辯偽錄 2.21

2.21

The twenty-third transformation states: On the twelfth day of the seventh month in the twenty-third year of King Zhao of Zhou, Laozi reached the Hangu Pass. Yin Xi, upon seeing him, invited him back to his private residence, where Laozi expounded the Daodejing in two fascicles of more than five thousand words. Yin Xi kowtowed and said: 'I wish to be transmitted its essentials.' Laozi said: 'Excellent!' He then explained the essentials of the Daodejing to him, saying: 'The Dao is the Niwan (mud ball); the Niwan is heavenly virtue. Its principle resides in the human head. The purple pneuma descends, going down to the cinnabar field. What is called du refers to the spleen. The spleen is the Central Yellow Great One. The yellow pneuma wanders and manages the central palace. The mother of the myriad things refers to the cinnabar field. The cinnabar field is the mysterious female. It resides in the lower origin. At midnight, one stream of pneuma descends, circulating through the three palaces. "Issued together but having different names" refers to essence. The first is called essence; the second is called sweat; the third is called blood; the fourth is called fluid. Hence it is said they have different names. "Darker than dark" refers to the left and right kidneys. In "the gate of the many wonders, the Dao that can be spoken of," this refers to the morning meal being delicious. "Not the constant Dao" refers to it becoming feces in the evening. (This follows Zhang Daoling's explanation; Daoling spoke thus.) "Being and non-being produce each other" refers to the mouth and the belly. "Difficult and easy complement each other" refers to essence and pneuma.' These are the abridged essentials Laozi transmitted to Yin Xi. He also transmitted to Yin Xi the Shendan jing (Divine Elixir Scripture), the Jinye jing (Golden Liquid Scripture), and the formula for subduing fire through eight-fold refinement and nine-fold cycling of the elixir. His recipe states: 'The cycling elixir of the golden liquid, the immortal blossom flows; / Soaring high like clouds in flight, ascending the heavenly mound. / The red and yellow pneuma forms; / In an instant, the male and female must separate in confusion. / The pearl can transmute; / It summons the traveling kitchen, the numinous youths, and jade maidens. / I am the husband, passing in and out without obstruction. / In accordance with heaven's tally, the true essence congeals like frost, gracefully sinking and floating. / You should treasure and respect it, and you will surely come to roam.' He also transmitted the names of the nine elixirs and a song, which states: