Golden Elixir

Skar, Lowell Dean. "Golden elixir alchemy the formation of the southern lineage of Taoism and the transformation of medieval China." PhD thesis, Univ of Pennsylvania,. 

Pregadio, Fabrizio. The Golden Elixir a website on Chinese alchemy. rhttp //venus.unive.it/dsao/pregadio/ index.htmll. 

The Golden Elixir is an introduction to some facets of the history and doctrines of Chinese alchemy. It consists of a collection of articles, primary sources, bibliographic tools and other materials."... 

Another elaborate account is found in the Reverted Elixir in Nine Cycles. Here the accomplishment of the alchemical work is preliminary to the adept s attainment of transcendence. Having ingested the elixir that he has compounded, the adept rises to heaven, and only then is he presented with the authentic alchemical medicine, namely the Golden Elixir (jindan) ... 

Those who do not obtain the Golden Elixir, and only ingest medicines of herbs and plants and practice the minor arts, can extend the number of one s years and defer the time of death, but cannot obtain immortality. 

If one ingests the Great Medicine of the Golden Elixir, the hundred evils do not come close even if one continues to dwell in the world. If one ingests only herbs and plants and small pills of the eight minerals, one can only heal from illnesses and increase one s length of life. This is because such preparations are not enough to avert the calamities that come from outside. (Baopuzi, 18.327)... 

The scriptures of Great Clarity supplement the Cavern of Spirit. They are concerned with the ranks pin) of Immortals up to those who obtain their status through the Golden Elixir. 

The step is not a major one from the notion of an embryo dwelling within one s inner body to the idea of generating an inner infant, who is equated with the inner elixir and represents one s own real self. In fact, as early as the fifth century a scripture belonging to the Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) corpus states that the Golden Elixir is within your body (jindan zai zi xing). But the process that led to this statement was complex, and to follow it we should look at other sources that develop the terminology seen in the two inscriptions quoted above. 

Jindan dayao (Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir CT 1067), 3.4b. 

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