Equanimity, good health, peace of mind, and long life are the goals of the ancient Taoist tradition known as &quot;internal alchemy,&quot; of which <i>Cultivating Stillness </i> is a key text. Written between the second and fifth centuries, the book is attributed to T'ai Shang Lao-chun&mdash;the legendary figure more widely known as Lao-Tzu, author of the <i>Tao-te Ching </i>. The accompanying commentary, written in the nineteenth century by Shui-ch'ing Tzu, explains the alchemical symbolism of the text and the methods for cultivating internal stillness of body and mind. A principal part of the Taoist canon for many centuries, <i>Cultivating Stillness </i> is still the first book studied by Taoist initiates today.