The Golden Elixir Blog

These two books bring together a collection of fifteen studies on the doctrines, practices, and history of Taoism and Taoist alchemy. Entirely based on original Taoist sources, the essays support their discussions with a large number of quotations from texts belonging to different schools and historical periods, providing access to the language and ideas of the tradition. The subjects covered in the two books include: a general introduction to Taoist alchemy the history and methods of Waidan (External Alchemy) the relationship between the Daode jing and Neidan (Internal Alchemy) the foundations of Neidan in the Book of Changes the role of meditation practices in the rise of Neidan the main Chinese alchemical text, the Cantong qi (Seal of the Unity of the Three) the teachings of Liu Yiming (1734–1821), one of the greatest Neidan masters the views of ordinary and inner time in the alchemical traditions the Neidan doctrines on human nature and its embodiment the ways of “doing” and “non-...

The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), traditionally ascribed with the authorship of the Book of the Hidden Agreement Despite its brevity, the Yinfu jing (Book of the Hidden Agreement) is one of the most obscure and difficult Taoist texts. Within Neidan (Internal Alchemy), this work is especially well-known for its idea of "stealing the mechanism", which Neidan adepts understand as meaning inverting of the process that leads from the precelestial to the postcelestial domains. Read three sections of the Yinfu jing  on the Golden Elixir website. A complete translation of the text, with the commentary by Yu Yan (1258-1314), is found in a chapter or  Taoist Internal Alchemy: An Anthology of Neidan texts (Golden Elixir Press, paperback), and in a Kindle ebook, entitled  The Book of the Hidden Agreement: A Taoist Text on the Harmony between Heaven and Humanity .

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of a new occasional paper: The Longmen Lineage: Historical Notes (PDF, 25 pp., free download) This essay contains a short history of the Longmen (Dragon Gate) lineage, to which many masters of Neidan (Taoist Internal Alchemy) claim affiliation. It presents the main stages of development of Longmen, and briefly describes its main branches and its main masters. The essay is translated from the chapter "Longmen pai" (The Longmen Lineage) in Zhongguo daojiao (Chinese Taoism), ed. by Qing Xitai (4 vols; Chengdu: Sichuan renmin chubanshe, 1994), vol. 1. • Click the picture or here for the download page in the Golden Elixir website .

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of Cultivating the Tao: Taoism and Internal Alchemy , by Liu Yiming. Cultivating the Tao is a complete translation of one of the main works by the renowned Taoist master Liu Yiming (1734-1821). Divided into 26 short chapters, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the basic principles of Taoism and an introduction to Taoist Internal Alchemy, or Neidan, written by one of the greatest representatives of this tradition. Liu Yiming was an 11th-generation master of the Longmen (Dragon Gate) lineage. Having recovered from severe illness in his youth, he undertook extended traveling that led him to meet his two main masters. In 1780, he settled in the Qiyun mountains, in the present-day Gansu province, and devoted the second half of his life to teaching and writing. His works mainly consist of writings on Neidan and of commentaries on major Neidan scriptures. Liu Yiming grafts Internal Alchemy onto the teachings of the...

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of Commentary on the Mirror for Compounding the Elixir: A Fourteenth-Century Work on Taoist Internal Alchemy The Ruyao jing (Mirror for Compounding the Medicine) is one of the most famous texts of Taoist Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. Written in the 10th century, it describes the foundations of Internal Alchemy in twenty short poems of four verses. Because of its symbolic and cryptic language, it has been subjected to different and sometimes conflicting interpretations. This book contains the first complete translation of the Ruyao jing and of the commentary by Wang Jie, who lived in the 14th century. Wang Jie was a second-generation disciple of the great Neidan master, Li Daochun. His commentary is characterized by a strong connection between the doctrinal and the practical aspects of Neidan. The translator's notes provide details on the main technical terms and on the relation of this work to other important...

Golden Elixir Press is starting a new series entitled Golden Elixir Quote of the Week. Each quote consists of a short passage on Neidan (Internal Alchemy) selected from one of the books published by the Press. To view a sample, click the link below. • Sample Quote of the Week The Quote of the Week is sent by email to subscribers at no cost. To subscribe, enter your email address in the box below, and click Subscribe. ( If you have troubles seeing or using the subscription form above, use the form available on the  Sample Quote of the Week  web page. — You can unsubscribe at any time.  Golden Elixir Press will never sell or share your email address with anyone. )

An abridged translation of the Cantong qi (The Seal of the Unity of the Three), the main text of Taoist Internal Alchemy, is now available in PDF format. This version is based on the complete translation published in  The Seal of the Unity of the Three: A Study and Translation of th e Cantong qi, the Source of the Taoist Way of the Golden Elixir  (Golden Elixir Press, 2011), available in both a paperback and a hardcover edition. The PDF contains 32 of the 88 poems of the original text. Each poem is translated in full, and the explications and line notes are the same as those found in the complete version. The Introduction, the tables, the glossary of Chinese characters, and the list of works quoted are reproduced entirely. The textual notes, the appendixes, and the final index of subjects are omitted. ▶ See the  web page  on this PDF ▶ Download a sample (PDF, based on the unabridged version) ▶ Other  materials on the Cantong qi ...

The Golden Elixir website now contains an online slideshow presentation entitled "Who Wrote the Cantong qi ?" , on the author(s) of The Seal of the Unity of the Three . Click the picture above to visit the Golden Elixir web page where you can watch the presentation.

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of Vol. 2 of The Seal of the Unity of the Three , subtitled  Bibliographic Studies on the  Cantong qi :  Commentaries, Essays, and Related Works,  by Fabrizio Pregadio. The Cantong qi is the main text of Taoist Internal Alchemy (Neidan). In addition to Taoist masters and adepts, it has also attracted the attention of philosophers, cosmologists, poets, literati, calligraphers, philologists, and bibliophiles. Thirty-eight traditional commentaries written through the end of the nineteenth century are extant, and dozens of texts found in the Taoist Canon and elsewhere are related to it. The present book is the most complete guide to this vast literature available in any language. The book is divided into two main parts. Part 1 contains a catalogue of extant and lost commentaries, essays, and related texts, listing altogether about 150 works with details on their authors, editions, reprints, and bibliograp...

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of The Seal of the Unity of the Three , by Fabrizio Pregadio. "The Cantong qi is the forefather of the scriptures on the Elixir of all times. Its words are ancient and profound, arcane and subtle. No one can fathom their meaning." Thus begins a preface found in one of the commentaries to the Cantong qi (The Seal of the Unity of the Three). These words express several significant features of the work translated in the present book: the charm of its verses, the depth of its discourse, its enigmatic language, and its intimate relation to the Taoist alchemical traditions. Under an allusive poetical language and thick layers of images and symbols, the Cantong qi hides the exposition of a doctrine that inspired a large number of commentaries and other works, and attracted the attention not only of Taoist masters and adepts, but also of philosophers, cosmologists, poets, literati, calligraphers, philologists, and b...

The Autumn 2011 catalogue is now available. Click the picture or the link below to access the download page: •  Autumn 2011 catalogue The catalogue includes a code for a 10% discount on all PDF editions. This offer is valid until the end of autumn (December 21, 2011).

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of T he World Upside Down: Essays on Taoist Internal Alchemy , by Isabelle Robinet, in paperback and PDF editions. The World Upside Down contains four essays on Internal Alchemy (Neidan), originally published in French and translated here for the first time into English. The essays are concerned with the alchemical principle of "inversion"; the devices used by the alchemists to "give form to the Formless by the word, and thus manifest the authentic and absolute Dao"; the symbolic function of numbers in Taoism and in Internal Alchemy; and the original meanings of the terms "External Elixir" ( waidan ) and "Internal Elixir" ( neidan ). Visit the  Web page . About the Author Isabelle Robinet (1932-2000) was one of the most important Western scholars of Taoism. Her work dealt with several major topics: the Laozi and the Zhuangzi with their commentaries; the Shangqing (Highest C...

The Summer 2011 catalogue is now available. Click the picture or the link below to access the download page: •  Summer 2011 catalogue The catalogue includes a code for a 10% discount on all PDF editions. This offer is valid until the end of summer (September 22, 2011).

Golden Elixir Press has started the Occasional Papers series. This series will contain short articles, translations, reference works, or similar publications, distributed either for free or at a very low price. The Occasional Papers will be available only in PDF format. The first publication in the series is: Fabrizio Pregadio 9 Taoist Books on the Elixir: A Short Bibliography 23 pp., Golden Elixir Press, 2011 Web page Please visit the Web page to download the bibliography for free. This bibliography contains the main data on nine important original texts of Taoist alchemy. It includes two texts on Waidan (External Alchemy) and seven texts on Neidan (Internal Alchemy). In addition to their importance and renown, the selections concern texts for which at least one translation in a Western language is available. Each entry contains: Title in Chinese, and translation; Information on author and date; A synthetic description; References to print editions of the Chinese text; L...

Golden Elixir Press celebrates the forthcoming Spring Equinox with a 50% discount on all PDF editions. This year's Spring Equinox is on Sunday, March 20, 23:21 UTC. The sale is currently open , and will end on Monday, March 21, 23:20 UTC. (Depending on your location, the sale may end as early as Monday, 12:20, or as late as Tuesday, 16:20, local time.) To use the 50% discount, please visit this web page: Golden Elixir Spring Equinox Sale http://www.goldenelixir.com/spring_equinox_sale.html Titles and Discounts Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy: The Taoist Practice of Neidan US$  9.95  > 4.98 Fabrizio Pregadio, Awakening to Reality: A Taoist Classic of Internal Alchemy US$  9.95  > 4.98 Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Hinduism and Buddhism US$  8.95  > 4.48 Jami, Flashes of Light: A Treatise on Sufism US$  4.99  > 2.50 Shaikh Sharfuddin Maneri, Letters from a Sufi Teacher US$  5.99  > 3.00 Fabrizio...

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of Foundations of Internal Alchemy: The Taoist Practice of Neidan , by Wang Mu. Originally written for Chinese readers, this book provides a clear description of the Taoist practice of Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. The author describes the stages of the practice and clarifies several relevant terms and notions, including Essence, Breath, and Spirit; the Cinnabar Fields; the "Fire Times"; and the Embryo. The book is based on the system of the Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality), one of the main sources of Internal Alchemy, and contains about two hundred quotations from this and other Taoist texts. Wang Mu (1908–92) received the Longmen ordination in his youth. He taught Internal Alchemy (Neidan) and was held in high regard by both Taoist practitioners and scholars. He served as a board member of the China Taoist Association and was for some time in charge of its research activities. He is known outside China mainly ...

All Golden Elixir books are now available as PDFs for immediate download. The PDFs are not protected and text can be selected, copied, and printed. To celebrate the event, "Flashes of Light: A Treatise on Sufism" can be downloaded for free until the end of February, 2011. If you are interested, here is what to do: Go to http://www.goldenelixir.com/press/suf_02_flashes_ebook.html On the right sidebar, under "PDF Edition - Immediate download", click Add to Cart Enter this discount code: 000 The price will change to 0.00. Click Checkout, enter the required information, and you will receive an email with the download link within a few minutes.

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of a new edition of Hinduism and Buddhism , by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. This is the only English-language edition that includes all the additions and changes that the Author contributed, shortly before his death, to the French translation of his work. For the first two weeks you can order the book with a 20% discount (US$11.16 instead of US$13.95, approximately corresponding to €8.15 instead of €10.20). The offer is valid until February 6, 2011. To use this offer, go to http://www.createspace.com/3551156 . At checkout, enter the following discount code, exactly as shown here: LSN5TBFB. See a PDF sample of this book (two chapters from the Hinduism section and two chapters from the Buddhism section). Publication details : Ananda K. Coomaraswamy Hinduism and Buddhism x + 112 pp., Golden Elixir Press, 2011 ISBN 978-0-9843082-3-1 Paperback, US$ 13.95 (list price) First published in 1943, this outstanding book ...

Golden Elixir Press is pleased to announce the publication of Flashes of Light: A Treatise on Sufism , by Jami ('Abd al-Rahman al-Jami). The book is available only in a digital version, in two formats: PDF and EPUB. Both versions are priced at US$ 4.99. A Kindle version should be available in a few days from Amazon.com. • Web page • 20-page preview (PDF) Publication details Jami Flashes of Light: A Treatise on Sufism Golden Elixir Press, 2010 ISBN 978-0-9843082-2-4 (ebook) x+72 pp., US$ 4.99 (PDF or EPUB) The renowned Persian thinker and poet 'Abd al-Rahman al-Jami (1414-92 CE) wrote his Flashes of Light (Lawa'ih) to explain "the intuitions and verities displayed on the pages of the hearts and minds of men of insight and divine knowledge." Each section of his work consists of a discussion in prose and a portion in verses. Jami provides one of the best, synthetic introductions to Sufi spirituality.