青华秘文 Qing Hua Bi Wen [玉清金笥青华秘文金宝内炼丹决 Yu Jing Si Qing Hua Bi Wen Jin Bao

Nei Lian Dan Jue]

Zhang Bo Duan 张伯端

Zhang Bo Duan (984-1082) is the first patriarch of the Southern School of Daoism, a great
character in the art of internal alchemy. Mister Zhang the Master had a deep and thorough
knowledge of the classics of the three doctrines, Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism, moreover
he was versed in law, astrology, art of war, medicine, astronomy, geography and divination. In
1069 when living in Chengdu at the Buddhist temple Tian Hou [Follower of Heaven] he met the
great master of internal alchemy Liu Cao (dharma name Hai Chang) who taught him the secret
instructions of the cultivation in internal alchemy, and by practicing according to them he
succeeded in his goal. He wrote a summary of his experience in the “Wu Zhen Pian 悟真篇”, work
considered to be the foundation of the Southern School and of importance comparable to Wei Bo
Yang’s “Can Tong Ji 参同”.
{From the introduction by Fang Chun Yang 方春阳}

This work is perhaps the clearest and most complete exposition of the practice of internal
alchemy, method of man’s principle (人原丹法 renyuan danfa). It was transmitted by Zhang Bo
Duan in his late years to his pupil Wang Bang Shu. Its exposition of the method of cultivation of
internal alchemy is far clearer than that found in the “Wu Zhen Bian” and in the “Jin Dan Si Bai Zi”.
This is ascribed to the fact that Wang Bang Shu was not a very intelligent person by nature, but
extremely devout to his Master and his doctrine. Because of this Zhang Bo Duan made for him an
especially detailed and clear explanation, as for an outsider.
This work stresses the primary role of the mind [heart] and the dominion of the spirit,
considers qi as the means, essence as the follower of qi. It posits that the whole process of
cultivation of internal alchemy is, from beginning to end, dominated by the spirit, and has
peacefulness as its main tenet of instruction.
{From the introduction by Fang Chun Yang, with alterations and additions}

About the seniority of the heart [conscious mind, mental attitude, mental activity]心为君论

The heart is the home of the spirit (神 shen: god, spirit). The heart is the principle (理 li: reason,
principle, cause) of every marvelous transformation and it rules over every living being, nature
(性 xing: nature proper to an object) is within it, destiny (命 ming: life, destiny, life force) is within
it. The person who studies the Dao must first comprehend this one feature fully and thoroughly,
the rest are all things that come afterward, therefore I deal with it first.

Zhang the Master, living in solitary seclusion in the wild, wearing monk cloths offered by the
common people, from Chengdu went back to the mountain of old, and built a hut among the
verdant mountains and waters, living things being [there] numberless, and he is carefree as he
had obtained something. The visitors gave the news to the city saying: “Having met demotion
Zhang Ping Shu has gone back to the mountains.” Travellers started to arrive in numbers, stood
still in the room and crying and kowtowing said: “Has the Master not got any ailment? Moreover
You have retreated to mountains and streams, have surmounted perilous obstacles, have been
living here for ten years and your aspect has not in the least grown old, your body looks not tired
at all, do you have an art for this?” Zhang the Master answered:”Uh, I will tell you, the reason
why man withers away, what is that? The heart. Hundred of businesses gather around it, one
thought has not yet finished that another one follows it, during the whole day it has no rest, also
at night the sleep troubles my mind, and the spirit finds no place to reside. I have no other art in
this, I just still my heart. The reason for which gods and ghosts can foretell [me], is because my
heart has thoughts, if the heart has no thoughts then the “numen” (灵 numinous power) of the
gods cannot get to know it. Not only cannot the gods know my heart, I myself do not know it is a
heart, this is the basic root of stillness. The pupils asked: “Then the person who cultivates the
golden pill, is his heart quiet? Is it not quiet?” He answered:”’Quiet’ this one word [字 character],
if one can be quiet then the golden pill will come [just] by sitting, though this is difficult.” They
said: “The words of the Master have misled many students.” Zhang the Master …and asked them
to give an explanation. They said: “The Master talks to people about the Way of the Golden Pill,
leading their heart to generate an aspiration, the aspiration of the heart is the master of
transformation, how can the heart be quiet?” He answered: “Your view is biased, it is not that my
words are wrong or misleading. What the man of cultivation [君 gentleman, noble one] strives for
in his everyday use of his heart is, when he has some business he moves [it], when he is quiet he
does not move [it], when he has an affection consequently he is through it, this is the function
and use of my heart. Roaming the wild mountains, experience having no residence, this is the use
of my heart. The star of the North Pole definitely has never started to move, its movement is
represented by the Gong star. Though the Gong star definitely cannot refrain from moving, the
cause of its motion is the pivotal function of the star of the North Pole that moves it. He who acts
when within one’s inaction motion rises, this is the use of the heart of the person who cultivates
the Pill. He who when there is motion remains still, this is the use of the heart of the person who
practices the virtue of benevolence (仁 ren). What within stillness is ever still, these are the kinds
of vegetables and minerals. The heart resides in the centre and the two eyes belong to it, the two
kidneys belong to it, the three orifices belong to it, nevertheless they cannot exhaust its
marvelous function. The reason why its function is marvelous is only that the spirit (shen) follows
its order, the qi (气 pneuma) follows its orifice, the essence (精 jing) follows its summon. The
spirit’s obeying its order [consists in the fact that] if the heart does not extend to what is outside
then the spirit stores back inside; the qi’s following its orifice [in the fact that] if the heart is
placid then also the qi is placid, if the qi is placid then also the body is in harmony, if the body is
in harmony then the harmony of Heaven and Earth responds. Therefore the fact that the qi of
someone who is overwhelmed by joy or anger flows in the opposite direction is because joy and
anger are born in one’s heart; the essence’s obeying its beckon [in the fact that] if male and
female mate then the essence is brought out, also this is the action of the heart, if the heart is
pure the thoughts too are pure, if the thoughts are pure then the essence is still. Uh! Only if the
heart is tranquil then it does not extend outwardly, only if the heart is tranquil then it is in peace,
only if the heart is tranquil then it is pure, to say it in a word, essence, qi and spirit start to be
reached and get down [to their real] function. The reason for which essence, qi and spirit get to
be used by the heart is the fact that when the heart reaches the utmost degree of stillness it
generates motion. This is not what is called motion in everyday activities, but the effect of
essence, qi and spirit moving [by themselves] inside. The essence reinforces the essence, the qi
reinforces the qi, the spirit too can be called the foundation of nature [性 xing]. Nature is nature,
how to talk about its foundation? Because if the heart is still then the spirit is complete and when
the spirit is complete then nature becomes manifest/appears/shows itself, to say it in word once
again this is called stillness. The reason for which it is stillness, this too has a reason, sailing
following the current jumping on the high waves wishing to get to an island, do not mention the
fact that it is fatiguing to the body, as soon as one is on the way back home, one thinks of the
tranquility of one’s home village, then hurriedly sets out the sails of the way back
searching/seeking for the wind for reverting one’s course, one’s reverting home certainly is the
way of tranquility, nonetheless starting to come back after a long separation, starting to seek
after a long mishap, as soon as one desires for tranquility/stillness how can one get it? One must
think of the reason/motive of one’s reverting to stillness, only then can one be still, that is when
one realizes the past/yesterday’s error then can one seek for today’s the present right thing, this
is not to adhere stubbornly to the old ways, this is where you are.

Oral instruction: at the precise time when a disorderly thought arises, consider how one’s heart
in normal daily life cannot be at peace and quiet, this is an obstacle, promptly leave it, after a
long time purity will become customary, then you can spontaneously be quiet. Among the
disorderly thoughts none are bigger than pleasure and anger, if when in anger you consider your
feeling once again then there is no longer anger, if when in joy you know how to suppress it then
there is no longer joy, if for every sort of vain thoughts one can behave in a likewise fashion in
time one can spontaneously be quiet. How come only when sitting in meditation must it be thus,
in usual life if moving millions of soldiers, only when there is the necessity responding to it, when
it wanes then leaving it, [this] equally can be the origin of quietism. With such a quiet heart
responding to the matters of the present situation, how can one call this facing the situation
wrongly? Indeed this is numinous. Thus it is said: “Train the heart with the matters as they
present themselves, do not use your emotions elsewhere. The mirror can reflect the forms
without the slightest blemish, when the form goes away then the mirror is by itself only the
mirror, likewise when the fact presents itself then respond to it, when the fact goes away then
the heart is by itself only the heart”.
Oral instruction within the oral instruction: if the heart does not attach to the affairs, then
one [state of] quiet can be hoped for, this is in fact the basic way to search for quiet. Moreover
the reason why the heart cannot be quiet cannot exclusively be attributed to the heart, since the
spirit (神 Shen) too makes the heart work for itself, the heart too makes the spirit work for itself,
the two of them make each other work, hence vain and wishful thoughts arise. If the heart seeks
quiet it must first put under control the eyes, as the eyes are the place where the spirit wanders,
if the spirit wanders within the eyes then it makes the heart work, thus if the eyes are under
control and made to revert to the heart, then the heart is quiet and the spirit is quiet too. If the
eyes do not watch disorderly, then the spirit reverts to the heart, the reversion of the spirit to the
heart is the foundation of quiet.”

On the supremacy of the Spirit (Shen) 神为主论

 The expression that the heart is a Sovereign strikes a comparison with the position of a
sovereign, when a person has good luck then innumerable people rely on him. When Qin Shi
Huang, Han Wu Di held such a position then the four seas met hardship. When Yao, Shun, Yu,
Tang held it, then the world was in peace and the people were singing of the Great Peace: why?
The Saint rules the world by “non-action” (五为 wu wei), therefore the world is in peaceful order.
The profane person rules the world by “action” (有为 you wei), therefore the world is in disorder.
The heart is in the position of a sovereign. If you accompany it with non-action then the
reason by which it is moved is the nature of the Original Spirit (元神 Yuan Shen); if you
accompany it with action the n the reason by which it si moved is the nature of desire and
thinking. Action is the use of the heart proper to everyday business, non-action is the use of the
heart proper to the [practice of the] Golden Pill 金丹. By reverting action into non-action, after
that by non-action attending to the correct enterprise, this is the introduction to the Golden Pill.
As for the Spirit, there is the Original Spirit and there is the Spirit that desires. The Original
Spirit is the bit of numinous light that comes from the Anterior Heaven 先天. The spirit that has
desires is of the nature proper to qi 气(pneuma), the Original Spirit is of the nature of the
Anterior Heaven. After the bodily form appears there is the nature proper to qi, if one is able to
reverse it then the nature proper to Heaven and Earth subsist within it. Because it has been
obnubilated by the nature proper to qi, just as the clouds hide the Moon. Even though the nature
proper to qi has become firmly established and thus the nature of the Anterior Heaven is no
longer manifest, i.e. the Original Nature is feeble and of qi is apparent, as when the sovereign is
not intelligent and scoundrels are in charge and free to rule in a way [leading to] the destruction
of the Country. In fact when father and mother copulate then the nature proper to qi is entirely
within me! At the time when I am on the point of being born then the Original Nature starts to
enter [in me], father and mother rear my body lovingly, so the nature proper to qi is in charge
and whenever I happen to meet an object it generates an affection toward itself. Now then lightly
eradicate it, what is decisive is that the nature proper to qi is wholly eradicated and then the
inherent Origin will begin to appear, after the inherent Origin has appeared one can use it to act.
There is nothing else, what the common people use everyday is the nature proper to qi
that overpowers the Original Nature. If you are able to revert it then the Original Nature
overpowers the nature of qi. If you act using the nature of qi, then the qi too will be that of the
Posterior Heaven, if you act using the Nature of the Origin, then Qi too will be the Qi of the
Anterior Heaven. The nature of qi is at first very feeble, after birth little by little it grows vigorous,,
therefore the daily activities are of no other nature than that of qi, as soon as one reverses this,
from this point in time on, the Qi of the Anterior Heaven purifies and ripens, [then] the daily
activities are of no other nature than of the true Nature, this is the effect of non-action through
the suppression of the Posterior Heaven having attained the Anterior Heaven.

On the use of Qi 气为用说

Qi of the Anterior Heaven 先天之气, qi of the Posterior Heaven 后天之气, he who attains it
looks like drunk and an idiot, he forgets about sleeping. Huh! When the Original Spirit comes into
view then the Original Qi 元气 is generated, in fact when it is separated from the Great Pole, it
inherits a bit of numinous light, this is the Original Nature. What sort of thing is this Original
Nature 元性? It too is a coagulation of Qi that carries a Numinous Nature 性灵. Therefore the fact
that when the Original Nature comes back the Original Qi is generated too is due to the principle
(li) 理 of mutual affinity / correspondence. What is the reason of the fact that the Original Qi
when generated circulates in the whole body but only in the kidneys is it stored and used? The
first reason is that the kidneys’ path is in direct communication with the Yellow Court 黄庭, the
point of Qi 气穴. The second is that the kidneys are the palace of the Essence (Jing 精), when the
Essence comes by one can directly bring? Collect the flower of the Essence and use it. The third is
that when it circulates in other places it is difficult to use and when it comes to the Palace of the
Essence it can be noticed. The fourth is that the Qi of the heart penetrates the kidneys, when the
intention is brought down then it arrives directly there and the gatherer is facilitated in his task.
Because of the above four reasons the gathering of the True Yang is done in the kidneys.

On the saying that Essence follows Qi 精从气说

There is an original spirit 元神, an original qi 元气, is there or not an original essence 元精?
Essence relies on Qi to be generated, when essence replenishes the Palace of the kidneys, qi
blends and melts with it, thus essence following qi makes the Yang rise as Lead 鉛.
When essence is lost the original qi is not generated, the original yang is not in sight, how
can this be of help to me? Indeed only when the original spirit is in sight is the original qi
generated, and when the original qi is generated then the original essence is born [as well]!

On the saying that intention is the matchmaker 意为媒说

As for intention, it is not at all only an intermediary. The Way of the Golden Pill, from its very
beginning to its end, cannot do without its function. Intention is generated inside the heart,
however the heart must not be allowed to extend to the intention, [only] then [the work] is
possible, if the heart does extend to the intention, then one gets only trivialities.

On Kan and Li 坎离说

Kan 坎 is the palace of the kidneys, Li 离 the field of the heart. When it is still Kan belongs
to water, then it is [trigram of Kan], when it stirs it belongs to Fire, then it is [---, continuous line,
yang]; when it moves Li belongs to fire, then it is [trigram of Li], when it is still it belongs to water,
then it is [- -, broken line, yin]. At the very time of copulation the Field of the Heart is still and the
Palace of the Kidneys moves, so that which is obtained is it not True Yang below True Yin above?
Moreover the intention generated in the heart, does it not reach directly to the Palace of the
Kidneys below? The Yang generated in the kidneys does it not rise directly to the Yellow Court
above? Thus it is said that Kan and Li are reversed upside down. When they are not reversed and
move in the usual direction, then the fire of the heart moves and there is no peace, this clarifies
the meaning of fire scorching the entire Earth.

Practice for beginners 下手功夫

 At first I started with talking about the heart, after that now I take up the talk about the
beginning of the practice. In fact it is the heart which at the beginning desires tranquillity, but the
desiring thought has not yet stopped. The desiring thought is the product of the nature of qi. This
nature enslaves the true nature, it is usually attached to the ears, after that to the eyes. [As for]
The practitioner of the Golden Pill, since his heart has no business, thus for sure it [the nature of
qi] has no means of enslaving it! The way by which the Spirit (Shen) is enslaved is through the
luring and enticing of external things.
At the time of quiet sitting, first follow the way of breath control. The control of breathing
consists in this: the breathing of common people is to start the second breath (inspiration) when
the first breath is not yet over (has not yet been expired completely). Now when we start a new
breathing act we suppress the following one, as the following breathing act is suppressed, it shall
subsequently follow very slowly, thus in time breathing shall become stable. When controlling
breathing you cannot in the least stir your heart, if you stir it up, it will follow breathing,
breathing has not yet been put under control and your heart has already been stirred.
The Master had not yet finished speaking that someone beside burst into laughter and said:
“How highly impracticable! This old one teaches an inexistent method, suppressing breathing
without stirring one’ s heart, if one must with a thousand hooks require something of somebody
is it possible to achieve this without the use of force?” [The Master] said: “The student will please
listen to what I say, even though I suppress my breath at the same time I am keeping my heart
still, so that it does not stir and breath is a complete breath.” [He] Answered: “Such still is only
the method of suppressing breathing, how to guarantee that the thought of desire will not arise?”
[The Master] answered: “The arousing of thoughts is the end, the arousing of thoughts is a
motion caused by the perception of objects. When in the state of stillness the eye sees
something, thus the spirit is attracted forcibly to the eye, [then] swiftly gather it and revert the
looking to the “inside”, when the ear hears something and the spirit is forced to the ear, [then]
promptly gather it and listen to the “inside”; and for the rest act in the same way.” The
questioner said: “Asking about one thing you know the other, I understand this principle. When I
restrain my spirit at the same time I restrain my heart, thus the spirit is under control and the
heart is quiet by itself”. [The Master] Said: “Preserving one’s heart is nurturing one’s nature. At
the first appearance of nature, if one does not keep one’s heart [under control] then there is
nothing to nurture, if there is nothing to nurture it [true nature] shall remain invisible to the end.
Keeping one’s heart indeed starts from restraining it, what is called restraining the Spirit is
just the restraining of one’s heart spare [remaining] functions. If practiced for a long time seeing
is like not seeing, hearing is like not hearing, form and heart are both forgotten, one harmonizes
with the accomplished Way, then the original nature unveils [itself] and the original qi is
generated.

On the concentration of the Spirit 凝神论

The Spirit 神 is the Original Nature 元性. What I said above in [the section] “On the
supremacy of the Spirit” in fact has already told all on this [subject]. Now considering that the
people who practice alchemy, for the most part, do not understand the way of concentrating the
spirit, and the way of concentrating the spirit not being a question of speed, I will treat of this
[subject] again. Concentrating means that the spirit coagulates within essence and qi, essence
and qi per se rely on each other and the spirit too is deeply connected with them, so why now do
I emphasize the spirit? The spirit is the master of essence and qi, from the practitioner’s
copulation and collection down to the tending of fire, none of these is anything else than using
essence and qi by means of the spirit. If first one coagulates the spirit inside the qi, then the qi
has not yet been given the possibility of becoming pacified, the spirit too has not had the
opportunity of becoming attached to the qi, [this] on the opposite will harm the medicines. In
fact the spirit is the Original Nature, when Nature has just become visible and has not yet
become stable, it is still shaky, coming and going, and then if one hastily forces it to coagulate,
how can Nature coagulate spontaneously? The reason in force of which it coagulates, it is too of
the nature of qi. At the beginning I said that it is by the use of the material nature that one seeks
the True Nature, [now] this amounts to use the material nature to expel the True Nature, how
can this work? Why do the students of today, for the most part, go wrong in the concentration of
the Spirit? Indeed the Divine Immortals have the saying that at the beginning one must
concentrate the Spirit, therefore [this] is inappropriately quoted in order to fool the people, who
knows that what is called concentrating the spirit means is to still one’s thoughts and revert one’s
spirit to the path of the heart, when the spirit returns to the heart then the whole body of Nature
appears, using this whole manifested body is nothing else than the working of the spirit, one and
every thought does not leave the Golden Pill, therefore when the Pill is formed the spirit
spontaneously turns to it, what is there to coagulate? Therefore it is said: “Coagulating the Spirit
it blends with Essence and Qi.” When Essence, Qi and Spirit combine into one then the Yang Spirit
is born. At that point this body starts to be a useless thing.

On the fictitious pill 幻丹说

That there is a fictitious pill is because the student of Dao, being ignorant of the True
Principle, rashly enacts the gathering and copulation, thence the fictitious pill is begotten. The
fictitious pill is due to the fact that when the field of the heart has not yet been pacified, the first
yang is hastily gathered, therefore at this time one yang is glowingly generated but this is not the
True Yang. The qi is not the Original Qi, but then the qi of breathing; the essence is not the
Original Essence, but then the essence of lust; the spirit too is not the Original Spirit, but then the
spirit of affection and desire. When somebody is studying the Dao, then he desires to become an
Immortal, the attaining is it not a thought of desire? With the desiring thought to make the
newborn yang to copulate, this is the reason of the existence of the fictitious pill. The essence is
stored in the kidneys and if it is gathered it rises up to above the navel, but since it has no place
to settle then it expels the qi and it rests to the right side of the Qi Point, the navel is connected
to the yarn of the kidneys, [the essence therefore] mingles with the qi and stops, then the eye
says [there] is the pill. Since the eye says there is the pill, then essence, qi and shen are used
manifestly, consequently they are the lowest objects of the Posterior Heaven, the objects of the
Anterior Heaven where on Earth have got a location? What is called Yellow Court, Internal
Furnace, External Furnace, Ni Wan (Mud Ball) etc. [such] orifices, all of them start to be seen
after the Anterior Heaven has been established, at this time in whatever place, really there is
none yet. Grabble shadows following the wind, enter the sea to seek for toads, guard the tree
trunk waiting for the hare, climb trees to catch fish, once the mistake becomes apparent the
essence has already flown away and the Anterior Heaven has nothing to muster. Alas! This is not
the Pill of Long Life but a way to shorten life! Moreover there is collecting the qi and moving it up
to meet the blood of the heart, [mingling it] qi and blood coagulate into a material object, this
too is called fictitious pill. Those who do this are numberless, therefore I cite it to make the
mistake clear.

Method of retrieving the Pill 捉丹法

Whereas the Golden Pill is inside, is there anybody who loses it nonetheless? I say there is.
Is there a way to retrieve it? I say there is. Yet it is not the Pill which gets lost, it is that the doors
are not tightly closed and it gets expelled. The fictitious pill can get lost, but how can the Golden
Pill have this peril! I say: how to know that the Golden Pill is gone? I say: when the Pill is inside
the crucible it is provided with the correct qi of the five activities, when the qi of the five
activities of my body approaches the furnace then they perceive one another and stir; as soon as
one feels the qi to rise outside the crucible and from inside there is no mutual perception, then
the Pill is not there. One must at once enter into a state of deep tranquility, more over the fact
that the so called furnace, crucible and Pill are there or not, any and all these must turn into not
existing, either for one day or one night, until one starts to feel where it is, either in the heart or
in the liver or in the spleen or in the kidneys, the one hundred orifices of the body all can store it.
When the place where it is known, then continuously and very lightly keep watch of it, in order
not to make it go elsewhere once more time. Again after one day start to collect it by the
intention of [your] mind, then directly lay it down into the Palace of the Yang, then approach the
Palace of Yang with intention as at the time of gathering, then along the old path directly raise it
to the crucible, this is the marvel of the subtle and obscure transmutation.

On the Spiritual Water and the Flourishing Pond 神水华池说

“Spiritual Water” is the appellative of the liquid of Wood. The “Flourishing Pond” is an
orifice located below the “point of qi” in the middle of the navel, between the two kidneys, in all
similar to the Yellow Court, the qi of the cereals at this point changes into essence, precisely what
physicians call “point of essence”. In this orifice, during youth and early adulthood the yang is
abundant and the qi flows unobstructed and even, therefore the Spiritual Water and the
Flourishing Pond have no other use than watering the crucible, watering the spleen and stomach,
circulating all over and moistening the Point of Qi. If the Original Qi is waning, the origin of the
essence is dried up, [then] every author takes this as the foundation of the Pill. When the Original
Qi starts to decline, [at this time] this is not a decline a decline of the Original Qi, but only the
material qi has already been exhausted, the nature of evil and desire has caused thoughts with
no pause, the Anterior Heaven has already become invisible, the Posterior Heaven is already
insufficient for use, the danger of the root of emaciation and infirmity stems from here. The
Orifice of the Floral Pond generates essence and makes it flow down to the kidneys. When the qi
is strong then the essence is abundant, when the essence is abundant then it is thriving, when it
is used it looks as if it be in surplus. When a person whose qi is withering, his originator of
essence is dried up indeed, what the qi of food can get to is to produce a weeping eye drop of
water which reverts to the Palace of the Kidneys. However since I keep still, the Original Qi in
itself has neither increased nor decreased, only the Floral Pond is empty, one of the Three Great
Medicines is missing, therefore at the time when the Yang is born, when it is not yet the time of
gathering it, with my intention I make it turn around to the point [called] “weilu”尾, from the
points “jiaji”夹脊 I make it penetrate into the “Niwan”泥丸, therefore when it reaches the Point
of the Essence 精穴 it uses Essence, spontaneously it shall follow the qi and rise to the Palace of
Wu (Noon), then the Essence shall start to be usable. Then it descends to the heart, when it
reaches the heart takes up Cinnabar 汞, then in the same fashion it goes down to the Yellow
Court 黄庭, then set it inside it and seal it there with one’s intention, then continuously and
lightly nurture it. The two near its centre attract and swallow each other spontaneously and the
Pill starts to be achieved.
Recently there is a school in Zhejiang and Jiangxi that uses this method of coagulating the
Pill for young adults too, but Dao is about searching nigh for everything which is far, though
anybody holds his [own method for] true.

On the one hundred orifices 百窍说

The human body has eighty four thousand orifices, three hundred and eighty four palaces of
Qi, the thin orifices everywhere belong to the palaces of Qi, the Qi point in the middle of the
navel is in turn the master of the 384 palaces of Qi, [those] descending to the palace of the Yang
are all essential. The heart is the Middle Field, the summit [of the head] is the Upper Field, under
the tongue is the Dark Chest, within the eyes is the Sea of Silver, the middle of the forehead, in
between the eyebrows, in the void between the mouth and the nose, on the shores of the eyes
and ears, beside the throat, between under the ribs and the waist, [these] are all orifices. What I
called the loss of the Pill above, if all such orifices can store it, how could one say that man has
only one or two orifices! These one or two orifices are but the hub of every orifice, how can one
say that one can stop only to these!
This is its physical structure, I shall deal with its use afterwards.

Table of gathering and taking 菜取图

On gathering and taking 菜取论

Gathering 采 means to gather the True Yang in the mansion of the kidneys, taking 取 means
to take the True Yin in the field of the heart. When one can gather them then gather them,
gathering them will necessarily get their use; if one gathers them when it is not the right time,
the dragon will not descend, the tiger will not rise, only the qi and blood will be seen running fast,
coming and going wildly. The one who is in error will think erroneously this is copulation, still not
knowing the True Yang inside the yin and the True Yin inside the Yang of Kan and Li, this is only
lying to oneself. As for the channels of qi being blocked by one thought: in consequence of this
the qi rushes into the channels, inside Li and Kan, this on the opposite harms Lead and Cinnabar,
even though one thinks one is nourishing qi, considering its last consequences, in fact one is
harming the Original Qi. The presence of the Original Qi in man starts to be visible when perfect
tranquility is attained, this is the Qi of the Anterior Heaven, whereas the qi of the Posterior
Heaven circulates at any time continuously, but man sinks into desire and cannot make an
accurate judgment. When the point of slight stillness is attained, then the heart has no
occupation, therefore only then does one get to know the upward and downward movement of
qi, consequently one mistakenly gathers it, believing it to be the Anterior Heaven, [this] on the
opposite brings about a greater harm, therefore it is indeed for this reason that contemporary
students of the Dao often have strange illnesses. The illnesses of man are solely due to
obstructions of the channels of qi. The qi is naturally regulated, but if it is forced to rise then it
hurts the spleen, stomach, lungs, liver, ears, eyes, mouth, nose, its dropping then is like
bursting water against a long dyke, it hastens down with great force, full of untamed vigour.
Perfectly authentic things, how can they be stopped? I pity people of such a level who talk about
the Pill, therefore I discuss gathering and taking first. Even though I disclose the working of
Heaven directly, nonetheless man has an aspiration towards the Golden Pill and instead he kills
his own life. I save him by means of the correct principle, Tai Shang [Lao Zi] loves life, therefore he
will not hold me guilty. Therefore this treaty does away with all the daogui 刀圭 (method and
measures), xuan huang 玄黄(obscure and yellow), yin er 婴儿 (newborn baby), chai nu (red
beauty), doing away with every kind of metaphor and restitutes the three she 舍 (homes),
making the intelligent person to approve and agree when he reads, the fool one to feel the ice
melting when he reads, clear and distinct as when a precious mirror reflects an image, by looking
into a hole one can see a hair. He who practices the Golden Pill first cultivates the yin virtue in
order to exhaust the human business, thereafter he keeps to the above theory of the heart
(mind), then the Great Medicines can be produced and [their] image can be seen. The method of
gathering and taking starts in the heart, the heart is the pivot of the numberless transformations,
one must forget it, [only] then one starts to seek for it. To forget is to forget the wandering mind,
to seek for is the Authentic Mind. Only when in the forgetting [attitude] an intention of seeking is
generated, then [this] is the Authentic Mind. Inside the fuzziness, the Authentic Mind starts to
appear, it is [precisely] this Authentic Mind that generates one Authentic Intention, moreover [by]
reverting the light to the inside, the numberless orifices are all attained in a string and the
Original Essence spews the Flower. It is necessary inside the Wu 无 [nothing, indeterminate state]
to generate the You 有 [being, existing], inside the you to generate the Wu, when this state is
attained one must have forgotten and expelled even the Authentic Mind. I meet it by keeping to
the Wu, then the Authentic Breath is stable and continuous, at the time when the Authentic
Breath is stable and continuous, the qi of the Posterior Heaven has already become firm, [as] the
Posterior Heaven disappears then the Qi of the Anterior Heaven becomes apparent, therefore
the Yang is born. When the Yang is born the Qi of the Anterior Heaven flows out from the middle
of the Orifice of qi and reaches the point in the middle of the kidneys, O as a ball of gushing
water. Indeed between the kidneys there is a [yarn / strand of] orifice which transpires Qi, this is
where the vessels and channels start to be born after father and mother copulate. Therefore
when the Qi of the Anterior Heaven reaches it one comes aware of this, then the one hundred
vessels of the whole body are all alive as living in Spring, the intention of Spring blends and step
by step grows, at this time the body of the Anterior Heaven starts to be established, as the
Anterior Heaven is established the Posterior Heaven to gradually retreats into disappearance.
Thereafter one can lightly move the intention of gathering, this intention means to watch with
the eyes the heart vertically below and with the heart to set it down, to send it to the Palace of
the Yang, lightly gather and then let loose again, then the yang rises O ! The intention of
gathering is born within the heart, the heart is born in the eyes, therefore Lao Zi says: “I
constantly watch my heart so I attain the perfect Dao”. A soon as the true breathing is stabilized,
the internal light is then the spiritual light, this heart is then the true heart, the true heart bears
intention, the spiritual light illuminates the heart, therefore he who constantly practices this says:
“The eyes watch the heart, the heart bears intention, intention picks Lead”.
If the yang is born but not yet melted to abundance and one hastily picks it, then there is
one thought [still] present, as soon as the intention of picking buds the Posterior Heaven rises
again, therefore it is said: “Fully understanding life in reality involves the grounding of Nature”.
Nature has no visible aspect, everything that has an aspect is a false and vain figment. When it
does not show a visible aspect, then the false and vain is removed and the true principle
becomes apparent. When the true principle has just become clear and one thought rises, is it not
going back to vain aspect? Therefore wait for the yang to grow and then pick it, then it excitedly
rises, The Qi of the Anterior Heaven is thriving and vigorous and the Posterior Heaven plummets
without pause. In picking and rising indeed there is a difference. Warmly it rises to the navel and
a little above it, it lightly stops above the navel, then and only then does breathing coagulate, this
is called Lead. Lead I Metal. Metal generates Water, thence Cinnabar is born within the heart,
intimation of the principle that clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger. When the wind
calms down then rain drops, spontaneously Lead and Cinnabar blend, gulp and devour each other,
Metal bears Water, Water bears Wood, Wood again bears Fire, Wood loves Metal and Metal is
attracted by Wood, thence [this] is the way of copulation. Metal subjugates Wood, in this on the
opposite there is a meaning of love, this is the nature of Metal and Wood. I use the nature of
nature and do not go too far with the metaphor. O is the Anterior Heaven, where the five
activities are, only if it is not in this way, one cannot grasp its principle. As soon as the method of
the gathering becomes clear, the reason of the intercourse is again apparent. Again I warn, the
gathering cannot be too late, if it is too late then it is old and cannot be used, since it gets mixed
with the qi of the Posterior Heaven. If the student compares [this] with [the chapter] “On
copulation” then the thought is half accomplished.

Table of copulation 交会图

On copulation 交会论

Within the fuzzy dusk there is appearance, in the mute abyss there is something, the ancient
sages often used these words to warn the students. Fuzzy dusk and mute abyss are the aspect of
stillness, only in stillness can one forge the Pill, if one is not still the yang is not born, after the
yang is born if one is not still the Pill will not coagulate. Therefore only then must one gather Lead
by intention, but immediately stop one’s intention, this suspension has its time and the rising has
its moment, in fact the beginning of life is no more than one qi. Rising up to the navel is Lead, so
suspend this intention and refrain from using it. By itself Lead can attract Mercury, Mercury can
search for Lead, in the fuzzy dusk and mute abyss the principle of copulation is accomplished.
Oral instruction about gathering and copulation: search through forgetting, forget in
searching, see in forgetting, forget in seeing, the yang is born; in forgetting gather, in gathering
forget, in forgetting raise, in raising see, in seeing change, Lead is accomplished; in stillness start,
by intention raise, in forgetting use, Lead attracts Mercury; Lead unites with Mercury within, then
the essence conjugates with the spirit without, there is coition; Lead and Mercury, essence and
spirit copulate becoming / into one, indeed this only thought make it descend to the Yellow Court
and revert to the Crucible.
Oral instruction on the above oral instruction: the union of Lead and Mercury requires the
use of one intention, when it moves [then one can] gather one yang, one needs to use tranquility
so that to produce stillness.
Somebody asked who is copulating. Answered: “In the chart of gathering and picking the
hole beneath the heart is the site of copulation, one cannot either look for it through form, or
find I through non form. Only at the moment when Lead rises above the yang qi is like , what
comes down from the point of qi is a yang palace , I pick it by my intention , at the
moment of the descent of Mercury the yin qi comes down as a , that is Mercury and Lead
are born, Lead rises to above the navel , it is lit up by the shine of essence (jing), therefore
it is called Lead. Lead is like a shape, Mercury is like a shadow, when the shape moves the shadow
follows, therefore the descent of Mercury happens in the same fashion. The rising of the yang
Lead cannot be called pure yang, inside it contains the light of the essence, therefore it belongs
also to the yin. The descent of the yin Mercury cannot be called pure yin, the heart gives birth to
Mercury, the heart is the seat of the spirit (shen), Mercury can be used after it has met the light
of the spirit, therefore it belongs also to the yang. Inside yang there is yin, inside yin there is yang,
the two qi copulate, coagulate and do not disperse, consequently they form a dark pearl
like a grain.”
Somebody asks: “Lead thus is the first yang, the first yang then is the First Qi of the Anterior
Heaven, what is then Mercury?” Answered: ”Lead and Mercury both are things of the Anterior
Heaven, Lead is the qi of the Anterior Heaven, Mercury is the numen (ling) of the Anterior
Heaven, this qi is the mother of life, this numen is the son of nature, one can say Lead and
Mercury can be called nature and life.
Again it was asked: “The orifice beneath the heart, what [sort of] orifice is it?” Answered:
“This is the spiritual chamber of the chaos, a figment of the qi of the flower of the essence and of
the light of the eyes. The flower of the essence swirls up as , the light of the eyes dives
as . Although the essence is the primeval essence, whether there is no use of the essence
of the sun, then the primeval essence cannot be seen, this is comparable to any place in which
there is water, then the damp lifts white vapor, it was never heard of white vapor lifting on earth.
Water is the essence, white vapor [its] refined part. Even though spirit is the primeval spirit,
altogether it is only the use of the spirit of the sun with no strife, thence the primeval spirit is
seen, this is comparable to the shining Moon in the sky, when the clouds retire the light begins to
lighten downwards, tranquility is to be without clouds, diving the rays of one’s eyes is
illumination. Even though the essence belongs to yin, [nonetheless] the flower of the essence
belong to yang, the rays of the eyes belong to yang, [but] the illumination inside then is also yin.
Light and flower of the essence meet and produce an orifice, the two qi feel each other, [this fact]
makes the two things combine in their middle. the accomplishment of this thing, therein is
jing qi, therein is original qi, when the practice is sufficient one becomes an Authentic Man, as
the reason of the generation of life is harboured therein. The reason why it can be numinous
[able to communicate with the upper world] and spiritual is this.
Somebody says: “And so after this coition how does one get this pearl to descend to the
Yellow Court and rest inside the Crucible?” Answered: “When the two things unite, matter and
nature are one, then the five activities are whole. The Tiger returns to the mountain, the Dragon
returns to the abyss, the light of the eyes reverts [to the inside] and the essential qi comes back,
this
drops inside the Yellow Court, reverts to the inside of the crucible, it may be some barrier will
turn back, be fuzzy and dusky, then the myriad holes give birth to Spring, these words are not
found in any canonic book, but are the description of the achievement of the student.”
Somebody asks: “The yang is born above, if one hastily blocks one’s intention, how can one
guarantee it will not go down once again?” Answered: “This is indeed a great question! Under
the Yellow Court there is a gate of the alchemic chamber. When the intention is born it is above,
therefore the yang rises, when the intention is stopped then it is one, thus the yang cannot get to
go down! The crucible is inside the one, really it belongs to Earth, thus has got the
authentic qi of the five activities, it accomplishes the complete form of Heaven and Earth.”
Somebody asks about the method of the crucible. Answers: “The Yellow Court is inside the
body as explained, the yang of the perfect one rises as explained, after the grain has dropped
inside it is like this, this is in fact the crucible. The Yellow Court as well belongs to Earth,
gets to the Middle of the Middle, thus it belongs to Earth inside Earth. Therefore dropping into
the middle and becoming crucible each of the activities thickens its foundation. What is called to
thicken one’s foundation? The mother seeks the son, the son is loves his mother, this is the
method of alchemy, everything follows its own nature, they revert to the crucible and both have
a tendency to it, as the son loves his mother, thus while sitting in stillness the spiritual light drops
down and then reverts to the crucible, the rising of the flower of the essence is also like this. In as
much as walking, standing, sitting, lying [at any time one must be like] the dragon nurturing the
pearl, the chicken hatching eggs, and for each the qi comes back to it, all the vessels of the body
encircle it, the task lies in neither forgetting nor helping its growth!”

Table directly exposing the workings of heaven 直泄天机图

Treatise directly exposing the workings of Heaven 直泄天机图

After having completed the exposition about the Golden Pill, I ponder that the proceedings
of Heaven are secret, and I shall expound how to reverse the five Activities, the course of Water
and Fire, make clear the advancing and retreating of the Medicines, experience the revolution of
the Sun and the Moon, and with that the treatise in three parts that I composed above will be
completed.
Now I ponder that the student has not yet understood, thus for this reason I write this book,
[in which] I shall directly expose the proceedings of Heaven to the finest detail, transform the
hard stone into gold, the tiles into jade, without the slightest exaggeration. The two eyes are the
abode of the labour of the spirit (shen), [whenever] watching, looking, seeing, observing the
spirit can never leave them; the two ears are the site by which the spirit is dispatched, the sounds
from within one hundred lis are heard in the ears, their spirit leaves following them; the two
narines are the place in which the spirit is fatigued, when they feel they discriminate between
perfume and stench, who does the distinguishing? The spirit for sure! Make the ears, eyes,
mouth, nose all like the eyebrows and then how can the spirit not to be quiet and complete? [If
one can be] like this then [one] is not [part] of the Posterior Heaven nor can [one] be fatigued in
practicing. More or less [attain] forgetfulness in the eyes, then the spirit shall revert to the
crucible and look inside, as when subtle continuity is attained the eyes drop and watch downside;
when forgetfulness reaches the ears, then the spirit reverts to the crucible and listens to the
inside, as when subtle continuity is attained the ears hear downside; when forgetfulness reaches
the nose, then the spirit reverts to the crucible and inspires inside, as this is the true breathing or
the time of stillness, [for the] principle of the qi reverting to the Original Sea. To say all this in one
word, each and every forgetting causes everything to revert to the crucible, and unite inside it!

Oral instructions
Somebody asked: “In the practice of the Golden Pill, [about] ears, eyes, mouth, nose, we
have already heard, of the heart we already know so there is no need to talk about, liver,
gallbladder, spleen, stomach, lungs, kidneys, [though] they are things not to be used, is there
some usefulness inside their non use?”
I answered this saying: “This is something that one knows its reason thereof after one has
attained it, nonetheless for the moment I will not conceal it, for what is there to be
concealed? When I started to follow a master, me too I asked this question. My master
presented me with a poem which says: “The sight of the five lakes is vast and boundless,
birds stand on the beaches vast as the whole universe, paint a scenery of effort exactly as
your master has indicated to enlighten you, at the different time when you shall have
travelled the whole world have a deep look”. At the beginning I had not yet arrived at this
reason, afterwards when I attained it I started to believe that my master’s words had not
cheated me. Now I will use the wordless indication of my master and expound it with words.
As far as the function of the five activities is concerned, not even one of them can be lacking,
therefore at the moment when the subtle consistence is attained the qi of the spleen and
that of the stomach unite and revert to the thread of the heart, the qi of the liver and that of
the gallbladder unite, from the large and small intestine connect the thread of the kidneys.
The qi of the lung sinks into the qi of the heart and connects with the nose. This qi is in fact
the excess generated by the spleen and kidneys when in the state of stillness, then the
original qi circulates around from the East to the West, from the South to the North. The
South West is in fact the confluence / reunion of qi. When the qi is in harmony it comes to
this place, in fact from the point Jia Ji it penetrates upwards into the Middle Dan Tian
(cinnabar field) and descends to palace of the kidneys. Between the two kidneys there is the
bridge that rules life - a belt, therefore Han Shan Zi says: “Above there is the resting hole of
the spirit, horizontally is set the bridge that rules life”, it is in fact this. When the qi comes
down unto this place, the yang qi is abundant and thus it bursts upwards, it unites with this
qi, then it surrounds firmly the crucible from the outside, with daily use it increases its force
of activity, thus the achievement of the Jing E is in fact this. Suddenly something appears,
coming out naturally aloof, neither inside nor outside, this is the stuff of the golden pill, it
can be known without using words. Why is it half obscure and the other half still more
obscure? I say: the practitioner of the golden pill is at half of the work when he reaches this
point. ‘O’ coming out naturally aloof, this is the one orifice of the obscure barrier. [If one
considers] its largeness, it is so large that nothing is left outside it, [if one considers] its
smallness, it is so small that nothing can be contained inside it. ‘O’ is the centre of what has
got form, ‘O’ is the centre of what has no form. First reaching the centre of what has got
form in order to search for the centre of what has no form, then [this is] through using life
seeing nature; reaching the centre of what has no form in order to search for what has got
form, this is through using nature seeing life. Starting with nature is therefore difficult,
starting with life then one has where to move from, as it were, even though ten thousand lis
are a long way, one has a way without barriers [to get there], starting with nature is
comparable to trying to get the Moon out water, nonetheless, as far as their final result is
concerned, it is the same, one cannot lightly express an opinion. If one’s effort is not
sufficient, one cannot know the fact that it is indeed so. If it has not yet been seen one need
not preserve it as being there, lest this could lead to all kind of figments.
Somebody asked again: “On the chart the master has drawn there are many orifices,
what are these?” He answered: “These orifices are not those of gathering or copulating.
Indeed one yin and one yang is called Dao, the comings and goings are numberless, if one
uses it one will pile up and obstruct the body inside, such is the effect of this thing, if one
does not use it it then reverts to and stores in one of the fields of the heart, immediately
comprehensible and formless, what sort of thing is it? ‘oo’ is the master of thought. The left
[side] belongs to the yang, the right to the yin, only when this point is attained can one
revert to the great pole. I say he who reverts to the great pole, he himself is the great pole,
he who reverts to the great pole, he himself is the great harmony, he who attains the great
harmony, he himself is the beginning of yin and yang, therefore it is said ‘when yin and yang
are in harmony then it is the time of wind and rain, the good grains are born’ this is
expressed through such a metaphor. The numbers of Heaven and Earth are 55, Heaven has 1,
Earth 2, Heaven 3, Earth 4, Heaven 5, Earth 6, Heaven 7, Earth 8, Heaven 9, Earth 10, yang
uneven and yin even. The numbers of Heaven are 25, those of Earth 30, in all they count 55.
The number of the great expansion is 50, it comes from subtracting 5 which represent /
symbolize the five activities, this is the manifestation of the inside and outside of the
crucible . Again consider that their centre controls one, symbolizing the great pole not
moving, its use is thus 49. Again consider that their centre controls one, this is the Jing E, its
use is thus 48. The rule of using fire in the practice of the furnace and crucible that the
student [must follow], is to have the four trigrams as foundation / principle, the sixty four
exagrams as use, keeping to Qian, Kun, Kan , Li. Again look for their image in the chart of the
great expansion, then the principle of circular movement will be clear, the method of the
cycle of Heaven is revealed. If there is still someone who has not understood, please let one
look at “Furnace and crucible” treatise.
Table of the light of the toad 蟾光图

Treatise of the light of the toad 蟾光论

The Great Void is boundless, the bright Moon is splendid, the waves of snow turn and
soar, the metal batrax spits streaks of light. About the reason of the brightness of the Moon
people say that it is due to the abundance of the essence of metal, thus it is so bright. Who
knows that the cause of the existence of metal is that it is the product of the Moon. If
people see that metal is born from the Moon but do not know that the brightness of the
Moon in itself comes from the Sun.
The Moon is a metaphor for the original nature. Water is a metaphor for the palace of
Kan. The metal toad is a symbol of the orifice of a drop of true yang. The Moon as a symbol
of true nature is the use of nature. When first it is seen nature is big as a star, round as a
globe, bright and shining, this is not enough to say that one sees nature, but that the nature
of qi has a little subsided and the original nature is slightly visible, as when the clouds open
and the Moon appears, after a little while they gather and again it is as before. When [one]
achieves the ability to preserve it continuously then [one] can sink into the state of
indifference between the time when [one] sees and when has not yet seen. Therefore the
practitioner of the golden pill as soon as he sees this thing clearly [knows] that this is the
time of the birth of the original qi and consequently he answers and uses it. This can be
compared to the seeing the thieves and catching them immediately, not letting them flee
again. Thus gather it inside the crucible, then a drop of original qi starts to be unable to flee.
The field of cinnabar is the Sun, the original nature inside the heart is the Moon, the light of
the Sun reverts and illuminates the Moon, because after copulation the treasure body gives
birth to metal. The Moon receives the qi of the Sun, therefore on the third [day of the lunar
month] bears one yang, as the pill inhabits the crucible [one] perceives a spark of numinous
light, from the heart continuously illuminating so as there is no day and night. From the birth
of the first yang to the eight day of the [lunar] month, the second yang is born, the second
yang, then the qi of the pill is a little flourishing, thus the original nature too is a little
apparent. From the birth of the second yang to the full moon, then the three yang become
pure, the time when the three yang is what is called the original nature is fully apparent, i.e.
what above has been called the centre of the formless. When the first yang has just been
born, I only perceive that in my body there is something, now distinct and then hidden;
when the second yang is born, then the body all around produces light; when the third yang
is born, then the light is neither insdie nor outside, [I] only feel that this body is as if
[suspended] in the void, neither there is body nor void, neither Sun nor Moon, if one can
constantly keep to this state then it is great stillness. But if the practitioner of the pill keeps
to the state of being [you] then he cannot collect the true lead and therefore this is all
useless. Why is it said that having reached this point the alchemical work is half
accomplished? This is because the original spirit is manifest but has not yet reverted to the
crucible, mixed with the essence and qi so as to become one, this is why it is [only] half. Let
us go on and talk about the following half and its reason, after the moon has reached
fullness, on the sixteenth the first yin is born, the first yin is nature beginning to revert to life.
From the birth of the first yin to twenty third the second yin is born, the two yins is the
 second [time] nature reverting to life. From the birth of the second yin to the thirty, then the
three yins are complete, the three yins are the time when the reversion of nature to life is
completed. When there is total manifestation of nature, if [one] keeps to the state of subtle
persistence, then nature turns into life. At the start we use life to catch nature, when nature
is complete, then again we use nature to pacify life, this is the précis of the main points of
[the cultivation of] nature and life. What is called the double cultivation of nature and life is
in fact this. At this time the golden pill is fully accomplished. Starting the concoction, every
day using one day’s step, then it is one day nurturing it, with the work of one hundred days
the infant is born. So I use the metaphor of one lunar month to express its principle of
coition and reciprocal enlightenment. The light of the moon has its real roots in metal, the
nature of metal has its real roots in the moon, being wrought one hundred times it gets
harder and harder, ten thousand stresses cannot break it. This is because metal is the sun,
the moon is nature. Fire is the qi of the sun. When metal is put into fire it returns to the
authenticity of its original nature, it can be wrought into a perfect treasure. This is called
“golden liquor reverted into pill”. Thus he who cultivates the pill at the beginning he gathers
the metal because metal bears water, [thereby] the principle of coition is apparent, and
resorting to earth he accomplishes it.
So as for the foundation of walls and bastions, none come otherwise than by relying
on authentic metal as medicine and by stabilizing and protecting it, forging it into pure metal,
this is why it is called golden pill.

Chart of the furnace and the crucible 炉鼎图

Treatise of the furnace and the crucible 炉鼎论

The tool we name crucible is neither made of iron nor of gold, that we name furnace is
neither made of jade nor of stone. The yellow court is the crucible, the orifice of qi is the furnace.
The yellow court is exactly above the orifice of qi, they are strictly interconnected through
channels, this is the furnace and the crucible, yin and yang are the coals, so as to heat and smelt.
The yellow court is inside the body, the moment of copulation is the time when the original qi is
born, at this time it is open and the pill descends into it, then it must be sealed securely. What is
called mercury fills up the inside of the bottle gourd, [then] close tightly its mouth and put it into
deep water. Mercury [水银 shui ying] is lead and cinnabar [gong]. The bottle gourd is the yellow
court. Deep water is an image for qi. Closing the yellow court tightly, storing and hiding the
mother of the pill and setting it in the place where the qi gathers, if the one who attains this
ponders it, one will get its interest. When the tiger roars the wind rises, when the dragon howls
the clouds soar, the cricket chants the autumn, the mayfly shows the yin. The ten thousand qis
revert to the crucible and as the tighter the sealing the stronger the smelting, this is the reason
why there are a furnace and a crucible. The essential points of the myriad texts on alchemy are
expounded by means of tables and images, in themselves are meant to lead people to get the
image and forget about words, followers who study it, all stick to the images and search for the
lines of the exagrams, everyone looks for deceitful explanations, how may he ever know that the
ultimate Dao is not complicated, just founded pivoted onto yin and yang and nothing else. As for
he who says that heaven one bears water and so forth counting, this also is nothing else than
clarifying the course of water and fire. If he talks about the four seasons and the eight periods,
this also is nothing else than using a metaphor for the increasing and dwindling of yin and yang of
heaven and earth. Concealing the mother and talking about the son, so those who know this are
rare.
What I am now writing as this book, is all about discarding branches and leaves and telling
about the roots, when the roots are there, then branches and leaves shall flourish by themselves.
Because what the Ancient did not wish to tell and now me I am telling, the gentlemen who are in
the practice of the Dao, they should stick to this meaning, act according to it, [one] can directly
soar [to the condition of] divine immortal.
Somebody asked: “As the body of furnace and crucible is clear now, would like to hear also
about its use”. Between heaven and earth every sort of flower, grass and tree, the myriad
different beings, after the winter solstice, as the yang stirs from beneath, then the dry trees
flourish again, the grasses germinate, the worms in lethargy awaken, the myriad beings are
amiable and cordial, the transmutation has it a heart [conscious mind] in order to bear the
myriad beings, the myriad beings themselves how have they a heart to watch the transmutation?
Because when the first [primeval] qi stirs the myriad species are affected and follow suit. Has
heaven a heart? Have beings a heart? When the time comes that flowers after flourishing bear
fruits, that the true medicines make their cycle, at the time when the leaves fall and flowers
wither, when the true medicines revert to the roots and repeat the process of life, [this] can be
described as a metaphor the Ancient used to symbolize the descent of the medicines and their
transmutation into the pill, there is no exception to this. Nonetheless one can neither stick to the
void mind [wu xin], letting it float or sink by itself, nor can one stick to the conscious mind [you
xin], being busy in expelling fire, but one should keep it as an uninterrupted thread, knowing
one’s void [thus] preserving one’s being, knowing one’s white [thus] preserving one’s black. In
tranquility enact the government of fire, by stilling the inside enact the coagulation of the
reverted pill, presenting it to the centre.

Table of the chamber of the spirit 神室图

Treatise of the chamber of the spirit 神室论

The chamber of the spirit is the chamber where the original spirit resides, this is the Yin E.
When one knows how to establish the generative process of the Yin e, it will become apparent
and manifest. But if somebody does not know that there is a chamber but no master, how can
one take it for a chamber?! Nonetheless, even though the master is not there, the embryo of the
master is also inside the chamber. As in pregnancy, when the mother expires also it expires, when
the mother inspires also it inspires, but the qi not yet sufficient. When the qi is sufficient and the
body is whole, one drop of numinous light enters into it, then it suddenly comes to life, cries and
weeps loudly, it is completely coherent to its human nature. This is in fact the time when the Yin
E is accomplished and the spirit reverts to the chamber. The return of the spirit to its chamber is
what is called to attain its oneness and everything is accomplished. Indeed after copulation the
spiritual light descends and lights up the black pearl, the purest essence rises and is born into the
black pearl, the authentic lead then is the original qi, essence, beforehand qi and spirit also have
their embryo inside it. When the fire is strong enough and the qi is full, then original essence,
original qi and original spirit totally unite into one and therefore the infant is born. How can the
infant be born by itself? The fire burns off every kind of yin, and the embryo starts to be
complete, only when this point is reached can the infant be born. I have said many times that the
Ancient drew a table of the smelting of the pill as O, O is then the Yin E, . this drop of tranquillity,
as if one does not know the way of setting this drop of tranquillity in the centre, one can only
coagulate it for a while but in the end it shall disperse, the violent fire shall burn the void and Kan
and Li shall separate and disperse. This small drop if it is born outside it shall follow the posterior
heaven, one generates two, two generates three, three generates all the beings, everything
comes from this, the common people do this, the sage turns this over. Going against [the usual
trend] shall bear inside, then the way of everlasting life and vision shall be preserved, how can
this not to be the returning to the root and regaining life? The cause of regaining life and
returning to the root lies in deepening and strengthening of root and foundation. The way of
deepening the root starts with purifying one’s heart [mind] and discarding desires; the principle
of purifying the heart starts from screening one’s view and excluding hearing. Confucius says: “Do
not look at what is not in accordance with morals [li], do not listen to what is not in accordance
with morals, do not talk about what is not accordance with morals, do not act what is not in
accordance with morals”. This is indeed the true principle. Nonetheless the doctrine of the literati
[ru] wants to act in the profane world and be put to use in the secular time, therefore it takes the
moral principle as a precaution. What it calls a disorderly heart is joy, anger, mourning, happiness
etc. only. Loyalty, forgiving, compassion, obedience, pity, politeness, respect, scrupulous care, are
considered as a rightful heart. On the other hand the gentleman who cultivates the pill considers
also the “true heart” as being a disorderly heart, and being spontaneously chaotic to get back to
one’s origin and source as his starting point, indeed then as with no disorderly heart, to generate
one true heart, acting vigorously against heaven and earth and in the end then attaining non
action.

Table of the government of fire 火候图

Treatise on the government of fire 火候论

The Zhou Yi [Yi Jing] has three hundred and eighty four lines; fire has three hundred and four
beads. Therefore set Qian and Kun as crucible, Kan and Li as medicines, the remaining sixty
hexagrams are the government of fire. The first day [of the lunar month] use Tun 屯 and Meng
蒙，the second use Xu 需 and Song 讼, the third use Shuai 帅 and Bi 比,the fourth use Xiao Xu
小畜 and Lue, the fifth use Tai and Fou, the sixth Tong Ren and Da You, the seventh use Lian and
Xiang, the eight use Sui and E and gold [metal] is half a pound, the ninth use Ling and Guan, the
tenth Wu He and Ben, the eleventh Bo and Fu, the twelfth Wu Wang and Da Xu, the thirteenth Yi
and Da Guo, the fourteenth Xian and Heng, the fifteenth Dun and Da Zhuang, the sixteenth Jin
and Ming Yi, the seventeenth JiaRen and Gui, the eighteenth Sai and Da Jie, the nineteenth Sun
and Yi, the twentieth Jue and Gou, the twenty first Cui and Sheng, the twenty second Kun and Jin,
the twenty third Ge and Ding and water is half a pound, the twenty fourth Zhen and Ken, the
twenty fifth Jian and Mei, the twenty sixth Feng and Zu, the twenty seventh Sun and Dui, the
twenty eighth Huan and Jie, the twenty ninth Zhong Min and Xiao Guo, the thirtieth Ji Ji and Wei
Ji. As soon as the cycle is concluded it starts over again. Since sun and moon move, cold and hot
happen alternatively, heaven and earth are in harmony and the myriad beings germinate, reverse
the natural process of generation, turn over Qian and Kun, steal from the universe, rob yin and
yang, attaining the ultimate path of heaven and earth begins to be possible to talk of.
Somebody asked about the real body of Qian and Kun, Kan and Li. Answered: “At the time of
the government of fire in the heavenly orbit Kan and Li copulate, when Kan and Li copulate Qian
and Kun meet each other. The qi of heaven descends, the qi of earth rises, thence this is the use
of Qian and Kun. Kan is the issue of the copulation of Qian with Kun, Li is the issue of the
copulation of Kun with Qian. The other images of the hexagrams are nothing else than the setting
up of their body. Moreover one cannot stick to the images in searching for the lines and then one
will start to see the method of the government of fire. He asked again: “The teachings of the
Master are concerned only with heaven and earth and the movements of the sun and the moon,
but the table of the furnace and crucible does also locate the eight trigrams inside the crucible,
the table of the government of fire does also raise the five stages into the Niwan, locates the
level bridge at Mao 卯 and You 酉, what about this?” He answered: “In principle the workings
of Heaven cannot be uncovered lightly, nonetheless having already talked to this point, what
there is yet to conceal! Indeed the river He promulgated its table, Luo its book, what to say about
man!” A guest said: “Stop it, I heard that revealing the workings of Heaven brings disgrace onto
nine generations of ancestors”. I said: “Only you did not hear that ferrying one man brings luck
upon nine generations of ancestors?” The guest said: “Your heart is nothing that anybody can
fathom!” He said: “This is the crucible, this is the furnace, therefore it is the principle of the
advancement of water and fire. Water and fire are nothing else than one [and he same] qi, when
the qi rises I meet it with my heart and this is fire; when the qi descends I wait for it in stillness
and this is water. This is time of persistent stillness, the effect of practising along the
advancement of Zi and Wu. This time only is that of the full moon and the [real] furnace. When
nature appears qi is born, when the is born metal [gold] is born, when metal is born the qi is
abundant, when the qi is abundant then metal is evermore flourishing, these two mutually use
each other. When metal is flourishing in the centre then its light tears the clouds open, let a
crescent of true nature be manifest, shining as the moon, this is the furnace of the high moon. If
it is retained and nurtured for a long time then the qi of metal becomes overpowering and totally
whole, so that it lightens and reveals a full shining moon, then [it is] the whole nature. As soon as
the whole nature is manifest, then return to the metal nature, so my whole body has authentic
nature and authentic life as its masters, then it is the time of the use of fire. Infact the two have
not yet melted into one, and by smelting them with fire one can smelt out pure metal [gold].
Containing nature and life, the whole body everywhere yang, soaring and descending freely,
loving the sun and the moon, liking to travel to the superior door, when the time comes the Dao
is achieved, act strenuously to escape / depart. Alas! Everybody can be so successful as that, but
he himself abandons it [this enterprise], so this is extremely pitiful! About what is left out look at
the general chapter. Only when the cycles are nine are they a circle, the bathing is already
completed, the force of fire is at the end, one star does not go out, therefore move O, O Xun 巽
the wind to blow it into motion. Xun the wind is nothing else than the bunch of threads under
the crucible. When it closed it is Qian, when it is open it is Xun, when it is closed it is expiring,
when it is open it is inspiring, with what else if not by one willing mind can it be made to open or
close?
Somebody said: “Xun is the position of the West, according to the words of the Master, Xun
巽 is then the central palace, is this not a contradiction?” Answered: “The west is the use of Xun,
the central palace is the body of Xun. I generate an intention from my heart and lower to the
place of Xun, then its image starts to open, thence I say fact and body when you use[ it it] is
trained. Following this with Qian, Qian is metal and fire, i.e. metal and essence completely meet
and scorching fire is blazing all over, Kan is needed to bring it under control, though under control
it cannot be stopped, then there is the damage of its harming back below, therefore stop it with
Ken, and then expire it again with Xun. The upper line of Xun is yang, stopping fire can only be
achieved by means of yang, therefore when it meets Zhen it is a little brilliant, when it meets Li it
blazes up again, [then] again stop it by means of Kun. Kun is water, fire starts from water, if meets
its Dui, Dui again is a trigram of the West. Therefore from Wei Lu gently rises upwards and
reaches Niwan, the top is the gate of heaven, the place of the correct Wu [noon], Wu belongs to
fire, consequently it increases [its] brilliance, again catch it with the heart. The heart is fire, he
who takes hold is the spirit, then the spirit is fire, again [this / it] increases its brilliance, when it
reaches Mao 卯 or You 酉 if it goes down straight the Virtue of Punishment is at your gate,
indeed its danger is great! Therefore in one position there are two ways, today’s Mao You is
yesterday’s Kun Ken. Fire is qi, this is the reason why after going down it rises again, therefore it
returns to the palace of the kidneys, it transmutes into authentic water and [it can] be used.
Because the nature of the civil fire is gentle but hard to transform, when it meets Mao 卯 wood
necessarily it conquers [submits and damages] earth, consequently use fire to conquer wood,
then earth does not suffer damage. The nature of the military fire is strong but easy to transform,
it goes down from You 酉, You belongs to metal, metal bears water, returns to the crucible.”
[He] asked: “What is civil? What is military?” Answered: “The civil fire [rises] from the three
barriers reaching up to heaven, the military fire is that of the palace of Wu [noon, South, top of
the head] and of the heart. Generally speaking, the government of fire only in this stage presents
a great danger, the gentleman who practises the pill has better to overcome it in one battle, then
the world is in peace. In the daily government of fire [in the practise of the] heavenly orbit,
definitely it cannot be considered a rule.

General treatise on the main points of the golden pill 总论金丹之要

The human body is so great that it can be taken to represent heaven and earth, contain
the myriad reunions, it has infinite unforeseeable transformations, numinous penetrations /
connections and obscure marvels, the common folks use it every day and do not know [this], thus
the way of the golden pill sounds as a novelty. The way of the golden pill relies for its value in the
medicines. The medicines are in the essence, qi and spirit. At the beginning the spirit uses the
spiritual light, the essence uses the purest / most refined [part of] essence, qi then uses the
original qi. The essence cannot be replete without qi, the spirit cannot be full without qi, the
essence melts because of qi, the qi relies on essence to work, qi is seen because of spirit, the pirit
relies on qi to work. Indeed using the [metaphor of] heaven and earth of my body to say it, since
the time when the great pole is divided, the two principles are distinguished, the two principles
generate the four images, the four images generate the eight trigrams, the eight trigrams are
established, then the way of heaven, earth and man is provided. Heaven has motion as its body,
earth has stillness as its body the two qi of Heaven and earth go to and through restlessly, thus
sun and moon move inside it. Because after father and mother by conjugating their bodies
generate me, vessels and collaterals start to be born, since the corporeal form is completed the
threadlike channels begin to form, as if reverting to the indefinite void of the original nature, the
fleshes of the way of the cereals [digestive system] are almost similar to the lush of grasses and
thorns, this is the [work] of the qi of the anterior heaven, this is the way of the anterior heaven.
These are the ultimate words of the golden treasure, one should preserve it in the centre, then
the way is almost pervious. Indeed man comes to life by receiving the qi in the middle between
heaven and earth, what is called destiny, is achieved by getting the qi in the middle between
heaven and earth, and consequently he can be a man. Me I use my body as heaven and earth,
thus I also should stay in its middle and use it as the pivot of transformation. As for centres, there
are three of them: the intention [conscious thought] within the heart [mind], the crucible within
the navel, the furnace within the kidneys. Of the three centres the most important is the
intention within the heart, after it the crucible within the navel, thereafter the furnace within the
kidneys. These three cannot be forsaken in the entire process of the golden pill, from start to end.
Generally speaking in the way of the golden pill the student seeks the end ppoint of the five
activities. One must know that at the time of copulation, in the state of confused fuzziness and
deep obscurity, when there is itching on the pores, this is the true nature of metal; when there is
a sense of pleasant idleness and the body feels relaxed and supple, this is the real nature of wood.
Lead in itself is a body of fire and an aspect of metal, cinnabar in itself is a body of water and a
nature of wood, nothing else, water and fire are the body of lead and cinnabar, metal and wood
are the use of lead and cinnabar. The coagulation of lead and cinnabar, the coming together of
essence and light are [the issue of] intention, intention belongs to earth.
As the five activities are all present within the crucible, as things reunite according to [their]
species, the five activities circulate in sequence outside the crucible as well, the inner and the
outer ones feel each other and the pill starts to be achieved. Its form is like a grain, neither green
nor yellow, neither white nor black, it cannot be described with words. At this time, again resort
to the state of vague and persistent presence, keep to purity, tranquillity, non action,
spontaneously one hundred kinds of realities of wonderful effects shall appear. The water of the
kidneys mixes with that of the essence, it flows down from the dark chest, it is called spiritual
water of the floral pond. In the indeterminate void the white snow is born and the yellow sprouts
grow. Only in the state of vague persistence, they also return into the crucible. These great
medicines are nothing else than essence, qi and spirit, if one wishes to know when to start using
the medicines, again, these are a product of essence, qi and spirit, [the way is] not lightly using
essence, qi and spirit. Now there is a not orthodox school that decides this by itself, thus essence,
qi and spirit are made to work restlessly, how then can they bear the medicines?
“Among essence, qi and spirit, which one is the most important?” Answered: “Spirit is the
most important. The way of the golden pill starts with the spirit using essence and qi, therefore
spirit is the most important. The spirit is another name for nature, when perfect tranquillity is in
excess, at the time when the original qi has just been produced, the spirit also wants to escape,
quickly confront it with stillness other it will disperse and be a useless thing, if one thinks that
going out and back in is the great Dao, then who would not be able to achieve it? The spirit when
not hasty it is quick, when it does not move it arrives, the [my] master said: “The subtle use of
the spirit has no place but it is limited, if one attains its way one can go out and in, it cannot
absolutely be let loose too much, it is best restrained within, how can it be appropriate to let it
loose without?
If the spirit goes out and relies on wood to take form, then the yin has not yet been
exhausted. If when it is on the point of going many unusual phenomena appear and the eyes
emit a shining light, then it goes out from the eyes, if the qi in the nose feels like inspiring, then it
goes out from the nose, if the ears hear a pure sound, then it goes out from the ears. Only from
the mouth cannot it go out and in. Why so？The mouth is the place where the qis of the five
organs meet, if the spirit forsakes essence and qi and goes out stealthily it shall avoid the place in
which the qi is overwhelming. Spirit, qi and essence are usually not separated and as soon as the
spirit goes out the [other] two are left with no backing. Therefore the exit of the spirit bears only
damage. When sun and moon are both present they light the earth beneath up, the
practitioner of the pill he goes counter current in order to make use of it, if one follows [its flow]
then it is fire. Fire moves cyclically in circles [in spirals], nine circles inside nine circles, at
the beginning of the nine circles it is born, it culminates in the first circle, after the qi that
nourishes it is exhausted then it again makes a second circle and so on likewise. When it reaches
the ninth circle the cyclical movement is sufficient, then force it into the crucible, therefore using
the above practise of advancing fire is called true yang and conquers all the yins. If asked to put it
clearly, [I say that] all in man’s body is yin, it has just one bit of yang. Me, by using this bit of yang,
from far to nigh, making it cycle and cycle again, I fight all the yins into retreat, then the way of
the yang increases by the day, the way of the yin dwindles by the day, therefore the “[Zhou] Yi”
says: “The dragon fights in the wild, his blood is yellow and black.” When the yin is exhausted and
the yang pure, thus the pill starts to be able to rise to the Niwan, then resolutely spare no effort,
at this [point] the true man starts to become visible. The way of the golden pill is all here.
Secondly there are words that have not exhausted the subject, when the pill is first achieved, at
the time of copulation, it is unavoidable to rely on yin and yang two qis to achieve it, afterwards
then in steps by means of the yang fire refine it into a pure yang body, of course reinforcing
oneself without pause is the way of Qian 乾, the pill is accomplished, with intention coagulate
the spirit to accomplish a body and attain the Immortality. When the pill is first achieved, one
relies on the five activities in order to obtain its use, afterwards then little by little with true
metal nurtures a pure body of metal [gold], therefore the whole body’s lustre is of a golden
colour. Metal changes into the colour of the sun therefore it shines, metal is similar in nature to
the sun therefore it is hard, therefore it is called golden pill, and also Golden Immortal. Although
the delusive body is an illusory mixture, the practitioner of the golden pill must rely on it in order
to nurture the foundations of the pill. This can be compared to the moat and wall of a fortress, if
moat and wall are impregnable then the external evil cannot get inside. This is the time of
tenuous persistence, spleen and stomach unite into one vessel and surround the left side of the
point of the pill, lungs and liver unite as one vessel and surround the point of the pill on the right
side, the authentic qi is fully accomplished, then it flows inside vessels and collaterals, so when it
nears the pill it can get it and transform into perfect treasure. Through one example one can
know the second [step], though one must always start from non action and spontaneity, the
teaching is clear enough. Non action consists in not having any action. All the qi of man is inside
his body, it is moved by thought, this can be compared to a clenched fist, as my thought is the will
of opening it, then the five fingers extend without obstacles. When the student attains this point,
when he gathers the authentic qi of the anterior heaven, he moves one authentic thought and
gathers one authentic qi, being and not being use each other, it descends into the yellow court,
its principle is the same. At the end of winter when every being has withered away, it is necessary
to get to after yin and yang copulate the peaceful, then it generates the myriad beings. When he
who studies reaches this point, he must know that after copulation the medicines are generated
regardless of one’s expectation. When metal is within water its splendour blinds the eyes; when
metal is inside earth, earth can store it. Indeed it is born in a secluded place and one that
conceals its light. When the pill is inside the crucible it is like when a prince is in his office, every
official discharges his function, his country is spontaneously settled, government of fire and
medicines each get their fitting disposition. The first cycle produces the medicines in the East and
descends them in the West, with the heart as its dipper it rotates its pivot, therefore it shifts
twenty degrees and the bo 魄 is replenished, again it rotates twenty degrees and the hun 魂 is
replenished, then the hun of fire and the bo of water copulate and the power of the spirit is
greatly increased. The other cycles like this one. I cite its essential points to help the student. The
poem says: “The pivot of the dipper builds the four seasons, none of the eight terms is out its
order, the pivot of the dipper is really high, the spoon shifts by itself, [one] needs only two bright
eyes, the upper and the under peacefully conjugate and use each other, [they] must move
towards the peaceful centre, do not take them to the busy place”. Please do taste this carefully,
its reason can be understood by itself.

Other secret instructions 次第秘诀

First with a tranquil heart suppress inspiring, keep to the indefinite not being [无], wait for
the birth of the yang of “gui” 癸, then the qi of life is harmonious and full, and move it for three
cycles, then plunge the spirit into the lower pole, wait once again for gui to be born, then it can
be gathered. When one has attained the full moon [utmost point], one can pause for a while on it,
do not go far away but gather it at once. By using the intention of keeping it fast, wait for the
soaring of “ren” 壬 water thereafter make it go down, do this thrice, then again keep it fast and
seal it up, keep to the “xu wu”虚无 and let it rest for a while. If you can be still and attain
enlightenment, there is nothing that is not ready for you, you need not stick to books or seek for
any other arts, but for your dizzy eyes that cast doubt into your heart.

Secret oral instructions on the government of fire 火候秘诀

The pill lies inside the crucible, above there is water and below fire, movement of the mind
belongs to fire, stillness to water, then it is the crucible of water, stillness belongs to water,
movement to fire, then it is the crucible of fire. If the yang is beneath the crucible then it is called
a crucible of water, if it soars above it then a crucible of fire. The yang fire is the outer furnace, if
fire is lit in it, then if it is kept within the point of qi, the yellow court is now above the point of qi;
the point of qi is the inner furnace, it has fire within, near the crucible constantly cooking, this is
in the tenuous and persistent wise. When fire grows it advances below, then one cannot seat
down, then at the times of zi 子 and wu 午, at wu one should advnce fire, at zi water, when yang
is born do not trouble it with the heart, one should collect it with intention, rotate it to the right,
rotate it and transfer it down to the left, store it inside OOO, do this repeatedly then one
advances fire.
Somebody asked: “I dare ask about the practise of the nine cycles”. He answered: “Three
months of tending fire, this is called the nine cycles.
“First cycle: start from the left and right side of the chest, resting [there] is the path of fire,
from the palace of the yang from the right side, when [you] arrive there move horizontally, at the
very middle stop and concentrate, then deliver it downwards from the left side, then keep to the
state of tenuous persistence, it is suitable to be still and inappropriate to move, it is suitable to be
tenuous and not appropriate to be hasty, it is said that hastiness in fanning fire damages the pill,
this is the everyday practice at “zi” 子 time.
“Second cycle: from the side of the chest, enter one inch and two fen 分 inside, use the
same method, this is the practice of the “chou”丑 time.
“Third cycle: from the side of the chest, enter five inches inside, use the same method, this
is the practice of the “yin” 寅 time.
“The “mao” 卯 time is the time of the bathing of fire. At the time mao light the fire, take the
pill and reckon four inches, there are two threads, they are indeed the path of fire, [these] vessels
pierce to the inside of the crucible, thus when fire rises do not use either the eyes or the heart,
with [your] intention rotate it to the right, horizontally at the same level of the crucible, the
vertical thread connects with earth, afterward greatly calm down the fire, then it turns into water
and goes back to the crucible, then the pill bathes, keep to the tenuous persistence.
“Fourth cycle: enter one inch, use the same method, this is the practice of the “chen” 辰
time.
“Fifth cycle: enter five fens use the same method, this is the practice of the “si” 巳 time.
“Sixth cycle: extract and add, enter five fens, the fire from beneath, the fire of “wu” time 午
[noon] heart fire and head fire all are overpowering, therefore when the yang is born suppress
it a little, extract, when the fire is born once again it is tenuous; proceed vertically upwards on
the left side and then horizontally, just happens to the heart, then you meet the fire of the heart,
and together they go down on the right side, if [you] did not extract the lower fire, then just meet
the fire of the heart.
“Seventh cycle: enter five fens, use the same method as before, this si the practice of the
“wei” 未 time.
“Eighth cycle: practice the rising on the left and the going down on the right, collect a square
inch of the pill, the path of fire of the “wei” time, these are all paths of the accomplished yin, the
force of fire has passed and is waning, the path of the “shen”申 time also belongs to the yin path,
there is nothing else, the path above the heart is yang, that beneath the heart is yin, at these two
times all the fires go through the yin, when the “you”酉 time comes metal starts to be flourishing,
then wait for it peacefully, fire is the liquor of metal and goes back to the crucible, the pill then
bathes [in it], the bathing of the mao time benefits [tonifies] cinnabar, that of the you time
benefits lead.
 “Ninth cycle: collect just five fens of the golden pill, in a moment it shall move in circle, so be
still to receive it.