person receives the upright Qi of Heaven and Earth, he too can become a “Zhiren” (a perfected person who has successfully cultivated the Dao and aligns with the Dao of Heaven and Earth). The immortal elixirs of the immortals in our Great Dao are not the same as worldly treasures measured by price and value. Worldly gold, silver, coral, agate, pearls, and the like can only be measured by their value and rarity; the immortal elixir, however, is bright like the sun and moon and is a treasure that accords with celestial patterns and terrestrial geography. Taking it, it is said, can bring long life, enduring as Heaven and Earth.

All of this relies on the natural, undifferentiated Qi: in Heaven Qi manifests as mist and dew, on earth as springs; when it is in a jade-green pool, it also embodies the natural Dao. Those who seek immortality should not misdirect their thoughts and recklessly refine so-called medicines for transmuting yellow and white (gold and silver), and even less should they take them by mistake. If a Daoist priest obtains this supreme medicine of the chaos of the four Qi, formed by the natural Dao, and takes it for a thousand days, he will understand that the path of wondrous transformation is not far away.

If the four Qi are insufficient, wondrous transformation has nothing to rely on. This is like the sun and moon not being full—how can one be called a Zhiren? From this it can be known that the Zhiren must accord with the laws of Heaven and Earth’s movement; ordinary people, by contrast, act according to the seasons and the things before their eyes…

The principles of the Great Dao (the Way) are profound and difficult to understand. Only if a person can recognize and understand the Great Dao is it possible to become a sage. Those who cultivate the Dao must observe changes in worldly opportunities and in the cycles of Qi and destiny, practice according to method, and accumulate meritorious conduct; they must also measure their own manner of conduct and fundamental capacity, to see how far these fall apart from one another.

If cultivation does not accord with the Dao, one will ultimately be reduced to ashes. Only by obtaining the divinely transformed medicine-treasure of the palace of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) can one preserve nature and life, attain long life without decline, and endure until heaven and earth come to an end. Those who are not in accord with the Dao methods must not be taught them; if one is to transmit them, one must find a suitable person. The Dao is originally without form; only the mutual interaction of the Qi of the Five Phases is the root of the generation of the myriad things.

People do not necessarily set their resolve on cultivating the Dao in the first place, but the mind can become the master of resolve. If evil thoughts are held in the mind, one’s words will be vicious; when words are vicious, actions will go astray; when actions go astray, the work of the Dao is difficult to accomplish. Therefore, the three grades of elixir methods—the elixir methods divided into three grades—should be transmitted to the wise and not to the foolish. The foolish have dim minds; even if they study immortal formulas and oral instructions all day, they cannot comprehend the Great Dao. Human nature is determined by the mind.

Grain avoidance (cutting off grain food and drink), ingesting Qi (expelling and drawing in breath and regulating the breath), Daoyin (nourishing the body through movement and breath), forgetting the passions and governing the mind, consolidating the Valley Spirit (Gushen, the Shen-Qi within the human body), gathering in the Hun and Po souls, and stabilizing the Shen and thoughts—these methods all belong to the Daoist “treasures of the Empty Gate,” but they are not the fundamental way of longevity.

The elixir of the Nine Cauldrons (Jiuding)—an elixir refined in a furnace and cauldron—must employ the fire Qi of the four seasons and be continuously refined according to fire phases such as gentle fire and martial fire; only an elixir that matures late is a great vessel. Truly precious and hard-to-obtain things are indeed difficult to buy; people who have attained the Dao are also difficult to recognize.

Lead is used to form the outer enclosure of the elixir furnace, surrounding and protecting it on all sides; Qingyao (here referring to a green mineral used in alchemy) acts as an envoy and can harmonize wind and rain. Zengqing (the name of a green mineral) can serve as the “envoy” of various Golden Elixirs: the envoy transforms into Qi, Qi becomes sinew, and sinew can generate great strength. If medicinal substances cannot exert their effects, it is because they lack the assistance of Zengqing. It is like a person who has no strength without eating: food transforms into Qi, and Qi circulates like an envoy; without food to supply strength, affairs cannot be completed. All efficacy must rely on strength in order to arise and grow. Therefore, if medicines lack strength, they have no spiritual efficacy and cannot be stabilized.

White fluid and golden flower: within water, Dragon and Tiger are generated. Dragon and Tiger originally come from mutual reception within the Qi of emptiness. Dragon and Tiger are precisely the manifestations of the Great Dao’s transformations through stimulus and response, the turning of the four seasons, and the instruments generated by the earth. They arise naturally, just as the Qi of the four seasons rises and circulates, each having its destination. That which opens the source of the Great Dao from the beginningless beginning is called Dragon and Tiger. Dragon and Tiger are formed by relying on the Qi of the two natures of Yin-Yang being harmonized, united, and mutually swallowing and subduing; from the tiger Qi a tangible substance is generated. By following what is natural, cultivating good and removing evil, one can achieve completion.

To ascend to immortality, one must observe the established rules and standards. (All three places must follow what was said above; the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy center) each have corresponding places to which the souls return.)

The method of guarding the One (Shouyi) belongs to the gate of the “Supreme Medicine.” In cultivation, the four Qi (vital energy), the sinews and bones, and the blood and flesh support one another without the slightest error; nor may one allow Yin-Yang and the seasons to fall into disorder. On the first day of each month one begins practicing the fire timing, cultivating according to the progressive rule that advances from one to nine. These are all methods of the inner Three Ones: using the fire timing of the twelve months to correspond to the twelve double-hours, coordinating with the twelve directions, circulating through the Nine Palaces, taking images from the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and harmonizing with the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

The Yellow Emperor once asked Huangren about the gate of the Three Ones method, and thus this oral formula was transmitted. After receiving it, one should, like immortal adepts who pass it down through generations, transmit it to suitable people, while not writing it into books; it may only be transmitted orally. If one does not observe the rules and standards of the Three Ones, then even if one knows many minor arts, can transmute gold and silver, relieve the world, and accumulate treasures like mountains, one will ultimately still not escape death; these are, in the end, not methods for preserving life. Only when one has studied and understood this point can it be considered beneficial.

When the Huandan (Returned Elixir; in Daoist cultivation, a term for Neidan (internal alchemy) or elixirs) manifests, its light is like the sun and moon, the stars are clearly visible, and it is as if one can see a road in the clouds. After the Huandan is refined, it appears bright and distinct, like fire hidden in wood: though the fire is not exposed, its color is like green with a hint of red. After taking it for a thousand days, one can transform the physical body, shed the mortal body and change the bones, penetrate spiritual nature, stabilize the body, settle the hun and po souls, return from old age to youth, and elicit the aid of heavenly deities and commune with spiritual intelligences. Do not rashly divulge this oral formula; even before attaining the Dao (the Way), one can cultivate according to it. Although hidden merit (merit accumulated secretly) is not yet complete, at least one can transcend the dust and escape death.

From this it can be known that the Great Dao has no traces, yet one must not lose its root; people also should not lose the body left to them by their parents. As for the arts outside this cultivation method—those that recklessly manufacture and use mercury to refine gold and silver—they cannot be counted as true methods of cultivating the Dao.

The meaning within the oral formula is profound; those who grasp it can, over hundreds of years, still transcend birth and death. Immortal adepts transmit it in turn and guard it among themselves. It is lamentable that worldly rumors are confused and varied; apart from this there is no other cause. The “Supreme Medicine” in the oral formula teaches people to take the path of long life; the Supreme Medicine is different from worldly treasures. The immortal’s medicine-treasure undergoes a thousand hammerings and a hundred refinings and myriad transformations; after the Golden Elixir is refined again and taken, one can obtain the aid of spirits and deities and embark on the path of long life. Therefore I cherish time and value life, and do not lightly...

Worldly fools value only possessions, believing that owning treasures will suffice for the immediate needs of this life. They crave wives and concubines and glory, wealth and honor, live like walking corpses and wandering ghosts, make light of their own lives, and when the time comes they head toward destruction. Within a hundred years, countless people die. Yuanjun (a revered Daoist deity) therefore grieves for the people of the world.

Among the medicines that have been transmitted, there lie profound principles; those who understand these principles have already become Zhenren (realized people who attained the Dao). Do not apply these methods haphazardly; let the four people each return to their proper duty, guard the Dao and be content in poverty, and together accomplish this precious medicine of nature and life. It is also called “Mao-You Erba (Mao and You, two-eight)”: take eight fen each of Mao and You, together making one jin. This is “white liquid,” “white snow,” and is also called “white snow pressing ice.”

What is meant by taking one portion each of Mao and You is that the two natures of Yin-Yang unite in cinnabar. Do not let ordinary people know the secret. Refining with fire must follow the fire timing; “nine-nine” corresponds to the Wu position. Yet the San Yi Zhong says: “Three days make one phase; three threes make nine.” When the count of fire timing is sufficient, the medicine takes on a purple-black color, and Yuanjun approves of it.

It is a pity that the songs and formulas spoken of by later immortal adepts were originally clear principles transmitted by masters, yet people should not harbor divided intentions because of them; if one can comprehend them, one may attain long life.

Know that Heaven is originally without partiality; it is close to people only through their hearts. Heaven is originally without selfishness; it appears partial only because of human hearts. Calamity is not originally sent down by Heaven; it is often brought about by people themselves, not inflicted by Heaven. Those who study the Dao do not defy their master’s teachings or disobey their parents; thus they can long accord with the Dao of Heaven and can also make the Dao transmitted by their master more complete.

Therefore, when speaking of the ultimate principle, there is only one; the ultimate medicine has no equal. When Heaven and humans unite in the Dao, clearly and without doubt, one can increase blessings and be free from the disturbance of distracting thoughts.

If there is too much bone, the flesh cannot bear it; if there is too much flesh, the bones cannot support it. Bone and flesh both rely on sinew; when the sinew is strong, strength increases accordingly. If a person lacks strength, it is like having a bag but being unable to put things in it—how can one stand firm? An infant cannot leave its mother; an infant losing its mother is like medicine losing its sinew. Sinew sustains the power of the medicine and is like the power that governs it; without power, it naturally cannot produce the effects of wondrous transformation.

One who understands can hear a single sentence and see three layers of meaning in it; one who does not understand, even if reading a thousand books and memorizing ten thousand formulas, still cannot avoid being a fool. Many people devote themselves single-mindedly to seeking immortality and seeking “Huangbai” (the art of refining gold and silver), yet are unwilling to study immortal books and investigate the supreme treasure within them. They are eager to refine Huangbai, and before they have seen even one or two liang of gold or silver, they have often already lost their lives. The wise value the supremely wondrous medicine; even before they have seen the mysterious gateway of the medicine method, they should still accumulate goodness and cultivate virtue; in this way, the divine spirits will not…

If in your heart you can hold fast to the Dao and righteousness, not covet profit, then even if you are content in poverty, Heaven will not send down blame; the blessings brought by good deeds will follow the person. Since the time of Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan, those in every age who sought immortality have been countless, but how many truly obtained the gate to becoming an immortal?

Again he sang:

When Yin Qi (vital energy) runs to its extreme and passes through the number one hundred and eight, the Yin Qi gathers with itself and congeals on its own. Light appears and shows purple; it is refined into the Returning Elixir (Huandan, the Daoist internally refined or ingested elixir). Taken, it can bring long life; its wonder is hard to describe.

Again he sang:

Cinnabar is one substance only; there is nothing else. Child and mother generate each other in an unending cycle. People of the world do not understand this principle and waste their wealth in vain; only one who awakens to it can master the secret of refining the Great Returning Elixir.

Yuanzhen Ming (Inscription on the Source of Truth)

There is an oral formula, but it is not disclosed; there is a sequence, but it is not set forth. If one can obtain and comprehend its principle, then it may be transmitted and explained.

Alternative Names of the Medicine

The medicine has several aliases: the first is called “Father of Earth,” the second “Mother of Water,” the third “Yellow Sprout” (Huangya), and the fourth “Crystal of the Seventy-Two Stones.”

Again he sang:

Yellow Sprout—a Neidan term for the initial sign of elixir formation or the medicinal substance—is an innately numinous thing; child and mother blend and are hard to separate. Child and mother must not abandon each other; do not seek its generation only from the side of the “child.”

Song on Mutual Reliance in Harmony

The mystery of mysteries lies right before the eyes. Within Yin there is Yang, and thereby the Dao is made complete. Yin and Yang cannot be separated; only by bringing them into harmony, refining and nurturing them, and ingesting them can one become immortal.

Again he sang:

The first is named Zhunzhongcheng; the second is named the Great Dao. In gathering and refining, one must continuously replenish; the medicine will naturally reveal its spiritual nature.

Another song of the medicine:

In Heaven it manifests as mist and dew; on Earth it manifests as springs. When the numerical principles of Yin-Yang movement reach their limit, the one who obtains it will in the end not divulge the secret.

Again he sang:

On a Jiazi day one begins to kindle the fire to refine the elixir—kindling the fire means controlling the furnace fire according to the seasonal sequence. One must distinguish child and mother according to the seasonal node of the current ten-day period. When the number of seasonal nodes is complete, it will circulate on its own; from this point it can be divided into two ends.

Another medicine song:

The first is called “Autumn Stone of the True Source”; the second, “Essential Spirit of the Great Dao.” When gathering is proper and blending is timely, and one stays far from worldly dust, one is a true immortal.

Again he sang:

Sun and moon are not my bodily form; Yin and Yang naturally form the substance. Amid the creation of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth), the six directions ultimately all return to the One.

Another song on the elixir chamber:

The elixir altar and furnace are the palace chamber; the Qi of refining and nurturing spreads and blends. One ten-day period counts as one seasonal node; after bathing, one again enters a state of germinal nurture. When the numbers are complete, the medicine naturally manifests its numen; throughout Heaven and Earth, it can penetrate everywhere.

Jinbi Qiantong Jue on the Golden Elixir

The Spirit Chamber—the crucial place in elixir refining where the medicine is placed so that it may congeal and transform—is the hub of the elixir and the root of all mineral medicines. Cinnabar and mercury also have other names; they move back and forth between Yang and Yin, their radiance circulating through two positions and arranged into three numerical axes, taking water and fire as their model. The regulation of elixir refining is like a ruler governing a state: with martial force he suppresses rebellion, and with civil virtue he pacifies those who submit. With the De (Virtue/Power) of Earth as master, he holds the sword to stop weapons.

What guards the four directions are the numbers of Kan and Li; one and two correspond respectively to south and north, and south and north by themselves form the warp, so they are placed at the head of the twelve categories. Hardness and softness receive their nature from the natural; metal and fire each occupy their office; water and earth contain and receive each other; male and female unite as one body. Their operations each have their order, and once transformation is complete they return to a new beginning.

Taking the First Nine as the starting point of the cycle, the harmonious yang Qi moves according to morning and evening, and the cyclical calendar accords with the heart of Heaven. The movement of the yang lines ends at the Si hour; pure yang Qi begins to stir from Bingwu and, starting from the Ding hour, terminates at the Hai hour. Water and fire occupy separate quarters and each keeps its boundary, thereby forming cold and heat; east and west manifest benevolence and righteousness, and the Five Phases change with the four seasons. When Yin-Yang are employed in mutual operation in this way and one complies with the Dao of the Three-and-One, one can grasp the principles involved.

Once the Shenshi (spirit chamber), which in alchemy symbolizes the upper and lower parts of the elixir furnace, is properly installed, transformation takes place within it. The so-called spirit chamber is the upper and lower cauldrons; the so-called establishing of positions means that male and female are matched with great precision. The so-called transformation refers to cinnabar and mercury. Cinnabar and mercury employ the two powers of metal and earth, and these two powers have no fixed position. Zhang, Yi, Fei, Xu, and Wei are conditions of coming and going, transformation, and unsettled temperament; upper and lower facing each other is the constant Dao. Only the power dwelling in the Central Palace stands alone and unchanging; occupying the center and encompassing all stones, it becomes the root of alchemy.

Being and nonbeing constrain each other; the Vermilion Bird, the numinous bird symbolizing fire, soars into the sky, purple radiance illuminates the sun, and cinnabar and mercury then disappear. These instructions must not be recklessly fabricated, and their principles are not invented out of thin air. The scripture uses concise words to state profound meaning, and by deducing line images and examining hexagram images it expounds the Five Phases.

Kan is the Jing of male metal, Li is the light of female fire; metal and fire act upon each other, water and earth constrain each other. When earth flourishes and metal returns to its position, the three powers each possess their virtue, and the world turns toward the center as spokes converge on a hub, thereby attaining great peace. All this originates from the earth virtue of the Central Palace and is also the achievement of the Yellow Emperor.

Metal and fire represent the true alchemical ingredients. In alchemy nothing is more important than metal and fire; only by deeply investigating subtle principles can one allow transformation to occur. When yang Qi stirs, yin Qi recedes; chaos ultimately returns to unity, and the Jing of the Nine Treasures support one another. The medicinal substances total three hundred eighty-four zhu; the zhu is reckoned on the basis that one jin is sixteen liang.

When the metal Jing undergoes its first transformation, the Azure Dragon receives the talismanic mandate. At this time the spirit chamber refines the Jing within it; fire and metal rotate together, driving the male yang Qi to become an emerald-dark color and the water female yin Qi to become a crimson-yellow color. Yin-Yang blend and intermingle, essence and fluid connect, and primal Qi is contained; all phenomena then arise relying on emptiness. The various resonant transformations each have their kind, and the numinous signs of the many elixirs all come from this and from nothing else.

Yuanjun, the honored deity in the alchemical transmission, begins to refine mercury; the spirit chamber contains the mysterious Qi of penetrating emptiness, and white produces the Jingong (Metal Lord). Loftily and vastly it establishes the beginning, with three and five guarding each other; the scattered Jing and Qi moisten within. Xuannü, the honored deity who transmits alchemical rules, clarifies its order. Wu and Ji, the stems corresponding to central earth, are valued for receiving the Heavenly Talisman, yet the Dao of the Heavenly Talisman gradually declines, making it difficult to accord with mysterious principles.

What the diagram discusses is an exposition of alchemical methods: it no longer speaks only of ingredients such as cinnabar, sulfur, and mercury, but uses Qian and Kun, Yin-Yang, and lunar phases to explain the alchemical process. Wu and Ji—the central Heavenly Stems symbolizing the center and the virtue of Earth—are like the mother of gold; terms such as the bell-pitch standards, two-six, the Dipper pivot, and nine-three also mark the movements of Yin-Yang and the sequence of fire timing.

The Red Child and Vermilion Bird change into the Azure Dragon, symbolizing the transformation of Yin-Yang Qi. The Kun trigram first changes into Zhen, corresponding to the third day, when the moon appears in the Geng direction. Dragon and Tiger seek each other; the Kun trigram changes a second time into Dui, corresponding to the eighth day, when the moon appears in the Ding direction. At this point the moon is at the first quarter, and its image is taken as half a catty of metal. The Kun trigram changes a third time into Qian, corresponding to the fifteenth day, when the three Yang Qi are complete, the moon wheel is full, and it shines on the Jia position in the east. At this point metal and water are warmed and nourished; the sun’s Qi, like red marrow, flows and transforms into mercury, and the mercury is like a bright jade ornament. Within the full moon, deficiency is already contained; from the sixteenth day it gradually wanes. Qian first wanes to form Xun, corresponding to the seventeenth day at dawn, when the moon is seen in the Xin direction. Qian wanes a second time to form Gen, corresponding to the twenty-third day at the last quarter, and its image is taken as half a catty of water, with the moon emerging in the Bing direction to the south. Qian wanes a third time to form Kun, corresponding to the thirtieth day; the Kun-Yi moon disappears in the northeast, and the moon sets in the Yi direction.

At the end of the month, after the dark of the moon, Earth, Wood, and Metal are about to transform; afterward Kun again gives birth to Zhen. The Dao of Qian and Kun runs through beginning and end: as described above, within thirty days Kun gives rise to Zhen and Dui, and Qian gives rise to Xun and Gen; the Kun trigram and the Bagua are arranged in sequence, and the sun and moon move without losing their central correctness. Harmonize the fire timing, and after sixty days the transformations naturally become manifest.

The Divine Chamber (Shenshi), the furnace chamber symbolizing the coagulation and transformation of ingredients, has its symbolic image: its shape is like a chicken egg. The Five Peaks stand within it, concealed at the borders of the cave palace; they meet one another and become the pivot of operation. When fire first rises, the temperature slightly increases, also like the trigram lines beginning to move. Above it carries the essence of yellow gold; below it rests on the form of Kun’s origin. Yin-Yang are harmonized, mercury’s nature gradually becomes integrated, and this corresponds to the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Qian initiates movement and turns the sun, moon, and stars; Kun quietly guards and contains Yang Qi. When the Divine Chamber is used according to method, the Golden Elixir can be refined.

The vessel used in refining and transformation has the functions of both rising and coagulating, opening and closing; it is a place of hidden subtlety and mystery, and the source of creation. When Yang Qi stirs, within the Kun earth the sun’s shadow moves south; the five planets are strung like pearls, and sun and moon join like jade discs. Gold sand is compounded according to measure, and breathing corresponds to the fire timing. The Canopy shines above, the Three Terraces assist below; the spirit officials in charge of records also take part. Therefore the furnace chamber must be tightly sealed and firm.

Using fire to refine the Earth of the central palace, metal enters the water of the north; these three substances—earth, water, and metal—naturally transform after sixty days. The key lies in first preserving and nurturing, then dissolving and transforming. If fire timing is excessive, ingredient proportions are unsuitable, or the nature of water is unstable, the substances each remain in their own places and cannot combine; the Qi of the hard and soft runs in excess and does not intermingle. This is not the fault of fire; the responsibility lies with Earth. Earth guards the central palace and encompasses the four directions; only when the sun, moon, and stars move in proper measure can the inner and outer be stabilized. The five viscera are nourished within the body, and the four limbs are harmonized; when water Qi recedes, form and shadow seem to vanish, yet the light remains concealed within.

Inner Illumination (the method of internally refining the Golden Elixir) emphasizes letting metal and water moisten and enrich each other, so that their luster becomes calm yet radiant; then one harmonizes the fire timing and warmly nourishes the water-liquid, causing them to undergo transformation together. Entering from this point, one may draw near to the art of transforming into the Dao.

When earth and water are paired, a jade-green radiance appears; when yellow and red blend their essences, purple brilliance spreads out like the sun emitting light. That water can nourish and generate the myriad things is something only the sage truly understands. The metallic class belongs to Metal, and its color is esteemed as white; refining lead is done in order to seek yellow. Lead transforms within the central palace and is refined into yellow gold; if it does not pass through fire refining, the earth Qi cannot be made to turn into smoke and clouds.

Being and nonbeing constrain each other, and above, the Azure Dragon (symbolizing eastern Wood Qi) dwells within; emptiness and existence blend into each other, and the numinous transformations are difficult to fathom. Refining silver with lead, a wondrous substance naturally arises. Silver is the essence of metal; lead is the numinous thing of the north; water is the pivot of the Dao and also the beginning of Yin-Yang. Precisely because it is the beginning, it can generate silver. Lead, after transformation, becomes yellow elixir and lodges within the five metals.

Lead is black on the outside and receives the Qi of the north, yet within it contains the essence of silver. It is like a person who wears coarse clothing and hides fine jade within—outwardly seeming dull. Silver is the child of lead, hidden within lead; mercury is also the child of lead, hidden within the mother’s womb, pure and truly wondrous, faint and hard to distinguish, as if present and as if absent.

When fired in an ash pool, lead sinks and silver floats up, and the pure white treasure appears, which can be used to make yellow gold. The outer shell of yellow gold contains the essence of gold; water-liquid surrounds the yellow liquid, about one inch in diameter, and is used to harmonize Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, the Three Powers. When Heaven and Earth first separated, the chaos was like an egg, round with a raised center, shaped like Penglai, the mythical immortal mountain. The furnace and cauldron must be sealed tightly and made solid all around; the interior is arranged with winding turns and mutual constraints, so that the refining process has no error. This is the principle of nature, and the wondrous transformations have no fixed boundary.

A lodestone can secretly attract iron even through intervening objects; how much more, within an egg-like furnace and cauldron, do Yin-Yang unite and generate gold? The De of Earth constantly accompanies mercury. The instructions on fire timing mentioned above are not empty words. The above is a further explanation of the preceding text: since the alchemical art has already been clearly written, one should not doubt it further. Therefore these oral instructions are set forth to supplement the Fire Records. It is hoped that those who study the Dao will take their model from them. The repeated admonitions in the following text are precisely meant to tell people of the world that their meaning is surely worth careful reflection.

Oral Instructions for Carefully Guarding and Maintaining the Yin Elixir

The preface says: Most people in the world cling to desires, so that they injure life and shorten lifespan; this has been so in ancient and modern times alike. If one does not guard against it early and repent, the consequences will come too late to retrieve. The Immortal Scripture says that when people are at the point of death they then wish to reform and turn toward goodness, and when gravely ill they then seek medicine—but the net of fate has already spread, so how can it be retrieved? Therefore the wise and virtuous superior person cherishes life before it is in danger, guards against calamity before it arrives, and regulates the body before illness has arisen; thus he leaves the dusty world, gathers in the spirit, and returns to the great Dao.

The Dao is Qi (the qi that constitutes the human body and the myriad things); Qi is the master of the body, and the master relies on Jing; Jing is the root of life. Therefore, one must cherish the root of life...

Only when Qi (vital energy) cultivation reaches a certain level can one afterward perceive the subtle signs of life’s sprouting. The Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture) says: “One must carefully conceal the three Shen (spirits; the deities within the body) in the heart, causing Jing and Qi to return, so that even in old age one may recover strength; nourish the jade tree within the body, and life will be prolonged. One must quickly guard Jing and Qi so that the self is nourished.” The scripture also says: “If one wishes for long life, one must be especially cautious in matters of the bedchamber. If one indulges desires, how can one avoid making the spirit lament? This is like breaching the great sea and letting the hundred rivers pour out, or like leaves falling and trees withering as they lose their vitality. If one wishes to live long, one should cherish Jing and Qi and preserve original Qi; without cherishing Jing and Qi and preserving original Qi, long life is impossible.”

The way of the Yin Elixir and hundredfold control (bedchamber arts practiced under the name of Yin-Yang cultivation) is not necessarily truly understood by people of the world. Even if one cultivates original Qi while failing to restrain desire, danger is unavoidable. Therefore it is said: “People often lose the Dao (the Way), but the Dao does not lose people; people often turn away from life, but life does not turn away from people.” Gentlemen who cultivate body and mind should reflect deeply on this.

The Heart-Mirror of the Great Return

The essential oral instructions transmitted by Hanshanzi say: “Once one understands the true nature of lead, the medicinal substance naturally manifests its wonder; once one recognizes the original nature of mercury, the medicinal substance becomes sage-like together with oneself.” If cultivation accords with the sage Dao, heaven and earth rejoice together. These methods must be transmitted by a master; they are essential keys of Dao cultivation. Therefore the ancient sages did not state their content directly, but entrusted its meaning to the Zhouyi (Book of Changes), matched it with the Five Phases, and expressed it through talismanic tokens (symbolic signs and credentials). Among the doctrines of the true immortal Dao, nothing is more wondrous than the Great Elixir (the elixir sought in Neidan/internal alchemy cultivation).

When people of the world discuss the Great Elixir, doubts and errors are many. If a wise person can understand the principles within it, cultivation becomes single-minded. This Dao is kept secret because people easily turn what is easy into something difficult; moreover, the Dao is exceedingly precious and must not be treated with disrespect. Formerly the three sages left oral instructions and wrote them on golden slips, naming them the Cantong Qi (The Seal of the Unity of the Three). Although people of the world all copy it, almost none truly comprehend its principles. Some do not dare to explain its content clearly; others hesitate and waver, and in their delay time slips away in a flash. Glory dazzles the eyes; gold and jade entangle the heart; wealth, goods, and sensual pleasures unsettle the mind and spirit. A hundred years pass in vain, while few pay attention to the Dao of long life. People do not realize that they exhaust their spirit through craving for lust, and thus the years continually slip away.

For this very reason, many doubts have gradually arisen concerning theories of elixir methods. Some speak of elixir methods as near or far, and the ignorant then drag in Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi. Qin Shi Huang outwardly spoke of seeking the Dao, but inwardly craved lust and indulged his desires; although Han Wudi admired the mysterious immortal realms, his mind remained fixed on sensual pleasures. How then could they possibly attain immortality? Why not speak instead of the Yellow Emperor and the people of high antiquity?

The Yellow Emperor once received the art of the return elixir from Xuannü (the Dark Woman), which says to cultivate gold and mercury in the Dantian (energy center). Later people did not obtain the true oral instructions and mistakenly understood it as the bedchamber art of controlling women. Could it be that when the Supreme Immortal Maiden transmitted it, she must have intended to teach people to indulge their desires? Ignorant people have been deluded by this and have passed it down from generation to generation. The relevant songs and instructions are recorded in the Jindan Lun (Treatise on the Golden Elixir).

This passage says: the principles stated earlier can now be understood. In my early years I admired the Great Dao (the Way) and was fortunate to receive the true transmission, enabling me to serve the immortal master reverently and personally receive his instructions. What the immortal master taught was only the mystery of the transformations of lead and mercury and the true meaning of dragon and tiger: remove what is superfluous and harmful in elixir refining, and do not recklessly mix in the eight minerals and other substances. The key lies in joining lead and mercury so as to correspond to the primordial Qi of heaven and earth and the essence of sun and moon; above, harmonize with the Dao of Heaven, below comply with the patterns of Earth, and gather the heavenly and earthly Jingqi contained in seventy-two kinds of minerals, refining them into an elixir. After taking it one can extend years and prolong life—what doubt can there be?

If the five grains can still save human life, how much more should one revere the divine elixir? Huangjing is even considered able to aid longevity, while gouwu, a toxic substance, will certainly cause death when ingested—these are things seen with one’s own eyes. The true sage reveres the divine elixir. Yet the divine elixir is a supreme treasure; among ten thousand people, those who obtain it are all persons with former karmic affinity who are in accord with the Dao; they have long been single-minded in purpose, and it cannot be sought in a single morning or evening.

However, the spiritual efficacy of the returned elixir—the elixir produced through refining—cannot save one from disasters brought on oneself; even if a sage has a compassionate heart, he cannot save one from misfortunes caused by former karma. This likewise depends on a person’s will. In promoting the purpose of the Great Dao, how can one believe those wild, perverse, and deceptive divine arts?

Now, the Dadan Xinjing (Great Elixir Mirror of the Heart) is used to clarify the inner mind: if the mind understands the supreme medicine in elixir practice, it will not be deluded by other things. If external substances do not accord with the elixir method, the elixir will not be efficacious; if the inner mind does not accord with the Dao, then even if cultivation succeeds, it will surely invite disaster. This deserves particular vigilance, and one should also reflect on oneself and cultivate one’s nature and mind.

When discussing the great elixir, only the union of Yin-Yang is called the “Dao,” and this accords with the heavenly mechanism; only the union of metal and stone is called the “elixir,” and this accords with heaven and earth. What is called “metal” refers to the white tiger within true lead; what is called “stone” refers to the quicksilver within cinnabar.

The Zhenren Tao Zhi said: “If one says that the quicksilver of the world is to be transformed into white smoke, this statement is indeed true.” Zhenren Ma of the Shenfu Baixue school said: “Mercury is not the same as quicksilver; deluded people use the wrong method.” The meaning of these words is: ordinary people can be transformed into sages, but sages do not exist apart from ordinary people; one can enter sagehood from the ordinary, and the ordinary also contains sage nature—sages too are cultivated from ordinary people.

From this it can be known that quicksilver originally arises from cinnabar; after it is joined with lead and refined into a supreme treasure, its color returns again to that of the original cinnabar. When cinnabar can no longer regress into quicksilver, only then is it true “mercury.” Reaching the realm of true mercury is like passing from the ordinary into sagehood and being able to command the myriad spirits. This is why Zhenren Ma said, “Mercury is not the same as quicksilver.” Later students rarely truly understand this, and therefore harbor doubts about it.

Zhenren Tao also said: “If one says it is not the quicksilver of the world…” The scripture continues: “Cinnabar is produced from metal; mercury is born from lead…”

This is not a subtle essential teaching that ordinary people in the world can easily understand. Since ancient times, Zhenren (Perfected Ones) have all cultivated from ordinary human beings into sages, united with the Dao of the Great Elixir, and ultimately ascended to higher realms. But there are many deluded people, and they often mistake the principles.

The Dao of alchemy, in the final analysis, cannot depart from the two forces of Yin-Yang and the two symbols of Dragon and Tiger. Lead is the designation “Water One” and represents the water of the North; “Heche” (River Chariot) is another name for lead. Metal is born from water: the number of metal is four, the number of water is one; together they make five. Mercury is also called Azure Dragon and represents the wood of the East; wood can generate fire, the number of wood is three, the number of fire is two. Cinnabar is the name of fire; two and three together also make five. Earth among the Five Phases has no fixed direction and is named according to the four seasons. Water and metal combine to make five; wood and fire also combine to make five, and so it is called “three and five.” This is the subtlety of the Dao of Huandan (Returning Elixir).

Few can truly grasp the subtlety of Huandan. Only those who understand it deserve to be called sages. The creative transformations symbolized by alchemy lie ultimately in one’s own mind—whether one can transform at will and master them autonomously. If one does not know the true knack, then even if one recites the oral formulas repeatedly, without meeting a master to transmit them, success will in the end be difficult.

I recall that in my early years I went astray and made mistakes; seeking the Dao, I traveled on foot through mountains and rivers, spent money, and yet gained nothing. Later I suddenly received instruction and, as if waking from drunkenness, became enlightened: the Great Dao is right before us, and from it one may even reach the clouds. Thus we know that the Great Dao is not far away. It is only that people often hide what is easy to obtain and instead describe it as difficult; they fear that foolish people will treat the Great Dao with contempt. If it were regarded as too easy, it might bring about the heavenly officials reducing one’s lifespan and the spirits taking away one’s years. Therefore the Zhenren Jie Jing (Scripture of Admonitions of the Perfected) says: people all wish to prolong life, yet often because body and mind are gradually invaded by yin conditions, they end in yin death. How could this count as the wondrous art that causes yang Qi to grow?

Without cultivating, one wishes to add to life; or even harms others and injures the myriad things—how could one live long? Even if one meets a Zhiren (Perfected Person), if their Dao-minds do not resonate, the other will not transmit. The Keyi (the norms of cultivation and ritual) in the scriptures says that if one wishes to attain long life, cultivate Huandan, and refine the Great Elixir, one must understand the furnace and cauldron; understanding the furnace and cauldron, one must also understand the fire timing; understanding the fire timing, one must also understand the mind. After clearly understanding the mind-method, one must further consider whether one is beset by many obstacles or has karmic hindrances from past lives. Even if one truly has some realization, one must not transmit it carelessly to others. If the Dao-method is not transmitted, the lineage will be cut off; if it is transmitted to unsuitable people, it will bring disaster.

From this we know that all wondrous methods are inseparable from realization in the mind. The mind is the root of transcending the world, while the elixir is the medicine for prolonging life. After taking the elixir, it is said, the Yang Palace (the register of the living) will record one’s name, and the Yin Bureau (the register of the dead) will remove it; from then on, even when playing chess, one can display wondrous insight and ultimately become a Shangxian (higher immortal). These are words spoken by true sages and should not be doubted lightly.

After realizing the true intent of the ancient worthies and Zhenren, I further studied the Cantong Qi, the Jinbi Jing, the Guwen Longhu Zhuan, as well as the writings left by the Three Sages and the songs and formulas of the many Perfected Ones, and found that what they discuss never departs from the true and subtle principle.

As for lead and mercury and related matters, I fear later generations may still have unresolved doubts, so I shall set down the relevant meanings once more, to illuminate the Great Dao like a mirror, reveal the true source, dispel the doubts and obstructions in the minds of those who study the Dao, and also let the ignorant understand those deceptive teachings. Once one comprehends and accepts these principles, one will become clear as if ascending the blue clouds and seeing the bright moon. Therefore I set them forth in order, so that people may know and no longer be confused.

_Preface to the Central Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Great Clarity_

Yuanjun (the Primordial Lord) said: Yuanjun is the teacher of the Lord on High, a great spirit able to harmonize Yin-Yang, command wind and rain, govern the movements of the Five Stars, and regulate cold and heat, riding nine dragons and twelve white tigers. All the immortals under heaven are subordinate to Yuanjun, and life and death in the human realm are also governed by Yuanjun. Yet it is said that Yuanjun originally also studied the Dao and took the Divine Elixir, and only then reached such a state; this was not innate. How much more should this be so for lowly Dao cultivators? They should strive to seek the Dao and must not be slack.

Those of superior capacity, after attaining the Dao, rise to become immortal officials; those of middling capacity, after attaining the Dao, dwell in Kunlun; those of inferior capacity, after attaining the Dao, can also attain long life in the world. The wise and clear-minded should practice diligently; what I say is not empty words.

Yuanjun also said: The so-called sages, divine persons, and immortals—these three categories all attained the Dao through cultivation and learning, and were not born so by nature. It is only that their De (Virtue/Power) is high or low, and the offices they hold are honorable or lowly. Thus, even when they are called spirits, sages, or immortals, they are still referred to as “persons,” to show that they were originally human as well. As for spirits born divine by nature, they are called only “spirits” and not “divine persons”: they are called “spirits” because they take light and Qi as their body; to call them “persons” would indicate that they still have a flesh-and-bone body. After attaining the Dao, they can conceal themselves and transform, causing people not to see or hear them.

Anyone who has just attained the immortal Dao is called only an “immortal”; if such a person can ascend to heaven and arrive where the great spirits dwell, they are ranked among the Perfected; if appointed to a post in the heavenly bureaucracy (the celestial administrative offices), they are ranked among the divine persons.

Laozi and Taiyi asked Yuanjun: When one takes the Divine Elixir and attains long life, is it ultimately because of the protection of spirits, or because of the power of the medicine itself?

Yuanjun replied: The effect of long life comes from the elixir, but whether the elixir can be successfully refined depends on the spirits. Without the protection of the spirits, the elixir cannot be refined. Therefore, when about to refine the elixir, one must rectify body and mind, uphold good conduct, and commit no sinful deeds. When the deities take pity on the Dao cultivator, the elixir can be successfully refined; once the Divine Elixir enters the mouth, one’s lifespan has no end.