Baopuzi Golden Elixir Scripture 抱朴子神仙金汋经

The author is unknown.

Judging from its content, it seems to have been compiled by Taoist priests during the Northern and Southern Dynasties or the Sui-Tang period under the pseudonym of Ge Hong.

Bibliography of Arts and Literature in Comprehensive Records listed this book as three volumes.

The existing version in The Daozang is also divided into three volumes, which is included in the Methods category of the Dongshen Section.

The first volume of the book describes the preparation methods and efficacies of the Golden Fluid Reversible Elixir.

The method involves placing gold, mercury, realgar and saltpeter into a green bamboo tube, sealing it for a hundred days until they turn into golden liquid and mercuric liquid. Then boil mercury with the golden liquid, soak the surface with high-quality vinegar, and calcine it over intense fire for thirty days until all the mercury turns purple. Next, coat the inner surface of a yellow clay bowl with Liuyi clay, put the purple mercury inside and refine it into the reversible elixir. It is claimed that taking this elixir can enable one to ascend to immortality. If the reversible elixir is further calcined over intense fire until it turns red, it is named "Elixir Gold". Coating swords and blades with this Elixir Gold can ward off enemies within ten thousand miles, and using it to make plates and bowls for eating and drinking can lead to eternal life. The middle and the last volumes are entirely plagiarized from Baopuzi: Chapter on Golden Elixirs, with only minor textual variations. Their main content includes discussions on the origin and transmission of elixir scriptures, as well as the principles that refining and taking golden elixirs and gold can grant immortality; it also describes the preparation methods and ingestion effects of various golden elixirs such as the Yellow Emperor's Nine Cauldrons Elixir, the Supreme Pure Divine Elixir (Nine-Cycle Elixir), the Nine-Light Elixir, the Five-Spirits Elixir, the Mianshan Elixir, the Wuchengzi Elixir, the Xianmenzi Elixir and the Instant Elixir. The final part introduces the methods of making the Golden Fluid and the Weixi Jusheng Elixir. The elixir refining system recorded in this text is a core component of Taoism external alchemy, and the selection and compatibility of its mineral ingredients conform to the theoretical system of the five elements in traditional Chinese philosophy.