Dragon-Tiger Elixir Poems of Zhizhenzi 至真子龙虎大丹诗

Composed by Zhou Fang, a Taoist priest of the Song Dynasty.

Consisting of one scroll, it is included in the Methods Category of the The Dongzhen Section within the Taoist Canon (The Daozang).

This text contains thirty-two seven-character regulated poems eulogizing the Dragon-Tiger Great Elixir, and its doctrines appear to belong to Internal Alchemy (Neidan).

Dragon-Tiger Elixir Poems of Zhizhenzi

A preface by Lu Tian, dated the fourth year of the Tiansheng reign (1026 CE), precedes the scroll, outlining the essentials of the alchemical method. The preface states: "Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) serve as the cauldron, heaven and earth as the furnace; Kan ☵ and Li ☲ (trigrams of water and fire) are the origin of the supreme medicine, and lead and mercury form the substance of the Great Elixir. One must rely on the Four Symbols, follow the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity), emulate Wu and Ji (Central Earth) to achieve its true form, and drive the River Chariot (circulation of Qi) to transform it into the proper essence. When activated, Yin and Yang unite in harmony; when fulfilled, the sun and moon revolve... Water and fire congeal and subdue, dragon and tiger interact and multiply, and when the timing is precise without error, the Golden Elixir is accomplished." The meaning is quite obscure.