Welcome to the website of Golden Elixir Press
“Golden Elixir is another name for one’s fundamental Nature, inchoate and yet accomplished. There is no other Golden Elixir outside one’s fundamental Nature. All human beings have this Golden Elixir complete in themselves: it is entirely achieved in everybody. It is neither more in a sage, nor less in an ordinary person. It is the seed of the Immortals and the Buddhas, the root of the worthies and the sages.”
Liu Yiming (1734–1821)
The Taoist Tradition: An Introduction to Teachings, Schools, and Practices
Fabrizio Pregadio
xiv, 252 pp.
Golden Elixir Press, 2025
“. . . arguably, at present, the most reliable, impressive and readable introduction to China’s national religion” (Religious Studies Review)
This book provides a concise but comprehensive introduction to Taoist thought and religion, treating them not as separate domains but as two inseparable aspects of a single tradition. Rather than privileging one over the other, it highlights their mutual interdependence and the ways in which they continually inform and shape one another. Available in paperback and e-book. Read more on this book.
Cultivating the Tao
Principles of Taoism and Internal Alchemy, by Liu Yiming (1734–1821)
Foundations of Internal Alchemy
A clear introduction to the Taoist practice of Neidan, by Wang Mu
The Seal of the Unity of the Three
The text at the origins of the Way of the Golden Elixir
Anthology of Neidan Texts
Complete or partial translations of 16 works, representative of the main Neidan branches and lineages
Awakening to Reality
Written in the 11th century, this famous work describes Neidan (Internal Alchemy) in 16 poems, explained line by line in this book
Mirror for Compounding the Medicine
A classic text of Taoist Internal Alchemy, with commentary by Wang Jie (14th century)
Taoist Texts
Translations from several original Taoist texts
Articles on Taoism
A broad selection of articles by different authors on Taoism
Taoist Pictures
Pictures drawn from Taoist texts, and tables useful to understand Taoism and Neidan
Neidan Masters and Texts
Translations from several original Neidan texts
Articles on Neidan
A broad selection of articles by different authors on Neidan
Neidan Pictures
Pictures drawn from Neidan texts
Four Hundred Words on the Golden Elixir
A poetical classic of Taoist Internal Alchemy
The Book of the Hidden Agreement
A Taoist text on the harmony between Heaven and humanity
Fifteen Essays to Establish the Teaching
A founding text of Quanzhen (Complete Reality) Taoism
The Book of the Nine Elixirs
An early Chinese text on Waidan (External Alchemy)
The Way of the Golden Elixir
A survey of the history, lineages, and main doctrines and practices of Taoist alchemy (free PDF)
Neidan Dictionary
25 key terms of Taoist Internal Alchemy, with definitions and examples from original texts
The Longmen Lineage
A short history of the Longmen lineage, to which many Neidan masters are affiliated (free PDF)