What is Eastern Alchemy School

The Eastern School of Alchemy was founded by Lu Xixing in the Ming Dynasty. Taking the yin-yang theory of the Book of Changes as the theoretical basis for his "dual cultivation of yin and yang," he believed that the yin and yang in the Book of Changes are the source of the path to immortality through cultivation, and to achieve this path, one must cultivate both nature (xing) and life (ming). Nature refers to the spirit (corresponding to the 无极，Ultimate Void), while life encompasses essence and qi (corresponding to the 太极，Supreme Ultimate). Although nature and life have distinct connotations—with nature as the essence and life as the extension—they are inseparable, hence the necessity of dual cultivation.

Lu Xixing's representative work, Seven Refutations, criticizes other cultivation techniques. His On the Correct Path of Golden Elixir is the first monograph on dual cultivation in the history of Taoist internal alchemy, while On the Mysterious Essence is a general treatise on internal alchemy, discussing crucial theoretical issues such as the interrelationship of the Three Elements alchemy methods, the distinction between internal and external alchemy, the difference between pre-heaven and post-heaven states, and the connection between nature and life cultivation.