Neidan

Development of the immortal embryo in the lower dantian of the Daoist cultivator.

Neidan, or internal alchemy (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: nidn sh), is an array of
esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an
immortal spiritual body that would survive after death (Skar and Pregadio 2000, 464). Also known as Jindan (
"golden elixir"), inner alchemy combines theories derived from external alchemy (waidan ), correlative cosmology
(including the Five Phases), the emblems of the Yijing, and medical theory, with techniques of Daoist
meditation, daoyin gymnastics, and sexual hygiene (Baldrian-Hussein 2008, 762).
In Neidan the human body becomes a cauldron (or "ding") in which the Three
Treasures of Jing ("Essence"), Qi ("Breath") and Shen("Spirit") are cultivated for the purpose of improving physical,
emotional and mental health, and ultimately returning to the primordial unity of the Tao, i.e., becoming an Immortal. It is
believed the Xiuzhen Tu is such a cultivation map. In China, it is an important form of practice for most schools
of Taoism.

Contents
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1Terminology
2History and development
3The Three Treasures
o 3.1Jing
o 3.2Qi
o 3.3Shen
4See also
5Works cited
6External links

Terminology[edit]
The Chinese compound nidn combines the common word ni meaning "inside; inner; internal"
with dn "cinnabar; vermillion; elixir; alchemy". The antonym of ni is wi "outside; exterior; external",
and nidn "internal elixir / alchemy" was coined from the earlier complementary term widn "external elixir /
alchemy".

Chinese alchemical texts and sources ordinarily call neidan the jndn do or Way of the Golden Elixir. In Modern
Standard Chineseusage, the term nidn sh (with "art; skill; technique; method") refers generally to internal
alchemical practices.
The date for the earliest use of the term neidan is uncertain. Arthur Waley proposed that it was first recorded in the 559
vow taken by TiantaiBuddhist patriarch Nanyue Huisi praying to successfully make an elixir that would keep him alive till
the coming of Maitreya (1930: 14). Many scholars agreed, including Joseph Needham and Lu Gwei-djen who translated
Huisi's vow to live as an ascetic in the mountains:
I am seeking for the longevity in order to defend the Faith, not in order to enjoy worldly happiness. I pray that all the
saints and sages will come to my help, so that I may get some good magic mushrooms [zhi ], and numinous elixirs
[shendan ], enabling me to cure all illnesses and to stop both hunger and thirst. In this way I shall be able to practice
continually the way of the Sutras and to engage in the several forms of meditations. I shall hope to find a peaceful
dwelling in the depths of the mountains, with enough numinous elixirs and medicine to carry out my plans. Thus by the
aids of external elixirs [waidan] I shall be able to cultivate the elixir within [neidan]. (1983: 140)

Others believed that neidan first occurred in the biographies of Deng Yuzhi (fl. 483-493) and Su Yuanming
(fl. c. 600). However, the authenticity of the relevant passages in these "pseudo-historical sources" is doubtful (Baldrian-
Hussein 1989: 164-171).
The term neidan was seldom used throughout the late Tang dynasty (618-907) and Five dynasties (907-960) period, and
only became widespread around the beginning of the Song dynasty (960-1279) period, when neidan evolved into a
highly complex system in both its theoretical and practical aspects (Baldrian-Hussein 2008: 763). Tang texts described
internal alchemical practices with the words fyo "take drug/medicine" and chngshng "long life, longevity;
(Daoism) eternal life" (Baldrian-Hussein 1989: 170). Liu Xiyue's 988 Taixuan langranzi jindao shi
(Master Taixuan Langran's Poems on Advancing in the Dao) has the earliest dateable mention of the
terms neidan and waidan(Baldrian-Hussein 1989: 174, 178, 180). The c. 1019 Yunji Qiqian Daoist anthology mentions
the term neidan (Baldrian-Hussein 1989: 178).
Early texts that mention neidan define it as synonymous or similar with some qi circulation techniques: Cultivation and
Transmutation (xiulian ), Embryonic Breathing (taixi ), the Cyclical Elixir (huandan ), the Golden Elixir
(jindan ), the Great Elixir (dadan ), the Interior and Exterior Medicines (nei/waiyao ), the Inner and Outer
Counterparts (nei/waixiang ), and the Yin Elixir and Yang Elixir (yindan and yangdan ) (Baldrian-Hussein
1989: 179-186).
Based upon the textual evidence, Farzeen Baldrian-Hussein concludes that in early texts, neidan refers to a specific
technique, and by Song Emperor Zhenzong's reign (997-1022), the term designates a group of techniques, expressed in
specific alchemical language (1989: 187).

History and development[edit]

Chinese woodblock illustration ofneidan "Putting the miraculous elixir on the ding tripod", 1615 Xingming guizhi
(Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life)
Chinese woodblock illustration ofneidan "Cleansing the heart-mind and retiring into concealment", 1615Xingming
guizhi (Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life)
Neidan is part of the Chinese alchemical meditative tradition that is said to have been separated into internal and
external (Waidan) at some point during the Tang dynasty. The Cantong qi (The Kinship of the Three) is the earliest
known book on theoretical alchemy in China; it was written by the alchemist Wei Boyang in 142 AD. This text influenced
the formation of Neidan, whose earliest existing texts date from the first half of the 8th century. The authors of several
Neidan articles refer to their teachings as the Way of the Golden Elixir (jindan zhi dao). The majority of Chinese
alchemical sources is found in the Daozang (Taoist Canon), the largest collection of Taoist texts.
Neidan shares a significant portion of its notions and methods with classical Chinese medicine, fangshi and with other
bodies of practices, such as meditation and the methods for "nourishing life" (yangsheng). What distinguishes alchemy
from these related traditions is its unique view of the elixir as a material or immaterial entity that represents the original
state of being and the attainment of that state. The Neidan tradition of internal alchemy is practiced by working with the
energies that were already present in the human body as opposed to using natural substances, medicines or elixirs, from
outside of the body. The Shangqing School of Daoism played an important role in the emergence of Neidan alchemy,
after using Waidan mainly as a meditative practice, and therefore turning it from an external to an internal art.

The Three Treasures[edit]

Main article: Three Treasures (traditional Chinese medicine)
Internal alchemy focuses upon transforming the bodily sanbao "three treasures", which are the essential energies
sustaining human life:

Jing "nutritive essence, essence; refined, perfected; extract; spirit, demon; sperm, seed"
Qi "vitality, energy, force; air, vapor; breath; spirit, vigor; attitude"
Shen "spirit; soul, mind; god, deity; supernatural being"
According to the 13th-century Book of Balance and Harmony:
Making one's essence complete, one can preserve the body. To do so, first keep the body at ease, and make
sure there are no desires. Thereby energy can be made complete.
Making one's energy complete, one can nurture the mind. To do so, first keep the mind pure, and make sure
there are no thoughts. Thereby spirit can be made complete.
Making one's spirit complete, one can recover emptiness. To do so, first keep the will sincere, and make sure
body and mind are united. Thereby spirit can be returned to emptiness. ... To attain immortality, there is nothing
else but the refinement of these three treasures: essence, energy, spirit." (tr. Kohn 1956, 146).
When the "three treasures" are internally maintained, along with a balance of yin and yang, it is possible to
achieve a healthy body andlongevity, which are the main goals of internal alchemy (Ching 1996, 395).

Jing[edit]
Neidan practice
Jing "essence" referring to the energies of the physical body. Based upon the idea that death was caused
by depleting one's jing, Daoist internal alchemy claimed that preserving jing allowed one to achieve
longevity, if not immortality. (Schipper 1993, 154).

Qi[edit]
Qi or ch'i is defined as the "natural energy of the universe" and manifests in everyone and everything
(Carroll 2008). By means of internal alchemy, Taoists strive to obtain a positive flow of qi through the body
in paths moving to each individual organ (Smith 1986, 201).
Healing practices such as acupuncture, massage, cupping and herbal medicines are believed to open up
the qi meridians throughout the body so that the qi can flow freely. Keeping qi in balance and flowing
throughout the body promotes health; imbalance can lead to sickness.

Shen[edit]
Shen is the original spirit of the body. Taoists try to become conscious of shen through meditation (Smith
1986, 202).