《元始无量度人上品妙经内义》Vol. 2

When the Hun and Po unite, Yin and Yang blend, and the Dao Qi (the vital energy of the Dao) flourishes within the body, the foundation of life becomes firm. If a person’s heart is not given over to wine and sensual pleasures, and on their natal day—the day corresponding to the time of their birth—they put on clean new clothes, burn incense, do good deeds, and sleep a little less, the Hun and Po can unite, Yin and Yang come into harmony, the Dao Qi flourishes, and the root of life grows firm.

If someone indulges in wine and sensual pleasures, leaving the mind dull and the body out of balance, then when the Hun returns to the body, it will remain three paces away, unable to unite with the Po. Impure forces assail it, and the Hun has no choice but to depart again. If, on three occasions, confusion prevents the Hun and Po from uniting, Yang Qi will weaken and Yin Qi grow strong. The numinous Po will then connect with Yin ghosts, causing the person to dream of many terrible things, sleep excessively, and become confused. Calamity and illness will strike together, and may ultimately lead to death.

If a person fasts and recites scriptures on their natal day, they will receive the responses described above. When their merit is complete, they can ascend to the heavens. Through cultivating and reciting scriptures on their natal day, they can preserve and nurture their own Shen and Qi. The sages established this rule for a reason. From this, the principles of cultivating the true Way become clear.

The Inner Meaning says: Once the stages of the refining and cultivation process are complete, one practices the Way of shedding the womb and transforming spiritually. The sacred embryo, formed through cultivation, remains within the Sea of Marrow. The cycle of the circumpolar stars completes one circuit every sixty days; one brings one’s own cycle into harmony with theirs. Suddenly, a sound like a thunderclap is heard, and the Gate of Heaven splits open. The sacred embryo emerges, the mortal body transforms into an immortal body, and from then on one lives forever, free from death. The Demon King recommends the adept, and the heavens come to welcome them. With merit and virtue brought to completion, ascending to become an immortal is within reach.

Li Changling says: “Merit” means good deeds practiced continuously each day; “virtue” means moral character steadily improved day by day. Be as eager as a farmer hoping for a good harvest, and as diligent as a merchant managing his goods: accumulate virtue today, and continue tomorrow; build up meritorious deeds today, and keep doing so tomorrow. The scripture says that becoming a Celestial Immortal requires accumulating 1,300 good deeds, which can be completed in four years if one persists. Becoming an Earth Immortal requires 300 good deeds, which can be completed in one year. Yet people often fail to persevere and give up halfway. Have you never heard the stories of drilling through stone and bowing to a tree?

The Primordial Lady of the Purple Void says: Long ago, there was a man named Master Fu who loved the Dao from childhood. He went to a stone chamber on Jiao Mountain to cultivate. After seven years, he suddenly encountered the Perfected of Taiji. The Perfected gave him a wooden drill and told him to bore through a stone chime, saying, “When you have drilled through the stone, I will come to guide you to salvation.” The stone was more than five feet thick. Master Fu drilled without ceasing for forty-seven years. At last, he bored through it, and the Perfected of Taiji indeed came to guide him to salvation.

The Lady of Mount Heng said further: Long ago, a person resolved to cultivate the Dao but did not know how to seek it. So morning and evening, every day, he bowed before a withered tree, praying for eternal life, and persisted without faltering. After twenty-eight years, the dead tree suddenly blossomed and flowed with a nectar-like juice. The person gathered the flowers and swallowed them together with the juice, eventually transcending the mortal world. Ah! If such persistence in drilling stone and bowing to a tree can bring salvation, how could reciting and upholding the scriptures and cultivating the wondrous Dao fail to do so?

On days when Daoist rituals are performed, first bathe with fragrant water. After fasting, enter a quiet chamber and face east. Click the upper and lower teeth together thirty-two times, sending the sound up to the Thirty-Two Heavens—the thirty-two celestial levels described in Daoism—and inwardly bow to the Thirty-Two Heavens thirty-two times.

Before reciting a scripture, dress properly, wash your hands, and rinse your mouth. Place the scripture on a table, then burn incense and bow. Kneel and state your intention to practice and recite. Next, sit upright facing east, burn incense, and read the scripture, keeping your attention on the text and reciting softly. If you make a mistake, return to the thirty characters before it and begin again from there. Do not rush through the text merely to increase the number of recitations; this will undermine the benefits of practice and may mislead others. As you recite, steady your voice so that your spirit and soul become calm and at ease, and keep the room continually fragrant with incense. When clicking your teeth, bring the middle upper and lower teeth together to make a sound. Inwardly, this gathers the spirit; outwardly, it symbolizes reaching Heaven. The Daoist classic Zhen’gao says, “Clicking the teeth can gather the spirit; swallowing saliva can harmonize the true Qi.”

Then inwardly visualize and bow to the Thirty-Two Heavens: as you call to mind each Heavenly Sovereign, imagine yourself bowing once to him. Begin in the northeast, move counterclockwise along the eastern direction, and finish in the northwest.

Close your eyes and quietly visualize yourself sitting upright amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white Qi. The mysterious Qi is blue, the primordial Qi is yellow, and the original Qi is white.

Next, visualize the clouds of Qi all around you, inside and out, as dense and deep. Azure Dragons, White Tigers, Vermilion Birds, and Black Tortoises—the guardian creatures of the four directions—stand in formation, along with lions and white cranes arranged on either side. The sun and moon shine, making the room bright and clear. A round image of light appears above your head, illuminating the ten directions. Visualize all these scenes distinctly.

The Azure Dragon is on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Black Tortoise behind. The lions stand in formations on both sides, in two rows of eight, facing one another; the white cranes are arranged in the same way. The sun is on the left side of your forehead, and the moon on the right. Visualize the entire room as bright and clear, with a round image of light appearing above your head. Nine colors interweave—blue, red, yellow, white, black, green, crimson, purple, and dark blue tinged with red—and the light shines in the ten directions. Make these scenes clear in your visualization, as though you were seeing them with your own eyes.

In a “secret incantation,” “secret” means that the mouth moves while reciting, but no sound is made. Visualize rays of blue, red, yellow, white, black, green, purple, and deep indigo light illuminating the ten directions, appearing clearly before your eyes as though you were seeing them in person.

Tanluo Yuluo, Fu Wusuotuo. The Great Impulse joins with the Supreme Ultimate, and Yin-Yang embraces and harmonizes. One can pass freely between being and nonbeing, and between life and death; even ghosts and spirits cannot discern one’s movements, and one’s transformations are unhindered. This is the primordial Qi of the Originator of the Beginning, profound and mysterious: above, it reaches the crown of Heaven; below, it penetrates the abyss. Reciting it once can cure a long-standing illness. Through cultivating and nourishing the hun and po souls, one can preserve pure Yang Qi. By observing purification and reciting the liturgy, then accumulating ten thousand acts of merit, one can ascend and become an immortal.

This is the supreme secret incantation; the gods continue without end. The incantation held in the heart should be proclaimed again and again. When Tanluo penetrates all things and becomes clear, one unites with the Great Dao. The highest realm of Jade Clarity is filled with abundant Brahma Qi, the sacred, pure vital energy. Disperse the numinous Qi and pour it into my body, so that both form and spirit reach a mysterious state and can transform and ascend. May all things be carried out in accordance with the ordinances, and all numinous beings brought under command. Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances. The Supreme Lords of the Three Heavens Above, who embody the Mysterious, Original, and Beginning Qi.

The Three Treasures Lords are born from the Mysterious, Original, and Beginning Qi, and each resides in one of the three tiers of Heaven. These three heavens are located at the hairline on a person’s forehead. In the center is Qingwei Heaven, ruled by the Lord of the Heavenly Treasure; on the left is Yuyu Heaven, ruled by the Lord of the Numinous Treasure; on the right is Taichi Heaven, ruled by the Lord of the Divine Treasure. When reciting the scripture, one should visualize these three sovereign lords.

Next, summon the Three-Five Merit Officers within oneself—the divine officials who convey documents—along with the messengers on the left and right, the attendant incense-bearing boys, the message-carrying jade maidens, the Five Emperors’ talisman officers, and the incense officials on duty for the day. Thirty-six of each kind should appear.

The upper, middle, and lower realms each have eight beings, making twenty-four in all. Add the three hun souls, seven po souls, and the two Yin-Yang lords, bringing the total to thirty-six.

“Presenting and reporting what is to be communicated” means making a formal report and stating the content to be conveyed.

Those who have received a Fulu (talismans and registers), the credentials granting Daoist status and ritual office, may state their rank directly. Those who have not received a Fulu should identify themselves as “disciples devoted to the Dao” and explain as clearly as possible what they wish to say. The statement should be concise and appropriate, and offered silently with complete sincerity.

“Today is auspicious; I observe the long fast” should be said only when it matches the actual circumstances: if you are observing a long fast that day—a stricter fast maintained for an extended period—say so; if not, there is no need to mention it.

“Purifying the hall and cultivating the practice of the Highest Scripture” should likewise be said only when it matches the actual circumstances. Say “cultivating the practice of the Highest Scripture” only if you truly understand the method of the Covenant of the Three Caverns, a system for transmitting Daoist scriptures and rites, and follow its associated rituals. Otherwise, say only “purifying the hall and reciting scripture.”

If you are reciting scripture for a particular matter, state that you are “reciting scripture for [that matter].” Say “delivering beings without measure” only when making a universal prayer for beings in the ten directions and working broadly to guide them toward liberation.

When reciting scripture for yourself in daily practice, you may say “I and my ancestors.” When reciting for someone else, say “I recite for [that person],” stating the matter according to your actual intention. “A and B” is a general reference to certain people; insert the names or identities of the relevant individuals. In the scripture, “turning the scripture to receive rebirth” means praying through scripture recitation so that those concerned receive the blessing of rebirth.

“May what I have presented ascend above and be conveyed directly before the supreme throne of the Primordial Emperor in the thirty-two highest heavens” means wishing that the petition reach its destination and be presented directly before the Primordial Emperor’s throne in the thirty-two highest heavens. One interpretation holds that the “Primordial Emperor” is an emperor of equal rank to the Primordial, not the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning. Another view identifies the Primordial Emperor with the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning.

After speaking, draw in Qi thirty-two times. “Drawing in Qi” means inhaling through the nose and then swallowing the breath. The thirty-two breaths correspond to the eight heavens in each of the four directions—east, south, west, and north—with one breath for each heaven. Take in the eastern azure Qi into the liver, the southern red Qi into the heart, the western white Qi into the lungs, and the northern dark Qi into the kidneys, allowing the breath to circulate through all five organs. Then begin reciting scripture.

Face east while reciting scripture.

The East symbolizes longevity and is the direction revered by the Celestial Worthies. The scripture is to be recited in a set order. On the first recitation, begin with the preface. After reciting to this point and completing visualization (concentrating the spirit and contemplating inwardly), continue with the rest of the scripture. On the second recitation, begin with the main text of the Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing (“Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning on Saving People Without Limit”). Ten recitations make one cycle. To avert calamities, relieve suffering, and deliver the departed, it is best to complete ten recitations, following the principle of “saving people through ten circuits.” If you must leave temporarily to attend to something, you may pause. If you are away for a long time, begin again in the order described above.

The Inner Meaning says: As described earlier, one performs the “opening of the incense burner” (a Daoist Zhaijiao rite in which incense is burned and the spirits are invoked), then silently recites the incantation, chants the scripture, and performs the ritual service. The ritual officials and generals are invoked to present the intention of the Zhaijiao rite, in the hope of receiving a response. As for the three Qi—the three kinds of primordial energy that constitute Heaven, Earth, and all things—pervading the deep and mysterious realms; the six spirits guarding and attending; the sun and moon shining brightly; and the celestial patterns complete and radiant, all these scenes are already present in inward visualization. Every method has both an inner and an outer aspect, and both should be attended to in practice. Inner cultivation without outward application does not accord with the Great Dao and belongs to a heterodox path. Inner cultivation should be carried out in secret, while outward ritual and application should be made manifest. Thus the Most High subtly points to inner cultivation while revealing outward application, leading practitioners along the current back to its source: from the branches they investigate the root, thereby coming to their own understanding and gaining their own realization. Through cultivating both inner and outer, they seek the Dao of the immortals.

End of The Inner Meaning of the Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning on Saving People Without Limit, fascicle two.

The Inner Meaning of the Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning on Saving People Without Limit, fascicle three.

Written by Xiao Yingsou, Master of Contemplating the Return.

The Supreme Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning on Saving People Without Limit

The Emperor says: This is the title set forth by the Dao Lord.

The Inner Meaning says that Daoist scriptures are kept in jade cases and divided into the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen). Taken together, all three belong to the “One Vehicle,” the unified fundamental teaching of the Dao. This scripture belongs to the Dongxuan division and is regarded as foremost among the scriptures. For this reason, the Supreme Lord of the Dao placed a preface before it and titled it Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao. The title Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing of the Primordial Beginning is given here to show that the scripture was spoken by the Celestial Worthy of the Void Emperor. As a scripture, it takes its name from this source; in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, it points to the “returning elixir of golden liquid,” a stage of cultivation in which Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are refined and condensed, returning to the root and restoring the original state.

“Primordial Beginning, Cavernous Mystery, the Original Chapter of Numinous Treasure” is the title of the inner text given by the Emperor of Humanity. “Primordial” means “prior,” referring to what existed before Heaven and Earth. “Beginning” means “to coalesce,” referring to the moment when original Qi, the source energy at the beginning of the cosmos, first began to condense. “Cavernous” means permeating; “mysterious” means deep, still, and empty. In other words, when original Qi first condensed, it formed jade characters. These characters dwell in deep stillness and emptiness, yet illuminate in every direction. The realm of empty mystery is called “numinous,” while the subtle principles contained within it are called “treasures.”

Another explanation says that all things arise from “the One,” and this One is Heaven. Heaven develops from beginning to primordial origin, so “beginning” also carries the meaning of “the primordial origin.” At the time of return to that origin, Heaven and Earth, spirits and ghosts had not yet appeared, and all things remained undifferentiated in chaos. The Qi of the Primordial Beginning condensed into jade characters. Jade is the essence of nature; when that essence shines forth, Heaven and Earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars come into being from it. Calling this source the “Deity of the Primordial Beginning” shows that it possesses numinous awareness. Saying that it generates Heaven and Earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars expresses its role in nurturing all things. The names of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things arise only after they have come into being, revealing the creative activity of the Primordial Beginning. Calling it “Primordial Beginning” helps people understand both the origin of all things and their final return.

The Inner Meaning says, “‘Primordial Beginning’ refers to empty, natural existence and the precelestial ancestral Qi (the original energy before Heaven and Earth were divided). It is profound and mysterious, pervades all things, and has limitless wondrous workings. ‘Numinous Treasure’ is another name for the Golden Elixir. ‘Root’ means foundation, and ‘chapter’ refers to written passages. The meaning here is that the precelestial ancestral Qi of empty, natural existence pervades all things and works in wondrous, limitless ways; it is the foundation for refining the liquid gold elixir. The scripture takes this as its guiding principle, develops it in chapters, and uses words to make its meaning clear.”

“Supreme in the highest rank, wondrous in its beginning; ten turns to deliver people” means that this scripture holds the highest rank among scriptures and stands at the beginning of the wondrous classics. “Ten turns to deliver people” also refers to ten months of cultivation, through which one transcends the earthly world and becomes an immortal.

According to legend, in the age of Longhan, a name for a primordial cosmic era, jade characters first appeared and the Sun and Moon began to shine; Heaven and Earth were divided as well. The sages each took their places. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning taught the method of delivering people, expounding the scripture ten times throughout the ten directions and saving countless beings. The Celestial Worthy then composed ten wondrous scriptures and wrote them in purple ink in the Forest of Empty Green, a legendary numinous realm. The sages revered these classics as the ancestors of all scriptures, which is why they are called “Supreme in the highest rank, wondrous in their beginning.”

These four phrases, “A hundred demons, hidden in the verse; separation and union follow nature,” summarize the scripture’s guiding principle, according to the Sovereign of Humanity, a legendary ancient immortal.

The Inner Meaning explains: “‘A hundred demons, hidden in the verse’ is like the many different names for the elixir. ‘Separation and union follow nature’ refers to the alchemical process: Metal and Wood are originally separate, yet can come together; Water and Fire originally overcome one another, yet can be harmonized to bring about a state of completion, in which Water and Fire are balanced. All of this comes about in accordance with the natural transformations of creation.”

“Primordial chaos, crimson script; the highest truth beyond all nonbeing” refers to the red talismanic script revealed when primordial chaos had not yet divided. It represents the true Dao, beyond all things and supreme above all.

“Hun” is a name for primordial chaos; “Dong” refers to Dongyang Qi, a primordial vital energy described in Daoism; and “red script” refers to the true writings of the red book. These existed alongside primordial chaos before Heaven and Earth came into being. They coalesced and transformed above the Empty Cavern, gathering within the Great Nonbeing.

The “nonbeing” of the Great Nonbeing means that even “nonbeing” itself does not exist. Since not even nonbeing exists, it is called “Nonbeing of Nonbeing.” Thus it is called the “Supreme True One of Nonbeing of Nonbeing,” meaning the highest true state beyond all concepts of being and nonbeing.

The Inner Meaning says, “‘The Vermilion Script of the Primordial Cavern’ is the source of the transformations of all things and the true nature inherent in all beings. At the level of the Dao, it is the original source of the One Qi, the fundamental primal energy that existed before the cosmos came into being; in the human body, it is the foundation that governs all the spirits. It precedes Heaven, Earth, and all things, yet no one knows where it began, so it is called ‘Primordial Origin.’ It generates Heaven, Earth, and all things, and its divine mystery cannot be fathomed, so it is called ‘Numinous Treasure.’ It governs Heaven, Earth, and all things, and is vast without limit, so it is called ‘Dao and De.’ It reveals to people how to reach the root and follow the Dao, so it is called the ‘Wondrous Scripture.’ It guides people to return to the root and cultivate accordingly, so this is called ‘Returning the Elixir’—the process in Neidan cultivation of returning to the origin and recovering one’s true nature. From this, the Three Vehicles, the Three Teachings, and countless methods of practice evolved.

The Hymn to the Primordial Chaos, written by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, says: “How vast is the Supreme Dao! It takes its source from spontaneity. It endures through the ends and beginnings of kalpas, and precedes Earth and Heaven. It holds light within itself, silent and still, and continues through endless ages. In the East it instructed Confucius; in the West it transformed the Golden Immortal—that is, the Buddha. Rulers of every age have taken it as their model, and many sages have transmitted it. It is the foundation of the vast teachings, profound and mysterious to the utmost.” The Daode Jing says: “There was something formed in primordial unity, existing before Heaven and Earth. I do not know its name, so I call it ‘Dao.’” The Scripture of Ascending to the West says: “Emptiness gives rise to spontaneity; spontaneity gives rise to the Dao.”

The Dao has neither form nor substance. The primordial One Qi spoken of here is the manifestation of the Dao. It transforms and generates all things, and is the foundation of Heaven and Earth’s creative process. Those who cultivate the Golden Elixir should take the workings of creation as their model, and make empty spontaneity and the pure, authentic, original One Qi their foundation. This Qi is called the “Golden Embryo of Empty Qi.” It can give birth to the “Golden Mother,” which serves as the basis for forming the Elixir. Before the union of father and mother, the pure, authentic, original One Qi is one with undifferentiated chaos. It is what the Daode Jing refers to as “the nameless, the beginning of Heaven and Earth”; the scripture calls it “the Primordial Cavern.”

At the first moment of the union of father and mother, this Qi suddenly responds and comes forth, attaching itself to life. It is provisionally called “spirit,” and is also known as “Yang Essence,” like silver ore. It is the original spirit, stored in the Kun Palace—that is, between the two kidneys. It is therefore called “nature,” the person’s original face. Before birth, it is called “Yin Metal”; after birth, it is called “Yang Lead,” the ancestral source of the Five Metals. Nothing in Heaven and Earth can exist apart from this Qi. This is what the Daode Jing means when it says, “The named is the mother of the myriad things.”

The Perfected One Peng, known as the True-One Master, wrote in his preface to the Cantong qi: “It points directly to the numinous root of Heaven and Earth, taking it as the source of the medicine; it clearly reveals the sacred mother of Yin and Yang, using it as the foundation for forming the Elixir.” This is what is meant. In the constant movements of everyday life, Qi continually circulates and returns to the Central Palace, where it becomes the Mother of the Elixir. Hence the saying, “The Dao gives birth to One”: this “One” symbolizes ancestral Qi, which, once condensed, becomes a jade character; in the scripture it is called the “Vermilion Script.”

The “Metal” spoken of here is the naturally occurring primordial Qi, the Golden Embryo; “Fire” is the Yang Qi produced by everyday activity. Metal and Fire share one source, appearing respectively as substance and function. This is the unsurpassed, supremely authentic and wondrous Dao, and so it is called the “Supreme True One Beyond Nonbeing.”

In the Primordial Origin Eon—the earliest age, when Heaven and Earth first came into being—the myriad heavens were brought forth.

“Origin” means beginning. At the start of the Primordial Origin Eon, the Mysterious Primordial Qi—the original vital energy of the universe—suddenly brought into being five hundred million heavens. A cycle in which Heaven and Earth first form and then perish is called an eon. The “Beginning Eon” here refers to the world just coming into existence, before it has undergone any cycles of formation and destruction.

The Inner Meaning says that, in the teachings on the Changes expounded by Zhou Lianxi and Confucian scholars of the Han dynasty, we read: “Great indeed is the Qian Origin! All things begin from it; it is the root of truthfulness. The Qian Dao moves and transforms, enabling each thing to establish its own nature and destiny; truthfulness is thereby established.” Thus, “Primordial Origin Eon” means that the great Qian Origin brings all things into being and is the root of truthfulness. “The myriad heavens were brought forth” means that the Qian Dao moves and transforms, allowing all things to receive their nature and life, and thereby establishing the principle of reality.

Tracing the source from which the myriad heavens were brought forth: from the One Qi, the Three Realms—the three levels of heaven in Daoist teaching—were established; from the Three Realms came the Nine Heavens. The Three Realms and Nine Heavens each then gave rise to three heavens below them, making thirty-six heavens in all. Below these came, in sequence, the four kinds of people’s heavens, the twenty-eight heavens of the Three Realms, and the eight Brahma Heavens, followed by the five hundred million heavens and the Eight Perfectly Round Worlds. The process by which a human being comes into being is similar.

A person’s inherent foundation is enveloped by the essence and blood of their parents, and from this nature and life take shape. When the embryo first forms in the mother’s womb, the essence and blood have not yet congealed; the form is still fluid and indistinct, like dew on a bead. Once they congeal, the body divides into parts such as the head and limbs. In a boy, the left kidney forms first, followed by the Gate of Destiny on the right; in a girl, the order is reversed. The person’s nature continues to emerge between the two kidneys. This place is called the Kun Palace, from which the wondrous Qi that sustains the body’s daily transformations arises. Next, the spirit-water of the eyes develops, and from this the five viscera and six bowels take shape. Nourished by the mother’s breathing, the Qi becomes sufficient, and the child is born.

Thus the Lord Lao said: “Heaven and Earth unite Yin and Yang, which spread and transform to bring forth the myriad things.” In the first month of pregnancy, the sac forms as essence and blood gather together. In the second month, the embryo forms and the body begins to take shape. In the third month, the Yang spirit transforms into the Three Hun souls, which begin to move. In the fourth month, the Yin spirits transform into the Seven Po souls, which settle the body. In the fifth month, the Five Phases divide into the five viscera to settle the spirit. In the sixth month, the six pitches correspond to the six bowels, nourishing the person’s spiritual nature. In the seventh month, the Seven Essences open the seven apertures, allowing light to pass through. In the eighth month, the spirits of the Eight Radiances are complete and the true spirit descends. In the ninth month, the inner palaces are all in place, allowing the essence and Qi to settle. In the tenth month, the Qi is sufficient, the body’s myriad forms are complete, and the spirit is settled.

Though human beings, like Heaven and Earth, are brought forth by the same creative process, they cannot endure as long as Heaven and Earth. Why? Because they cannot return to their own root. That root is the Ancestral Qi, rooted in the One Heart. By keeping to the One Qi, the body and mind become supple; by cultivating the One Heart, one can attain the Dao. If you can grasp and understand this principle, it is like building a cart at home: once you set out, it will naturally meet the road. Return to the root and restore your original source, and both body and spirit can attain a wondrous state.

Thus Fu Dashi praised Shakyamuni: “What was the purpose of six years of practice in the Snowy Mountains? Only to bring Qi and spirit into harmony. When a hundred moments join into a single breath, one realizes that the Great Dao runs through the whole body.” To grasp and understand this principle is precisely what the verse expresses. Therefore, the Daoist crown, the Confucian shoes, and the Buddhist kasaya robe are not mere outward appearances.

The opening luminosity of the Sun, Moon, and stars is called the “root of Heaven.” Heaven and Earth divide into the two modes of Yin and Yang, and the Sun, Moon, and stars reveal their radiance. They all receive the original primordial Qi—the source breath present at the beginning of cosmic generation—and so are called the root of Heaven.

The Inner Meaning explains: The scripture says, “The Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to the myriad things.” The Scripture on the Original Arising from Emptiness and Nature also says that the Dao is fulfilled only when it encompasses Three. Hence the saying, “Three unite and form De”; if the Dao does not reach Three, things cannot come to completion. The Appended Judgments says, “The Changes contain the Supreme Ultimate; this gives birth to the two modes.” From the One Qi, the clear and turbid emerge and then combine to form Three, thereby establishing the basis for the generation of the myriad things. The Scripture of the Nine Heavens on the Generation of Shen says that the Three Qi combine to give birth to the Nine Qi: the Three Qi are the ancestral source of Heaven and Earth, and the Nine Qi are the root of the myriad things. From Three comes Nine, and through this the myriad things are generated. This is what is meant by “Three gives birth to the myriad things.”

“Three unite and form De” refers to the Three Qi in relation to the Dao, the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—in relation to the myriad things, the Three Luminaries in relation to celestial phenomena, and the Three Primordial Energies that constitute the human body. All originate in the primordial ancestral Qi, the root of all things. Thus, bringing the Three Luminaries to light is called the root of Heaven.

From the perspective of Neidan cultivation, metaphorically, these may be called lead, mercury, and cinnabar. More directly, they refer to the innate nature possessed by everyone, and to the subtle workings of Yin and Yang Qi as they operate in daily life. Even if a person knows their innate nature, they may still decline and perish if they do not understand how Yin and Yang Qi work together. The Perfected Zhongli said, “When being and nonbeing join, this is called the root of the Elixir; when the hidden and the manifest respond to each other, this is water and metal.” He also cautioned against thinking that the body itself is the Dao. Cultivating only one thing in isolation is like solitary Yin: it cannot bring anything to completion.

Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things have a source before they have a root. A fruit’s seed, for example, is its source. Once planted in the soil, the Qi of Yin and Yang interact; the seed splits, sprouts, and sends out roots. It can then grow luxuriantly, flower, bear fruit, and continue generating life without end. Without roots, it is impossible to preserve the source for long. Thus, the Celestial Worthy first identifies the ancestral Qi as the source of the Dao, then explains that the Three Realms are the Dao’s root, from which the myriad things unfold. If a person can remain free of desire and observe what is subtle within, then turn inward and bring their inner reality into accord, they can encompass Heaven and Earth and realize the workings of transformation within themselves. The scripture says, “The cosmos lies in the hands; the myriad transformations arise from the body.” These are not careless or groundless words.

At the highest point there is no source above it; only the Dao takes itself as its root.

The Dao’s subtle principle comes naturally to fulfillment. It has no earlier ancestor, nor is there an “I” that exists independently of the Dao. A scripture says, “The universe seems held in the palm of one’s hand; its myriad transformations arise from within.” This is no casual exaggeration.

At the highest point there is no source above it; only the Dao takes itself as its root.

The Dao’s subtle principle comes to fulfillment of itself. It has no earlier ancestor; it encompasses all things and has no boundary beyond it. All things exist within the Dao’s manifestations. The Dao takes emptiness as its root and nature as its source; that is why it is said to take itself as its own body. Yet emptiness, nature, and the Dao have no form. If we investigate their principle, we find that their essence is true emptiness. Within this true emptiness, however, is a subtle vitality, which originally had no fixed name. The sages needed a foundation on which to establish a path of teaching, so they called emptiness the ancestor of the Dao. In truth, all three are one and the same real substance: formless, yet able to permeate the myriad mysteries.

The Inner Meaning says: “Although Heaven and Earth, people and things, and the various categories differ, their source is without distinction; all are brought forth through the transformation of the Dao.” Therefore, the Scripture of Laozi’s Western Ascension says: “The Dao is primordial Qi, the original energy from which all things begin. It is empty, formless, and naturally undivided, with neither inside nor outside, neither high nor low. Heaven and Earth are born from the Dao, and all things take shape through the Dao.” A scripture also says that everything with form is born from the Dao. The Scripture of Western Ascension further says that Heaven and Earth, humanity, and all things have the Dao as their common origin, and together emerge from the beginning of Great Simplicity’s emptiness, the primordial void before Heaven and Earth were divided. Thus, the Golden Liquid Reverted Elixir, a method of cultivation in Daoist Neidan named for the golden liquid and the reverted elixir, also takes this same Dao as its underlying substance.

When the Five True Writings, sacred scriptures in Daoism, unfold, they give rise to all things and establish the spirits throughout the cosmos. Without the True Writings, the sun and moon could not shine, the stars could not gleam, Heaven and Earth could not be established, the world could not be at peace, souls in the netherworld could not be delivered, and withered bones could not be brought back to life.

The Inner Meaning says: “The Five Patterns”—the five mysterious talismans that form all things between Heaven and Earth—are hidden within wondrous subtlety. Without the true talismans that open up Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon could not shine, the stars could not gleam, Heaven and Earth could not be established, the world could not be at peace, souls in the netherworld could not be delivered, and dry bones could not be brought back to life.

The Inner Meaning says: In the arts of the Elixir, the “Five Patterns” correspond to five substances, which transform from the primordial One Qi that existed before Heaven and Earth came into being. Following the sequence of time, they reside in the Elixir chamber and become lead and water. When their wondrous function stirs and Qi responds in resonance, they become cinnabar and wood. When Yang Qi reaches its height, it gives rise to Yin Qi, called mercury and fire. When Yin returns to the Yang chamber, it becomes silver and gold. What forms in the central palace—the Dantian at the center—is the Elixir and Earth. Distributed among the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—they transform and give birth to the myriad spirits. All are expressions of the wondrous workings of the One Qi and the foundation of the myriad Dao. Thus it is said that the Five Patterns open up Heaven and Earth and nurture spirits everywhere. Without them, the eyes could not see clearly, the heart could not become clear, the body could not be formed, the Elixir could not be refined, the living could not be delivered, and the dead could not be brought back to life.

This is the “Great Brahma”—the boundless realm of the Dao, Heaven within Heaven.

The Inner Meaning says: These two lines sum up what came before and point to the most profound mystery within the mystery of the Great Dao. From the perspective of Neidan cultivation, the Way of the Golden Elixir is scattered throughout the various scriptures: some take clarity and stillness as their guiding principle, some take emptiness and nothingness, some discuss Yin-Yang, some transformation and creation, some the Dragon and Tiger or lead and mercury, and some Shen and Qi or water and fire. This scripture gathers the essential teachings of the various methods of cultivation. Its contents are complete, and its analysis leaves out none of the profound principles; hence it is called “Great Brahma, Heaven within Heaven.” Those who cultivate this Way can investigate the root and seek the source, plumb the mysteries and understand transformation, rest serenely in the realm of the profound and empty, and wander freely in the realm of the numinous treasure. In all four postures—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—they are practicing the Dao.

Yuluo Xiaotai, the immortal realm spoken of in Daoism; Yushan Shangjing, the celestial realm atop Jade Mountain where the immortals dwell.

“Abundant and flourishing” conveys the meaning of yu; luo refers to Daluo. In the Daluo Heaven stands Jade Capital Mountain, crowned by a Seven-Treasure Mysterious Terrace and situated within the Seven-Treasure City. Inside the city is the Hall of Jade Clarity, where the High Jade Emperor governs the heavenly realms. Above Jade Clarity rise nine tiers of terraces, reaching to the utmost heights and joining the Great Void—the vast, still realm of emptiness. Thus, high above the Daluo Heaven, they shine with the serene, clear aspect of the nine-tiered terraces.

The “Great Void” spoken of here is Daluo itself. Since the mountain is made of jade, it is called Jade Mountain. Since a capital stands upon it, it is called the Upper Capital, also known as Jade Capital or Jade Clarity; all these names come from “jade.” Taken together, this realm is called the Mysterious Metropolis of Jade Capital.

Daluo Jade Clarity lies above the highest heights, with nothing beyond it. It encompasses all the heavens, and so is called “Daluo.” There is no dust or defilement there; it is spacious and clear, a sanctuary of Wuwei (non-action), a realm for cultivating the Dao.

“Vast and boundless, towering beyond kalpas” describes its immense height and distance. “Kalpa” is a term used to evoke an immeasurably long span of time. One parable tells of a great stone four hundred li across: a celestial being brushes it once every hundred years with a robe of fine silk, and only when the stone has worn away is one kalpa complete. Another says that a city four hundred li across is filled with mustard seeds, and a celestial being removes one seed every hundred years; the time it takes to remove them all is one kalpa. Thus the Scripture of Pacing the Void says, “Look up and behold the terrace towering beyond kalpas.” It refers to a terrace so high and distant that it transcends the measure of vast ages. The Seven-Treasure Terrace is beyond the sight of terrestrial immortals, let alone ordinary people. Those who see it say it exists; those who do not say it does not. Hence it is called “as if absent, as if present.” This does not mean that it has a fixed, unchanging form. Though it has an appearance, it has no graspable substance: it is a realm naturally formed from subtle Qi.

The Inner Meaning explains: “Yuluo Xiaotai” refers to the upper part of the brain; “Jade Mountain, the Upper Capital” refers to the Mudball Palace (the central point in the head described in Daoist inner cultivation); and “the highest beyond the highest, the Great Luo Jade Clarity” refers to the Great Mystery realm above the Mudball Palace. These expressions conceal a cultivation method called “the sun and moon racing upward,” which is key to the transformation of spirit and Qi and to shedding the mortal form and ascending. The Scripture of the Yellow Court says: “The sun and moon racing upward is the highest path of my cultivation; through it one may see the elder of Jade Clarity and Emptiness.”

“Vast beyond measure, as if absent yet as if present” describes human nature. It cannot be discerned through forms, numbers, directions, or colors, but neither is it obscure emptiness, devoid of everything. It is like the Great Void: elusive and profound, difficult to grasp. Thus it is called lofty and subtle, beyond investigation, and said to seem nonexistent while nevertheless truly existing, in a state that is elusive and profound.

The scripture says: “Look for it, and it cannot be seen; listen for it, and it cannot be heard; use it, and it is never exhausted.” Master Zhang says: “Its form cannot be seen, yet it responds when called. Do not think this sound is only an echo in a valley; if the valley were soundless to begin with, where would the echo come from?”

“Three blossoms separate and depart; the Great Being’s wondrous court” means that once the three blossoms have dispersed, one enters the wondrous, mysterious realm of the Great Being’s Court.

The “Three Radiant Palaces” refers to the three palaces of Golden Radiance, Jade Radiance, and Ninefold Radiance. “The side hall of Li” is a side hall of the Palace of Li in the Jade Clarity realm. “Great Abundance” refers to the High and Supreme Great Abundance. “Wondrous Court” is another name for the Jade Clarity Palace, since the Celestial Worthy resides there.

The Inner Meaning explains that the Muddy Pellet Palace, an important site for internal cultivation within the brain, is the Palace of Li. It is also called the Horse position or the Palace of Qian. “Three” corresponds to the number of the south. “Radiance” refers to the canopy, also called the rounded canopy, symbolizing the place where the channels converge and the myriad spirits assemble in audience: the Muddy Pellet in the region of the brain. The Palace of Li corresponds to the southern Horse position. “Side” carries the meaning of transformation: Yang Qi reaches its peak at the Snake position, then transforms and gives rise to Yin; Yin Qi begins at the Horse position. The Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger says: “The Yang line is exhausted at the Snake; pure Yin is born from Li at the Horse.”

“Great Abundance” comes from the Great Abundance hexagram in the Book of Changes: “Fire in heaven: Great Abundance.” Li at the Horse position belongs to Fire, while the Palace of Qian belongs to Heaven. “Wondrous” means mysterious; “court” means the center. Here, “mysterious” refers to the mysterious Qi, the primordial energy spoken of in Daoism, and “center” refers to the brain. In terms of internal cultivation in the human body, “center” may also refer to the brain, the heart, or the spleen. The mysterious Qi resides in the brain, symbolizing true Yin arising from Li at the Horse position. In terms of the hexagram lines, this means that the yielding Yin line occupies the honored position, with all the Yang lines responding to it. This symbolizes the Void Sovereign Celestial Worthy resting in stillness and composure above the Jade Clarity realm, while Heaven, Earth, and all things naturally come into being below.

The Golden Gate and Jade Chamber stand in lofty splendor, their ranks unfolding in pure, clear brilliance, luminous and profound.

The Taixuan Golden Flower Jade Maiden says: The essence of earth produces stone; the Yin essence within stone forms jade, and its Yang essence forms gold. Thus the Golden Scripture says that Yin and Yang emerge from a single stone, becoming gold and jade. When Yin and Yang complement one another, they are the Dao (the Way), appearing bright, lustrous, and pure.

Here, the “Golden Tower” symbolizes the sun, and the “Jade Chamber” symbolizes the moon. “Arrayed hosts” refers to the stars spread across the sky, while “clear and limpid” describes the sun, moon, and stars as pure and radiant. The sun and moon are condensations of Yin and Yang’s vital energies. They also take form as the Kan and Li trigrams, embodying the workings of Qian and Kun. The sun contains the symbol of a crow, and Li contains Yin; the moon contains the symbol of a rabbit, and Kan contains Yang. Without Yin, Yang cannot shine by itself; without Yang, Yin cannot grow bright and clear by itself.

The stars revolve around the celestial sphere like lines of longitude, while the paths of the sun, moon, and Five Planets are like lines of latitude. Their movements bring changes in cold and heat and give rise to the myriad things. In alchemical cultivation, these changes symbolize the processes by which the ingredients are generated, as well as the subtle workings of the talismanic fire—the principles governing the fire’s advance and retreat during alchemical refinement. For this reason, the Cantong qi quotes the Book of Changes: “Heaven and Earth establish their positions, and transformation proceeds within them.” Heaven and Earth refer to Qian and Kun. “Establish their positions” means that Yin and Yang each settle into their place and complement one another. “Change” refers to Kan and Li, the way Qian and Kun put their powers into effect. The workings of Kan and Li are not fixed in any single line position; they circulate through the six directions between Heaven and Earth, with no constant pattern to their comings and goings or their rising and descending.

The scripture also says: “Kan, Wu: the moon’s essence; Li, Ji: the sun’s light. Sun and moon are Change; firmness and yielding correspond.” The moon belongs to Yin, and Wu belongs to Yang, so “Kan, Wu: the moon’s essence” means that Yang is contained within Yin, symbolizing the metal tiger within water. The sun belongs to Yang, and Ji belongs to Yin, so “Li, Ji: the sun’s light” means that Yin is contained within Yang, symbolizing the mercury dragon within fire. “Change” here refers to symbolic imagery and also to the ingredients used in alchemical refinement. The union of sun and moon symbolizes the joining of Yin and Yang to form the elixir. The Golden Elixir of liquid gold, a Daoist Neidan term for the elixir brought to completion, is formed from the conjoined vital energies of the sun and moon, Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang’s energies enter and depart, gather and disperse, cycling through day and night in an unending round; the talismanic fire likewise advances and retreats with their waxing and waning.

“Chaos” refers to the spirit chamber, the space symbolizing the gestation of the elixir in Neidan cultivation. Yin and Yang, dragon and tiger, unite within the spirit chamber, receiving the Qi produced through their interaction. They establish a foundation and gradually nourish and develop a form until spirit gathers and takes shape, ultimately becoming something subtle and refined. Thus, within the cauldron chamber, another wondrous order of transformation and movement unfolds, like that of Heaven and Earth, the sun, and the moon.

“Vastly flows the Brahma Qi, circling through the Ten Directions” means that the Brahma Qi of the true Dao of Jade Purity—the primordial Qi spoken of in Daoism—circulates expansively throughout the worlds of the Ten Directions. According to the commentary, this primordial Qi moves through the practitioner’s body, nourishing its foundations and gradually gathering and refining the spirit until it takes form. In the Elixir Chamber, it also sets in motion a distinct and wondrous cycle of Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon.

In the worlds of the Ten Directions are deities who oversee the deliverance of people from life and death. This does not mean that the deities themselves are immune to death. Rather, they are responsible for helping people transcend and attain the Way of immortality.

Among them is the Great Lord of Long Life at the South Pole, who oversees the registers of life and death; the Marshal in Charge of Delivering the World and the Great Deity Who Delivers the World, who administer affairs within the palace and oversee the deliverance of people; and Lord Han You, the Benevolent Life-Giver, who dwells in the Upper Palace of Nanchang. Lord Han holds a noble rank and is called “Elder”; he is responsible for inspecting the registers of long life.

There are also the Director of Destinies of the Southern Upper Palace, the Director of Records, and the revered deities who extend life, increase one’s allotted years, and deliver people from calamity. “Southern Upper Palace” is another name for the Palace of Dongyang. Here, the revered deities are the True Lords of the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper, who oversee people’s destinies, allotted years of life, and calamities.

“Restoring the bones and reviving the dead, delivering people without measure” means that all the divine perfected beings and officials mentioned above can raise up dry bones and bring the dead back to life, delivering countless people across immeasurable kalpas and guiding them to realize the Dao.

The Inner Meaning explains that “Vastly flows the Brahma Qi” refers to the primordial, pure, essential Qi of the True One, hidden in the Kun Palace. Through wondrous transformation it comes forth and rises to the Qian Palace. When Yang Qi reaches its height, Yin Qi arises in turn and then descends, enabling the practitioner to attain the Dao.

The Inner Meaning states: “‘The vast movement of Brahma Qi’ refers to the primordial Qi, pure from before Heaven and the sole reality, hidden within the Kun Palace, an inner chamber symbolizing Yin and Earth. It undergoes a wondrous transformation, rising to the Qian Palace, the chamber symbolizing Yang and Heaven. When Yang Qi reaches its height, Yin Qi begins to arise; then the primordial Qi descends and returns to its source. This rising and falling, turning and circulating, never ceases, and so it is called ‘circling through the ten directions.’

“Master Zhang says this is like mercury, flowing continuously as one through the successive double-hours. Daoguang says the primordial Qi moves along the twelve directions with the speed of the ‘Barefoot Fierce General.’

“As a result, Yang Qi grows stronger day by day, nourishing the sacred embryo—the inner foundation of life formed through cultivation. In the end, one transcends the mundane world, lives forever without dying, sheds the mortal form, and undergoes spiritual transformation. Those who cultivate this method can achieve its results, which are without limit. Surely this includes the honored spirits who save people from death, the Lord of Long Life, the Great Spirit Who Saves the World, Lord Han Who Cherishes Life, the Lords of Destiny and the Registers, the Honored Spirits Who Extend Life, Increase One’s Allotted Years, and Avert Calamities, as well as all the honored spirits who restore bones to life, bring the dead back to life, and save people without measure?

“The Dark Master says: ‘The Metal Mother dwells on the Mountain of the Western Tortoise.’ This refers to the essence of Metal. It is also called ‘Dragon Mountain,’ referring to the way Wood moves. This is the fundamental pivot of primordial Qi and the place where True Earth, which symbolizes centering and harmonizing in internal alchemy, is deeply concealed. In the northwestern corner, between the Hai and Zi positions, dwells the ruler of Brahma Qi, the True Mother of the Feminine One, the source of Yin primordial Qi. The myriad forms of Qi pay homage here day and night. If even the slightest mundane thought arises in the mind, one loses the ‘vast movement,’ and Brahma Qi can no longer permeate the whole body. How could those who cultivate the Dao fail to be vigilant? The above is the text of the Orthodox Scripture, said to have been spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

“Today, as the registers are collated, the heavens gather before the hall.

“This takes place at the beginning of the Red Bright Kalpa, when the charts are opened and the registers collated in the Kingdom of Fuli. ‘Collating’ means comparing and weighing sins and blessings; ‘registering’ means recording merits and faults.

“The Inner Meaning states: ‘At this time, when the work is practiced, the myriad spirits gather in the chamber.’ This means that when the method is cultivated at this time, the myriad spirits gather within one’s body.

“The Great Sage of Long Life, the Flying Heavenly Spirit King of the Eastern Limitless Realm, saves people without measure.

“The heavens of the eight directions on Mount Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis each govern three thousand great thousand worlds. The heavens of the Eastern Limitless Realm are established in the Great Thousand World of Naxian, in Dazhang Township.

“The Great Sage of Long Life, the Flying Heavenly Spirit King of the Southern Limitless Realm, saves people without measure.”

In the great thousand world where Wanli City is located, among the heavens of the south, there is a realm called the World of Abandoning the Worthy.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the west—who ascends to the celestial realm and commands the divine host—together with the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Futang Continent among the western heavens. This realm is called the World of Universal Conduct.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the north, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Yudan Wilderness among the northern heavens. This realm is called the World of Purity.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the northeast, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Fuji Capital among the northeastern heavens. This realm is called the World of Lasting Peace.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the southeast, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Yuanfu Fields among the southeastern heavens. This realm is called the World of Worthy Use.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the southwest, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Fuji Capital among the northeastern heavens. This realm is called the World of Lasting Peace.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the southeast, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Yuanfu Fields among the southeastern heavens. This realm is called the World of Worthy Use.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the southwest, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Yanfu Township among the southwestern heavens. This realm is called the World of Benevolent Tranquility.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King of the northwest, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, governs the great thousand world of Fude Wilderness among the northwestern heavens. This realm is called the World of Extending Worthiness.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King above, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, commands the countless Flying Celestial God-Kings within the Limitless, Supreme, Mysterious Capital, Jade Capital, and Purple Tenuity.

The Limitless Flying Celestial God-King below, the Great Sage of Long Life, who saves beings without measure, commands the host of gods in the palaces and offices below, including the Five Sacred Peaks, the Five Emperors, Dongyin, Qingling, and the Northern Capital.

The Inner Meaning says: Viewed in terms of the body, from the Niwan at the crown of the head—the place where Daoism locates the upper Dantian—to Yongquan at the soles of the feet, the acupoint on the bottom of the foot, as well as the five viscera, the Three Dantian (upper, middle, and lower), and the joints throughout the body, all contain gods and Qi. The myriad gods gather into one god, and the myriad Qi blend into one Qi. Through this, one grasps and governs Heaven and Earth and understands the principles that guide the movement of Yin-Yang.

The supremely true and untainted Flying Celestial God-Kings of the Ten Directions—the above and below, the four cardinal directions, and the four intermediate directions—are all great gods who bring long life, deliver beings from the world, and possess immeasurable divine powers.

This passage summarizes what came before: the true sages of the ten directions jointly preside over and oversee all beings as they attain the Dao, become perfected, gain long life, and pass beyond the world. Thus they are called the “Great Sages, Measureless Deliverers of the Perfected, Flying Heavenly Divine Kings,” and also the “Great Sages, Measureless Deliverers of Humanity.”

They arrive riding clouds and travel in carriages the color of cinnabar clouds and jade-green clouds. The carriages bear feathered canopies and wheels adorned with fine jade, and are drawn at the front by vermilion phoenixes and five-colored dark dragons. Jade Maidens hold aloft nine-colored banners, while perfected beings carry ten kinds of numinous pennants. “Flying clouds” refers to the Three Plain Clouds. Vermilion birds and phoenixes serve as the carriage canopies, and the wheels are adorned with jade from the Seven Treasures.

At the head of the procession, nine phoenixes sing along with the whistling songs. Behind them, pipes are played, and the eight luan birds join in with their cries. Lions and white cranes sound out in long, melodious calls. These are all sounds of heavenly music, known as the “Music of the Equal Heaven.”

In the Left Palace of Heaven One are many kinds of musical instruments. On each day corresponding to one of the twelve Earthly Branches, Jade Maidens take charge of different kinds of music: on the zi day, they play the sheng and yu mouth organs; on the chou day, they whistle and sing; on the yin day, they play the se zither; on the mao day, they strike the zhu zither; on the chen day, they pluck the qin zither; on the si day, they strike bells and stone chimes; on the wu day, they play the xiao flute; on the wei day, they play the jia horn; on the shen day, they sing the Song of the Nine Tones; on the you day, they perform the Song of the Six Transformations and strike bells and chimes; on the xu day, they imitate the calls of a hundred beasts; and on the hai day, they perform new music from all under Heaven. Although these pieces have the same names as music in the human world, their melodies are different. Secular music is plaintive and sorrowful, easily disturbing the heart and shortening life; heavenly music is harmonious and soothing, and can prolong life.

The Five Elders of the Five Directions lead the way. A host of immortals supports the carriage shafts as the procession travels onward.

The great sages of the ten directions and the high-ranking celestial gods respond to the summons and arrive. The Five Emperors lead the way, while the assembled immortals follow in carriages as an escort.

“The Five Elders” refers to the natural spirits of the five directions. The Eastern Azure Spirit Primordial Elder, surnamed Guan, named Kai, and styled Lingweiyang, corresponds to the Qi of spring and makes all things grow. The Southern Vermilion Spirit True Elder, surnamed Dongfu, named Jiyan, and styled Chibiaonu, corresponds to the Qi of summer and makes all things flourish. The Central Origin Spirit Primordial Elder, surnamed Tongban, named Yuanshi, and styled Hanshuniu, corresponds to the Qi of Earth and supports the nine heavens. The Western Bright Spirit August Elder, surnamed Shangjin, named Changkai, and styled Yaopobao, corresponds to the Qi of autumn and brings all things to maturity. The Northern Fivefold Spirit Mysterious Elder, surnamed Heijie, named Linghui, and styled “Yinhouju” (the characters are damaged in the original), corresponds to the Qi of winter and makes all things withdraw into storage.

These five are all spirits born of Nature itself, which is why they are called the Primordial Five Elders. They are not immortals who attained their true status through cultivation in later ages; each received a heavenly mandate and governs one direction. Whenever a great cycle of calamity comes to an end, their divine offices are replaced.

Millions upon millions of chariots and riders surge through the air.

The Great Deities of the Ten Directions are powerful deities spread throughout the ten directions. They also symbolize the divine Qi (vital energy) inherent in the Dharma Body. Shen governs Qi; Yin and Yang mingle and transform, encompassing myriad forms of manifestation. Thus the scripture says that the deities all ride together in chariots like flying clouds: they sit in vermilion carriages and green palanquins, adorned with feathered canopies and jade wheels, drawn by vermilion phoenixes and five-colored dark dragons.

The nine-colored banner symbolizes Yang essence, while the ten-sectioned spirit standard symbolizes Yin splendor. The phoenixes at the front belong to Yang and lead the procession with their calls; the luan birds behind belong to Yin and follow in their wake. The lion, king of the beasts, symbolizes the heart; the crane, a numinous bird, symbolizes innate nature. The deities sing and cry out in harmony, their spirits joyful and at ease.

The Five Elders, revered deities symbolizing the Qi of the Five Phases, clear the way ahead. This represents ancestral Qi, the primordial vital energy, wondrously transforming into the Five Phases and rising upward in an expansive ascent. A host of immortals guards the chariot shafts, symbolizing the gathering of the myriad deities in the Primordial Palace. Countless chariots and mounted attendants come floating through the air. They represent the Yang souls and Yin spirits of the Three Departments and Eight Luminaries, the twelve hundred kinds of forms and shadows, and the twelve thousand rays of refined radiance. All merge and transform at once, returning to the Primordial Unity, the single source from which all things emerge.

“Radiant light pouring forth” means that flowing, subtle jade radiance reflects from one source to another. “The chariot circling back” means that the flying-cloud chariots revolve around the Dharma seat.

“Overseeing the perfected and delivering the living” means that the highest sages of the ten directions gather where the Celestial Emperor resides, supervise and command all the perfected beings, and deliver living beings from suffering.

“Turning the chariot back as light pours down” symbolizes Kan and Li achieving completion: Yin and Yang meet and harmonize. Yang Qi rises, and Yin Qi responds; the two converge in the cauldron chamber, the place symbolizing refinement and cultivation in internal practice. There they gather and concentrate the Qi of creation, blending the two Qi of Yin and Yang. This is what the earlier phrases “the spirit directs the Qi” and “Yin and Yang unite, and all the forms required for cultivation are in place” describe.

The “two Qi” here refer to Yin and Yang, symbolized by Kan and Li. The Yang line within Kan joins with the Yin line within Li below, like sunlight pouring downward; hence “light pours down.” Yin follows Yang as it rises, as a carriage carries its load. This also symbolizes inner Yin seeking outer Yang, and outer Yang being drawn to inner Yin: Yin and Yang respond to one another, hence “turning the chariot back.” In this way, Jing and Qi are stirred, Yang Qi flows freely, upright Qi nourishes and grows, and the True Spirit comes into being. Hence the phrase “overseeing the True and guiding the living.”

The ministers of the heavens, the High Palace of Nanchang:

The assisting Qi and ministering Qi bring creation to completion. The ministers are divine officials of the Great Luo Heaven. The High Palace of Nanchang is the Zhu Ling Palace, located in the Heaven of Red Brilliance and Yang Harmony.

Director Han of the Registers, the Great God Who Oversees the Living:

Director Han is the Director of Destiny, who keeps the register of those receiving refinement and deliverance. The Great God Who Oversees the Living is responsible for delivering the souls of the dead from the Nine Depths.

The Inner Meaning says: From the perspective of inner cultivation, this symbolizes the great heaven in which the Dharma Body resides.

Director Han of the Registers, the Great God Who Oversees the Living:

Director Han is the Director of Destiny, who keeps the register of those receiving refinement and deliverance. The Great God Who Oversees the Living is responsible for delivering the souls of the dead from the Nine Depths.

The Inner Meaning says: From the perspective of inner cultivation, this symbolizes the Qi of the great Brahma of the Dharma Body, from which wondrous transformation arises. Although the True Spirit dwells within the chamber, it cannot come into being without this Qi.

They hold authority over the registers and carry the written records, and together they come before the Celestial Emperor.

The Inner Meaning says: “Registers” are records of a person’s merits and offenses. The great gods who oversee their duties in the heavens, together with the deities who preside over purification rites and assemble before the Celestial Worthy of the Empty Emperor, examine merit and virtue and assess blessings, thereby saving beings throughout the human and heavenly realms.

This is like the subtle, transformative Qi—the generative energy described in Daoism—returning to the spirit chamber, the place where the original spirit is preserved and nurtured in internal alchemy. In this way, the principle by which life is conceived and brought forth is set in motion. Before the Great Void, the state of quiescent emptiness before things had differentiated, there was only stillness and nothingness. After the ancestral Qi, the primordial energy from which all things arise, divided, Yin and Yang came into being. At the beginning of chaos, all was dark and unfathomable, without any form or trace; once the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—were established, written records also came into existence.

When benevolence and virtue manifest, they become registers that record merits and offenses; when their workings remain hidden, they take the form of Yin and Yang. If neither the netherworld nor the human world had registers, what would record merits and offenses? If Heaven and Earth had no Yin and Yang, how could the generation and transformation of all things be completed?

Yin and Yang are the operating principle of the Elixir Way, or Daoist internal alchemy. They go by different names in different contexts, and no account could exhaustively list them all. Put simply, their alternating interaction is called the Dragon and Tiger; when compared to the ingredients of the elixir, they are called mercury and cinnabar; in terms of transformation and generation, they are called Kan and Li; and in terms of ascent, descent, and circulation, they are called Water and Fire. Though the various schools use many different names for Yin and Yang, each describes a different expression of the workings of creation and transformation.

In brief, different schools use different names to describe the same pattern of Yin-Yang change: the Dragon and Tiger represent the union of Yin and Yang; Mercury and Cinnabar are medicinal symbols in alchemical methods; Kan and Li are the two Yin-Yang trigrams; and Water and Fire refer to the rising and descending movement of Yin and Yang. The essential task is to discern the relationships these names describe.

The Central Palace and Spirit Chamber are the core of alchemical practice and the hub of the Golden Elixir’s workings. “Spirit Chamber” is a symbolic expression for internal cultivation: Shen resides within it, as a ruler dwells in a palace, while the myriad Qi—its many movements and currents—gather there like officials assembled at court. Shen is the master and Qi its attendant. When Shen rests securely within, the myriad Qi can gather and coalesce. This is like the scripture’s image of one who holds the registers and leads everyone together before the emperor.

Master Zhang says that those who practice alchemy must understand Yin-Yang and the workings of creation. Only then can they bring the two Qi of Yin and Yang together and gather the Three Natures—the elements that work in concert in alchemical practice—within the Primordial Palace, the center of internal cultivation. They must also bring the Five Phases together and harmonize the Four Images, so that Dragon and Tiger respond to one another and Yin and Yang unite. This is like simmering in a Jade Cauldron and firing in a Golden Furnace. In the end, the Mysterious Pearl, a symbol of Neidan, appears, and the Great One, the primordial Qi of the Dao, returns to its true state.

From this we can see that the key to the Returning Elixir lies in Yin-Yang, which itself originates in the Dao. The Dao gives birth to One, One to Two, Two to Three, and Three to the myriad things. The Wuzhen Pian likewise says that the Dao gives rise to a single Qi from nothingness; this Qi produces Yin and Yang, whose union gives birth to three forms, which in turn generate the myriad things. Alchemical practice follows the patterns of creation in Heaven and Earth. All the other names and arcane explanations arise from Yin-Yang change. However winding these changes may be, they never depart from this root. Without following the patterns of creation and Yin-Yang, even the most mysterious-sounding talk amounts only to a minor, heterodox method, and cannot be compared with the Dao of the Golden Elixir.

Those who cultivate the Elixir should first turn toward goodness, correct their faults, observe precepts, and guard against wrongdoing. More than anything, they must cast off deceit and cunning, quiet the mind, and lessen desire. If the mind is always scheming and deceptive, Shen becomes disturbed and Qi clouded. The body’s Qi cannot respond to Heaven and Earth, and there is then no way to gather the ingredients. If one is absorbed in sensual pleasures and desire, the spirit rushes outward; the creative workings within and without cannot meet, and the cauldron cannot be brought to completion. Those who aspire to cultivate the Dao but do not change these habits are like people walking backward while hoping to reach what lies ahead.

People often chase after the branches and forget the root, taking little care of their own nature and life. The talented are burdened by fame and career; the clever are tempted by wealth and prospects; those who live comfortably are caught up in business and calculation; and the poor are worn down by making a living. Even some who withdraw from the world and seek only ease and comfort mistake this for stillness and Wuwei (non-action). Zhang Pingshu once said that those who aspire to cultivate can practice the Dao even while living in the marketplace or serving at court. If a person makes cultivation their aim, sets aside a little time each day for steady practice, and does not give up halfway, they may attain something. In dealing with others and managing daily affairs, they should often gather their attention back and turn inward to examine themselves. Even if they have not yet reached a state of complete unity between body and mind, this path can bring steadiness, help preserve health and prolong life, and keep them from being turned about by karma. If their resolve is firm, the Dao will not fail those who cultivate it. Master Zhongli said that if Heaven were to fail people with a heart for the Dao, then let his three disciples die and fall among the lowly ghosts. Would a perfected master say such a thing to deceive people?

The scriptures also say that those who cultivate the Dao will accord with the Dao, those who cultivate De will accord with De, and those who turn away from Dao and De will likewise accord with their loss. The Dao welcomes those who accord with it; De welcomes those who accord with it; those who accord with the loss of the Dao will likewise receive its consequences. When faith is insufficient, naturally there will be those who do not believe.

The essential workings of alchemy must not be disclosed carelessly, so here I offer only a brief indication to prompt later generations of cultivators. A song by Immortal Ge says: People have run themselves ragged in pursuit of the so-called Flowing Pearl, visiting every corner of the world and reading every text. They have even exhausted gold, stone, and mercury pearls, yet still failed to find it. Only when a master passed it on did they learn that its root lies in primordial Qi and nothingness: it sprouts from a place deep and unfathomable, and exists amid the indistinct and elusive. Cultivation requires true Yin and true Yang to respond to one another, like inhalation and exhalation. First settle the Golden Cauldron, then set up the Jade Furnace; kindle it with Li Fire, a symbol of Yang, and take Kan Water, a symbol of Yin, as the method. Then nourish it with Jade Fluid until the inner palace is filled with sustenance. For a perfected master to guide people, they must encounter someone willing to take responsibility. Cultivators should keep this constantly in mind and remember the transmission from their teacher.

Immortal Peng says that the utmost Dao is subtle and profound, and that alchemy begins with recognizing the root of the Great Returning. The Yin line of the day trigram and the even number produce true Mercury; the Yang line of the moon trigram and the odd number produce true Gold. Names such as Cinnabar and Snow also symbolize the union and generation of Yin and Yang. Gui, Yingcha, Ren, and other terms are coded language in alchemical practice, pointing to the fundamental ingredients, such as Lead and Gold. Recognize these sources and do not go looking for them indiscriminately among all kinds of explanations.

The Celestial Master, Master Xujing, says that when Shen strays outward, it must be gathered back in. Once Shen returns to the body, Qi will naturally gather as well. If one practices this every day, steadily from morning until night, the True Embryo—the symbol of the Elixir’s formation—will gradually take shape.

Fuqiu Bo’s “Song on the Source of the Dao” says: “The tiger must lie in wait, and the dragon must hide. Once the dragon is hidden, the tiger must first be subdued. When the River Cart is set in motion—the method by which essence and Qi circulate in internal alchemy—there is no need to deliberately build dikes for protection or forcibly hold anything back. Those who seek immortality and hurry toward success will become confused and unable to settle. Yin and Yang on the left and right must be brought into harmony, like ruler and minister each keeping to their place; the four elements must care for and sustain one another. When the forms of Heaven and Earth take shape, a perfected person who has attained the Dao will naturally come to assist. Though the crucial points of cultivation have not been disclosed, the essentials are already contained in this verse. Those who are resolved to cultivate and study it deeply will surely understand. This is a teaching bestowed by Heaven.”

According to what each is meant to receive, grant deliverance, and carefully examine the heavens.

Grant deliverance in accordance with the weight of each person’s cultivation and merit, and carefully examine the heavens so that nothing is overlooked. The “Inner Meaning” says: “The way of the Golden Elixir differs from other methods of cultivation. Once attained, it can be kept for a long time.”

According to what each is meant to receive, grant deliverance, and carefully examine the heavens.

Grant deliverance in accordance with the weight of each person’s cultivation and merit, and carefully examine the heavens so that nothing is overlooked. The “Inner Meaning” says: “The way of the Golden Elixir differs from other methods of cultivation. Once attained, it can be kept for a long time. The reward received corresponds to the merit earned through cultivation. Apply the full measure of effort, and you will gain the full measure of results. If cultivation is careless and cut short, what is gained will also be incomplete. Yet the process of cultivation is exceedingly subtle and hidden, without sound or form. Even throughout the distant, still realm of the Great Luo Heaven, and in the vast expanse without bounds, it is connected everywhere and can reach everywhere. Therefore, it must be examined and recorded with the utmost care, leaving nothing out. Whoever works diligently and sincerely, and perseveres without faltering, will surely reach the realm beyond the ordinary world.” The foregoing is Lord Yuchen’s preface to the main text.

Proclaim this universally to the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—and to the divine lands without limit.

The Three Realms are the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm. “Without limit” refers to worlds extending boundlessly in the ten directions.

The Office of Springs and Bends, the Northern Capital of Luofeng, where the underworld is located.

In the north lies a vast sea, foul, fishy-smelling, and dim, with no visible boundary. In the sea stands a mountain, 106,000 li high, rising close to the blue sky and plunging deep into the Wind Springs. It is called Mount Luofeng of the Northern Capital. Near the water’s surface is a great cavern called the Palace of Yin Radiance Heaven, extending 36,000 li around and containing thirty-seven hells. The Lord of Great Yin Heaven governs this cavern.

On the mountain are six other grotto-heavens, each governed by one of six great demons. Together they are called the Six Offices under the Lord of Great Yin Heaven. Their officials number 360,000, and each office has its own heavenly palace and hells. The first grotto is the Palace of Utter Yin of Zhou; the second, the Palace of Taisha Liangshi Zong Heaven; the third, the Palace of Mingchen Naifan Wucheng Heaven; the fourth, the Palace of Tranquil Illumination of Sin-Breath Heaven; the fifth, the Palace of Zongling Qifei Heaven; and the sixth, the Palace of Gansi Lianwan Heaven.

Those who recite the names of these six palaces and remain reverent and mindful may be recommended by the demon kings. Their recorded offenses can be erased, they can receive protection in life and death, and their blessings will be inexhaustible. Mount Luofeng lies beyond the northern edge of Heaven and Earth, in the Gui position, the direction of the north.

The Three Offices and Nine Bureaus,

The Three Officials are the Celestial Official, the Earth Official, and the Water Official. Each is further divided into three palaces and nine bureaus. Together, these are called the “Nine Offices,” the administrative system governed by the Three Officials.

The Celestial Official of the Upper Origin belongs to the Jade Clarity realm. Its administration comprises three palaces, nine bureaus, and thirty-six departments. Officials at every level are formed through the congealing of natural Qi and oversee their assigned affairs. The Celestial Official governs the High Emperor, the Supreme Lord of the Jade Void, who is naturally present in the highest truth; the emperors and lords of the various heavens; the great gods and sages above; and the thousand perfected beings who have attained the Dao. It also manages the registers of men’s and women’s lives, along with the immortal registers and records of offenses and blessings for all people, whether or not they have attained the Dao.

The Earth Official of the Middle Origin belongs to the High Clarity realm. Its administration comprises three palaces, nine bureaus, and forty-two departments, responsible for managing registers of names and records of offenses and blessings. Officials under the Earth Official are appointed from among the deceased who have accumulated merit: after being delivered from suffering, they may take office for a set term. When their merit is complete, they are promoted to become immortal officials in the Celestial Court; if their merit remains incomplete, they are reborn as human beings. The central palace oversees the Five Emperors, the Five Sacred Peaks, the perfected beings, local spirits, and immortals who have attained the Dao. The left palace governs the nine lands of the earth, the spirit officials of the Eight Directions under the Earth Emperors, and the registers of lives. The right palace governs the spirit officials throughout the earth.

The Water Official of the Lower Origin belongs to the Great Clarity realm. Its administration comprises three palaces, nine bureaus, and forty-two departments, with the same staffing structure as the Earth Official’s. Deceased souls who have accumulated merit may be appointed to positions in the central palace. The Water Official oversees the Water Emperor, the Divine King of Yanggu, the water courts of the Nine Rivers, the river gods and immortals, the great deities of the waters, and the related registers of immortals. The left palace governs the myriad kinds of spirits and strange beings in the water, including dragons and whales; it also oversees the Mother of Waters, the measures and time limits of the Dragon Gate, and people’s registers of life, death, merit, and faults. The right palace governs the spirits and souls of the waters, the myriad ghosts, and the myriad numinous beings.

A detailed account of these matters appears in the Jing of the Three Origins’ Grades and Precepts.

The twelve river sources.

“The Twelve River Sources” refers to the twelve meridians. The moon is formed from the gathered essence and Qi of Great Yin and is regarded as the mother of all waters. The Well Lodge, a celestial constellation, is the source of the River of Heaven and the spring from which all waters flow. Each month the moon completes one circuit of the heavens, passing through the Well Lodge in all twelve months of the year. It is as though it nourishes the Yellow Florescence with sweet dew and washes clean the countenances of heavenly beings.

The scripture says that the merit gained through cultivation can deliver one’s ancestors, along with relatives bound by kinship through countless ages. Whenever the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, assess merit and fault and enter names into their registers, if a descendant has accomplished great merit, the Jade Emperor will enable that person’s distant ancestors to be delivered.

The offenses recorded in the register of sins are quickly erased, and the roots of wrongdoing are eliminated as well. “Evil roots” here refers to harmful thoughts and bad habits. They may persist even after death, and so must be cleansed through Refinement and Deliverance, a Daoist rite for purifying and delivering the souls of the dead.

The scripture also says that the souls of the dead should not be detained in the underworld and forced to join the ranks of ghosts. The Inner Meaning extends these ideas to the human body: the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian—correspond to the Three Realms. From the Niwan Palace at the crown of the head to the Yongquan point on the soles of the feet, the whole body belongs to the divine realm of Wuji. The large and small intestines are called the Offices of Springs and Bends, while the area below the kidneys corresponds to Luofeng, the Northern Capital of the underworld. The Three Corpse Spirits and Nine Worms correspond to the Three Officials and Nine Offices, and the twelve meridians correspond to the Twelve River Sources. Each of these bodily regions is believed to have its own deity, as described in detail in the Scripture of the Yellow Court and the Great Cavern Scripture.

Yet all these deities belong to the formed, postnatal realm. They are easily disturbed by worldly vanity, conflict, and desire, and so grow clouded and turbid, losing their clarity. This is like the ancestors of the dead being bound in a dark place, unable to be delivered. If practitioners can bring the myriad Qi back to the Gate of Life and have the hundred spirits guard the Gate of Death, they can transcend the world of dust and understand Wuwei (non-action), no longer becoming deluded and falling into suffering.

The talismanic command of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning enables the souls of the dead to ascend at the appointed time. The deities of the Cold Pool in the Northern Capital protect their bodies and souls, subdue demonic obstacles, and vouch for them so they may cross over to the Southern Palace. Through Refinement and Deliverance, the souls of the dead can transform into human immortals. Those who are delivered while alive endure through generation after generation, turn with the cycles of the eons, and share the longevity of Heaven. They escape forever the Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Difficulties, transcend the Three Realms, and roam freely in the immortal realm of Highest Clarity.

This means that the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sent down the scriptures and teachings, escorted by the Northern Emperor, to inform the souls of the dead in the underworld. The Demon Kings protected and delivered them; then the Southern Palace, the celestial bureau responsible for refining and delivering souls, transformed them and recorded their next lives.

If the dead had accumulated merit during their lives, then even if their body and spirit had temporarily vanished, their ghostly substance could be refined into an immortal. Those who had accumulated no merit could still be reborn among humankind if they encountered an assembly for refining and deliverance. By cultivating while alive and upholding this scripture, one can attain deliverance for oneself and endure through life after life. Even if the root of birth and death has not yet been severed, as long as one retains human form from life to life, understands the causes and conditions involved, and allows one’s roots of goodness to mature, one can ultimately escape forever from the Three Paths, the Five Sufferings, and the Eight Difficulties, transcend the Three Realms, and roam freely in the realm of Highest Clarity.

The “Three Paths” refer to three kinds of desire and states of existence that obstruct the quest to become an immortal. First, sexual desire draws one into the celestial path of the upper corpse. Second, attachment and desire draw one into the human path of the middle corpse. Third, greed draws one into the earthly path of the lower corpse. These three are called the “Three Evils” and hinder people from cultivating the Dao and becoming immortals.

The “Five Sufferings” are five forms of suffering caused by entanglement. First, sexual desire entangles the mind and spirit, creating the path of suffering in Mount Tai’s hell. Second, attachment and desire entangle the spirit, creating the path of suffering by windblades. Third, greed entangles the body, creating the path of suffering in which one carries stones and bears mountains. Fourth, striving after worldly glamour entangles Jing and Qi, creating the path of suffering in which one fills the sea and makes rivers. Fifth, entanglement with the body binds the hun-soul and po-soul, bringing the sufferings of swallowing fire, eating charcoal, and enduring boiling cauldrons. Together, the Three Paths and the Five Sufferings are called the “Eight Difficulties,” meaning eight obstacles to cultivation.

The Inner Meaning says: “The primordial talismanic mandate” refers to the primordial ancestral Qi, the source energy from which all things arise. This Qi shifts from Yin to Yang, rising and transforming as time changes. At the hour of the Rat, a Yang breath begins to emerge in the Kun Palace, a direction symbolizing Yin softness, forming the Return hexagram of the Zhouyi. This is the single Yang born through the transformation of the primordial ancestral Qi. The beginning of the Qian hexagram occurs when a single Yang line appears beneath the six Yin lines of the Kun hexagram. As Yang Qi begins to move and gradually rise, it is called “the primordial talismanic mandate,” rising in accordance with the hours.

The Northern Capital’s Cold Pool symbolizes a place deeply covered by the Five Yin. The primordial ancestral Qi protects a person’s body and soul, just as the single Yang breath gradually rises. When Yang Qi ascends to the hour of the Snake and reaches the Li Palace, the direction symbolizing Fire and Yang, the six Yin lines transform into the wholly Yang Qian hexagram. Hence the phrase, “Subdue demons, protect and raise them, and ferry them to the Southern Palace.” The souls of the dead are refined: pure Yin is transformed into pure Yang, allowing them to become immortals.

“Receiving deliverance in the formation of the body” means that when a person’s parents first unite and their Jing and Qi combine, the innate One Qi responds and gathers to form the body. This is why it is called “the formation of the body.” Once awareness develops, desires arise, and the innate primordial Qi is gradually depleted, ultimately leading to old age and death. Those who truly understand the Dao and are intent on cultivation follow a different course: they return to their original nature and source, grasp the subtle principles of creation and transformation, and employ the wondrous workings of Yin and Yang.

This is like Yang Qi reaching its height at the hour of the Snake, then beginning to give rise to Yin Qi at the hour of the Horse: a single Yin line appears beneath the six Yang lines, and Yin Qi begins to move and gradually descend. The cultivator gathers it in the central palace, the body’s center for refining and nourishing Jing and Qi, where the inner Yin and Yang energies called the “Holy Maiden” and the “Numinous Male” unite and circulate in the spirit chamber, the inner place where Shen is preserved and Qi refined. “Flying Dragon and Crouching Tiger” is another image for the union of Yin and Yang, through which the soul and spirit congeal and come to life within the mother’s womb. This is why the process is called “receiving deliverance.”

“Eon after eon” means day after day. Yang Qi rises and Yin Qi descends, returning to one’s original allotment and source in endless, cyclical transformation. Hence the phrase “enduring forever, eon after eon.” Yang Qi wanes above and is reborn below, circulating without end and accompanying human life throughout. Hence the phrase “turning through the eons, sharing the years of Heaven.” As long as cultivation continues without interruption and the firing times—the timing and measure of refinement—are properly observed, body and spirit can become wondrous, unite with the Dao, and attain its truth. One can then forever transcend the Three Paths, Five Sufferings, and Eight Difficulties, pass beyond the Three Realms, and roam freely in the Highest Clarity, the Daoist realm of pure emptiness.

In the Upper Clarity Heaven is the Heavenly Emperor Jade Zhen. His radiance has no fixed form or color; this is called the Brahma Path.

The Inner Meaning, quoting Xue Youqi, says: “‘The Heavenly Emperor of the Upper Clarity Heaven’ refers to the emperors of the thirty-six heavens. The most exalted among them is equal to the Dao and the Primordial Beginning, and holds a place in Jade Clarity; hence the name ‘Jade Zhen.’ This passage speaks of the thirty-six heavens below Upper Clarity, which differ from the thirty-two heavens. Their radiance can be seen, yet has no fixed form or color, and so is called the ‘Brahma Path.’ The Brahma Path is the Dao within the Dao, the Heaven within Heaven. There is no barrier to entering or leaving; it is a realm of true emptiness without obstruction.”

In terms of inner cultivation, this is a metaphor for the pure-Yang state attained when alchemical practice is complete. Qian symbolizes pure Yang. “Qian’s function is the nine in metal”: multiplying by nine gives thirty-six, since four times nine is thirty-six. That the Dao is equal to the Primordial Beginning means that all things return to a single Qi. Its place in Jade Clarity means that its wondrous principle runs through all things. Metal returns to its original nature, and so there is radiance without form or color. At this stage of Neidan cultivation, Yin Qi has been entirely dispelled, the Yang body is wholly complete, and consciousness is clear. One ascends into a profound and wondrous realm, like the clear blue sky on an autumn day or a cold pool, still and deep. The slightest deviation in thought is like a speck of dust clouding the eye. How, then, could one reach this formless, colorless realm of the Brahma Path?

The Heavenly Emperor of the Great Yellow Huangzeng Heaven is named Yulan Yuming. According to the explanation based on correct pronunciation, the Heaven’s Qi is yellow; it is called the “Heaven of Opening the Mystery and Gathering Radiance” and belongs to Brahma Qi.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Great Bright Yuwan Heaven is named Xu’an Natian. According to the explanation based on correct pronunciation, the Heaven’s Qi is green; it is called the “Heaven of Preserving the Mystery and the Dao’s Numinous Power” and corresponds to the Bi lunar mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Clear and Bright Hetong Heaven is named Yuanyu Qijing. According to the explanation based on correct pronunciation, the Heaven’s Qi is blue; it is called the “Heaven of Brightening Life and the Nine Zhen” and corresponds to the Shi lunar mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Mysterious Womb Pingyu Heaven is named Liu Du Neixian. According to the explanation based on correct pronunciation, the Heaven’s Qi is red; it is called the “Heaven of Fluttering Feathers and Silent Stillness” and corresponds to the Wei lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Yuanming Wenju Heaven is named Chou Falun. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Opening Life, Unfolding Heaven.” The Qi it governs is azure, and it corresponds to the Xu lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Shangming Qiyao Moyitian is named Tian Huaiyan. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Extending Emptiness, Illuminating Heaven.” The Qi it governs is black, and it corresponds to the Nü lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Wuxu Yueheng Heaven is named Zheng Dingguang. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Mirroring Nothingness, Raising Heaven.” The Qi it governs is blue-green, and it corresponds to the Niu lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Taiji Mengyi Heaven is named Qu Yu Jiuchang. Its corresponding sacred sound is “A’nan Yangming Heaven.” The Qi it governs is purple, and it corresponds to the Dou lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Chiming Heyang Heaven is named Li Jin Shangzhen. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Pacifying and Protecting the Immortal Heaven.” The Qi it governs is white, and it corresponds to Brahma Qi (the Qi of the Brahma Heaven).

The Celestial Emperor of Xuanming Gonghua Heaven is named Kongyao Chouyin. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Flying Sound, Grotto Spirit Heaven.” The Qi it governs is yellow, and it corresponds to the Ji lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Yaoming Zongpiao Heaven is named Chongguang Ming. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Raising the Pure, Heroic Heaven.” The Qi it governs is green, and it corresponds to the Wei lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Zhuluo Huangjia Heaven is named Moyi Miaobian. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Flying Sound, Grotto Spirit Heaven.” The Qi it governs is yellow, and it corresponds to the Ji lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Yaoming Zongpiao Heaven is named Chongguang Ming. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Raising the Pure, Heroic Heaven.” The Qi it governs is green, and it corresponds to the Wei lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Zhuluo Huangjia Heaven is named Moyi Miaobian. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Difficult Mystery, Illuminating Heaven.” The Qi it governs is azure, and it corresponds to the Xin lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Xuming Tangyao Heaven is named A’ao Shen. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Winding Through the Mysterious, Illuminating Heaven.” The Qi it governs is red, and it corresponds to the Fang lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Guanming Duanjing Heaven is named Yu Miluo Qian. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Brightly Beholding, Shining Heaven.” The Qi it governs is azure, and it corresponds to the Di lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Xuanming Gongqing Heaven is named Longluo Putí. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Mighty Clarity, Dao’s Mystery Heaven.” The Qi it governs is black, and it corresponds to the Kang lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Taihuan Jiyao Heaven is named Wanli Wuyan. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Grotto Truth, Eternal Vision Heaven.” The Qi it governs is blue-green, and it corresponds to the Jiao lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Yuanzai Kongsheng Heaven is named Kaizhen Dingguang. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Opening Light, Completing Truth Heaven.” The Qi it governs is purple, and it corresponds to Brahma Qi.

The Celestial Emperor of Tai’an Huangya Heaven is named Polou Atan. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Radiance, Mo, A’hun Heaven.” The Qi it governs is white, and it corresponds to the Zhen lunar mansion.

The Celestial Emperor of Xianding Jifeng Heaven is named Zhaozhen Tong. Its corresponding sacred sound is “Turning Back, Raising Might Heaven.” The Qi it governs is yellow, and it corresponds to the Yi lunar mansion.

This passage lists, in sequence, the names of the Celestial Emperors of the various heavens, along with each heaven’s corresponding sacred sound, Qi color, and lunar mansion. “Sacred sound” refers to the holy sound associated with that heaven; Qi is the vital energy spoken of in Daoism; and each lunar mansion is one of the twenty-eight lunar mansions.

The Heavenly Emperor of Initial Primordial Filial Flourishing, King Sa Luo Lou, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Junhua Great Authority, Heavenly Qi, Green,” and corresponds to the Horn Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Manifested Stability and Supreme Wind, Zhao Zhen Tong, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Huiqiao Majestic Heaven, Heavenly Qi, Yellow,” and corresponds to the Wings Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Initial Primordial Filial Flourishing, King Sa Luo Lou, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Junhua Great Authority, Heavenly Qi, Green,” and corresponds to the Neck Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Great Sovereign, Weng Chongfu Rong, Min Ba Kuang, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Huiwei Radiant Heaven, Heavenly Qi, Blue-Green,” and corresponds to the Star Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Unthinking Jiang You, Ming Fan Guang, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Langfa Primordial Heaven, Heavenly Qi, Red,” and corresponds to the Willow Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Die Ruanle, Bo Bo Jian, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Yuyuan True Star, Heavenly Qi, Azure,” and corresponds to the Ghost Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Boundless Tan Shi, Piao Nu Qiong Long, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Flying Heaven, Vacant Brilliance, Heavenly Qi, Black,” and corresponds to the Well Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Bright Courtyard and Empyrean Crossing, Hui Jue Hun, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Wuqing Brightness, Heavenly Qi, Jade Green,” and corresponds to Brahma Qi.

The Heavenly Emperor of Deep Penetration and Primordial Cavern, Fanxing Guansheng, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Fiquan Dao First, Heavenly Qi, Purple,” and corresponds to the Three Stars Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Great Pattern, Honored Favor, and Wondrous Accomplishment, Na Yu Chou Ying, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Xuxun Wisdom Light, Heavenly Qi, White,” and corresponds to the Zi Mansion.

The Supreme Plain, Resplendent Joy, and Forbidden Upper Realm is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Fiquan Dao First, Heavenly Qi, Purple,” and corresponds to the Three Stars Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Great Pattern, Honored Favor, and Wondrous Accomplishment, Na Yu Chou Ying, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Xuxun Wisdom Light, Heavenly Qi, White,” and corresponds to the Zi Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Supreme Plain, Resplendent Joy, and Forbidden Upper Realm, Long Luo Jue Chang, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Yangwei Radiant Serenity, Heavenly Qi, Yellow,” and corresponds to the Net Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Supreme Void, Unsurpassed, and Everlasting Harmony, Overseer of Ghosts and Spirits, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Sheling True, Heavenly Qi, Green,” and corresponds to the Hairy Head Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Supreme Release, Jade Vastness, and Ascendant Triumph, Miao Miao Xing Yuan, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Kongwei Dao Brightness, Heavenly Qi, Blue-Green,” and corresponds to the Stomach Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of Dragon Transformation and Brahma Crossing, Yun Shang Xuan Xuan, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Xiangling Wondrous Light, Heavenly Qi, Red,” and corresponds to the Stomach Mansion.

The Heavenly Emperor of the Supreme Ultimate, Level Nurturing, and Jia Yi, Great Choice of the Dharma Gate, is pronounced in the orthodox sacred form “Yongxuan Ninefold Life, Heavenly Qi, Azure,” and corresponds to the Legs Mansion.

Here the names of the various Heavenly Emperors and their “orthodox pronunciations” are listed, along with the color of the Heavenly Qi and the star mansion associated with each. “Orthodox pronunciation” refers to the sacred name of a sound as designated in the scripture; “corresponds to a mansion” indicates an association with a particular star mansion. All names, sacred sound names, and correspondences are retained as they appear in the scripture.

The Inner Meaning says that the jade secret names and sacred sounds of these heavens—their hidden divine names and holy designations—were made of red crystal jade, engraved in characters on green jade, and kept in the Shangqing Palace. Those who cultivate this scripture need not make a special effort to obtain and recite these secret names.

The inhabitants of the thirty-two heavens each have a fixed lifespan. For example, the inhabitants of the Huangzeng Heaven live nine million years. At each level above it, the lifespan doubles that of the level below. The inhabitants of the Taiming Yuwan Heaven live eighteen million years, and those of the Hetong Heaven live thirty-six million. The figures continue to increase at each level, until the inhabitants of the Xiule Jinshang Heaven reach a lifespan of 120,779,571,200 years.

Twenty-eight of these heavens belong to the Three Realms: the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm. The Realm of Desire is the lowest and has six heavens, from the Huangzeng Heaven to the Qiyao Heaven. Its inhabitants have bodies and desires, and are easily drawn by external things into attachment. Desire takes a different form in each of the six heavens: in the first two, it is expressed through bodily union; in the next two, through holding hands; in the fifth, through conversation; and in the sixth, through gazing at one another. Because this realm still contains sensual desire, men and women unite and beings are born from the womb; hence it is called the “Realm of Desire.” When a practitioner purifies one root of desire, they can rise one level. Once all six roots of desire are purified, they can enter the Realm of Form.

The Realm of Form is the middle realm and has eighteen heavens, from the Yueheng Heaven to the Tanshi Heaven. Its inhabitants have bodies but no desires, though they are still affected by the six coarse dusts, the six subtle dusts, and the six light dusts. Here, “dust” means factors that defile and burden the mind and spirit. Purifying one coarse dust allows one to rise a level; after all six coarse dusts have been purified, one rises six more levels. The same applies to the subtle and light dusts: purifying each one brings an ascent of one level, and purifying all six of each kind allows one to enter the Formless Realm.

The Formless Realm is the highest realm and has four heavens, from the Haoting Heaven to the Xiule Heaven. The Tai Zhen Code says that perfected beings in the Formless Realm have no sensual desires and no longer unite Yin and Yang. Beings come into existence through transformation, and these inhabitants feed only on fragrance, no longer burdened by a material body. Their bodies of form and their desires have therefore both become empty and still.

When practitioners reach the first heaven of the Formless Realm, they still retain consciousness and use it to enter Qi, observing Qi and the Dao. Once their practice is complete, they rise to the next heaven. If they can also relinquish consciousness and attain Wuwei (non-action), they rise another level. At this level, they have forgotten all past causes and conditions, and consciousness abides there. Yet if “forgetting” is understood as having no function at all, true responsiveness is lost: within emptiness there is still reality, and within the Dao’s substance there is still responsive transformation; the myriad forms arise from emptiness. All phenomena exist within the mind but have no fixed form, so practitioners should contemplate the mind as both present and absent, and thereby rise another level.

Higher still, the state of observing Qi becomes more subtle. Long accumulated habits are entirely exhausted, and practitioners penetrate the realm of nature, rising into the Zhongmin Heaven. The Tai Zhen Code says that beings in the Formless Realm have bodies of extreme subtlety, no longer displaying ordinary forms and appearances. Their bodies may at times extend for hundreds of feet, yet ordinary people cannot see them; only perfected beings can. Because they have no visible bodies, this realm is called “Formless.”

Yet beings in the Three Realms have not severed the roots of birth and death. Yin-Yang Qi still exists, so they remain subject to the limits of their allotted lifespan. Their lives must eventually end: they may rise to a higher state or be reborn among human beings, continuing to cycle through transformations according to the level of their merit and practice. Only those who attain the Dao escape these constraints.

The heavens above the Pingyu Heaven are called the four heavens of the people, and their inhabitants’ lifespans also increase by level. Another account holds that the inhabitants of these four heavens have gone beyond the Qi of Yin and Yang and are no longer bound by a lifespan; they dwell in joy, peace, and stillness. The Scripture of the Fundamental Beginning says, “When knots and habits are exhausted, one transcends the rank of the Zhongmin.” Here, “knots” means afflictions, while “habits” means the accumulated practices formed through study and cultivation. The Tai Zhen Code says that after ascending into these four heavens, one penetrates deeply into the Dao, rises and descends with Qi, and is untouched by calamities.

The Qi transformations of the thirty-two heavens and the stars associated with them are described in the Dongshen Scripture. The lifespans of their inhabitants and the purification of the roots and dusts are described in the Dragon-Ladder Scripture. For other related explanations, see the commentaries of Li Shaowei and Cheng Xuanying.

“Number” begins with the One Qi, just as “the Dao gives birth to the One” and the Taiji gives birth to the Two Modes. Whatever belongs to number must come to an end; this is also why beings cannot escape birth and death. The fact that the lifespans of heavenly beings can be calculated shows that they remain subject to allotted destiny and are therefore still liable to transmigration and decline. Fu Dashi said, “Even if one cultivates through a million kalpas, in the end one returns to emptiness and extinction.” The ten kinds of immortals described in Buddhist teaching belong to this category: their cultivation still involves purposeful action, and they are of the kind called Pratyekabuddhas and Śrāvakas, because they have not yet reached the state of purity and Wuwei.

The cultivation of the Golden Elixir, by contrast, aims to accord with emptiness and return to the Great Dao. Once perfected, body and spirit alike reach a subtle state, transcending the limits of Qi and allotted destiny. They are naturally no longer constrained by birth and death, lifespan, or bodily form.

Xue Youqi says that the thirty-two heavens of the four directions are the Four Brahma Heavens. Their heavenly sovereigns are exalted and sublime, with forms and features clearly visible. Though they possess true forms, they are also like empty space: they enter and leave without obstruction, unhindered by external things. On careful examination, the scripture says that the Primordial Beginning Ancestor brought the heavens into being at the primordial kalpa, showing that all thirty-two heavens were transformed from the One Qi. The cultivation of the Returned Elixir also takes the One Qi as its foundation. When practice is complete, all traces vanish into still emptiness, just as the heavenly sovereigns possess true forms yet are also like empty space. The precious secret names of the heavens can serve as talismanic warrants to rescue the dead from suffering; the Returned Elixir’s return to the Origin can free the bodies of ordinary people from their mortal condition. The two serve different purposes, but their principles are connected: their effects differ, while their root is one.

The text above was spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

The thirty-two heavens have thirty-two Heavenly Emperors, whose names are kept secret. Among the heavens are realms of empty stillness and profound depth, as well as wondrous chapters born of nature. The hidden rhythms of the heavens are the sounds of the celestial realm. The honored gods, spirits, great demons, and spirit officials of the heavens are all encompassed within them. Yin and Yang unite and mingle, transforming and rising into a realm of pure subtlety. These immeasurably profound principles are so deep that they cannot be fully explained. By widely spreading the scripture, the divine perfected beings are brought to light, and all beings in heaven and the human world are saved.

The Inner Meaning explains: The heavens, the emperors, their hidden names, the wondrous chapters and tones, and the honored gods, spirits, great demons, and spirit officials are all symbols formed through transformations of the One Qi—the primordial energy through which the Dao brings forth all things. They also correspond to the various names used in alchemical practice: lead, silver, cinnabar, mercury, the dragon and tiger, water and fire, and the elixir. “Nine harmonize and ten unite” refers to Yin and Yang joining and bringing forth one another, each giving rise to and completing the other. “Transforming and ascending to the Highest Clarity” means that Yang energy reaches its utmost fullness in the Qian position, while Yin energy begins to arise from the Wu position. Creation and transformation have no fixed form and leave no trace to follow; the beginnings of Yin and Yang are even harder to explain. Thus the Dao Lord Yuchen also said that these immeasurable mysteries are unfathomable—how much more so for those whose learning is still shallow?

The Guardian of the Pass once said: The great sea can give rise to myriads of dragons and fish, yet their source is simply water. I and the myriad things, flourishing in the great transformation, share the same nature and come from one source. From this, one can glimpse the workings of creation and transformation. Therefore, to investigate the mysteries of the scriptures and the Dao, one must follow the path of return, examine the substances used in alchemy, and uncover the foundations of the alchemical method. One must understand the transformations symbolized by lead and silver, cinnabar and mercury, and apply the patterns of the sun and moon and of Yin and Yang. The aim of cultivation is, through many years of practice, to transcend the dust of the world, enter the sacred realm, and become a perfected being; to transmit the true teachings of the Dao, benefiting oneself while also helping others. This is what is meant by widely spreading the way of the divine perfected beings and saving all beings in heaven and among humanity.

The scripture passage above is the preface composed by the Dao Lord Yuchen.

Today, we joyfully celebrate receiving ordination and passing through the barriers of the heavens. “Today” refers to the day the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning bestowed this scripture upon the Dao Lord. “Pray for the extinction of the three evils” means to ask that the three evil paths be eliminated. “Cut off the roots of the earth” means to sever the roots that lead to hell. “Fly beyond the five gates” means to transcend the five kinds of suffering. “Have one’s name entered in the Great Mystery” means to have one’s name listed in the Mysterious Capital. “The Demon King oversees the recommendation” means that the Demon King supervises and recommends the person. “Enter the gates of heaven without hindrance” means to enter the gates of heaven unobstructed.

The Scripture of the Cavern Spirit on the Warrant for Ascending to Heaven, concerning the credential for ascension, comes from the Primordial Immortal, a legendary ancient perfected being. It mentions the “three paths,” meaning three kinds of hell. To cut off the roots of hell is to escape it; to fly beyond the “five gates” is to pass beyond five kinds of suffering; and to have one’s name entered in the Great Mystery is to enter the Mysterious Capital, the Daoist celestial realm. The Demon Kings inspect and escort the adept, leaving no hindrance and allowing passage through Heaven’s Gate.

The Scripture of the Cavern Spirit on the Warrant for Ascending to Heaven comes from the Writings of the Primordial Immortal and is the sixty-eighth character in the text. It must be fastened to the body with a plain, unadorned sash used in cultivation. When a Daoist is nearing ascension, if the spirits of the Five Marchmounts have not seen this warrant, they will detain his soul and prevent it from ascending with him. If the spirits of the rivers, the Huai, and the seas have not seen it, they will hold back his blood and prevent his ascent. If the Earth Official has not seen it, he will detain the adept’s physical form and prevent him from ascending. If the Heaven Official has not seen it, he will close Heaven’s Gate and bar his ascent. The celestial clerks who manage the documents at Heaven’s Gate will rebuke and stop him, demanding to see his warrant. Once he presents it, he may enter the Purple Palace, the celestial abode, and pay his respects to the Lord of the Great Dao. After that, the gods will no longer dare detain or obstruct him.

The Inner Meaning says: Today we rejoice and celebrate those who have received the rite of deliverance because their Neidan has been refined to completion. Once the Neidan is complete, the Yang Spirit gathers in the Qian Palace, the region symbolizing Heaven and Yang Qi, and ascends directly into the Three Realms. Yin Qi sheds away from the Kun Gate, the portal symbolizing Earth and Yin Qi, and the adept therefore transcends the constraints of the Five Phases. Hence the text speaks of passing through the heavenly barriers, praying for the destruction of the three evils, and cutting off the roots of hell. To fly beyond the five kinds of suffering and have one’s name entered in the Great Mystery is possible because the sacred embryo dwells in the sea of marrow, demonic obstacles cannot intrude, and the spirits provide protection. Heaven’s Gate suddenly shakes, and another body appears outside the adept’s body. This is what it means for the Demon Kings to inspect and escort the adept, and for Heaven’s Gate to cease obstructing the way. The scripture above was spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

The Eastern Dipper, a deity of the eastern stars, governs the reckoning of lifespans; the Western Dipper, a deity of the western stars, records names; the Northern Dipper, a deity of the northern stars, removes names from the register of the dead; the Southern Dipper, a deity of the southern stars, adds names to the register of the living; and the Central Dipper, a deity of the central stars, is the Great Chief and oversees all spirits.

The Scripture of the Eastern Dipper for Long Life and Protection of Destiny says that the Eastern Dipper consists of five stars.

The Scripture of the Western Dipper for Great Reckoning and Protection of the Body says that the Western Dipper consists of four stars.

The Scripture of the Northern Dipper for One’s Destiny and Prolonging Life says that the Northern Dipper consists of seven stars.

The Scripture of the Southern Dipper for Prolonging Life and Delivering People says that the Southern Dipper consists of six stars.

The Scripture of the Central Dipper’s Great Chief, Who Calculates and Subdues Demons says that the Central Dipper has three stars. Some accounts also hold that the seven lodges in the east, west, south, and north together form the Dippers of the four directions; the Dipper generally called the Northern Dipper is the Central Dipper. The Treatise on the Celestial Offices describes the Dipper as the celestial emperor’s chariot. It travels through the center, governs the four directions, and observes auspicious and ominous signs. Since people in the Divine Land live south of the North Pole and look northward to view the heavens, they call it the “Northern Dipper.”

The Essential Instructions on the True One says that the Dipper itself contains five Dippers: Yangming is the Eastern Dipper, Yinjing the Western Dipper, Danyuan the Southern Dipper, Beiji the Northern Dipper, and Tianguan the Central Dipper. The accounts differ from book to book, so they are all preserved here.

The Inner Meaning says that the four Dippers are responsible for recording the names of those who have attained deliverance and those who have completed the work of refining the Elixir. They transfer the dead from the realm of death into the realm of life, and the Central Dipper oversees this work.

The Azure Emperor protects the hun soul, the White Emperor attends to the po soul, the Red Emperor nourishes Qi, and the Black Emperor keeps the blood vessels flowing. The Yellow Emperor presides at the center and commands all the gods, each of whom performs only their appointed duty.

The Azure Emperor’s family name is Chang, and his personal name is Jingming; the White Emperor’s family name is Hun, and his personal name is Rishou; the Red Emperor’s family name is Yan, and his personal name is Dongdan; the Black Emperor’s family name is Xuan, and his personal name is Mingmeng; the Yellow Emperor’s family name is Ma, and his personal name is ZhongM. In Heaven, the Five Emperors govern the flying immortals; on Earth, they guard the Five Sacred Peaks and command the spirits and ghosts. Within the human body, they preside over the spirits of the five organs: the liver stores the hun-soul, the lungs store the po-soul, the heart stores Qi, the kidneys store blood, and the spleen lies at the body’s center and governs the muscles.

The Inner Meaning says that when a person who has attained deliverance is born again through reincarnation, the Five Emperors send down their breath, transforming it into the five organs and giving the body the Five Phases. If a practitioner who has refined the Elixir attains eternal life, the Five Emperors send down divine Qi to unite with that person, freeing them from the constraints of the Five Phases.

The Record of the Five Emperors’ Spiritual Presence and Communion in the Great Grotto of Highest Clarity says that the Five Emperors exist alongside Heaven and Earth. After Yin and Yang divided, the Five Emperors brought forth the Five Phases and gathered the Qi of nature. They feast and wander in the Jade Palace, a palace in the realm of immortals, and travel through Highest Clarity, the Daoist realm of pure and empty immortality. They tour the realm of Everlasting Yang and True Origin, where they set the Five Phases in motion, choose later students to strengthen the true Dao, keep the registers of life and death, and govern the span of human years.

The writings on the Five Emperors’ Inner Truths and Spiritual Communion, classical texts concerning the Five Emperors’ inner deities and methods of communion with the spirits, arose within the Nine Profundities. Gathering the Qi of Azure Yang, they took form as jade script. They assist the Five Emperors; their divine light shines through Purple Void, and their true Qi flows throughout Jade Clarity. When the Five Phases unite, their radiance illuminates the Jade Palace. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth transform into Yin and Yang, dividing spiritual Qi and spreading its brilliance. From the darkest depths to the finest details, nothing lies beyond their reach. Qi encompasses Heaven and Earth, while essence extends through the vastness of space. It can separate and unite, appear as Yin or Yang, rise or descend, die or live, exist or not exist, fail or succeed. Study this text closely, and the Dao of returning the Elixir—the method of refining the internal Elixir to attain long life—will be fully understood.

The Azure Heaven Demon King is named Bayuan Choubo; the Red Heaven Demon King, Futian Danshi; the White Heaven Demon King, Fanshan Liumu; the Black Heaven Demon King, Jianchou Langfu; and the Yellow Heaven Demon King, Hengtian Danli.

In “Five Emperors and Demon Kings,” “Five Emperors” is the title expressed by the first four characters. The two characters in the middle of “Demon King” are their taboo names, and the final two characters are their courtesy names. Another account holds that they also had other surnames and taboo names. They all wear black-patterned robes, tall crowns that reach into the sky, and swords shaped with dragon heads at their waists. They often ride feathered wheels through the clouds. They frequently sing songs of three thousand words, disrupting those who cultivate the Dao in later generations. The Most High Lord Lao also wears black-patterned robes, a crown that spans the sky, and a dragon-headed sword at his waist, and rides a feathered wheel through the clouds. The Most High Lord Lao recorded the melodies of these songs in the Scripture for Dispelling Demons.

The Inner Meaning says: Earlier accounts held that the demon kings sang songs to disrupt those who cultivated the Dao in later generations. On careful reflection, this view is mistaken. The demon kings do not deliberately seek to confuse and ruin cultivators; they are testing them. The Chapter on the Demon Kings of the Form Realm says: “The realm we inhabit is difficult to transcend, so we deliberately fashioned the Cavern Script and took on flying forms in the sky to test you.” Many who cultivate the Dao lack firm conviction. They covet only the empty reputation of cultivation, while refusing to put it into practice. How could the demon kings not test them? Those who withstand the test may be recommended for realization of the Dao. Those who fail and become confused do so because they themselves have not held firm. How, then, can the demon kings be blamed?

“The Great Demon Kings of the Five Emperors are the lords of the myriad spirits.”

This refers to great demon kings who serve beneath the Five Emperors, each with a name of his own; they are not the Five Heavenly Demon Kings mentioned earlier.

They ride flying chariots, lead troops of ghosts, command banners, ceremonial processions, and drums and music, and patrol the great void. They proclaim their power and prestige, claiming that their achievements equal those of the various heavens.

The Inner Meaning says: The Hidden Book of Jade Clarity records that the Demon Kings of the Five Emperors lead their subordinate officials. They came into being together with Heaven and frequently disrupt cultivators, unwilling for them to attain the Dao. “Equal in achievement” means that their achievements equal those of the various heavens.

The Hidden Book of the Jade Clarity says that the Demon Kings of the Five Emperors each commanded their own officials and attendants, and came into being together with Heaven and Earth. They often disturbed people who cultivated the Dao, unwilling to let them attain the Dao. They also considered their merit and virtue equal to that of the Lords of the Heavens. Later, when the Longhan era—a period of cosmic tribulation in Daoist teaching—opened a new age, they submitted to the teachings of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The Hymns of Walking in the Void says: “The Demon Kings respectfully received the command, and so were able to pay homage to the Heavens.” This shows that as long as those who study the Dao hold fast to their original resolve, moving straight ahead like an arrow once it has been loosed and never turning back, then when their cultivation succeeds and their Neidan (internal alchemy) is complete, the Demon Kings will honor them and turn to serve them. How, then, could they suffer demonic obstruction?

The heavenly realm universally delivers living beings from suffering and strictly governs Beifeng, the netherworld realm in charge of ghosts and spirits.

The Inner Meaning says that the final section of the “Sounds of the Desire Realm Flying Through the Air” in the Scripture for Deliverance sings: In the Office of the Springs and Bends in the Northern Capital, hordes of ghosts and monsters gather, seeking only to shorten human lifespans and cut off the breath of life. Those who cultivate the Dao chant the Cavern Chapter, thereby governing Northern Luofeng, restraining and escorting away demons, spirits, and monsters, and destroying fierce ghosts. The Qi of all the Heavens is vast and abundant, and my Dao grows ever more powerful. The ghosts and spirits of Beifeng are charged with killing and punishment; they delight in shortening lifespans and ending lives. The Celestial Worthy reveals the teaching and delivers beings; the Demon Kings submit to its instruction. He restrains and governs the Ghost Emperors, proclaims commands in every direction, sets down restrictions, and makes the rules for punishment clear, forbidding them from doing evil at will. Those whose cultivation succeeds receive the same protection.

The Divine Lord receives the command to clear away inauspicious forces everywhere. The Eight Majestic Powers release divine might, while the Fierce Horses form ranks in all four directions.

The Divine Lord of the Great Luo Heaven, the highest heavenly realm in Daoist teaching, commands the Great Demons of the Five Emperors to sweep away inauspicious forces and protect those who cultivate the Dao. The Eight Majestic Powers are divine dragons, while the Fierce Horses are celestial spirit steeds.

After cultivators attain the Dao and ascend to Heaven, the Heavenly Emperor commands the Great Marshal Divine Lord to lead the way, carrying a ceremonial banner. Heavenly soldiers and strongmen, together with divine generals who wield fire bells, guard them on either side. This resembles the account of Perfected Lord Xu of Miaoji, Xu Xun, whom Daoists revere, attaining the Dao and ascending to deliverance.

Anyone who dares to offend or obstruct the Highest Perfected Ones, those exalted in rank among the perfected immortals, will suffer severe punishment. First, they will be slain with a golden halberd; then Heaven’s court will impose further penalties. Demons and specters will be cut down, while punishments of wind and fire continue without cease. Thousands upon thousands will be beheaded, and tens of thousands, even hundreds of millions, will have their bodies cut apart. Thus, demons cannot trespass, and ghosts cannot cause trouble.

The Inner Meaning explains: The practitioner’s merit is complete and their cultivation of the Dao is fully realized; their inner cultivation and outward conduct are entirely in accord.

The Three Officials, divine beings who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, and the Northern Feng, Mount Luofeng in the north, the legendary place where the sins of ghosts are examined, must clearly investigate the ghosts’ registers of offenses and conceal nothing. They must send their reports swiftly by golden horse. This command must be proclaimed throughout the boundless worlds, so that all the myriad spirits may hear it. The Five Emperors of the Three Realms, who govern those realms, must also report upward to Shangqing, the Daoist high celestial realm.

The Inner Meaning explains: The Three Officials, Nine Offices, and Northern Capital of Luofeng are all divine offices that investigate people’s sins. When someone has succeeded in cultivating the Dao but remains burdened by karmic ties from past lives and has not yet been released from these registers of offenses—or when deceased ancestors still bear guilt and have not received pardon, thereby obstructing the practitioner’s examination and advancement—the registers of ghostly offenses should be thoroughly investigated. Any injustice or guilt found in them should be cleared away without delay, and the results of the investigation should be reported swiftly by courier horse. This is also like the conduct of the Perfected Lord Miaojì, who, by imperial command, recorded merits and pardoned faults. The command must also be proclaimed to all the spirits in the ten directions, so that they all know of it. In accordance with the command, the Five Emperors of the Three Realms and the great demons of the various heavens must bear witness for the practitioner and recommend them, reporting swiftly to Shangqing. The scripture above is a command issued by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning and recorded by the Dao Lord.

End of scroll three of The Inner Meaning of the Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning on Limitless Salvation in the Highest Chapter.

Scroll four of The Inner Meaning of the Wondrous Scripture of Primordial Beginning on Limitless Salvation in the Highest Chapter

Written by Xiao Yingsou, Master Guanfu.

The Jade Almanac of the Primordial Cavern:

This chapter explains how cosmic kalpas arise and change. The Xuanzhi of Guishan says that the Celestial Worthy condensed the Qi of the Primordial Cavern—the original Qi—and thereby formed the Jade Calendar, which records the cycles and measures of the Dao of Heaven. The Inner Meaning quotes the Sacred Red Script of the Mysterious Cavern of Taiji’s Wondrous Transformation: “The nine firmaments are governed by the Eight Emperors. Without the Red Script of the Mysterious Cavern, they could neither govern and nurture the Nine Yangs—the Yang Qi of the celestial realm—nor make clear the measures of Heaven, the order by which the Dao of Heaven moves.” The nine firmaments and nine heavens were all brought into being and nurtured by the Red Script of the Mysterious Cavern: the Red Script transformed into the Mysterious Cavern, the Mysterious Cavern into Miro, the boundless celestial realm, and then the Five Kalpas unfolded.

The Chapter on the Jade Calendar of the Primordial Cavern says that in the distant beginning, amid the undivided chaos of Hunduan Minghong, the vast and lofty Great Brahma Miro, the various heavens had not yet separated, and the Nine Yangs remained dim and intermixed. Through the transformations of the Three Causes and Nine Revolutions, and the Six Changes and Seven Returns, the Primordial Beginning—the origin of all things—began to take form, and the Five Kalpas began to unfold. The Primordial Beginning then commanded the Dao Lord to record the Celestial Origin, the fundamental cycles of the Dao of Heaven, and to follow the movement of the Five Kalpas. Thus, “Primordial Cavern” explains the original Qi, while “Jade Calendar” records the movement of the Dao of Heaven. After the kalpic cycles passed through five rounds, they returned to unity. When the Five Kalpas were complete, Vast Heaven appeared in form.

From this, we can infer that the “wondrous transformation of Taiji” described in the Red Script of the Mysterious Cavern refers to the naturally occurring, precelestial Dao of the divine spirits. The “unfolding of the Five Kalpas” described in the Primordial Cavern and Jade Calendar, by contrast, concerns the principles of postcelestial cultivation and realization of the Dao. Li Shaowei was therefore right to say that this chapter explains how cosmic kalpas arise and change.

From the perspective of Neidan cultivation, the Primordial Cavern is the ancestral Qi—the most fundamental precelestial Qi—within primordial emptiness. It is also the “Golden Embryo of Empty Qi,” a Neidan metaphor grounded in precelestial Qi. The Jade Calendar is the form that takes shape when Qi condenses. It symbolizes my original nature, and is also the foundation of the elixir and the root of the medicine—the basis on which elixir cultivation depends. This is the same principle described in the Red Script of the Mysterious Cavern. Thus, the Primordial Cavern explains the ancestral Qi, while the Jade Calendar records the Celestial Origin; the Celestial Origin, in turn, is the human being’s own root. Practitioners should cultivate in accordance with this and realize the true Dao.

Longhan and Yankang are names of cosmic calamities. “Long” conveys the mysterious and wondrous; “Han” conveys vastness. “Yan” means enduring, and “Kang” means peace.

The Inner Meaning says that Yan Dong held this view: When primordial Qi—the original Qi of the primordial beginning—first congealed, it formed jade characters. These characters appeared during the Longhan calamity, vanished during the Yankang calamity, shone forth during the Chiming calamity, and grew brighter still during the Kaihuang and Shanghuang calamities, continuing until the Shanghuang calamity. In the Longhan calamity, the jade characters first appeared, like a person’s primordial Qi beginning to divide and give rise to life. In the Yankang calamity, they vanished, like a person dying. In the Chiming calamity, they appeared again, like a person being born anew. During the Kaihuang and Shanghuang calamities, they shone brightly, like a person living in the world. The cycle of calamities passes through five rounds and then returns to the One. When the five calamities have run their course, the vast Heaven, Haotian, takes shape.

For Heaven and Earth, one calamity is the destruction of the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—into emptiness. For human beings, one calamity is death. Heaven and Earth have undergone countless cycles of formation and destruction, just as people have undergone countless cycles of birth and death. Yet the Qi of natural emptiness endures through the calamities. When a calamity ends and the Three Realms are destroyed into emptiness, the vital essence and spiritual nature of all things still endure in the vast void. When people grow old and die, their bones and limbs decay, but the true nature of the One Spirit likewise endures.

The Scripture of the Western Ascension says: Since time began, people have passed through as many generations as there are grains of sand. A single stirring of thought can bring calamity. People are bound by the hardships they bring upon themselves; thus they become trapped in the root of birth and death, drifting through the Six Paths—the six destinations of rebirth—while suffering cycles without end. Only attaining the Dao can bring them to a stop.

Across immeasurable aeons, within primordial chaos.

This means that the Longhan and Yankang calamities lie so far in the distant past that the years they encompassed cannot be counted. Both unfolded in a state of undivided primordial chaos.

Above, no color remains; below, no abyss remains.

Whenever a calamity ends, the sun, moon, and stars all dim and lose their light, and Heaven and Earth return to primordial chaos. At that time, what color could still be seen above? What abyss could still be spoken of below?

The Inner Meaning says that the Scripture of the Hidden Tally describes precisely this state of undivided primordial chaos.

When the cosmic cycle ends, there are no longer any forms or colors above, nor any immeasurably deep ravines below. The Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—are all dimmed, and Heaven and Earth return to chaos. What forms and colors could still be seen above, and where could any abyss remain below?

The Yinfu Jing says, “Establish the Way of Heaven in order to bring peace to humanity.” The Shangqing Jing says that when the great cycle turns, the Qi of Heaven is exhausted in the Great Yin, where Yin Qi is at its height, while the Qi of Earth reaches the Great Yang, where Yang Qi is at its height. When Yang Qi reaches its extreme, it declines; when Yin Qi reaches its extreme, it closes in. At the height of Yang, its essence transforms into water; at the height of Yin, its essence transforms into fire. First a great fire burns, then a great flood sweeps everything away. From beneath the Nine Heavens to within the Nine Earths, nothing remains, not even the tiniest thing. Afterward, primordial Qi gathers together again and forms chaos. Chaos then differentiates once more, just as it did at the beginning of the cosmic cycle. This kind of recurring change is collectively called “the separation and union of primordial Qi.”

Before Longhan and Yankang—ancient cosmic cycles in Daoist tradition—and before this body came into being, who knows how many such changes and separations had already taken place? All things return to the empty void: forms and colors disappear, and so do the abysses.

“Wind and marsh penetrate the void; adamantine essence ascends through Heaven” means that wind and marsh represent the Qi of the Dao, while adamantine essence represents the Qi of essence. When the Qi of the Dao becomes supremely gentle, it can permeate and fill the void; when the Qi of essence becomes supremely strong, it can circulate and rise through Heaven.

The Inner Meaning interprets “wind” as having Qi but no physical form, and “lake” as having an image but no fixed substance. Together, they express the principle of natural emptiness. Xue Youqi says this is “the Qi of the Dao.” The Book of Changes says, “Above the lake is wind,” which forms the Zhongfu hexagram. Its inner and outer lines are solid, while the center is empty, symbolizing emptiness. The Dao De Jing uses the bellows between Heaven and Earth as a metaphor: empty within, yet never exhausted; the more it is worked, the more its breath flows forth. For this reason, it can respond to all things and bring them into being. Thus it is said that harmony and compliance allow trustworthiness to transform a state. The Mayi says Zhongfu symbolizes the principle by which all things first begin to sprout. Is not the Qi of the Dao the source from which all things begin to sprout?

“Metal” means what remains unchanged through the ages; “firm” means what is strong and cannot be destroyed. Together, they refer to pure, subtle Jing Qi. Xue Youqi says this is “the Qi of Jing,” the Qi that accords with the Way of Qian. The Qian hexagram has six Yang lines; even when turned and transformed, its foundation remains unchanged. Qian embodies the four qualities of origin, flourishing, benefit, and constancy, through which all things can grow, prosper, and come to completion. The Mayi says Qian is the pivot of creation and transformation. Is not Jing Qi the pivot of creation and transformation?

These two kinds of Qi are as the Dao De Jing describes: within the indistinct and elusive there is an image; within the indistinct and elusive there is a thing; within the deep and obscure there is Jing Qi. This Jing Qi is real and trustworthy, and its name has never faded since ancient times. It is the numinous, authentic nature within the human body. Even as the cycles of calamity turn and the Three Realms—the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm—are destroyed, the seed people, those saved as described in the scriptures, remain still and unmoving. Thus, by means of the wondrous principle that penetrates emptiness, this Qi relies on an indestructible Heaven to divide and open Heaven and Earth and establish the Three Realms. It is like a person’s spirit taking up residence anew in an embryo and thereby receiving a body. This Qi is the foundation of the Golden Liquid Return Elixir, a Daoist inner alchemical practice in which Jing Qi is gathered and refined into an Elixir.

It is everywhere above and below Heaven; even the deepest obscurity cannot conceal it. It has no form or shadow, no boundaries, and no end.

This passage says that nothing in Heaven or Earth can be measured. It is whole and self-contained, follows its own nature, and exists independently.

The Inner Meaning says that when the human body dies, its physical form perishes, while only the true nature remains. The Daoist classic says that the Dao cannot be seen, heard, or touched, and is therefore called “the hidden, the faint, and the subtle.” From this we understand that the Dao has no boundary between darkness and light, no form or image, and no limit or end. It cannot be fully explored through words. It blends into a unity, called “the Great Expansive Brahmā, without Qi”: the vast, formless and imageless primordial Qi.

“Mingying Great Brahmā, vast and empty, without light” means that after the cycles of time have run their course and Heaven and Earth have been destroyed, only the Qi of Great Brahmā remains. All is then boundless chaos, without light; the sun, moon, and stars—the “Three Luminaries”—have also lost their radiance.

Zhang Ziping says in the Lingxian: Before the Great Beginning—the primordial state before the formation of Heaven, Earth, and all things—there was only emptiness; within emptiness, all returned to nonbeing. This is the undivided chaos, the source of the Dao.

The Mystic Master says: Human beings are born from the great primordial Qi of undivided chaos, which arises naturally and remains undifferentiated, and in the end they return to it. When a man and woman first unite and their Jing and Qi gather, this primordial energy suddenly responds and arrives, lodging between them and forming the fetus. It is called “spirit” for want of a better name. The scripture explains this further in the section “The Red Script of the Undivided Cavern.” People are born from this, and to it they will return.

“Vast and dim, without light” describes the state in which Heaven and Earth remain undivided, Yin and Yang are knotted together, the sun and moon have lost their radiance, and all is dark. It is like a person still in the womb, not yet born. After birth, people begin to act, and eventually they die.

This is why the Zhuangzi tells the story of Hundun. The ruler of the South Sea was called Shu, the ruler of the North Sea Hu, and the ruler of the Center Hundun. Shu and Hu often met in Hundun’s domain, and Hundun treated them well. Wanting to repay him, Shu and Hu said, “Everyone has seven openings through which to see, hear, eat, and breathe. Hundun alone has none. Let’s try making seven openings for him.” Each day they made one opening. On the seventh day, Hundun died.

The commentary explains that Shu represents form and Hu formlessness. Hundun is the state in which clear Qi and turbid Qi have not yet separated, and serves as a metaphor for nature. Shu and Hu making seven openings in Hundun symbolizes going against nature by forcibly opening the ears and eyes. As a person’s seven emotions gradually emerge, they may dissipate the great primordial ancestral Qi—the Qi that is the source of life—and cause the body to decline. This is what is meant by moving from birth toward death.

“ When the Red Light opens the chart, the cycles unfold according to nature” means that, in the era of Yan’kang, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning opened the age of Red Light and revealed a brilliant chart and registers—documents recording the Dao of Heaven and the cycles of tribulation. He set Yin and Yang in motion and established their measures and divisions. From this came the Tribulation of Red Light, a period in the cycles of tribulation described in Daoism.

The Neiyi explains: “‘Red Brightness’ refers to the Yang Qi beginning to move again after the destruction of a cosmic cycle, and thus giving the new cycle its name. ‘Opening the chart’ means that after the cycle is reestablished, the Celestial Worthy proclaims the charts and registers, allowing the Way of Nature to operate and universally save all beings. The ‘charts and registers’ here refer to the Red Writ of the Cavern of Chaos and the Jade Chronology of the Origin Cavern. In this way, Heaven and Earth take shape, the sun and moon shine, all living beings fulfill their natures, and all things are nourished.

In human development, an infant’s leaving the womb marks the beginning of life. The emergence of the mind, nature, and awareness embodies the principle of ‘opening the chart.’ Being able to speak, see, smell, hear, grasp, and walk, with a clear mind and free-flowing thoughts, is the operation of the Way of Nature within life. The foolish fail to reach what is fitting, while the clever readily go beyond due measure. In both cases, they lose the Middle Way and so lose the Way of Nature.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning brings Heaven and Earth to rest and lays out and sends down five scriptures, written in red script with jade characters. The Ancestral Qi stirs anew, stabilizing the heavenly realm and guarding the earth. Five kinds of writing unfold and appear, including the Red Writ of the Cavern of Chaos, which is once again proclaimed and passed down.

The “Eight Mighty Dragon Writings” are documents used to summon dragon spirits. They can subdue strange beings, command spirits, and protect and govern the cosmic cycle, thereby keeping Heaven in existence for a long time.

After the Great Simplicity disperses, Qi congeals into writing. Being and nonbeing assist one another: benevolence and virtue become manifest, while wondrous workings remain concealed within. The scripture says, “Being gives us benefit; nonbeing gives us use.” That is, what has form brings convenience, while what has no form performs its function. Applied to the Great Dao, this keeps the transformations of creation from going awry; applied to Heaven and Earth, it keeps them from decay; applied to the human body, it can bring long life and freedom from death. Hence it is said to protect the cosmic cycle and keep Heaven in existence for a long time.

The Inner Meaning says: “‘Primordial Beginning, pacify and stabilize’ refers to the pure, subtle Qi of the Primordial Beginning settling and guarding the Kun Palace—the realm symbolizing the earth and the Yin aspect—and spreading forth to transform and generate the Five Chapters, from which the Five Phases emerge. The Five Chapters are gathered within the Spirit Chamber, where divine beings are kept and the spirit-consciousness is nourished. Written in red script and jade characters, they symbolize the true Qi of primordial essence. The ‘Eight Majestic Dragon Scripts’ symbolize the Eight Luminous Yang Spirits, the eight kinds of Yang spirits described in Daoism. They can protect the human body, carry one through endless tribulations, transcend life and death, and endure alongside Heaven.

“When people are born, they have both life and nature: life has a limit, but nature does not perish. Yet even though nature does not perish, ordinary, unenlightened people may still drift and sink after death, unable to endure for long. Those who understand the Way act with care and vigilance and persist in their cultivation, remaining constant in the face of life and death. Even when life comes to an end, their nature does not change. Even so, this is still inferior to the Way of the Golden Elixir, which enables both body and spirit to undergo wondrous transformation. Perfected Peng said: ‘With the boundless, inexhaustible primordial Qi, one can renew the finite body of an ordinary person.’ Primordial Qi is the true essence between Heaven and Earth that enables all things to live forever; it is also the Qi of the sacred father and mother. The ordinary human body, by contrast, is the transient, turbid body formed by Yin and Yang, inherited from mortal parents. Transforming the body of mortal parents with the Qi of the sacred father and mother, so that it becomes a form of pure Yang and true essence, enables one to share the longevity of Heaven and Earth.

‘Brahma Qi fills the vast expanse; the myriad patterns unfold.’

The Inner Meaning says: The Qi of the Dao pervades all things and encompasses the entire Great Void—the vast, empty universe. From it unfold the patterns and forms by which all things move and operate.”