Ge Hong: Golden Elixir Pt.2

抱朴子
卷四•金丹

Master Of Embracing Simplicity
Chapter 4•The Golden Elixir

Excerpt II

九丹者，长生之要，非凡人所当见闻也，万兆蠢蠢，唯知贪富贵而已，岂非行尸者乎？合时又当祭，祭自有图法一卷也。

The Nine Elixirs are the essentials for long life. It is not what is for the ordinary people to be seen and heard. Ten Thousand fore-visions and omens move in disorderly fashion [for them], only aware that they contain riches and high ranks, nothing more. Would it not be walking dead corpses? One ought to make sacrifices in a timely manner. [Such] sacrifices take up one scroll of diagrams and methods.

第一之丹名曰丹华。当先作玄黄，用雄黄水、矾石水、戎盐、卤盐、礜石、牡蛎、赤石脂、滑石、胡粉各数十斤，以为六一泥，火之三十六日成，服七之日仙。又以玄膏丸此丹，臵猛火上，须臾成黄金。又以二百四十铢合水银百斤火之，亦成黄金。金成者药成也。金不成，更封药而火之，日数如前，无不成也。

The first Elixir is called Florescence Elixir. One ought at first produce the Mysterious Yellow, using realgar water, alum stone water, military salt, brine salt, arsenic ore, oyster [shells], crimson stone resin, talc, and white lead, each numbering ten Chinese pounds, considered to be [called] the Six-One Mud. Fire [it] for thirty-six days to complete it and ingest [it] for seven days to become an immortal. Furthermore employing the Mysterious Pill of this Elixir, placed on fierce fires, in a flash it turns to gold. Moreover employing two hundred forty ounces together with one hundred Chinese pounds of mercury in a firing [process], it also turns into Gold. When it forms Gold, the medicine also forms. When Gold does not form, seal the medicine even more and [continue] firing. With the number of days as before, without exception it will succeed.

第二之丹名曰神丹，亦曰神符。服之百日仙也。行度水火，以此丹涂足下，步行水上。服之三刀圭，三尸九虫皆即消坏，百病皆愈也。

The Second Elixir is called Spirit Elixir, it also called Spirit Talisman. Ingested for one hundred days [equals] immortality. Implementing the [proper] measurements of Water & Fire and applying this Elixir by smearing [it] on the underside of the feet, one is able to step and walk on water. [After] ingesting [the amount of] three blades of a jade tablet [1] , all the Three Corpses and the Nine Worms promptly vanish and rot away [and] all the Hundred Diseases fully recover.

第三之丹名曰神丹。服一刀圭，百日仙也。以与六畜吞之，亦终不死。又能辟五兵。服百日，仙人玉女，山川鬼神，皆来侍之，见如人形。

The Third Elixir is called Spirit Elixir. Ingesting [the amount of] one blade of a jade tablet in one hundred days [one attains] immortality. [If] it is swallowed by the Six Domestic Animals [2] , they are also finally un-dying. It furthermore enables [one] to avert [death] by the Five Weapons [3] . [If] ingested for one hundred days, the immortals and the Jade Maiden, the mountains’ and streams’ Ghosts and Spirits all appear to attend upon and serve, appearing as if of human form.

第四之丹名曰还丹。服一刀圭，百日仙也。朱鸟凤凰，翔覆其上，玉女至傍。以一刀圭合水银一斤火之，立成黄金。以此丹涂钱物用之，即日皆还。以此丹书凡人目上，百鬼走避。

The Fourth Elixir is called Reverting Elixir. Ingesting [the amount of] one blade of a jade tablet, in one hundred days immortality [ensues]. The vermilion birds and phoenixes are gliding and overturning above, the Jade Maiden arrives until near. Using [the amount of] one blade of a jade tablet together with one Chinese pound of mercury for firing, [it] immediately turns into Gold. Employing this Elixir to be used to be smeared on money that has been used, within a few days it reverts and return. [If] this Elixir is written above the eyes of ordinary people, the Hundred Ghosts will run away.

第五之丹名饵丹。服之三十日，仙也。鬼神来侍，玉女至前。
The Fifth Elixir is called Enticing Elixir. [If[ ingested for thirty days [one attains] immortality. The Ghosts and Spirits appear to attend upon and [for one’s] service [and] the Jade Maiden appears in one’s front.

第六之丹名炼丹。服之十日，仙也。又以汞合火之，亦成黄金。
The Sixth Elixir is called Refined Elixir.. [If] ingested for ten days immortality [ensues]. Furthermore by the means of mercury and firing it also turns into Gold.

第七之丹名柔丹。服一刀圭，百日仙也。以缺盆汁和服之，九十老翁，亦能有子，与金公合火之，即成黄金。
The Seventh Elixir is called Supple Elixir. [If] ingesting [the amount of] one blade of a jade tablet [one becomes] immortal in one hundred days. Employed with the ingestion of raspberry juice, a ninety year old man also is able to bear sons, and together with lead [4] and firing it instantly turns into Gold.

第八之丹名伏丹。服之即日仙也。以此丹如枣核许持之，百鬼避之。以丹书门户上，万邪众精不敢前，又辟盗贼虎狼也。

The Eight Elixir is called Subduing Elixir. [If] ingested [one becomes] an immortal the very same day. [If] employing this Elixir as if the pit of a jujube [one] is allowed to hold it, the Hundred Ghosts flee away. Employing this Elixir written above the door of an entrance, the Ten Thousand evils and multitudes of goblins do not dare to advance. It also averts thieves, bandits, tigers and wolves.

第九之丹名寒丹。服一刀圭，百日仙也。仙童仙女来侍，飞行轻举，不用羽翼。
凡此九丹，但得一丹便仙，不在悉作之，作之在人所好者耳。凡服九丹，欲昇天则去，欲且止人间亦任意，皆能出入无间，不可得之害矣。

The Ninth Elixir is called Cold Elixir. [If] ingesting [the amount of] the blade of a Jade tablet, in one hundred days [there will be] immortality. The Immortal Boy and the Immortal Maiden appear to serve and attend upon, flying [and] lightly lifted, not by the use of wings. Altogether these [are] Nine Elixirs, but obtaining [just] one Elixir changes [one] into an immortal. But they are not all produced, [but] produced [from] within people’s goodness. In the material world ingesting the Nine Elixirs [and] desiring to ascend to Heaven means abandonment. Desiring to also stop among humans at will and arbitrarily, all of them are capable of exiting and entering continuously, impossible to obtain any harm [from it].

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[1] Dao Gui [刀圭] is most likely a knife-shape (刀) spoon with a ring at the end of the handle (like many jade 圭) used for measuring (precious) medicinal powder. Tao Hongjing describes it as having 1/10th of the volume of the “square inch spoon” [方寸匕] (which comes up frequently in Zhang Zhong Jing’s Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lve)
COURTESY OFLEO LOK

[2] The Six Domestic Animals are the pig, ox, goat, horse, fowl and dog

[3] The Five Weapons in one identification according to the Huang Di Nei Jing Tai Su includes the bow, the bamboo stick, the lancet, the axe and the halberd.

[4] Jin Gong is translated here as lead, but literally is the Golden Duke, an alternative name for the Monkey King Sun Wu Kong from the Journey to the West.