less | INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DIVINE ei, ce these spirits on nights of the full and new * i ;. Look withi: on oof the solstices and equinoxes. 1, call oup n°" ang on the nights of eso spirts of the body. Order them to restraint Sin. mon the names of t : i soul and control the white-soul.” The Perfected Person! says; “If ye° “loug, ascend as an immortal you should summon the spirits ofthe bogys"Hta Regularly visualiz: 1, The zhewren, a concept th the Book of Master Thuan ie seen and becomes important mates Eso gh 9. The animal soul, linked to the bodys i com teat, the cloud soul or spiritual soul rises up death, INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DIVINE ELIXIRS OF THE NINE TRIPOps OF THE YELLOW EMPEROR (Huangdi jiuding shendan jing) Instructions on the Scripture of the Divine Elixirs of the Nine Tripods of the Yl care nat jul shendan in) open by dealing the cient te revelation and the promise of elixirs to cause salvation. This teaching was tansma | ted from the Mysterious Woman (Xuan) to the Yellow Emperor (the legendon Huangdi), who then compounded the elixir, ingested it, and rose to heaven asay_—_| immortal. The special nature of this divine elixir is set against other practice such as breathing exercises and the use of herbs, which are criticized because they merely extend life—they do not convey immortality. Chinese alchemy involved the ingestion of various mineral compounds in pursut of physical transcendence. Instructions on the Scripture of the Divine Elixirs othe Nine Tripods of the Yellow Emperor, one of the earliest texts on external alchemy (waidan), offers a rare description of the complete alchemical process. There are detailed rules regarding the transmission of the text itself—one must undergo puri fication, bathe ritually, invoke the Mysterious Woman, and cast golden images into 4 stream; following these rules both demonstrates one’s commitment and preserves the ritual’s secrecy. One must find a secluded location, observe the proper rtualsi0 obtain the ingredients, and pay attention to auspicious and inauspicious days lc compounding the elixir. These commands are followed by precise instructions 09 preparing the ingredients, sealing the crucible, firing its conterits, and consuming the final product: “When you want to ingest the Medicine, undertake the purfice tion practices, observe the precepts, and perform the ablutions for five times ot seven days. At dawn, burning some incense, kneel down and pay obeisance facing east. Ingest the Medicine in pills the size of large grains of millet, or of st beans.” If the practitioner fails to observe the precepts or execute the propet ss then the elixir will not form. If the practitioner succeeds and is able to compl and ingest the elixir, then—after a period of practice that varies with rank she is assured of joining the ranks of the immortals in heaven. PRONOUNCING GLOSSARY Huangdi jiuding shendan jing: huang- Taiging: tai-ching dee chiu-ting shun-dawn ching aCO _— STRUCTIONS © IN N THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DIVINE ELIKIRS | 16 1647 — he Yellow Emperor (Huangdi)! fisies from the Mysterious Woman immortal. “The Mysterious Woman announe. Allthose who want to live a long | and the Golden Liquor, merely brin, breathing and daoyin,? exhaling th ingesting medicines of herbs and fie, but do not allow one to escape ed to the Yellow Emperor: ife, but do not obtain the Divine Elixirs 1g suffering upon themselves. Practicing old and inhaling the new breath, and Plants can extend the length of one’s « : leath. When a man ingest: ivine flinits, he becomes a divine immortal and transcends ery ‘of mortals]. He will be coeternal with Heaven and Earth, and as luminous os he Sun and the Moon; seated, he will see ten thousand miles away, and will have gods and demons at his service. He will rise into the Void with his whole family, and will fly even though he has no wings. Mounting the clouds and steering a chariot pulled by dragons, he will roam in the Great Clarity (Taiging) and in one instant will tour the eight poles*. He will not halt in front of a river, and will not fear the hundred poisons (baidu). The Yellow Emperor transmitted this Way to the Mysterious Master, and admonished him saying: ’ This Way is of supreme importance, and can be transmitted only to those who are worthy of it. Let it not be disclosed to those who are not fit to receive it, even if they collect heaps of gold as high as mountains, or if they own ten thousand miles of land. Obtaining just one of these elixirs is enough to become an immortal: it is not required to obtain all nine of them. Rules for the transmission. Throw a golden figurine of a man weighing nine ounces and a golden figurine of a fish weighing three ounces into an east flowing stream, and utter an oath. Both should be provided by the one who receives this Way. Before this, undertake the purification practices and perform the ablutions. On the banks of the stream, in a place unfrequented by other people, arrange a seat for the Mysterious Woman. Burn some incense and announce to Heaven: “I wish to transmit the Way to obtain a Jong life to (name of the recipient)!” Lay the Scripture of the Elixirs on a stand, and place the seat [for the Mysterious Woman] there. When you are ready to transmit the Way, face north and do not disclose it for one [double] hour. If the sky is clear and there is no wind, the Way can be transmitted. (Master and disciple] seal their covenant by drinking together some blood of a white chicken. Transmit the oral instructions and the essentials of the compounding of the elixirs, and throw the golden figurines of the man and the fish into the stream. This is done so that the multitudes of those who are not suited for becoming a divine immortal never see this Way. The Yellow Emperor said: When you want to compound the Divine Elixirs you should dwell in the depths of a mountain, in a wide moorland, or in a place deserted and All bracketed additions are the translator’. ‘Tmaxstaren ay Fabrizio Pregedl 3. The totality of the world as well as is farthest reaches (translator's note). "The Great Clarity": LA lepenary Chinese emperor (27th century ne of the three heavens 2 Swreiching exercises.leas 1 ws7RUETIONS ON THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DIVINE EL ixyy s uninhabited for endless miles. Ifyou compound them among othe, Jou should stay behind thick, high walls so that nothing can be seent Pp the inside and the outside. Your companions should not number mo ten Laesans i Mrce. First undertake the purification practices for seven more then increase your purity with ablutions and the five fragrances. Do not ud filth and dirt, or by houses where mourning 1s being observed, or bya Ney inhabited by women of the age of marriage, “The Yellow Emperor sai ’ 7 Heeeseer ime to purchase the Divine Medicines forthe eli teak the purifieation practices for seven days, and perform the, fry aan ae ine tarked by the character 2ior chou. You should buy the ably. tions on aday mattered day and in a place governed by the Virtue gf Month. Do not bargain over their price, the The Mysterious Woman said: the fifth day of the fifth month is mos To prepare the Medicines, a cians shawed by the seventh day of the seventh month. It is good t9 stan igs day,* or on a day of Opening (kat) or Removal cy hen, yisi, or yimao days. The days i s is forbidden are: on which the on a jiazi or a di ‘The next best are the jias preparation of the Medicine: in spring, wuches in summer, dingsi, in autumn, wuxte, in winter, wuyin, jiwei, + of the Month, the days in which the Branch and th ‘on, the day of Receiving, as well as the renwu, bingxe, guihai, and xinsi days in the first, second, and third months of each sea. gon, the day of Establishment, and those of new and full moon, are all inauspicious and cannot be used for starting the fire. When you compound the Divine Medicines, beware of intercourse with common and dull people. Do not let the envious, those who talk too much, sed those who do not have faith in this Way hear or know about it. If they do. the compounding of the Divine Medicines would not be successful ‘When you achieve success in making the Medicines you will become a Perfected. You will rise to heaven and enter the abyss, you will transform yourself and be “vague and indistinct”. You will become an immortal with your family: how could you do that alone? ‘The common people are fond of wealth, and do not compound the alchen- ical Medicines. They believe in medicines obtained from herbs and plan's but these putrefy when buried, decompose when boiled, and burr when peated. If those medicines cannot keep themselves alive, how could the do ce for humans? They ean heal illnesses and increase the pneuma but el se eehake one escape death, Only a few can hear the essentials ofthe Cul minant Way of the Reverted Elixirs. ‘The Yellow Emperor said: When you start the fire you should perform a ceremony beside the er cible. Take five pints of good quality white liquor, three pounds of dried o* in and jisis , wushen, renchen, and jiwei; xinhai, and gengz ‘guimao, and guiyou. The day of the Killer Stem are in opposi sertain coin y daysiyears. Ceti ered. auspicious * 4."These names reflect the Chinese calendar sys- in a cycle of si a enDovs and (later) years were designated with tions are €or (Go characters drawn from a set of ten “celestial inauspicious. Stems" and twelve “earthly branches,” resulting emjwsTRUCTIONS ON THE SCRIPTURE OF THE DIVINE ELIXIRS | 1649 _.the same amount of dried mutton, two pints of yellow millet and rice, tints of large dates, one peck of pears, thirty cooked chicken’s exes, thre’ three CaTPs each weighing three pounds. Place them on three stands, fh stand burn incense in two cups. Pay obeisance twice and utter \g invocation: mon a0 te following ‘This petty man, (name of the officiant), verily and entirely devotes his thoughts to the Great Lord of the Dao, Lord Lao, and the Lord ‘the Great Harmony. Alas, this petty man, (name of the officiant), covets the Medicines of Life! Lead him so that the Medicines will pot volatilize and be lost, but rather be fixed by fire! Let the Me: hes be good and efficacious, let the transmutations take place Githout hesitation, and let the Yellow and the White be entirely fixed! When he ingests the Medicines, let him fly as an immortal, have audience at the Purple Palace,’ live an unending life, and fecome an accomplished man! of offer the liquor, rise, and pay obeisance two more times. Finally offer kaya® quts, mandarins, and pomelos. After that, the fire may be started according tothe method. ‘ ‘The Yellow Emperor sai When you want to make the Divine Elixirs, you should always first pre- gore the Mysterious and Yellow. [First Elixir: Flower of Cinnabar} The First Divine Elixir is called Flower of Cinnabar. To prepare it, use one, two, or ten pounds of Real Powder (cinnabar), in the desired amount according to your wealth. Place it in a crucible (ore: Someone says that the Powder should be covered with pounded lake salt.) and smear the mouths [of the two halves] with the Mud of the Six-and-One. Make the joints tightly fit together so that there is no loss fof pneumal. Carefully examine the crucible, and make sure that there are no cracks, even as thin asa hair. The Medicine would otherwise entirely volatilize and lose its Essence and Flower, and the ingestion of the mere residue would be ofno benefit. You can use the crucible after you have smeared it and left it todry for ten days. (wore: If it is not dry it cannot be placed over the fire.) First keep the crucible five inches above a fire of horse manure or chaff, and heat it for nine days and nine nights. Then increase the fire so that it touches the crucible, for nine more days and nights. {Then put the crucible er the fire, for nine more days and nights.] Finally let the fire cover the lower {half of the| crucible for nine more days and nights. After thirty-six days altogether, you can extinguish the fire and let the crucible cool for one 4. The Medicine will have entirely sublimated, and will adhere to the Ube Purple Palace is in the constellation of [translator's note wrthern Dipper, at the center ofthe covmos 6. An evergreen tree native fo Japan. fates0. | wsTRUCTIONS ON THE SCRIPTURE OF THE Diving ¢ Hxtks will be similar to the five-colored langyay,> Mi snow. Sometimes it will be of a vivid sees ® Mog Cinnabar, sometimes it will be azure and sometimes purple, chattlet coat ing it off with a feather. One pound will have reduced to only Foxttitby ie If the Medicine has not been fixed by the fire, it must be ee Sh. again. Add it to Liquor of the Mysterious Water and to Greas, Ubi Mix to make the compound moist, and put it again in the x Of Dray ®t aetible of the Mysterious and Yellow. Seal the joints acai method, Sublimate the compound over an intense fire for thj the ingen and the Medicine will form after altogether seventy-two days, "US dae When you want to ingest the Medicine, undertake the purification » tices, observe the precepts, and perform the ablutions for five ation Drag. secon days, At dawn, burning some incense, kneel down and pa Himes ley facing east. Ingest the Medicine in pills the size of large grains Obes of small beans. A superior mai upper crucible. It stars, or to frost an ance n will rise to heaven after he 5 Of milo macy man will obtain immortality after he ingen “dull man will obtain immortality after he ingegt aed it, it will be good to use the ene ible ot blimate the Second Elixir and all the jy; ing seven days, an ordit seventy days, and a one year. After you have prep: the Flower of Cinnabar to sul Divine Elixirs. The Mysterious Woman said: After you prepare the Flower of Cinnabar, you should test it by maki gold with it. If gold forms, the making of the Medicine has been racer fot does not form, it has not been successful: the Medicine has ine fixed by fire, and cannot be ingested. This is because you have not itedtie crucible hermetically, or because you have transgressed against the Fas cepts. She [also] said: Sublimate the Medicine again as in the previous method. To testi, aid to it some Grease of Dragons, and make it into pills the size of small beans. Place them over an intense fire and blow the fire with a bellows. Gold wll form in the time it takes to have a meal. ‘Gold also will form by projecting twenty-four scruples* of Flower of Cin- nabar onto one pound of powdered mercury. When gold has formed, make it into a cylinder and store the Medicine in it. Similarly, if you pour ove scruple of Flower of Cinnabar onto one pound of mercury or lead, putt ecerva fierce flame, and blow to make the fire increasingly intense, the Sthole will form gold. Be careful not to use excessive amounts [of the ing Vente), or the gold will be hard; but if there is not enough, the gold wile soft. Neither would be malleable. ‘The Mysterious Woman also said: If you prepare gold, you can transcend the generations [of mortals} If you do not prepare it, you can hardly secure your destiny: Doing nothing but harm to yourself, Where would you find repair? « trecs in the land of the transcemect seg in and ps he) cor 7.4 powerful elixir produced through alchemi- ranslavo's note Zi pfocesses (originally, a blue-green gemstone ca ereesecial substance that grew on inagical ounce (jin) [tt ees2048 | COMBINED COLLECTION OF FEMALE ALCHEMY. to the root of the tongue, and pouring into the two breg this manner continuously, until the body is warm and east Pra Aahite ilk kerchief and insert it into the vagina to compare t2P- The blood) to last month's and to see if there is any. Again, follogs® duayn*y just described, use the circulation of the qi to scatter the by nether ody) in order to avoid illnesses. In less than a hundred days 42" qi be cut by itself. Check what time the period arrived the aa the ped ing suming it arrived on day one, you need to wait until day three befor il (the red dragon) the first time. The second month cut it a iad tostarte, Pre. third month cut ita third time. It will stop within three mot tine sk month you will cut the tail, the second month you will cut the wee The x ist thet td month you will cut the head. This is called cutting the red drapes iy mace COMBINED COLLECTION OF FEMALE ALCHEMY (Niidan hebian) HE LONGXIANG In Combined Collection of Female Alchemy (Nidan hebian, 1906), He Lo (fl, 1900) takes up large issues such as the role of women in late imperiel net female chastity, and the ever-present anxiety about the place of women in Spaces. The selections below examine the meaning of “female alchemy" eden ceplain why it rather than other practices should be followed, and descrite he physiological differences between men and women relevant to Dacism. The prlie Spens by stating that many men have attained immortality and very few women, offering a striking analysis. He’s reasoning is based largely on socal fctas | (women can't travel to learn, few women can read, and most books are geared toward men). His text provides one of the clearest discussions of the meaningof | “female alchemy,” and why itis necessary within the previously nongendered tai tion of “internal alchemy” (neidan). He addresses the question of gender difference by describing male and fem bodies from a cosmological as well as physiological point of view. A women’s s- erative power originates from the blood; “its color is red and its name ised ro for the man, in contrast, it “is the essence, its color is white and its name is whe tiger” A man’s goal is to refrain from leaking his seminal essence (‘subduing ie white tiger”); a woman's, to refrain from releasing menstrual blood ("eheodig he Ted dragon’), In addition, internal alchemy leads to the male pracitiones transforming into that of a young boy, while the result of female alchemy Laem that the body of the female adept comes to resemble that of a man. “Awaiting. tion’ makes i clear that despite a female adept’s successful practi ond 5, iment, her body is still not considered purified: she is unable to ascend d's heaven on her own, and instead must await a summons and an escort PRONOUNCING GLOSSARY Nadan hebian: new-dawy a r-bies He Longxiang: huh lowng-hsiang ifeove home and find am, chemical books for men, petween and are not trans ten men can read and und. gia hundred women can, could be transmitted; and them, and Ieave home at th Dao, then the number of wos ily be any less than the If there waster. [It is} he » alchemical by mitted. [It is al lerstand a re men and women. Among, ‘w attain immortality. [It £ the Dao, whereas women cannot cause while there are numerous ooks for women are few and far Iso] because seven or cight out of written text, while only one or two out were if women w cit convenie men attain alchemical books for women that ere able to read and understand ‘nee to seek a master and find the ning immortality would not necessa number of men. [When discussing male and fe, seas: the first concerns Innate Structure, the third the Methods ‘male practice,] there are three fundamental Nature, the second the Shape and the of the Practice. Just as the man is yang, impure.' The male nature is hard, the female matere is soft. A man’s feel- ings are excitable, a woman's feelings are tranquil; mele thoughts are mixed, female thoughts are pure. The man is fundamentally in movement, and movement facilitates the loss of is? the woman is fundament: ly quiet, and quietness facilitates the accumulation of gi. The man is aseoclareg with the trigram Li? and, like the sun, he can complete a whole eireuit of the heav- ens in one year; the woman is associated with the trigram Kan and, like che toon, she can complete a whole circuit of the heavens in one month, Fors man, qi is difficult to subdue; for a woman, qi is easy to subdue, These are the differences concerning innate nature The man has a knot inside the windpipe (i.e., Adam’s apple), the woman does not. The male breasts do not produce liquids and are small; the ferndla breasts produce liquids and are big, A man's foundation is convex: womvaya foundation is concave. In the man [the convex organ] is called the exvenea chamber; in the woman [the concave organ] is called the infant's palace. In sree the vital force is located in the gi cavity; in women the vital force ig located between the breasts. In the man, generative power is located in the Pelvis in the woman, generative power originates from the blood. In the man [the generative power] is the essence, its color is white and its name ia white tiger; in the woman it is the blood, its color is red and its name is red dragon. As for male essence, itis yin within yang; as for female blood, it is yin, and yin is Teaxstarep ay Elena Valussi. All bracketed additions are the t nslator’s that and yang are the complementary forces {tstunite to form the Dao: yin, a term that orig Eull referred to the shady side of a valley, by ChiBslon came to be associated with the dar th, dampness, and activity—the male principle 2. Vital energy, breath (pneuma). 3. On the trigrams, see'the introduction to The Seal ofthe Unity of the Three, in Accordance whik ‘and. passivity-—the female the Book of Changes (Zhes (ok of Chores hoy centong ove, Roum: sang. aterm that originally referred to 4."The Chinese characters for core tem #4) nie ee ee tad chine character fr "ort nee “eslted with the light, heaven, dryness, 5. That is;mensirual blood. "White tyes’ see a2050 1 COMBINED COLLECTION OF FEMALE ALCHEMY The power of male essence is more than suff blood is insufficient. _ . lifferences concerning Form and Structure, root origin, and only subsequently does he mnceds t refine her form first, and only wthe Nae eee reot origin. The male yang leaks downward, whereas thee 2 yang moves upward. When a man has completed the practice and ihe ek yang moves upwgip away any more, this is called “subduing the wheal White tigers When a woman has complet yang within yin. cen power of female the ‘These are the A man first refines the form; a woman, instead, ted the practice and the menstrual flow led “beheading the red dragon. In thes™ drip away anymore, this is cal he ct abe ma seminal esgence moves against the current and be becomes immoral gage twoman, blood moves upwards, ascending towards the heart's cavity They culine practice is called “refining the gi of the supreme Yang,” the practice is called “refining the blood of the supreme Yin.” For the man Epeak of "Embryo"; for the woman, we speak of “Growing.” When the mie Hos subdued the white tiger, the stem (ie., the penis) will retract and becom similar to that of a young boy: when the woman has beheaded the rm] Gnagon, the breasts will retract and become similar to those of a male bg The man progresses slowly at the moment of the manifestation of th spr, and he is slow in achieving the Dao; the woman progresses fast at the moment of the manifestation of the spirit, and she is also fast in attainin the Dao, A man can ascend {to Heaven] on his own; a woman needs to avag salvation. Men must meditate facing the wall; women who succeed in going back to emptiness are very few. The man will become an authentic man; the woman will become a princess of the origin, These are the differences con cerning the methods of practice. We can say that, as for the principles that regulate Innate Nature and Vital Force, there are no differences [between men and women]. ladvse the female adepts first to find out points of contiguity where there are differ. ences, and only then to discover the differences hidden where there is sini- larity. In most cases, however, the contrasts are to be found before the beheading of the Red Dragon, whereas the major analogies emerge after the beheading of the Dragon, These are irrefutable and immortal arguments. femining Awaiting Salvation What is the reason why, to complete the practice that leads to feminine per fection, it is necessary to “await salvation"? The reason lies in the {female constitution, feeble and pervaded with blood. [The woman] who practices inner refinement and sublimation is able to complete a Yang Body. But even if the formation of the Yang Body is achieved, her Yin and stagnant nature is not yet completely refined. For this reason she will not be able to fully achiew the marvelous transformations of Heaven and Earth, The primary rea why, for women, itis impossible to transcend this world [on their on} 50" weakness of their constitution, The situation is different for the male con ‘an ada tution. After a man has practiced until the accomplishment of 7 tine and indestructible body, a Spiritual Light will pervade Heaven Earth. Therefore a man does not need to await salvation: he will ati? eset 6, Sce "Cutting the Red Dragon” ("Duan Hon- 1 master; a Daoist who bas med fons, shore cothiy coupon 7. Azhenren, or Perfected Person—a Ds a "SECRET PRINCIP NCIPLES oF SATHERING THE TRUE E55 | 2051 E essence | 20 ind complete Authenticity, | 0 3 let ity, he wil Supreme Disinities and wander there” Person to the presence of TT hee to the quiet Penglai isla is Ee not come Wet the alchemical practice for women, it ene then the 's and virtues, If the merits and virtues wer, and FepOrt it to the emg aBs from above will se ikacd wake pity ans and report to the sole Then she will obtain an edicts Ghe ; n J ‘criptures as imperial decrees, and this nie the proul of having obtained the ro Baldry and his teyond man and heaven (...). Only then the practice is completed * For women, ands ofthe immortal (.., Dao wince located in the Eastern Sea sts who have achiev . ‘eved extraordinary powers and a higher form of SECRET PRINCIPLES OF GATHERING THE TRUE ESSENCE (Caizhen jiyao) ZHANG SANFENG. Although there are some early textual references to sexual alchemy (pethaps from the eiE fourth century), itis not until hos i the Ming (1368-1644) and gee Qing (1644-1911) dynasties < s w that we find complete extant aE texts related to those prac- tices, The Secret Principles of Gathering the True Essence (Caichem jiyao), which con- sists of poems attributed to the legendary Daoist saint thang Sanfeng—together with commentaries by Fu Jinguan ({1. 1800), the author and publisher of many alchemical texts—uses the language of sexology to describe alchemical transfor- mations. This work, which 28 probably written in the nineteenth century, contains litle that is overtly erotic or Concerned with sexual plea- Rie; the focus instead is on a rede biegy and the titled Mlustration of is woodblock illustration, ent : cen collector gather key Rnrage of the Dragon ad Tiger, depicts ag (on) theres from someone of yiinga dragon ang) and aboy oan ing aee jy Posite se fic [Smythe power of the conjoined yin and yang, a ref W seul deceptions ace Coen eeecar natura tna screed " Gitual descriptions are erence othe sexual nature “Sched in a rich variety of into the alchemical crucible. [a i a