The Book of the Nine Elixirs (Jiudan jing) is the main extant text of Great Clarity (Taiqing), the earliest identifiable tradition of Taoist External Alchemy (Waidan). It describes the preparation of nine elixirs, devoting much attention to the ritual context and its sequence. The main stages of the practice are the transmission from master to disciple, the establishment of the ritual area, the choice of an auspicious time, the compounding of the elixir, its offering to the gods, and its ingestion. According to the Book of the Nine Elixirs, this entire process, and not only the compounding of the elixirs, constitutes the alchemical practice.
This PDF contains a complete translation of the text, with a detailed commentary.
