《太上洞玄灵宝五符序》

In the remotest antiquity, society was simple and harmonious. Yin-Yang moved without deviation; the wind did not stir the branches, and clouds and rain arrived in their proper season. All things grew according to their nature. The people lived in accord with the natural Dao, aligned with Heaven’s heart, and united with Heaven as one. Good fortune and calamity had not yet appeared. People heard nothing of killing or harm, feared no disasters, and felt no joy over auspicious signs. There was no talk of right and wrong, approval or disapproval, and no system to teach people how to distinguish between them. The people were simple and whole, settled and unharmed. Following the seasons of Heaven and letting their nature unfold, they entrusted their lives to the Earth. All things found their proper place, and nothing disturbed this harmony.

When harmony is unharmed, Heaven and Earth have no need of a ruler. Even without one, all things can transform and come into being on their own. This teaching without commands is the foundation for preserving life. In those days, people lived to the age of ninety thousand before beginning to learn the immortal Dao and ascend to Heaven. This may be called the most complete process of transformation, because it followed their nature; it may also be called the highest form of teaching. Transformation had no fixed method, and teaching left no trace. Its signs could not be seen, yet its effects remained. Instruction was practiced for a long time, but virtue did not show itself. This was the natural harmony of Heaven and Earth, and the state in which the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—were in accord.

By the era of the Three Sovereigns, simple harmony had begun to diminish. People gradually developed a concern for gain and loss, and joy and anger became visible on their faces. Systems were therefore established to bring stability to the people, and divine powers were invoked to protect oneself and preserve all living beings. This may be called the time when people competed to establish teachings, and conflict first arose. People began to speak of gain and loss, seeking ways to follow nature’s signs. They used trigrams to interpret the myriad things and to fathom the profound principles of Heaven and Earth. From this, all kinds of affairs arose.

By the time of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, the age of the Divine Farmer Shennong had already declined. The feudal lords harassed one another and waged war against each other, while even a wise ruler could not stop them. The Yellow Emperor therefore put weapons in order and attacked the lords who refused to obey his commands. The lords from every quarter came to submit to him. Among them, Chiyou was the most violent, yet no one could defeat him. The Flame Emperor also sought to domineer over the lords, so they all turned to Xuanyuan. Xuanyuan then cultivated his De, organized his troops, oversaw the cultivation of the five grains, aided and pacified the people, and surveyed the four quarters. He also trained bears, brown bears, wolves, leopards, wildcats, tigers, and great apes. Afterward, he fought the Flame Emperor in the wilderness of Banquan. Only after three battles did he achieve his aim.

Chiyou rebelled and refused to obey the ruler’s commands. So the Yellow Emperor raised an army and fought Chiyou at Zhuolu. He also fought the Flame Emperor in the wilderness of Banquan. Only after three battles did he fulfill his ambition. Another account says that the Yellow Emperor led his army to defeat Chiyou in the wilderness of Zhuolu. The feudal lords therefore honored Xuanyuan as Son of Heaven, replacing the Shennong clan. He named his official posts after clouds, appointed chief supervisors on the left and right to oversee the affairs of the various states and the rites for spirits and deities, mountains, and rivers, and held ceremonies such as the Feng and Shan sacrifices.

The Yellow Emperor obtained a precious tripod, observed the sun’s shadow, and calculated the calendar. He appointed Feng Hou, Li Mu, Heng Xian, and Da Hong to govern the people. He followed the patterns of Heaven and Earth and investigated the principles behind changes in the hidden and manifest, life and death, and survival and extinction. He sowed grain and planted trees and plants in season, trained birds and beasts, and developed silkworm raising and silk weaving. He made nets, observed the sun, moon, and stars, and made use of water, earth, clay, stone, metal, and jade. He diligently applied his mind and strength and made use of his ears and eyes, while conserving water, fire, and all kinds of implements. Because auspicious signs of the virtue of Earth appeared, he was called the Yellow Emperor.

The Yellow Emperor had twenty-five sons, fourteen of whom received surnames. He lived on Xuanyuan Hill and married a woman of the Xiling clan named Leizu. Leizu was the Yellow Emperor’s principal wife and bore him two sons, whose descendants both ruled the world. The elder son was named Xuanxiao, also called Qingyang; he later moved to the region of the Jiang River. The younger son was named Changyi; he later moved to the region of the Ruo River. Changyi married Changpu, a woman of the Shushan clan, and they had a son, Gaoyang. Gaoyang possessed sage-like virtue. He was Zhuanxu, the Yellow Emperor’s grandson and Changyi’s son.

He was steady and magnanimous, rich in strategy, and discerning and intelligent in handling affairs. He developed production in keeping with the land’s conditions and arranged matters according to the seasons. Relying on the spirits, he governed with honesty and a sense of right and wrong. He regulated the people’s Qi and daily habits to instruct them, and performed sacrifices with a pure and reverent heart. His authority extended north to Youling, south to Danxue, west to the Flowing Sands, and east to Panmu. All things, whether active or still, great or small, and all kinds of spirits—everything beneath the sun and moon—came under his rule and acknowledged his authority.

He fathered Qiongchan. Later, Gaoxin, the grandson of Xuanyao, succeeded to the throne and was known as Emperor Yü. Emperor Yü was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor: his father was Qiaoji, his grandfather Xuanyao, and his great-grandfather the Yellow Emperor. Neither Xuanyao nor Qiaoji had ruled as emperor; it was only when Gaoxin came to power that the imperial throne was attained. Gaoxin was a junior kinsman of Emperor Zhuanxu, a younger member of the same clan.

From birth, Gaoxin possessed extraordinary insight and intelligence. He proclaimed his name and title widely, bringing benefits to all without seeking personal gain. His hearing was keen enough to know of events far away, and his sight sharp enough to discern the smallest details. He followed the Dao of Heaven and understood the people’s urgent needs. He was both benevolent and commanding, generous in his favors and steadfast in his word. Through self-cultivation, he won the allegiance of all under Heaven. He made use of the land’s produce while keeping expenses in check, and he comforted and instructed the people, bringing them benefit and guidance. He arranged welcoming and farewell rites according to the movements of the sun and moon, and carefully observed the affairs of the spirits, serving them with reverence. His bearing was broad and dignified, his De lofty, his actions suited to the moment, and his clothing fine.

Emperor Yü upheld the middle and upright Dao and administered the affairs of all under Heaven. Wherever the sun and moon shone and the wind and rain reached, all obeyed him and lent him their support; thus he was always in accord with the will of Heaven and Earth. At that time, divine beings from Heaven, officials of the Perfected, descended to the human realm. They rode in a dark chariot beneath a jeweled canopy, drawn by nine dragons, drove cloud horses with whips, and opened the windows of Heaven. Calling themselves the “Perfected Kings of the Nine Heavens” and the “True Emperors of the Three Heavens,” they carried staffs of the Eight Lights and wore talismans of Auspicious Clouds. They came to the Terrace of Cultivated De and bestowed upon Emperor Yü the Scripture of the Nine Heavens’ True Spirits and the Treasure Talisman of the Three Heavens.

The Nine Heavens’ True Gold Script is a celestial text that opens the supreme, heaven-connecting Qi above and bestows below the life-giving origin and the laws governing the gods. It begins in primordial chaos and ends in the land of the netherworld. Only perfected beings in Heaven could establish its boundaries; sages in the lower realm could never fathom all its mysteries. The Nine Qi shape and form the myriad things, allowing the gods to shine alongside the sun and moon. Every plant and tree has its own name, and every thing its own distinction; sweet and bitter are different, as are the various kinds of metals and stones. Above, these writings govern the celestial realm and bring order to Heaven and Earth. Below, they protect the people, preventing their lifespans and destinies from waning. Even those with deep understanding can grasp only a little of their meaning; only those who enter the mysterious realm can appreciate their significance.

Yet the celestial text contains so many characters that it is difficult to read, the words of perfected beings are hard to explain, and the intentions of the Supreme One are not easily fathomed by ordinary people. Unless divine beings from the higher realm dispel ignorance, its faint traces cannot be seen. Thus Emperor Ku lamented that his wisdom was inadequate: though he treasured the text, he did not understand its purpose. He went to the Celestial Emperor’s altar by the Northern River to make offerings, then hid the book atop Mount Zhong, sealed inside a blue jade casket. He hoped that a sage of merit and virtue might one day put it into practice.

Mount Zhong is deep and secluded, nineteen thousand li north of the Weak Water. It stands twelve thousand li high; its summit spans seven thousand li, and its circumference measures thirty thousand li. A thousand and forty kinds of numinous mushrooms and divine herbs grow there naturally. Anyone who sets foot on the mountain can become an immortal after taking just three steps. On the mountain are golden terraces and purple towers adorned with the Seven Treasures. They are where primordial Qi dwells and where the Heavenly Emperor rules the celestial realm. Though neither sun nor moon can reach the place, Mount Zhong itself blazes with light, bright day and night and shining a hundred thousand li into the distance; even the radiance of the Milky Way cannot compare. When the sages of antiquity spoke of a gap in Heaven to the northwest, they meant the brilliance of Mount Zhong shining into the dark depths of the Ninefold Netherworld.

In the time of Emperor Yao, floods covered the land, mountains collapsed, and the people suffered greatly. Yao ordered his officials to find someone capable of controlling the waters. His ministers and the Four Peaks all said, “Gun can do it.” Yao replied, “Gun defies Heaven’s mandate and brings harm upon his clan. There is something wanting in his heart; I fear…”

Emperor Yao ordered his ministers to find someone capable of controlling the floods. His ministers and the lords of the four regions all said, “Gun can shoulder this responsibility.” Yao replied, “Gun defies the Mandate of Heaven, harms his clan, and is flawed in character. I fear he is not up to the task.” The lords of the four regions answered, “We have seen no one more worthy than Gun. We ask Your Majesty to put him to the test.” Yao accepted their advice and appointed Gun to control the floods. Nine years passed, but the floods had still not subsided, and the effort to control them had made no progress.

Yao then sought another worthy person and eventually chose Shun. After Shun was appointed, he carried out the emperor’s duties and inspected the regions. Seeing that Gun had failed to control the floods, he put him to death at Mount Yu. People throughout the realm considered Shun’s decision just. Later, Shun recommended Gun’s son Yu, saying he had the ability to control the floods, and entrusted him with continuing the work Gun had left unfinished.

After Emperor Yao’s death, Emperor Shun asked the lords of the four regions, “Who can carry on and further Yao’s achievements? I would appoint him to office.” They all replied, “Bo Yu can serve as Minister of Works, complete the effort to control the floods, and further Yao’s achievements.” Shun said, “Good. I appoint Yu to bring the waters and the land fully under control.” Yu bowed and knocked his head to the ground, declining in favor of Xie, Hou Ji, and Gao Yao. Shun said, “You should go and take charge of this yourself.”

Yu was intelligent and capable, perceptive and reasonable, upright in character, kind and approachable, and true to his word. His voice accorded with musical pitch, his conduct could serve as a model, he acted with propriety, and his manner was respectful and dignified. He could establish standards and maintain order. Together with Yi and Hou Ji, Yu carried out Emperor Shun’s command. They assembled the lords and the people, and set them to clearing the land and bringing the waters and land under control. They acted with an understanding of how things worked, were kind and approachable, kept their word, conducted themselves by clear standards, and maintained a respectful, dignified bearing, thereby establishing order and discipline. They cut trees along the mountains and surveyed the highlands and rivers.

Remembering that his father Gun had failed to control the floods and had been executed for it, Yu labored day and night, searching for a solution. For thirteen years he worked outside the home to bring the waters and land under control, passing his own gate three times without daring to enter. He kept his clothing and food simple to show reverence for the spirits. He built a modest palace and devoted his efforts to canals and waterways. On land he traveled by cart, on water by boat, through mud on a sledge, and along mountain paths with climbing gear. In his left hand he held a marking cord; in his right, a compass and square. He carried out the work according to the seasons, divided the realm into nine provinces, cleared nine roads, built dikes around nine marshes, and surveyed nine mountains. He also instructed Yi to lead the people in planting rice in low-lying, damp areas.

Hou Ji, the ancestor of the Zhou people and, according to legend, the deity in charge of agriculture, instructed the people to conserve food when supplies were short and to redistribute surplus grain among themselves, so that provisions for the various lords would be as balanced as possible. Yu then examined the soils and produce of each region, collected tribute according to local conditions, and surveyed whether the terrain of mountains and rivers was suitable for management and travel.

Yu began his work on the floods in Ji Province. He cleared the obstructions around Hukou, then dealt with the waters of Taiyuan, extending his work as far as Yueyang. He controlled the flooding around Qinhuai, carrying the work onward to the Heng, Zhang, Heng, and Wei rivers. Following the lie of the land along the waterways, he cleared the flow and managed the region of Dalu. He also arranged for the island peoples to present garments of fur. Passing the area around Mount Jieshi, he traveled along the Yellow River, crossed it, and entered Yan Province.

Once the nine channels had been cleared, the waters around Leixia gathered into a lake, and the Nong and Ju rivers joined. Conditions for silkworm raising were restored in Sanglin, allowing the people to move from the high ground down to the lowlands. The land was settled and the floods had receded. Yu then made an inspection tour to Mount Zhong, offered a sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven at Yunque, and credited the success of flood control to the Queen of Heaven, the goddess of the celestial realm, and its completion to the myriad spirits, the host of gods.

Afterward, Yu climbed Xuanfeng and arrived at the Jade Realm, an immortal land on the slope of Mount Xiuling. Suddenly, he received this book. Yu therefore observed an even more reverent fast and prayed in secluded mountain valleys, hoping to receive and preserve the book within himself. A Perfected One, an immortal who had attained the Dao, told Yu: “Your merit has moved the spirits. Heaven’s beings and the gods are all helping you, but your life is nearly at its end, and your situation is perilous.” The Perfected One then orally transmitted the Way of long life, explained how to take precious elixirs, and conveyed the related teachings to him one by one.

After returning, Yu calculated the merits of his flood control in the wilds of Kuaiji and summoned the gods in the mountains of eastern Yue. At that time, the Qi of the four seasons was mild and abundant, and a clear breeze stirred. His wondrous achievement could now unfold. He cultivated himself in quiet humility, regulated his inner body and mind, and thought of withdrawing without leaving a trace, concealing his whereabouts.

He withdrew his thoughts from himself and erased all trace of his presence, concealing his form only in a remote and hidden place. From there, he could glimpse the wondrous mysteries of the Nine Heavens and observe the treasured secrets of the Three Heavens. In action, he took the preservation of life as a vital principle for following the Great Dao; in stillness, he gathered and conserved Jing and Qi as the way to sustain life over the long term. He sought upward among the scriptures of the heavens, whose profound mysteries defied exhaustive explanation; looking downward, he took pity on living beings, who knew nothing of the principles that govern the world.

Then the Most High descended once more upon South Mountain like a phoenix in flight and stood upon the island like a divine dragon. He rewrote the essential teachings on the mysteries of the True Spirits, gathered the treasured texts kept in the heavenly palaces, arranged them by rank, explained the practices each required, and assigned directions according to the Five Colors, listing the titles of the emperors who ruled each quarter.

The book was originally called The Celestial Writings of the Five Lingbao Talismans—a collection of heavenly talismanic writings concerning the Five Lingbao Talismans. It was kept within the Dark Terrace, carved onto a hard stone stele, and hidden in a cavern on Mount Miao. It appeared only once every ten thousand years, demonstrating its power to endure through the ages. One copy was written on vermilion silk, the color used in the south, and secretly stored in a ritual chamber on Mengleng Hill. Sealed in a golden essence casket and stamped with the seal of the Dark Capital, it was entrusted to the water spirits of rivers, lakes, and marshes, who were ordered to deliver it to the lord of the Zhenshui cavern chamber. Only when the appointed gathering came around once every three thousand years was it to be passed on to the Water Master, Fu Bolong. As for the writing carved on the stone stele, it was to be revealed only when the Great Calamity arrived.

Yu the Great took a numinous elixir—a formula for the cultivation and refinement of immortals—to conceal his form, then was buried on this mountain to signify the end of his life. Immortals understood the secret, while ordinary people believed he had died. The transformations he wrought were truly immense: he lodged himself here, then ultimately returned to his source. Ah, the mysterious traces left by this great lord can still be confirmed in the book after countless calamities; teachings of the Dao throughout the world recount his arts. In times of the Yang Nine calamity, people will see the book transmitted from Heaven; in times of the Hundred Six disaster, the deeds of those who pass on the scriptures will be made manifest. His far-reaching teaching will endure for a thousand generations, leaving behind a name as fragrant and lasting as the orchid.

Later, in the first month of the twelfth year of King Helü of Wu (503 BCE), the king ordered people to ready the boats on the rivers and lakes and raise banners painted with dragons. He was preparing to enter an enemy state and observe its military situation. On the way, he stopped at Baoshan, loosened his belt, and rested. Baoshan Hermit, sent on a mission by command and known as the Elder of Dragon Might, was ordered to venture deep into a cavern and seek the source of its remote passages.

Baoshan Hermit was a man who had attained the Dao. He lived on Mount Hao, and no one knew his given name. Aloof and independent, he had no desire for worldly honors, so people of the time called him “Baoshan Hermit.” Helü had visited him many times in person to pay his respects and ask about the safety of the state. The two had once discussed the origin of this passage, so Helü temporarily sent him to investigate it.

The Hermit took a torch and traveled day and night. He returned only after 174 days. He said that he himself did not know where the passage led. He estimated that he had walked more than 7,000 li when he suddenly came upon many thickets, openings, and caverns. The paths inside crossed and tangled, and the sandy tracks branched into confusion. Hundreds and thousands of trails eventually converged, all alike in shape, with identical entrances.

At the point where the paths met stood a city of gold and a house of jade, about 500 li around, at the center of all the routes. It shone like the moon and glittered in every direction. Inside were curtains, couches, windows, and secluded chambers, adorned with purple jade and gold. The buildings rose high into the clouds, making it impossible to discern their full extent.

The Hermit looked around but saw no one. Turning toward the edge of the city, he saw the inscription “Separate Palace of the Heavenly Queen” above the gate, and “Hall of the Great Yin” on its doors. Knowing that this was a place where spirits dwelled, he did not dare enter rashly. Instead, he purified himself anew and spent three days quietly meditating on the perfected person. After straightening his clothes and cap, he went in to investigate. On a table in the northern part of the jade chamber, he found a scroll of red silk covered in writing that he could not decipher.

After making a formal obeisance, Yinju received the book and said, “I am a humble subject from the lower realm. By order of the King of Wu, I have come to obtain this divine text. I wish to use it as proof that true Qi can be projected outward and its efficacy demonstrated.”

When he emerged, he found the entrance had closed by itself. From within came the stirring sounds of flutes and drums, along with the sounds of people and horses in motion. Yinju was deeply alarmed. He dared not linger or go farther, fearing he might lose his way, so he turned back and presented the book he had obtained to Helü, the King of Wu. He recounted that the interior had been extremely dark when he first entered, and he had needed a light to find his way. Even then, he could barely make out the hazy path, and was afraid of getting lost.

The road and the space around it, above and below, were all made of blue stone. The stone surfaces were roughly five or six zhang square, and mostly similar in size, though some varied in width. The path beneath his feet was still damp, and in places the dampness stretched on for one or two li. After Yinju had traveled about a thousand li, the surroundings were no longer dark; they grew naturally bright, like daylight. The main road was elevated and dry, and dust rose as he walked. Yin-Yang ditches ran along both sides of the road, and every thirty li there was a stone well. Its water was sweet, and drinking it brought a sense of fullness and kept hunger at bay.

At times, he could see traces left by people and horses beside the road, leading toward other paths. The road Yinju traveled and the stone walls on either side were like white stone, translucent and luminous. The road was about seventy or eighty zhang wide, and the walls about two hundred zhang high. The closer he came to Dongting, the less he could see of the walls’ upper edges; looking up, he saw what seemed like the sky. The sunlight grew brighter too, as though it were midday. The place was neither hot nor cold, but mild and temperate, and a rich fragrance drifted continually through the air. Along the road stood houses, pavilions, and relay stations, carved and decorated with such extraordinary beauty that words could not describe them.

When he reached a place where many roads met, Yinju walked around it once. The roads there varied in width, and the area was about forty or fifty li around. Jade pillars stood on all four sides as markers, inscribed with the words “The Ruins of the Nine Springs and Dongting”—the deep reaches of Dongting, the domain leading to the Nine Springs.

There grew orderly rows of trees, their leaves emerald green and their blossoms purple. Dark grasses bore white flowers, and no one knew their names. Colors appeared naturally, and the Seven Treasures shone with brilliant light. Phoenixes flew above the mountain peak, while dragons and qilin frolicked at its foot. This was indeed a numinous treasure land between Heaven and Earth, and a flourishing place of residence for the True Ones—those who had attained the true Dao.

Yinju carefully recorded what he had experienced and seen, then presented his account to the King of Wu. The king listened with reverence and astonishment. He purified his heart, observed a fast, and offered sacrifices to Heaven on a quiet terrace, where he received the book. That same year, in Taihao—here referring to the land of Wu—rain and wind came in their proper seasons, the five grains yielded abundant harvests, the people lived in peace and contentment, and the realm was harmonious and secure.

Helü prized this heavenly book greatly, but could not understand its writing. He therefore sent an envoy with the book to the state of Lu. He placed the scroll in a golden case, sealed it with the Jade Emperor’s seal, a mark symbolizing the Mandate of Heaven, and submitted its contents as well, asking the Lu minister Confucius for guidance. When the envoy arrived in Lu, he knelt before Confucius, holding up the book, and said, “Once, when the King of Wu was traveling by chariot, he gazed toward a ferry on the seashore, rested his troops at the Hill of the Eastern Grove, and then went to feast at Mount Beibao. While the chariots and horses were at rest, a red crow suddenly appeared, carrying this scroll of plain silk in its beak. It landed before the king’s carriage. ‘Auspicious lord, Heaven has sent a numinous omen. May your kingdom prosper for generations and endure like gold and stone.’ I have been ordered to travel abroad with this heavenly book. I beg you, Master, to explain the source of the good omens and blessings it foretells.”

Confucius sat calmly and at ease. Without opening the book’s case, he replied to the envoy, “When I once traveled along the banks of the Western River, I heard children singing this rhyme: ‘The King of Wu goes out to view Lake Zhen; Longwei the Elder, named Yinju, heads north to Mount Bao and enters the numinous grotto; then he reaches Dongting and steals Yu’s book. The great script of the Celestial Emperor must not be revealed. This is the beginning of the hundred-and-six-year cycle of Fu Bo; though the book has now been brought out, the city of the kingdom will perish.’”

Confucius explained the rhyme as follows: In ancient times, when Yu of the Xia dynasty controlled the floods, opened up the land, and brought the mountains and rivers under order, he completed his great work and made an inspection tour around Zhongshan. There he obtained scriptures that had been received and kept by the Yellow Emperor, Emperor Ku, and others, including the Supreme Lingbao True Scripture of the Upper Three Heavens.

Later, Confucius traveled to Kuaiji and further explained the Mysterious Writ of the Numinous Treasure, arranging it into the Writ of the Numinous Treasure. He placed one copy in a stone chamber on a famous mountain and entrusted another to a water deity. In the future, a Daoist who had attained the Dao would obtain the book. It was said to be the Supreme Numinous Treasure True Scripture of Heaven, bestowed upon and treasured by the Yellow Emperor, Di Ku, and others. Confucius also said that, in time, a person who had attained the Dao would obtain it and present it to a ruler. Confucius suspected that this book might be the Supreme True Writ recorded in the Numinous Treasure talisman, though he could not be certain whether it had been carried down by a red crow.

The envoy knelt and thanked him, saying, “It is just as you say, sir.” Zilu, who was attending nearby, said, “He was sent on his lord’s command, yet deceived his ruler; that does not make him a loyal subject. He came to another state but did not explain his purpose to the officials in charge. After accepting his assignment, he distorted its purpose; that does not make him a competent envoy either. This man is deceitful. Allow me to punish him.”

Confucius said, “Some people shake out their clothes, hoping to cover the sun; others raise a hand to block the daylight. Can sunlight truly be blocked? Can the sun and moon truly be concealed? These are merely two phenomena. Why treat the act of covering them as so grave? As long as the light they cast is not harmed, do not boast of yourself.”

Confucius then said to the envoy, “This is a wondrous scripture treasured in the celestial realm and composed by a great sage. The upper section speaks of the harmonious Qi of Yin and Yang; the lower section discusses the transformation of the Dao and the essentials of nourishing life. Only immortals can make use of its written teachings. Rulers, however, cannot obtain its methods of cultivation. If someone were to live in a remote place, seek the Way of nature in the distance, escape constraints through Wuwei (non-action), and dwell in seclusion deep in the mountains, far from contention, then perhaps I would tell him the wondrous and hidden meaning of this numinous text and the subtle teachings of the Supreme One.”

Confucius returned the book to the envoy without opening it. When the envoy returned, he reported Confucius’s words in full. Helü lamented that his fortune was too meager and, at last despairing, stopped asking Confucius to explain the text. He later kept the book in a mysterious casket and treasured it greatly. Some time afterward, he took it out himself, only to find that the wrapping remained unopened and the book had vanished.

Fuchai obtained numinous writings at Mount Lao, yet in the end he was killed and his state destroyed. Helü discovered sacred writings at Lake Dongting, but later Goujian conquered him as well. This shows that the children’s song recited by Qiu was indeed fulfilled: it foretold the coming destruction of the state. Those who obtain sacred writings on their own, without receiving them through a person’s revelation or instruction, rarely escape calamity. If a heavenly text is not transmitted to someone in accord with the Dao, whoever receives it will be punished in Xuandu, the celestial palace of the immortals.

Hua Ziqi was from Jiujiang. In his youth he took an interest in the Way of the immortals, withdrew to the mountains, gathered and ate medicinal herbs, and lived in the forests for more than twenty years. Later, he unexpectedly met Master Luli, who transmitted to him the Lingbao methods for cultivating immortality and living in seclusion, including the Hidden-Storage Talisman of the Yellow River Chart, The Flying Turtle of the Yi and Luo, and Balance. Hua Ziqi combined and practiced these methods as instructed, then took the prescribed substances. Gradually, his face and body grew younger and stronger, and his complexion became like a young girl’s. He could walk five hundred li in a day and lift a thousand-jin weight; in a single year, he shed his skin ten times. Afterward, he entered Mount Qian and ascended to immortality in broad daylight.

How Immortals Inhale and Take in the Qi of the Five Directions’ Heavens

Hua Ziqi received the oral instructions from Master Luli; Le Zichang recorded and wrote down the names of the spirits.

The Heaven of the Nine Qi of the Eastern Green Teeth: its breath is like the mist rising from spring grass as it first sprouts, and its radiance is like the sun’s light just after sunrise. Below lies the Abyss of Morning Blossoms; above stands the Palace of Flowing Blossoms.

The Heaven of the Nine Qi of the Eastern Azure Tooth is where the azure and green qi of the East gather. Its breath resembles the mist rising over new spring grass, and its radiance is like sunlight at daybreak. Below it lies the Abyss of Dawn’s Splendor; above it stands the Palace of Flowing Blossoms. The Green-Waisted Jade Maiden dwells in its chambers, while the Supreme True King presides in its halls. The Jade Maiden rides a beast of the Nine Mountains, and the True King commands a divine dragon of nine lights. They guide the qi of the Nine Heavens upward and draw the fragrant, life-giving qi of the Nine Springs below, sustaining Heaven and Earth through the ages and keeping Yin-Yang qi flowing freely. Heaven sends primordial essence to the Taiji, while Earth preserves the vitality of its mountains with Goumang, the eastern deity of Wood. The spirits set the qi of emptiness in motion on a tranquil, lofty terrace; people nourish their Five Organs through the breath between their lips and teeth. In this way, nourishment and irrigation have no end, and the vitality they preserve never runs dry. Thus the cycles of myriad kalpas can begin anew: age and decay recede, and youthful purity returns. Practitioners ride a great Peng bird and play music as they journey far away, ascend the Mysterious Grotto, and look up in search of the numinous officials of Great Truth, joining the immortals in their honored ranks. How magnificent, the Azure Tooth of the Lingbao! Its enduring life springs from the efficacy of the Nine Qi.

The Heaven of the Three Qi of the Southern Vermilion Elixir is where the vermilion and cinnabar qi of the South gather. Its breath resembles deep-red clouds enfolding the white sun, and its radiance is like black jade shining into an abyss. Below it lies the deep pool of Red Spring; above it stands the Vermilion Palace of Long Life. The Great Cinnabar Jade Maiden dwells in its chambers, seated atop the Three Mountains of the Sun. In its halls is the Elder of Primordial Qi, riding a three-horned qilin. He guides upward the wondrous transformations of the Mysterious Origin of Great Clarity and harmonizes below the place where the Three Qi shape and nourish all things, so that all things may endure. In the South, he sets the essence of Heaven in motion and uses the breath of cinnabar lips to nurture people’s vital essence. Gathering and absorbing these breaths has no end; continual nourishment allows life to be preserved for a long time. Thus the aged and withered may regain their youth, and the decayed may flourish again, as though leaves struck down by autumn frost were gathered back up and their radiance restored through ten thousand springs. Practitioners gaze into the void like dragons and soar among the clouds like luan birds; suddenly their hearts and minds open and their thoughts unburden, and they no longer cling to the world of dust. How magnificent, the Vermilion Elixir of the Lingbao! Its unceasing long life springs from the efficacy of the Three Qi.

The Mountain of the Great Emperor of the Central Primordial Cavern sends yellow Qi rising upward and guards the Gate of Earth below. Qi within the mountain steams like clouds and mist, reaching straight to the Nine Heavens. Primordial essence moves back and forth within it, while the breath runs straight as a string, reaching upward to the Supreme Limitless and giving birth below to spirits. Its radiance is like sunlight racing across the sky and illuminating the morning sun; it shines like the bright moon lighting a shadowed city.

Within the mountain is a portal called the “Nine Windows of the Mysterious Chest.” Outside it lies a deep pool formed from sweet springs and jade nectar. The Perfected One, named Zidan, is known in Heaven as the “Jade Maiden of the Yellow Court, Wuxi Heavenly Granary.” She is also the spirit who oversees averting death and nourishing life, and bears the title Great Emperor. She commands the Perfected Ones of the Nine Heavens and rides a chariot along the axis of the earth, escorted by the spirits of the Six Jia and Six Ding. She rewards those who have made merit in cultivation and subdues demons and monsters. Above, she guides the natural, harmonious Qi; below, she governs the spiritual energies of the lands in the five directions. In this way, Heaven and Earth remain stable, Yin and Yang move without disorder, and the weather stays gentle and unimpeded without end. People, too, can keep their lips and teeth intact and unharmed.

Thus a person can turn back life when it is nearing its end and restore the clarity of dawn’s first rosy light. The dimmed and decrepit elderly can regain youth and strength; a state on the verge of decline and dissolution can be transformed, and vitality renewed. The face shines with radiance, as if youth had returned; spirit and Qi grow full, and vitality abounds. Then one can walk in all eight directions, ascend the cloud roads, rise above the crowd and gaze into the distance, and draw in Heaven’s vital essence to sustain oneself. One becomes a companion of the true immortals of the Grand Tenuity Heaven, until the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—fade and evening falls.

How wondrous, the Numinous Treasure of the Yellow Court, the sacred inner realm where central yellow Qi resides! Long life depends on keeping this primordial Qi secure.

In the west lies the Heaven of Luminous Stones and Seven Qi (the celestial realm that governs luminous stones and seven kinds of numinous energy). Its breath is like the bright moon sinking among rainbow clouds; its radiance is like a luminous pearl glimpsed in the dark of night. A white dragon soars, holding a sacred fungus in its jaws, while immortal perfected beings send down pure white sweet dew to nourish all things. These are the numinous blessings of the Seven Heavens and the precious, exquisite essence of the High Perfected (immortals of elevated rank). Their flavor is sweet and gentle, wondrous beyond words, surpassing the taste of food cooked in a cauldron.

Below is a long river of Jade Spring; above are towers and halls of flowing blossoms. Within the chambers is the Plain Maiden of the Most High; in the hall sits the Physician of Primordial Qi. The cultivator rides a fierce mountain-crushing tiger and speeds through the void in a cloud chariot. Above, he draws down the vast, abundant essence of the Seven Heavens; below, he harmonizes the breath of beings along the cloud paths. He cradles cloud dew and pure white sacred fungi, drinks the liquid essence between the dragon’s whiskers, beats a drum beside the Celestial Pond, and gathers sweet fluids at the tip of his tongue. By visualizing these scenes, one will not fall; by cultivating in this way, one can dwell in the heavens for a long time. Thus white hair may turn black, and decrepitude may return to the state of an infant.

Then the cultivator dances through the Celestial River like a phoenix, lets out a clear, ringing cry in the realm of pure emptiness, rests his head upon Cloud Mountain as he cultivates the spirit, and nourishes Jing and Qi within the primordial Qi. He befriends the perfected beings and no longer concerns himself with honor or disgrace, gain or loss. The numinous treasures of luminous stone are truly magnificent: the way to long life lies in partaking of the Seven Qi.

In the north lies the Heaven of Mysterious Nourishment and Five Qi (the celestial realm that governs mysterious nourishment and five kinds of numinous energy). Its breath is like a fierce wind battering a scorching forest; its radiance is like a shooting star plunging into deep waters. The breath here …

In the north, within the Heaven of Mysterious Nourishment and the Five Qi, the five currents of energy appear like smoke swept across a hot forest by a fierce wind, while their radiance is like a meteor plunging into a vast body of water. There, jade liquid is simmered and refined in a dragon-shaped cauldron, and mysterious Qi is drawn from the Heavenly Lake. Below lies the Abyss of Long Life; between them is an immortal abode where the Most High resides. In its palace is a luminous jade maiden, clad in garments green as a cloud-covered forest. Riding a numinous dragon, she opens the way to the realm of truth; in a deer-drawn carriage, she travels back and forth along the Celestial River.

Above, she guides the flowing Qi of the Five Constants; below, she rescues all living beings. She harmonizes and sustains the two forms of Heaven and Earth so they do not collapse, and preserves the lifeblood of all beings so that it may endure. Heaven bestows Original Essence upon the Great Mystery, while perfected persons—those who have attained the Dao—use their teeth to nourish the Three Palaces. Through this practice one may endure forever; by applying these methods one may prolong life. One rinses and swallows divine saliva in the head, joining with pure, harmonious Qi without ostentation. Then the sun no longer sinks in the west: the great sun in the sky returns to the eastern hills. The Qi of decline and exhaustion recedes, and life returns to a childlike state, rising upward once more. Next, a sound like a great drum shakes the Cloud Pool; its force surges forth like a leaping dragon. One meets and discusses the Dao with perfected persons and ascends to the heights alongside numinous immortals. Its De is boundless; nothing surpasses it. The Mysterious Nourishment of the Numinous Treasure is truly vast, and long life arises from the flourishing of the Five Qi.

The Titles of the Five Emperors and Their Officials and Generals of the Numinous Treasure

According to tradition, Yu of Xia gathered the celestial writings on the southern slope of Mount Kuaiji. What follows continues the account of the Five Emperors of the Numinous Treasure and their subordinate officials and generals.

In the east is Lingwei Yang, known as the Azure Emperor (Green Emperor). His divine correspondences are Jia and Yi; he favors the color azure, rides a blue dragon, and raises an azure banner. His Qi belongs to Wood and corresponds to the Year Star (Jupiter). He is attended by nine hundred thousand divine beings. Above, he harmonizes the Qi of spring; below, he brings all things to life.

In the south is Chi Piao Nu, known as the Red Emperor (Fire Emperor). His divine correspondences are Bing and Ding; he favors the color red, rides a red dragon, and raises a vermilion banner. His Qi belongs to Fire and corresponds to Yinghuo (Mars). He is attended by three hundred thousand divine beings. Above, he harmonizes the Qi of summer; below, he brings all things to life.

The Center is called “Pivot Enclosure” (Han Shuniu) and is identified with the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor’s divine correspondences are Wu and Ji; he favors yellow, rides a yellow dragon, and raises a yellow banner. His corresponding energy is Earth, and his star is Saturn. He leads 120,000 spirits, harmonizing Earth’s energy below and receiving the things of the Nine Heavens above.

The Center is called “Pivot Enclosure” (Han Shuniu) and is identified with the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor’s divine correspondences are Wu and Ji; he favors yellow, rides a yellow dragon, and raises a yellow banner. His corresponding energy is Earth, and his star is Saturn. He leads 120,000 spirits, harmonizing Earth’s energy below and receiving the Nine Heavens above.

The West is called “Radiant Soul Treasure” (Yao Po Bao) and is identified with the White Emperor. The White Emperor’s divine correspondences are Geng and Xin; he favors white, rides a white dragon, and raises a white banner. His corresponding energy is Metal, and his star is Venus. He leads 700,000 spirits, harmonizing autumn energy above and gathering in all things below.

The North is called “Hidden Marquis Bureau” (Yin Hou Ju) and is identified with the Black Emperor. The Black Emperor’s divine correspondences are Ren and Gui; he favors black, rides a black dragon, and raises a black banner. His corresponding energy is Water, and his star is Mercury. He leads 500,000 spirits, harmonizing winter energy above and storing away all things below.

Essential Instructions of the Numinous Treasure

The immortal Huo Lin transmitted these teachings to Le Zichang, who lived in seclusion on the northern slope of Mount Laosheng.

A Daoist who enters the mountains to gather medicinal plants collects the Eight Stones and numinous mushrooms to compound an elixir liquid. One may also live in seclusion deep in the mountains and forests to ward off various spirits and monsters. Without the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure, divine medicines remain hidden and difficult to find; the Eight Stones, too, stay concealed for a long time on the northern slope of Mount Laosheng.

A Daoist who enters the mountains to gather medicinal herbs, collect the Eight Minerals and numinous mushrooms, or prepare elixir liquids—or who withdraws into the forests to avoid various spirits—needs the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure. Without them, divine medicines will hide, the Eight Minerals will vanish from sight, and the radiance of numinous mushrooms will fade. Cultivation will be difficult to complete, and one may be troubled by baleful Qi or frightened by ghosts and spirits. When encountering wangliang, the spirits of the mountains and forests, point a numinous talisman at them and they will vanish of their own accord. If a mountain spirit comes to threaten you, it too can be subdued. However greatly spirits may transform themselves, they can all be dealt with at will.

A Daoist must not recklessly do what is contrary to the right way, and should keep clear of methods that stray from it. Caution is essential. Those who follow the Great Dao can summon the gods, command the myriad spirits, and destroy baleful demons. Wear the five talismanic characters—the inscriptions of the Five Talismans—at the elbow, and one can invite perfected immortals from the Nine Heavens and keep the Numinous Treasure’s secret trove within the Five Directions. If this method is not passed on to someone of kindred purpose, it must remain hidden forever. This is the wondrous teaching of the High Sovereign, an ancient revered deity. Wenming hid it in Dongmiao and vowed to transmit it only once in ten thousand kalpas. Only then could the immortal Celestial Book be seen. Guard the secret carefully: even a small blessing will become apparent if it is kept, while revealing it brings grave calamity. For this reason, even Di Ku’s closest kin did not disclose such secrets to Xiao, Yao’s brother.

The Great Clarity Method of the Five Beginnings

When cultivating the Way of the East, Wood Qi flourishes in the liver, while the heart serves as its assisting spirit. Ordinarily, on the Start of Spring and the Spring Equinox, enter a quiet chamber, sit upright facing outward, close your eyes, and turn your attention inward. Envision the Qi of the liver as pure blue-green, attended by a red spirit and nourished by yellow Qi. Let the Qi throughout your whole body become pure blue-green, rising upward to reach Heaven. The primordial Qi of Great Clarity, pure and harmonious, descends from Heaven into your body. Goumang, the deity of Eastern Wood, comes forth, and Lord Lao presides over the rite. When a ruler practices this method, qilin arrive and phoenixes take flight; all things flourish, Jupiter’s course proceeds smoothly, vital essence and Qi reach the celestial enclosure of Taiwei, the southern frontier submits, and auspicious signs descend.

The East corresponds to benevolence. Wood Qi is in its season of strength, and Fire Qi assists it; Earth Qi declines, Metal Qi is subdued, and Water Qi rests. The Five Phases Qi that are declining or subdued should nurture their child Qi, so that it may avenge its father.

When cultivating the Way of the South, Fire Qi flourishes in the heart, while the spleen serves as its assisting spirit. Ordinarily, on the Start of Summer and the Summer Solstice, enter a quiet chamber, lie down in your customary manner, and close your eyes…

Close your eyes and visualize the spirits. Inwardly, see the Qi of the heart as bright red as the sun. The Yellow Spirit attends beside it, while white Qi nourishes it, spreading this true red Qi throughout the body. It rises to connect with Heaven, as the primordial Qi of Great Clarity (the pure, empty Qi of the origin) descends into the body. Zhurong, the southern god of fire, arrives, and Taiyi, the spirit who governs primordial Qi, presides over this true red Qi.

When a ruler practices this method, phoenixes fly in, sweet dew descends, gentle winds blow, and all things grow. The auspicious Star of Radiance appears in the heavens; Yinghuo (Mars) follows its proper course; the miraculous plant xiepu grows, and fine grain ripens. The peoples of the west submit, and the country prospers.

The southern rite belongs to Fire, which is flourishing; Earth is its minister and ranks second in strength, Metal is in the position of death, Water is constrained, and Wood is at rest. The Five Phases in positions of confinement or death should support the element they generate, so that the child may avenge its father.

When practicing the way of the west, Metal corresponds to the lungs, whose Qi is flourishing; the kidneys are the superior minister. Usually, at the Start of Autumn and the Autumn Equinox, enter the quiet chamber for meditation. Lie down in your usual posture, close your eyes, and visualize the spirits. Inwardly, see the Qi of the lungs as pure white. The Black Spirit attends beside it, while green Qi nourishes it, spreading this pure white Qi throughout the body. It rises to connect with Heaven, as the primordial Qi of Great Clarity descends into the body. Rishou, the western god of Metal, arrives, and Taihe, the spirit who harmonizes Qi, presides over it.

When a ruler practices this method, the White Tiger displays benevolence, and the “beiyan ying” and poisonous gu creatures conceal their traces. A fresh rain comes with the clear breeze; the Five Grains ripen, and affairs of state proceed in good order. Yuheng, a star of the Northern Dipper, follows a steady course; the Heavenly Horse descends; Taibai (Venus) moves smoothly; the peoples of the east submit, and luan birds arrive.

The western virtue of righteousness belongs to Metal, which is flourishing; Water is its minister, Wood is in the position of death, Fire is constrained, and Earth is at rest. The Five Phases in positions of confinement or death should support the element they generate, so that the child may avenge its father.

When practicing the way of the north, Water corresponds to the kidneys, whose Qi is flourishing; the liver is the superior minister. Usually, at the Start of Winter and the Winter Solstice, enter the quiet chamber. Lie down in your usual posture, close your eyes, and visualize the spirits. Inwardly, see the Qi of the kidneys as true black, so that the child may avenge its father.

When cultivating the Way of the North, Water Qi is vigorous and corresponds to the kidneys, with Liver Qi as its support. On the days of the Beginning of Winter and the Winter Solstice, enter a quiet chamber—a room for meditation—and lie down in whatever way you customarily practice. Close your eyes and hold the spirit and Qi in awareness. In your mind, envision the kidney Qi as deep black, while primordial Qi drifts and rises like clouds in the mountains, ascending into the sky and joining with Heaven. Clear, pure primordial Qi descends from Heaven into the body, making the whole body warm; then nourish it with red Qi. Qi in the five colors—dark and yellow—and the spirit of profound darkness descend, under the direction of the Dao Lord.

When a ruler practices this method, waterways throughout the realm flow freely, the divine turtle appears with its markings clear, winds abate and rain ceases, and all things retreat into storage, resting and renewing themselves beneath the Yellow Springs without suffering needless harm. The Star of the Year follows its proper course, the celestial radiance shines without interruption, the southern Yi peoples submit, and the Black Elixir appears.

The North corresponds to wisdom. Water Qi is in its season, Wood Qi supports it, Fire Qi declines, Earth Qi is constrained, and Metal Qi rests. The Five Phases Qi that is constrained or declining should be nourished by the Qi it generates, as a son avenging his father.

When cultivating the Way of Central Wu and Ji, Earth Qi is vigorous and corresponds to the spleen, with Lung Qi as its support. On a day in the sixth month when Earth Qi governs, enter a quiet chamber and sit upright facing south. Close your eyes and hold the spirit and Qi in awareness. In your mind, envision the spleen Qi as yellow, accompanied by white Qi and nourished by black Qi. The true yellow Qi travels with you and joins with Heaven above. Clear, pure primordial Qi descends from Heaven into the body and gathers into a yellow Qi, round as an egg. With a tranquil mind and Wuwei (non-action), all things come naturally into order. Yuqiang, the water deity of the North, descends, under the direction of the Dao Lord.

When a ruler practices this method, all eight directions receive his instruction and the hundred spirits each fulfill their duties. Sweet springs well up from the earth, auspicious stars appear in the sky, and a yellow dragon emerges and ascends. Lingzhi mushrooms flourish, Weixi appears—“Weixi” is the wording of the original and seems to be the name of an auspicious sign—sweet dew descends, crops yield abundant harvests, the four quarters submit, and all under Heaven is at peace.

Central Wu and Ji correspond to trust. Earth Qi is in its season, Metal Qi supports it, Water Qi declines, Wood Qi is constrained, and Fire Qi rests. The Five Phases Qi that is constrained or declining should be nourished by the Qi it generates, as a son avenging his father.

The method of consuming the essence of the sun and moon.

Absorbing the sun’s vital essence can prolong life and preserve health. On the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and fifteenth days of each month, just as the sun rises, let your hair hang loose and face the sun. Close your eyes and visualize a young boy in your heart, dressed in deep red robes. His body is covered in brilliant, multicolored patterns that shine a vivid crimson. Then rub both hands downward from your face to your chest, repeating this twelve times. Visualize the sun’s vital essence transforming into a reddish-yellow breath that comes before your eyes, enters your mouth, and is swallowed eighteen times. Then massage with your hands, guiding the breath downward.

The incantation says: “May the primordial Yang breath of the Lord of the Sun join with my De (Virtue/Power) breath, together nourishing the young boy in the Crimson Palace.” Then visualize the breath descending and settling in the Dantian (energy center). This can enable one to attain long life.

Absorbing the moon’s vital essence can nourish the kidneys at their root and turn white hair black again. Ordinarily, at midnight, visualize white breath between the kidneys, circulating through the body, rising to the brain gate (a point at the back of the crown) and descending to the soles of both feet. The scripture says that following this natural Way may seem easy, but putting it into practice is truly difficult. On the fifteenth day of each month, face the moon and recite the incantation:

“May the primordial Yin breath of the Lord of the Moon join with my De (Virtue/Power) breath, together nourishing the young boy in the Dantian.” Then close your eyes and visualize the moon’s white-yellow vital essence coming before your eyes and entering your mouth. Swallow it twenty-one times, then massage with your hands to guide it downward, where the breath settles in the Dantian.

The Central Yellow Lord of the Dao (a revered deity in Daoism) said: Heaven and Earth give life to and nurture the myriad things, and among them, human beings are the most honored. The human body contains images of everything between Heaven and Earth: the sun and moon; the Northern Dipper; the celestial sphere and its jade measuring rod (an ancient instrument for observing the heavens, also a term for the ordered movement of celestial bodies); the Five Sacred Mountains and the Four Great Rivers; mountains, streams, rivers, and seas; and divine beings such as the Wind Earl, the Rain Master, the Spirit Star, and the gods of the soil and grain. It also contains the qilin, phoenix, dragon, tiger, and Black Tortoise; the Five Grains, mulberry and hemp, and the six domestic animals, such as oxen and horses; birds, beasts, fish, giant turtles, turtles, and Chinese alligators; and bamboo, trees, and all kinds of plants. The human body reflects all these things.

Within the human body there is also an order of rulers and officials: an emperor, three ministers of state, nine high officials, twenty-seven senior ministers, and eighty-one scholar-officials. The body is also like the realm, divided into nine provinces, one hundred and twenty commanderies, twelve hundred counties, eighteen thousand townships, thirty-six thousand stations, and one hundred and eighty thousand watch posts (stations for carrying documents, patrols, or keeping watch). In addition, the human body corresponds to palaces and halls, homes, gates and doors, wells and stoves, pots, cauldrons, and steamers, as well as grains such as polished rice, millet, and panicled millet. The foods required by the various divine beings, too, all have their counterparts within the human body. Whoever understands this principle can attain long life.

The human body is regarded as a miniature of Heaven and Earth: the head is round, symbolizing Heaven, while the feet are square, symbolizing Earth. The hair corresponds to the stars, the eyes to the sun and moon, the eyebrows to the Northern Dipper, the ears to the altars of soil and grain (where the ancient rites to the gods of soil and grain were performed), the nose to hills, the mouth to rivers, the teeth to jade, and the limbs to the four seasons.

The Five Zang organs—the lungs, heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys—follow the order of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). They also correspond to the Five Emperors, the Five Offices (five divine agencies), the five planets in the sky, the Five Sacred Mountains on Earth, five divine kings within the body, and five virtues manifested beyond it. When they rise, they become clouds of five colors; when they transform, they become five dragons.

The Six Fu organs are as follows: the gallbladder is the Fu organ of the liver, the stomach of the spleen, the large intestine of the lungs, the small intestine of the heart, and the bladder of the kidneys. The navel is the “Metropolitan Fu,” which governs all the Fu organs. Each organ and viscera also has its own divine office: the gallbladder’s deity is called the Great Dao Lord, the spleen’s deity the Empress of Noble Maidens, the heart’s deity the Grand Marshal, the left kidney’s deity the Minister of State, and the right kidney’s deity the Minister of Works.

There are eight deities of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua); together with Taiyi in the navel, the exalted deity who commands all the gods, they make up the Nine Ministers. The deities of the Twelve Ringed Towers number twelve. Within the spleen are twelve remonstrating officials; with the three deities of the Three Burners, who govern the upper, middle, and lower burners, they make up the twenty-seven Senior Officials. The deities of the limbs are called the Eighty-One Origin Officers. The Qi of the upper region is called the Envoy of the Canopy, and the Qi of the lower region the Grand Herald.

The upper, middle, and lower regions of the body each have nine transformations, nine openings, and nine names, modeled respectively on the Nine Provinces. The offices of the Three Ministers, Nine Ministers, twenty-seven Senior Officials, and eighty-one Origin Officers together number 120. Each office has five departments inside and five officials outside, making ten officials in all, corresponding to 1,200 counties. The deities of the middle region correspond to 18,000 townships, and those of the upper region to 36,000 pavilions. Each pavilion has five watchtowers—ancient structures used for keeping watch and relaying messages—for a total of 180,000 watchtowers.

Each of the Five Zang organs also corresponds to a palace or office: the lungs to the Jade Hall Palace and Secretariat; the heart to the Crimson Palace of Original Yang; the liver to the Green Yang Palace and Orchid Terrace Office; the gallbladder to the Purple Tenuity Palace of Limitlessness; the spleen to the Central Palace of Great Simplicity; and the kidneys to the Hidden Brilliance Palace of Great Harmony.

To cultivate the Dao and seek immortality, one should first visualize the spirits within the body, nourish the roots of life, circulate the breath, and call these spirits by name.

There are seven spirits in the hair, called Xunchang; three at the neck, called Dongwangfu; one inside the forehead, called Lord of the Southern Pole, whose courtesy name is Yuanxian; one between the eyebrows, called Lord of Heavenly Numinous Power; four in the ears, called the Charming Maidens; six in the eyes, called the Bright and Clear; one in the nose, called Tonglu; one in the mouth, called Danzhu; one in the tongue, called Danhuang; thirty-six in the teeth, called the Guards; one in the throat, called the Tiger Warriors; spirits in the eyebrows, called the Spirit of Rank; and spirits in the hands, called the Yin Souls.

The lung spirit is called Honghong, the heart spirit Xuxu, the liver spirit Linlin, the gallbladder spirit Huohuo, the stomach spirit J juju, the spleen spirit Pipi, and the spirits of the two kidneys Piaopiao. The spirit in the navel is called Jade Numinous Child, and the spirit in the Dantian (energy center) is called Essence Keeper. The large intestine spirit is called Dondun, the small intestine spirit Liangliang, the spirit of the sexual organs Qiongying, the female spirit Danjing, the spirit of the two bodies Yinyin, the spirits of the knees Ougong, the spirits of the shins Sui Kongzi, and the spirits of the feet Pillars of Heaven, the Mighty Warriors.

At night, when closing the eyes to prepare for sleep, begin at the head and call the names of the body’s spirits in sequence, three times each, until you have finished. If a part of the body hurts, call the name of the spirit associated with that place nine times, asking it to come and heal you. Then lie straight, close your eyes, and visualize the body’s spirits; the illness will soon be cured. On the first and fifteenth days of each month, and on the nights of the spring and autumn equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices, visualize and inwardly contemplate the spirits within the body, calling the names of the spirits in each part and asking them to restrain the Hun (ethereal soul) and control the Po (corporeal soul). In Daoist cultivation, the Hun and Po are understood as components of a person’s spirit. A Perfected One—a person who has attained the Dao—said, “If you wish to ascend to immortality, you should summon the spirits within yourself.”

The Central Yellow Old Lord, a deity revered in Daoism, said: “Now that you know the names of the spirits within the body, you should also learn where the parents of Heaven and Earth and the House of the Red Child are, as well as the names of the Perfected Ones in the Five Cities and Twelve Towers. These matters are kept secret in the Palace of Great Clarity and Mysterious Harmony and the Observatory of Gathering Clouds. Only those entered in the registers of immortals are entitled to ascend to immortality. If you wish to ascend, you should summon the spirits within yourself.”

Lord Zhonghuang Lao says: “Since you already know the names of the spirits hidden within the body, you should also learn the dwelling places of the parents of Heaven and Earth and the Red Child, as well as the perfected beings in the Five Cities and Twelve Towers. These teachings are secretly preserved in the Palace of Mysterious Harmony in the Great Purity Heaven and the Observatory of the Clustered Heavens. Only those entered in the registers of immortals can see them.

“Master Luli orally transmitted the essential instructions to Hua Ziqi. If you wish to know who the parents of Heaven and Earth and the Red Child are, they refer to the Three Ones. The Heavenly One is beneath the Canopy of Flowers, the Human One is within the Dipper’s Gate, and the Earthly One is where the sun and moon travel. The Three Ones shine like bright pearls. If you do not guard them, what else can you seek?

“Another account says: the Earthly One is where the sun and moon travel, the Human One is within the Dipper’s Gate, and the Heavenly One is beneath the Canopy of Flowers. Original Qi rises lightly and flows, drawing them toward one another. The spirit turtle is at the center, upright yet slightly tilted. If you wish to obtain it, you should come and ask me. Where is the One? It is right here. You cannot guard only the Yang aspect; you must also guard the Yin aspect. The One has no form or trace and is difficult to perceive. If you do not understand how to guard the One, you will lose everything.

“The One is as large as an egg yolk and the color of a sweet orange. When it emerges, it is half formed; when drawn back in, it becomes whole. If you can guard it, all things can be accomplished. The Three Ones spoken of here are the body’s three palaces: the head, the heart, and the navel.

“Since you already know the dwelling places of the parents of Heaven and Earth and the Red Child, as well as the perfected beings in the Five Cities and Twelve Towers, you should also learn to consume the divine elixir, liquid gold, the flowing pearl of the sun, and the Great One. Only then can you become an immortal in the palaces of the Three Heavens. If you do not consume these three primal essences, your efforts will be in vain.

“First, visualize the five divine creatures: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and the Yellow Qilin at the center. Visualize them suddenly transforming into mountains and forests. Beyond the woods in the four directions are immortals, tiger guards, and feathered forest guards, eight in each direction. You may choose the size of the visualization, or make it large enough to hold ten thousand people.

“Second, summon and visualize the spirits within the body, proceeding one by one from head to foot. Nurture their roots, circulate the Qi within the body, and call them by name. By practicing in this way, you can attain longevity and become an immortal.”

Third, Guarding the Earth One means protecting the body’s original essence that belongs to Earth. It is called the Dantian (the place within the body where Jing and Qi are stored and nourished). It shines white as clouds, tinged with the five colors of dark and yellow. The Mother of the Dao (the source from which the Dao gives birth to all things) dwells within it, amid the watery Qi of the womb described as “the womb within the waters of drowning.”

Fourth, Guarding the Human One means protecting the body’s original essence that belongs to humanity. It is called the Crimson Palace (the palace where the heart is located). It is the Supreme One of the Southern Pole, appearing as a small red child. The moon is on its right and the sun on its left, symbolizing the union of the hun and po souls.

Fifth, Guarding the Heaven One means protecting the body’s original essence that belongs to Heaven. It is called the Purple Palace (the palace within the body that represents Heaven). It is as large as an egg from before Heaven and Earth were divided, and takes the form of nine colors of dark and yellow. The stars and the courses of calendrical reckoning converge within it, and it governs the body’s entire order.

Sixth, Consuming the Spirit Elixir means taking in the sun’s essence, which appears as a small red child. The moon is on its right and the sun on its left, symbolizing the union of the hun and po souls.

Cultivation is generally practiced beginning on the first day of each lunar month, and also on the seventh, fifteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-ninth days, as well as on Jiazi and Bingwu days in mid-autumn. Enter a quiet chamber, close the eyes, and visualize the sun’s essence transforming into red Qi. Let it descend from above into the mouth, then swallow it in eighty-one portions. The perfected person says: “Take in the sun’s vital energy, and you can become equal with Heaven and Earth.”

Seventh, Consuming the Golden Liquid means taking in the moon’s essence, like golden liquid. It is the essence of dark water—that is, the moon’s essence. This is generally practiced at midnight on the fifteenth day of each lunar month. Enter a quiet chamber, close the eyes, and visualize the moon’s essence as pure white. Let it descend from above into the mouth, then swallow it in forty-nine portions. The perfected person says: “Take in the moon’s vital energy, and you can thereby attain long life.”

The eighth method of cultivation is to swallow the subtle Qi of the stars. When stellar Qi descends, it appears in colors such as green, white, red, and yellow. Usually, at dusk, when the stars first appear, enter a room to cultivate. Close your eyes and visualize the essence of the corresponding star transforming into breath and descending into your mouth, then swallow it the prescribed number of times:

In spring, visualize the green Qi of Suixing (Jupiter) and swallow it ninety times; in summer, visualize the red Qi of Yinghuo (Mars) and swallow it thirty times; in autumn, visualize the white Qi of Taibai (Venus) and swallow it seventy times; in winter, visualize the black Qi of Chenxing (Mercury) and swallow it fifty times. On the second day of the final month of each season, visualize the yellow Qi of Zhenxing (Saturn) and swallow it twelve times. The final months of the four seasons are the twelfth, third, sixth, and ninth months.

During cultivation, focus your attention inward until you feel that you can see the stellar Qi. The Perfected One said, “By swallowing the Qi of the stars, you can connect with Heaven.”

On each of the eight seasonal days of the year, purple clouds of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) spread across the heavens, while Qi rises and falls, above and below, in a state of primordial naturalness. At this time, enter a quiet room, close your eyes, and turn your attention inward. Imagine purple Qi rising from the Niwan Palace (the inner palace in the head) and going straight up into the sky; red Qi rising from the Jiang Palace (the inner palace where the heart is) and going straight up into the sky; and yellow Qi rising from the Dantian (the inner palace in the abdomen) and going straight up into the sky.

A short while later, imagine three young immortals descending from heaven. One wears purple and is named the Perfected One Who Protects the Brain. Following the purple Qi, he enters the Niwan Palace, and the purple Qi returns with him to the crown of the head. One wears red and is named the Crimson Child Who Protects the Heart. Following the red Qi, he enters the Jiang Palace, and the red Qi returns with him to the heart. One wears yellow and is named the Numinous Being Who Protects the Organs. Following the yellow Qi, he enters the Dantian, and the yellow Qi returns with him to the area below the navel.

These three young immortals can replenish the breath and drive away evil, harmonize the blood and Qi, and settle the hun and po souls. They calm the mind and spirit, fill the meridians, brighten the body’s complexion, and enrich its fluids. Wait quietly for a while, sensing the body become peaceful and at ease, as though the breath were nourished, evil dispelled, blood and Qi harmonized, the souls settled, the mind and spirit calmed, the meridians filled, the body’s radiance flowing smoothly, and its fluids abundant. This is the power of the three young immortals to protect the body. Focus your visualization on the three palaces being full and their gates opening; the three young immortals will then suddenly fly back to heaven, and the gates will close at once.

The Perfected One said: “If you wish never to forget this method, you must carefully summon the heavenly children. When the heavenly children descend, they travel through the air and guard the spirits within your body, enabling you to become an immortal. If you do not hold the spirits in your thoughts, the corpse souls—the Yin souls bound to the physical body—will report to those above. This Way has nine methods in all, and those who practice them can live a long life. The Perfected One of Zhongshan transmitted this method to Yu, enabling him to remain in the protection of Heaven for long ages and ascend to the Profound Palace, the hidden celestial halls.”

The method of consuming the sun, moon, and stars, which Xia Yu transmitted to the Perfected One of Zhongshan, is concealed in the empty realm of Dongting.

Practitioners who absorb the vital essences of the sun, moon, and stars can attain long life and, through this cultivation, ascend to Heaven and pay their respects to the Primordial Ancestor, the original ancestor in Daoist teaching.

On the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth days of each month, and on the fifteenth, begin cultivating at sunrise and continue until noon. Visualize a sun within your heart, with a mysterious canopy inside it—a symbolic ceremonial parasol. Beneath the canopy is a small child, red from head to toe, with red Qi filling and surrounding the body in layer upon layer. Then visualize the red Qi gathering in your head, rising from the crown and flying up to Heaven, where it circles the sun nine times. Recite the spell: “Sun Lord, Primordial Yang, return to the Crimson Palace, the divine chamber dwelling in the heart. Become one with me, and together let us nurture the little child.” Next, visualize the sun’s vital essence descending and entering through your nostrils and mouth. Swallow it twenty-seven times until it fills your heart. Within your heart are three divine beings: the Supreme One Father on the left, the Mysterious Radiance Mother on the right, and the little Red Child in the center. They sit on a golden-wood couch with jade fittings, holding jade plates and cups. The cups contain divine wine, the Essence of Jade, and Heavenly Zhi grass lies beside them. Visualize yourself consuming these immortal delicacies; you will no longer hunger or thirst and will attain long life.

Absorbing the moon’s vital essence can also bring long life and enable you to ascend to Heaven. At midnight on the fifteenth day of each month, face the moon and bow twice. Recite the spell: “Moon Lord, Primordial Yin, return to the Dantian, the place of cultivation in the lower abdomen. Become one with me, and together let us nurture the little child.” Then visualize the moon’s white Qi and yellow vital essence descending and entering through your nose and mouth. Swallow them twenty-one times. The moon’s essence settles in the roots of the kidneys, and the practitioner can attain long life.

Absorbing the vital essence of the stars can bring you up to the Great Clarity, a high celestial realm in Daoist teaching. Cultivate each day at sunrise, dusk, noon, and night, nurturing the little child throughout. Then visualize the moon’s white Qi and yellow vital essence descending and entering through your nose and mouth. Swallow them twenty-one times. The moon’s essence settles in the roots of the kidneys, and the practitioner can attain long life.

At sunrise, dusk, noon, and midnight each day, gaze up at the Northern Dipper’s Pole Star, the Great Sovereign Star, and silently recite: “August Heaven, Shangdi; Supreme Lord of the Dao, this disciple, so-and-so, loves the Dao and seeks long life.” Then visualize the essence of the stars descending and resting between your eyebrows before flowing into your nostrils and mouth. Swallow it in three to five draughts, visualizing this Qi filling your heart, gallbladder, and spleen. Within the spleen is the Mother of the Dao, who nourishes the Red Child—a symbol of the life energy within the practitioner. In this way, you will not hunger and may attain long life.

The Old Lord said: “A pine tree grows for a thousand years. Once its resin has congealed, it can connect with the spirits. It sinks into the earth, conceals its original surname, and takes another name. Casting off its former shape, it gradually grows larger, forming around the tree’s roots. It is called ‘Weixi,’ and is also known as ‘Fuling’”—a medicinal fungus that grows near pine roots. It can ward off weapons and calamity, let one hide and vanish, and keep one from hunger and thirst, allowing one to endure alongside the sun and moon. If you can take it, you can attain long life.

The Old Lord said: “‘Gouxu nourishes the body; abiding in form restores the years.’ It is also called ‘húmá’”—sesame. It originally grew in Dayuan, in the ancient Western Regions, and has existed for ten thousand years. Later it crossed the passes eastward and settled in the Central Plains, entering the hidden realm. It keeps one from hunger and thirst and allows one to endure alongside the sun and moon. If you can take it, you can attain long life.

The Old Lord again said: “‘Gouxu nourishes the body; abiding in form restores the years.’ It is also called húmá. Native to Dayuan, it later crossed the passes and came to the Central Plains, severing its ties with the lands of the Hu peoples. It contains the vital essence of Water and can dispel wind and cold. It is also called ‘jusheng’ and can drive away evil and treachery. Take it continually, and you will endure in the world. Jusheng and Weixi become companions; they come from the land of the Hu and can harmonize the spirit. If you can take them, you can attain long life.

The Old Lord said: “Pepper grows in Shu-Han and contains the Qi of Great Yin. Born together with Heaven and Earth, it changes and sinks into the earth. It can therefore dispel dampness and prevent evil Qi from intruding. It can overcome ghosts and harmful parasites; there is nothing it cannot ward off or cure. If you take it regularly, you can have whatever you desire. This is a profound Dao, secretly preserved in the world. Remember it well and do not divulge it; do not pass it on lightly, even for ten thousand gold pieces.”

Laojun said: Ginger grows where sunlight is abundant. Like Sichuan pepper, it comes from the same region, and both grow in fertile soil. They grow deep in the mountains, with firm stems and roots that are not easily shaken, so they can withstand harm. If you take them regularly, you can do as you please. These secret methods of the world are profound; keep them carefully and do not reveal them. They are worth more than ten thousand gold pieces.

Laojun said: Ginger grows in sunny places. Like Sichuan pepper, it comes from the same region, and both grow in fertile soil. They grow in the mountains, firmly rooted; they draw nourishment from springs, absorb vital essence, preserve their roots in the earth, and face the sun from the shade, enduring alongside the world. Thus they can dispel dampness, ward off cold, seek warmth, eliminate evil, treat illness, and seal the Gate of Ghosts—the legendary passage through which spirits enter and leave. If you take them regularly, your life will last as long as Heaven and Earth.

Laojun said: Sweet flag grows near marshes and deep pools, in low, damp places, beside water, and along streams. Some also grow on high mountains, with roots gripping the rocks. A plant with nine joints to every inch is called a “numinous body.” If you find and take it, it will gather abundant vital essence. In this way it can nourish life, preserve the spirit, dispel dampness, drive away spirits, and avert calamity. Ghosts, goblins, and other evil beings, along with fierce and ill-omened creatures, will not dare approach. Take it continuously, and your life may last for a thousand years upon a thousand years.

Yue Zichang said: These five substances can each be taken on its own. They can replenish original Qi, slow aging, fill the vital essence, and calm the spirit and soul. Take them for a long time, and you can endure alongside the world. Thus the Xiaojing Yuan Shen Qi, a weft text that interprets the Classic of Filial Piety through auspicious signs and correspondences between Heaven and humanity, says: “Ginger and Sichuan pepper replenish original Qi; sweet flag sharpens hearing; giant sesame [sesame seeds] prolongs life; Weixi [a medicinal name as given in the original text] wards off weapons and avoids war.” These are secret words handed down by Confucius, and the intent revealed by the highest sages.

Laojun observed the celestial patterns and prescribed the Five Numinous Herbs and Elixir to preserve the spirit, slow aging, transcend the mundane world, and attain immortality.

The Three-Day Formula of Numinous Fruit.

Written by Yue Zichang.

Take 5 parts giant sesame (a kind of sesame), 4 parts weixi, 1 part Sichuan pepper, 3 parts dried ginger, and 3 parts calamus. Choose fresh, high-quality ingredients and clean them carefully. Choose a Wangxiang day, considered auspicious in traditional date selection, and have a virgin boy pound the ingredients without changing workers midway. Process the five ingredients separately, sift each into a fine powder, and pound each one ten thousand times.

Place each powder in its own red cup, arrange the five cups on a red table, and leave them exposed to the dew overnight. At dawn the next day, measure out the powders with a divine measure used in ritual, then mix them according to the prescribed proportions. Add white honey or white malt syrup and blend, then pound the mixture another thirty thousand times, forming pills the size of firmiana seeds.

At dawn, face the sun and kneel upright to take three pills. Then say, “Long life,” and pray that your wishes be fulfilled. In the evening, after sunset, kneel facing west and bow, then take three pills as in the morning. Continue this practice over the long term. While taking the pills, avoid raw fish, pork, and chives. Do not come into contact with corpses at funerals, dogs, pigs, or defilements associated with childbirth. Observe the prohibitions carefully and pray for your wishes to come true.

This makes one batch. Once it is used up, you may prepare another. The quantities of the ingredients may be increased or reduced proportionally; prepare enough for a year’s use. As for the pounding, each of the five ingredients may be pounded an additional ten thousand times, making fifty thousand in all. After blending, pound the mixture again, bringing the total to forty thousand times.

Begin taking it on a Jiazi day, the first day in the sexagenary cycle, and continue through the Guihai day, which completes the cycle. Take it punctually each morning and evening, and never forget a dose. Sixty days make one period, in accordance with the regular course of Heaven and Earth; take it according to this schedule. Jiazi and Guihai mark the beginning and end of the period: from Jiazi through Guihai counts as one period. If the Jiazi day does not fall on a “Establish” day, it is also acceptable to begin on a “Full,” “Set,” or “Open” day. Before taking the medicine, observe a three-day purification fast, burn incense, and visualize the divine beings; then begin.

According to the scripture, after taking it for sixty days, the body will feel lighter and movement more nimble. After another sixty days, the limbs will flow freely; after another sixty, the complexion will grow lustrous; after another sixty, the abdomen and intestines will be calm, the Five Zang organs full, and the body protected from harmful influences. After a further sixty days, the body will be robust; after another sixty, hearing and sight will become keen. These are the signs recorded for the first year.

Thereafter, every sixty days, the bones will grow strong, the fingernails lustrous, spiritual responses more pronounced, and Jing and Qi increasingly abundant and undiminished; the body will become robust, and hearing and sight keen. These are the signs recorded for the second year. The text then lists another sequence of changes over sixty-day periods: strong bones, lustrous nails, pronounced spiritual responses, growing Jing and Qi, white hair turning black and disappearing, and firm teeth. These too are called signs of the second year.

With continued use, in the third year one will gradually attain thorough understanding of Dao and De; the Six Jia spirits, beings associated with the sexagenary cycle, will attend; the spirit and Qi will circulate throughout the body; one’s resolve will become firm as the spirit moves freely; the heart’s apertures will open and the eyes grow bright, allowing one to know what lies far away in the four directions. In the fourth year, one’s gaze will shine, the Five Spirits associated with the Five Zang organs will not decline, one will feel neither hunger nor thirst, the hundred spirits will come to pay homage, the Qi of the Five Zang organs will not be exhausted, and one will adapt to cold and heat. The scripture then repeats some signs of the fourth year: the Five Spirits do not decline, one feels neither hunger nor thirst, the hundred spirits come to pay homage, the Qi of the Five Zang organs is inexhaustible, and one adapts to cold and heat.

By the fifth year, it is said, one can float or sink, move in shallows or depths, become round or square, weak or strong, extend or contract, and become short or long. By the sixth year, one can be beautiful or ugly, young or old, large or small, light or heavy; one can enter and leave without hindrance, and a traveling kitchen appears constantly at one’s side. One’s rank becomes that of an immortal.

If one takes it over a long period without ever stopping, one can endure as long as Heaven, transform one’s bodily form in a thousand ways, and ascend to the Great Clarity, a high celestial realm in Daoism.

The Many Formulas of the Lingbao for Giant Victory

The many formulas for giant victory (jusheng, sesame, also called flaxseed). This formula was passed down by the immortal Huolin to Le Zichang, who lived in seclusion south of Mount Lao.

Giant victory is also known as flaxseed, “flea,” “nothing surpasses it,” “the lingering glory of the Three Lights,” “the renewal of Heaven and Earth,” flowing cinnabar, nine transformations, hidden flourishing, containing richness, and blue pods, among other names. “Blue pods” refers to the plant’s leaves.

A Divine Formula for Prolonging Life and Increasing Longevity

Choose the finest flaxseeds and remove any impurities. Steam them, dry them in the sun, then steam them again. Repeat this process until they have been steamed nine times and dried in the sun nine times. Grind them into a fine powder and sift it, then mix it with white honey to make pills. Take one pill, about the size of an egg, three times a day.

Another account says that flaxseed powder should not be made into pills, but taken directly, three sheng at a time, and taken over a long period. After one year, the complexion improves and the body becomes supple; after two years, white hair turns black; after three years, lost teeth grow back; after four years, one can enter water without getting one’s clothes wet; after five years, one can enter fire without being scorched; after six years, one can run fast enough to catch a swift horse. This medicine tastes sweet and fragrant, and is easy to take without becoming tiresome. The formula is kept secret and not passed on; it is said to be transmitted only once every hundred years.

How to Take Flaxseed

Take one hu of flaxseed and wash it thoroughly. The text then repeats the periods of use and effects given above: after four years, one can enter water without getting wet; after five years, enter fire without being scorched; after six years, run fast enough to catch a swift horse.

Take two dou of giant sesame (black sesame) and five sheng of large pepper (Sichuan peppercorns). Remove the black husks, combine the two ingredients, grind them together, and sift the mixture. At first, take five ge (an ancient unit of volume) each time, three times a day. If fermented rice water is unavailable, you can make the powder into honey pills instead. Take one pill about the size of an egg, four times a day. After taking it, you will gradually stop feeling hungry. In years of famine, you can take this medicine alone as a substitute for grain. When thirsty, drink only water and eat nothing else; eating other foods will make you feel hungry. The book says this will increase your strength a hundredfold, protect you from cold and heat, cure every illness, and naturally bring you to the realm of the immortals.

Take one hu of giant-seed sesame (jusheng, meaning hemp or sesame). Steam it until the heat has fully penetrated, then leave it in the sun for a day. Repeat this process of steaming and sun-drying nine times, over nine days. When finished, pound it, sift it, and mix it with white honey. Take about one egg-sized portion three times a day. With long-term use, one will gradually eat less grain. After one hundred days, the scripture says, all illnesses will heal of their own accord, and water will not readily cling to the body when bathing. After one year, Jade Maidens—female immortals said in Daoist legend to attend the perfected immortals—will serve as guards.

For quicker preparation, it is also possible to steam and sun-dry the sesame three times a day for three consecutive days, completing the same nine rounds; it can then be taken. On cloudy days, wait until the sun comes out before drying it. Add three jin of poria to each hu of giant-seed sesame, pound them together, and mix with honey. Take it as described above. According to the scripture, this works faster and replenishes Jing and marrow; hunger gradually diminishes, and one need only drink water when thirsty.

Formula for the Perfected Ones to Lighten the Grain Diet, Avoid Hunger, and Abstain from Food

Take one dou and two sheng of giant-seed sesame, choosing seeds that are pure black. Another formula records taking one hu of giant-seed sesame and adding three jin of poria. Pound them together and mix with honey, then take as described above. It is said to work faster and replenish Jing and marrow, gradually freeing one from hunger; when thirsty, one need only drink water.

Another formula says to take one dou and two sheng of pure black giant-seed sesame, twenty-four liang of poria, and eight liang of water plantain rhizome. Process the three ingredients, pound them ten thousand times, then add water and form pills the size of marbles. Take them three times a day. One may eat meals as usual when food is available; when it is not, one may eat any available foods without restriction.

Formula for Taking Nourishment to Strengthen the Body While Traveling

Take five sheng of hemp seeds and soak them in warm water. Once their outer shells split, remove the shells. Put the hemp kernels together with two jin of sheep fat and cook over a low flame until done. Eat until full. Drink water when thirsty, and one may also eat a meal if desired; afterward, the preparation can be made and taken again in the same way. The scripture says that hemp is one of the important grains and can enable people to understand the myriad things and communicate with the spirits. On the seventh day of the seventh month, gather one sheng of hemp flowers and spikes, pound them together with half a jin of Shangdang ginseng, and steam until their aroma disperses. Take one dao gui—a small ancient measure of powdered medicine—at a time; it is said to be unfailingly effective.

How to Distinguish Chrysanthemums from Yi Flowers

Chrysanthemums and yi flowers look alike, but can be distinguished by taste: chrysanthemums are sweet, while yi flowers are bitter. Chrysanthemums are found throughout the country today, though they are not abundant. Most grow by the water, with the greatest numbers around Goushi and Li County. The Perfected One said: “The methods associated with the names Sun Essence, Rebirth, and Zhouying do not work.”

Chrysanthemums and yi flowers look alike, so their flavors should be sampled to tell them apart: chrysanthemums taste sweet, while yi flowers taste bitter. Chrysanthemums are now found everywhere, though in small numbers. Most grow beside water, and they are especially abundant around Goushi and Li County. The Perfected One said, “Sun Essence, Rebirth, Fullness of the Cycle, Spirit Essence, and Longevity are all names for the same kind of chrysanthemum, though its root, stem, flower, and fruit each have a different name.” What is said about it is splendid, but in recent times those who have taken it have rarely seen results. This is precisely because they did not obtain the genuine chrysanthemum.

A method for prolonging life and extending one’s years.

In the three months of spring, gather “Renewed Life”—that is, chrysanthemum leaves—at noon on a Jia-Yin day. In the three months of summer, gather “Complete Fulfillment,” also called “Complete Formation,” meaning the chrysanthemum’s stems, at noon on a Bing-Yin or Ren-Zi day. In the three months of autumn, gather “Essence of the Sun,” meaning the chrysanthemum’s flowers, at dusk on a Geng-Yin day. In the tenth month of winter, gather “Spirit Essence,” also called “Spirit Flower” or “Spirit Bloom,” meaning the chrysanthemum’s fruit, at dawn on a Wu-Yin day. If there is no Wu-Yin day, a Ren-Zi day may also be used. In the eleventh and twelfth months of winter, gather “Long Life,” meaning the chrysanthemum’s roots, at sunset on a Ren-Yin day. One account says that if there is no Ren-Yin day in the eleventh month, a Ren-Zi day may also be used.

Another account says to dry all five ingredients in the shade for one hundred days, take two fen of each, grind them together, and sift the mixture. If there is no suitable day for gathering in the months specified above, use a Wu-Yin, Wu-Zi, Wu-Chen, or Ren-Zi day instead; the same applies in spring. Another account gives these proportions: in spring, add one fen of Spirit Essence and two fen of Renewed Life; in summer, add three fen of Complete Fulfillment and two fen of Renewed Life; in autumn, add one fen of Spirit Essence and two fen of Essence of the Sun; in winter, add three fen of Essence of the Sun. Choose a “Day of Direct Completion” to combine the ingredients, and avoid “Days of Destruction” and “Days of Danger.” Another account says to avoid “Days of Holding” as well, lest the medicine’s effects fail to manifest.

Prepare the medicine by pounding it in a secluded room, then use white pine resin to form pills the size of parasol tree seeds. Take it three times a day, then eat a meal.

The scripture claims that taking it for one year can dispel all illnesses, sharpen hearing and sight, make the body nimble and the limbs strong, and extend one’s life by two years. Taking it for two years can give the face a healthy glow, greatly increase strength, turn white hair black, restore fallen teeth, and extend one’s life by three years. Taking it for three years means that when entering the mountains, one will fear neither snakes nor dragons, encounter no ghosts or spirits, suffer no harm from weapons, and be unapproached by flying birds; one’s life will be extended by thirteen years. After four years, one will understand the spirits and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and one’s life will be extended by forty years. After five years, the body will shine with light, the eyes will see by day and night and illuminate mountain passes and bridges, and the body will become so nimble that one could fly as soon as one wished. Six years of taking it will extend one’s life by three hundred years; after seven years, one is said to be on the verge of attaining the Way of the spirits and to have one’s life extended by a thousand years. After eight years, the eyes will see a thousand li and the ears hear ten thousand li, and one’s life will be extended by two thousand years. After nine years, one will become a spirit, be able to transform metal and stone, and return to life after death; one’s life will be extended by three thousand years. The scripture also says that at this point a Green Dragon will be on the left and a White Tiger on the right, and one will ride in a chariot of gold.

Another formula gives these proportions: in spring, add two fen of Spirit Essence and two fen of Renewed Life; in summer, add one fen of Spirit Essence and two fen of Complete Fulfillment; in autumn, add two fen of Essence of the Sun; at the start of winter, add two fen of Spirit Essence; at the winter solstice, add one fen of Spirit Essence and two fen of Long Life. Swallow ten pills each day, five in the morning and five in the evening. Other accounts also give these proportions: in autumn, add one fen of Spirit Essence and two fen of Essence of the Sun; in spring, add two fen of Complete Fulfillment.

A Method for Preparing an Apricot Remedy

Take three dou of apricots and remove two of the kernels. Bring water just to a boil and let it bubble three or four times, then add the apricots. After a short while, rub them by hand to remove the skins, then pound them finely. Leave them in an urn to settle, strain off the clear liquid—about seven or eight dou—and discard the residue.

Take a cauldron with a capacity of one shi and place it over a bran fire. Smear four jin of mutton fat inside, spreading it evenly over the surface. When the cauldron is hot, grease it again, continuing until all four jin of fat have been used. Pour the eight dou of liquid into the cauldron and remove the residue. Take another cauldron with a capacity of one shi, grease it with four jin of mutton fat as before, and pour in the liquid. Heat it over a bran fire, tending the fire as one would when roasting silkworm droppings. After four or five days of heating, the medicine will be ready. It will be golden in color and have the consistency of infant food.

Take an amount about the size of an egg yolk three times a day. After one hundred days, even the person’s parents will no longer recognize them; their appearance is said to become beautiful. It is said that this was the formula taken by the mother of Xia Zhengshu, who lived for seven hundred years before becoming an immortal and departing. This formula is called a secret method for attaining immortality and should be kept confidential.

Yu the Great Receives a Formula from a Perfected Person

After Le Zichang wrote down this formula, he lived in seclusion south of Mount Lao.

Red Arrow, also known as Mother of Departure, Ghost Courier, Divine Herb, Solitary Wanderer, Bitter Root, Son of Victory, and Ghost Arrow, grows at Chencang, Mount Shaoshi, Mount Yaoliu in Shangluo, and on the southern slopes of Mount Tai, as well as at the southern foot of several famous mountains, beside streams in Nanyang, and in the shaded parts of valleys. Each plant has a single jointed stem, with pointed leaves like bamboo leaves. The plant does not sway even in the wind. Its stem is red and shaped like a bow or arrow. Its root resembles the instep and toes of a human foot, but has no nails. Its fruit resembles a small lamb.

Another account says that its root resembles a taro, and its fruits resemble taro corms. They grow beside the parent plant without being attached to it, sometimes numbering more than a dozen. In the morning they are west of the parent plant, in the evening they move east, and at noon they lie beneath it; for this reason, they should all be gathered. At the center of the fruits is a “king,” about the size of a finger. Around it are twelve smaller ones, ring-shaped and arranged as guards, three on each side.

Before gathering Red Arrow, one must fast for a hundred days and offer wine and meat to the parent plant. It should then be dug up in sunlight. Once gathered, wrap it in a cinnabar pouch—a red bag—and keep it beneath the left armpit. The scripture says that the “king” among the fruits is called the “Parents of the Six Jia,” and is guarded invisibly by five hundred attendants. The daughter fruits can also become invisible, each with one attendant. If the parent plant enters a household where there has been a death or a newborn child, the spirit of the herb will depart.

To prepare it for use, take the entire Red Arrow plant, roots and all, pound it and squeeze out the juice into a vessel. Dry the pulp in the sun, then combine it with the juice and dry it again to make a powder. Take one square-inch spoonful after meals. The scripture says that the effects appear after ten days; after thirty days, strength greatly increases; after more than a hundred days, the body feels light, hearing and sight become clear; and after a year, teeth and hair grow back.

Another account says that Red Arrow’s leaves are about the size of a thumb and bear four red, feather-like stripes running from top to bottom. They grow in both winter and summer and may be gathered at any time. The scripture says the plant can treat evil ghosts and spirits, Gu poison, malign influences, alternating chills and fever, and swelling. It is also said to strengthen Yang and boost Qi, fortify the body, make the body feel light, and, if taken for a long time, prolong life. Its taste is bitter.

The root of zhanglu (pokeweed) tastes sour and is poisonous. It can treat malign influences in the chest, be applied to swollen areas, kill spirits and monsters, harmonize the Five Viscera, and disperse water accumulation. Roots shaped like human figures are considered numinous. Zhanglu grows on the sites of old dwellings and in fields; it is gathered in the third and eighth months.

The zhanglu herb is also called “night caller,” “swinging root,” “danglu,” “xianlu,” “long root,” “shanglu herb,” “divine lu,” “white blossom,” “expeller of evil,” “heavenly herb,” and “expeller of Yin essences.” This herb is regarded as a divine plant.

A prescription to eliminate the Three Worms, kill hidden corpses, treat dark spots on the face, increase wisdom and strengthen memory, and address the five taxations and seven injuries in men and women, lingering ailments after childbirth, and leukorrhea (abnormal vaginal discharge):

Take ten jin of zhanglu and three dou of rice, add tiandong (Asparagus root), and prepare one dou of medicinal powder. Soak the zhanglu for six days, then observe purification and take it. The text says that five days after taking it, one will no longer want food; after twenty days, one can give up grain, the bowels and stomach will be full, one’s spirit and complexion will recover, and various worm disorders will all be eliminated.

Another passage repeats this prescription and says that after taking it, hearing and sight become keen and scars fade. Gather shanglu when the moon is in a lunar mansion, on a Gui day, and at a Ding hour. Take an amount the size of one jujube each time, three times a day. Daoist priests often grow this medicinal herb in the gardens of quiet chambers, believing that it enables a person to commune with the spirits.

A prescription to keep a person from aging and attain long life, eliminate the Three Worms, treat all illnesses, and make the person immune to harm:

Take forty jin of the roots of zhanglu (a medicinal plant whose roots were commonly used in ancient prescriptions). Peel off the outer skin and slice the roots thinly. Boil them in eight dou of water on a stove facing east. When the water has boiled down to half its original volume, strain out the plant matter and continue boiling until the liquid can be divided into nine doses. Take one pill each time, about the size of a parasol-tree seed. It is best to prepare this where no one can see you.

Another prescription: Take thirty jin of zhanglu, gathered only in the first, second, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth lunar month. Plants gathered in other months cannot be used. Wash the zhanglu and cut it roughly into pieces about two cun long, taking care not to expose it to the wind. Place all of it in a silk bag and hang it on the north side of a house to dry in the shade for sixty days. Then grind it to a fine powder and sift it. Take one square-inch spoonful at a time, washed down with water, once a day before meals. The plant must also be gathered during the months listed above.

According to the prescription, after ten days of taking it, you will be able to see ghosts. After sixty days, ghosts will obtain gold, silver, and treasure for you, build houses, and bring you whatever you desire. After eighty days, you will be able to see a thousand li away; after a hundred days, you will be able to fly, riding the wind and treading the clouds, as your intestines turn into sinews. Take it for a long time and you will become an immortal.

A prescription for perfected beings to attain long life, expel the Three Corpses, and prolong life while restoring youth.

One should take the “Mother of Vermilion Radiance and True Essence” and consume the “Marrow of the Floating-Water Mysterious Clouds.” These two substances arise naturally and undergo change once every thousand years and transformation once every hundred years. First they change, then they transform. Afterward, Heaven can no longer harm them, and spirits and gods cannot affect them. People can therefore consume them and attain long life.

The “Mother of Vermilion Radiance” is pine resin; the “Marrow of the Floating Water” is poria. The scripture says that taking them can subdue spirits and gods, avert death, and bring renewal. Pine resin flows into the earth and, after a thousand years, becomes poria. After another thousand years, the poria transforms into amber; after yet another thousand years, the amber becomes Vermilion Radiance. Vermilion Radiance is purple and can illuminate a person.

After a thousand years, Vermilion Radiance becomes Feijie Zhi, an immortal herb akin to lingzhi. After another thousand years, Feijie Zhi becomes the Marrow of the Floating Water; after a further thousand years, the Marrow transforms into Night Radiance. Then, over a thousand years, Night Radiance becomes Golden Essence; Golden Essence, after a thousand years, becomes a shooting star; the shooting star, after a thousand years, becomes stone gall; stone gall, after a thousand years, becomes diamond; and diamond, after another thousand years, becomes Muweixi Zhi.

Metal does not diminish when placed in fire; when placed in water, it grows even more. The transformations of pine resin have no fixed form, so it can sink into the earth and transform in many places, or rise into Great Clarity (the celestial realm). This is a method of cultivating into a flying immortal. Do not transmit it to those who are unsuited to receive it.

The recipe says: Take twelve jin each of pine resin (the resin secreted by pine trees) and fuling (the sclerotium of a fungus in the polypore family). Soak them in water for seven days, then pour the water away at dawn, just as the sun is rising. Next, mix the fuling with two dou of pure wine, take it, and dry it in the sun. Take one jin each month; it is said that, over time, one may no longer need to eat.

Next, refine the pine resin to remove its bitter and unpleasant tastes. Warm it over a fire, mix it with the fuling, and add white honey. Take the three ingredients together, one jin of each per month. According to the scripture, after one hundred days the body becomes lighter; after two hundred days, symptoms of chills and fever subside; after three hundred days, wind-related ailments of the head, chest, and eyes subside; after four hundred days, the five fatigues and seven injuries (a general term for various forms of strain and debility) subside; after five hundred days, symptoms such as cold accumulations, abdominal masses, and retained fluids subside; after six hundred days, the face becomes less prone to aging; after seven hundred days, facial spots disappear; after eight hundred days, black hair grows in; after nine hundred days, scars left by moxibustion disappear; and after one thousand days, the eyes become bright.

The scripture then continues to list changes according to the duration of taking the mixture: after two thousand days, one’s appearance changes; after three thousand days, one walks without leaving footprints; after four thousand days, all kinds of scars disappear; after five thousand days, one can see at night as if things were glowing; after six thousand days, the flesh renews itself; after seven thousand days, the skin and blood vessels vanish; after eight thousand days, the spirit grows strong; and after nine thousand days, one becomes light and agile like a child. After ten thousand days, the body is naturally healthy; after twenty thousand days, divine illumination is attained; after thirty thousand days, one manifests wonders in broad daylight; after forty thousand days, the Great One (a deity revered in Daoism) comes to welcome one; and after fifty thousand days, one can vanish at once simply by sitting down.

Take it three times every day, without fail. The scripture concludes that after taking it for ten thousand days, one can travel freely, change one’s name and surname, and ascend to the August Heavens (the celestial realm).

In ancient times, a man named Huang Chuping took this medicine and eventually attained the state of a perfected immortal. Huang Chuping came from Danxi. When he was fifteen, his family sent him to tend sheep. A Daoist priest saw that he was sincere and upright, and took him to a stone chamber on Mount Jinhua to cultivate. More than forty years passed, and Huang Chuping gradually ceased to long for his family.

His older brother, Huang Chuqi, searched everywhere for him but found no trace for years. Later, Huang Chuqi met a Daoist priest at a market and asked, “My younger brother disappeared after going to tend sheep more than forty years ago. I don’t know whether he is alive or dead. Please divine his whereabouts for me.” The priest replied, “There is a young shepherd on Mount Jinhua, surnamed Huang and named Chuping. He is your younger brother.”

Huang Chuqi followed the priest up the mountain and found his brother. The two were both sorrowful and overjoyed to see each other. After they had spoken, Huang Chuqi asked, “Where are the sheep from before?” Huang Chuping said, “The sheep are on the eastern side of the mountain.” Huang Chuqi went to look but saw no sheep, only white stones. He returned and told his brother, “There are no sheep on the eastern side.” Huang Chuping said, “The sheep are right there; you just can’t see them.” So they went together. Huang Chuping shouted, and all the white stones rose up and turned into sheep—many tens of millions of them.

Huang Chuqi said, “My younger brother attained the immortal Way on his own, and your powers are so marvelous. Can I learn it too?” Huang Chuping replied, “If you devote yourself wholeheartedly to the Way, you can learn.” Huang Chuqi then left his wife and children behind and stayed to cultivate alongside his brother, taking pine resin, poria, and other substances. After fifty thousand days—a traditional measure of the duration of cultivation—the two could suddenly vanish, whether sitting or standing. Even when they walked in the sunlight, they cast no shadows, and their faces remained as youthful as children’s.

Later, the brothers returned to their hometown together. They found that most of their relatives had died, so they left again. They passed this method of cultivation on to Nanbo Feng and changed their names: Chuqi adopted the courtesy name Chilu Ban, and Chuping adopted the name Chisongzi. After that, several thousand people took this medicine and became immortals.

Red Pine Master’s Formula

On the sixteenth day of the seventh month, trim the fingernails and toenails to clear away the Three Corpse Worms in the abdomen. Daoism holds that these spirits dwell in the human body, harm a person’s Jing and Qi, and report their faults to Heaven.

A Formula for Living in the Mountains Without Eating for the Rest of One’s Life

Take ten parts soybeans, three parts Weiwei (a medicinal ingredient used against the Three Corpse Worms), one part Alisma, one part Feiying, and half a part Gao Ben leaves. Grind the five ingredients and sift them, then mix them with jujube paste and form them into pills the size of plums. Swallow three pills each day, then eat twenty-one jujubes; you will never need to eat again for the rest of your life. If jujubes are unavailable, drink Jade-Syrup Spring water regularly, a sweet, refreshing water known in Daoism.

The Four-Ingredient Immortal Formula Huangdi Received from Huang Qing

The first ingredient is called Hongguang, the second Qianqiu, the third Wansui, and the fourth Cimo seed. Combine the four ingredients and use white pine resin to form them into pills the size of eggs. After taking them for seven years, it is said, one can live for forty-three thousand years without dying; with prolonged use, one can exist as long as Heaven and Earth.

Huangdi asked, “What do these four ingredients look like? Can you tell me?” Huang Qing replied, “Hongguang is mica; Qianqiu is resurrection plant, which grows among mountain rocks; Wansui is Alisma; and Cimo is amaranth seed. Use pine resin to form them into pills the size of eggs. Take one pill each morning and evening. It is said that this can make a person live forever without hunger or thirst.”

The Perfected Ones’ Four-Ingredient Powder for Abstaining from Grain

Take three parts poria powder, one part dried Rehmannia powder, one part sesame powder, and one part asparagus root powder. First dry-roast the sesame over a fire, then mix and grind all four ingredients together and blend them with honey. Take one square-inch spoonful each day, washed down with fine-grain syrup or wine. The formula says that after thirty days one’s strength and vitality will change, and after a hundred days they will be doubled. After a year, one’s complexion will be bright and lustrous like the clouds, and in dreams one will roam with the spirits. After three years, one’s bones will rise aloft and one’s body will ascend.

Sophora wood was believed to have formed from the essence of the Xu constellation. It was said that taking Sophora seeds over a long period would make the body stronger in old age, help preserve mental sharpness, and improve one’s complexion. On the Si day of the Shangsi festival in the tenth lunar month, place Sophora seeds in a new earthenware jar. Cover it with an earthenware basin and seal it with mud. After twenty-one days, take the seeds out and wash away the fleshy outer layer and skin. The seeds inside will look like soybeans.

Begin taking them on the first day of a lunar month: one seed on the first day, two on the second, three on the third, and so on, adding one seed each day for ten days, for a total of fifty-five. In a long month, counted as thirty days, take 165 seeds in all; in a short month, do not use the amount prescribed for a long month. The yearly total is 1,980 seeds. Since there are six short months in a year, subtract sixty seeds.

A Remedy for Treating Illness Through Ingestion

Gather Sophora seeds on the Si day of the Shangsi festival in the tenth lunar month. Dry them in the shade for one hundred days, pound off the outer skin, and place the seeds inside in an earthenware vessel. Begin taking them on the first day of a month, one seed each day. After ten days, take ten seeds a day; then start again with one seed and repeat the same method every ten days.

To treat sudden illnesses, food that remains in the body undigested, fullness in the chest, diarrhea, and similar symptoms, take one he (an ancient unit of volume) at a time. The text claims that two he should suffice for a cure. It says that taking more is not poisonous; however, people with small appetites should not take too much, as it may make their stools hard and difficult to pass.

Method for Expelling the Three Worms

Take Sophora seeds; they need not be gathered on the Si day of the Shangsi festival. Pound them with their skins until the mixture can be made into pills, then roll it into pills about the size of an apricot kernel. Take three pills twice a day. They may also be taken over a long period. The pills can also be made with honey.

A Remedy for Longevity

When the seeds of the Chinese scholar tree (Sophora japonica) ripen, place them inside a cow’s intestine and dry them in a cool place for one hundred days. After that, swallow one seed each morning and evening before meals. Taking them for ten days is said to make the body light and agile; after thirty days, white hair turns black; after one hundred days, the face takes on a healthy glow; and after two hundred days, one can walk so swiftly that even a horse cannot catch up.

Another formula for delaying aging

On the first Si day of the tenth month (a Si day in the first ten days of the month), take one Chinese scholar tree seed, then increase the dose by one seed each day. On the tenth day, begin again with one seed. The medicine must be prepared on the first Si day.

A Perfected One’s formula for prolonging life: Lotus-root powder

The phrase “one substance” refers to a formula made from lotus. On the seventh day of the seventh month, gather seven portions of lotus flowers; on the eighth day of the eighth month, gather eight portions of lotus roots; and on the ninth day of the ninth month, gather nine portions of lotus seeds. Process them and combine them into a medicine. Take one square-inch spoonful at a time (about the capacity of an ancient spoon with a square bowl one inch across). This formula was given to Liu Changsheng of Nanyang. Liu Changsheng lived on the northern edge of Qingyuan Marsh and took the medicine for more than seventy years. He appeared neither old nor young. To test its effects, take a chick about the size of a starling and have it take the medicine along with a person. Three years later, it will still be like a young chick. Take it over a long period, and one can become an immortal.

Lotus seeds are also called “Water Zhi Elixir,” “eggplant fruit,” “fox nut,” “lotus flower,” or “hibiscus.” The lotus leaf is called “He”; the small root is called “Yu”; the large root is called “Ou” (lotus root); and the root that first emerges is called “Jiao.” Lotus seeds combined with fox nuts are said to unite Yin and Yang.

Gather the seeds from lotus pods on the first Xu day of the eighth month, fox nuts on the first Xu day of the ninth month, and lotus roots on a Wu day in the first ten days of the ninth month. Take equal amounts and dry them in a cool place for one hundred days before making the medicine. At dawn on the first Mao day of the first month, take one square-inch spoonful with well water drawn at dawn. Take it four or five times a day, before meals, and stop after one hundred days. The formula is said to nourish the body, increase strength, calm the spirit, ward off hunger, and dispel all kinds of illness. Taken over a long period, it can make the body light and agile, prolong life, and eventually enable one to remain ageless and become an immortal.

Fox nuts are also called “goose fruit,” “Heavenly Gate Essence,” or “Heavenly Yu.” They taste sweet. They are said to treat damp impediment (numbness and painful obstruction caused by dampness) and pain in the lower back and spine; nourish strength; strengthen resolve; and sharpen hearing and sight. Taken over a long period, they can make the body light and agile, ward off hunger, and eventually enable one to become an immortal.

Gather lotus seeds on a “day of direct completion” in the eighth month—a propitious day chosen for collecting medicinal ingredients—and gorgon fruit (fox nuts) on a day of direct completion in the ninth month. Dry them in the shade for one hundred days, then pound them and mix them in equal amounts. On a day of direct completion, take one square-inch spoonful with well-water drawn at dawn. It is said to lighten the body, banish hunger, and even enable one to become an immortal.

Formula for Preserving Youth (said to delay aging)

Gather lotus seeds on a day of direct completion in the eighth month and gorgon fruit on a day of direct completion in the ninth month. Dry them in the shade for one hundred days, then pound them and mix them in equal amounts. On a day of direct completion, take one square-inch spoonful with well-water drawn at dawn. After taking it continuously for one hundred days, people in their prime are said to stop aging, while the elderly can regain their strength. If you do not believe this, feed the medicine to chicks for one hundred days and see whether it works. Taken over a long period, it is said to enable one to become an immortal.

Formula for Taking Sika Deer Antler to Prolong Life, Improve Sight and Hearing, and Darken the Hair

Take fresh sika deer antler and scrape off its black outer layer with a knife. Use the white portion beneath, stir-fry it until yellow, then grind it carefully into powder. Take one square-inch spoonful twice a day. After thirty days, it is said to bring communion with the divine; after sixty days, to increase one’s strength a hundredfold; and after one hundred days, to enable one to communicate with spirits. Persevering in its use is said to bring endless longevity and prolong life.

Peng Zigao and Rong Cheng are said to have become immortals after taking this formula; Fan Li took it and continued to travel among the human world.

Yellow essence (huangjing) is a plant regarded as a numinous herb formed from the essence of the sun’s vital energy. Its essence gathers in the Nine Heavens and drifts in all eight directions, turning and changing with the wind as it spreads between Heaven and Earth. It grows along the mountains, nourished by clouds and rain; sunlight gives it visible form, and in time it becomes a plant.

Yellow essence grows beside the rocks of Mount Taihang, its roots anchoring themselves near solid stone. It absorbs the energy of the Three Yangs and grows in step with the seasons, developing a nature that is pure, gentle, and balanced. Nourished by warm, sweet dew, it receives above it the great fire energy of the Lesser Yang position and blooms in midsummer. It gathers essence and energy and becomes perfected: its roots grow full, its stems develop joint by joint, its color is golden, its taste sweet, and at dawn it faces the sun. Its leaf veins spread like cloud patterns. Compared with other plants, it withstands drought and is rarely found; among all things, nothing else is like it. This is the numinous herb said to dwell in the energy of the central yellow, where pure, balanced, warm, and moist energies gather and Yang energy is revered. It possesses wondrous powers of transformation.

A snake that eats it transforms into a dragon; a bird that eats it transforms into a phoenix; a person who eats it can become an immortal king. How precious yellow essence is: it gathers the purest essence and energy between Heaven and Earth. Yet people of the world do not know its true value, and even among those who do, few can truly take it.

Thus the Scripture of the Great Immortal of the Nine Heavens says: “There are thirty-six thousand spirits between Heaven and Earth, and these spirits are also within the human body, yet people often cannot put them to use. There are thirty-six thousand immortal medicines, yet people often do not know how to use them. People cannot attain long life and immortality; the sacred Way can be sought and one’s lifespan can be extended, yet people do not understand the methods. Though the spirits are clear and the effects of taking immortal medicines readily appear, and taking them at the proper times can bring results, people rarely persevere. People would rather accept poverty and low status and focus only on caring for the body, though no one has seen this bring long life and far-reaching vision. Pursuing power and profit, however, is something people today are all willing to do. If people pursued long life with the same devotion they bring to the pursuit of profit, nothing would be beyond their reach. If they could relinquish splendor and cultivate the Way of stillness and purity, content themselves with poverty, and care for body and mind, they could attain long life and far-reaching vision. Yet people of this kind are rarely seen. Pursuing power and profit, however, is something people today are all willing to do. If people pursued long life with the same devotion they bring to the pursuit of profit, nothing would be beyond their reach.”

If a person can give up wealth and status, cultivate and maintain purity and stillness, often follow nature without forced action, seek the mysterious Dao, and then take this herb continuously through all four seasons, they can prolong their life. If they can also leave worldly society, live in seclusion on a famous mountain, and take this herb, they can live as long as Heaven and Earth and meet the many gods. Taiyi, a revered deity in Daoism, will come to welcome them, escorting them up to the Heavenly Palace and down to Kunlun, until at last they share Heaven and Earth’s beginning and end.

This herb is the precise opposite of goumian. Yellow essence is said to be the essence of the sun; taken by mouth, it can make a person live forever. Goumian, by contrast, is said to be the essence of Great Yin; taken by mouth, it brings death. People know that goumian is harmful, yet do not believe that yellow essence can grant longevity, and so they refuse to take it. Goumian is wild kudzu. The peoples of the southern region of Rinan call wild kudzu growing in the mountains “goumian.” Eating it causes instant death: its potent poison blocks the flow of Qi in the intestines until the bowels are severed, which is why it is called “goumian.” This comparison illustrates how people in the world slight the way to longevity while craving immediate wealth and status.

As a plant, yellow essence receives the Three Yang Qi of longevity. It rises to the Palace of Great Clarity, the pure and empty celestial realm described in Daoism, where it refines and nourishes Jing and Qi, then returns to a state of harmony and simplicity as it changes along with all things. Its radiance shines across the Nine Regions, the four quarters of Heaven and Earth, and spreads throughout the Six Directions. It rests upon the clouds and lies hidden in the mountains, growing through the transformation of Qi. It puts down roots and sends up stems; its vital energy flows through its leaves, and its fruit is sweet and fragrant, with leaves of green and yellow. It can communicate with the spirits and unite with them in transcendence. Its roots grow downward to meet the wind and receive the dew; its root nodes twist together, while its branches and roots spread out to the sides. It absorbs abundant vital energy and exhales and inhales the true Qi that sustains life. Its flowers possess nine virtues, increasing longevity and advancing one’s talents and virtue. Its stems contain a numinous treasure; those who take it can become immortals. Its roots are a Heavenly Treasure, able to harmonize radiance and Qi and govern the spirit. Gathered and made into powder for consumption, it is said to enable one to become a flying immortal.

Gather the roots of yellow essence in late spring. These roots are called “mountain essence.” Wash them with clean water, then carefully sort and arrange them on a large platter. They may be eaten as they are or dried in the sun before eating. Grind the dried roots into powder for direct consumption; make the fresh roots into pills. Taking a large amount is said to ward off the need for food, while taking a small amount calms the spirit. There are three ways to take it, and both the roots and flowers can be used in each way. Taken over a long period, it is said to summon numinous spirits.

The flowers of yellow essence are called “flying blossoms,” and the roots can be made into pills. Taking a large amount is said to ward off the need for food, while taking a small amount calms the spirit. There are three methods of taking both the roots and flowers. Taken over a long period, it is said to summon numinous spirits. The flowers are called “flying blossoms,” and the roots “flowing essence.” They are said to nourish the inner spirit, bringing spiritual clarity and brightening the eyes so that distant sights, even a thousand li away, appear clearer. They can also restrain the hun and po souls, steady the five viscera, drive away the “Three Worms” (Daoist terms for noxious beings believed to dwell within the body), and frighten off “Hidden Corpses” (noxious beings said to lurk within the human body). Regular consumption is said to bring one into harmony with the Qi of Heaven and Earth.

The roots of yellow essence are yellow rather than white, and its leaves are soft and glossy. It receives a pure Qi, unlike ordinary plants. When all the grasses wither and decay in autumn, yellow essence remains lush and undiminished, holding within it the Dao and De. This numinous plant is full of life, with bright flowers and leaves. Gather its flowers in mid-spring, place them in a silk bag, and dry them in the shade; the text says that the Six Dings and Jade Maidens, Daoist deities, watch over the drying. After taking it for a thousand days, one is said to attain the state of “sitting, yet departing and returning at will”—a state of spiritual travel and transformation.

The leaves and roots may be gathered in either spring or autumn and used to harmonize Yin-Yang. They can be made into pills or cakes. Their taste is sweet and fragrant, and they may be eaten in any quantity. The stems and leaves can also be juiced to make a drink. It is said to ease the chest and abdomen, strengthen Qi, harmonize the five viscera, fill out the muscles, and strengthen the bones. It can make one stronger than in youth and keep the body healthy and robust. For this reason, among the foods consumed by immortals, yellow essence is the most suitable.

Lingbao Yellow Essence Formula

Gather the roots in spring, wash them, and cut them into thin slices. Steam them, then dry them in the sun. Pound them into powder and take one square-inch spoonful at a time, using the small spoon of ancient times for measuring medicinal powders. Pound the roots outdoors. Yellow essence is also called “horse arrow” and “Meng bamboo”; it is especially suitable as a food for cultivation.

Lingbao Yellow Essence Formula

Dig up the roots in spring. Wash them, slice them thinly, steam them, then dry them in the sun until completely dry. Pound them to a powder and take one fangcun bi each time—an ancient measure for medicine, roughly equivalent to a small spoonful. The pounding should be done while dew is present. This plant also has the names Ma Jian, Mian Zhu, Wei Rui, Ke Ju, Yang Kuo, Xianren Yuliang, Gou Ge, and Chui Zhu. Its leaves are also called Ji Ge Gen, Huang Jing, and Bai Ji. The roots can be gathered in the third month and used as food for nourishing the body. They are said to make the body light, increase strength, and brighten the eyes. Taken over a long period, they help one endure hunger. They taste sweet and are non-toxic. After being dried in the shade for fifty days, they are ready to use. Soak one dou of the fruit in two dou of sweet water to make a drink, or drink it regularly as one would wine; it is said to grant long life.

When taking Huang Jing root, it is harmless to eat a generous amount. First wash it and scrape off the soil. For every hu of roots, boil them in two hu of water until their medicinal qualities have fully infused the water. Strain off the liquid and boil the roots again until their qualities are completely extracted. Reduce the decoction until concentrated, then remove it from the heat and mix in roasted soybean flour to make cakes the size of large coins. Take as much as you like; they taste sweet and fragrant. The roots can also be steamed or boiled and eaten in any quantity. When the plant has just sprouted, its stems and leaves can be gathered and cooked as vegetables, as food for a purification diet. This passage calls it “One-Day Chong Lou.” The liquid left from boiling Huang Jing can also be drunk. Do not pour it away; it is very fragrant and delicious.

To make pills according to the method for nourishing the body, gather the roots in the second or eighth month. Scrape off the root hairs, wash the roots, and chop them. Add six dou of water to one hu of roots and simmer from morning until evening. Once cooked, remove the roots and let them cool. Knead them by hand until broken up, place them in a wine bag, and squeeze out the juice. Reduce the juice until thick enough to form pills. Dry the pulp in the sun and grind it to a powder, then return it to the pot and mix it with the juice to make pills. Take one pill the size of an egg three times a day.

The scripture says that taking Huang Jing in this way enables one to live without grain, fear neither cold nor heat, run as fast as a horse, and recover from every illness. If one can abstain from sexual activity, one will not grow old and can live long enough to become an immortal; without such restraint, one’s life will last at most two hundred years. After taking the medicine, one need not fear tigers, wolves, or weapons. In the mountains, one may eat Huang Jing raw and drink water when thirsty. It is also said to open communication with the spirits, and can be taken as a powder without being made into medicinal cakes. Long-term use of Huang Jing is said to delay aging, improve one’s complexion, turn white hair black, and regrow lost teeth. After thirty days of taking it, one can communicate with the spirits; after one hundred days, one moves with ease and can run alongside a galloping horse without tiring; after two hundred days, one’s form appears and disappears; after ten years, one attains the Way of the immortals.

Some people take only its flowers, calling them the essence of Huang Jing, or Huang Hua. Both names refer to something sweet and fragrant. Boiling Huang Jing roots to make a drink is said to relax the chest and abdomen and replenish original Qi. Drunk regularly, it is said to ward off harmful influences, give the complexion a healthy glow, and help one withstand cold and heat. Huang Jing is also called “grain for saving the poor”: in years of famine, it can serve as food for old people and children. Taking its flowers is better than taking its fruit, and taking the fruit is better than taking the roots. The Celestial Officials call this herb “Wuji Zhi.”

Long ago, someone entered Chicheng in Mount Huo, a legendary abode of immortals, and saw several thousand households living there, all cultivating this kind of grass. The largest plots covered several dozen qing, while even the smallest covered several dozen mu. The grass’s roots and stems grew unusually thick and large, presumably because people carefully weeded and tended it; it did not grow like the wild plants of the mountains. In fact, this grass can be found everywhere in marshland. The visitor asked the people of Chicheng, “Why do you cultivate this grass?” They replied, “It is an immortal herb. People here have always eaten it, and it can make one live forever.”

When Sun Quan, ruler of Wu, heard this account, he believed it and ordered people to cultivate and eat the grass in the mountains of Jiangdong. But Sun Quan did not abstain from sexual relations, and his conduct was not pure or still, so he failed to gain the herb’s benefits. At the time, he also sent an inspector with troops to guard the place where it was grown. After the state of Wu fell, the place names remained. Some places in Jiangdong called it “Mianzhu Village,” while others called it “Huang Village”; both were former sites where Sun Quan had cultivated the immortal herb.

My master Ge Hong once heard Zheng Jun recount this story and explain its origins. Zheng Jun also passed down the following saying: “Those who ingest the Qi of Wu and Ji will have no end to their lifespan; those who ingest the essence of longevity will endure as long as Heaven.” Wu and Ji are terms from the ancient systems of the Five Phases and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Here, they refer to a kind of Qi used in cultivation.

A saying passed down by Immortal Ge also states that those who cultivate the Way of long life should first eliminate the Three Worms and subdue the Hidden Corpse, and only then take medicines and abstain from grain. In Daoism, the Three Worms and the Hidden Corpse are impure forces believed to obstruct cultivation and drain a person’s Jing and Qi. If one gives up grain without first removing them, distracting thoughts often arise and harm the body. One may also become attached to delicious food, lose clarity of mind, and unknowingly violate taboos.

The best method is to cultivate Wuwei (non-action), take in Qi in accordance with nature, and rinse the mouth with sweet spring water. Since most people cannot do this, they can use medicines as an aid. Subdue the Hidden Corpse first, then take the medicine, and it will work. This is a lesser method of cultivation.

When preparing the medicine, choose a day suited to dispelling impure forces and a time when the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are in a flourishing phase. The sky should be clear and cloudless. Form the pills in a quiet place, and do not tell others that you are taking medicine. The Three Worms have no ears, yet they can hear; they have no eyes, yet they can see.

Before taking the medicine, bathe with the scent of orchids, observe a three-day fast, avoid women, and abstain from pork and dog meat. The scripture says that those who eat these meats cannot ascend to Heaven. They can go no farther than Mount Tai, where they enter the prisons of the Three Officials and become ghost wardens. This precept is transmitted to Daoist practitioners. Another account holds that eating pork and dog meat can cause forgetfulness in old age, blotchy and emaciated features, decaying teeth, and a damaged voice.

The scripture teaches that eating clean and wholesome things can prolong life, while eating filthy and corrupt things shortens it. A person who rides in a carriage does not harm tiny creatures and can therefore enjoy a thousand years of life. The swan does not tread in dark, polluted waters, so it can live for a hundred years or more. Only those of pure disposition can receive the True Way; those whose breath is clear and pure can live long. This is the natural order.

Methods Used by Immortals to Eliminate the Three Corpses and Subdue the Hidden Corpse

Take ten jin of fuling and five jin of zhanglu root. Peel away the outer skin and use only the white flesh inside. Then take five dou each of clear wine and wine starter made from wheat flour. Steam and brew everything together. Only those who are pure can receive the true Dao, and only those whose breath is clear and balanced can live long; this is the natural order.

Another method is to steam the herbs together with clear wine and wheat starter, put the mixture in an urn, and seal it for twenty days. Once the medicine is ready, roast pure soybeans and grind them into powder. Mix the powder until it is as sticky as malt syrup, then shape it into pills the size of large pellets. Take three pills a day. After ten days, gradually increase the dose until each pill is the size of an egg yolk. It is said that after taking them, the Upper Corpse will decay and be expelled after one hundred days, the Middle Corpse after sixty days, and the Lower Corpse after thirty. The Upper Corpse is shaped like a hand, the Middle Corpse like a foot, and the Lower Corpse like an egg. The Upper Corpse is black, the Middle Corpse green, and the Lower Corpse white.

The “Three Corpses,” also called the “Three Worms” or the “Hidden Corpses,” are three beings within the body that, according to Daoist belief, live alongside a person and bring harm. They are said always to seek a person’s death, and on the last and first days of each lunar month they ascend to Heaven to report the person’s misdeeds. On those days, people should gather and restrain their souls. They should also stay alert through the night of guarding Gengshen, a Daoist practice of keeping watch to prevent the Three Corpses from ascending and reporting one’s faults. In this way, the Three Corpses cannot act. If someone dreams that night of fighting with another person, this is interpreted as the Po battling the Three Corpses.

The Hun always seeks peace, so the body does not want to be troubled by the Hidden Corpses. The Po also seeks peace, while the Shen is easily disturbed. The Three Corpses always seek a person’s death, and so try to steal away their Jing and Qi; that is the explanation given here. Daoist practitioners and physicians often know only how to treat the body according to prescriptions, unaware that Hidden Corpses dwell in the abdomen. The Three Corpses obstruct the medicine’s power and render it ineffective. The Upper Corpse covets wealth, the Middle Corpse flavors, and the Lower Corpse beauty. Unless they are removed, taking medicine is simply self-deception. After the Three Corpses are eliminated, one no longer feels hungry and the mind becomes still and free of distracting thoughts; it is said that this can prolong life and bring immortality.

Immortals value this method, Daoist practitioners revere this medicine, and those with insight are glad to use it, while ordinary people mock it. The name “corpse” for the remains left after death is said to be connected to the name of these Three Worms. Taking zhanglu powder on its own can also eliminate the Three Corpses; it need not be brewed. Sophora seeds are also effective. Those able to practice breathing Qi do not need this method. In addition, true Qi is called “Green Sprouts” and is the vital energy of the Five Directions. Daoist practitioners take it for twenty-one days, and it is said that the Three Worms will then flee.

Le Zichang’s Method for Making Sesame Paste

Mix two dou of sesame paste with one dou of water. Add two sheng of frankincense and two sheng of agarwood, ground into a fine powder, and boil everything together until the water has evaporated and only the paste remains. Blend the powdered aromatics into the paste. Each day, take five ge with wine. It is said that after taking it for one hundred days, a Jade Maiden will attend you; after five hundred days, immortals will come to escort you to immortality. Daoists regarded this formula as a secret recipe and at first did not pass it on freely.

Le Zichang’s Method for Taking Sesame

Roast one dou of sesame until fragrant, then pound it into powder. Put the powder in a bag and steep it in five dou of wine, sealing the container with clay for twenty days. Afterward, take it with wine; this is sesame paste. The sesame powder may also be taken on its own.

The Lingbao Great Mystery Talisman of Yinsheng

This is said to be Xia Yu’s writing, passed down by command from the Perfected One of Zhong Mountain.

This is a lesser path to immortality, attained through corpse liberation. Once the practice is complete, one’s lifespan can endure as long as Heaven and Earth, and one can travel among famous mountains as an earthly immortal. After taking the corpse liberation medicine for the prescribed number of days, make this talisman: write it in cinnabar on white silk, place it in front of the abdomen, and lie down with your head facing west on a day of Wu or Ji. Visualize yourself as already dead. After some time, take off your clothes and leave them where you lay, then go straight away into the mountains. If traveling far, change your name and do not return to your native place. When you first depart, people will see a corpse where you lay; after a while, it will suddenly disappear.

“Corpse liberation” is a Daoist way of attaining immortality by leaving the mortal body, with the corpse disappearing or a transformed remnant left behind.

In mid-spring, slaughter a cow and take one and a half jin of beef tallow. Take one and a half jin each of mercury and tin as well. Fast for a month in a secluded place in the mountains. Then put the tin in a bronze vessel and heat it. When the tin has melted, add the mercury and beef tallow, mix them together, and roll the mixture into pills. Take three pills at a time, each about the size of a soybean, three times a day. After nine days, you will have taken eighty-one pills in all, and will suddenly undergo corpse liberation, departing like a snake shedding its skin. At the time of departure, follow the talismans and ritual procedures described above. If you are still unable to depart, continue taking the pills until you do.

The Perfected One says: In the document, use three pills of “Zhu’er,” taking them three times a day. After nine days, you will have taken eighty-one pills in all, and will suddenly undergo corpse liberation, departing like a snake shedding its skin. At the time of departure, follow the talismans and ritual procedures described above. If you are still unable to depart, continue taking the pills until you do.

The Perfected One says: When writing, use “Zhu’er”; use “Xianzhi” silk for the writing surface, and a “Xianzhi pouch” for storing it. The ancients called cinnabar “Zhu’er” and silk “Xianzhi.”

A Formula for Removing Hidden Corpses and the Three Worms

On the third day of the third month, gather peach leaves and pound them to extract seven sheng of juice. Add bitter wine vinegar and boil the mixture down to five or six he. Take it all at once on an empty stomach; do not eat the night before.

A Formula for the Immortals’ Cultivation

On a “completion day” (an auspicious day in traditional date selection), simmer one dou of beef or mutton fat. Add one dou of sesame seeds, one hundred dried ginger roots, half a jin of fresh ginger, and one jin of fresh rehmannia root. Pound the ingredients and squeeze out their juice. Put the mixture in a large bronze pot and simmer it over a low flame until the medicinal ingredients have been boiled away and the fat turns yellow. Then strain out the solids. Take an amount the size of an egg, mix it into wine, and drink it three times a day. The formula claims that this will cure every illness, turn the hair black, and make the teeth grow back.

A Formula for Brewing Wine of the Immortals

Take ten jin of fresh rehmannia root and three jin of fresh ginger, and scrape off their outer skins. Then take five jin of asparagus tuber, peel it, and use the inner part. The original text goes on to say to take it three times a day, claiming that it will cure every illness, turn the hair black, and make the teeth grow back.

A Formula for Brewing Wine of the Immortals

Take ten jin of fresh Rehmannia root and three jin of ginger, scraping off their outer skins; take five jin of asparagus root, peeling off its outer skin. Cut everything into fine pieces, mix, and pound until it forms a thick paste. Soak it in one hu of good wine, dividing it between two earthenware jars. Seal the jars tightly, then place them in a large pot and heat them in a water bath. When the seals are pushed open and steam bursts out, it is ready.

In winter or summer, drink it warm: one sheng at a time, then lie down and rest. After drinking, you should feel the medicine’s effects moving distinctly through your body. This wine is said to replenish deficiency and fatigue, strengthen Jing and Qi, increase appetite, help the body withstand wind and cold, lend radiance to the complexion and skin, and prolong life.

A Recipe for Wine with Atractylodes

Grind five dou of Atractylodes (the medicinal ingredient used in this recipe; the original gives no further details) into powder. Put it in a silk bag and soak it in one hu of good wine. After ten days, remove the powder and dry it in the sun. Then use a wooden ladle to measure the wine, taking three fangcun bi (an ancient measure for powdered medicines or liquids) each time, three times a day. It is said to treat many illnesses with miraculous efficacy. Glutinous rice can also be added to the wine and fermented together; this works well, and the wine lees can be eaten too.

Divine Wine Recipe

This wine is said to treat many illnesses, replenish Jing and Qi, and improve the skin and complexion. Take three jin of cinnamon bark (another account says three chi), process it carefully, and use only the inner layer. Then take powdered asparagus root…