Mysterious Pearl

The second pair of substances featured in the Jiudan jingjue are mercury (shuiyin 7KIR, or hong ) and lead (qian in). Chapters ii and I2 describe several complementary methods drawn from two of Hugang zi s lost wor s, the Fu xuanzhu jue (Instructions for Eixing the Mysterious Pearl) and the Wujin fen tujue (Illustrated Instructions... 

Lead in Nine Cycles and the Mysterious Pearl ( Jiu danqian xuanzhu fa outlined in an identical way in both chapters. The product of the conjunction of the pure essences of Yin and Yang has no name, but is equivalent to the Mysterious and Yellow of the Scripture of the Nine Elixirs-, li e the Mysterious and Yellow, moreover, one can place it in a crucible above and below the ingredients of an elixir. These methods come from the Fu xuanzhu jue. Other complementary processes are those for ma ing three elixirs based on mercury or lead. With the first, one can rise to heaven, with the second, one obtains power over gods and demons, and with the third, one can transmute other metals. These methods come from the Wujin fen tujue. ... 

See Sivin, Chinese Alchemy, 25-26, whose translation I have quoted with minor changes also Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, 5.Ill 34-35. The meaning of the phrase [had] drunk of pearl is unclear, but pearl (zhu) appears in various terms used for refined mercury, e.g., liuzhu, or Liquid Pearl, and xuanzhu, or Mysterious Pearl. 

Jiudan jingjue, ii.6a-b for alchemical mercury (a sentence in 9.1a shows that mercury here is the Mysterious Pearl), 12.3a for the Essence of head, and... 

Table VI summarizes observed manifestations of field-generated forces- The field effects may manifest themselves as an orientation of particles in the direction of the field or perpendicular to it or, "pearl chain" formation, i.e., the alignment of particles in the field direction may occur. This has long been considered a mysterious demonstration of microwave induced biological effects. Deformation or destruction of cells can be achieved with fields. The movement of cells in inhomogeneous electrical fields can be affected.

How could I resist Black-eyed Emilie, the alchemist s daughter, with her pockets full of mystery and beauty to take a man s breath away. My God, when I first clapped eyes on you, I thought this was the one legend that hadn t been a lie. Everyone knew that the old alchemist John Selden had a lovely daughter hidden in his laboratory. An untouched pearl for some lucky man, we said, so I set out to woo you. He kissed my neck again, and my ear. What can I do to convince you I love you ... 

Seventh Elixir Soft Elixir (roudan). The single ingredient of the Seventh Elixir is mercury, which is heated in four cycles of nine days each according to the Nine Elixirs, or for twenty days according to the Liquid Pearl. The crucible is luted with a mud of Mysterious and Yellow and with the Mud of the Six-and-One. If lead is added to the Soft Elixir, it forms gold. 

Ninth Elixir Cold Elixir (handan). The Ninth Elixir is made with realgar, orpiment, laminar malachite, arsenolite, and magnetite. The crucible is luted with a layer of Mysterious and Yellow, a layer of Mud of the Six-and-One, and a layer of worm excreta and yellow soil (huangtu). The ingredients are placed in the crucible with the Liquid Pearl liuzhu, i.e., the Mysterious and Yellow) and are heated for nine days. 

Their appearance will be similar to gold. They will also resemble shooting stars, the purple and scarlet Liquid Pearl liuzhu), and the five-colored Mysterious and Yellow. Gather and collect the Essence and Flower with an iron spoon. You will obtain ten pounds, which you should transmute in nine cycles [with the Divine Tally]. 

Liquid Pearl here is a synonym for mercury obtained by refining cinnabar see Shiyao erya, i.ib. The terms Frost and Snow too are part of several secret names for refined mercury. Yellow and White usually denotes gold and silver, and the reason for its mention in relation to the Essence of Lead is unclear to me. In a description of the method for making the Mysterious and Yellow, the Jiudan jingjue, 12.1b, has White Snow (baixue) instead of Yellow and White this reading may be preferable. 

On the Liquor of the Mysterious Water see above, p. 169. The Secret Instructions, I2b-i3a, describes a preliminary step [After you prepare the Mysterious and Yellow,] add to it some Water of the Mysterious and Yellow in Nine Cycles of the Liquid Pearl (liuzhu jiuzhuan xuanhuang shut). . . and make it into a mud. Heat it in a vessel until it becomes scarlet then add to it some Liquor of the Mysterious Water. ... 

Here, too, the Liquid Pearl, 1.7a, has eighty-one days for eighty days. The method for transmuting the Mysterious and Yellow into gold is the same as that given above for the transmutation of the Flower of Cinnabar. 

The directions given in the note correspond in part to those found in the Liquid Pearl, 1.13b. Flower of Mysterious and Yellow is the same as Mysterious and Yellow see p. 185 below. 

The Yellow Powder is a powder of Mysterious and Yellow see Liquid Pearl, 1.13 a. 

The Ninth Elixir is called Cold Elixir (handan). Regularly use a red earthenware crucible. As in the method for compounding the Flower of Cinnabar, lute it with the Mud of the Six-and-One. Make the crucible three-tenths of an inch thick both inside and outside, and let it dry. Take one pound each of Imperial Man (realgar). Imperial Woman (orpiment), laminar malachite, arsenolite, and magnetite, and pound them separately until they become powder-like. [14a] As in the method of the Flower of Cinnabar, first coat the crucible of the Six-and-One with the Mysterious and Yellow. Then place in it one pound of Liquid Pearl, and cover it with the Imperial Man, the Imperial Woman, the laminar malachite, the arsenolite, and the magnetite. 

The Liquid Pearl, 2.4b, has quicksilver for Liquid Pearl, but the substance meant here should be the Liquid Pearl obtained from the Mysterious and Yellow (see above, pp. 171-72). As we have seen, the Mysterious and Yellow is often placed at the bottom of the crucible in the methods of the Nine Elixirs. 

The replacement of the Mysterious and Yellow with the Mysterious and White is mentioned in the Secret Instructions (Jiudan jingjue, 20.15a), the Liquid Pearl (Jiuzhuan liuzhu shenxian jiudan jing, 2.3b), and the commentary to the Nine Elixirs (Jiudan jingjue, 17.3a). On the Mysterious and White see above, p. 103. 

Suddenly, from behind the rim cfthe moon, in hn, slow otim moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate, sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. 

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