Heart-Mirror of the Great Elixir 大还心鉴

Originally attributed to Han Shanzi (Master Cold Mountain).

It was presumably composed during the late Five Dynasties and early Northern Song Dynasty.

Recorded in the Secret Catalogue of the Southern Song Dynasty, General Records·Bibliographic Outline, and History of the Song Dynasty·Treatise on Arts and Literature, this work is preserved as a one-scroll version in the Daoist Canon (The Daozang), included in the Alchemical Arts Category of the Dongshen Section.

Heart-Mirror of the Great Elixir

Additionally, it is collected in Volume 73 (Internal Alchemy Section) of Yunji Qiqian (Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Satchel). Quoting alchemical scriptures and verses from previous scholars, the book expounds the essential principles of cultivating the Great Returning Elixir. Much of its content and wording is similar to Zhang Xuande’s The Heart Mirror of Alchemical Theories and Secret Essentials.

It proclaims that lead and mercury are the supreme medicines for elixir refinement, rather than the "Four Yellows" and "Eight Stones" (mineral medicines). Lead and mercury embody the primal order of heaven and earth, encompassing the essence of the sun and moon; refining them into an elixir and ingesting it will surely grant immortality. It further states that the Great Elixir adheres to the Dao: "The Dao consists of Yin and Yang alone, conforming to celestial principles; the elixir is composed of one metal and one stone, harmonizing with heaven and earth. The 'one metal' refers to the White Tiger in true lead, and the 'one stone' refers to the mercury in cinnabar."

The "gold in water" is true lead, and the "fire in wood" is true mercury; their union in the central palace (symbolized by earth) forms the elixir. This aligns with the teaching in Cantongqi (The Unity of the Three): "Where gold and water converge, wood and fire act as companions; the four blend into chaos, manifesting as dragon and tiger... The three substances form a single family, all returning to Wu and Ji (the central earth)."

The book emphasizes that elixir refinement requires understanding the cauldron and furnace, and mastering the alchemical fire timing—yet to master the fire timing, one must first understand the mind. "Thus, all wonders are rooted in the mind. The mind is the foundation of transcendence, and the elixir is the medicine for longevity. Ingesting it to return to the Yang Palace erases one’s name from the underworld; thereafter, even in departure, one shall attain spiritual liberation and become a supreme immortal. These are the undeceiving words of true sages." The title The Heart Mirror of the Great Returning Elixir derives its meaning from this core insight.