《抱朴子內篇》Vol. 16

This passage comes from the sixteenth chapter "Huangbai" (On Gold and Silver) of the Inner Chapters of Baopuzi, written by Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin dynasty, primarily discussing alchemical techniques for producing gold and silver.

Ge Hong states that the immortal classics record twenty-five volumes of methods for producing gold and silver, comprising over a thousand techniques. "Huang" refers to gold, while "bai" refers to silver. The ancients highly valued these arts but were reluctant to explain them directly, hence they used cryptic language, sometimes titling chapters with "Gengxin" (referring to Metal in the Five Phases system). However, most of these methods remain profoundly obscure, with few being clearly interpretable.

Most people doubt the authenticity of these techniques, just as they disbelieve in the existence of immortals. Ge Hong recalls studying under Master Zheng, learning scriptures on the Nine-Cycle Golden Elixir (Jindan) and gold-silver solutions, later mastering five volumes of the Scripture on Gold and Silver (Huangbai Zhongjing). Master Zheng claimed to have tested these methods with Zuo Ci at Mount Tong in Lujiang, achieving success each time. Yet the process requires strict fasting, observance of taboos, and involves hardships comparable to making elixirs of immortality.

Worldly people often mocked Ge Hong for studying these "heterodox" arts, accusing him of forcing understanding where none could exist. He responds that if mere posthumous fame were his goal, his Outer Chapters and over a hundred miscellaneous writings would suffice—these alchemical texts were unnecessary. Moreover, the Inner Chapters contain straightforward discourse without literary embellishment. He knew discussing these arts would be considered impractical by contemporaries, less popular than conventional philosophy. Yet he persisted in writing because he had witnessed their efficacy firsthand, and his teachers were not given to false claims.

Ge Hong confesses his poverty and the turbulent times made acquiring necessary ingredients impossible, preventing personal experimentation. He wryly notes that claiming knowledge of gold-making while enduring hunger and cold resembles a lame man selling remedies for lameness—hardly convincing. Yet this shouldn't invalidate the techniques. He recorded them for future truth-seekers to comprehend their principles. Finally, he emphasizes that transformation arts know no limits, and the human form is inherently mutable (implying physical transcendence through cultivation).

This passage expounds the Daoist perspective on the principle of transformation. Ge Hong posits that while all things in the world appear fixed, they are in fact capable of mutual transmutation. Ghosts and deities, though originally formless, can manifest physically; fire and water can be summoned using the suishi (ancient fire-making tool) and fangzhu (ancient water-collecting vessel); lead can be refined into vermilion cinnabar, which in turn can revert to white lead. Clouds, rain, frost, and snow are all manifestations of Heaven and Earth's Qi, yet identical substances can be artificially produced through alchemical preparations.

Though flying birds, running beasts, insects and creeping creatures each possess fixed forms, countless examples exist of sudden metamorphoses into other beings. Humans, as the most spiritual of creatures, have legends of men and women transforming into cranes, stones, tigers, apes, sand, or giant soft-shelled turtles. High mountains become deep valleys, and abysses transform into hills—these follow nature's patterns of change. Just as gold and silver appear irreducible from other substances, the fire obtained from yangsui (bronze solar mirrors) and water from fangzhu are indistinguishable from their natural counterparts. The serpent's transformation into a dragon or thatch grass turning into grease differ not at all from naturally occurring phenomena.

These transformative principles originate from the Dao's natural laws, comprehensible only to those who exhaustively investigate cosmic patterns and penetrate the nature of things, who trace origins and foresee outcomes. Those with limited vision confine themselves to their narrow perspectives, dismissing profound truths as fantasy simply because the Duke of Zhou and Confucius never spoke of them or classical texts didn't record them—how shallow this attitude is!

Some cite Liu Xiang's (Han Dynasty scholar) failed gold-making attempts to deny alchemy's validity, akin to declaring all crops unplantable after witnessing farmers suffer floods or droughts. Wu Dawen, the erudite Neishi of Chengdu who studied under Daoist Li Gen, personally witnessed Li transform small amounts of medicinal substances into silver from lead and tin. Huan Junshan also recorded how Cheng Wei, a Huangmenlang official of Han Dynasty obsessed with alchemy, married a woman versed in esoteric arts. These accounts all confirm the authentic existence of transformation techniques.

This story recounts the alchemical pursuits of Liu Wei (courtesy name Wei), a Han dynasty fangshi (esoteric practitioner). Plagued by financial worries, Liu followed his wife's suggestion to sell silk fabrics—which miraculously appeared before them. When Liu attempted gold-making using formulas from the Pillowbook of Grand Treasures (Zhenzhong Hongbao), his mercury refining failed until his wife sprinkled mysterious powder from her pouch, instantly transforming the mixture into silver.

Shocked, Liu demanded why she'd withheld this knowledge. His wife explained such Daoist arts (daoshu) could only be transmitted to destined recipients. Despite Liu's alternating flattery and threats, she refused to teach him, eventually going mad—running naked, smearing herself with mud, and dying in delirium. The narrative then shifts to Governor Hua Lingsi (courtesy name Lingsi) of Lujiang. This erudite Confucian official initially dismissed esoteric arts until witnessing a Daoist's demonstrations: transforming iron to silver and silver to gold (huangbai zhi shu, alchemical metallurgy), acquiring X-ray vision, observing celestial phenomena through walls within 100 days of practice, and even conversing with his deceased concubine Yaohua and temple deities.

Hua consequently marveled at the world's boundless wonders, realizing Confucian classics couldn't encompass all truths. Yet the text emphasizes that huangbai techniques, like elixir (jindan) crafting, require 100+ days of purification (zhaijie), mastery of arcane texts, and secluded mountain retreats. Crucially, the essential oral formulas (koujue) demand direct master-disciple transmission—these are not arts for casual dabblers.

This passage discusses certain taboos and difficulties in the ancient practice of refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan, the Daoist method for creating elixirs of immortality). Ge Hong (author of Baopuzi) points out that when Liu Xiang, a Han dynasty scholar, attempted alchemical practices in the imperial palace by involving palace maids—who were neither ritually pure nor able to sever worldly connections—his efforts were doomed to fail. The text cites Huan Tan's New Treatise, which records how Shi Zixin, while serving as a court historian for the chancellor, also failed in his alchemical attempts using government-owned slaves.

Ge Hong once questioned his master Zheng Yin (Master Zheng): "Laozi said 'do not value rare goods,' so why did the ancients treasure gold and jade and pass down alchemical methods?" Zheng Yin explained that Laozi opposed the wasteful exploitation of gold and jade that exhausted people's resources, whereas Daoist practitioners refined these substances for transcendence through ingestion, not for wealth accumulation. Though genuine gold and silver are excellent materials, most Daoists were too poor to obtain them, hence the need to produce their own.

The text particularly emphasizes: Refining the Golden Elixir demands ritual purity, just as dyeing cloth requires excluding idle observers. All endeavors require proper methods—even brewing wine or making vinegar needs correct techniques, let alone the monumental task of alchemy. Finally, it clarifies that while the gold and silver produced by Daoists differ from natural ones, this adaptation was necessitated by practical constraints.

This passage discusses the "transmutation" technique in Daoist alchemy, emphasizing that artificially refined gold is more precious than natural gold. Alchemists believed that gold produced from cinnabar and other minerals had transcended its natural state, as it could withstand repeated refinement without diminishing in quality—so durable it could even be used as nails—thus aligning with the laws of heaven and earth.

Several alchemical methods are mentioned: for instance, applying azurite (a copper ore) to iron tools turns them reddish like copper, while treating silver with egg whites gives it a golden hue. However, these are merely superficial changes, as the underlying material remains unaltered. True alchemy resembles cultivating lingzhi mushrooms using the "Five Minerals" and "Five Woods"—though artificially produced, their efficacy matches that of natural lingzhi, both capable of bestowing longevity.

Practitioners of different cultivation levels consume distinct elixirs: advanced adepts ingest the Golden Elixir (Jindan) refined from cinnabar to ascend as immortals; intermediate practitioners prolong life by consuming lingzhi, practicing Daoyin (breathing techniques), and swallowing Qi-infused saliva; while beginners rely solely on herbal remedies to live up to a thousand years.

The author stresses that gold and silver can be artificially produced, and the path to immortality is attainable through study. Quoting the Jade Register Records (Yudie Ji), it states that longevity is possible for all, yet failure often stems from hesitation. Other texts like the Bronze Pillar Scripture (Tongzhu Jing) document formulas such as refining gold from cinnabar or silver from "River Chariot" (a term for lead), with successful transmutation yielding genuine gold and silver.

The bold declaration by Huang Shanzi, a Daoist figure—"I can refine all the gold between heaven and earth"—and the turtle-shell inscription "My fate lies with me, not heaven" epitomize the Daoist ideal of "seizing creation's secrets." Yet the author laments that true masters of this art often live in poverty, and while some ingredients are inexpensive, they hail from remote regions, becoming scarce during turbulent times. For example, rock salt (Rongyan) is worthless in peacetime but may cost millions for a single catty in crises, rendering alchemical formulas useless without materials.

This passage primarily discusses the practical challenges and cognitive misconceptions surrounding alchemy (an essential Daoist practice for longevity cultivation).

The text first points out that the impoverished lack funds to purchase alchemical materials, while the wealthy, even if aware of the methods, remain skeptical. Even those who are half-convinced already possess sufficient gold and silver, making them reluctant to spend on rare medicinal ingredients—fearing they might "release a tethered bird to chase a flying one" and end up losing more than gaining. Moreover, alchemical practices require prolonged purification rituals (Zhaijiao, Daoist preparatory rites) and arduous preparation, so few are willing to attempt them.

The text emphasizes that without direct oral transmission of secrets from an enlightened master (authentic guidance from a realized adept), one should never attempt such practices lightly. Just as effective medical formulas used by physicians are often kept secret—such as the special adhesives for imperial concubines, sealed clay pills, or the "wooden ghost child" ingredient—these may appear ordinary, but without knowing their formulations, their true nature remains obscure. How much more so for the far more complex "Yellow and White Arts" (methods for refining the Golden Elixir).

The passage then lists numerous misunderstandings regarding the names of medicinal ingredients: for instance, "the Maiden by the River" does not refer to an actual woman, "Lingyang Ziming" is not a man's name, "Yu's Leftover Grain" is not food, and "Yao's Liquid" is not water. When ordinary people see terms like "dragon's gall" or "tiger's paw" in prescriptions, they assume these refer to animal organs; when encountering names like "broken cup" or "overturned basin," they think these are iron or tile utensils; and when coming across titles like "Envoy of King Hu" or "Xu Changqing," they mistake them for personal names. In reality, these are all esoteric names for medicinal substances.

Finally, the text cites the example of Liu Xiang (a Han Dynasty scholar) failing in his alchemical attempts, not because he was foolish but because he lacked authentic transmission. With proper guidance, even ordinary people can succeed. The author expresses his intention to record concise and effective methods for later seekers of the Dao. The specific approach begins with selecting materials from Wudu (a place name)....

This passage describes two ancient Daoist alchemical methods for producing "gold"—actually referring to mineral reactions that create gold-like alloys or compounds.

The first method uses realgar (an arsenic-containing mineral) for alchemical processing:

Select pure realgar with rooster-comb-like coloration, pound it into powder, and mix with ox bile before drying. Prepare a red clay crucible (a ceramic vessel for alchemy) with one dou capacity. Layer it alternately with two fen-thick mixtures of rock salt and chalcanthite (copper sulfate), then five fen-thick layers of realgar powder until full. Place charcoal pieces the size of jujube pits atop, about two cun thick. Seal the vessel with a mud mixture of earthworm excrement and rock salt, then air-dry for one month. Slow-cook with horse-dung fire for three days and nights. After cooling, open to find a copper-like liquid which should be cast into cylindrical containers. These copper tubes are then used to hold cinnabar water (whose preparation method follows), and after another thirty days of horse-dung firing, a gold-like substance is obtained.

The second method produces cinnabar water:

Place one jin of cinnabar (mercury sulfide) in a bamboo tube, add two liang each of chalcanthite and saltpeter (potassium nitrate), seal with "dyed bone pills" (likely a sealing material), and bury three chi underground for thirty days to obtain a red, bitter liquid.

Master Jinlou's alternative "gold-making" method learned from Qinglinzi:

Forge ten jin of tin into six-cun square plates, 1.2 cun thick. Coat the surface with mud made from red salt and plant-ash solution. Place in a red clay crucible, seal, and fire with horse-dung flames for thirty days. Upon opening, the tin turns to ash containing bean-sized golden particles—the so-called "gold." Ten jin of tin yields twenty liang of this "gold." The text specifies that only crucibles from Changsha, Guiyang, Yuzhang, and Nanhai regions are suitable, as locals traditionally use such pottery for cooking.

Note: These methods actually represent ancient alchemical experiments producing metal compounds rather than true gold. Daoist thought held that material properties could be transformed through specific rituals and material combinations—a concept frequently appearing in the Baopuzi.

The Method for Producing Red Salt:

This requires one jin each of cold salt (a mineral salt), gypsum-like mineral (han shui shi), and one jin of likely alum (han yu nie). These materials are placed in an iron vessel and calcined over charcoal fire. When they completely melt and turn red, they can be removed for use.

The alchemical technique passed down by Master Jiao Li (a Han dynasty fangshi) from Ji Qiuzi is as follows: First, two portions of alum solution are placed in an iron vessel, boiled over charcoal fire, then an appropriate amount of mercury is added and stirred to mix. After boiling six or seven times, the mixture is poured onto the ground to form silver. Next, take one portion each of cinnabar solution and azurite solution, plus two portions of realgar solution, and simmer them in a copper pot with gentle heat while stirring repeatedly. After further boiling over charcoal fire, the previously produced silver is added in any desired proportion. Boiling this mixture six or seven times and pouring it onto the ground yields high-grade purple-gold (considered superior gold in Daoist tradition).

Method for preparing realgar solution:

Place one jin of realgar in a bamboo tube, adding two liang of saltpeter per jin, sealing both ends with what is likely a sealing material (qi gu wan), then soak in strong vinegar and bury three chi deep. After twenty days it transforms into liquid. The methods for preparing white azurite solution and alum solution are similar, using different bamboo tubes.

Beginner's Alchemical Method:

Prepare two iron cylinders - a larger one (1.2 chi diameter × 1.2 chi height) and a smaller polished one (6 cun diameter). Mix one jin each of red ochre, saltpeter, mica, and hematite, half jin of sulfur, four liang of azurite, and one jin of crystalline stone, all pulverized and sifted. Blend with vinegar to form a paste and coat the smaller cylinder's interior to a thickness of two fen. Place inside one jin of mercury, half jin of cinnabar, and half jin of "liang fei" (a lead-mercury compound). To make "liang fei", melt ten jin of lead in an iron pot, add three liang of mercury, and skim the first floating substance with an iron spoon - this is "liang fei". Stir until no visible mercury remains, place in the small cylinder, cover with mica, and press with an iron lid. Melt lead in the larger cylinder placed on a furnace, pouring it to submerge the smaller cylinder (leaving half cun clearance). Apply intense heat for three days and nights to produce a substance called "purple powder". Finally, melt ten jin of lead in an iron vessel for about twenty days, then transfer to a copper vessel for further refinement.

This passage documents specific operational methods from ancient alchemical practices, primarily detailing techniques for refining gold and silver using various materials, along with the miraculous properties attributed to these refined substances.

Method for refining gold: Take seven square-inch spoonfuls of purple medicinal powder and mix it with mercury; this will transform into gold. To refine silver, place mercury in an iron vessel, add three inches of purple powder, heat it, then pour the mixture into water to produce silver.

The method of Wuchengzi (an ancient alchemist) involves using an iron cylinder nine inches long and five inches in diameter. Mix three pounds of realgar (a mineral medicine) with an equal amount of earthworms, mole crickets, and other ingredients, pounding them into a paste to coat the inside of the cylinder. Pour cinnabar water into the cylinder, cover it with horse dung, and roast it until completely dry. Then place a copper cylinder inside, seal it with a copper lid, and reinforce the outer layer with yellow sand and earthworm paste to prevent leaks. Heat it over charcoal until the mouth of the cylinder glows red, then let it cool before opening. The realgar will adhere to the copper cylinder. Repeat this process three times, and the essence of all three pounds of realgar will be fully absorbed into the cylinder.

After refining, mix the realgar with an equal amount of yellow sand to serve as furnace fuel. To use, place the furnace over charcoal until it turns red, then add mercury. Once the mercury boils, introduce lead, and gold will be produced. A single furnace can refine approximately fifteen hundred pounds of gold before its efficacy is exhausted.

This refined gold possesses extraordinary properties: when soaked in wine made from chaste tree (Vitex) and red millet for a hundred days, it softens and can be shaped into small bean-sized pills. Consuming three pills daily, after finishing one pound, will eliminate intestinal parasites and cure all ailments—blindness will be restored to sight, deafness to hearing, and the elderly will regain youth, appearing as if thirty years old. After consuming three pounds, one can walk on water, and the deities of mountains and rivers will come to protect them, granting a lifespan as enduring as heaven and earth.

Additionally, various miraculous applications are recorded: rubbing the eyes with pills boiled with spindle-tree blood and vermilion grass allows one to see ghosts and objects underground; coating the pills with white goat blood and casting them into water summons fish and dragons; smearing them with green goat blood and red rooster blood and hanging them over city gates wards off plagues; and dropping pills coated with ox blood into wells causes the water to boil. These accounts reflect the exaggerated imagination of ancient alchemy regarding the transformative and medicinal powers of "turning gold into medicine."

This passage describes the miraculous elixirs (dan) of Daoist alchemy and their various applications. When coated with different animal bloods, these pills manifest extraordinary powers:

Applying white dog's blood to the pill and casting it into a sacrificial temple enables one to command spirits and deities. Coating the pill with rabbit blood and placing it in yin-dominant locations summons the "Jade Maidens of Mobile Kitchens" (legendary Daoist celestial maidens) who instantly provide food for sixty to seventy people. A pill coated with carp's gall bladder allows the bearer to part waters by one zhang (about 3 meters) when entering rivers, enabling underwater breathing and walking while remaining dry even in rain.

Boiling the pill with amaranth juice creates a preparation that eliminates hunger for one hundred days when held in the mouth. When boiled with magnetite and concealed in one's hair knot, the pill deflects blades and arrows—enemy projectiles will spontaneously veer away. Combined with soil from the directional positions of the Six Ding and Six Jia (Daoist martial deities), it grants invisibility. Holding the pill and exhaling northward extinguishes fires.

Casting the pill westward during the Shen-You hours (3-7 PM) on Geng-Xin days causes trees to wither within the day. Throwing it while performing Yu Steps (ritual Daoist pacing) kills fierce beasts and venomous snakes. Characters written with pill powder penetrate stone, metal, or wood permanently without erosion.

For recently deceased persons, administering the pill with water from the monthly celestial position (Daoist calendrical system) followed by spraying water on their face revives them. A pill coated with fox and crane blood placed inside a melon induces hallucinatory visions of transforming scenery while the actual environment remains unchanged.

The text concludes with preparation protocols: the alchemical process requires offerings to the Great Unity deity (Taiyi), the Mysterious Maiden (Xuannü), and Laozi (the Daoist patriarch), with continuous incense burning as in refining Nine-Cycle Golden Elixirs (jiuzhuan jindan). Newly produced gold must first be cast into deep waters (three jin) and marketplaces (one jin) before free usage—demonstrating the pursuit of supernatural powers in Daoist alchemical traditions.