Glossary of Inner Alchemy 内丹还元诀

The author is unknown. Judging from its content, it was presumably composed between the Tang and Song dynasties.

Consisting of one scroll, it is included in the Tai Xuan Section within the Daoist Canon (The Daozang).

This text explains key terms of Internal Alchemy, including the Five Elements, Four Symbols, Seven Internal Treasures, Nine Immortal True Qi, and the internal correspondence of the Eight Trigrams. It asserts that the Five Elements correspond to the five zang-organs: the surplus Qi of the liver flows to the left side of the upper palate and is named "Golden Fluid"; the surplus Qi of the lungs flows to the right side of the upper palate and is named "Returning Elixir"; the surplus Qi of the heart flows to the right side of the upper palate and is named "Divine Water"; the surplus Qi of the kidneys flows to the right side under the tongue and is named "Flower Pond"; the surplus Qi of the spleen flows into the lips and is named "Yellow Sprout".

Glossary of Inner Alchemy

It further defines the Four Symbols: first, the "Golden Elder" (saliva from the lungs); second, the "Cinnabar Girl" (the acupoint in the heart); third, the "Infant" (essence in the kidneys); fourth, the "Yellow Old Woman" (saliva from the spleen). The Seven Internal Treasures are identified as saliva, water, spittle, blood, spirit, Qi, and essence. The Nine Immortal True Qi include the Qi breathed through the nose, the Qi exhaled in blowing, sighing, and smiling through the mouth, the Qi used in daily household activities, the Qi stirred by joy and anger when interacting with others, and the Qi derived from grains.

Regarding the internal correspondence of the Eight Trigrams: the liver corresponds to Zhen ☳, the heart to Li ☲, the lungs to Dui ☱, the kidneys to Kan ☵, the gallbladder to Xun ☴, the small intestine to Kun ☷, the large intestine to Qian ☰, and the bladder to Gen ☶—each zang-fu organ corresponds to one trigram. Throughout the text, Internal Alchemy terms are explained through the human body’s zang-fu organs, essence, Qi, and spirit, suggesting it represents an early form of alchemical practice.