Chinese Alchemy: Short Essays
Cinnabar Fields
The Cinnabar Fields, or dantian, are three loci in the human body that play a major role in breathing, meditation, and neidan ("internal alchemy") practices. Located in the regions of the abdomen, heart, and brain, but devoid of material counterparts, they establish a tripartite division of inner space that corresponds to other threefold motives in the Taoist pantheon and cosmology. [Read more . . .]
Zhouyi cantong qi
The Zhouyi cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three in Accordance with the Book of Changes) is the main Chinese alchemical scripture. According to the traditional account, the legendary Han immortal from Guiji (Zhejiang), Wei Boyang, wrote it after reading the Longhu jing (Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger). Later he transmitted it to Xu Congshi, who appended a commentary, and to Chunyu Shutong, who first circulated it in the world. [Read more . . .]