The Three Sages, the Knife-Measure Elixir, Fire and Water, and the New-Moon Tally (chapters 13-18)

13 As for the supreme sages, none surpasses Fuxi, who first drew the eight trigrams in imitation of heaven and earth. King Wen, forebear of kings, joined their forms and developed the line texts. The Master, a hero among later sages, supported them with the Ten Wings. These three lords were raised up by heaven, arising in succession to govern their ages. Their accomplishments came in stages, yet their works and virtues do not differ. In making their works each had a predecessor; in calculating and measuring they examined every fraction of a grain. What has form is easy to assess; what shows no sign is hard to plan for. They made their deeds worthy of imitation and established the classics for the world. Without innate foreknowledge, I learned through a teacher and awoke to understanding: bright as when a cold curtain is drawn aside, and with eyes wide open I climbed a high terrace.The Record of Fire has six hundred chapters, all pursuing the same end. Its writings speak earnestly, but the people of the world do not think them through. Trace their sources and course: darkness and light originally dwell together. I speak quietly to the worthy; how would I dare write carelessly? If I remained tongue-tied and silent, I would sever the Way and incur punishment. But if I set my thoughts down on bamboo and silk, I fear revealing heaven's tallies. Hesitating, I sigh ever more, and in deference set down these imperfect words. The work of refining has its rules; I cannot lay them all out. I briefly describe its main principles, leaving the branches to show themselves in their spread.

14 Make metal the embankment, and water enters and moves at ease. Metal's number is fifteen, and water's number is the same. At the furnace, determine the precise weights: there is an excess of water by five parts. Take these two as true, and the metal weighs what it did at first. Its earth does not leave it; both are joined by it. The three substances embrace and receive each other; their transformations seem divine. Below them is the breath of the great yang, which steams them in an instant. First they liquefy, then congeal; this is called the yellow carriage. When the months and years are nearly spent, their nature is destroyed and their allotted years wounded. The body becomes ash and earth, like dust in a sunlit window. Pound and treat it, unite it, and carry it into the red gate. Seal its joints securely and make them perfectly firm. Set a blazing fire beneath; dragon and tiger cry out urgently. At first the gentle fire may rest; at the end the fierce fire completes the work. Watch and wait with the greatest care; inspect and regulate heat and cold. Pass through the twelve intervals, and at each interval's end renew your close attention. When breath is spent and life nearly extinct, its body dies and its souls depart. Its color then turns purple, and in a blaze it becomes the elixir again. Lift a single pill of powder: the knife-measure is most wondrous.

15 Work out the numbers of the five phases, concise and not elaborate. Raise water to strike fire, and at once its light goes out. Sun and moon eclipse each other, always between new moon and full. When water prevails, Kan encroaches upon yang; when fire weakens, Li's daylight darkens. Yin and yang feed upon each other; their joining and response are the natural Way. A name determines the condition; a style name speaks of the nature. When metal returns to its original nature, it can be called the reverted elixir. I do not dare speak without foundation: I follow the writings of the sages. An ancient record is entitled Dragon and Tiger; the Yellow Emperor praised the Golden Flower. Huainan refined autumn stone; Yuyang added the yellow sprout. Let the worthy practice it; let the unworthy take no part. Ancient and modern follow one Way: face to face, they speak their designs. Students, redouble your effort; hold it in mind and reflect deeply. The most essential words are laid bare; their clarity does not deceive me.

16 Qian and Kun, firm and yielding, pair and enclose each other. Yang bestows, yin receives; male and female need one another. Only through their joining in creation can essence and breath unfold. Kan and Li stand foremost, first shining forth and spreading their light. Deep and dark, beyond fathoming, they cannot be drawn in a picture. The sages measured them, comparing and ordering the primal foundation. The four mingle in chaos and enter directly into emptiness. Sixty hexagrams complete the cycle, spread out to make a carriage. The dragon-horses are harnessed, and an enlightened ruler governs his age. In harmony they follow; the road is level and not crooked. Crooked paths are steep and perilous, bringing danger to a state.

17 When a noble person remains in his room and speaks well, a response comes from a thousand miles away. This speaks of the lord of ten thousand chariots: dwelling behind ninefold walls, he issues commands in accord with the intervals of yin and yang. He keeps his instruments hidden and awaits the time; he does not defy the months of the hexagrams. Zhun uses zi and shen; Meng uses yin and xu. Each of the remaining sixty hexagrams has its own day. I set forth these two images, unable to exhaust them all. Form intentions and establish penalties; when benevolence is fitting, bestow virtue. Defy this and misfortune follows; obey it and fortune comes. Follow calendar and ordinance with sincere and undivided care. Watch the days and hours closely, examining waxing and waning. The slightest error invites regret and trouble as enemies. At the two solstices the measure changes; errors throw everything askew.Bitter winter brings great heat; high summer brings frost and snow. At the two equinoxes things run awry, failing to answer the water clock. Flood and drought assail each other; winds and rains lose their seasons; locusts swarm and seethe, and all manner of portents appear. Heaven shows its prodigies; mountains fall and earth splits. A devoted son's intent can move the imperial pole: what issues nearby from his own mouth flows far into distant lands. It may summon disaster or bring blessing; it may make great peace or kindle war. These four outcomes arise from the heart. Movement and stillness have fixed rules; keep to their marking line. Let the four seasons follow their proper course and accord with the breath. Firm and yielding stand distinct, without trespassing upon each other. The five phases guard their bounds, without undue increase or decrease. The Changes move in their circuit, bending and extending, turning back and returning.

18 Between dark moon and new, the tallies join and move at the center. In primal chaos, female and male follow one another. Nourishing moisture flows and spreads transformation. The divinity of heaven and earth cannot be measured. Put it to use and rest securely, hidden from sight and stored away. It begins in the northeast, the land of the Winnowing Basket and Dipper. Turning to the right, it breathes out the wheel and sends forth sprouts. Its image appears in the deep pool, radiating its essence. Above the lodges Mao and Bi, Zhen comes forth on its course. Yang breath begins: the first nine is the hidden dragon. Yang is established by three, yin passes through by eight. On the third day Zhen stirs; on the eighth Dui takes its course. The second nine is the dragon appearing, bright and at peace. At three times five its virtue is complete, and Qian's body takes shape. The third nine keeps watch at evening; the divine tally begins to wane. Fullness and decline gradually exchange places, returning at last to their beginning. Xun succeeds to its rule, firmly holding the boundaries. The fourth nine may leap; advance and retreat are dangerous. Gen governs advance and rest; neither may overstep its time. On the twenty-third day, it keeps watch over the quarter-moon interval. The fifth nine is the flying dragon, blessed in heaven's place. The fifth six is Kun receiving, binding beginning to end; she nurtures her many children, mother of their kind for generations. The upper nine is the overreaching dragon, its virtue battling in the field; using all the nines, it glides, the pattern of the Way. Yang's numbers are exhausted; at their end they rise again. Seek out feeling and join it to nature; turning, they yield to one another. The celestial armillary sphere revolves, ascending and descending. Circling through the six lines, they are hard to discern. Because they have no constant station, they are the ancestral source of the Changes.

13 The greatest sage is Fuxi: he first drew the eight trigrams, modeling them on heaven and earth. King Wen, ancestor of kings, arranged their bodies and developed the words for the lines. Confucius, a sage among men, gave them support with the Ten Wings. These three leaders arose in succession, each ruling his time by heaven's gift. Their work came in stages, but their merits are not different. Each made his work by following what came before and calculated and checked even the smallest measures. What has form is easy to estimate; what gives no sign is hard to plan for. They made practices others could follow and set down the writings for the world. Without prior knowledge, I learned from a teacher and understood. It became bright as if a cold curtain opened and I climbed a high platform with eyes wide open.The Record of Fire has six hundred chapters, all directed toward the same end. Its words say important things, but people do not think them through. Trace the source and course of the teaching: what is hidden and what is visible have always lived together. I speak privately for wise people; how would I dare write lightly? But if I kept my tongue tied and silent, I would cut off the Way and deserve punishment. If I wrote down my thoughts, I would fear revealing heaven's signs. Hesitating, I sigh again and again, then put together these simple words. Refining has its rules, but I cannot lay them all out. I give a brief account of the main principles, so their branches can be seen spreading out.

14 Make metal the embankment so water can enter and move freely. Metal's number is fifteen, and water's number is the same. At the furnace, determine their weights in zhu and liang; water has five parts more. Take the two as the true ingredients; the metal remains as heavy as before. Its earth does not leave; it accompanies both of them. The three substances receive one another, changing almost miraculously. Beneath them is the sun's energy, steaming them for a short while. They first turn liquid, then set; this is called the yellow carriage. When the full cycle is nearly finished, their nature is destroyed and their life worn away. Their body turns to ash and earth, like dust on a bright window. Pound and prepare it, combine it, and place it in the red gate. Seal its joints and make sure they are strong and secure. Light a hot fire underneath: dragon and tiger sound vigorously. At first use gentle fire and let it rest; at the end, strong fire completes it. Watch the process closely and adjust the cold and heat carefully. Go around the twelve stages, and when the stages are complete give it even closer care. Its energy runs out and its life comes to an end; body and spirits die away. Its color turns purple and then it becomes a bright red elixir. Take a pill's worth of the powder, a tiny knife-tip measure: it is especially powerful.

15 Work out the numbers of the five phases: this can be kept simple. Bring water against fire and suddenly the light goes out. Eclipses occur when sun and moon press against each other, around new and full moon. When water is strong, Kan invades yang; when fire is weak, Li's daytime grows dark. Yin and yang consume and nourish each other; their interaction follows nature. Names identify their state; written characters describe their nature. When metal returns to its original nature it can be called the returned elixir. I do not dare make empty claims; I follow the writings of sages. An old record is titled Dragon and Tiger; the Yellow Emperor praised golden brilliance. Huainan refined autumn stone, and Yuyang added the yellow sprout. A worthy person can put this into practice; do not share it with someone unworthy. The Way was one in ancient times and is one now; in conversation we state our plan openly. Students should make a greater effort and think about it deeply. The key words are very plain and clear; they do not deceive us.

16 Qian and Kun, firmness and softness, are matched and enclose each other. Yang gives, yin receives; male and female need each other. Through their union they produce change and their essential energy spreads. Kan and Li come first and shine out before the rest. Their hidden depths are hard to measure and cannot be drawn. The sages estimated them and arranged the original foundation in sequence. These four mingle in a formless mass and enter emptiness directly. Sixty hexagrams complete the cycle, spread out like a carriage. Dragon and horse are harnessed and a wise ruler directs the time. In harmony, they follow; the road is level and straight. The crooked way is dangerous and puts the state at risk.

17 When a good person speaks well from his room, a response comes even from a thousand miles away. This refers to a ruler of ten thousand chariots, living within nine courts. He issues commands in step with the stages of yin and yang. He keeps his tools stored until their time and does not go against the hexagrams and the months. Zhun uses zi and shen; Meng uses yin and xu. Each of the other sixty hexagrams has its own day. I offer just these two images; I cannot explain everything. Set intentions and establish punishments; show kindness and give benefits at the right time. Going against this brings harm; following it brings good fortune. Observe the calendar and its rules with complete sincerity and close attention. Watch the day and hour, and carefully study waxing and waning. If even the smallest detail is wrong, regret and trouble do harm. At the two solstices the measure changes and becomes twisted and wrong.There is great heat in midwinter and frost and snow in midsummer. At the two equinoxes things go awry and do not match the water clock. Flood and drought attack each other; wind and rain are out of season. Locusts swarm, and strange events appear everywhere. Heaven displays its omens; mountains fall and earth splits. A devoted child's thoughts can move even the highest power. A word leaves one's own mouth nearby and travels to distant lands. It may bring disaster or blessing, create peace or produce war. These four outcomes arise in the mind. Let movement and rest follow steady rules and fixed measures. The four seasons then keep their proper order and agree with the energy. Firm and soft remain distinct and do not intrude on each other. The five phases keep their boundaries and do not swell or shrink without reason. The Changes continue their course, bending, stretching, and turning back.

18 Between the month's end and its new beginning, the matching tallies come together and move through the center. In the formless beginning, female and male follow each other. Moisture nourishes them and transformation flows. The powers of heaven and earth are beyond measurement. Use them to make yourself secure; conceal your form and remain hidden. It begins in the northeast, the region of the Winnowing Basket and Dipper stars. Turning right, the wheel brings forth a sprout. An image appears in the deep pool and spreads its bright essence. Above the Mao and Bi stars, Zhen comes out as the sign. Yang energy begins: the first nine is the hidden dragon. Yang is established by three, yin passes through eight. On the third day Zhen stirs; on the eighth Dui moves. The second nine is the dragon appearing; peace brings light. At three times five the power is complete and Qian's body forms. The third nine is watchful at night: the divine tally begins to wane. Growth and decline gradually change, then return to their beginning. Xun takes over and holds the boundary securely. The fourth nine may leap: advance and retreat are dangerous. Gen controls advancing and stopping; one must not go beyond the proper time. The twenty-third day governs the time of the moon's quarter. The fifth nine is the flying dragon, honored in heaven's place. Kun's fifth six receives it and binds end to beginning. She nurtures her many children, mother of their kind for generations. The top nine is the dragon too high, battling in the field over its power; using the nines in their flight gives a rule for the Way. Once yang's number ends, it begins again. Their states and natures fit and pass back and forth. The turning celestial mechanism rises and falls, above and below. It moves through all six lines and is hard to see. Because it has no fixed position, it is the source of the Changes.