If everyone is most familiar with Taoism, those Daoists who can practice Dan are very popular with the rulers since ancient times, and even more so, they have soared to become the guests of the prince. Famous alchemists in ancient times included Xu Fu of the Qin Dynasty, Zuo Ci of the Han Dynasty, Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty, Ma He of the Tang Dynasty, and others. So what is the basis for those ancient alchemists to refine Dan, and did they come up with it out of thin air?
Everyone knows that Qin Shi Huang was a great emperor, and it is reasonable to say that a great emperor should put life and death aside, but in the life of the poor Qin Shi Huang, the desire for eternal life has always been his lifelong obsession.
Secondly, Tang Taizong was the same, when his illness was serious, he did not listen to the advice of the imperial doctor, but continued to take the poisonous elixir and died early from then on, otherwise the treatment of Zhenguan would be more brilliant. Judging from the consequences of these emperors taking Dan Medicine, it is not difficult for us to conclude that Dan Medicine must have toxins, and taking too much will inevitably make people die. So how did those alchemists practice Dan Yao, and what materials did Dan Yao need?
Flipping through the ancient texts, we found that the materials of alchemy include mercury, arsenic, lead, female yellow and saltpeter and other strange things. From the perspective of modern medicine, these alchemical materials are completely poisonous and inedible and untouchable.
Speaking of this, I also have to admire the alchemists who could train these materials into Dan medicine in ancient times, because alchemists are also high-risk professions, alchemy is often in danger of exploding furnaces, and sometimes those who are alchemists will face the danger of death. Of course, the salaries of high-risk occupations are very high, and as long as the elixir presented by the alchemist is effective, then they will be rewarded by the emperor, which is enough to allow them to live a life of wealth and nobility.
Taoism has two ways to achieve immortality, one is neidan technique, which is popularly speaking, one is one's own internal cultivation, and the other is waidan technique, which refers to the use of dan medicine and other external objects to achieve immortality. For the emperor, the state affairs are busy, so the dream of immortality can only realize their dreams through elixirs. Although these two theories are a little unreliable, the ancient emperors are too lonely, so they have to try, of course, these alchemists are through countless practices and summaries, and there is little danger of frying furnaces
The five elements give birth to all things, ge Hong once said in the "Baopuzi Inner Chapter, JinDan" Yun: "Fu Wu grain can still live people, people get it is born, people are desperate to die, and in the case of the divine medicine of the superior product, its benefit to people is not ten thousand times greater than that of wuguye." The longer it burns, the better it changes. Gold into the fire, two hundred refining, buried, immortal.
Taking these two medicines, refining the human body, so that people can not live forever", which means that Jindan is a medium, and the human body makes its body strong and even reach the point of immortality by taking Jindan. However, facts have proved that in history, people who have taken Dan medicine are not allowed to die well, and there has never been a person who has achieved immortality by taking Dan medicine, and the most famous one is like five stones scattered, which can kill many people.
Judging from many cases throughout the ages, the ancient alchemists were all liars, people who deceived the emperor for their own wealth. Moreover, their alchemy methods have no evidence, no reason at all, and the refined elixirs are also highly toxic, which will cause great harm to the human body.
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Alchemist