《雲笈七籤》Vol. 79

What is called “Yin” is the outstanding and extraordinary qi among the essence-qi of the Five Phases, and the pure essence condensed by the Yin-Yang of heaven and earth. Its fluids circulate throughout the bodily form, and therefore it has three grades; the hard and the soft each have their functions, and after a hundredfold refining it reveals wondrous effects.

It can conceal its sharpness, lying hidden like a swallow; it can also release a white radiance that pierces straight to the sun. Its essence is stored hidden in a box, and when purple cloud-qi rises it can again surge toward the stars. Among the numinous and extraordinary things of the world, nothing can surpass it. Although it takes its name from the Dui direction, one of the Bagua directions and belonging to the west, its actual efficacy is drawn from the Li direction, one of the Bagua directions and belonging to the south.

Therefore the sages of antiquity personally tasted all kinds of flavors and held that it is sweet and non-toxic and can nourish the Shen, the spirit. It can turn the soft and weak into the firm and strong, and bring the coarse and shallow into the refined and subtle. Sometimes it is made round, like a round jade disc; sometimes it is made square, like a carpenter’s square. Its radiance is like the bright moon, hidden within the Kan position, the Kan trigram in the Bagua, often corresponding to water. When metal and water combine, the numbers of generation naturally appear. The Xuantai, a mysterious place in Daoist discourse, attracts and summons the essence-qi of the sun; because it arises in accord with nature, it is therefore named “Yin.”

Yin wheat accords in nature with the You direction, one of the Bagua directions and belonging to the west; when made into wine it is warm and free-flowing. Jujube forms its medicinal nature in the Zhen palace, one of the Bagua directions and belonging to the east, being mild and moistening. Blend and take them, once in the morning and once in the evening, with no prohibitions. This can make the bone marrow firm and solid and cause a thin and weak body to become strong; it can also moisten the skin and restore youth to an aged countenance.

As for sexual relations between men and women, even with hundreds of concubines, what is needed for intercourse can quickly be made ready. It can also drive out ghosts and remove evil and eliminate illness and pain: those suffering from wind-fatigue, deficiency palpitations, contractures of the hands and feet, lameness, sores and swellings, and leprosy will be cured by one dose; after taking it for three full weeks, all will recover. The body can return to its original condition, and the appearance can be as beautiful as before. Leaning against a pillar of the Zhen direction, one is not disturbed; facing a window of the Li direction, one has no fear.

If one can, according to the eight seasonal nodes, the two nodes into which each of the four seasons is divided, and the four seasons, gather the first-born things among the hundred substances, and further combine them with various medicines to make the principal medicine, using them either dried or wet, preparing them as powders or pills, and harmonize the medicinal nature according to cold and heat, regulating the body in accordance with daoyin methods, then after taking it one can set aside all the myriad affairs of the world, with a mind as still as dead ashes and a body as silent as dry wood. The impurities within the body decrease day by day, and the clear and empty qi gradually increases, enabling one to penetrate the hidden and perceive the dark, and to command spirits and ghosts. Even if one drinks only clear liquid, one does not find it turbid; even if one cuts off food and drink, one does not feel hungry, and the stomach and intestines gradually transform into...

Tendons, bones, and marrow gradually transform; the body grows wings, as if one were in the void. Riding cranes and dragons, flying to and fro amid mist and rosy clouds, one attains eternal life without aging, with a lifespan equal to Heaven and Earth. This is the highest grade among celestial immortals (tianxian).

If one does not seek to transcend the dusty world but only seeks to pass a long life peacefully among humans, then from the day one begins taking the medicine, one should restrain desires and avoid indulgence. After one, two, or three years, by applying modest methods of regulation, restraint, and guidance, only at eighty or ninety may one begin to use the ears and eyes freely. At that time hearing and observation remain acute, spirit and complexion are fuller, countenance is renewed daily, and wisdom grows ever deeper with age. One’s strength suffices to uproot mountains and lift cauldrons, to drag nine oxen backward; in recitation one can read ten thousand words a day, and the writings of the Five Phases can be read through at one stretch. There is no obstacle on one’s path; one may do as one wishes, at ease between Heaven and Earth, with one’s gaze reaching centuries ahead. Although one still cannot see with one’s own eyes the Eastern Sea turn into mulberry fields, nor go to the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu, a female immortal of legend) to pick immortal peaches, one can nonetheless live freely in the world and may be counted among the higher ranks of terrestrial immortals (dixian), perhaps?

An old saying goes: “Superior medicines nourish life, middling medicines nourish nature, inferior medicines remove illness.” All three kinds of effects can be present here. How can medicines with similar effects be mentioned in the same breath? They merely make the skin and body somewhat fuller and let the Qi (vital energy) flow through; how could they compare with this medicine?

It is only that people in the world are deluded about the way of nourishing life and make themselves perilous and fragile; they look only to the present and do not consider the long term, and they suppose that lifespan has a fixed limit, unrelated to medicine and regulation. If that were truly so, could one drink the poisoned feathers of the zhen bird and still live for a moment? Swallowing aconite (wutou, a toxic drug), by contrast, makes one die early. Since some things can shorten lifespan, how could there be nothing that lengthens it? To believe the former and not the latter is truly confused and foolish.

Moreover, even when the iron-eating beast (a legendary creature said to feed on iron) gets only coarse and inferior matter, it can still be strong and fierce, surpassing ordinary beasts. How much more so for humans: if they can take what is refined, light, and pure, there has never been a case in which they fail to gain an extraordinary constitution and long life.

I consider the effects of the Yindan elixir exquisite and incomparable, and so I restate the old formula and compose a new title, hoping that discerning gentlemen will know these assessments are not empty words. As for the other minor effects, along with the methods of combining, preparing, and dosing the medicine, I will append them in due course and discuss them together.

In the second year of Kaiyao of the Tang dynasty, the year being Renwu, the fifteenth day, Jiyou, of the first month, whose first day was Yiwei, composed by Su You.

Chapter One: The Superior Grade—Nourishing Shen (spirit) and Preserving Life

On the Functions of the Yindan Elixir, First

The treatise says: All elixirs chiefly based on iron have a rather heavy, stable medicinal nature and act slowly. If one wants to take only this kind of elixir and see results, one often has to wait a long time—probably because people's viscera and bowels are originally weak; if the body were originally replete, how could this be so?

Medicines with a stronger medicinal nature necessarily act faster. Why is this? For example, dodder seed must be taken with clear wine, and iris must be assisted by “Yellow □.” The purpose of using herbal medicines first as guides is to have them coordinate with one another and promote the exertion of medicinal power. Herbs act quickly and also dissipate easily; iron's medicinal nature acts slowly but lasts long. Therefore, when a person taking the medicine sees an effect shortly after beginning, that is the action of the herbs, not the efficacy of the iron elixir. The iron elixir's nature is heavy and slow; at the beginning of taking it, it will not immediately show effects. If because of this one considers the medicine ineffective and stops taking it midway, it is like giving up halfway through digging a well—the previous labor is wasted.

Therefore, the three-grade formulas (prescriptions classified by drug grade) all also use plant and herbal medicines to guide and assist the medicinal power. The Benjing says that both upper-grade and middle-grade medicines may be taken long-term; the three-grade formulas made today likewise use both. This is like the Ji sovereign obtaining the Grand Duke's assistance: to cross a great river, one still needs a boat and oars.

Although the iron elixir belongs to the same category as the Golden Elixir, even long-term use has no set deadline for an outbreak; therefore the formulas do not discuss methods for relieving drug-induced harm. This is comparable to people using iron vessels to hold food—no one has ever been heard to contract an “iron disease” from it. From this we see that the iron elixir is suitable for long-term use. As for substances such as sulfur, mica, and stalactite, some decoct them into soups or steep them in wine, while others make them into pills and powders. Many people take them, and no small number fall ill, often showing disordered eating and daily routine, perforating ulcers on the back, and splitting lesions of the head. In summer they wrap themselves in thick clothes and drink hot wine, yet still cannot relieve their shivering; in winter they live by springs and eat cold foods, yet cannot eliminate the heat in their bodies. Even small doses are harmful; the more one takes, the more likely one is to shorten one's lifespan. People ancient and modern have seen these things with their own eyes and commonly know them. From this we see how could such medicines be suitable for long-term use? Compared with the iron elixir, how can they be mentioned in the same breath?

Therefore, the original formula says: Iron can make the skin and flesh firm and able to endure pain, brighten the eyes and settle the spirit; it can fill the bone marrow, nourish the skin and flesh, and stabilize the hun and po souls. For diseases such as heat wind, deficiency and damage, palpitations, and epilepsy, it can cure them all. Those who can take it long-term will have a strong and vigorous bodily Qi, with one person able to withstand a hundred; their will is firm, their mental strength unmatched, and whatever they have seen or heard they will not forget for life. It can also prolong life and increase longevity, enable people to cut off the five grains and stop eating, keep the hair at the temples always black; those already white can turn black again. As for the five taxations and seven damages, the eight winds, the twelve bi-obstructions, and other diseases, there is none it cannot...

After taking it for a full thousand days, one can move as swiftly as a galloping horse.

According to the Bencao Jing (Materia Medica Classic), iron is pungent and sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, and non-toxic. Wrought iron and iron essence are slightly warm; taken over a long time, they may cause a slight feverishness. Cast iron and iron slurry, by contrast, are somewhat cold. Although their cold and warm properties differ, all of them can brighten the eyes, calm the spirit, stabilize the Hun and Po souls, fill out the five viscera, and strengthen the skin and flesh. They can also dispel vexation, remove dark spots, and are used to treat pathogenic heat and wind in the skin, epilepsy, palpitations, mental confusion, malignant sores, guoju—a type of skin sore—scabies, ringworm, and itching, as well as qi stagnation between the chest and diaphragm and difficulty digesting food. It is also said that iron can treat various malignant diseases of the lower body, such as genital sores, rectal prolapse, pinworms in the abdomen, and the five types of hemorrhoids.

The Mingyi Bielu (Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians) says: iron filings are heated and then put into wine to be drunk, and this can treat thief-wind and wind-zhù, disorders caused by wind pathogens. It also says: heat an iron ball until red, plunge it into salt and vinegar, then wrap it in blue cloth and apply it for a long time as a hot compress to the armpit; this can remove underarm odor and the smell of sweat. Drinking iron slurry, or the clarified iron liquid produced when a blacksmith grinds iron, is said to make women sterile. Hard iron combined with Banxia decoction can treat qi choking and regurgitation.

In the ancient records of immortal formulas there is also “Iron Elixir,” but it is not an ordinary medicine, and timid people dare not take it. There is another method of reducing iron to a liquid and drinking it; it is said to calm the spirit, strengthen memory, dispel wind, and clear heat. There is also a method of taking iron powder, but its effects are ultimately inferior to the methods above.

Looking again at ancient and modern medical formulas, only gold and jade cannot be taken casually, because they are toxic and will scorch and rot a person’s heart and intestines; silver and iron, however, are considered safe for long-term use and non-toxic. Someone once took “Yinju”; after one year he felt that his body had already undergone some change; by the second year his strength had become more robust; after three years his physical strength was ten times greater than normal. Thereafter he grew gradually stronger still, and the breath through his mouth and nose was very vigorous. Even when he took other medicines, none could compare with it. However, in sexual matters, excessive yang qi became troublesome: whether walking or sitting, his penis could not soften. If one wishes to eliminate this drawback, another formula can be used, namely the “Kaixing Biqing” (Opening Nature and Closing Desire) formula that I created, which has already been listed in the upper-grade chapter.

In recent times some people have modified this formula, adding various foreign drugs, and claimed that it both strengthens the power of the heart and prevents the male organ from becoming overexcited. I observe that such formulas mostly use black pepper, long pepper, Su Mi, dried ginger, cubeb, and more than ten other drugs, which are then mixed with Yindan and taken. Examining the properties of these drugs, they are both hot and tonifying, and can also descend qi; how could they fail to cause excess yang in the male organ? I suspect that someone deliberately claimed to be different from others and therefore uttered such falsehoods to confuse ordinary people. Alas . . .

The efficacy of this matter does not come from esteeming the distant and despising the near. I compiled the Kaixing Biqing Fang (Formula for Opening the Nature and Closing the Emotions), in which all the medicinal materials are produced in the Central Plains and need not be sought in remote border regions. After repeated trials, I now make it public so that worthy persons truly determined to study the Dao may know it; it is not to be transmitted to those who would use it for pretentious display and to deceive the world. The effects described here are indeed rare and extraordinary, and the preparation methods are set out below.

Method Two: Making the Yindan Elixir

Whoever wishes to refine the Iron Yindan Divine Elixir (an elixir made chiefly from iron) must first distinguish the properties of the various kinds of iron and select good iron before refining it. Most ancient formulas regard iron produced at Baizhang in Yazhou and Dongqu in Jianzhou as the best; that produced at Dulu in Lingzhou as second; and that produced at Wusheng in Bingzhou as inferior. Iron from the two prefectures of Zangke and Guangchen need not be repeatedly smelted and quenched; it can be forged directly, for it is naturally hard iron.

The iron produced in the four prefectures of Jia, Ling, Rong, and Zi is similar in effect to that of Guangliu, but when it is smelted, quenched, and hardened, Baizhang iron must be mixed in before it is fit for consumption. Iron from Qizhou, Zhongzhou, Yuzhou, and other places is weak in substance and unsuitable for use. The iron produced in Xiazhou is adjacent to Dangyang, and its quality is also second-rate. Generally, the iron in common use cannot compare with the iron produced at Dangyang in Jingzhou, which is the best.

Since ancient times, the iron of the Chu region has been uniform in quality, hard and strong, and sharp. If one takes an elixir refined from this iron, one will also become agile and strong. Someone said that in the Liaodong army there were a thousand blades that, when cutting the enemy, could even sever armor; when other blades struck against one another, none could match them. When people asked the reason, the army said these blades were made of Dangyang iron. Everyone considered this iron extraordinary and precious. From this we can see that Dangyang iron is indeed outstanding; therefore, in refining elixirs today, it is best to use it.

When smelting, quenching, and hardening the iron, one must use charcoal made from oak, chestnut, and similar woods; all other charcoals are unsuitable. The fire timing and intensity must be regulated properly, and one must be able to distinguish accurately whether the fire has reached the raw or mature stage; if the fire timing is improper, the finished product cannot be used.

The formula is as follows:

Take one hundred jin of hard iron. (Choose naturally hard iron; second best is iron that has been pounded and refined and smelted and quenched five or more times, which is of better quality.)

Forge the above iron into mirror shapes, opening a hole in the middle large enough to admit a finger, so that the shape resembles a jade bi disc. The mirror face should be more than five cun and less than one chi in diameter, and about three fen thick; both sides must be scraped and cut very flat, smooth, and clean. One may also forge the iron into square clamp plates, seven cun long, four cun wide, and three fen thick, with a small hole opened near the upper end. After all one hundred jin of this iron has been made into such mirror-shaped iron pieces...

Next, prepare the “Divine Water.”

Take one sheng of the salt used to harmonize the viscera (it may also be prepared by boiling), ten liang of Xuantai iron-attracting lodestone (magnetite; surface impurities are acceptable), and one and a half sheng of clean flower water. All the above amounts are reckoned by the large sheng. First mix the salt with flower-spring water, stirring until the salt dissolves, then add the powdered lodestone.

Prepare it according to these quantities. Spray both sides of the mirror with the Divine Water until the mirror surface is thoroughly wet. After piercing the mirrors, hang them on a long iron rod, with the mirror plates about three fen apart. First bury the jar in the ground, set up a rack, place the mirrors layer by layer on the rack, and then cover the mouth of the jar with an earthenware basin. It is best to choose a jar suitable for holding the materials; if none is available, a new jar is preferable. After covering it, spread earth about one chi thick over the earthenware basin and sprinkle salt water on it every day to keep the earth moist. After a full one hundred and fifty days, dig out the jar; a layer of deposit will be on the mirror surface, looking like a coat of iron rust.

Scrape off this layer with a hard steel knife. It is purple-red; place it in an iron bowl and grind it with a jade pestle and clear wine, taking care to grind it extremely fine. Then add more wine so that the powder floats; pour the floating portion into another vessel. After it settles, take the sediment at the bottom, dry it in the sun, and again grind it with wine, float it off, and let it settle as before. Repeat this two or three times, and it is ready to take. The coarser remainder should also be ground finer and floated off in the same way until all has been processed.

At the place where the jar is buried, do not let women, children, chickens, dogs, or filthy things come into contact with or disturb it.

If one has previously suffered from cold Qi or zhengpi (abdominal accumulations and similar complaints), or wishes to gain weight, add one tenth part of Zhongru (stalactite) powder to the above-mentioned Divine Water. To strengthen the yang path, add one tenth part of Yangqishi (actinolite) powder; both must be ground extremely fine. Unless one is at least seventy years old, do not add Yangqishi. The Yangqishi must be the black and white varieties produced at Mount Tai; other kinds are unsuitable. There is another method: take one dou of clear water, preferably water collected on the second day of the ninth month.

Another procedure is as follows: take one jin of Xuantai iron-attracting lodestone (surface impurities are acceptable), mix it, and spray it on the mirror surface so that the coating is thicker. The remaining steps are the same as before.

Yet another procedure: bore a small hole in the bottom of the jar and dig a small channel in the ground beneath it, with water constantly flowing through the channel; the jar must not be exposed to wind and sun. Left this way for one hundred days, it will be ready, with more deposit than in the previous method; if it is urgently needed, fifty days will also do. The author considers this method suitable for use in the mountains.

It also says: “Tomorrow the jar is to be buried; today…” The original text breaks off here.

At night one must fast and purify body and mind. When burying this substance, do not let women, children, chickens, dogs, or sick people see it. One should also choose the Cheng day (Completion Day), Man day (Fullness Day), and Chu day (Removal Day) to carry it out. It is best to bury it at the location corresponding to auspicious days such as the Jian day (Establishment Day), Wang day (Prosperity Day), Sheng day (Flourishing Day), and Jie day (Purity Day).

The Formula for Opening the Nature and Closing the Passions, No. 3

The treatise says: In my view, the supreme Dao is profound and mysterious, and few seek it. Even noble people who cherish life rarely can persist to the end. The reason is simply that accumulated habitual defilements have not yet been eliminated and emotional desires still remain. If so, when can one go to the Southern Palace and have one’s bodily form refined by vermilion fire, and when can one have one’s name removed from the black register of the Northern Bureau?

After studying the scriptural formulas, I myself prepared this “Opening the Nature and Closing the Passions” formula to cut off all licentious and evil thoughts. I have tried it many times, and my state of mind became like dead ashes. For those resolved to enter the Dao, it can make the spirit peaceful and the will firm; for those who nourish life, it can fill the marrow and extend lifespan. In this way, all kinds of illnesses can be regulated and cured naturally, and the host of demons will withdraw their traces. As long as one takes it regularly, one can ascend to the path of immortality. Therefore, is preparing this formula not something worth doing with care?

First Formula:

Yin Dan, thirty-two parts; daylily root, twenty-four parts (dried); glossy privet fruit, twenty-four parts; black nightshade seeds, twenty-four parts (chopped and dried); Qingmuxiang, twenty-four parts; Sophora root, eighteen parts (chopped and dried); white melon seeds, ten parts (choose the sweet ones); dried grapes, twenty-eight parts (choose those produced in Longxi); wild rice shoots, twenty parts (harvested in the eighth or ninth month); parasitic plant fruits, eighteen parts (those growing on any kind of tree are acceptable); Duku root, twelve parts (chopped and dried); lotus seeds, thirty-two parts (peeled, cored, and dried).

The above twelve ingredients are to be combined and processed together according to the prescribed method. In a clean room, have a ritually pure young boy pound and sift them. The seeds with more oil and moisture should be pounded together into a paste; after being ground fine, mix them with the remaining medicinal powder and continue pounding until extremely fine.

When preparing in spring, use cherry juice to blend the medicine into pills; in other seasons, cook hemp seed juice into a thin batter and use it to make pills. Make the pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice a day, and administer them with wine, honey water, or ginger decoction. Avoid pungent foods, foods containing blood, and stale, foul-smelling things.

Second Formula:

Yin Dan, twelve parts; Xiebai, one handful (dried); Sophora seeds, three he (soaked for seven days); daylily root, eight parts (chopped and stir-fried).

Wild rice shoots (gu shou), 3 fen (harvested in the eighth month); licorice root, 6 fen (prepared by roasting). Chinese chive seeds, 5 ge (stir-fried until yellow); coix seed, 6 fen.

The eight ingredients above are prepared by the usual method. In a clean room, have a young boy pound them, sift them, and mix them thoroughly.

Make pills the size of wutong seeds with white honey and take them with jujube decoction: 25 pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to 60 pills as the fixed dose. Avoid pork, garlic, fish, wheat-based foods, blood soup, the five pungent vegetables (scallions, garlic, chives, Chinese leeks, asafoetida, and other pungent vegetables), and stale, foul-smelling items.

This formula is claimed to nourish the spirit, protect central qi, stabilize the hun and po souls, and enable a person to transcend the mundane world. For this long-term formula for becoming an immortal, begin taking it on a Jianwang day (one of the auspicious days chosen in Daoism).

Yindan, 120 fen; Fu Shen (Poria with hostwood), 81 fen; ginseng, 36 fen; Chijian (Gastrodia), 10 parts, with the core removed; Ophiopogon, 24 fen; Achyranthes root, 32 fen.

Mix the six ingredients above with jujube paste or white honey and form pills the size of wutong seeds; they may also be taken with wine. Take 12 pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to 24 pills, after which there is no further increase; continue taking them in all four seasons.

The formula claims that after a full thousand days, the intestines will transform into sinews, the complexion will become like a child’s, white hair will turn black, lost teeth will regrow, and one’s strength will equal that of ten people. After three thousand days, one can travel five hundred li a day, run as fast as a galloping horse, and command ghosts and spirits. After seven thousand days, the body and bone marrow will be transformed and renewed; the Five Sacred Mountains will come to pay homage, and the Jade Maiden Qingyao (Qingyao Yunü, a fairy in Daoist legend) will also come to serve and protect. After ten thousand days, one can ascend to heaven in broad daylight, meet the Supreme Lord Yuchen (Taishang Yuchen Jun), be enfeoffed as an Immortal Duke, and have a lifespan equal to heaven and earth.

Avoid strong vinegar and stale, foul-smelling things; also avoid mourning households. When compounding the medicine, do not let children, women, chickens, or people who are physically disabled or deficient see it.

Fifth, a long-term formula claimed to preserve youth, turn white hair black, make the bone marrow firm, increase spiritual powers, and prolong life; begin taking it on a Liuding day (one of the auspicious days chosen in Daoism).

Yindan, 120 fen; Poria, 32 fen; yarrow seeds, 81 fen; Achyranthes root, 72 fen; cinnamon heart, 24 fen; Asparagus root, 32 fen.

Mix the six ingredients above with jujube paste or white honey and form pills the size of wutong seeds; they may also be taken with wine. Take 12 pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to 24 pills, after which do not increase further; continue taking them in all four seasons. If the person originally suffers from wind disease (here referring to illnesses caused by wind pathogens in ancient medical theory), add Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia) 32 fen. There is...

...For Qi deficiency, add 28 fen of tangerine peel; for distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, add 24 fen of bitter orange; for dry and withered skin, add 32 fen of toasted arborvitae seed; for lack of spirit and fatigue, add 24 fen of Polygala root with the core removed; for nocturnal emissions and seminal leakage, add 24 fen of white dragon bone; for difficult discharge of semen, add 24 fen of mulberry mistletoe; for coldness of the body, add 28 fen of dried ginger; for signs of heat, add 28 fen of raw Rehmannia (used raw).

It is said that after one month of taking it, wind pathogens within the skin will be completely eliminated; after a full hundred days, wind pathogens in the sinews and vessels will be eliminated; after a full year, wind pathogens in the body will be eliminated; after one thousand days, wind pathogens in the bone marrow will be eliminated; after three thousand days, wind pathogens in the five viscera and six bowels will be eliminated. By this time, the physical form seems wholly renewed, scars completely disappear, white hair turns black, lost teeth grow back, and one’s appearance becomes like that of a youth of fifteen or sixteen. The person will grow wiser day by day and gradually transcend the mundane world; spirits and ghosts can be seen, and one can even command the Six Ding Jade Maidens (protective deities in Daoism). The body becomes light as wind, one can see all things day and night, and one also has the strength to carry heavy loads. Traveling throughout mountains and rivers, malevolent spirits and evil specters dare not approach, and the deities of mountains and forests everywhere come to pay their respects. This method should be kept strictly secret, and the prohibitions should be followed as stated earlier.

The “Liu Zhu” (“Six Masters”) formula is said to calm the spirit, supplement the bone marrow, make the muscles hard as iron, and make the strength robust and fierce, so that one person can withstand a hundred. For long-term use of this formula, begin taking it on a Wang day (an auspicious day selected for the purpose).

Yin Dan 120 fen, dried Rehmannia 81 fen, dodder seed 72 fen (steamed), Poria 24 fen (refined until yellow), Xu Changqing 32 fen, and Morinda root 72 fen.

The above six ingredients are blended with honey and made into pills the size of parasol-tree seeds. If taken with wine, take 24 pills each time, twice daily; thereafter increase by two pills each day until reaching 32 pills per dose, which is the regular dosage.

It is said that after taking it for a hundred days, yang qi will become greatly abundant, the voice clear and resonant, and one will walk as if flying. After one year, all illnesses are eliminated, the sinews, bones, and marrow fluids are replete, and one’s strength suffices to match a hundred men; in sexual intercourse one can handle a hundred partners in a night without becoming tired. The complexion is radiant and moist, the face like a flower; one can perceive dark and hidden places and see all things clearly; one can subdue ghosts and spirits, and all undertakings go as desired. When epidemics spread, the body will never contract the disease. After ten years of taking it, one can make the body light and ascend into the clouds, roam in the realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), and travel through the Five Sacred Mountains; one can also go back and forth to Yuanqiao and Fangzhu, and wander with immortals and sages...

Those who cling to the dusty world should warn themselves not to disclose the effects of medicines that prolong life; revealing an immortal’s prescription is a great taboo. When the ancients took medicines, they would retreat into famous mountains and great marshes—there was indeed a reason for this. Be sure to be cautious in this matter.

On Opening the Heart and Benefiting Wisdom

Yin powder 120 fen, calamus 81 fen, Polygala 32 fen, ginseng 49 fen, turtle shell 24 fen (roasted), Chinese yam 24 fen, and dragon bone 12 fen. Blend these seven ingredients with honey and form pills the size of wutong seeds.

Take 24 pills each time with wine, three times a day; thereafter increase each dose by two pills, gradually up to 32 pills, and use this as the regular dose. The scripture says: after taking it for a full hundred days, the heart and spirit become open and clear; after two hundred days, the ears are acute and the eyes bright; after three hundred days, one can infer ten from one; after three full years, one can see objects at night as if by light, recite ten thousand words a day, and remember what one has read once. It also says that this medicine can give long life and enduring vision, with an appearance like that of a spirit. While taking it, avoid sheep’s blood, malt sugar, and stale or putrid things.

On Taking the Elixir Alone, Without Combining Herbal Medicines, to Prevent and Treat Various Illnesses

Begin taking the formula on a Jiazi day.

Yin Dan 360 fen. Mix the medicine with twice its amount of jujube paste, grind and blend evenly, and form pills the size of hemp seeds. Take seven pills each time, with wine or well-flower water (well water drawn at dawn); either is acceptable. Take once each morning and evening, gradually increasing to twenty pills per dose as the regular amount.

The scripture says: after a full hundred days, the waist and kidneys are strong; after three hundred days, the five viscera are replete; after a full thousand days, the marrow and bones are firm and strong, and at night one can serve a hundred women in succession without fatigue. If one begets children, they will be unusually intelligent and radiant in appearance. After three thousand days, one can walk three hundred li a day, lift a thousand jin, reach a body weight of 360 jin, and even break trees a chi in diameter. After taking it persistently for ten thousand days, one will surely attain the realm of immortality. However, the scripture also says that it is best to combine three to five kinds of upper-grade medicines, for the effects will come more quickly.

Discourse on Prolonging Life and Clarifying the Spirit

The discourse says: all upper-grade medicines are used to nourish life and settle the heart and spirit. Those who take them must observe the higher rules of cultivation. If one can sincerely revere the Dao, strictly keep austere discipline, and single-mindedly seek immortality, only then does such cultivation hold hope of attaining immortality. If one does not seek immortality, is unwilling to leave worldly life, and only wishes to enjoy human pleasures, then after taking the medicine one should still abstain from desire for a year, so that the medicine’s power can unfold, the marrow becomes full and firm, all illnesses are eliminated, true Qi enters the body, the spirit becomes complete, the internal organs are properly ordered, and inside and outside are pure...

It makes the hun and po souls (the human spirit and soul) clear and strong, joins one inwardly with the Dao, and outwardly repels evil Qi—these are its effects.

The Yiru Jing says: If one cannot suddenly cut off the habit of indulging in lust and worldly pleasures, one should first persevere for a hundred days. As for matters such as nocturnal emissions and loss of Jing, the principle is also clear: if one cannot be careful and restrain oneself, merely taking medicines will be of no benefit. This is like stirring boiling water to stop it from boiling; better to remove the firewood from beneath the stove.

Therefore the scripture says, “Chicks and silkworm eggs should be raised; do not take them for your own food.” This is what it means.

As for one’s dwelling and daily life, cleanliness must be maintained; clothing and all articles should be fragrant and clean. Do not lend shoes and other such items to others, lest Qi become mixed and disturb one another. If upright Qi cannot dwell securely, the hun and po souls become scattered; if there are many dreams, Shen consciousness (mental awareness) is not clear; if Shen consciousness is unclear, the mind and will are hard to focus; if the mind and will are not focused, the emotions become restless and agitated. In this way one begins but does not finish, and few can persevere in taking medicines and nurturing the body to the very end.

If one’s dwelling is clean, clothing fragrant and neat, medicines fine and fresh, body and mind stable, and one takes the medicine without interruption, resolves to live long, avoids mixed and casual associations, concentrates only on inner vision (inwardly observing the body and mind), follows the method and observes the precepts, absorbs primordial Qi, and conserves Jing and Qi—then after ten years of this, immortals from all quarters will come; Qingyao Cheng and Ji will also come to guard one; the Six Jia Direct Talismans (the guardian spirit generals spoken of in Daoism) will be at one’s command; the twelve guardian officers will all arrive when summoned; and the eight emissary heavenly officials will also come in response to one’s thoughts. If one can reach this stage, one has already realized the way of the immortals—why cling to whether one is old or young?

Pungent vegetables and flesh and blood are strictly avoided by immortals; one should also not go to dangerous and polluted places. If one briefly comes into contact with them for legitimate medical treatment, this is not included in the prohibition.

The upper, middle, and lower three grades of ingested medicines, including pills and powders, may be selected according to individual constitution and season; there is no fixed and unchanging formula. As long as one pays attention to regulation and knows the proper measure, one can infer the rest by analogy. The way of upper-grade nourishing life is finished here.

Middle Grade · Chapter Two: Harmonizing the Body and Nourishing the Nature and Temperament

Formula chiefly for various head and face ailments, harmonizing the body, and, when taken long term, preserving the complexion and turning white hair black (begin taking it on the day of Beginning of Spring):

Yindan, thirty-six fen; Huaizi (Sophora seeds), nineteen fen; Yeqian, twelve fen; Niuxi (Achyranthes root), twenty-four fen; Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia root), twelve fen.

The above five medicinal substances are made with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice daily; thereafter increase by two pills each time, until thirty pills per dose becomes the regular amount. After taking them for a full hundred days, the whole body…

It can treat various diseases of the head and face. Taken continuously for one year, all white hair will turn black, the complexion and body will be like a child’s, the body will feel light, and the eyes will be bright. After taking it for a full thousand days, it is said one can see ghosts and spirits and can see objects at night as though by light. Avoid eating all kinds of meat, as well as stale or foul-smelling food.

11. Formula for Treating Diseases of the Heart and Abdomen, Harmonizing the Body, Suitable for Long-Term Use, and Restoring a Youthful Complexion

(Start taking on the day of Lichun, Beginning of Spring)

Thirty-six parts Yindan, twelve parts Feilian, eleven parts ginseng, twelve parts Atractylodes (baizhu), and twenty parts Poria (fuling).

The above five medicinals are made with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice daily; gradually increase by two pills each time up to thirty pills as the regular maintenance dose.

After taking it for one hundred days, it is said all diseases of the whole body and of the heart and abdomen can be cured. After one year, white hair will turn black, and the complexion will be like that of a fifteen-year-old girl; one can eat four or five times a day, and the mind and spirit will be calm. After taking it for a full thousand days, it is said one can command mountain spirits (mountain goblins). Avoid peaches, plums, strong vinegar, and stale or foul-smelling food.

12. Formula for Treating Diseases of the Four Limbs, Harmonizing the Body, Suitable for Long-Term Use, and Restoring a Youthful Complexion

(Start taking on the day of Xiazhi, Summer Solstice)

Thirty-two parts Yindan, eighteen parts Cornus (shanzhuyu), twelve parts Achyranthes (niuxi), twelve parts Shilongrui, and twelve parts Eucommia (duzhong).

The above five medicinals are made with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice daily; gradually increase by two pills each time up to thirty pills as the regular maintenance dose.

After taking it for one hundred days, it is said all diseases of the four limbs can be cured. After one year, the waist and legs will be light and strong, sexual potency will not decline, white hair will turn black, and the ears will be sharp and the eyes bright. After taking it for a full thousand days, it is said the corpse worms (shichong; as Daoism describes, worms that lodge in the human body and harm body and mind) will all die, all parts of the body will be relaxed and coordinated, the joints will be harmonious, cold disorders of the head will also be eliminated, and it will help one to have many children. Avoid unclean fish and meat, and stale or foul-smelling food.

13. Formula for Treating Chest Diseases, Harmonizing the Body, Suitable for Long-Term Use, and Restoring a Youthful Complexion

(Start taking on the day of Liqiu, Beginning of Autumn)

Thirty-six parts Yindan, six parts Angelica dahurica (baizhi), twelve parts Saposhnikovia (fangfeng), six parts Asarum (xixin), twenty parts Achyranthes (niuxi), and eighteen parts licorice (gancao), prepared (zhi, i.e., processed).

The above six medicinals are made with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice daily; gradually increase by two pills each time up to thirty pills as the regular maintenance dose. After taking it for one hundred days, it is said the whole body...

All kinds of ailments of the chest and back can be cured. After taking it for a year, hearing and sight become sharp, the breath is fragrant and clean, the skin is full and moist, and the eyes, head, and face feel light and agile; wind pathogen is also eliminated, the nine orifices become unobstructed, the five viscera are calm and harmonious, and various feelings of oppression, bloating, and fullness are alleviated. While taking it, avoid raw vegetables, stale and foul-smelling food, and songcai (cabbage-type vegetables), etc.

Fourteen: A formula that increases fortune and charisma, makes one beloved, improves appearance, and prolongs life (begin taking on Lichun, the beginning of spring)

Take Yin Dan elixir, seventy-two parts; Maimendong (Ophiopogon), thirty-two parts; Wansui, twenty-four parts; Niuxi (Achyranthes), twenty-four parts; Shishi (yarrow seed), twenty-four parts; and Duyacao, twenty-four parts. Roll the above six ingredients with honey into pills the size of wutong (parasol-tree) seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice daily; increase the dose by two pills each time until reaching thirty-two pills, then continue at that fixed amount. After one hundred days, the skin becomes glossy and pleasing; after two hundred days, the face becomes like that of a youth of fifteen or sixteen; after three hundred days, one is full of charm, liked by all who see one, with an ethereal bearing beyond description. Many desires of the heart can be fulfilled. Avoid the five pungent vegetables (scallions, garlic, Chinese chives, and other pungent foods), fish and meat, stale and foul-smelling food, raw vegetables, and the like.

Fifteen: A formula that helps make the joints and limbs supple, keeps the nine orifices open and the hundred vessels circulating, improves appetite, lightens the body, and prolongs life (begin taking on a Jian day; Jian day is a day marker used for date selection in the ancient calendar)

Take Yin Dan elixir, eighty-four parts; Tianmendong (Asparagus root), forty-two parts; Kushen (Sophora root), twenty-four parts; Baizhu (Atractylodes), twenty-four parts; Qingmuxiang, twelve parts; Tusizi (dodder seed), twelve parts; Guixin (cinnamon heart), twenty-four parts; Gancao (licorice), twelve parts; Fuling (poria), twenty-four parts; and Niuxi (Achyranthes), twenty-four parts. Roll the above ten ingredients with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take fifteen pills each time, twice daily; increase by two pills each time, up to a maximum of twenty-four pills. If one wishes to enlarge and firm the penis, add Bajitian (Morinda root), twenty-four parts, and Roucongrong (Cistanche), twenty-four parts; if one wishes for free urination, add Zexie (Alisma), twenty-one parts; if the wind pathogen is relatively strong, add Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia), thirty parts; if one frequently suffers from head wind, add Chuanxiong (Ligusticum), twenty-four parts, Shanzhuyu (Cornus), twenty-four parts, and Shuyu (Chinese yam), twenty parts; if internal injury is severe, add Lujiaojiao (deer antler glue), twenty-eight parts, and Zhixuduan (prepared Dipsacus), twenty parts; if there is heat in the body, add Gan Dihuang (dried Rehmannia), twenty-four parts. Avoid peaches, plums, garlic, raw vegetables, stale and foul-smelling food, carp, vinegar, and the like.

16. Formula for Calming the Spirit and Strengthening Memory

Yin Dan, eighty-one parts; Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia), thirty-four parts; Yuanzhi (Polygala), twenty-four parts; Tianmendong (Asparagus tuber), twenty-one parts; Changpu (Acorus), twenty-four parts (choose the long nine-jointed ones); Ginseng, twenty-four parts; Fuling (Poria), twenty-four parts; Tongcao (Tetrapanax), twelve parts.

The above eight ingredients are made with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice a day; gradually increase by two pills each time, up to twenty-eight pills. After taking it for three hundred days, it is said that one can remember past events; after six hundred days, one can clearly remember everything one has learned in life; after nine hundred days, one can recite ten thousand characters and never forget them for life. It is also said that this formula can broaden the mind and will, soften the voice, eliminate various heat-wind ailments, and make the body and spirit vigorous and the viscera peaceful. After taking it for nine years, one will become as wise as a spirit, have a moist and lustrous complexion, remain unaging for life, and reach the realm of becoming an immortal. During the medication period, avoid mutton, malt sugar, carp, very sour vinegar, stale and foul-smelling items, and the Five Pungents (pungent foods such as scallions, garlic, and chives).

17. Formula for Treating Weakness of the Heart-Spirit, Fear and Palpitations, and Mental Restlessness (prepared on calm and stable days)

Yin Dan, eighty-one parts; Fuling (Poria), forty-nine parts; Juanbai (Selaginella), thirty-one parts; Longchi (dragon's teeth), twelve parts (ground into powder); Ginseng, twelve parts.

The above five ingredients are made with honey into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twelve pills each time, twice a day; increase by two pills daily, up to twenty-four pills. After one hundred days, it is said that fear will subside; after two hundred days, even upon hearing sudden thunder one will not be startled, and when encountering danger one will not be afraid; the spirit will be calm and the will firm; it can also prolong life, make the muscles full and moist, and keep the complexion like a child's, without decline throughout life. The text says its efficacy is as if divine. Avoid very sour vinegar, pork, stale and foul-smelling items, and so on.

18. Formula for Driving Out Evil Ghosts, Spectral Monsters, Mountain Spirits, Wangliang, and the Like (prepared on the fifth day of the fifth month or on the La day)

Yin Dan, forty-nine parts; Suhexiang (storax), thirty parts; Qingmuxiang (Aucklandia), twenty-four parts; Anxixiang (benzoin), twenty-four parts; Shexiang (musk), twelve parts; raw rhinoceros horn, twenty-four parts; antelope horn, twelve parts; Baimuxiang (white Aucklandia), twenty-four parts.

The above eight ingredients are made with jujube paste into pills the size of small beans. Take seven pills each time, twice a day. After no more than seven days, it is said that illnesses caused by evil ghosts will all be cured. One may also combine seven pills to make a single pill.

Place the pill on incense fire and fumigate it so that the fragrance reaches the patient’s hidden affected area; if the area is the nostrils, the fragrance may also be inhaled. Fumigate once each morning and evening, and the condition will improve. If this pill is burned while walking in the mountains or lodging in the wild, all kinds of malevolent spirits will withdraw their traces and not dare approach; if one wishes to summon true deities, after it is burned the immortal officials will all arrive, and Jade Maidens will guard the body. Taken over the long term, after a full hundred days, one’s clothes and sweat will carry fragrance; after a thousand days, the bed and pillow one has slept on, the breath one exhales, and the sound of one’s speech will all emit fragrance that can be smelled from afar. It is said that when one stands facing the wind, the fragrance can reach more than thirty li away. Taken for a long time, a hundred evils cannot invade and all demons disperse; after ten thousand days, one can attain the Dao and become an immortal, ascend to Heaven in broad daylight, command ghosts and spirits, broadly aid the world, enjoy long life and enduring vision, and be one with Heaven and Earth. Avoid the five pungent vegetables, raw fish and meat, raw vegetables, peaches and plums, and stale, rancid, foul-smelling things.

Nineteen: Formula for Bigu (grain avoidance) in Famine Years Without Hunger and for Leaving the Worldly Life

The elixir pill formula is as follows (the period of taking is calculated from the day the preparation is completed): Yin Dan 120 fen; Baizhu (Atractylodes) 36 fen; Tianhua Shen 30 fen; Tianmendong (Asparagus root), core removed, 91 fen; true Suhe (storax) 24 fen; Fuling (Poria) 39 fen; pine and cypress 12 fen; refined beeswax 49 fen; Qingmuxiang (Aucklandia) 24 fen; dried Dihuang (Rehmannia) 36 fen; yellow soybean 49 fen; white bark of pine root 22 fen.

Grind the above twelve ingredients into powder, blend with three jin of refined ghee, and form them into pellet-sized pills. Take five pills daily. Taken over the long term, it is said that one will not feel hunger or thirst; it is better to take them with cold water or mellow wine. After taking it, the body becomes light and vigorous, the eyes bright, one is not easily fatigued by labor, and when entering the mountains and traversing dangerous places one is less likely to encounter danger. Those who take it over the long term can become immortals. This medicine can also ward off malevolent spirits, poisonous insects, snakes, and hui (venomous snakes), so that they dare not approach; it can also reduce sleep. What one sees in dreams will be as if personally experienced at daybreak, and one can remember it clearly, gradually coming to understand the affairs of the hidden and dark realms; but this must be kept secret. Avoid bloody foods, raw vegetables, carp, excessive grain food, and stale, rancid, foul-smelling things. If one wishes to practice Bigu, then eat no other food at all.

Twenty: Treatise on Nourishing Nature and Suitable Foods

The treatise says: one should take the medicinal properties of middle-grade medicines as the foundation. When taking medicines and tonics, one should also combine them with Daoyin (a health-cultivation method of regulating the body and moving Qi); if one can practice the above methods as well, it will be even more beneficial for regulating and nourishing the body and nature. In marital sexual relations, it is suitable to release Jing (essence) only once a month; those over fifty should have intercourse once every forty days. In doing so, with respect to taking medicines and tonics, also...

The medicine may cause harm only because its potency has not yet fully developed and the bone marrow still needs to be enriched; this is why regulation and treatment are necessary.

After three years of taking it, the medicinal power becomes active once every three years; it is said that one can then handle a hundred women. An iron mirror can reveal physical forms; ghosts and spirits fear offending its sharp edge, and specters are ashamed to show their own forms. Therefore, the one who takes it can be free for life from the intrusion of evil influences and demons.

However, one begins to take a dose only after three years; one dose is calculated at one hundred jin, and the period of taking it lasts more than a thousand days. This is not because the medicinal power is about to take effect, but because the spirit itself will safeguard its efficacy; the effects are all as described above. One should adjust the medication at any time according to changes in the four seasons. The taking dates mentioned above should all follow the notes below. When taking the medicine, one must eat beef, mutton, river deer, deer, pheasant, rabbit, chicken, duck, goose, and other meats, as well as wine and wheat-based foods, to assist the medicinal power. This is roughly how it is.

Apart from this, people’s natural endowments may be strong or weak, and their physical conditions also vary. For some, the medicinal power becomes vigorous only after a year; for others, it takes several years to show effect. This is all because individual constitutions differ and climatic conditions vary, so one need not find it strange. (This refers to taking this medicine alone; if herbal medicines are taken at the same time, the degree of efficacy should follow what the corresponding prescription says.)

If one practices the highest path and does not concern oneself with wife and children, one may practice the superior-grade True Method of Closing Off Desire (a cultivation method for restraining sexual desire). This can strengthen the body, increase wisdom, and forever cut off arrogance, extravagance, and lust. As for vermilion chambers and purple rooms (places of cultivation), what is so difficult to attain? Since I began taking Yindan (the name of an elixir), nearly a year ago, I have already had certain verifications during this time, which are difficult to describe fully in writing. I only regret that I once missed the opportunity and began too late.

Now I have deliberately recorded it in detail and spread it widely, hoping that people of the Dao can understand my intention.

Lower Grade, Chapter Three: Curing Illness and Removing Disease

Twenty-one: Chiefly treats heart wind and weakness, forgetfulness, and various disorders of the heart.

The above prescription is prepared on Wu and Ji days.

Yindan thirty-two parts, Poria twenty-four parts, Polygala twelve parts, and ginseng twelve parts.

Grind the above four ingredients and make them into honey pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twelve pills each time, twice daily; increase by two pills each time, up to twenty-four pills. After finishing, prepare again according to the prescription. Once cured, one should still stop taking it. Avoid strong vinegar, stale and foul-smelling foods, and the like.

Twenty-two: Chiefly treats spleen wind and weakness, inability to eat, and various disorders of the spleen.

This prescription is prepared on a Gengzi day.

Yindan thirty-six parts, Atractylodes macrocephala twenty-four parts, licorice twelve parts, and cardamom thirteen parts (peeled).

Grind the above four ingredients into honey pills the size of wutong seeds. Take fifteen pills each time, twice daily.

When taking it, gradually increase to twenty pills as the regular dose for continued use. Avoid peaches, plums, garlic, and vegetables, as well as raw, cold, and difficult-to-digest foods.

23. Formula for treating lung Qi deficiency, cough, rebellious Qi rushing upward, and other lung diseases (compounded on Ren or Gui days)

Yin Dan 36 fen, asparagus root 24 fen, Schisandra fruit 14 fen, perilla seed 5 ge.

The above four ingredients are made into honey pills the size of wutong seeds. Take fifteen pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to twenty-one pills as the regular dose for continued use. Avoid carp, raw or fishy foods, large amounts of vinegar, and salty foods.

24. Formula for treating kidney Qi deficiency, lower back pain, and other kidney diseases (compounded on a Ding day)

Yin Dan 36 fen, Eucommia bark 24 fen, Achyranthes root 24 fen, prepared deer antler glue 18 fen.

The above four ingredients are made into honey pills the size of wutong seeds. Take twenty pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to thirty pills as the regular dose for continued use. Avoid raw vegetables and raw fish.

25. Formula for treating liver Qi deficiency, dim vision, and other liver diseases (compounded on a Bingzi day)

Yin Dan 36 fen, Plantago seed 24 fen, Sophora seed 18 fen, Cassia seed 18 fen.

The above four ingredients are made into honey pills. Take ten pills each time, gradually increasing to thirty pills as the regular dose for continued use. Avoid the five pungent vegetables (scallions, garlic, chives, Chinese onion, asafoetida, and other pungent vegetables), as well as pungent-hot and toxic foods.

26. Formula for treating the five taxations and seven injuries, the eight winds, the twelve impediments, as well as Qi deficiency, fatigue, and sexual weakness (may be taken regularly in all four seasons)

Yin Dan 81 fen, Cistanche 39 fen, white gelatin 24 fen, prepared Saposhnikovia root 24 fen, Cnidium seed 12 fen, Dodder seed 18 fen, Chinese yam 12 fen, Poria 12 fen, Schisandra fruit 18 fen, Eucommia bark 18 fen, cinnamon heart 12 fen, Achyranthes root 24 fen.

The above twelve ingredients are made into honey pills. Take twenty-five pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to thirty pills as the regular dose for continued use. Avoid large amounts of vinegar, raw vegetables, and stale, foul-smelling foods.

27. Formula for treating weakness in the bedchamber

Yin Dan 81 fen, Morinda root bark 24 fen.

Dodder seed 24 fen, Cnidium seed 24 fen.

The above four ingredients are blended with sparrow eggs and made into pills. Take 20 pills each time; they may also be blended with chicken eggs. Gradually increase to 30 pills. Contraindications are as stated above.

28. Formula for treating retained food that is not digested, cold pain and distention/fullness in the heart and abdomen, faint rumbling in the abdomen, and inability to eat

Yin Dan 18 fen, Chinese angelica 12 fen, dried ginger 20 fen, Atractylodes macrocephala 12 fen, turmeric 10 fen (roasted/prepared), licorice 10 fen, magnolia bark 10 fen (roasted/prepared), Evodia fruit 10 fen.

The above eight ingredients are made into pills with honey. Take 20 pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to 30 pills as the maintenance dose. Contraindications are as in the previous method.

29. Formula for treating accumulations in the heart and abdomen, with abdominal emaciation and abdominal distention

Yin Dan 12 fen, turtle shell 10 fen (roasted/prepared), cicada shell 10 fen, Achyranthes root 10 fen (roasted/prepared), rhubarb 10 fen, aconite 8 fen (processed by roasting), Fang Kui 8 fen, mulberry fungus 10 fen (golden-yellow).

The above eight ingredients are made into pills with honey. Take 10 pills each time, twice daily. If the illness has lasted a long time and its root is deep, it can also be cured. Contraindications are as in the previous method.

30. Formula for treating “Five Corpses and Nine Infusions,” bone-steaming, transmitted corpse, and recurrent spreading that endangers the household

“Five Corpses and Nine Infusions” were ancient terms for certain diseases believed to be contagious and persistently difficult to cure; “bone-steaming” and “transmitted corpse” also belong to ancient disease names.

Yin Dan 24 fen, otter liver two sets (roasted/prepared), benzoin 10 fen, storax 10 fen, Guiduyou 11 fen, Atractylodes macrocephala 10 fen, Qingmuxiang 8 fen.

The above seven ingredients may be made into pills or powder and taken in whichever way is convenient. For pills, take 7 pills each time, twice daily; for powder, take 1 qian and 7 fen each time. Contraindications are as in the previous method.

31. Formula for treating scabies and leprous sores, carbuncles and abscesses, contracture of the hands and feet that prevents walking, and collapse of the nasal bridge

Yin Dan 128 fen, Asparagus tuber 80 fen, dried snake meat 36 fen, Poria 36 fen, true magnolia bark 30 fen, Sophora root 81 fen, gardenia seed 14 fen, Atractylodes macrocephala 28 fen, Xanthium fruit 20 fen, dried rehmannia 24 fen, Achyranthes root 24 fen, bitter orange 20 fen.

The above twelve ingredients are made into pills with honey. Take 36 pills each time, twice daily.

After taking the medicine for a full hundred days and up to within one year, patients will all recover; even in severe cases, it will take no more than a thousand days at most. After recovery, the complexion will be better than before the illness. The contraindications are the same as those stated earlier.

Formula Thirty-Two: Treating Wasting-Thirst. The patient drinks water incessantly day and night, can even drink as much as one dan, yet cannot eat. Take Yin Dan elixir 40 fen, Kushen (Sophora root) 32 fen, Zhimu (Anemarrhena rhizome) 28 fen, Gualou (Trichosanthes) 32 fen, Huanglian (Coptis) 38 fen, and Maimendong (Ophiopogon) 24 fen (remove the core). The above six ingredients are blended with fresh Rehmannia juice and bamboo juice and made into pills the size of wutong seeds. Several people roll the pills together; after sun-drying, take them with Vitex root juice, 30 pills each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to 40 pills. The contraindications are the same as before.

Formula Thirty-Three: Treating Dysentery with Yellow-Red Watery Stools or Fresh Blood, with Attacks at No Fixed Time. Take Yin Dan 12 fen, Fuling (Poria) 18 fen, Huanglian 24 fen, Huangqin (Scutellaria) 24 fen, Huangbo (Phellodendron) 18 fen, Longgu (dragon bone) 12 fen, and Xijiao (rhinoceros horn) 12 fen. The above seven ingredients are ground into a fine powder; take one fangcunbi (square-inch spoonful, an ancient small measure) each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to three fangcunbi as the limit. The contraindications are the same as before.

Formula Thirty-Four: Treating Cold Dysentery, with Discharge of Pus and Blood, Pain in the Lower Region, and Lower Abdominal Distension and Fullness. Take Yin Dan 12 fen, dried ginger 24 fen, Wuzhuyu (Evodia) 24 fen, Huanglian 20 fen, Houpo (Magnolia bark) 20 fen (roasted), roasted cardamom 20 fen (peeled), Baizhu (Atractylodes) 12 fen, and Chishizhi (halloysite) 18 fen. The above eight ingredients are ground into a fine powder; take one fangcunbi each time, twice daily, gradually increasing to two fangcunbi. Stop the medicine once cured. The contraindications are the same as before.

Formula Thirty-Five: Treating Infantile Convulsive Seizures, with High Fever During Attacks and a Certain Regular Pattern. Take Yin Dan 28 fen, Longchi (dragon tooth) 12 fen, Niuhuang (cow bezoar) 13 fen, Fuling 6 fen, Renshen (ginseng) 8 fen, python gall 8 fen, Maimendong 8 fen, and roasted Gancao (licorice) 6 fen. The above eight ingredients are ground into a fine powder and mixed with cow’s milk; take five qianbi each time, twice daily, until this course is finished. The original text says that after taking it, the convulsive seizures will subside and be cured, the patient will not contract seasonal epidemics for life, and the condition will remain stable.

The power of the heart-mind and spirit will increase; the mind will become intelligent, and memory will be firm so that nothing is forgotten. One can also avoid diseases such as warm-qi (wenqi) and wugu. The prohibitions and taboos for illness are the same as in the preceding method.

Thirty-Six: Formula for Treating Dimness of the Eyes and the Thirty-Six Eye Diseases

Prepare it on an Open day (kai ri).

Yin Dan elixir, 81 fen; shepherd’s purse seed, 49 fen; Plantago seed, 72 fen; cassia seed, 32 fen; sophora seed, 22 fen.

Pound the above five ingredients into a fine powder, blend with Ophiopogon juice, decoct, and form into pills. Take 20 pills after each meal, twice daily; prepare a new batch when the previous one is finished. After taking it continuously for a full thousand days, one will perceive a radiance when looking at things at night; with long-term use, it is said that one can leap over deep valleys, that the body will be light and vigorous, the eyes bright, and the heart-mind clear and refreshed. Avoid the five pungent vegetables (wuxin), alcohol and meat, and stale, foul-smelling food.

Thirty-Seven: Formula for Treating Deafness and the Thirty-Six Ear Diseases

Prepare it on an Open day.

Yin Dan elixir, 81 fen; magnetite, 38 fen; sweet flag, 18 fen; Tetrapanax pith, 18 fen; Scrophularia root, 18 fen.

Blend the above five ingredients with scallion juice and form into pills. Take 28 pills each time, twice daily. After taking them for a full thousand days, it is said that one can hear human voices within a hundred paces; after ten thousand days, it is said that one can communicate with spirits and the myriad things, and can hear all warnings and admonitions. The taboos are the same as in the preceding method.

Thirty-Eight: Formula for Treating Nasal Congestion and the Thirty-Six Nasal Diseases

Prepare it on an Open day.

Yin Dan elixir, 81 fen; Tetrapanax pith, 32 fen; Asarum, 28 fen; prepared dried ginger, 38 fen; cattail pollen, 12 fen.

Blend the above five ingredients with fresh Rehmannia juice, decoct, and form into pills. Take 28 pills each time, twice daily. After taking them for a full thousand days, it is said that one can smell fragrances within a hundred paces; after ten thousand days, when others bring medicines for you to smell, you can distinguish their good and bad quality.

Thirty-Nine: Formula for Treating Bluish-Black Lips and Tongue and the Thirty-Six Oral Diseases

Yin Dan elixir, 81 fen; Coptis, 72 fen; Cimicifuga rhizome, 32 fen; sandalwood, 28 fen; Asparagus root with the core removed, 28 fen.

Blend the above five ingredients with granulated sugar and form into pills. Take 28 pills each time, twice daily. After taking them for a full thousand days, it is said that the lips will become as red as cinnabar, the complexion ruddy, and the muscles moist and smooth.

After taking this medicine, one will appear different from ordinary people; when speaking with others, those who see one will feel joyful. Its effects cannot be fully described one by one. There are taboos when taking it (the original text does not specify them).

Take it according to the preceding method.

Forty: Formula for Treating Physical Weakness, Rough Skin, Mixed Scaling, Scars, and Scabies

Formula for the Thirty-Six Diseases of the Body (a formula for treating thirty-six diseases of the body): Yindan eighty-one fen, Qianqiu seventy-two fen, dried Rehmannia seventy-two fen, ginseng thirty fen, and Ophiopogon seventy-two fen (with the core removed). Mix the five ingredients evenly with clarified butter and honey, and make into pills. Take thirty-two pills each time, twice a day. After one thousand days of taking it, the body will develop a luster, the skin will become white, the gait will become open and expansive, the bearing will have spirit and brilliance, and many extraordinary abilities will manifest. After ten thousand days, one’s appearance will be like that of a fifteen-year-old girl; whether people or ghosts, all who see one will be fond of one. All good deeds one undertakes will also go as one wishes.

Forty-One: Formula for Treating Thirty-Six Diseases of the Heart Such as Heart Qi Deficiency, Palpitations, Trembling, and Excessive Sweating (prepare on an auspicious day)

Yindan eighty-two fen, ginseng seventy-two fen, Poria thirty-two fen, galangal eighty fen, and red halloysite twenty-eight fen. Decoct and blend the five ingredients with Ophiopogon juice, and make into pills. Take thirty-two pills each time, twice a day. After one hundred days, all ailments will be cured; after one thousand days, one can draw ten inferences from one instance, will not be frightened even upon hearing thunder, and the spirit will be settled and the will steady; after ten thousand days, one will be penetrating and enlightened, able to understand things on one’s own upon seeing them. If taken regularly, one may use more calamus in place of galangal.

Forty-Two: Formula for Treating Genital Swelling, Hernia, and Similar Conditions

Yindan forty fen, Tribulus seeds twelve fen, peach kernels forty fen, one set of raccoon-dog genitalia (dehaired and roasted), and seaweed twenty-four fen (horsehair seaweed, the kind that sinks in water). Make honey pills the size of wutong seeds; take twenty pills each time with wine, twice a day. After taking the medicine, avoid unclean matters as appropriate; after one hundred days, no further restrictions apply.

Forty-Three: Treating Rectal Prolapse in Children, or Prolapse Caused by Deficiency-Cold

Yindan thirty fen, Selaginella twelve fen, Cistanche ten fen, and dodder seed ten fen. Make honey pills the size of wutong seeds; take twenty pills each time with wine, twice a day. There are no other taboos. In addition, Yindan may be applied to the affected area; after three to five consecutive applications, it will heal.

Forty-Four: Formula for Treating Consumptive Exhaustion and the Five Hemorrhoids

(The following text is not recorded.)

Yin Elixir thirty fen, dodder seed twelve fen, Chinese raspberry twelve fen, schisandra fruit twelve fen, achyranthes root twenty fen, dried rehmannia twenty fen, Chinese angelica twelve fen, cinnamon heart twelve fen.

The above eight ingredients are ground into powder, made into pills with honey, and taken with wine. If taken continuously for a full hundred days, the illness will be cured. After finishing the course, one may prepare another dose.

Avoid sexual intercourse, eating raw vegetables, and stale or unclean food.

45. On the Taboos for Eliminating Illness

The treatise says: lower-grade medicines (those chiefly used to treat illness) may be taken temporarily; even if taken somewhat longer, it is only a few doses, and the illness will be cured. After recovery, if one can take them over the long term, they not only cure illness but also offer hope of attaining immortal transcendence and long life.

Yin Elixir is especially contraindicated with pork, and one must also avoid intoxication; otherwise it may cause vomiting and various other adverse reactions. Apart from this, other foods generally do no harm. The taboos mentioned earlier in connection with the three grades of medicine exist because the formulas also use herbal medicines, and hence those requirements.

On the whole, when taking medicine it is better to observe the taboos carefully. In this way one does not impair the medicinal efficacy, and results come faster. Stale and unclean food is not suitable for ordinary people to eat in quantity either, because it makes people mentally dull and confused and disturbs the true Qi (the vital Qi in the body believed to sustain life activities). Once true Qi is disordered, pathogenic Qi seizes the weakness and enters, so that various illnesses occur one after another, and one may even die quickly. How much more so if one still hopes to extend one’s years, increase longevity, and become an immortal? How can those who value nourishing life fail to urge themselves to observe these requirements?

These teachings only briefly list the main points. The methods of taking medicine and cultivating health may be inferred by analogy. Whenever one is taking medicine according to the prescribed regimen and the illness has not yet been completely cured, one absolutely must not have sexual intercourse: one transgression damages the medicinal power for ten days; two transgressions damage it for a hundred days; at three transgressions, the medicinal power of the whole dose is exhausted. After that, other illnesses will be added, to say nothing of the original illness. Those who are ill should understand this principle carefully.

I myself have been taking medicine and cultivating health for more than twenty years now. During this time I have personally experienced the requirements concerning taboos and moderation, as well as the good and bad outcomes that appeared after breaking the precepts or using medicine improperly. Now I have written these matters out in detail so that those who take medicine and cultivate health may understand them. Those who know these things should treat them with care and should not conceal them; by helping others and accumulating hidden virtue, one gains great merit.

Yin Elixir twenty-eight fen, ginseng ten fen, dendrobium six fen, dodder seed six fen, goji berry six fen, achyranthes root six fen, poria six fen, cinnamon heart four fen, polygala six fen, Chinese yam six fen, cistanche six fen, cnidium seed four fen.

The above twelve ingredients are to be taken according to the usual method.

“Yindan, four fen,” ginseng, Poria, Polygala, Chinese yam, Schisandra, Eucommia, licorice, dodder seed, Achyranthes, Dipsacus, Angelica sinensis, Ophiopogon (with the inner core removed), and Morinda officinalis, two liang each; Cistanche, three liang; and jujube paste, eight liang. These sixteen ingredients in total are to be taken according to the method given above: twice a day, twenty pills each time, gradually increased to thirty pills, as a regular dose.

Formula for the Ancient Iron Yin Powder

Medicines of the gold-and-jade kind do not decay of themselves even after long storage; because they are naturally generated, they are called “Yin.” To treat all kinds of stubborn diseases, nothing but “Yin” will do; only when gold and iron are refined with medicinal substances do they become hard and sharp. It is both robust and sharp; at times its radiance illuminates the ground, and at times it can melt and transform. Malevolent essences fear that it will expose their traces, and ghosts and spirits also dread its hardness and sharpness.

People value only medicines of jade and stone, not knowing that iron Yin can strengthen the sinews and bones, increase strength, make the heart-spirit vigorous, and make the body brave, robust, and agile. It can treat the five taxations and seven injuries, supplement insufficiency of the waist and legs, and is especially used to treat deficiency damage; it can also turn white hair black and prolong life, supplement Jing and Qi, fill the bone marrow, rouse Yin Qi and activate Yang Qi, and increase lifespan. If one does not have three or five wives and concubines, one should not take it casually. Its effects are many, and it is difficult to record them one by one.

The method of preparation is as follows: take refined hard iron, steam it, and forge it into thin sheets shaped like hu court tablets, polish both sides, and make thirty or forty pieces. After wiping them clean with pure water, stand them upright in a jar and place it on a bamboo splint rack. Cover the mouth of the jar and seal it with mud, then place it in a cool, damp place for one hundred days. When the jar is opened, “Yin” will grow on the iron sheets. Scrape off the red-yellow elixir powder with a bamboo comb, put it into a jar or bowl, grind it finely, and sift it three times. Soak it in wine for three days; when the wine has become slightly cloudy, pour it into another vessel so that the lighter, finer powder is washed out with the wine and settles. Keep the portion carried out with the wine and discard the coarse, heavy impurities that settle below. Let the retained portion settle for one day, pour off the upper wine, take out the settled Yin powder, and dry it in the sun. Make pills the size of wutong seeds with jujube flesh. Initially take fifteen pills each time, twice a day, gradually increasing to thirty pills. It is better to take them with the wine that was used to settle the powder; it is said that there are no taboos.

Iron Yin Powder Prepared by Famous Physicians of Later Generations.

Take one hundred jin of refined wrought iron that has been steamed and smelted; the weight may be adjusted as needed. Beat the iron into thin sheets about three fen thick, then scrape and grind both sides flat and smooth as a mirror. The sheets may be long or short, square or round, as desired. After they are made, take one ge of white salt and one liang of magnetite powder, add one and a half ge of water, stir the salt until it dissolves, and then put in the magnetite powder; if the amount of magnetite powder is increased, the other materials should also be increased proportionally.

Sprinkle the iron sheets with this salt water, then stand the sheets on edge inside a jar and seal the mouth of the jar. It is best to use an old jar that has previously held sauce; a new jar is not suitable. After sealing, bury the jar underground in a shady place, away from sunlight, covering it with about one chi of earth. Every day, sprinkle the iron sheets with salt water according to the preceding method.