Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Liquefied Gold of Great Clarity太清金液神丹经
- Also known as
- Jinye Shendan jing (Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Liquefied Gold), Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Liquefied Gold of Great Clarity
- Author / transmission
- Anonymous (traditionally attributed with a preface by Yin Changsheng)
- Period
- Han–Wei – Jin · The core scripture is an ancient Han–Wei text (the Jinye jing referred to in the Baopuzi); the present three-scroll edition has its final scroll on overseas countries added after the Jin dynasty.
- Canon division
- Dongshen Section, Various Arts Category
- Collected in
- Zhengtong Daozang, Dongshen Section, Various Techniques category
- Category
- Alchemical Texts
- Fascicles
- 3 juan
Synopsis
The Taiqing jinye shendan jing (Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Liquefied Gold of Great Clarity) belongs to the "Taiqing" lineage of external-alchemy scriptures, and together with the Jiuding shendan jing and the Taiqing danjing forms the three great classics of the golden elixir named by Ge Hong. The first scroll, prefaced under the name of Yin Changsheng, describes the method and miraculous efficacy of the liquefied-gold reverted elixir; the middle scroll gives a detailed account of the procedure for compounding the liquefied-gold divine elixir, its ingredients, cauldron and vessels, sacrificial rites and method of ingestion, stating that one who takes it may ascend to heaven in broad daylight; the final scroll records the location and products of more than thirty overseas countries such as Funan, Linyi and Da Qin (the Roman Orient), and is a valuable source for the geography of foreign contacts during the Six Dynasties. This scripture represents the position of the Han–Wei "Taiqing" tradition that the mineral golden elixir is the culmination of the way of immortality, and Pregadio regards it as one of the core texts of early external alchemy.
Key Ideas
- The liquefied-gold reverted elixir as the culmination of the way of immortality
- The procedure for compounding the elixir and its sacrificial taboos
- An account of overseas countries
Structure
Three scrolls: preface and general discussion, elixir methods, and overseas countries.
Editions
- Zhengtong Daozang edition
- Zhonghua Daozang, vol. 18
Translations
- Studied in Fabrizio Pregadio, Great Clarity (2006)
Full Text & Online Resources
Related scriptures
Instructions on the Yellow Emperor's Nine-Tripod Divine Elixir, Baopuzi: Inner ChaptersRelated figures
Yin Changsheng, Ge Hong- Fabrizio Pregadio, Great Clarity, 2006
- 任继愈主编《道藏提要》
- 陈国符《道藏源流续考》