Metallic-Azure Inner Alchemy Concordance 金碧五相类参同契

Originally attributed to annotated by Yin Changsheng of the Han Dynasty.

According to the research of Chen Guofu, it should be a work compiled under a pseudonym by a scholar of the Tang Dynasty.

Consisting of three volumes, it is included in the Arts and Techniques Category of the Dongshen Section of The Daozang.

Each volume of the original book is divided into six chapters, which borrows the alchemical principles elaborated in the Cantong Qi to expound the way of internal alchemy cultivation. It states that the medicinal ingredients and furnaces for alchemy all lie within one’s own body, and there is no need to seek them externally. The essence lies in nurturing Qi, preserving essence and concentrating the spirit. Qi is yang, while essence is yin; the mutual interaction of yin and yang generates upright Qi, which is the foundation of human beings. "When upright Qi dissipates, the spirit will not gather; when upright Qi accumulates, the spirit will naturally become pure, and only then can longevity be attained." It also mentions that the method of alchemy is: "Hold the breath and inhale Qi, counting to nine repeatedly." That is to say, hold the breath and inhale Qi, counting silently in the mind, and swallowing once every nine breaths. By doing so, "after holding the breath for a thousand counts, the stagnant Qi from the five grains will be eliminated naturally, and one will no longer feel hungry or thirsty"; "further practice until ten thousand counts are reached, and the golden elixir will be refined naturally". Therefore, the alchemical method described in this book takes spirit as the medicine and breath as the fire. "Fire refers to the count of holding the breath, inhaling Qi and concentrating the spirit." When the breath is steady and the spirit is focused, true Qi will be generated naturally, the Qi from grains will be eliminated, the three worms (pathogens in traditional health preservation theories) will be eradicated, one will be free from hunger and thirst, and lifespan will be prolonged—all of which embody the core cultivation tenets of Taoism.