《元始无量度人上品妙经内义》Vol. 1

I, Ying Sou, respectfully state that I have followed the Wondrous Scripture of Deliverance through the Numinous Treasure in composing, printing, and circulating this work on its inner meaning. The scripture speaks of the primordial Great Dao from the ancestral kalpa of the Beginningless Origin, and is therefore called “supreme.” Of all the transformations of Heaven and Earth, only the Dao of internal alchemy can be compared with it; and as for its vast scope, what could encompass it except the Great Brahma Dao? Now that the book has been printed, I dare not fail to report it to the throne above. I am filled with the utmost trepidation and bow twice.

I privately believe that the pure, still, and unified true nature shares one body with Heaven and Earth; the myriad things, with all their manifold transformations, also have a root connected to life and death. Though sentient beings each have their own awareness and differences, all originate in the subtle principle of emptiness and accord with Wuwei (non-action). Why do people let fame and profit disturb their aspirations, turning their thoughts and spirit from the right path? Their roots were originally one, yet they divide into different streams; human nature is much the same at first, yet later differs greatly through acquired habits. This is all because people cling to illusions and so fail to know the constant Dao. The five colors bewilder the eyes—who is willing to draw back the gaze and turn inward? The transformations of the myriad things are tangled and diverse—who can transform external things and settle the heart within? Even if one hides a boat in a ravine, believing it secure, one cannot stop the sun and moon from moving or time from passing. Rather than grieve over life’s brevity and crave longevity, it is better to cultivate the true Dao and cherish life.

Thus, before Heaven and Earth were opened, the Sage Sovereign of the Void Emperor—the Daoist title for the supreme sacred ruler—expounded the wondrous Dao. The Most High Jade Dawn, a revered Daoist deity, received the true transmission in an inner realm subtle as a grain of millet. The Dao can deliver people without limit, and the blessings it brings are inexhaustible.

Looking back, the Great Dao originally lies in the central and proper place. But later generations have perpetuated errors, making its teachings confused and unclear. They treat the search for subtle principles as a snare and bind themselves; they lose sight of the source, like fish trapped in a basin. Some speak of emptiness and stillness, yet fall into passive desolation; others discuss cinnabar, mercury, lead, silver, and other alchemical materials, yet become attached to the substances themselves. Without understanding the creative transformations embodied in ancestral Qi, the primordial vital energy from which all things arise, how can one verify the profound subtlety of the Great Brahma Dao? I take the true scripture as my foundation and elucidate its mysteries, yet do not disclose its central intent.

In the past, when scriptures were copied and transmitted, characters were often misread or confused, inevitably causing disorder. Now I have done my utmost to clarify their meaning, knowing what should be investigated and where one should stop. I hope to guide those who have lost their way back to the proper path, quiet misguided influences, and set them moving along the right course, so that all the people of the world may advance toward benevolence, longevity, and peace.

I respectfully look up to the Most High, the Supreme Jade Emperor of the Vast Heavens. Your eminence is beyond measure and your greatness beyond words; you are impartial and just, and perceive even what is hidden and subtle. You constantly benefit all things with benevolence, rescue living beings, and deliver people from the world without abandoning anyone. It is for this reason that a person of my meager talent and learning has dared to write this humble work. If it contributes in any measure to the propagation of the Great Dao, may you recognize my sincerity; if it offers no benefit at all, I ask you to forgive my presumption.

This Inner Meaning consists of two volumes. It has been carved and printed, and submitted to the Central Secretariat; I respectfully ask that it be presented in a memorial to the throne. I have written this petition to report it above. I have offended the majesty of Heaven and am filled with the utmost trepidation. I bow twice and respectfully submit this memorial.

On the seventh day of the seventh month in the bingxu year of the second Baoqing era year (1226), a gengshen day according to the cycle of the year’s ruling deity, I, Xiao Yingsou, Dharma Master of the Three Luminaries of the Upper Clarity Great Cavern and Mysterious Capital, submit this memorial.

The Scripture’s Meaning

“Taishang” refers to the highest existence, the beginning of primordial origins. This passage uses the formation of the human body to explain how the “essence of the Mysterious One” gives rise to life. Before the parents have conceived a child, a spark of true Yang essence first appears. Two kinds of Qi respond to each other and produce the two kidneys. Once the kidneys have formed, they give rise to the two eyes. The five viscera then gather together, the body takes complete shape, and the person is born. The scripture calls the completion of the body and birth as a human being “cavernous penetration” (dong).

“Xuan,” or “mysterious,” refers to the essence of the Mysterious One. After the body has formed, Jing is held in Guanyuan, an important area in the lower abdomen, while Qi circulates throughout the body and Shen becomes complete. Once Shen is complete, the sensory functions throughout the body open, enabling a person to respond to the myriad things: the eyes see, the nose smells, the ears hear, and the tongue distinguishes the flavors of food. When these abilities are all present, a person is said to be numinous. This is what is meant by saying that humans are the most spiritually perceptive of all beings.

Yet humans may be spiritually perceptive without attaining awakening. The scripture teaches that to live long and avoid aging, one must preserve one’s inner numinosity and prevent it from being dissipated outward. The eyes should not covet external sights, so that the Hun remains in the liver and the Wood Qi stays firm. The nose should not covet fragrances, so that the Po remains in the lungs and the Metal Qi stays firm. The ears should not covet sounds, so that Jing remains in the kidneys and the Water Qi stays firm. The mouth should not speak excessively, so that Shen remains in the heart and the Fire Qi stays firm. One should sit upright and still, keeping the limbs motionless, so that the intent remains in the spleen and the Earth Qi stays firm. These correspondences among the five viscera, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the Hun, Po, Shen, and intent express a practice of gathering and regulating body and mind, and preserving Jing and Qi.

Once the foundations of the Qi of the five directions are secure, Shen, Qi, and Jing can merge as one, return to their origin, and come back to the source of life. In the end, all the spirits gather and transform into an infant. The practitioner transcends the illusory body, comes and goes freely, communes with creation, and unites with the Dao in its truth. This is a precious state. Whoever obtains this “treasure” within the body can move freely without obstruction, remain in perpetual spring without aging, and enjoy the same lifespan as Heaven.

The scripture goes on to say that directing and distributing true Qi—the pure, innate Qi—can turn earth and stone into precious objects, restore dry bones to life as human beings, cure illness, and destroy demons and evil spirits. It can also move the wind and thunder, support the growth of all things, and deliver departed souls from suffering. All this belongs to “boundless deliverance of people,” meaning the broad salvation of living beings.

“Upper Grade” refers to the Mahayana teaching; “wondrous” refers to its profound and subtle essentials; and “scripture” refers to the path of cultivating the true. By reciting this scripture and grasping its meaning in the heart, one can respond to the mysterious through intention. Cultivating the true and learning the Dao, aiding the living, and delivering the dead are all encompassed within it. It must be practiced in secrecy in order to attain the Dao.

The principles of the Marvelous Scripture of Numinous Treasure are vast and profound. Without probing what is hidden, grasping the mysteries, and examining subtle details, it may seem difficult to understand. I do not think this is so. The scripture says, “Once you grasp the One, everything can be understood.” Would a Celestial Worthy deliberately make the principles obscure in order to confuse the world? In fact, the words and actions of daily life, and the way people conduct themselves, can all help us understand this scripture.

Those who are skilled at understanding are like wealthy people looking at wine vessels. Though goblets, cups, and bowls of many shapes are set before them, they can still see that they are all made of gold. What is difficult about that? Those who do not observe carefully, however, are led astray by the different shapes of the vessels. Would they not be confused?

What this scripture speaks of, in the end, is the Dao. Its subtle discussion of the mysteries and profound explanation of the broad meanings amount to this: the origin from which primordial Brahma-Qi, the Daoist term for the original energy that precedes Heaven and Earth, differentiates into the myriad things, and the process by which True Emptiness, the underlying reality beyond form and appearance from which all things come into being, manifests creation. If one understands the scripture only in terms of outward images, one’s thoughts will scatter, making it difficult to enter into its principles. To understand it, one may consider oneself and the transformations of Heaven and Earth on the same scale: what is true of Heaven and Earth is true of me as well. Observe closely and reflect carefully, and in time understanding will come. This applies not only to this scripture; the teachings throughout the Daoist Canon can be understood in the same way.

The Song dynasty writer Su Xun, also known as Old Spring, once said, “Would Heaven entrust me with a mission by chance? If it has entrusted me with one, there must be something it expects me to undertake.” If I understand but do not put that understanding into practice or share it with others, then Heaven meant to make use of me, but I have set its purpose aside. This is called “abandoning Heaven.” If I belittle myself and seek only to have my words accepted by good fortune, or abase myself and seek only to have my principles adopted, then Heaven has entrusted me with a mission, yet I act in this way. This is called “showing irreverence toward Heaven.” Abandoning Heaven is my fault; showing irreverence toward Heaven is also my fault.

I often use these words to keep myself alert. I consider that I have been fortunate to learn through the guidance and exchange of ideas with teachers and friends, and to have gained some understanding of the aims of the Numinous Treasure tradition. Perhaps this is what Heaven has entrusted to me. Since I have gained some understanding, I should strive to put it into practice and dare not abandon Heaven. Since I mean to explain it in detail, I should carefully preserve its meaning and dare not show irreverence toward Heaven. To neither abandon Heaven nor show it irreverence, but to live, rest, cultivate, and preserve this understanding: this is my wish.

Like-minded friends urged me to share what I knew with others. At first, I worried that doing so would show disrespect for Heaven’s intent, so I declined. They then said, “Have you never heard the story of Li Guangxuan? Long ago, Li Guangxuan sought the Dao diligently for many years. One day, he met an extraordinary person on Mount Shaoshi. The person asked him, ‘In seeking the Dao now, do you wish only to uplift the people of the world, or only to perfect yourself? If you seek it for your own sake alone, even the immortals will not accept you.’ Have you also never heard the story of the foolish man from the state of Song? A man of Song once found a piece of Yan stone and hid it away as a treasure. A visitor from the state of Zhou heard about it and came to see it. Laughing, he said, ‘This is only a stone from Yan; it is no different from tiles and bricks.’ But the man grew furious and guarded the stone even more closely. If what you say is right, then you are like Li Guangxuan. If it is wrong, you will repeat the foolish man’s mistake. If you bring it out and share it with others, those with broad knowledge may point out your errors and open your mind to new ideas. This will help others and allow the mission Heaven entrusted to you to be fulfilled. Could the gain be small?”

Though I am not wise, I have respectfully accepted this advice. I therefore selected commentaries by the four families of Yan, Xue, Cheng, and Li, excerpted the passages that were clear and easy to understand, and added the views of my teachers and friends beneath the lines of scripture. The small characters in this volume mark these commentaries and supplementary explanations, which clarify the meaning of the scripture. As for the material that uses images to explain principles and principles to illuminate images, as well as the account of how the scripture’s central aim and the cultivation of the Elixir Way ultimately converge, I have placed it after the explanations of the images. My understanding is like peering at the sky through a bamboo tube or measuring the sea with a shell. I cannot investigate every fine detail; this is simply the extent of what I can see.

Confucius said, “Perhaps it is only the Spring and Autumn Annals that can make people understand me; perhaps it is only the Spring and Autumn Annals that can make people blame me.”

Recorded by Xiao Yingsou, Daoist name Guanfudaozi, on the first day of the seventh month, a Jiayin day in the Bingxu year, the second year of the Baoqing era (1226).

Diagram of the Divine Transformations of Taiji and the Red Script of the Primordial Void

“Red Script of the Primordial Void” refers to the fundamental writing in its undivided, mysterious, and profound state. “The Supreme True One beyond Nonbeing” refers to the highest true Dao, which transcends every distinction between being and nonbeing. This describes Taiji arising from Wuji (the Limitless).

During the primordial cosmic cycle of Yuanshi, the Primordial Beginning brought forth the heavens and made manifest the three celestial luminaries: the sun, the moon, and the stars. These are the foundations of Heaven and Earth. Above them there is no higher ancestral source; only the Dao itself is fundamental. This describes Taiji stirring and giving rise to Yang Qi.

When movement reaches its limit, it turns into stillness. Stillness then gives rise to the heavens and makes the three luminaries manifest; these are the foundations of Heaven and Earth. Above them there is no higher ancestral source; only the Dao itself is fundamental. This describes Taiji stirring and giving rise to Yang Qi. When stillness reaches its limit, movement begins again. Movement and stillness serve as each other’s source, and Yin and Yang thereby divide, establishing the Two Modes—the two fundamental forces of Yin and Yang.

The Five Phases unfold and transform, just as Yin-Yang unite to generate Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth. The five kinds of Qi circulate in turn, and the four seasons move along with them. Ultimately, the Five Phases are transformations of Yin-Yang, while Yin-Yang are unified in Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate); Taiji has its origin in Wuji (the Limitless). As the Five Phases come into being, each takes on its own distinct nature.

The Five Phases nourish the wondrous spiritual nature of all things. Thus everything shines, is brought to light, takes shape, comes to fruition, undergoes transformation, and continues to flourish without end. This is the wondrous principle formed through the intermingling and convergence of Wuji’s original reality, the two Qi of Yin and Yang, and the refined Qi of the Five Phases. The Way of Qian (Heaven’s Yang principle) gives rise to males, while the Way of Kun (Earth’s Yin principle) gives rise to females. When the two Qi of Yin and Yang interact, they transform and give birth to all things. All things continue to multiply and change, and their transformations have no end.

Those who study and cultivate should examine the words of the scripture closely and seek out their meaning. In this way, without deliberately striving for it, they can accord with the precelestial Dao and glimpse the mysteries of Heaven and Earth’s creative transformations. Thus, Confucian scholars understand the principles of darkness and light. They observe all things, trace each thing from its beginning to its end, investigate its principles, and fully understand its nature. In this way, they grasp the mysteries of transformation through life and death and are no longer frightened by them. Laozi, by contrast, says, “Deepen the roots and secure the stem, and you will live long and see far.” This is because different traditions honor different fundamental principles.

If so, how can one attain this state? The scripture says, “Know the male, keep to the female, and return to the state of an infant.” Understand strength, yet hold to weakness, and you can return to an infant’s unadorned state. “Know the white, keep to the black, and return to Wuji.” Understand brightness, yet hold to darkness, and you can return to Wuji. This is the method of cultivating the Golden Elixir through the return of the Golden Liquor—a metaphor for refining Jing and Qi through inner practice and returning to the root. Thus one can deepen the roots, secure the stem, and live long and see far.

Diagram of the Embodiment of Yin-Yang’s Ascent and Descent

Metaphor

Regard the human body as the furnace of Heaven and Earth, and the central palace—the inner cultivation site at the body’s center—as the cauldron. Outside the body…

Within the Great Void, the Qian Palace corresponds to the bones, marrow, and brain, while the Kun Palace corresponds to the place where Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) reside. The Spirit Chamber and Elixir Cauldron together are called the “Three Palaces.” Qian and Kun are the guiding principles of Heaven and Earth’s operation, within which Yin-Yang Qi circulates. Heaven and Earth are like a vast furnace; Yin-Yang is the pivot of transformation and generation, while “One Qi”—the primordial Qi from which all things arise—is the ingredient used in alchemy.

In alchemical practice, one must rely on the movement and cultivation of the Qi of Qian and Kun, the female and male principles (opposing Yin-Yang forces), allowing it to circulate like the celestial bodies. This serves as the vessel. The Golden Mother, a term symbolizing Metal Qi or the central locus of alchemical practice, resides within it. Subtle, transformative breaths respond to one another and mutually stir into activity; this is called cultivation. As Yang essence grows stronger day by day, the True Spirit comes into being; this is called the “Sage Embryo.” As Yin Qi gradually recedes and Yang Qi approaches purity and fullness, this is called the “Infant.” These terms describe the state in which the Great One holds the True Nature within, unites with emptiness, and ultimately returns to the Limitless.

The location of the Spirit Chamber and the methods for cultivating and nourishing it must not be disclosed carelessly, lest this bring fault. Their transmission must therefore be bound by an oath. A teacher must offer clear guidance and instruction, and must not mislead those intent on cultivation or cause them to lose their way.

The Eight Trigrams in the first ring represent Earth. They form various symbolic numbers and images, which are coordinated and used together.

The twenty-eight lunar mansions in the second ring represent Heaven. They indicate in broad terms the measures of the celestial circuit and serve as the basis for calculating the Celestial Origin.

The thirty phases of fullness and waning in the third ring represent the monthly count of the alchemical firing process. They correspond to and are used together with the sixty hexagrams.

The hundred white and black dots in the fourth ring represent the water-clock measurements of the Yin Talisman and Yang Fire. They are used to correspond to the changes between stillness and movement as celestial time proceeds.

The twelve hexagrams in the fifth ring indicate the advance and retreat of the line images, as well as the rising and falling of the Dragon and Tiger, which symbolize Yin-Yang Qi in alchemy.

The twelve earthly branches in the sixth ring indicate the rising and descending stages of the firing process, and gather the correspondences that signal celestial times.

The seventh ring displays the total count of the celestial circuit. It resonates and accords with the four seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and corresponds to the symbolic numbers and images within the human body.

The eighth ring places Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and the myriad phenomena within the cauldron, where they support such alchemical elements as Metal and Fire, and the Dragon and Tiger. The Maiden of Li and the Youth of Kan symbolize the pairing of Yin and Yang, like husband and wife united.

The eighth ring brings the symbols of Yin-Yang, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and the myriad things into the cauldron. These symbols assist the alchemical images of metal and fire, the dragon and tiger, the Li maiden, and the Kan youth. The two Qi energies of Yin and Yang unite like husband and wife, giving rise to “true cinnabar” and “true mercury,” from which the divine elixir is refined.

The above is the Diagram of the Fire Phases in the Mirror of the Great Return, said to have been written by the Perfect One Master Peng Xiao. It serves here to explain the function of the “Great Brahma hidden words.”

Essential Guidelines for Reciting Scripture

Those who recite scripture should understand five precepts and ten harmful practices. Before reciting, they should observe purification and abstinence, bathe and cleanse themselves, and set aside distracting thoughts. Their inner state should accord with their outward words and conduct; only then is the practice properly performed. It is said that the Supreme Ultimate’s Immortal Ge once taught a method of reciting scripture that included five precepts and ten unbeneficial acts. Practitioners who observe them will gain immeasurably, and the merit they acquire will extend to their descendants.

The five precepts are these: First, do not recite scripture aloud while inwardly going against its meaning. Second, do not treat the words and principles of scripture lightly. Third, do not stubbornly form distinctions between “you and me” or “self and others.” Fourth, be humble and yielding, and seek instruction from teachers and elders. Fifth, guide others with compassion and generosity, and help one another bring principles to light.

The ten unbeneficial acts are these: being disloyal to one’s ruler, unfilial to one’s parents, and lacking compassion toward the myriad things; clinging to ignorance and calculating distinctions between self and others; envying the worthy and resenting those who surpass oneself; ridiculing the good and insulting the lonely, the suffering, and the poor; speaking maliciously and sowing discord; deceiving one’s own conscience and harming the myriad things; indulging in wine and meat and becoming absorbed in illicit sex; and giving rise to greed and anger, falling into hatred and favoritism.

If one observes these precepts, calamities can be dispelled and karmic offenses resolved. The celestial beings will record one’s name, and the demon kings will protect and recommend one. By contrast, even reciting scripture throughout one’s life will not readily bring blessings and wisdom. Practitioners who have made progress should take these teachings as a warning and follow them with care.

Anyone who recites this scripture, whether a Daoist or a layperson, man or woman, must first observe purification and abstinence. The mind should be free of stray thoughts, and the diet should exclude meat, fish, and greasy foods. After entering a quiet room—a place for pure cultivation—put on clean, neat ritual robes. These may be single or lined garments, but they must be clean.

Gently click the teeth together, striking the front teeth at the center. Each day, sound the ritual drum—that is, click the teeth to gather and settle the spirits of the body—and burn incense. Let the incense burn plentifully, expressing sincere devotion and reaching the spirits. Pay respects in turn toward the four directions: east, south, west, and north; then toward the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, as well as above and below, bowing once in each direction. After bowing, face east and sit upright. The scripture calls for paying respects to the ten directions because its text refers to them. Physical gestures of respect are not as important as sincerity within the heart. Face east because the sequence of ascent to Heaven described in the scripture begins in the east. “Sitting evenly” means sitting upright; one may sit cross-legged or with the legs hanging down, as there is no fixed requirement.

Next, click the teeth again and recite the incantations for purifying the mind and mouth and for purifying the body, thereby bringing the spirits of the body into order. Then click the teeth again and recite the incantations for purifying Heaven and Earth and for opening the scripture’s mysterious essence. Only after reciting these incantations should you open the scripture and begin its recitation. The remaining cultivation methods and key points will be explained in detail below.

Inner Meaning of the Wondrous Scripture of Supreme Quality for Deliverance from Boundless Distress by the Primordial Beginning, Scroll One

Composed by Xiao Yingsou, Master Guanfuzhi

Drawing on the Great Ritual of the Numinous Treasure, I will explain seven matters concerning the Scripture of Deliverance from Distress and outline them briefly. What can be compared to the original Qi of the Primordial Beginning, which exists before all form? How does it descend into form and transform into Qi, giving rise to the myriad things and taking shape in the present age? How can people gather and refine this Qi, take it as a treasure, and thereby cultivate themselves into realized beings?

In my view, this path, as identified by the realized beings and sages of earlier generations, truly concerns the key to transcending life and death and the foundation of cultivating nature and life. Without the Way of the Golden Elixir refined from liquid gold—a Daoist term centered on Neidan practice—how could one understand the mystery of the original Qi of the Primordial Beginning? One must probe its hidden depths and seek out its subtle wonders, so that the life force concealed within may emerge, like sweet dew nourishing fields where immortals’ lingzhi mushrooms grow.

The Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Limitless Salvation, the Numinous Treasure of the Cavern Mystery of the Most High is revered by the myriad saints and honored by all perfected beings. It is a supreme classic, profound and wondrous. “Cavern Mystery Numinous Treasure” is the general name for a category of scriptures; “Limitless Salvation” is the title of this volume. Because it is honored above all other scriptures, it is called the “Supreme Scripture”; because it expounds the Great Dao, it is called the “Wondrous Scripture.”

The preface written by Emperor Zhenzong of our dynasty says: The Zhouyi sets forth teachings, placing first the supremely subtle principles of the Dao; Hundun, the origin of the Dao, left writings whose foundation lies in the mysterious Great Dao. These writings accord with the unfathomable principles of Yin-Yang transformation and point to a realm of emptiness and quietude beyond words. They explain how action arises within Wuwei (non-action), and how forms appear within the formless. They encompass hidden principles, assist Heaven and Earth in bringing forth and nurturing life, conceal their workings while revealing benevolence. The Dao’s realm is elusive and profound; it can teach the people and nourish the myriad things. Though the customs of past and present differ, instruction ultimately leads people to the same principle.

As for Daoist writings, numinous texts in the Archive of Scriptures and secret books in the Radiant Terrace gather in profusion within jade cases and cinnabar caskets. They were handed down by exalted perfected beings from the Turtle Gate and Walled City, then passed into the world through cycles of tribulation such as Red Radiance and Dragon Han. These scriptures transcend sight and hearing, lying beyond speech and writing. They can help bring about good governance throughout the realm and gradually permeate and transform living beings. They surpass the schools of the Nine Currents and have endured alongside the ages without falling into disuse. In times of war and turmoil, how could anyone have leisure to put them to use? But when the realm is at peace and all things have found their proper place, what could deserve greater regard?

The Scripture of Salvation is the wondrous teaching of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and the precious proclamation of the Celestial Worthy of Jade Morn. It recounts how the scripture was first preached and transmitted in the True Realm of Fuli, and reveals its safekeeping in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity. It is a hidden hymn of the heavens and an immortal chapter of the Great Brahma Heaven. Its words shine out in all eight directions, originating in divine writing; countless deities stand in ranks to protect it, so that it may save the beings of the world far and wide.

People born between Heaven and Earth receive the harmonious Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth. If they can lessen selfish desires, cast off falsehood and return to what is true, then set their thoughts aright, purify body and mind, and recite this scripture; if they persevere in their efforts outwardly and cultivate purity inwardly, they can pass from obscurity to clarity, until no hidden place remains unseen. This is like a bright light appearing in a still, empty room, or a hot spring washing away defilement. People can then ascend joyfully to a realm as beautiful as spring and enter in great numbers a blessed land of longevity and peace. When sincerity reaches its utmost, the blessings gained are without end.

Ah, how great is the Way of Lingbao! Some say that “ling” is the power by which the sages transform and nurture the myriad things, while “bao” means what is precious and worthy of reverence. Others say that “ling” is the shared title of the assembled sages, and “bao” what they hold dear. Still others say that what changes without limit is called “ling,” and what inspires reverence and affection is called “bao”; in Heaven it is called ling, on Earth it is called bao; when a spirit descends, it is called ling, and when Qi—the primordial energy that makes up life and all things—converges, it is called bao.

The benevolent see its mystery, the wise see its wisdom, and ordinary people use it every day without knowing it. So one can only describe it imperfectly, establishing teachings in accord with change to guide all things and benefit living beings. Qi is subtle beyond form and vast beyond measure. Look at all things from afar and at oneself up close: it can be as great as Heaven and Earth, yet even the smallest living creature is not apart from it. When manifest, it is the sun and moon; when concealed, it is Yin and Yang. In Confucianism it appears as benevolence and righteousness; in Buddhism, as wisdom; in the human body, as Shen and Qi; in alchemy, as mercury and lead. It dwells within all things, becoming their nature, and governs primordial Qi, shaping the transformations of creation. In truth, all these are the Dao. Only those who have attained understanding can grasp how they are connected.

Yet when people cling to illusion and lose sight of what is real, letting desire lead them as they pursue external things, the source of their spirit scatters and the root of their true nature is broken. They cannot return to youthful vigor and eventually decline. The Shengshen Zhang says that to be born as a human is exceedingly rare; to undergo the refining of the sun’s Qi is enough to stir even Heaven and Earth, and the honor of this cannot be fully expressed. Even if the Heavenly Perfected, Earthly spirits, and gods of the Three Realms all descended together, they would not treat this life lightly. Human beings are not born base; it is simply that they often fail to respect the Qi within themselves, cherish the body, or care for their life and spirit. Thus they bring decline upon themselves and turn away from their true nature.

The Xisheng Jing says: “I was born from emptiness and placed within nothingness. What gives me life is spirit; what harms me is the mind. By gathering Qi and blood, my body takes shape.” The body is the vehicle and dwelling of spirit, and its place of refuge. When a person is still, the spirit dwells in peace; when a person is agitated, the spirit departs. The Huangting Jing says that anyone seeking long life must carefully tend the vital places within the body. Why do what leads oneself toward death and grieves the spirits? The “inch fields and foot-long dwellings”—the places within the body where spirit is nurtured—can be used to cultivate life. But if one dissipates Jing and Qi like breaking a sea wall and letting rivers pour away, one will wither like a tree losing its leaves, no longer green and vibrant. When Qi disperses and bodily fluids are depleted, the body can no longer be sustained.

The Zhuangzi says: “Human life is limited, but knowledge has no limit. To pursue the limitless with a limited life is dangerous.” It also says that human life results from the gathering of Qi: when it gathers, life begins; when it disperses, death follows. A body made to toil without rest will decline; energy used up without pause will be exhausted, and when exhaustion reaches its extreme, it will be depleted. The Grand Historian says that human life depends on spirit, and spirit resides in the body. When spirit is overused, it is drained; when the body is overworked, it is damaged. When body and spirit part, a person dies. After death, life cannot be restored; once parted, they cannot reunite. For this reason, the sages value life.

Consider these words closely: they all explain the principle of returning to the root and going back to the source. Thus the natural Way of Lingbao and the Great Return of the Golden Elixir—a method of Daoist Neidan practice for returning to the root and recovering one’s true nature—have long been sought by those of deep understanding. The Most High revealed the means of guiding and receiving living beings, telling people: “Always without desire, you can observe its mystery; always with desire, you can observe its beginnings.” Buddhism also teaches that if people are governed by external things, they are turned along with them; if they can transform external things, they come close to the Tathagata. Daoism and Buddhism each have a way to transcend life and death. Buddhism takes mind and nature as its foundation, and so cultivates meditation; Daoism makes Shen primary, and so refines and nurtures the Golden Elixir. When meditation is perfected, it returns to Yin stillness; when the Golden Elixir is perfected, it returns to Yang brightness. Both come from the same root, though their methods differ. Each cultivates the Way from the source of life; neither is made through manipulation of external things.

Shen and nature can be understood through the heart, but cannot be completely taken apart through analysis and reasoning. If one analyzes everything relentlessly, one becomes caught in tangled disputes over right and wrong, self and other. If one understands through direct insight, one can meet differences without dividing them into self and other. This is the wondrous Dao of supreme truth, and all paths of cultivation remain within Lingbao.

The Hunyuan Shilu says that, from the Longhan era onward, Lord Lao repeatedly manifested in different forms to teach and transform people. He transmitted the true writings in the five regions: the Kingdom of Great Blessings in the Central Heaven, the Kingdom of Red Light in the South Pole, the Kingdom of Fuli in the Eastern Pole, the Kingdom of Xina in the Western Pole, and the Kingdom of Yudan in the Northern Pole. All five regions received the teachings of Lingbao. During the Xia dynasty, Lord Lao also transmitted the Five Talismans of Lingbao and the True Writings of Lingbao to Yu the Great. When Lord Lao appeared in transformed form to teach the king of the Hu, he said: “In China, I have always used the Dao to enlighten the people.” The king asked what the Dao was. Lord Lao replied: “The Dao is the Most High Lingbao. It was born before Heaven and Earth. It is so great that nothing lies beyond its embrace, and so subtle that nothing lies outside its reach. Without it, Heaven could not shine forth, Earth could not take form, spirits could not enter the unseen, and human beings could not come into being. Thus, all the flourishing of things takes the Dao as its root. A snake that receives it can become a dragon; a bird that receives it can become a phoenix; a beast that receives it can become a qilin; and an ordinary person who receives it can become an immortal. By cultivating it, one can roam freely through the vast emptiness, transform the five organs, change one’s appearance, command ghosts and spirits, and appear or vanish without pattern. This is the Way of the Highest Immortals.” The king asked: “If Lingbao is so precious, what exactly is it to attain Lingbao?” From this we can see that Lingbao and the Golden Elixir come from one source, though they have different names.

Moreover, the Lingbao Jing is said to have been transmitted by the Heavenly Perfected Emperor to the Yellow Emperor on Mount Emei, and then to Emperor Ku at the Terrace of Virtue. Yu the Great received it on Mount Zhong, while King Helü of Wu once glimpsed its teachings on Mount Gouqu. Later, Ge Xiaoxian, Zheng Siyuan, and others passed it on from master to disciple, without interruption from one generation to the next. This is how the teachings of the Lingbao Jing were handed down and its system of practice established.

The Scripture of Salvation was transmitted by the Most High Jade Dawn Lord of the Dao, that is, the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable (Lingbao Tianzun). The Lord received it from the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of the Void Sovereign (Xuhuang Yuanshi Tianzun), recorded it in writing, and stored it in the Upper Palace of the Purple Subtlety in the Mysterious Capital (Xuandu Ziwei Shanggong). Later, the Lord transmitted the scripture to Perfected Xuanyi (Xuanyi Zhenren), and it was handed down from there.

In the past, within the Azure Sky of Origin (Shiqing Tian), the term "Azure Sky of Origin" refers to the azure heaven of the East among the Five Directional Heavens. "Origin" signifies the beginning of the five directions, and "azure" is the color of the East.

There lay the Jade Radiance Void Song and the Great Floating Li Earth (Bi Luo Kong Ge Da Fu Li Tu). "Jade Radiance" describes a heaven of blue-green hue and broad, open light; "Void Song" describes the spirit winds blowing through jade trees, as though a song were being played in the air; "Great Floating Li Earth" is the Great Floating Li Kingdom at the Eastern Ultimate.

The Lord said: "In the past, within this celestial realm and land, I received from the Void Sovereign Heavenly Venerable the Wondrous Scripture of the Supreme Grade, Immeasurable Salvation of Humankind (Duren Wuliang Shangpin Miaojing). This scripture broadly delivers the beings of the heavens and of the human world, its merit is immeasurable, and therefore it is called the true scripture of the supreme grade."

Everything under heaven, from the vast to the minute, from grasses and trees to insects and birds, is generated in accordance with the regularities of zaohua (creative transformation), provided it has form and is governed by qishu (the cycles of qi and fate).

In the opening of its scripture, Lingbao Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure) refers to "Shiqing tian zhong, Biluo kong ge, da Fuli tu" ("Within the Heaven of Original Azure, the Empty Song of the Emerald Sky, the Great Fuli Earth"), explaining the source of creative transformation. All things grow out of the earth and at last return to it. The Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) says, "Huo sheng yu mu, huo fa bi ke" ("Fire is born from wood; when calamity arises, it must be overcome"). One who understands this principle and cultivates it may be called a sage (shengren). Fire lies hidden within wood. If the fire ignites and is left uncontrolled, the wood turns to ash and loses its original form. If the fire is controlled, then even when the wood is burned away, its substance can gather again into earth, and the nature of the wood is preserved in another form.

The "Heaven of Original Azure" symbolizes Wood, and the "Empty Song of the Emerald Sky" symbolizes Fire. The Great Fuli land, in the far east, is covered with green jade, and blue clouds and mists often rise there. Its blue forests, stirred by the wind, produce sounds like the dongzhang (a Daoist musical chant). Their light is clear and bright and resounds through the vast sky. The Fuli Kingdom belongs to the Yulong Heaven in the northeast. The northeast corresponds to the Yin branch (yin wei), the position where Fire is generated. Blue is the color of Wood, and the character lin (forest) is formed from two mu (wood) components. Guan Yinzi said that rubbing two pieces of wood produces fire, and trees are also wood. When wood is stirred by the wind, and wind belongs to Xun (the Wind trigram). Master Mayi said, "Di er sheng huo" ("Earth's second generates fire"), meaning that the qi of Li fire (the Fire trigram) is nurtured within the Xun wood. Brightness that penetrates the sky is a symbol of firelight. The blue clouds and mists are wide and empty, and the nature of fire is empty yet luminous. The sound coming from the sky is like this, so it is called "Biluo kong ge" (the Empty Song of the Emerald Sky).

"Da Fuli tu" (the Great Fuli Earth) symbolizes the root of Earth. Earth is the foundation of huandan (the Returning Elixir), the result of the neidan (internal alchemy) practice of returning to the origin and restoring the primordial state. Huandan is the path of returning to one's root and restoring one's original beginning.

The scripture cites the Daodejing: "Zhi xu ji, shou jing du" ("Attain utmost emptiness, hold firmly to stillness"), along with "Wanwu bing zuo, wu yi guan fu" ("All things arise together, and I observe their return"). The meaning is that all things flourish and each eventually returns to its source. Returning to the source is called stillness, and to be still and return to one's benming (original destiny) is the principle of return. The Fu hexagram (Return) of the Yijing (Book of Changes) also illustrates this: fu concerns the cyclical movement and return of Yin and Yang. Therefore, the Fu hexagram reveals the original mind of Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth take Yin and Yang as their substance, and "mind" refers to the root from which they function. Heaven moves and Earth is still; Yang moves and Yin is still. When the movement of Heaven reaches its extreme, Yin begins to arise, and when the stillness of Earth reaches its extreme, Yang begins to emerge. The waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, and the alternation of movement and stillness, reveal the original mind of Heaven and Earth in operation. Humans are no different.

The Fu hexagram has Zhen (Thunder, Wood) below and Kun (Earth) above, with one Yang line born beneath many Yin lines. Zhen corresponds to Wood and the "Heaven of Original Azure." Wood generates Fire, which corresponds to the "Empty Song of the Emerald Sky." Fire generates Earth, so Kun Earth corresponds to the "Great Fuli Earth." From the perspective of the scripture, "Biluo kong ge" refers to qi and sound, symbolizing emergence from nothingness into being. From the perspective of neidan, Zhen Wood and Kun Earth each have specific referents, and within the emptiness the symbol of Fire appears. This clarifies the intent of the scripture: neidan cultivation follows the natural regularities of creative transformation.

Earth is the root of creative transformation, and therefore Earth generates Metal. The Metal here is called kong qi (empty qi). What Metal condenses is xiantian zuqi (primordial ancestral qi), the fundamental vital energy of all things. This is why the scripture speaks of receiving "Yuanshi duren wuliang shangpin" ("the boundless supreme grades of Yuanshi's salvation"). "Yuanshi" refers to the ancestral qi, and also to the yuanshen (primordial spirit) of oneself, which endures unharmed through vast eons of calamity. This is called zhenqian (true lead), the matrix of alchemical practice. The Longhu Jing (Dragon-Tiger Scripture) says, "Jin huo zhe, zhenqian ye" ("Metal and fire are true lead"). In alchemical practice, Metal and Fire are the most crucial elements. Zhang Ziyang Zhenren, in the Wuzhen Pian (Awakening to Reality), says, "Huo sheng yu mu, mu cang feng, bu jie zuanyan mo qiang gong. Huo fa zhi yin si hai ji, yao xu zhifu mi jin gong" ("Fire is born from wood, and wood conceals its edge. Do not force an attack without understanding how to drill and refine it. Fire erupts and harms oneself, so one must subdue it and seek the Metal Lord"). The meaning is that because Fire is hidden within Wood, one must not rashly force cultivation without understanding its principles. Uncontrolled fire harms oneself, so it must be subdued, and one must seek the "Jin Gong" (Metal Lord), a neidan term referring to the true lead of metallic nature.

Furthermore, if the Li trigram (representing fire) and the Kan trigram (representing water) lack Wu and Ji (the Earth stems, which carry the yin and yang natures of earth), then even though they contain the Four Images (water, fire, wood, and metal), they cannot be refined into the Golden Elixir (jindan). Only when true earth is present within both Kan and Li can the Golden Elixir return. From this one can illuminate the principle of internal alchemy (neidan), and it is indeed so. The monk Zhaozhou said, "A golden Buddha cannot withstand the furnace fire; a wooden Buddha must be subdued before one can find the Golden Duke." Here, metaphors such as gold and wood are used to represent the differing mind-natures and the yin-yang qi that arise in cultivation.

Furthermore, if Li and Kan lack the earth of Wu and Ji, then even though they contain the Four Images, the Golden Elixir cannot be refined. Only when each contains true earth can the Golden Elixir return. From this one can understand the principle of the Way of the Elixir (Dandao). The monk Zhaozhou said, "A golden Buddha cannot withstand the furnace; a wooden Buddha cannot withstand fire; a clay Buddha cannot withstand water. How can you deliver me? If you wish to deliver me, it must be by my own self delivering me." Thus, this practice of cultivation is a matter of returning one's spirit to its origin and restoring one's nature, and thereby liberating oneself. A person must accomplish liberation through their own efforts, and there is no one who cannot be liberated. Initially there is no fixed limit on their number. This is the supreme vehicle, and it is why it is called "the unmeasured supreme grade for delivering people" (duren wuliang shangpin).

Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Original Beginning)

"Yuanshi Tianzun" is the manifested title of Xuhuang (the August Void). When the true body appears in a responsive form, it is called realized cultivation (zhengxiu). The subtle thought within the profound and original source belongs uniquely to one's own nature. The Dongshen Jing (Scripture of the Cavern Spirit) says, "The subtle image has no fixed form, yet it can manifest a form in response to resonance."

Dang Shuo Shi Jing (One Should Speak This Scripture)

"Jing" (scripture) means "path": it signifies that by following this path in cultivation, one can reach the Dao. The Neiyi (Inner Meaning) says, "Yuanshi Tianzun is the fundamental ancestral body of the Dharma body; the subtle image has no fixed form, yet it can manifest a form in response to resonance."

Dang Shuo Shi Jing (One Should Speak This Scripture)

The term jing (scripture) denotes the road that leads to the Dao (the Way), meaning that one who cultivates along this road will attain the Dao. The Neiyi (Inner Meaning) holds that Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning) is the original qi of the Dharma body (fashen), which is what is called the "original face" and the "indestructible primordial spirit" (yuanshen), and is named the "true lead" (zhen qian). Therefore, to expound this scripture is to show that the ancestral qi (zuqi, the vital qi of origin) is the root of neidan (internal alchemy).

Laozi once said to Perfected Yin: "If you can understand the One, then all things have their root. Gather in desire and enter a place of stillness; refining the Golden Elixir and nourishing qi is the foremost task of cultivation. If you understand this, you should hold fast to it and not lose it." He also said that red lead and black tin are the keys to refining the great elixir, and that true cultivation lies in moving from red into black. One extracts essence (jing) from the black and marrow from the red; once one knows how to use the medicinals of both red and black, there is no better method. By entering the black from the red, one can preserve long life; by entering the red from the black, one can become a Celestial Immortal (tianxian).

"One" is lead, and lead is the ruler; "two" is mercury, and mercury is the minister. If the lead is not genuine, the mercury cannot easily unite with it; if the lead is true and reliable, the minister will not scatter. "Azure-Waisted Envoy" and "Vermilion-Blood General" are names for the different medicinals or functions in cultivation. Joining two things of opposing natures, bringing what is dispersed back into unity: with white mercury as the brain and yellow sprout as the root, one transforms lead into powder and refines mercury into dust. Yin occupies the position of yang, and the number of yang is harmonized with yin; the moon waxes full and then wanes, the sun moves back and forth, and cold and heat each keep their proper bounds. These changes constitute the visible laws and symbols. Only the Dao I transmit can make Heaven and Earth endure. The meaning of expounding this scripture can be seen from this.

Someone asked: "The scripture speaks only of practice, recitation, aiding all beings, and ferrying the living and the dead across. Where does it discuss dragon and tiger, kan and li, or the principles of cinnabar, mercury, lead, and silver?" The answer was: "The great Dao has no fixed mode of expression, and it often borrows things to make its principles clear. Take the Book of Changes (Yijing): from the one qi divides yin and yang, and the union of yin and yang gives rise to the firm and the yielding, which change without end. Fuxi drew the trigrams to illuminate the Dao, and Shennong imitated them to make tools; Yao and Shun governed the world according to their principles; King Wen unfolded the hexagrams to reveal the mysteries of creation; Confucius further elucidated the profound meanings of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things within them. Boyang used the Changes to set forth the essentials of neidan, and Mayi used it to explain the subtle workings of transformation. Chen Tuan discoursed on images and numbers, Shao Yong investigated nature, destiny, and the principles of the Prior-to-Heaven, and Zhou Dunyi elucidated the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Some use it to explore the regularities of things, and others use it for divination. How could the principles of perfect and flowing transformation be limited to a single mode of expression? Why should the principles of this scripture be any different?"

An ancient saying goes: "One who understands ritual but not the subtle workings of transformation is not one who seeks the way of long life." To transcend ordinary doctrine and enter the realm of the marvelous, to merge with qi, and to achieve non-action (wuwei) while accomplishing everything: this is the true Dao of our lineage. Therefore Perfected Yin said: "One who is skilled at grasping my Dao can recognize the heavenly Dao within a single thing, exhaust its subtle workings, penetrate its profound principles, and attain nature and life. But if one misses this Dao, one will chase after strange names and divide what is essentially the same into different designations. If one truly grasps it, one will accord with the common substance and will not be bound by differences in names."

The scripture says that reciting it ten times brings completeness and fullness, and serves to summon the spirits of the ten directions.

The Inner Meaning (Neiyi) explains: Perfected Yin once said that one who truly grasps the Dao (the Way) can perceive Heaven and Earth within a single thing, exhaust the subtleties of the spirit, pursue the profound principles, and penetrate the origin of life. Whoever loses the Dao chases after strange things and divides names from realities. Whoever attains the Dao understands that all things are interconnected, and that though their names differ, their realities coincide.

The scripture again says that reciting it ten times brings completeness and fullness, and serves to summon the spirits of the ten directions.

The Inner Meaning explains that reciting ten times is meant to summon the True Sages and Exalted Nobles between Heaven and Earth. "Forming the elixir in ten months" means using the vital essences of Yin-Yang to bring about transformation. The so-called "ten passages" correspond to the five generative numbers and the five completed numbers: One Heaven is Water, Two Earth is Fire, Three Heaven is Wood, Four Earth is Metal, and Five Heaven is Earth; Six Earth is Lead, Seven Heaven is Mercury, Eight Earth is Sand, Nine Heaven is Silver, and Ten Earth is Cinnabar. Here the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and alchemical terms are borrowed to explain the transformations of Yin-Yang. The ten directions are also divided by Yin and Yang: one, three, five, seven, and nine are Yang, while two, four, six, eight, and ten are Yin. All of these are the marvelous functions of huandan (reverted elixir, the process in internal alchemy by which refined vital energy returns to its root and origin). The more profound principles of this transformation are explained further below.

The scripture says: "At the beginning, one should proceed to the Dharma seat."

Xuhuang Tianzun (the Venerable Lord of the Void Sovereign) ascends and takes his seat upon the Dharma throne.

The Great Spirits of True Perfection, the Exalted Nobles of the High Sages, the Perfected of Wondrous Conduct, and countless living beings,

including the five hundred million heavens, the eight-rounded worlds, the Three Primes and Nine Sages, the Nine Perfected and Nine Immortals, the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the true spirits of Heaven and the deities of Earth,

all come riding on the void, flying among the clouds and the vermilion rosy glows.

The clouds appear in three plain colors, while the radiance of the rosy glow is crimson qi (vital energy).

They ride in green carriages with jade wheels, their feathered canopies hanging down to shade the carriage bodies.

When the Queen Mother of the West once transmitted scriptures to Emperor Wu of Han, the implements, garments, and rites all followed Han institutions. Therefore, one may infer ancient circumstances from the present, and the details will not be elaborated one by one here.

Flowing essences shine like jade, the five colors blend richly, and the vast cosmos is transparent and bright.

Here "flowing essence" refers to the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars, and "jade light" refers to the round, bright luminous images of the Perfected. The interweaving of the five colors illuminates the Great Void.

When one begins to sit in meditation, Golden Mother (Jinmu, a deity in internal alchemy who symbolizes the yin-natured primordial spirit) enters the inner chamber. Once she is seated within, she causes the qi of yin and yang to return and unite along the Yellow Path (huangdao, the central and correct course of qi's movement), and causes the Three Essentials of jing (essence), qi, and shen (spirit) to gather in the Yuan Palace (yuangong, the fundamental seat within the body). The Five Phases converge and the Four Images (sixiang, the symbols of yin-yang and its transformations) come into harmony. This is the scene in which the Heavenly Perfect Great Spirits, the Supreme Sage High Perfected, the Wondrous Conduct Perfected, and countless other perfected beings arrive riding the void.

The practitioner uses shen-intention to gather the breath, uses the breath to refine and nourish the spirit, and causes lead and mercury (symbols in neidan for the two essences of yin and yang) to unite, so that the qi of yin and yang blend and circulate. Golden Mother emits radiance within the spirit chamber, and Silver Essence (the essence corresponding to Golden Mother) shows its brilliance in the alchemical chamber. The empty and still inner chamber gives rise to light, the shen-intention settles into clarity, and before the eyes there appear the cinnabar heavens with clouds swirling around them, carriages of blue-green hue and jade wheels, the shadows cast by feathered canopies, and flowing essence-qi with jade-like radiance. Five-colored lights of qi surge and interweave, illuminating the boundless void.

After seven days and seven nights, the sun, moon, and stars of the heavens, together with the Xuanji Yuheng (the Big Dipper), all come to a halt at the same time. The divine winds fall silent, and clouds gather back over the mountains and seas. No drifting cloud obscures the sky, and the four breaths of heaven, earth, sun, and moon are clear and bright. Across the whole land, mountains and forests become level and even, with no distinction of high and low.

The "heavens" mentioned here refer to the thirty-two heavens. Each heaven has its own sun and moon, and the source of their essential light is generated from this realm. Xuanji Yuheng is the Big Dipper, and "the four breaths clear and bright" refers to the breath of heaven, earth, sun, and moon being pure and luminous. The true Dao is transmitted by perfected beings, and the sacred method is passed down by sages; therefore the three luminaries cease their motion, the mountains and seas gather in their breath, the Wind Earl does not dare stir the branches, and the Cloud General ensures that no clouds obscure the sky. Heaven and earth are open and bright, the sun and moon are pure and brilliant, the mountains are level, and the distinctions between high and low among all things seem to dissolve.

Since the sun, moon, and stars are said to have stopped moving, there would be no distinction of day and night, and so the "seven days and seven nights" here are seven day-and-night cycles reckoned by ordinary time. The Xuanshi (Mysterious Master) says that this is precisely the profound state of great stillness, in which the divine light is clear and serene and the practitioner is able to behold the Jade Clarity Realm (Yuqing, one of the highest heavens in Daoist cosmology).

The Great Commentary of the Book of Changes says that the firm and the yielding are the images of day and night. Commentators hold that daytime belongs to Yang and firmness, and night belongs to Yin and yielding. Cheng Yi says that firmness and yielding are the ebb and flow of one and the same primal Qi (qì, vital energy). The ebb and flow of Qi in the human body is breathing.

A single inhalation and exhalation is called one breath, and within one breath Yin and Yang change: the exhalation is bright and belongs to Yang, like daylight, while the inhalation is dark and belongs to Yin, like night. The breathing of the seven orifices symbolizes seven days and seven nights. When practicing the work of the Golden Mother, the celestial mechanism is still, the spirit (shén) gathers, the gaze settles, the pulse seems to stop, and the thoughts become perfectly quiet. Therefore it is said that during the seven days and nights, the sun, moon, and stars of all the heavens, together with the Xuanji and Yuheng (instruments used in ancient times to observe the heavens), all seem to stop turning.

"The divine wind is silent" means that the breath ceases to come and go. "The mountains and seas are hidden" means that the Qi no longer rises and sinks. "The heavens are free of drifting haze" means that ornate thoughts and delusions no longer arise. "The four Qi are bright and clear" means that motion and stillness, existence and non-existence, are all set down together. Proceeding further, one forgets the body and cuts off thought, and all things become empty. One does not cling to self or other, and returns to the clear, luminous original nature. Hence it is said that the mountains, rivers, and forests of the land all become level and even, with no difference of high and low.

The earth transforms into green jade, with no other color. What was described earlier is the auspicious omen sent from heaven; here it is the response of the earth.

The Inner Meaning says: "Earth" symbolizes the pure original nature. The original nature, empty and still, gives birth to the earth, mountains, and forests, all of which are level and even, with no difference of high and low.

The Inner Meaning further says: "Earth" is the pure original nature. The empty and still original nature gives birth to Shen; Shen dwells in the chamber and is called Wu Earth. When the breath stirs and gives rise to feeling, and is gathered within the cauldron (fǔ), it is called Ji Earth. Wu Earth and Ji Earth are terms from Neidan (internal alchemy) that use the Earth of the Five Phases to explain Shen and Qi. When Shen is at ease and Qi is tranquil, nature and emotion return to mysterious union. Like jade-green without flaw, like pure jade without impurity, the earth becomes green jade with no other color.

The assembled perfected attend at the seat.

The Inner Meaning says: When the mind is single-pointed and not scattered by external things, the spirit can gather.

Primordial Heavenly Worthy sits upright in the air, with a five-colored lion beneath his seat.

This describes the Dao-image of Primordial Heavenly Worthy, the form that embodies the Great Dao. The Inner Meaning explains: Primordial Heavenly Worthy symbolizes the Original Spirit; the “mysterious seat” symbolizes the inner space where the spirit dwells; “floating in emptiness” symbolizes the formless Dharma body, empty and still; the “five colors” symbolize the subtle transformations of Qi; and the “lion” symbolizes the mind’s awareness. The Original Spirit rests in the spirit chamber and uses thought to gather Qi. The Dharma body is empty, still, and serene, while the mind’s awareness is clear and wondrous, guiding the movement of spirit and Qi. The mind is like the master who controls the lion; this is why the image symbolizes the Heavenly Worthy’s Dao-image.

After the scripture had been preached once, the great sages of all the heavens praised it together, saying that it was good. At that time, all the men and women in a certain country, who had been deaf, regained their hearing.

The Inner Meaning explains that “the scripture had been preached once” corresponds to “Heaven gives birth to Water through one,” meaning that Kan Qi—the Qi associated with Water and the ears—is generated within Qian Metal. “The great sages of all the heavens praised it together” symbolizes the momentary flow of all the spirits. “The men and women of one country” symbolize the Yin and Yang Qi within the Dharma body, while “deafness” relates to Kan’s symbolic association with the ears. In the human body, spirit and Qi nourish one another: when the spirit grows dull, Qi becomes obstructed; when Qi is disordered, the spirit becomes clouded and unclear, as if deaf. Through cultivation, the movement of Qi becomes unobstructed, the breath settles, and the mind and spirit grow clear. One can then perceive what previously went unnoticed, which is why this is called “opening the hearing.” This is the initial stage of entering the Dao through cultivation. As for physical hearing disorders being cured through encountering the scripture and its teachings, that is clear without any need for commentary.

After the scripture had been preached twice, the blind regained their sight.

The Inner Meaning explains that “the scripture had been preached twice” corresponds to “Earth gives birth to Fire through two,” meaning that Li Qi is generated within Xun Wood. Li corresponds to the eyes, and the eyes in turn correspond to the mind. When the mind is obscured by external things, it grows dim as if blind. By cultivating in accordance with the Dao, one’s mind opens and one understands its principles. External things can then no longer obscure the mind’s clarity, allowing one to distinguish right from wrong. This is like seeing clearly with bright eyes, recognizing the road, and following it.

After the scripture had been preached three times, those who were mute were able to speak.

The Inner Meaning explains that “the scripture had been preached three times” corresponds to “Heaven gives birth to Wood through three,” meaning that Zhen Qi...

The scripture says that reciting and expounding it three times symbolizes Heaven generating Wood through “three.” The breath of the Zhen trigram, which represents thunder and movement, takes shape in the water of the Gen trigram, which represents mountains. The mountains rise high and their soil is deep; springs well up from within them. This describes water flowing out of a mountain.

“Expounding” means producing sound, and sound corresponds to the nature of Metal. If Heaven generates Wood through “three,” why does the text also say that even someone unable to speak can begin to speak? This illustrates that Wood contains the symbolism of Metal. According to the numerological system of the Five Phases, Wood declines and reaches its end at the Shen position, then takes form at the You position. Although Metal overcomes Wood, Wood is conceived in a direction associated with Metal. Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood; Metal, therefore, can also be called the source of Wood.

“Heaven generates Wood through three” can also be understood to mean that Metal, through three successive transmissions, reveals the life force of Wood. For example, the nayin classifications of Jiazi and Yichou are “Metal in the Sea”: Metal is hidden in the sea, and seawater corresponds to Zi and Chou. Water then generates Wood, represented by Jia and Yi. Yang energy begins to emerge at the Zi position, and the three Yang energies gradually rise from beneath the earth. Thus the Zhuangzi says, “It bursts forth brilliantly from the earth,” meaning that flourishing life emerges from below and rises upward. The scripture uses the transformation of the Zhen trigram into the Dui trigram to explain that Wood contains Metal.

The scripture also says that after reciting and expounding it four times, those who are lame, ill, or have long been unable to move about can get up and walk.

“Accumulated affliction” refers to an illness passed down through generations and continually spreading. The Inner Meaning explains that reciting the scripture four times corresponds to “Heaven’s Four generates Metal” among the Five Phases: Metal Qi is conceived by Kun Earth. The text says that the sick person can rise and walk. “Rise and walk” means recovering the ability to stand and walk, corresponding to the nature of Wood.

If “Heaven’s Four generates Metal” corresponds to reciting the scripture four times, why does it also say that people with long-standing illnesses or lame legs can rise and walk? The Inner Meaning holds that this is because Metal contains the symbolism of Wood. According to the numerological arts of the Five Phases, Metal declines and is extinguished at the Yin position and is conceived at the Mao position. Metal is also Wood’s “ghost”—its counterpart in the Five Phases’ overcoming cycle—yet it is conceived in the direction associated with Wood. Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, and Earth generates Metal; thus Wood may also be said to be Metal’s root.

“Heaven’s Four generates Metal” can also be understood through the transmission of Wood, Fire, and Earth, which reveals the principle of Metal. For example, Jiawu and Yiwei are classified as “Gold in Sand” in the Five Phases’ Nayin system: Jia and Yi belong to Wood, and Wood generates Fire; Wu and Wei belong to Fire, and Fire generates Earth; sand and stone belong to Earth, and Earth in turn generates Metal. According to the theory of Yin-Yang directions, Yin Qi begins at the Wu position, where the three Yin energies descend from Heaven. Zhuangzi says, “The solemn, chilling force comes forth from Heaven,” meaning that the force of autumnal killing descends from above. Its downward movement symbolizes the transformation of the Dui trigram into the Zhen trigram, showing that Metal contains the symbolism of Wood. From this, one can infer how Metal and Wood generate one another across an interval. Yet the mysteries of creation are profound and obscure; no amount of reasoning on paper can fully exhaust them.

After the scripture is recited five times, long-standing illnesses and stubborn, hard-to-cure diseases will suddenly return to their original state of health.

The Inner Meaning explains that reciting the scripture five times corresponds to “Heaven’s Five generates Earth.” The changes involved are profound and subtle, and cannot be fully exhausted through work on paper alone.

After the scripture is recited five times, long-standing illnesses and stubborn, hard-to-cure diseases will suddenly return to their original state of health.

The Inner Meaning says that reciting the scripture five times symbolizes Earth’s generative number among the Five Phases. Wu Earth resides in the Li trigram, so Earth Qi is conceived within Li. All things grow from Earth and, in the end, return to Earth. This describes the sequence by which the Five Phases generate one another.

According to the Daoist Canon, those who have suffered from illness for a long time, or whose ailments have built up over many years, should understand that human beings are the most spiritually endowed of all creatures and could originally live for more than 43,200 days. The body’s Shen contains 36,000 yuan-yang currents of true Qi, weighing 384 zhu, in correspondence with the Qian trigram. If one does not know how to preserve them and allows this true Qi to dissipate, one will die prematurely. All six lines of Qian are Yang, symbolizing abundant Yang Qi that has not yet been depleted through activity or expenditure. Those who know how to cultivate themselves in accordance with this can become immortals.

From the age of fifteen to twenty-five, continual sexual indulgence and loss of Jing deplete the true Qi by forty-eight zhu, leaving an amount that corresponds to the Gou hexagram. If desire is excessive, another forty-eight zhu are lost by age thirty-five, and the remainder corresponds to the Dun hexagram. If one still does not know how to preserve it, another forty-eight zhu are lost by age forty-five, corresponding to the Pi hexagram. At this point, the true Qi has declined to a state in which Heaven and Earth meet. If one continues to neglect preservation, a further seventy-two zhu are lost by age fifty-five, corresponding to the Guan hexagram; by age sixty, another ninety-six zhu are lost, corresponding to the Bo hexagram. If one still does not know how to preserve it, the yuan Qi will be exhausted, according to the progression of the sixty-four hexagrams formed from the eight trigrams.

Even if one knows how to preserve it, by age sixty-five the true Qi will still have declined by ninety-six zhu, corresponding to the Bo hexagram. If one then continues to neglect preservation, the yuan Qi will eventually be exhausted, finally corresponding to the Kun hexagram. Kun is pure Yin; the body can then sustain life only through the grain Qi obtained from food. This is called “a life prolonged by sheer effort,” meaning that life is barely being extended. A person in this state is close to death and can hardly continue cultivating Neidan. If the depletion is especially severe, one may not even reach this stage. The gradual decline of yuan Qi is the reason for illnesses that do not heal and for deeply rooted disease.

The phrase “restoring the form in a single period” means that, after practicing this Daoist method, the true Shen grows stronger day by day and the yuan Qi becomes more abundant day by day. Life recovers its foundation, bringing ease and longevity.

Reciting the scripture six times can turn white hair black and cause lost teeth to grow back.

The Inner Meaning explains that reciting the scripture six times symbolizes “Heaven’s One generates Water, and Earth’s Six completes it.” Water lies in the north and corresponds to the Kan trigram. The Yin essence and vital energy of Kan, gathered in the north, are likened to lead. When the Qian trigram joins with Kan, Water is generated within Metal. Lead is regarded as the mother of Metal: lead is black, while Metal is white, so “turning white” symbolizes returning to the root and restoring the original state. When teeth fall out and grow again, this symbolizes the renewal of life after withering.

When the scripture is recited seven times, the old regain their youth and vigor, and the young become strong and healthy.

The Inner Meaning explains that reciting the scripture seven times symbolizes “Earth’s Two generates Fire, and Heaven’s Seven completes it.” Fire returns to the southern Palace of Li and is called Mercury. When the Xun trigram joins with Li, Fire is generated within Wood. Mercury is drawn out of cinnabar. The south belongs to Fire, and Mercury also belongs to Fire; Fire added to Fire appears as an intense blaze that burns without ceasing.

The scripture says, “When things become excessively strong, they grow old. This is called being out of accord with the Dao. What is out of accord with the Dao soon perishes.” Without understanding the way of return, the flames rage and smoke disperses, and the original state is lost. How could something grow strong without also growing old? Once the principle of return is understood, one can set in motion the workings of things when they have reached their utmost and lead them back to their source. At the point of culmination, they return to the root. Thus the elderly can turn from decline to vigor, and the young can become strong and healthy.

When the scripture is recited eight times, women can conceive, birds and beasts can bear young, and life, both born and unborn, can be nurtured and brought forth.

The Inner Meaning explains that reciting the scripture eight times symbolizes “Heaven’s Three generates Wood, and Earth’s Eight completes it.” Wood belongs to the east and occupies the Palace of Zhen; it is called cinnabar. When the Gen trigram joins with Zhen, Wood is generated within Water. Cinnabar forms when Mercury responds to the vital energy of lead and condenses. It contains the nature of Mercury, and so resembles a fetus developing within its mother.

Mercury condenses when it encounters lead; Qi and Shen mingle when they meet. The “Qi” spoken of here is not the acquired Yin energy formed within the human body, but the primordial Qi capable of bringing forth change. Practitioners must distinguish between the two. Once condensed, Qi grows stronger day by day; the Shen-Qi that has arisen then further unites, no longer dissipating as external things change. In this way it nourishes the “sacred embryo,” the image of inner gestation in cultivation. Thus life, both born and unborn, can be nurtured and brought forth.

When the scripture has been recited nine times, the life force hidden underground emerges, and essences like gold and jade take shape. Shen and Qi (spirit and vital energy) gather once more. They no longer dissipate as they change with external things, but continually nourish the sacred embryo—the Neidan gradually conceived and formed through cultivation. Thus, what has already come into being and what has yet to be born can both be brought into being.

The Inner Meaning explains the phrase “When the scripture is recited nine times, what lies hidden in the earth emerges, and gold and jade reveal their form” as follows: nine belongs to Heaven, and four to Earth. According to the saying that “Heaven completes it with nine,” the gold produced by Earth’s four must pass through Heaven’s nine before it can take shape. The western Dui position belongs to Metal; when Kun and Dui unite, Metal is generated within Earth. This is like mercury entering an earthen crucible and being refined into a treasure. The Cantong qi says, “Gold returns to its original nature, and so is named the Reverted Elixir.” This means that when gold returns to its original nature, it is called the Reverted Elixir: in other words, the primordial Qi returns to its source. The Water of Heaven’s One first arises from the metal embryo within empty Qi, but its metallic form has not yet appeared. When Earth’s Four generates Metal, it is still in the process of transformation and coming into being. At this stage, Metal returns to its source and restores its original nature. It settles in the central palace, the position of Earth, becomes the Elixir substance, and reveals its mysterious form. The central palace belongs to Earth, and Earth is the ground; the Metal Mother dwells within it. Hence the phrase “what lies hidden in the earth emerges, and gold and jade reveal their form.”

When the scripture has been recited ten times, even dry bones begin to grow again, and all living beings can be reborn in human form.

The Inner Meaning says: “Reciting the scripture ten times” corresponds to the principle that Heaven’s five generates Earth, while Earth’s ten completes it. Earth leaves its original position and comes to completion through Fire. It dwells at the center and becomes the root from which all things arise—that is, the Elixir Body. The Daoist scripture says, “The Qi of empty stillness can bring all things into harmony.” Only when Qi is in a state of balance and harmony can it give life and nourishment to all things. Heaven’s five Earth is Yang; Earth’s ten Earth is Yin. When the Yin and Yang Earth combine, Metal Qi dwells within them and forms the Elixir Body.

For this reason, Neidan is also called “the dagger and the spoon.” The wonder of the Reverted Elixir lies in returning the aged to youth and raising the ordinary to sagehood. Everyone in the world is bound to die. If one sees only the physical form before one’s eyes, it is like a walking corpse. By attaining and cultivating this Way, one can live long and no longer become a departed soul buried beneath the earth. It is like dry bones coming back to life, or the dead becoming human once more. This is precisely the principle behind the Five Phases reaching their completed numbers.

In the preface to the Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Golden Liquid, the Celestial Master of the Han dynasty says that the purpose of the Way of the immortals is profound and subtle. Some of its principles may seem contrary to common sense, yet they contain the deepest truths. These teachings have been recorded in esoteric Daoist texts and cannot be fully explained in a few brief words. The Most High, too, once expounded this wondrous Way of empty stillness and balanced harmony.

At that time, everyone in the country, men and women alike, sincerely turned toward the Daoist Way and received its protection and deliverance, thereby attaining long life.

Those who understand and master this Way can live long and never die. At that time, people throughout the country, young and old, men and women alike, will receive the grace of the sages and be saved: the living will not die, and the dead will come back to life.

The Inner Meaning explains: “A country” is a metaphor for a person’s body, and “men and women” are metaphors for Yin and Yang. “Turning wholeheartedly” means that things of the same kind come together; “protection and deliverance” means receiving nourishment and protection. When Yin and Yang unite, Shen and Qi are nourished, the body becomes secure, and one’s cultivation advances. This is the principle of long life.

Each time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) delivered the scripture, countless supreme gods from one direction came through the air to listen. These divine beings arrived in turn from the east, south, west, north, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, above, and below. “Multitudes without end” refers to an immeasurable number of divine beings, while “came through the air” means they traveled through the sky to the place where the scripture was being taught.

After the southwest, the original text repeats the line “Having delivered the scripture six times, from the southeast…” Here it is interpreted as written.

The Inner Meaning says that, from the perspective of the scripture, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning preached the scriptures and teachings ten times. Deities from the ten directions came to hear the teaching, including the Three Origins and Nine Sages, the Nine Perfected and Nine Immortals, as well as the High Perfected and Supreme Sages, and the celestial and terrestrial spirits. They gathered together in the Kingdom of Fuli, in the Heaven of Beginning Azure.

From the perspective of Neidan (internal alchemy), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning preaching the scriptures symbolizes taking true lead as the fundamental medicinal substance and mysterious essence as the basis for refining the elixir. “Ten times” symbolizes the numbers by which Heaven and Earth come into being; “the ten directions” symbolizes the numbers formed through the correspondence of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

The odd numbers one, three, five, seven, and nine add up to twenty-five. Called the numbers of Heaven, they represent Yang essence. The even numbers two, four, six, eight, and ten add up to thirty. Called the numbers of Earth, they represent Yin radiance. One through five correspond to the four cardinal directions and the center; six through ten correspond to the four intermediate directions and below. Five is the generative number of Yang, the foundation of the Five Phases; ten is the completing number of Yin, the source of the transformations of all things. One and nine, and four and six, each combine to make ten, symbolizing Metal and Water as sharing a common source. Two and eight, and three and seven, each combine to make ten, symbolizing Wood and Fire as sharing one substance. Together these numbers total fifty-five, distributed among the five directions: one and six in the north, two and seven in the south, three and eight in the east, four and nine in the west, and five and ten in the center.

Working out the numbers of the five directions, first subtract one, two, three, four, and five from the numbers assigned to each direction. The numbers left over total twenty-five, symbolizing the root of the Five Phases—that is, the essence of “true Yang Wu-Earth.” Then subtract from this twenty-five the foundational number of each direction: one for the north, two for the south, three for the east, four for the west, and five for the center. This leaves four in the north, symbolizing Metal; three in the south, symbolizing Wood; two in the east, symbolizing Fire; and one in the west, symbolizing Water. The center, meanwhile, is left empty. By combining the images of the four directions, it forms ten, symbolizing the wondrous function of true Yin Ji-Earth.

The author then uses Neidan terminology to explain the apparently reversed relationships by which the Five Phases generate one another. Metal ordinarily generates Water, but here Metal is said to arise from Water, just as lead comes from the breath of silver, while silver in turn arises within lead. This is called “the child giving birth to the mother.” Metal symbolizes the tiger, hence the saying that the tiger is born in Water. Wood ordinarily generates Fire, but here Wood is said to arise from Fire, just as mercury responds to the influence of lead and congeals into cinnabar, while cinnabar in turn comes from mercury. This too is called “the child giving birth to the mother.” Wood symbolizes the dragon, hence the saying that the dragon emerges from Fire. Fire generated by Wood is represented here by extracting mercury from cinnabar, symbolizing cinnabar’s return to its origin. Water generated by Metal is represented by the return of the primal Qi to its source, symbolizing the Golden Elixir’s return to its true state.

Zhang Ziyang says: “The dragon, or mercury, in the Zhen position emerges from the Li position; the tiger, or lead, in the Dui position is born in the Kan direction. Both medicinal substances arise through the child giving birth to the mother. For the Five Phases to be complete, they must ultimately return to the center.” He also says: “The red dragon and black tiger dwell in the east and west; the four images join in the center of Wu and Ji. The Fu and Gou hexagrams turn from this point—how could the Golden Elixir fail to succeed?” The “method of reversing the Five Phases, by which the dragon emerges from Fire; the Five Phases do not proceed in their usual order, and the tiger is born in Water,” as described by Perfected Taiyi, expresses the same idea. Here, “dragon,” “tiger,” “lead,” “mercury,” and “cinnabar” are all terms used in Neidan cultivation to refer to medicinal substances and transformations of Yin and Yang.

The phrase “the immeasurable deities come forth” symbolizes following the patterns of Heaven and Earth, Qian and Kun, in their operation: bringing the 384 lines of the hexagrams into the cycles of the firing times, setting the five planets and twenty-eight lunar mansions in motion so that they circle within the crucible, gathering the 3,600 vital breaths, activating the key transformations of the seventy-two seasonal periods, and applying the Yin Talisman of the sixty-four hexagrams together with the Yang Fire of the twenty-four solar terms. These refined and subtle methods of cultivation are recorded in coded language and oral instructions. The author holds that mastering these methods enables one to put the workings of Heaven and Earth’s creation and transformation to use, reveal the basis of Yin and Yang’s generative power, and bring wondrous transformation and pure generation under the practitioner’s command, merging them into the realm of emptiness.

Someone asked Cheng Yi: “The sages did not study the ways of the immortals because the two traditions use different methods. Can sages accomplish these things?” He replied: “This is a kind of ‘stealing’ within Heaven and Earth. If one does not take up the workings of creation and transformation, how can one prolong life?” The Scripture of the Hidden Talisman says: “Human beings are the thieves of the myriad things.” Here, “stealing” means following and making use of the workings of Heaven and Earth’s creation and transformation, and of the vital force of the myriad things. In this way, all the life force between Heaven and Earth can be put to human use, inexhaustible and never depleted.

After the recitation had been completed ten times, the boundless Celestial Perfected and Great Spirits of the Ten Directions arrived all at once. Men and women throughout the land devoutly admired and turned toward the Celestial Worthy. Those who came were as numerous as fine rain and dense mist. The crowd stretched without limit, filling half the land, and the ground itself tilted to one side beneath them, an irresistible force.

The Celestial Worthy opened the ritual assembly, and all the sages gathered there. Their majestic bearing and profound virtue were so imposing that the earth could not bear their weight, and so it tilted. This shows that extraordinary events can bring about extraordinary responses. When Chan Master Farong of Niutou explained the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, the earth itself shook as he reached the “Chapter on Becoming Still.” How much more so when the Celestial Worthy Primordial Beginning manifests the Great Dao!

The Inner Meaning explains: “When the ten recitations are complete, the Celestial Perfected and Great Spirits of the Ten Directions arrive all at once” refers to the state in which Shen and Qi come to rest, settle, and gather without dispersing, with Qi returning to the inner chamber. “Men and women throughout the land devoutly turn toward him” is a metaphor for the Yin and Yang Qi within the body joining, mingling, and refining into one. Shen and Qi gather, rising and spreading like vapor. The Cantong qi (a Daoist Neidan classic) says: “Golden sand enters the five viscera; mist spreads like wind and rain.” Here, “gold” is the purest essence between Heaven and Earth and refers to Shen; “sand” is the pure substance of Yin and Yang and refers to Qi.

That is why the scripture says that those who came were as numerous as fine rain and dense mist, beyond counting. When Golden Jing moves behind the elbows and true Qi passes through the Yang Gate, the passage through which Qi moves in Neidan practice, nature and emotion stir one another, the workings of Heaven turn in secret, and Yin and Yang respond to each other, giving rise to the true Shen. Although this is said to make use of the Dao by following nature, it still belongs to a stage of practice involving deliberate effort. It has not yet transcended the transformations of body and mind, and can still produce responses such as overcoming cold through agitation and overcoming heat through stillness. This is because, when one deliberately maintains and fills oneself, nature and emotion have not yet fully merged. Nature and emotion belong to Earth; hence the saying that “the land is crowded to its halfway point, and the ground tilts to one side.” This change cannot be stopped.

The Celestial Worthy Primordial Beginning suspended a precious pearl, the size of a millet grain, in the midst of the empty and mysterious, five zhang above the ground.

The precious pearl symbolizes the Dao (the Way). It hangs in the deep, mysterious void and conveys the same meaning as the “Mysterious Pearl.” When this scripture is transmitted within the tradition, the pearl becomes all the more precious: within the mysterious lies a deeper mystery, within truth a still truer truth, and within the Dao a higher and more profound Dao.

“Five zhang above the earth” means that people are removed from the world of the Five Turbidities, a realm full of troubles and impurity, and freed from the influence of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Once the Five Turbidities are dispelled, many troubles naturally cease to arise. When the Five Phases no longer operate, one can forever escape their mutual overcoming. Thus the Five Phases no longer overcome one another, all things are preserved, and one naturally enjoys long life and enduring vision, attaining the Dao and becoming a perfected being.

The Mysterious Master says: This is the precious pearl of Jade Clarity, a path of cultivation in which miraculous transformations occur and an immortal embryo is nurtured. “Immortal embryo” refers to the perfected immortal state described in cultivation.

The Inner Meaning says: The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning suspends the precious pearl to symbolize spirit and Dao becoming one. The earlier account of him expounding the scripture on a lion’s back refers to spirit gathering within the inner chamber—that is, seeking being within nonbeing. Now the pearl hangs in the deep, mysterious void, signifying transcendence beyond spiritual beings and a passage from being into nonbeing.

The Celestial Worthy feared that beginners in later generations would fail to understand this principle and cling only to emptiness and stillness. He therefore revealed miraculous transformations to show that within the ultimate “nonbeing,” something supremely true and refined still exists. The scripture says: “How remote and deep, how dark and mysterious! Yet within it there is subtle essence. This essence is utterly real, and within it is certain proof.”

In terms of principle, this is spirit returning to quietude and one’s nature returning to its original truth. The perfectly full and luminous nature emerges, suddenly clear and no longer obscured, empty and bright, with nothing on which it depends. It is peaceful and joyful, still and silent. This state is not bound by the laws of the Five Phases, nor can it be contaminated by the world of the Five Turbidities.

Master Chuan says: “Clinging to forms and pursuing something are both delusions; clinging to the formless and the unseen leads instead to barren one-sidedness. How could what is radiant and grand, yet subtle and profound, be merely dark and silent? A single clear, cool radiance shines upon the Great Void.”

The Celestial Worthy of Original Beginning led the supreme true gods of the heavenly realm, the highest sages and exalted beings, the Perfected Ones of wondrous practice, and countless supreme true gods from the ten directions, all into the precious pearl. The people in heaven looked up and watched, seeing them enter one after another through the pearl’s opening. Once they had entered, no one knew where they had gone.

The Celestial Worthy displayed a vast and wondrous teaching, suspending the pearl in midair with no visible means of support. Then he led the Three Primordials and Nine Sages, the Nine Perfected Ones and Nine Immortals, into the pearl together. Those among the heavenly beings who were not heavenly perfected ones, supreme sages, or Perfected Ones could not accord with the transformations of Wuwei (non-action), and could not enter this realm of empty mystery and subtle wonder with them. They could only gaze upward and watch. They saw everyone entering through the pearl’s opening, but once they had gone in, they could not tell where they had gone.

Even lesser immortals of low rank possess the wondrous power of “a mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru”: something as small as a mustard seed can hold something as vast as Mount Sumeru. They can also manifest a realm in which a pot contains heaven and earth, yet they can only look up in wonder. How much more so when the Celestial Worthy proclaimed his vast teaching and revealed wondrous transformations? The scripture says the precious pearl was only the size of a millet grain, which was already extraordinarily subtle. To see the pearl hanging in the air from five zhang away—about fifty feet—was beyond the discerning wisdom of ordinary heavenly beings. How much more difficult it would be to see its opening. In leading the sages and perfected beings into the pearl, the Celestial Worthy was in truth leading them into a realm where wondrous existence and nothingness merge. As he led them into the pearl, the heavenly beings could see them enter, but could not see the mysterious transformations within it.

The Inner Meaning says: “The true spirit returns to shadowy stillness, and Qi (vital energy) becomes still along with it. It joins with emptiness and accords with nothingness, then rises into the mysterious realm and enters the wondrous realm. This is to gather the myriad things into a single breath, and then scatter that single breath throughout the myriad things. Face it, and its beginning cannot be seen; follow it, and its end cannot be seen. When it comes, there is nowhere it comes from; when it departs, there is nowhere it returns to.”

After the people in the kingdom had dispersed, the ground became flat and quiet again, no longer tilted or collapsed.

The Inner Meaning says: “Neither activity nor stillness is clung to; both being and nonbeing are set aside.”

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning was within the precious pearl and had finished expounding the scripture.

The Inner Meaning says: “Primordial Beginning” refers to Shen (spirit); the precious pearl symbolizes one’s innate nature. Expounding the scripture points to the Ancestral Qi—the fundamental energy from which all things arise—as the foundation of alchemical practice. “All finished” means that spiritual nature is complete and luminous, with nothing left in the heart.

The assembled perfected beings watched over and guided the transformation, and transmitted the teachings of the scripture to me.

The Inner Meaning says: “The perfected beings” refers to the energy from which wondrous transformations arise; “me” refers to the Lord of the Dao.

At that moment, joy was beyond words. The ritual was nearly complete, and the gods of the heavens each returned to their proper place. In an instant, all sounds fell silent, without a trace.

The Inner Meaning says: When one applies oneself in cultivation, the many subtle responses are difficult to describe, like the saying that only the person who drinks knows whether the water is cold or warm. When the work is complete, the myriad spirits return to their source; in a state between seeming and absence, a clear awareness remains.

At that moment, the people of heaven and humanity encountered the teachings of the scripture and were universally delivered. They were able to fulfill their allotted years and suffered no untimely harm.

The Inner Meaning says: Looking across past and present, the relevant principles are not far away. The fundamental principles of scripture and the alchemical Way are connected. The Sixth Patriarch once said, “When I teach the Dharma today, it is like a timely rain that moistens the earth everywhere. Your Buddha-nature is like a seed; nourished by the rain, it can grow and sprout.” This shows that encountering the teachings of a scripture enables universal deliverance.

This is precisely the purpose of inner imagery. Those who receive the teachings should recognize and cherish the Shen within them, and understand and value the Qi within them. In this way, they can fulfill their allotted years and avoid calamity. “Allotted years” means the lifespan one is meant to have; attaining a higher state still requires continued effort.

All who wholeheartedly turn toward and revere the Dao and its teachings should practice goodness: do not kill or harm life; do not envy, engage in illicit sex, or steal; do not be greedy or indulge in excess; do not hate or bully others. Let your words be free of empty ornament, and do not speak cruelly. Treat one another with equal compassion, and regard even those of different surnames or peoples as members of one family.

The “On Cutting Off the Fates” chapter says: Killing, harming, and injuring others are all harmful acts. Resenting others for being better off than oneself is envy; hating one’s own kind is jealousy. Relations between men and women that violate ritual propriety are licentiousness. Taking what belongs to others is theft. Wanting more without limit is greed. Becoming absorbed in one’s cravings is desire. Disliking others is hatred. Suspecting others without cause is jealousy. When these ten kinds of wrongdoing are all eliminated, people can care for one another like relatives, even when they have different surnames. When the myriad good deeds are brought together and understood, speech will no longer be harsh or perverse.

Here, “licentiousness” refers to relations between men and women that violate ritual propriety, and the aim is to set human relationships on a proper course. Those who practice the Dao should sever lustful desire. The Ling Shu of Great Subtlety ranks lustful desire as the foremost of ten corrupting practices. Tradition relates that when the Lady of Purple Tenuity and Lord Mao examined the gains and losses in the cultivation of the perfected immortals throughout the world, forty-seven people suddenly lost their immortal rank; afterward, only two rose to it again. The scripture attributes this to their harboring lustful desire while cultivating the Dao of the Highest Perfection. Not only might they suddenly fall from their rank, they could also come under the scrutiny of the Three Offices, the divine administration governing Heaven, Earth, and Water. How can those who seek longevity fail to cut off such thoughts?

Here, “theft” does not mean only taking what belongs to others; anything acquired through improper means also counts as theft. And “desire” does not refer only to habitual cravings: it means being concerned solely with one’s own advantage. The Most High said, “No fault is greater than greed, and no calamity is greater than the desire to possess more.” Once selfish desire arises, all kinds of wrongdoing follow. It then disrupts the laws of the state and deprives the people of peace. How, then, can one fail to guard against the pursuit of private gain?

The Neiyi says: Human nature is inherently good; no one is born lacking goodness. It is only when obscured by material desires that people lose sight of their original goodness. Once they hear the essential teachings of the Dao (the Way), their various evil thoughts will dissipate. They will be able to regard themselves and others as one, and treat those close to them and those far away without distinction.

The Taishang Ganying Pian (Treatise on the Response of Heaven to Human Conduct), a Daoist text encouraging good conduct by describing how good and evil deeds are repaid, explains the matters discussed above in great detail. It points out the errors people are prone to make in daily life. Li Changling of Shu wrote more than a hundred thousand characters explaining the causes of retribution. His account is sobering to read: it makes one wary even of allowing the slightest selfish thought to arise in one’s heart, and does much to improve public morality and people’s hearts.

Reflect carefully on the scripture’s words, “All should do good, refrain from killing, and cause no harm.” They mean that evil thoughts must be eradicated completely. Even the tiniest evil thought concealed in the heart means one cannot be called good. Why? If a piece of jade has even one flaw, can it still be called fine jade? Good and evil are not distinguished only once they appear in a person’s actions. The moment a thought arises, the spirits have already entered it into their records.

Long ago, when Wei Zhongda held an archival post at court, he was summoned by the Underworld Bureau. An underworld official ordered an attendant to bring out two ledgers recording Wei’s good and evil deeds. The ledger of evil deeds filled the courtyard, while the ledger of good deeds was as thin as a chopstick. The official looked grave and ordered that they be weighed. To everyone’s surprise, the small ledger of good deeds outweighed the ledger of evil deeds, and the ground seemed to tremble. Pleased, the official said, “You may return.”

Wei Zhongda asked, “I am not yet forty. How could I have so many transgressions?” The official replied, “That is not how it works. Whenever a thought is improper, it is recorded; there is no need to wait for an evil deed to be carried out.” Wei Zhongda then asked, “What, then, was written in that small ledger?” The official said, “The court once undertook a major construction project to build the Sanshan Stone Bridge. You submitted a memorial urging them to stop. That is what the ledger records.”

Wei Zhongda said, “I did submit the memorial, but the court did not heed it. What use was it, then, for it to carry such weight?” The official replied, “Though the court did not accept your advice, the good intention in your heart to prevent the project already counted as a good deed. Had the court listened, the power of your De (Virtue/Power) would have been greater still. You had the prospect of transcending the mundane world through this act. How, then, would you have been summoned here? But you have had too many evil thoughts, and the power of your De has already been cut in half. I fear you can no longer hope to attain high office.” Alas, merely holding good intentions can still bring one’s blessings to be diminished by evil thoughts. How much more so when one actually commits evil deeds?

Examples of the retribution for good and evil are too many to recount one by one. It is enough to read the Record of Hidden Virtue by Dou Jianyi, as recorded by Fan Wenzhenggong (Fan Zhongyan), to see that good deeds are worth emulating. Some say, “I treat others with good intentions, yet they repay me with malice. How can I remain calm?” That is mistaken. If one understands the words of the Red Lord of Nanyue, one’s heart and mind will naturally be at peace.

The Red Lord of Nanyue said, “If others bring harm upon me, and I respond only with blessing and goodness, then the vital energy of blessing and De will naturally continue to arise within me. The malicious energy and calamity that harm others bring will instead be summoned upon themselves.” This is the Great Dao that those who study the Dao should strive to put into practice. Could the Red Lord of Nanyue have deceived us?

When the state is stable, the people are prosperous, everyone is joyful and content, and all enjoy peace.

This comes about because everyone practices kindness and does good deeds.

The Inner Meaning says: It is said that Lord Lao once taught a method of cultivating the Dao to Zisheng. This shows that it truly was a path of cultivation widely practiced in Daoism. Could the Red Lord of Mount Heng have been deceiving people?

When the state is stable, the people are prosperous, everyone is joyful and content, and all enjoy peace.

This comes about because everyone practices kindness and does good deeds.

The Inner Meaning says: It is said that Lord Lao taught the Way of Great Peace to Perfected Master Gan Ji. Its central teaching is this: At birth, a person receives Shen (spirit) from Heaven, Jing (essence) from Earth, and Qi (vital energy), the primordial energy that sustains human life, from the harmonious Qi of Heaven and Earth. If people can nourish their Jing, cherish their Shen, and preserve their Qi, they can keep their bodies whole and extend their lives inwardly, while bringing peace to the state outwardly.

It also says that ministers should respect and love their ruler and wish for him to live a long life. Children should care for their parents, worry that old age will bring them near death, and guide them toward the Dao in an appropriate way. They should also continually seek unusual remedies and arts to offer to their ruler and parents. Disciples should keep their teachers’ kindness in mind. People are born through their parents, develop their virtue through their teachers, and gain honor through their ruler. They should often think of their ruler, parents, and teachers, and when they consider that they have no way to repay them in their old age, they should study and serve others, seeking unusual remedies and methods from worthy people to help them. This is the good path followed in the age of the ancient August Sovereigns by the most loyal ministers, filial children, and respectful disciples. If everyone acts this way, peace will prevail throughout the world.

The state of one’s inner cultivation is reflected in one’s outward conduct. Thus, goodness made visible is called good fortune, while a clear and luminous Shen is called wisdom. Cultivating both good fortune and wisdom means attending to both inner and outer life. The state is like a person’s body, and the people are like that person’s Qi: the state has a ruler, just as the body has a heart. When the ruler governs well, the people are at peace; when the heart’s thoughts are upright, the Qi is harmonious. The scripture says: “I practice Wuwei (non-action), and the people transform themselves. I love stillness, and the people set themselves right. I refrain from meddling, and the people enrich themselves. I have no desires, and the people return to simplicity.” The principles of governing the state and cultivating body and mind are the same.

When the scripture was first transmitted to instruct a country, the sage governed through Wuwei (non-action), and the people became naturally simple and sincere. When the sage cherished stillness, the people became naturally upright. When the sage refrained from meddling and disturbing them, the people became naturally prosperous. When the sage had no selfish desires, the people became naturally honest and generous. The principles of governing a country and cultivating the heart are one and the same.

Once the scripture had been transmitted and its teachings established, people could follow the Dao, already holding utmost sincerity in their hearts, revere and honor the Great Dao, and thereby transcend worldly suffering.

The Inner Meaning explains: Once the scripture had been transmitted and its teachings established, people practiced in accordance with the Dao. “Already” means beforehand, or earlier. People receive the Dao’s Qi (primordial vital energy) at birth, so how could the Dao be absent from their hearts? They have simply become so absorbed in illusory thoughts that their minds grow clouded and they forget their original nature. When they encounter the scriptures and teachings, their hearts become clear again. For example, the scriptures point to the Elixir Body—the inner foundation spoken of in cultivation—which everyone already possesses. It is not something they lacked before and acquire only now. Though they recognize it only after hearing the scriptures and learning of the Dao, it was already there before they heard them. That is why the text says, “already holding utmost sincerity.”

“Rooting oneself in” means taking the Dao as one’s foundation; “honoring” means revering the scriptures; “paying homage” means respecting the Dao and its methods; and “revering” means holding the Dao’s De (Virtue/Power) in esteem. The Scripture of the Original Arising says that those who cultivate the Dao should understand the meanings of the Dao, De, scriptures, practice, and methods: the Dao is like a road; De is virtuous conduct and accomplishment; a scripture is like a path open for passage; practice means advancing along the path; and a method is the standard by which cultivation reaches completion. The Dao and scriptural methods are attained through practice; they also refer to the Dao that has already been realized and can be followed by others. Those who practice accordingly can transcend the world.

The contents of the Daoist scriptures are all the inner names and hidden tones used by the gods of the heavens—that is, the inner sounds of the Jade Writings of the Heavenly Emperor. They also include the inner taboos of the demon kings and the hidden names of the myriad spirits. None of these are words used in everyday worldly speech.

The Inner Hidden Rhymes of the Supreme God, the Inner Taboos of the Demon Kings, and the Hidden Names of the Hundred Spirits are like the terms used in the Elixir Classics (texts on Neidan practice): “the sun’s soul and the moon’s spirit,” “the Geng Tiger and Jia Dragon,” “quicksilver and cinnabar,” “red lead and black tin,” “yellow sprouts and white snow,” “the maiden and the infant,” and “the Yellow Matron and Golden Lord,” as well as names such as furnace, stove, cauldron, and vessel. Though their names differ, they all refer to the primordial One Qi that existed before Heaven and Earth came into being. They do not refer to some separate admixture of Yin or other disorderly substances.

The highest sages cultivate the wondrous, mysterious Dao and have completed their transformation into perfected beings—those who have attained the Dao. They understand its profound principles and have probed its subtlest and most hidden depths.

The highest sages cultivate the wondrous, mysterious Dao and have brought their work to completion. Perfected beings see into its profound intent and understand its hidden subtleties. These are not empty words: they rest on actual cultivation and attainment. They know the foundations and hold the keys to such mysteries described in Daoism as the Red Writings of the Vast Cavern, the illumination of the Three Luminaries at the primordial beginning of the ancestral kalpa, and the Greatly Enacted Brahma Qi. Thus the mysteries of Heaven and Earth’s transformations, and the principles of life and death, existence and nonexistence, lie close at hand; they are not outside oneself.

One who can fully grasp the scripture and recite it ten times—

The Explanation of the Inner Meaning says: once one understands the profound and has probed the hidden subtleties, one can comprehend its principles. The efficacy gained from reciting the scripture ten times is equal to that of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. From the perspective of Neidan practice, “ten passages” refers to ten months of retreat practice; it may also be understood in terms of theory and method as the Nine Revolutions.

The heavens sing his praises from afar, extolling his merit; the myriad emperors bow in reverence, honoring this scripture. The rivers and seas thereby grow calm and still.

It is said that when the Duke of Zhou governed as regent, the seas were free of wind and waves. When a perfected being recites the scripture, auspicious signs appear: rivers run clear and the sea lies still. Though the two events differ, the principle they embody is the same; their accomplishments differ, but their virtue is equal.

The mountains draw in their clouds.

When clouds gather, they can become rain and nourish all things.

The sun and moon seem to pause in their passage of light, and the Xuanji—the ancient instrument for observing the heavens, also a pivot of celestial motion—ceases to turn.

Such are the effects of reciting the scripture ten times: its merit is equal to that of Primordial Beginning.

The demons were bound, and the ghosts and evil spirits were all destroyed.

The scripture’s word “bind” refers to the sharp power that drives away demons and evil spirits and slays the six kinds of ghosts.

It revives corpses and restores the dead to life, making white bones take human form again.

This refers to the Lord Lao reviving Xu Jia’s dry bones.

The Inner Meaning explains: “The heavens sing in distant response, and the myriad emperors bow in reverence.” This means, as the Zhuangzi says, that when the mind is calm and Wuwei (non-action), free of attachments, many fine things naturally follow. This is the De (Virtue/Power) of Heaven and Earth, and the Dao (the Way) of the sage.

“The rivers and seas fall silent” refers to the river of desire and the sea of distress. Both are created by the mind’s deluded thoughts: desire arises from sensual craving, and distress from the discriminations of consciousness. If practitioners can bring their De into accord with Heaven and Earth, and connect their Dao-mind with the perfected and holy, desire will subside and distress will grow calm.

“Clouds gather in the mountains” refers, according to the Yellow Court Scripture, to the abundant Qi of the Five Peaks; it signifies the fullness of Qi in the five organs. A perfected person breathes deeply, with the Qi of the five organs full, like clouds stored up in the mountains.

“The sun and moon” refer to the two eyes; “radiance” means light, that is, Shen (spirit). The perfected person’s spirit does not scatter outward. Though the eyes look upon things, the mind remains steady and undisturbed. This is why it is called “stilling the radiance.”

“The Jade Pivot” refers to the hub of the Northern Dipper, its celestial pole. The human mind is also like the Dipper’s hub: it turns while remaining in command, and when it observes things, it seems at rest. The perfected person responds to things as they come, yet inwardly remains clear and still. Thus it is said, “the Jade Pivot does not move.”

“Demons” refers to the jumble of thoughts that confuses and unsettles the mind. To respond to things naturally, as though the mind were free of disturbance, is what “binding the forms” means.

“Ghostly essences” refers to the Three Corpses, the unclean spirits said in Daoism to dwell within the human body and obstruct cultivation. Without removing the Three Corpses, one cannot realize the Dao. When practitioners preserve simplicity and stillness, the Three Corpses are cut off of their own accord. This is what “destroying the baleful spirits” means.

“Reviving corpses, restoring the dead to life, and making white bones human again” means that those who have accomplished the alchemy of the Elixir should cultivate themselves and extend their merit to others. Thus the Pure Brightness Method says: “My Elixir is complete, and I can transform things at will. What I lack is the Emperor’s decree, which has not yet arrived. So I continue to accumulate merit and await the arrival of the true mandate.” When living beings do good, one can help them extend their years and increase their longevity. If they fall ill and die, one should also seek a way to bring them back to life. The Perfected Lord Wu Meng’s revival of Qingzhi after death is an example of this.

A person who truly understands the Way aims to attain the real state of life. Among all living beings, anyone who performs good deeds can receive help to prolong their life. Even those gravely ill and close to death can be rescued and survive. The Perfected Lord Wu Meng once brought Qingzhi back to life after his death; this is one such example.

“Those of the highest learning” are people whose resolve is as firm as iron and stone, and whose integrity can withstand the trials of fire and water. Heaven and Earth cannot make them stray from the right path, and spirits and gods cannot lead them astray. They can accomplish what ordinary people cannot because their true names are recorded above the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Those of the highest learning do not wait for thoughts to arise or events to occur before beginning their practice. Whether thoughts arise or not, whether things happen or not, they remain steadfast in cultivation. Those who attain this state are the true Perfected Ones; other practitioners are a little lower.

Recite this Jing (scripture) ten times, and the Five Emperors—the spirits corresponding to the Qi of the Five Phases—will come to protect you. The Three Realms—the three domains of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—will also bow before the scripture.

This Jing is condensed from wondrous Qi, the subtle primordial energy, and is the root of all Qi. Wherever the scripture is found, the Qi of the Five Phases is present. Each Phase has its own spirits, called the “Five Emperors,” hence the phrase “the Five Emperors attend as guardians.” Ji Kangzi once asked Confucius about the Five Emperors. Confucius replied that they are the spirits of the Five Phases, who assist the Supreme Emperor and bring all things to completion. Here, the “Three Realms” refers to the great demons of the Three Realms. After those of the highest learning have practiced steadfastly and accumulated merit, even the demon kings of the Three Realms will protect and honor them; hence the phrase “the Three Realms bow in reverence.”

Demonic essences will lose their sight, and ghosts and monsters will perish, losing their supernatural powers.

Since the great demons already protect and honor the practitioner, spirits and gods dare not look upon them directly. This also means that they will restrain their forms and lose their supernatural powers.

The scripture can also rescue those on the brink of death, bringing back to life those whose breath has ceased.

The Neiyi says: “The Five Emperors” refers to the spirits of the body’s five organs: the liver stores the Hun, the lungs the Po, the heart the Shen, the kidneys the Jing, and the spleen the intention. When people are quiet and detached, their heart and spirit settle; their Hun and Po become clear and tranquil, their thoughts steady, and their Jing and Qi are not dissipated. But when they are constantly restless and competitive, their heart and spirit grow weary, their Hun and Po become confused, their thoughts unsettled, and their Jing and Qi gradually diminish.

People do want peace and long life. Yet as they deal with daily affairs, their heart and spirit slowly grow tired, giving the “Three Corpses and Nine Worms” (Daoist terms for the body’s turbid, malign influences and the beings that inhabit it) an opportunity to intrude. They disturb the Crimson Palace, a Neidan term for the region of the heart. When practitioners eliminate the corpse-worms and the spirits of the five organs each rest in its proper place, they guard the body like sentries. Hence they are called “attendants and guards.”

Here, the “Three Realms” refers to the Three Corpses, the turbid and deluded malign influences in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the body. The upper corpse, Peng Ju, resides in the head; the middle corpse, Peng Zhi, in the intestines; and the lower corpse, Peng Qiao, in the feet. The scripture holds that people’s greed for sensual pleasures, indulgence in lust, and all manner of harmful conduct are driven from behind by corpse-spirits. On the gengshen day (one of the days in the sexagenary cycle), the Three Corpses report to Heaven and list a person’s wrongdoings without missing a single one. They want people to die young, and rejoice, leaping about, when they can bring this about. Thus Ge Zhichuan (Ge Hong) asked: “Can you destroy the Three Peng, your enemies?” The Three Peng are the Three Corpses.

There are many ways to eliminate the Three Corpses, described in detail in the Gengshen section of the Daozang. Here, however, Golden Elixir cultivation is regarded as the more sublime method. An old poem says: “Exhaust every method under Heaven; only the Elixir can slay the Three Corpses.” Master Zhang also says: “Since ancient times, on geng and jia-shen days, there has been a clear command: eradicate the Three Corpses, and the Daoist path may be attained.” This means transforming evil into benevolence, guiding the stubborn and foolish toward goodness, and bringing the Three Corpses under control. This is why the passage speaks of “bowing in reverence.”

“Demonic essences, ghosts, and monsters” refers to malign, impure beings such as the Nine Worms and Six Thieves. The Three Corpses lead them, while the worms and thieves follow. Eliminate the leaders, and the followers will scatter of their own accord; hence the phrase “destroying their eyes and extinguishing their brightness.” Cultivation in this way can prolong a life that is nearly spent, restore one that seems cut short, and replenish the spirit and primal Qi. Those who study the Dao should strive to put this into practice; its effects speak for themselves.

This is because those who cultivate the Dao still carry impure Qi within them, and their minds and bodies have not yet fully awakened to the true Dao. Although they can summon and subdue ghosts and spirits in the ten directions, their power is not yet sufficient to govern the decrees of Heaven. Their De can subdue earth deities and restrain demonic spirits, but they can only keep people from dying; they cannot bring them back to life after death.

The Inner Meaning says: “The desires of those who cultivate the Dao have not yet been severed, and they have not yet understood the principles of nature and life. Even if they diligently investigate and practice, they have not yet reached the realm of mysterious emptiness. Such people can only nurture their spirit, conserve their original Qi, subdue Yin demons, preserve their youth, extend their lives, and avoid illness. As for the Dao of long life, they cannot yet expect to attain it.”

If this chapter is recited carelessly, it will bring calamity upon oneself.

“Careless recitation” means reciting in disheveled clothing, without observing the prescribed rites, or casually chanting while walking, standing, or lying down, merely going through the motions. To recite a scripture without reverence is worse than not reciting it while keeping reverence in one’s heart.

The Inner Meaning says: “Carelessly reciting this chapter” also refers to practicing this method of the Dao carelessly. The key to cultivating the Golden Elixir lies entirely in harmonizing the process and grasping the right timing. First, one must understand how to gather and refine; next, one must guard against complacency and practice with care, waiting until the crucible is ready and the elixir ingredients are complete. Then, in accordance with the seasons, one uses talismanic methods to kindle the fire, adding or withdrawing Mercury and Lead so that neither the timing nor the seasonal markers are in error. In this way, the Qi of Yin and Yang becomes abundant, and the Pearls of Li and Kan are brought to completion. Ultimately, one is transformed by the spirit into a perfected being and attains long life and lasting vision.

If one is impatient in temperament, lax in resolve, and acts recklessly, the timing and signs will not align, and the stages of cultivation will fail to produce their proper effects. This may lead to such anomalies as scorching heat in winter and bitter cold in summer; the Maiden (an alchemical term for the Yin medicine or a related symbol in internal cultivation) may flee, and the Red Dragon (an alchemical term for the Yang medicine or a related symbol in internal cultivation) may escape. Once the spirit and original Qi have dispersed, the Golden Liquor can no longer be refined. The person’s Qi will weaken and the body grow frail, until the physical form decays and life comes to an end.

Making offerings to, honoring, and paying reverence to this scripture can bring prosperity to the household. Prosperity and flourishing will continue from generation to generation, accompanied by good causes and favorable affinities. Every kind of calamity will stay away, and the divine powers will guard the household gates.

The Inner Meaning says: “When one practices with earnest reverence, the household prospers outwardly and the mind and body grow peaceful inwardly. One’s De steadily increases, and one’s actions are often in accord with good fortune. Misfortune does not come to trouble one, and the divine powers stand guard.”

This scripture is exalted and mysterious, without equal in the Jade Capital (the celestial capital in Daoist belief). It delivers countless living beings and is the root of the myriad Dao. Its laws are lofty and vast, and its grace is beyond full description.

The Neiyi cites the Qiqian Scripture and Teaching Section: “‘Three Caverns’ refers to the subtle teachings contained in the Daoist scriptures of the Three Caverns. These teachings are the steps leading to Yujing, the celestial realm of the immortals in Daoist belief. They can deliver countless beings and are the source of the myriad Ways. Their precepts and teachings are vast and exalted, and the blessings of their De (Virtue/Power) are beyond description.

“The Neiyi also says: ‘The Three Caverns’ express the wondrous teaching of the One Vehicle—the fundamental Great Way that returns all things to unity—and the profound instructions of the Three Realms, the domains of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) in Daoist belief. Those who understand and master these teachings can ascend to the sacred realms; those who comprehend them can join the ranks of the perfected immortals. The dragon chapters and phoenix seals, sacred writings in Daoist scriptures, reveal the highest principles, while jade tablets and golden books show the essential means of returning to the source. This scripture is supremely honored and mysterious. Among the scriptures of Yujing, it holds a singularly distinguished place and stands at the head of the Three Caverns. From ancient times to the present, no perfected immortal or holy sage has failed to cultivate by its teachings and attain the fruits of the Dao. The records of this are countless. The myriad methods all flow from it. It is boundless, beyond complete explanation in words or thought.

“The scripture says: ‘When anyone recites this scripture ten times, all the heavens will descend together. Ancestors of every generation, along with spirits in the netherworld and the dead who suffer, will at once be delivered and rise to the Vermilion Palace, a celestial palace in Daoist belief.’

“The recitation described here is not limited by the practitioner’s rank. Whoever follows the prescribed method and recites the scripture with focused devotion ten times will bring the heavens together and summon the sages to their dwelling or temple. They will rescue the suffering spirits of the practitioner’s ancestors and kin, leading them from the Northern Office, the netherworld, to the Southern Palace, a celestial court.

“After spending nine years in the celestial rank appropriate to them, they will be transformed and reborn as honored beings. If they continue to study diligently and cultivate the Dao until their merit in reciting the scripture is complete and their De is perfected, they will all become immortals, ascend to the Golden Palace, the residence of the Celestial Emperor, and roam and feast among the halls of Yujing.”

The scripture’s phrase “each lasting nine years” refers to the period for delivering the dead and enabling them to be reborn. It follows the number of the “Three Fires”: three times three makes nine. The Vermilion Palace is where the southern fire deity resides. Because fire refines and transforms the body there, the process is called the “Three Fires.” After nine years of refinement, the deceased can be reborn into a noble family.

After being reborn, one should cultivate this scripture; what one learned in a former life remains. Once one has recited it ten thousand times and accumulated three thousand merits, one can transcend and ascend, becoming an immortal directly. One then ascends to the Golden Palace to attend the Sacred Lord and travels through the Jade Capital to pay homage to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

According to the Precepts and Admonitions of the Three Primordials, the period for delivering people at Vermilion Mound is divided into three grades: three years for those of great fortune, nine years for those of middling fortune, and twenty-four years for those of lesser fortune. The nine years mentioned here roughly correspond to the period for those of middling fortune.

The Meaning Within says that “the Ten Errors” describes the principles governing the moon’s course, while “all the heavens arriving together” refers to the gods gathering and blending back into the primordial unity.

“The myriad generations of ancestors” means the ancestors of every age, who originally came into being through the union of their parents’ Jing and Qi. “The tormented souls in the underworld” refers to spirits dwelling in the netherworld after death, and also includes the part formed from turbid Qi after a person’s birth. All of these can be delivered from suffering. “Ascending to the Vermilion Palace” means refining away the parts formed from illusory unions and turbid Qi, so that they rise beyond and reach a state of numinous clarity and radiance. After nine years, they can undergo transformation and be reborn.

“Becoming a noble person” means refining illusory unions and turbid Qi until they are transformed into the Yang spirit. From this, true Qi is born anew: the many spirits return to one spirit, the myriad forms of Qi return to one Qi, and the sacred embryo is nourished. When practitioners attain this state, their spirit is whole and their Qi abundant, enabling them to prolong life and increase their years. Yet they cannot be called true immortals.

Thus, those who love cultivation and study the scriptures may, through complete merit and accomplished practice, attain an immortal body. Still, they must continue to advance their inner cultivation and accumulate virtue if they hope to reach a higher state. Inner cultivation means mastering the firing times and undergoing the transformation in which the spiritual body leaves its former shell; the specific methods will be explained in detail later. Virtue consists chiefly in relieving the suffering of all beings and helping others. Examples include the Han Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, who distinguished humans from ghosts; Ge Xianweng Ge Xuan, who delivered tormented souls; and Xu Zhenjun Xu Xun, who slew flood dragons and serpents.

The scripture says that even those who cultivate the Dao and uphold the Great Way cannot attain the Dao if they fail to perform meritorious deeds. In the past, the Han Celestial Master refined an elixir but did not take it. He once said to Perfected Wang Chang, “The divine elixir is ready. Had I taken it, I could have soared to heaven and become an immortal. But I have not yet accumulated great virtue. I should first serve the state and its people, removing harm and bringing benefit; only afterward should I take the elixir and ascend. Then I could serve the Three Pure Ones without a troubled conscience.” Only by doing this can one ascend to the Golden Towers and roam through the Jade Capital.

Those of the highest order who recite and cultivate this scripture can all attain deliverance and ascend to the Southern Palace, the celestial palace in the south described in Daoism.

“Those who study the Dao at the highest level” are people who, after hearing of the Great Dao, cultivate it diligently; who study a teaching with care as soon as they encounter it; and who persevere without slackening through winter or summer. Such people are said already to have a celestial register in the Nine Palaces of Highest Clarity, the palaces of the Daoist immortal realm. After reciting and cultivating this scripture, they can attain the Dao, ascend to the immortal realm, and undergo refinement in the Office of Vermilion Mound in the Southern Palace, the celestial office responsible for refining and deliverance.

When souls ascend to immortality, they must pass through refinement by fire to burn away their ghostly substance. Those who attain the Dao while alive must also undergo refinement by fire to remove the impurities from their bodies. Thus they must all enter the Southern Palace before they can attain a true place among the immortals.

People in the world who recite and receive this scripture can prolong their lives and increase their years. In time, they may also attain the Dao of “corpse liberation,” the Daoist path of becoming immortal by departing from the physical body. At that time, their soul and spirit will temporarily vanish; without passing through hell, they will regain their form and roam through the vast heavens.

Ordinary people in the world are not outstanding figures who rise above the multitude. The blessings they accumulated in former lives are shallow, and their cultivation in this life is not profound. Thus, although they may live a long time, after death their bodily forms merely disperse for a while. They are neither governed by the Three Officials, the divine offices responsible for the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water, nor subjected to the severe trials of the Nine Courts of the underworld. When their appointed term comes, their spirit-consciousness returns and their bodies are restored. They then change their appearance in the lodgings of the Three Palaces and regain a child’s complexion in the chambers of the Nine Refinements. They do not enter the Southern Upper Palace, but continue onward through the realms of the Great Void.

There are four kinds of immortals who transcend the corpse. The first is liberation through weapons: one is freed from the body by a blade or execution. For example, Ji Kang entrusted himself to be killed at the execution ground, while Liu An, King of Huainan, entrusted himself to the prison. The second is liberation through a substitute: an object takes the place of the original body. For example, Ciqing used a shoe as his substitute, and Fei Changfang used a bamboo staff. The third is transformation of the body through the refining power of water or fire. Fengyi drowned in the great river, while Fengzi was burned upon a tree of fire. The fourth is refinement of the substance in Great Yin. A person appears to have died, yet the feet do not turn blue, the skin does not wrinkle, the eyes retain their brightness, and the body can still bend and straighten when moved by another. This, too, is a form of transcending the corpse. It is said that the corpse-transcender’s flesh remains undecayed for a hundred years, after which the person is born again in human form.

The Zhengao says that immortals who transcend the corpse cannot command the canopy chariot, ride flying dragons, ascend to Taiji, or roam the Nine Palaces; they can only escape death. The Neiyi says that although methods of cultivation and scripture recitation differ, their ultimate attainments are the same. The way of the Golden Elixir is difficult to encounter but easy to cultivate to completion. If the karmic affinities from former lives accord with the True Dao, then those who receive this method need only cultivate diligently to fulfill the meaning of the scriptures. There is no need to doubt this.

This scripture is subtle and wondrous, and can save beings without end throughout the world. All heavenly beings and humans benefit from it. Though the blessings received differ, their ultimate attainment is the same. The way of the Golden Elixir is difficult to encounter but easy to cultivate to completion. If the karmic affinities from former lives accord with the True Dao, those who receive this method and cultivate diligently will surely fulfill the meaning of the scriptures.

This scripture is subtle and wondrous, and can save beings without end throughout the world. All heavenly beings and humans can receive its blessings; immeasurable blessings bring benefit to both the living and the dead.

The Inner Meaning says: This scripture contains profound teachings and expresses the subtle, mysterious depths of the Great Dao. It can bring broad relief to sentient beings and save countless lives. Through the complete merit of reciting and upholding it, one may also succeed in cultivating the Elixir Way. Deceased family members thereby receive the grace of release, while one’s own body and mind are nourished and transformed.

This scripture is a treasured text held sacred in the heavens and must not be passed casually into the world. A person of true virtue must show sincerity through fasting and precious offerings, and may teach it only after swearing an oath to Heaven. Anyone who carelessly reveals it or treats the scripture with disrespect will bring calamity upon nine generations of ancestors and, after death, will be conscripted for a long time by officials of the spirit world.

“Conscripted for a long time by officials of the spirit world” means that the souls of the dead are demoted by the heavens and assigned to serve as officials who drive thunder and command lightning in the celestial realm, carry sand and stones in the earthly realm, or beat and draw water from the waves in the watery realm.

The Inner Meaning says: The Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), the three categories of Daoist scriptures, are listed in the heavens’ golden registers. They are treasured scriptures kept in Xuandu, the celestial palace of Daoist tradition, and are opened only once in countless kalpas. When the scriptures are transmitted, the oath and covenant must follow their teachings. In the past, during a time of hardship and a closed, troubled world, the Turtle Mother of the Western Terrace petitioned the Jade Capital, the immortal city in Heaven. The scriptures were then bestowed to bring relief to the people. The Dao Lord Yuchen transmitted them to the Perfected One Xuanyi; Xuanyi passed them to the Perfected One Xu of the Supreme Ultimate; Xu passed them to the Immortal Duke Ge; only later did they spread through the world.

This tradition has both inner and outer transmissions, and its related rites and practices have also been preserved. In cultivating the Elixir Way, prohibitions and precepts are especially important: one must swear a solemn oath and never disclose the teachings. The images and methods of inner cultivation are already revealed in the text, so one must first report to Heaven before putting them into practice, in order to save beings far and wide. Anyone who receives this scripture must never treat it lightly. Awe-inspiring spirits will protect the scripture, and numinous officials will keep watch. Breaking the oath will surely bring disaster upon the Nine Generations, and punishment in the underworld will be impossible to escape.

The Five Emperors who attend the scripture—the deities who protect it, as explained earlier—and twenty-four Jade Boys and twenty-four Jade Maidens will surround and guard the sacred text, while also protecting the body of the person who receives it.

Forty-eight young maidens ordinarily guard the sacred scripture and also protect those who recite it. They observe and report whether people are sincere, and whether they treat the scripture lightly or reveal it. Those who receive and recite it must therefore be careful. When traveling, it is best to carry the text with you, so that the maidens can bear it and protect you from calamity.

The Inner Meaning of the Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning’s Limitless Deliverance says that a scripture is the primordial Qi (vital energy) from which all things originate, the ancestral Qi of Primordial Beginning. The Five Emperors are sovereign powers formed through the wondrous transformations of the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The twenty-four Jade Youths and Maidens are true spirits and true Qi within the inner and outer visions. Practitioners should have them uphold the scripture, guard the body, and nurture the original spirit. They are therefore called the spirits who protect the sacred text, shielding those who receive it from calamity and allowing them to practice in peace.

The scripture says that by observing an extended fast and reciting it during the first lunar month, one can deliver the souls of the departed from earlier generations, freeing them from the suffering of being entangled in the service of ghosts and spirits and raising them to the Southern Palace, the abode of immortals.

The first lunar month is the month of the Upper Origin celebration. The blessings of practice can therefore reach departed ancestors and suffering souls in the unseen realm, freeing them from entanglement and forced service under ghosts and spirits, and granting them the good fortune of being guided and delivered by immortal officials. Here, an “extended fast” means keeping body and mind pure throughout the first month: avoiding disturbances from worldly affairs, not letting the mind wander outward, maintaining inner and outer stillness, and focusing on guarding the original spirit.

The Inner Meaning also interprets the first lunar month through Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. The month corresponds to the hour of Yin, while Yin and Shen are the two moments when practice rises and falls as one cultivates the Elixir and gathers the medicinal agent. At the hour of Yin, Yang Qi begins to stir. If one practices at the hour of Shen, one must begin guarding and maintaining the practice at Yin, then apply it at Shen. The extended fast purifies the mind, while reciting the scripture gathers and contains the breath of Qi; this is what is meant by “gathering the medicinal agent.”

The souls of the departed from earlier generations are interpreted as Yin Qi. Though Yang Qi begins to sprout at the hour of Zi, the single Yang is still pressed beneath the five Yin. At the hour of Yin, Yin and Yang still each occupy half the space, with Yin above and Yang below; Yang is obstructed, which is why this state is called “being conscripted.” At the hour of Shen, one refines the energies through practice as prescribed. Yang Qi then surges upward and enters the Palace of Li, the part of Neidan practice associated with Fire and Yang Qi. This is like freeing the souls of the departed from confinement in the underworld and raising them to the Southern Palace.

The scripture also says that by observing an extended fast and reciting it during the seventh lunar month, practitioners can attain immortality and have their names entered into the registers of immortals in the heavens. Their names are listed in the Yellow Registers and White Slips, Daoist rolls of perfected beings: they are removed from the register of the dead and entered into the register of the living.

July is the month of the Zhongyuan Festival, a major festival widely celebrated. Practitioners, too, can receive deliverance: the heavens write their names on white tablets, while Fengdu, the Daoist underworld, removes their names from the register of the dead. In this way, they may gain the title of immortal. Their names are recorded in the Yellow Register and on the White Tablets, enabling them to escape death and ascend to new life.

The phrase “Yellow Register and White Tablets” refers to books written in gold and tablets made of white jade. The method of Daoist cultivation lies in saving all beings in the Nine Depths, reaching across the divide to deliver both the living and the dead.

The Inner Meaning explains that the seventh month corresponds to the earthly branch Shen, a time when Yang Qi lies dormant. Anyone wishing to practice at the hour of Yin, between three and five in the morning, must first maintain their discipline at the hour of Shen, between three and five in the afternoon. At the hour of Yin, they set Mercury and Lead—symbolic terms in Neidan practice—in motion and place them in the crucible to refine a treasure. This is also called “gathering the elixir ingredients” or “casting the crucible.” Through this practice, Yang Qi gradually grows stronger as Yin Qi gradually recedes. This is the meaning of the saying, “Pure Yin is a ghost; pure Yang is an immortal.” Once Yang Qi is strong, the path to becoming an immortal opens. When one’s cultivation is complete and original Qi abundant, one can transform spiritually and live forever. Hence the phrase “the body attains immortality.”

All those who attain the Dao are removed from the registers of Fengdu and Dai, symbolic names for the underworld, and entered instead in the registers of the immortals. Only after receiving a heavenly mandate and talisman-register can they ascend. Thus the heavens write their names in the Yellow Register and on the White Tablets; removed from the register of the dead, they ascend to new life, undergo spiritual transformation, and live forever.

By observing an extended fast and reciting this scripture in the tenth month, one can pray for kings and emperors, and for rulers and ministers, fathers and sons. Such prayers bring peace to the state and ensure the enduring continuity of its fortunes through the generations. The ruler, too, may enjoy lasting peace and protect the realm, while the people praise the age as one of peace and order.

The earthly branch Yin in the first month corresponds to the realm of ghosts, so that month is used to deliver the departed. Shen in the seventh month corresponds to the human gate, so that month is used to seek deliverance for oneself. Hai in the tenth month corresponds to the heavenly gate, so that month is used to pray for emperors and rulers, bringing peace and lasting order to the state.

The Commentary on Inner Meaning says: The medicinal substances have now been fully sought out, and the elixir cauldron has been perfectly cast. One should enter a quiet chamber ten months in advance to cultivate body and mind. Beginning on the fifteenth day after the winter solstice, focus the mind on the spirit and Qi between the kidneys. This is called “fortifying the numinous root,” allowing the primordial Qi at the source and the original spirit and Qi to arise together. Here, “the kingdom” refers to the human body; Shen (spirit) governs the body, while Qi (vital energy) assists Shen. When Shen and Qi are abundant, every part of the body becomes harmonized and unobstructed. When Neidan (internal alchemy) is perfected, the physical substance undergoes transformation, making it possible to live long and extend one’s years. Flesh and bones ascend together, and body and spirit reach a wondrous state, just as the scripture says.

Reciting this scripture on the days of the Eight Nodes—Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice—makes one a Perfected One of the Nine Palaces.

On the days of the Eight Nodes, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning dispatches Celestial Worthies, Heavenly Lords, Heavenly Emperors, immortals, and troops to the human world to instruct and deliver living beings. The deities of the Northern Dipper, the Southern Dipper, the Four Offices, the Five Emperors, and others also descend to record people’s sins and blessings. Every living creature with breath undergoes change on these days. Whether birds and insects that fly, small creatures that crawl, or plants and trees and all other things, each responds according to its circumstances, leaving its former state and taking on a new one. What is slight may become grave, and what is grave may become slight; good and evil may turn into one another, as changes in fortune and circumstance arise naturally.

Those who have made progress in cultivating the Dao should, on these days, focus their minds, pray, and offer repentance and thanks, following the changes to teach and cultivate. They should draw near to what is auspicious and good and cast off what is baleful; increase good deeds and abandon evil ones; move toward brightness and leave darkness behind; return to the right path and stay clear of deviant ways; refine the false into the true; and urge themselves to become Perfected Ones, deliver living beings, and bring forth transformation in all things. The Eight Nodes correspond to the Eight Trigrams and the Nine Palaces. Therefore, reciting the scripture on the days of the Eight Nodes makes one a Perfected One of the Nine Palaces.

The Inner Meaning says: In cultivation, one should follow the eight seasonal nodes—the transitions between the four seasons—and the sequence of the Eight Trigrams, performing talismanic methods and advancing the stages of the firing process in a quiet chamber. Beginning at the Zi hour on the winter solstice, one activates the Fire Spirit and visualizes it within the kidneys. As the Yang Fire moves, the Fire Spirit advances along with it.

The kidneys are the root, and the Spirit Chamber—the place where the Elixir Embryo is nurtured in internal cultivation—is the stem. Root and stem are linked, and from this connection the Elixir Embryo condenses and gradually comes to maturity. One cycle is divided into three periods: from the Zi hour until the end of the Yin hour, Metal and Fire press against each other, driving Elixir Qi to the Spirit Chamber. The Elixir gradually condenses. This corresponds to the winter solstice and Beginning of Spring, and to the Kan and Gen trigrams.

At the Mao hour, one bathes—that is, briefly eases the firing process so the Elixir Qi can harmonize. Firing resumes at the Chen hour and stops at the end of the Si hour. Metal and Fire drive Elixir Qi to the Sea of Marrow, the deep brain in Daoist internal cultivation. This corresponds to the spring equinox and Beginning of Summer, and to the Zhen and Xun trigrams.

When the Yang Fire reaches its peak, one operates the talisman at the Wu hour and stops at the end of the Shen hour. Metal and Water propel Elixir Qi through the Two Passes, the two gateways in the body used in internal cultivation, and across the Magpie Bridge, the channel linking the flow of Qi above and below, into the Spirit Chamber. The Mysterious Pearl, a term for the Elixir as it condenses in internal cultivation, gradually appears. This stage corresponds to the summer solstice and Beginning of Autumn, and to the Li and Kun trigrams.

At the You hour, one bathes; at the Xu hour, one operates the talisman and stops at the end of the Hai hour. True Qi, the primordial Qi, returns to its source, and Yang Qi begins to arise anew. This corresponds to the autumn equinox and Beginning of Winter, and to the Dui and Qian trigrams.

This process repeats in an unbroken cycle. Its purpose is to condense a year’s cultivation into a single day, corresponding to the eight seasonal nodes and coordinating with the Eight Trigrams. The use of Yang Fire and Yin Talisman ultimately returns to the Central Palace, the inner cultivation center in the middle of the body, where they nourish the Sacred Embryo. After ten months, when the Qi processes are complete and the Treasure Cauldron—the inner function that cultivates and nourishes the Elixir Embryo—has fulfilled its work, one can emerge from the womb, undergo spiritual transformation, and become a perfected person. The Eight Trigrams are arranged around the circumference, solid on the outside and empty in the center. The Book of Changes says, “The Eight Trigrams are arranged in rows, and the patterns and principles of the myriad things are contained within them.” This is the origin of the name “Perfected Person of the Nine Palaces.”

On the day corresponding to a person’s birth destiny (their Birth Destiny Day), reciting this scripture can make the hun and shen clear and upright, preserve primordial Qi, free one from suffering, cause the body to radiate light, and bring the protection of the divine beings of the Three Realms. The Five Emperors will welcome the person, and the assembled gods will pay homage. Their name will be entered in the registers of the celestial realm; when their merit is complete, they may ascend to Shangqing, a higher celestial realm in Daoism.

A person’s hun has three parts: one resides with the astral official who records their birth destiny, one resides in the underworld, and one remains within the body. The seven po remain in the body and do not disperse. When the Birth Destiny Day arrives, the hun and shen descend into the body and unite with its form, returning in an endless cycle. As long as the hun and shen continue to return, a person’s life will remain stable and they will be less likely to suffer illness or disaster.

If, on the Birth Destiny Day, you purify body and mind, abstain from alcohol and sexual relations, put on new clothes, burn incense, and do good deeds, then sleep a little less that day, you will…