Donkey milk: Ancient elixir of life experiences modern-day resurgence.Archaeologists recreate Elixir of Long Life recipe from unearthed bottle.Elixir of Life Found: 2,000-Year-Old Bottles Contain First Known Chinese ‘Immortality Medicine’. An example of a material historically associated with Chinese alchemy and the elixir of life. The process is normally repeated up to nine times, and the final product contains the qualities of the Pure Yang.Ĭrystals of cinnabar (red color) from the Wanshan Mine, Guizhou Province, China. The mercury within the mineral is believed to be the True Yin, and is extracted before being added to sulfur (a Yang substance). The other major method of the Waidan tradition entails the use of cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral considered in Taoism to be a Yang substance. Practitioners of this method believe that after refining and combining these two elements, a new substance with the qualities of the Pure Yang (or Chunyang) will be produced.Īccording to Taoist belief, the Pure Yang is the state of Oneness before its division into Yin and Yang. The first of these involves the use of mercury and lead, which are said to represent the principles of Yin and Yang respectively. In the later Waidan tradition, there are two main methods for creating the elixir of life. On the other hand, Waidan focuses on the creation of the elixir of immortality by compounding various substances. Neidan includes Taoist meditation, physiological exercises, especially breathing and diet.Ĭhinese woodblock illustration of Neidan “Cleansing the heart-mind and retiring into concealment”, 1615 Xingming guizhi 性命圭旨 (Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life). The former, known also as Internal Elixir / Alchemy, refers to the doctrines, as well as physical, mental and spiritual practices that uses the human body itself to achieve immortality. Accordingly, there are two branches of Taoist alchemy, Neidan and Waidan. The basis of the Chinese elixir of immortality is found in Taoist alchemy, which in turn is rooted in the doctrines of Taoism. This elixir, however, not only failed to prolong their lives, but may have poisoned them, and even caused their deaths. In Chinese history, however, it was possible for mortals to attain the elixir of immortality, and many, normally members of the elite, are documented to have consumed it. In the examples above, the elixir of immortality is largely confined to the realm of myth and legend, well beyond the reach of mortal hands. The Last Supper painting where Jesus was believed to have drunk from the Holy Grail, which was believed to be an elixir of life. Although Flamel was a real person who might not have dabbled in alchemy, he gained a reputation as a master alchemist centuries after his death. Lastly, medieval alchemists sought to create the elixir of life, and Nicolas Flamel is reputed to have succeeded in this endeavor. Those who drank from the grail are believed to be granted immortality. In Arthurian legend, there is the Holy Grail, the cup believed to have been used by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper. In this myth, ‘amrita’ was the last of the fourteen treasures to have emerged during the churning of the ocean.ĭepiction of the ‘Churning of the Ocean of Milk’, the elixir of life from Hindu mythology. The ancient Greeks believed that the gods attained their immortality by consuming this substance.Ī similar substance, known as ‘amrita’ is found in Hindu mythology, specifically in the story of the ‘Churning of the Ocean of Milk’. In ancient Greece, for example, this substance was known as ‘ambrosia’, or the ‘nectar of the gods’. The elixir of immortality is found in various cultures throughout history. Still, this did not deter the Chinese elite from seeking the elixir of immortality, and this deadly substance is documented to have been consumed as late as the 18 th century. In reality, however, the elixir shortened their lives, and even caused their deaths, as its ingredients often included highly toxic substances. In the history of China, however, many emperors, nobles, and officials are recorded to have consumed the elixir of immortality, in the hopes of living forever. Nevertheless, they are, for the most part, limited to the realm of myth and legend. Various civilizations throughout human history have their own version of the elixir of immortality. The elixir of immortality (known also as the elixir of life) is a mythical substance believed to grant those who consume it eternal life.
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