The Neidan Or Internal Alchemy, According To The Tao

The Neidan is a concept that is part of the Taoist tradition and is described as “internal alchemy”. It refers to a process of inner transformation with the aim of making the “elixir of immortality”, according to Chinese belief.

From a mythological point of view, the person who completed the process would have conquered eternal life. From a more earthly perspective, it would have to do with starting processes  that keep the body  and mind healthy and that make life lengthen.

The Neidan, which is also written as Nei Dan, is a Chinese word composed of the root “nèi” which means inside or inside; and the root “dān”, which refers to the concept of elixir or alchemy. Therefore, this word is translated as “internal alchemy.”

The Neidan and the inner transformation

Through the Neidan a series of psychophysiological processes are put into practice. The objective is to promote harmony between the body and the emotions; by extension, of life. This would lead to a state of serenity  that the Taoists call “agreeing with Heaven. “

Internal alchemy must bring the human body  to a primordial state, the nature of which is spiritual. This is largely accomplished through “primordial medicine.” Unlike traditional Chinese medicine, this does not use external elements, such as plants or certain practices, but uses elements intrinsic to us.

In other words, the processes carried out with the Neidan make the body heal the body and the mind heal the mind, without the mediation of an external factor being necessary. That is why it is called “internal alchemy.” How is this accomplished? Through what is known in the Tao as “the Three Treasures”.

The triads of the universe

The Neidan starts from the idea that there is a correspondence between Heaven and Earth. According to this view, the human body would have a parallel with the functioning of the entire universe. Thus, each body is a small universe in which there are elements and rules of movement that coincide with those of the cosmos.

Taoism indicates that in the universe there are three great processes or attributes, which define the future of everything. Such attributes are: creation, destruction and balance. This would be the essential triad or trinity, which is manifested in our world as Heaven, Earth and Humanity.

In turn, this trinity also has its expression in the field of energy. In that case, the three elements are Yin, Yang, and Tao. Yin is the essential feminine principle, darkness, passivity and Earth. Yang is the essential masculine principle, the light, the active and Heaven. The Tao is the principle that contains and balances both energies.

The three treasures

It is in this logic of the triads that the Neidan or internal alchemy appears. Each human being has Three Treasures, which correspond to the three principles of energy, the world and the universe. Such treasures are Jing, Chi and Shen and they are present even before birth.

The Jing is equivalent to the essence, the chi to the energy and the shen, to the spirit . At the moment in which the person acquires a form in the world, that is, after birth, these three elements also do so and manifest in different physical planes.

In this way, the Jing ends up embodied or represented by the body in an integral way. Chi becomes the breath of the human being. Finally, the shen takes shape in the mind. From the balance in these three aspects “eternal life” would result.

The inner alchemy

Everything related to the Neidan is consigned in different books, some of them very old. In all it is mentioned that the inner alchemy is achieved through the harmonization and balance between the Three Treasures. According to the Book of Balance and Harmony, dating from the 18th century, the way to achieve internal alchemy, and with it longevity and, eventually, eternal life, is by following these principles:

• Complete the essence. It means satisfying the body to eliminate desire.
• Complete the energy. It is only achieved after the essence has been completed. It involves nourishing the mind, eliminating thoughts.
• Complete the spirit. It involves uniting the body and the mind, through the absence of desire and thought, in order to recover the emptiness.

Therefore, if these three processes are completed, and a balance between yin and yang is also achieved, through the Tao, health and longevity is achieved. The imbalance between these elements leads to illness and death.