《太上洞玄灵宝无量度人上品妙经》

The Highest Subtle Scripture of Boundless Salvation from the Great One, Dongxuan, and Lingbao

(A classic of the Daoist Lingbao school, meaning “the highest subtle scripture that saves sentient beings through boundless methods”)

Preface to the Commentary on the Highest Subtle Scripture of Boundless Salvation from the Great One, Dongxuan, Lingbao, and Yuanshi

The Great One (Taiyi), one of the supreme origins described in Daoism, contains the true Qi (vital energy). It is the foundation of the wondrous Dao and the lineage of immortals. The Scripture of Salvation (Duren Jing) belongs to the highest class of scriptures in the Dongxuan Cavern. It gives birth to Heaven and Earth, opens and closes Yin-Yang, and sets the transformations of all things in motion. Its vast merit underlies all these works. It suspends the sun and moon high above, turns the stars in their courses, spreads the gods and spirits throughout the cosmos, and brings all things to life.

The Dao De Jing places Wuwei (non-action) first and Youwei (deliberate action) second: those of highest De (Virtue/Power) practice Wuwei, while those of lesser De practice Youwei; those of highest benevolence practice Wuwei, while those who practice righteousness also act deliberately. The Scripture of Salvation, by contrast, begins with Youwei and ends with Wuwei. A wondrous, mysterious ritual seat appears suspended in the air: this is Youwei. Profound wisdom penetrates and becomes clear: this is Wuwei. The stars of the Northern Dipper come to a momentary halt: this is Youwei. The ten directions are purified and still, and the rivers and seas fall silent: this is Wuwei.

Thus, when the scripture has been recited ten times, dry bones can be transformed into living people. The merit gained through diligent practice is reported to the heavens, and the myriad spirits come to pay homage. Each of the thirty-two heavens has its own emperor, revealing the transformations that have unfolded since Heaven and Earth were first opened. The hidden names of these heavenly realms must not be casually disclosed or treated with disrespect. Such disclosure or disrespect can bring calamity upon seven generations of ancestors, while diligent practice of this Way can raise one to the rank of an immortal.

This scripture has endured through ten thousand kalpas and is not lightly transmitted; it is a treasured scripture prized by Heaven. Why is it called “Lingbao”? Qi is called “ling” (numinous), and Jing (essence) is called “bao” (treasure). That which is still and unmoving, yet can respond and communicate through resonance, is called “ling.” That which has no higher ancestral source and takes only the Dao as its own being is called “bao.” When Qi combines and Jing condenses, this is called “the highest class”; when Shen (spirit) and Qi respond to one another and unite with the Dao, this is called “salvation.” From this we can understand that Lingbao refers to Jing and Qi. Jing and Qi are also represented by mercury and lead; mercury and lead represent Yin-Yang, which in turn correspond to Li and Kan (Fire and Water among the Eight Trigrams, Bagua). Without using deliberate methods of cultivation to bring Li and Kan together and achieve the state of Water and Fire in Balance, how could one condense an inner elixir pearl the size of a millet grain?

When people are first born, “Nothingness” joins with “Being.” They absorb the True One Qi, blended and condensed between Heaven and Earth, and from it their bodies take shape. After ten months in the womb, they leave the mother’s body. Fed broth by day and nursed at night, their bodies gradually grow, and their spirits grow vigorous. When Shen is complete, Jing and Qi become pure and full, and the body’s calm primordial Qi is replenished as well. The sages of old said, “Those whose Qi is full do not crave food; those whose Shen is full do not crave sleep; those whose Jing is full do not crave desire.” This state is called “Pure Yang”: the robust Yang energy symbolized by the Qian trigram.

Practitioners of the highest capacity cultivate the noble Dao of Wuwei (non-action) at this stage. Through inner cultivation of body and mind and outward accumulation of merit through good deeds, they can fill their primordial Qi, earn the reverence of demon kings, and ultimately attain immortality. Later practitioners have shallow attainment and do not wish to cultivate immortality. Few preserve their original nature; many lose it and sink into delusion. They become intoxicated with a life squandered in vain and ensnared by desire and attachment. The True One Qi bestowed by Heaven and Earth at birth then drains away unnoticed and comes to lie hidden within Kun, the trigram that symbolizes yielding Yin. Thereafter, Kun takes the single Yang that remains in Qian and becomes the Kan trigram; as Kun erodes Qian, Qian loses a Yang line and becomes the Li trigram.

On close examination, desire arises from attachment, attachment arises with emotion, and emotion is disturbed by external circumstances. Thoughts of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, along with worry and sighing, alternate day and night. People continually rub against and struggle with external things, unaware that their changes have no end while human mental strength is finite. The immortal path is therefore hard to hold to, while the path of ghosts can easily take advantage of a person’s vulnerability. When one’s allotted time arrives, life comes to an end; the body enters the netherworld, and the cycle of rebirth has no end. This is truly cause for compassion.

Those who attain the Dao, and the perfected immortals, meet a true teacher and at once understand the way of cultivation. They realize that the human mind must not simply be carried along by external things, and they understand that the changes of the outer world are endless while the mind’s strength is limited. Therefore, when primordial Qi begins to diminish, one should cultivate the Way of the Numinous Treasure for Delivering Humanity in good time, so that it may be restored. “Restoration” refers to the active Way of Lower Virtue and the active Way of Higher Righteousness. It also includes such methods of cultivation as the Primordial Beginning’s Hanging Pearl, directing Wu to join with Ji, subduing the dragon and taming the tiger, and refining lead and merging mercury. Ultimately, these practices return the Golden Liquid to its true state and bring wondrous perfection to both form and spirit.

Only by understanding these principles can one believe in the subtle truths and efficacy contained in “the Earth Treasury releasing its outflow” and “gold and jade revealing their forms.” Preserving the lifespan allotted by Heaven enables long life; transcending the Three Realms and ascending through the vast sky are also attainments that the cultivation of the Dao can make possible. These are precisely the things practitioners should pursue by cultivating De, establishing merit, and diligently putting their practice into effect.

The origins of the Scripture of Salvation are said to be as follows. When Heaven and Earth first separated and writing had just appeared, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning composed this scripture in the early years of the Longhan era. He wrote it in purple ink among a grove of green trees, with characters a zhang wide and tall, and then passed it to the Dao Lord Yuchen. Yuchen passed it to the Perfected One Xuanyi, who in turn passed it to the Celestial Emperor of Perfected Heaven. The Celestial Emperor of Perfected Heaven edited and copied the text, established its authoritative wording, and kept it hidden.

During the reign of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, the Celestial Emperor of Perfected Heaven met the Three Immortal Kings of Great Clarity on Mount Emei. The Yellow Emperor bowed to them and asked about the Dao. The Celestial Emperor then taught him the text of the Five Teeth and Three Ones, along with the upper scroll of the Scripture of Salvation. After practicing them, the Yellow Emperor attained the Dao and became an immortal. Later, Emperor Ku obtained the “Basic Chapter” and “Jade Calendar Chapter” from the Celestial Emperor at the Terrace of Nurtured Virtue.

During the Yuanfeng era of the Western Han, the Queen Mother of the West passed the upper scroll, the “Basic Chapter,” and the “Jade Calendar Chapter” to Emperor Wu of Han; only then did the complete scripture take shape. In the Eastern Han, the Grand Supreme Lord Lao descended and transmitted the scripture to Gan Ji, adding the “Upper Chapter of the Numinous Book” and the 150 scrolls of the Scripture of Great Peace. During Emperor Huan’s reign, Lord Lao descended to Shu and transmitted more than a thousand scrolls of scriptures and registers to the Celestial Master, including the Scripture of Salvation and the Scripture of the Northern Dipper.

During the Wu dynasty, the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate transmitted the Scripture of Salvation to Ge Xuan, the Immortal Elder of the Left Palace of the Supreme Ultimate, on Mount Shangyu in Kuaiji, adding the “Middle Chapter of the Numinous Book.” The Perfected One Zheng Siyuan later passed the scripture to Ge Hong, who added the upper and lower chapters of the Numinous Book and the “Postface by the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate.” This formed the complete version known today.

During the Jin dynasty, Wang Zuan encountered the Dao Lord and received this scripture, along with several dozen other scrolls. In the Northern Wei, Kou Qianzhi was cultivating on Mount Song when, in response to his devotion, the Grand Supreme descended and bestowed this scripture and more than sixty other scrolls. After the scripture circulated among the people, they learned that reciting it could bring blessings and avert calamities, but did not know that it also contained methods for refining the Returning Elixir, prolonging life, and attaining immortality.

During the Zhenghe era, Emperor Huizong of Song wrote a commentary on the scripture. Later, Xue Youqi, Yan Dongqi, Cheng Xuanying, Li Shaowei, and others also produced commentaries. In the early years of the Baoqing era, Xiao Guanfu wrote the “Inner Meaning and Elixir Instructions of the Scripture of Salvation.” These are interpretations by those who studied the scripture with great care.

Through karmic affinity, I encountered an enlightened master and received the secret instructions for the Golden Liquid Great Returning Fire Talisman. I wished for all people to understand this path of Dao cultivation. I therefore wrote commentaries on the Dao De Jing and the Diamond Sutra, and composed Essentials of the Golden Elixir. Later, I combined Daoist methods of cultivation with principles of everyday life, annotated this scripture section by section, and cited the wise words of worthy people from earlier generations as corroboration. I hope those concerned with fortune and misfortune will understand that they should diligently recite the scriptures and do good. Those who seek to transcend the limits of worldly life should understand that through cultivation one can become a perfected being.

Alas! Everyone knows they cherish life and loathe death. If they loathe death, they should consider how to escape it. Yet this is not what people do today: though they know they loathe death, they bury themselves in fame, profit, and desire, without repentance. This only brings death sooner. If they cherish life, they should consider how to seek the Dao of long life and enduring vision. Yet this is not what people do today: though they know they cherish life, they do not seek an enlightened master to guide them in the essentials of longevity and return to the origin. Instead, they blindly follow unorthodox and deviant paths, thereby shortening their lives.

Whether they are cultivators in mountain forests or clear-minded people in towns and cities, once they know to recite this scripture, they should seek the shortcuts it teaches concerning the Golden Elixir, a term in Daoist Neidan cultivation, and longevity. The Most High, a title of reverence for the highest Daoist deity, guides people through the Way of Numinous Treasure precisely in the hope that they will put this Way into practice. If they persevere and cultivate diligently, they may ascend to the realm of the Highest Clarity, a lofty celestial realm in Daoism, and secure the attainment of pure, untainted practice.

Written by Shangyangzi Chen Guanwu at Zixiao Crimson Palace, north of Mount Jinluo, on the Mid-Autumn Festival of the Bingzi year of the Zhiyuan era.

Commentary on the Supreme One’s Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Grade for Deliverance Without Limit, of the Cavern Mystery and Numinous Treasure, Volume One

Commentary by Shangyangzi Chen Guanwu

Shangyangzi explains: “Tai” means that the Great Dao is vast beyond measure; “Shang” means that it is the most exalted between Heaven and Earth. “Dong” means that it penetrates everywhere; “Xuan” means that its mystery is beyond words. “Ling” means that it transforms unpredictably and can respond and reach through to all things; “Bao” means something rare and cherished. “Wuliang” means immeasurable; “Duren” means guiding people from the ordinary realm into the realm of sages. “Shangpin” means unmatched in the world; “Miao” means imbued with the subtle vitality of spiritual refinement. “Jing” is like a raft for crossing a river or a ladder for ascending to Heaven: it is a means of cultivating the Dao.

Taken together, this scripture speaks of the most exalted and wondrous true Dao, which enables one to penetrate the transformations of things: the innate, true One and the way of refining it into an Elixir. These teachings are intended for people with deep foundations and advanced cultivation. They belong to the “function of the Dao”—the method of cultivating in accordance with them and realizing the Dao.

Scriptures serve two purposes: the “function of the Dao” and “worldly methods.” The function of the Dao means cultivating in accordance with a scripture in pursuit of ascension to immortality; worldly methods mean reciting it diligently in pursuit of blessings. From the perspective of worldly methods, “Taishang” is an extremely exalted title. “Dongxuan” belongs to the Three Caverns (the Daoist Canon’s classification system, comprising Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen) and refers to the Primordial Heavenly Worthy’s thorough understanding of the utmost truth and mystery of the One. “Lingbao” is the honorific title acquired by the Jade-Morning Dao Lord after receiving the Primordial Heavenly Worthy’s mysterious One Qi and taking form from it. “Wuliang Duren” means that, since the beginning of the great kalpas, the Primordial Heavenly Worthy has taken form as the various heavens and brought forth all things; people of the world have thereby been delivered in numbers beyond counting. “Shangpin” means that among the vast collection of Daoist scriptures, this one ranks first. “Miao” means that its meaning cannot be fully expressed in words; “Jing” means the true path of the Great Dao. This is the explanation from the perspective of worldly methods.

Great practitioners should follow both the function of the Dao and worldly methods: cultivating inwardly through the function of the Dao, and using worldly methods to support that cultivation. This is the dual cultivation of nature and life. People commonly say that Buddhism cultivates nature while Daoism cultivates life; even the learned and wise often cling to this view, without understanding that this scripture teaches the merging of nature and life into one, so that both body and spirit attain perfect realization. Shangyangzi says that he has merely revealed a secret of Heaven by making clear the meaning of this scripture in terms of nature and life, substance and function.

“Tai” is the fundamental nature of one’s original nature. Some say that Buddhists cultivate nature while Daoists cultivate life. Even sages and wise people often cling to this view, unaware that this Jing teaches that nature and life merge as one, bringing both body and spirit to a wondrous state of refinement. Shangyangzi, a Daoist commentator, therefore brought its meaning to light, explaining the substance and function of nature and life in this Jing.

“Tai” is the substance of nature and the manifestation of life: it refers to the fundamental nature of life possessed by the sovereign power of creation. When nature functions, it can bring the heavens into being. “Dong” means that true nature is connected throughout; “Xuan” refers to the profound, elusive aspects of cultivation; “Ling” means the transformations of nature; and “Bao” means the essence produced by life. “Wuliang,” or “immeasurable,” means that it cannot be fully grasped by ordinary understanding. “Duren,” or “guiding people across,” means that people must be guided by other people. “Shangpin,” or “highest grade,” means that there are not two different Daos in the world, and that people of the same kind can readily undertake cultivation. “Miao,” or “wondrous,” describes how, when Yang Qi first stirs, all things sprout as they do in spring. “Jing” means a path containing principles and rules for people to follow in their practice. This explanation of the title makes its meaning direct and clear.

The Record of the Primordial Origin states that during the Longhan kalpa, an ancient cosmic age in Daoist tradition, Lord Lao manifested in different forms to teach. He transmitted the revealed scriptures in the Central Heaven’s Great Blessing Hall Kingdom, the Southern Pole’s Red Illumination Kingdom, the Eastern Pole’s Fuli Kingdom, the Western Pole’s Xina Kingdom, and the Northern Pole’s Yudan Kingdom. In all five kingdoms, people received the teachings of the Lingbao tradition. When Lord Lao went west to teach the king of the Hu people, the king asked, “What is the Dao?” Lord Lao replied, “The Most High Lingbao came into being before Heaven and Earth. It is so vast that nothing lies beyond its embrace, and so subtle that nothing lies beyond its reach. Heaven receives it and becomes clear; Earth receives it and becomes tranquil; spirits receive it and become numinous; all things receive it and grow; people receive it and take form. If people cultivate it, they can become divine immortals and stride through the air to the Jade Capital, the heavenly city of Daoist legend. That is why it is called ‘the Most High.’”

A hymn to the Dongxuan Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing says: “The Most High sits upright before Taiji. Its root lies before the parents came into being. To guide people across, one must rely on the true Jing and its methods. If you ask what the true Jing is, Gui is lead.”

The Dao says: Long ago, in the Heaven of Beginning Blue, within the celestial paradise of Biluokongge Dafuli, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning taught the Scripture of Primordial Beginning for Deliverance Without Limit, the Supreme Scripture. As he was about to expound this scripture, he circumambulated the altar ten times to summon the divine perfected beings from the ten directions. When the scripture began, they all came before the seat of the teaching.

The great gods of the Heavenly Realms, the supreme sages and exalted worthies, the perfected beings of wondrous practice, and countless immortals came riding through the air on flying clouds, moving among the crimson heavens. They rode emerald carriages with wheels of jade, their carriages shaded by canopies adorned with feathers. Jade light shimmered, and dense clouds in five colors illuminated the vast sky. This scene continued for seven days and seven nights.

The sun, moon, and stars of the various heavens, along with the Jade Pivot and Jade Balance—the celestial bodies and instruments used in ancient times to observe the heavens, also referring to the movements of the celestial spheres—all stopped moving at once. The divine winds fell still, and clouds vanished among the mountains and seas. No drifting clouds veiled the sky; the qi of the four directions was clear and bright. The mountains, rivers, and forests throughout the land became level and even, with no high or low places. The entire earth turned to blue-green jade, with no other color. The perfected immortals stood in attendance beside the seat of the teaching.

Shangyangzi says: From a secular perspective, this passage explains the origins of the scripture. From the perspective of the Dao’s workings, the whole passage describes the wondrous Dao of the innate, mysterious One Great Elixir.

The Laozi says, “There is something that came into being in a state of undivided wholeness. It existed before Heaven and Earth, and is called the Dao.” The Dao cannot be expressed in words; words can only make its workings clear. Thus it is said, “A Dao that can be spoken is not the constant Dao.” In the secular interpretation, the Lord of the Dao expounds the meaning of the scripture, and this is called “the Dao’s words.” In the Daoist account of cultivation, the Dao generates Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), the fundamental state of all things, from the time before Heaven and Earth were divided and chaos was differentiated. Taiji lies in profound darkness and gives rise to Yin-Yang. Once Yin-Yang takes shape, it becomes nature and life. When nature and life stir and manifest, they are called spirit and Qi (vital energy). Once chaos is broken open, spirit and Qi are also called lead and mercury, symbols of Yin and Yang in Neidan (internal alchemy). When lead and mercury move through the Gate of Wu and Ji (Wu and Ji symbolize Earth and also the pivot that harmonizes Yin and Yang), they are called the Mysterious Female, the source from which the Dao gives birth to all things. Thus the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth: this is the Dao. Following the Dao and putting it into practice is called “speech.” Therefore, the scripture opens directly with the words, “The Dao speaks.”

“Long ago, in the Central Heaven of Primordial Blue”: In terms of the Dao’s principles, “long ago” refers to the time before Taiji, and the “Central Heaven of Primordial Blue” refers to the realm where all things began. “The azure void’s silent song” points to the beginning of creation, while “the Great Floating-Li Earth” is the place from which all things are transformed into being. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning received the Supreme Scripture of Primordial Beginning for Deliverance of Humanity, and cultivated the Dao of the Mysterious One Great Elixir.

In the secular interpretation, “long ago” means in the beginning. The Central Heaven of Primordial Blue is the first heaven in the east, above the Heaven of the Seed People. Azure mists fill it, so it is called the Heaven of Azure Vastness. The Qi flows and billows, transforming into divine winds that make sounds like songs in the open sky. Beneath this heaven lies a realm called the Great Floating-Li. The Inner Meaning says that the Great Floating-Li Earth represents the beginning of creation: all things are born from Earth and eventually return to it.

The Scripture of the Hidden Talisman says, “Fire is born from wood; once calamity is set in motion, it must be brought under control.” Those who understand this principle and apply it in cultivation are called sages. Fire is hidden within wood. If the fire blazes without restraint, the wood turns to ash and its original nature disappears. But if the fire is controlled, then even when the wood has been consumed, it can gather and become Earth, thereby preserving its nature. The Central Heaven of Primordial Blue belongs to the east, and the east corresponds to Wood.

The Azure-Vault Empty Song, symbolizing Fire, and the Great Floating Realm of Earth, symbolizing Earth, represent Fire and Earth among the Five Phases. The Primordial Azure Heaven represents Wood. Earth is the foundation for refining the Returning Elixir, the process by which cultivation restores life to its source. Although the Returning Elixir undergoes refinement by fire and the Wood is burned to ash, the ash gathers into Earth, and the essential nature of things is preserved.

The Returning Elixir is the Way of returning to the root and restoring the origin. The scripture says: “Bring the mind to the utmost emptiness and stillness, and firmly abide in quietude. As the myriad things flourish, I observe how they return.” The myriad things grow and multiply in profusion, yet in the end they all return to their own source. Returning to the source is called “stillness”; to become still is to return to life’s original state. This is precisely the principle of return.

The Returning Hexagram in the Book of Changes says: “What the Returning Hexagram reveals—is it not the very heart of Heaven and Earth?” Heaven and Earth are the forms of Yin and Yang; “heart” refers to the way Yin and Yang operate. Heaven moves and Earth rests; Yang moves and Yin rests. When Heaven’s movement reaches its limit, Yin Qi begins to arise; when Earth’s stillness reaches its limit, Yang Qi begins to arise. The Yin lines of the Stripping Hexagram advance to the top, while the single Yang of the Returning Hexagram arises from below. The movement and stillness, waxing and waning, of Yin and Yang thus reveal the fundamental pattern governing Heaven and Earth. The same is true of human beings.

The Returning Hexagram consists of a single Yang line below and five Yin lines above, with Zhen below and Kun above. Zhen corresponds to Wood and symbolizes the Primordial Azure Heaven; Wood generates Fire, symbolized by the Azure-Vault Empty Song; Fire generates Earth, and Kun corresponds to Earth, symbolized by the Great Floating Realm of Earth. Earth is the root of creation and transformation; Earth in turn generates Metal. This Metal is called the Empty-Qi Golden Embryo, which in essence is the Primordial Ancestral Qi, the original vital energy of the cosmos.

In the title Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, “Primordial” refers to what is mysterious and profound, while “Beginning” refers to the initial One. “Heaven” is the supreme honorific for the “One Qi,” as well as the highest designation attainable by all things. The function of the Dao is the Empty-Qi Golden Embryo within the Dharma Body, the true embodiment of a cultivator—in other words, the Primordial Ancestral Qi. It is also called the “original face” or the “indestructible original spirit,” referring to the primal spirit that cannot be harmed.

The Elixir Classic, a text on Neidan cultivation, says: “The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning is myself; therefore I expound this scripture.” This means that when the scripture is expounded at the proper time, the Dao’s function is “True Lead,” the essential source symbol in Neidan practice. Lao Jun said to Master Wenshi: “If you can understand the ‘One,’ you will understand all things.” He also said: “One is Lead, and Lead is the sovereign; two is Mercury, and Mercury is the minister. If Lead is not true, Mercury cannot unite with it.” Lead and Mercury are both terms in Neidan cultivation, serving as metaphors for the guiding and supporting elements in the process.

If lead, an important symbolic ingredient in alchemy, can become a close and trustworthy aid, the support of the household retainers will not be lost. The process is repeated ten times in succession to summon the powers of the ten directions—that is, the forces of all directions and realms. In worldly terms, this describes the Celestial Worthy preaching the scripture and summoning the true spirits. “Round” means to announce everywhere; “return” means to summon all universally. The principle of invocation extends throughout the ten directions, and all are ultimately to come before the ritual seat.

From the perspective of Neidan cultivation, “coming before the seat” also refers to the elixir returning to the elixir chamber. When the Dao’s workings have matured, the Golden Elixir undergoes the practice known as “nine returns and ten months.” The practitioner enters the elixir chamber and begins cultivation, drawing together the two Qi of Yin and Yang until they meet at the Yellow Path; bringing the three natures—the three fundamental elements spoken of in cultivation—together at the Original Palace, the place within the body where they are refined and nurtured; then setting in motion the key Qi cycles of the seventy-two pentads and gathering three thousand six hundred portions of pure Qi. This is like countless heavenly perfected beings, sages, and deities assembling around the alchemical vessel and converging in the Golden Embryo, the embryo from which the Golden Elixir forms. It is also like arriving through empty space, joining spirit with Qi and refining the body through Qi, manifesting flying clouds and a vermilion elixir sky, feathered canopies casting shade, golden radiance and silver essence shining, flowing vital essence and jade-like brilliance, dense clouds of five colors, and a light that illuminates the great void. In the language of worldly ritual, the wonders summoned by the Celestial Worthy’s spiritual powers are surely more than this!

“Seven days and seven nights” refers to the cycle of change between Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth. In the tenth month, the Yin force of Heaven and Earth is at its fullest, while Yang has yet to appear. The eleventh month corresponds to Zi: Yang begins to sprout, but has not yet risen. After seven more days, Yang begins to revive. This is the change of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth. The moon is full on the fifteenth day; by the night of the twenty-seventh, darkness has overtaken it and it gives no light. At the hour of Shen on the third day of the following month, a single Yang is reborn in the moon at the position of Geng. This is the change of Yin and Yang in the sun and moon. Both are reborn in cycles of seven.

“Heaven’s One gives birth to Water; Earth’s Six brings it to completion” describes the generative numbers of the Five Phases: Heaven, through the number one, gives birth to Water; Earth, through the number six, brings Water to completion. Neidan cultivation also assigns numbers to the gathering of Qi: one period contains six pentads, each governing about five days.

When gathering the medicine—the practice of gathering and consolidating original Qi—one uses only “one and a half periods,” that is, seven days and seven nights. The Yijing says that firmness and yielding symbolize day and night. The sages said that firmness and yielding are expressions of original Qi moving to and fro; a person’s breathing also reflects this movement. One inhalation and one exhalation are called a breath. Each breath is further divided into Yin and Yang: exhalation is bright and belongs to Yang; inhalation is dark and belongs to Yin. The exhalations of the seven apertures are called the seven days; their inhalations are called the seven nights.

When the Golden Mother—the Daoist deity Queen Mother of the West—has attained a certain level of practice, the workings of Heaven are still. Her expression is composed, her gaze focused, her pulse and breath seem to have stopped, and her thoughts have quieted. This is why it is called seven days and seven nights. The sun, moon, and stars in the heavens, along with the Jade Pivot and Jade Balance, instruments for observing celestial phenomena, seem to cease their movements all at once. The breath no longer comes and goes, like a divine phoenix in silence; original Qi no longer rises and falls. This is called “clouds hidden in mountains and seas.” Deluded thoughts and external entanglements all become pure and still, as though no drifting clouds obscured the sky. The six sense faculties—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—settle into stillness. This is called “the four Qi bright and clear.” When Daoist cultivation reaches this point, one can experience the mystery of nature and life merging into one.

The “land of a single kingdom” mentioned in the scripture refers, in worldly terms, to the land of Fuli; from the perspective of cultivation, it means the human body. A person regards the body as a kingdom, Jing as its people, Qi as its ruler, and Shen as its commander. Mountains, rivers, plants, and trees are all present within the body as well. When body and mind are truly still and clear, they are like level ground, without high or low. Human nature is as crystalline and pure as jade; how could it have different colors?

The Inner Meaning says that “earth” refers to a person’s nature and disposition. Innately empty and still, nature transforms into Shen and is stored in the chamber; this is called Wu Earth. Original Qi stirs in response and gives rise to emotion, which is gathered within the cauldron; this is called Ji Earth. Once Wu Earth and Ji Earth unite, Shen and Qi become peaceful and still. Nature and emotion alike return to a deep state beyond distinction, like blue-green jade without a flaw, pure and untainted. Thus it is said that the whole earth turns to blue-green jade, with no different colors. The mind and spirit turn inward to contemplate true Qi; the three souls return to the body, the seven Po souls return to their original nature, and the mind’s sovereign is at peace. All the spirits obey its commands, which is why it is said that the perfected ones stand in attendance before the seat. These are all active methods used in Daoist cultivation.

If interpreted through worldly principles, this means that the Heavenly Worthy, by means of divine power, transformed the celestial spirits and terrestrial deities, including the spirits of the sun, moon, and stars, so that they would respond at any moment and come to the assembly, appearing as though they were right before the gathered audience. All this belongs to the wondrous workings of the Dao through active means.

The hymn praises: The most exquisite song rings out in the azure sky; the Great Fuli Land searches toward Kun, the southwest. Flowing essence shines through the grotto, and the divine wind grows still. In profound, quiet serenity, a subtle yang refines and transforms the Five Yin—the five yin forces that constitute the human body.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sat upright on a five-colored lion throne suspended in midair. After he preached the scripture once, the great sages of the heavens all praised him together. At that time, all the deaf men and women in the country regained their hearing. After he preached it a second time, the blind regained their sight; after a third, those unable to speak found their voices; after a fourth, the lame and those long unable to walk because of illness rose and walked again; after a fifth, people suffering from long-term illness recovered in an instant; after a sixth, white hair turned black and lost teeth grew back; after a seventh, the elderly regained the strength of their prime, while the young grew strong as well; after an eighth, women became pregnant, and the young conceived by birds and beasts—all, whether already born or not yet born—were able to grow and come into being; after a ninth, things buried beneath the earth came to light, and gold and jade revealed their traces; after a tenth, withered bones grew again and became living people. At that time, all the men and women in the country sincerely turned toward him. Every one of them received protection and salvation and attained long life.

Shangyangzi says that, in terms of the workings of the Dao (the Way), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning symbolizes the original spirit. The Perfected White One of Ziqing says this spirit is not the spirit of ordinary conscious thought, but the true, original spirit that can be likened to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. The Inner Meaning explains that the “mysterious throne” is where the divine spirit dwells, while “floating in emptiness” is the Dharma body. The five colors represent the subtle transformations of Qi (vital energy), and the lion symbolizes the mind’s awareness. The original spirit dwells in the spirit chamber and uses the mind spirit to gather the breath; the Dharma body is empty, still, and serene, while the mind’s awareness is clear and wondrous. The original spirit commands the breath, and the mind is symbolized by the lion. Is this not the Celestial Worthy’s Dao-form? And is it not also my own true nature?

Thus, “the mysterious throne floating in emptiness” refers to a state of profound stillness and purity: silent and unmoving, yet able to respond at any moment. The hardest things for a person to subdue are the mind and one’s nature. The Jing (scripture) says: “The human spirit loves purity, but the mind disturbs it; the mind loves stillness, but desire draws it away.” Here, “spirit” means true nature. When the mind grows still, the spirit naturally becomes clear. During practice in the chamber, one must subdue the mind as if taming a fierce beast. Ancient practitioners used lead and mercury as metaphors for the Dragon and Tiger because they are difficult to control. The Perfected One of Pure Yang says: “In the warm lead cauldron, radiance shines through the curtains; Yin-Yang transformations race into motion, and Dragon and Tiger unite; the work of advancing the fire is as perilous as the Ox and Dipper constellations.” The lion, too, is king of all beasts. To sit upon it before it has been subdued would be perilous at the slightest lapse in vigilance. The Perfected One of Qingyuan of the Eastern Sea says that one must first subdue the lion, then sit upon it. In other words, make the mind empty and still, and keep the body free of burdens, so that the Dao can respond. This is the foundation of transcendence.

After a single recitation of the scripture, the great sages of the heavens all praise the virtue of the act. Those who cultivate the “Mysterious One, Utmost Truth, Numinous Treasure, Great Returning Golden Elixir” are honored and protected by the myriad sages, revered by the heavens, escorted and welcomed by demon kings, and respected and admired by spirits and ghosts. How much more, then, would they be praised for taking part in the scripture’s assembly?

From the perspective of the Dao’s workings, reciting the scripture once brings relief to all the spirits within the body. If the men and women of a whole country suffer from deafness, their hearing can be restored. Recite it twice, and the blind regain their sight; recite it three times, and those who cannot speak find their voices. From a worldly perspective, these claims may seem simplistic. But understood through the workings of the Dao, their meaning is quite concrete.

Why is this so? Ordinary people cannot quiet their minds to listen to the breath and nurture their original Qi, nor can they draw in their gaze and preserve their spirit. Their ears are therefore confused by sounds, their eyes disturbed by external things, and their mouths and tongues constrained by flavors. If this continues for a long time without their waking to it, they ultimately become like the blind, deaf, and mute. The Laozi says, “The five tones make people deaf; the five colors make people blind.” This is precisely the point. Those deep in cultivation hear the soundless sound, and in time their hearing grows more keen; they see what has no form, and in time their vision grows clearer; they do not crave varied flavors, and in time their sense of taste grows more refined. How much more, then, should the senses be carefully restrained during cultivation in a quiet chamber?

The Perfected Wei says, “The three treasures—ears, eyes, and mouth—must be sealed away and not opened casually to the outside. The Perfected One dives into the depths and swims there, keeping to the center of the compass.” This is what he means.

Reciting the scripture four times enables the lame, those afflicted by entangling illnesses, and those deeply burdened by ingrained habits to rise and walk. Here, the image of worldly people who do not know how to cultivate the Dao and are like the lame, unable to walk, is a metaphor. The character “e” means entanglement, ingrained habits, or something formed gradually. The ignorant are bound and polluted by worldly life, and influenced by accumulated habits; thus they find it difficult to cultivate the Dao. “Rise and walk” means being able to set one’s resolve and begin cultivation.

Reciting the scripture five times can suddenly restore those suffering from long-standing, stubborn illnesses. People in the world who believe in the Dao often lack firm conviction; those who do not believe in it, by contrast, are often steadfast in their disbelief and cannot be changed by any amount of persuasion. Such disbelief is like a chronic, stubborn illness. If one day they suddenly come to believe in the Dao and put it into practice without hesitation, this is called “recovering one’s form all at once.”

Some associate Kan with the ears and say that deafness is thereby cured; they associate Li with the eyes and say that sight is thereby restored. Others use Zhen to symbolize being stirred awake and thus gaining keen hearing, and Li to symbolize attachment and thus gaining clear sight. Why not go beyond these explanations? This scripture has been handed down in the world, but what truly endures is the Dao.

Without insight gained through genuine cultivation and practice, how can one discuss this principle?

The scripture says that after it is expounded six times, white hair will turn black and fallen teeth will grow back. When Blood and Qi are vigorous, the hair grows more abundant; when Jing and Qi are full, the teeth become firm. After it is expounded seven times, the elderly return to youth and strength, and the young all become robust. If the primordial Qi of the mysterious One is restored, the elderly can return to a state like that of an infant and become strong again. If the Qi of utmost truth, pure and complete, is abundant, the young can all become robust.

The Laozi says that a person should be like an infant: its bones are weak and its sinews soft, yet it can clench its fist; it knows nothing of sexual union, yet can become erect. Is this not what is meant by “the young all become robust”?

The scripture also says that after it is expounded eight times, women can conceive and birds and beasts can bear young; those already born and those yet unborn alike can be nourished and brought to life. After it is expounded nine times, what lies deep within the earth comes to light, and gold and jade appear above ground. After it is expounded ten times, withered bones grow again, and the dead all rise and become living.

This teaching can be understood either in its worldly, literal sense or as a guide to Daoist cultivation. In the worldly interpretation, one understands the scripture as it is written, without further explanation. In the interpretation for cultivation, practitioners who cultivate the Golden Liquid and Return the Elixir—that is, who refine Jing and Qi to form the Neidan—belong wholly to Yin if they have not yet obtained the primordial Qi of the One. The middle of the Li trigram is empty; is it not like a woman? The Perfected One Ziyang says, “The Sun dwells in the position of Li and becomes female; Kan, paired with the Moon Palace, becomes male.” This is precisely the principle at issue.

When practitioners obtain the Golden Liquid’s Female Crucible—a metaphor for the body that receives and congeals Jing and Qi in Neidan cultivation—the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise guard above and below, while the White Tiger and Azure Dragon guard the left and right. Is this not like birds and beasts carrying young? “All can be nourished and brought to life” means that the Neidan embryo within the Golden Crucible has matured and its Qi is abundant. “What lies deep within the earth comes to light, and gold and jade appear” means that both body and spirit have reached a refined state. “Withered bones grow again, and all rise to become living” means that the Perfected Being appears, the practitioner gains a body beyond the body, and can transform into hundreds of millions of bodies.

The Inner Meaning explains that “birds and beasts carrying embryos” means cinnabar contains the substance of mercury, like an embryo. Mercury congeals when it meets lead; Qi and form meet and blend. The Qi that has already congealed grows stronger day by day, while newly arising Qi continues to congeal. It does not disperse among external things, and so can remain in a state like pregnancy for a long time.

The Qi (vital energy, in Daoist usage) that has condensed and taken form grows stronger day by day. Qi that is still coming into being also gathers and fuses again, without scattering away among external things, and nourishes the “sacred embryo,” the alchemical embryo in Neidan (internal alchemy). Thus, what has already come into being and what has yet to come into being can both be brought to life.

“Nine cycles” draws on the numbers by which the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) generate one another to explain the alchemical process: the Earthly number four generates Metal, while the Heavenly number nine brings Metal to completion. Metal belongs to the western Dui position. When Kun and Dui combine, Metal takes shape within Earth. Here, lead is placed in the earthen crucible—the vessel used in alchemy—and refined into a treasure. The Cantong qi, a Daoist alchemical classic, says: “When Metal returns to its original nature, it may be called the Returning Elixir.” This means that only when Metal returns to its beginning can it be called the “Returning Elixir”: that is, when the One Qi returns to its source.

Heaven’s One generates Water. At first, Water arises from the embryo of Metal within empty Qi, before Metal has taken visible form. Earth’s Four generates Metal, which is still undergoing the process of transformation. At this point, Metal returns to its source and recovers its original nature. It settles in the central palace, becomes the substance of the Elixir, and reveals wondrous signs. The central palace belongs to Earth, which represents the land. The Mother of Metal, symbolizing Metal’s source, dwells within it; hence the saying: “What the earth has hidden comes forth, and gold and jade reveal their forms.”

In the preface to the Scripture of the Golden Liquid Divine Elixir, the Han Celestial Master says that the Dao of the immortals has a profound purpose and subtle language. It is “principle within the absence of principle,” and “the great so within the not-so.” These teachings have already been fully recorded in the “Profound Source,” the esoteric Daoist scriptures; no few words can express them completely. Here, too, the Most High expounds this wondrous Dao of emptiness and stillness.

At this time, all the men and women in the whole country devote themselves wholeheartedly to the Dao. “One country” refers to the whole human body, while “men and women” refer to Yin-Yang. To “devote oneself wholeheartedly” means that things of the same kind respond to one another: innate Qi and acquired Qi combine to form the Elixir. When cultivation is complete and the power of Qi is full, all beings receive protection and deliverance, and can attain longevity.

All the explanations above concern the practice of the Dao. The worldly interpretation has already been explained in detail. The hymn says: A wondrous seat appears suspended in midair, and five-colored radiance shines as though the master were present. Blindness, deafness, muteness, lameness, and every kind of illness can be cured. When the gold and jade hidden within the earth come forth, one snatches the prize from the air.

Each time the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning finished reciting the scripture, countless Perfected Great Deities (high-ranking deities in Daoism) and other gods and immortals would come soaring through the air from one of the directions. By the tenth recitation, the celestial Perfected Ones from all ten directions—the east, south, west, north, southeast, northeast, southwest, northwest, above, and below—had all gathered.

Men and women throughout the land revered him sincerely. Those who came to hear the scripture were as numerous as fine rain and dense mist, nearly filling the whole country. The land sank and tilted beneath their weight, and the crowd could not be held back. Then the Celestial Worthy suspended a precious pearl, no larger than a grain of millet, five zhang above the ground. He led the celestial Perfected Ones, the Highest Sages and Venerable Ones, the Perfected Ones of wondrous practice, and countless Perfected Great Deities from the ten directions into the pearl with him. Those below looked up and saw the gods entering through the opening in the pearl, one after another; once inside, they could no longer see where the gods had gone.

After the crowd dispersed, the ground returned to level and stopped sinking. The Celestial Worthy finished preaching the scripture inside the pearl. The Perfected Ones bore witness to the teachings and transmitted the scripture to me. Everyone present was filled with joy. When the ceremony was complete, the heavens returned to their proper order, and in an instant all was silent. The celestial beings and people who had heard the teachings were saved and their natural lifespans preserved; they suffered no sudden calamity.

Throughout the land, people turned their hearts toward him in admiration, and everyone held good intentions: they did not kill, envy, act immorally, or steal; they did not covet, hate, or take what belonged to others. Their appearance was neither extravagant nor gaudy, and their speech held no harsh words. They showed one another compassion, and even people with different surnames were as close as family. The country was peaceful, the people prosperous, and everyone gladly enjoyed a life of peace.

When this scripture was first transmitted to a country, anyone who sincerely drew near to the Great Dao and honored and revered it could be saved.

Shangyangzi says: “This passage can be understood both as a worldly narrative in the scripture and in terms of its role in Daoist cultivation.

In the worldly narrative, the Celestial Worthy teaches the scripture, drawing countless perfected beings and sages from the ten directions to come and hear the teaching. Brahma-Monitor Suyan Heaven and the other heavens of the east lie in the Zhen Palace at the Mao position; Yudan Wuliang Heaven and the other heavens of the south lie in the Li Palace at the Wu position; Linghua Fanzhu Heaven and the other heavens of the west lie in the Dui Palace at the You position; and Dongyuan Huaying Sheng Heaven and the other heavens of the north lie in the Kan Palace at the Zi position. The four corners, including the northeast and northwest, as well as the thirty-six heavens of the Nine Empyreans and Upper Clarity above, the thirty-two heavens of the Formless Realm, Form Realm, and Desire Realm below, and the countless beings of the Three Origins and Nine Earths all come to the Floating Li Land in the Beginning-Cyan Heaven to listen to the Primordial Heavenly Worthy preach the scripture. “Ten directions” here refers collectively to every direction and to the realms above and below; “countless” means exceedingly numerous.

In terms of cultivation, “ten” is the utmost number and also symbolizes the numerical principles by which Heaven and Earth generate things. When Wu Earth and Ji Earth unite, they form ten. When Heaven and Earth unite, all things come together; when Yin and Yang unite, all things grow; when lead and mercury unite, the Golden Elixir is refined. “Lead and mercury” here are Neidan terms for the Yin-Yang essences and Qi that work together in the process of cultivation.

When gathering the elixir ingredients, the cultivator assembles 3,600 units of Orthodox Qi, sets in motion the pivotal Qi mechanisms of the seventy-two seasonal phases, distributes them across the 384 lines of the hexagrams, and gathers the symbolic numbers of the five planets and twenty-eight lunar lodges. The Yang Fire of the twenty-four solar terms and the Yin tally of the sixty-four hexagrams are then used to refine them. The scripture goes on to say that the three souls protect the body, the seven po return to it, and the twelve thousand spirits within the body all heed the commands together. These gathered inner spirits and Qi are likened to countless perfected beings from the ten directions converging from the sky.

The gathered beings’ wholehearted devotion symbolizes the mingling of Yin and Yang Qi; the light rain and dense mist symbolize the true Qi rising in vapor and spreading everywhere.”

The Cantong qi says, “When golden sand enters the five organs, vapor spreads like wind and rain.” The “Earth” here refers to Wu Earth and Ji Earth, the two Earths of Wu and Ji. Wu and Ji are called “the Gate of the Mysterious Female,” the portal where Yin and Yang unite and generation and transformation take place. During the gathering of the medicine and the work of cultivation, the Dragon and Tiger contend, and Metal and Wood are set apart. If one is even slightly careless and fails to hold fast, what cultivation has achieved will scatter. If I obtain it, the other side loses it; if I lose it, the other side gains it. Hence the saying, “Earth is always tilted to one side.” At such a time, only a supreme sage whose cultivation is complete can prevent this imbalance.

The “precious pearl” is as small as a millet grain, yet it can receive all the perfected beings as they enter in succession. From an ordinary worldly perspective, is this not a supernatural power? But viewed through the workings of the Dao, it is not even as large as a millet grain. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning suspended a precious pearl, small as millet, in the void of the Mysterious, five zhang above the ground. This describes the workings of the Dao. The pearl’s place in the void of the Mysterious means that Shen and the Dao have joined as one. In “five zhang above the ground,” “ground” refers to the two Earths of Wu and Ji. The Golden Elixir congeals from these two Earths; once formed, it leaves them behind. Wu Earth has already passed beyond the Western Heaven, while Ji Earth remains five zhang away. This meaning should be transmitted orally from master to disciple and not openly expounded. Looking back below those five zhang, one sees the evil age of the Five Turbidities, the world filled with defilement and affliction.

Some compare the pearl suspended five zhang above the ground to the heart being five cun from the spleen. This is a thoroughly absurd interpretation. Others explain the pearl as “nature,” take the five zhang to refer to the number of the Five Phases, or say it measures the distance from the Dantian to the Mysterious Pass. None of these accounts understands the mystery by which primordial Qi gives rise to the embryonic immortal.

The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning led all the perfected beings together into the precious pearl. Once the Original Spirit is settled, the myriad spirits all gather and return. When one joins with emptiness, one ascends into the hidden and profound and enters the wondrous realm. The Perfected Person Qingyuan said, “The subtlety of the Dao rests at its root in emptiness. In the form of the heavenly true, what obstacle could there be to receiving the immortals and perfected beings?”

People still cannot avoid confusion and mistaken recognition. So the scripture sets forth a precious pearl to respond to transformations, making clear that the formless ultimately returns to nothing. Those who ascend onto the pearl rise and set forth; their guide shows them the way and leads them through transformation. The celestial beings and those who have attained the Dao and realized their true nature look upward, then enter the pearl. If the celestial beings still bear entanglements, they cannot accompany the others. Once inside the pearl, they no longer know where they are.

All this is the manifestation of the Primordial Celestial Worthy’s wondrous transformations and his demonstration of the Way of the Golden Elixir: bringing existence forth from nonexistence, then returning existence to nonexistence; gathering the hundred spirits into a single mind and drawing the myriad things into a single breath. Thus, celestial beings and ordinary people see things differently. How, then, could they know the subtle transformations within the pearl?

After the scripture had been recited, the assembled Perfected Ones oversaw the rite of deliverance and transmitted the scriptural teaching to me. The Perfected One of Ziyang said, “The White Tiger’s head scripture is a supreme treasure; the divine water of the Flower Pond is true gold.” He also said, “After they swallow and contain one another, joining in union, they draw closer to one another. Only then does one understand that the man, like an elder brother, has already conceived within.” Look closely at these words: do they not say that the scripture is complete? Are they not transmitting its teaching to me? The joy and celebration of that moment are beyond words. Feeling and nature have each become complete and clear; today I gladly rejoice in receiving deliverance.

When the ritual was largely complete, the spirits of the various heavens returned to their proper places. The “ritual” mentioned here refers to cultivation practices involving deliberate action. The Dao De Jing says, “The highest righteousness involves action without contrivance.” The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Scripture says that once the elixir is refined, one lets it be and departs. From this we can see that the spirits of the various heavens return to their proper places for good reason. Once the heavens had returned to their places, Bodhidharma also entered the Shaolin Temple and sat in meditation. When these principles are brought to light, how could those who study the Way of the Immortals not feel joy and exhilaration?

In an instant, all things returned to stillness, leaving no sound behind. “Sudden and swift” describes what happens extremely quickly. In ordinary speech, one “brief moment” contains five “sudden and swift” intervals; each such interval is so short that even a blink cannot fit within it. That is the common understanding. From the standpoint of the Dao, however, do not pass lightly over the four words “in an instant”: each one must be examined with clear awareness.

The Golden Elixir of the alchemical liquid is cultivated in an exceptionally short time. For this reason, Elixir scriptures compress the seasons of a year into a month, a month into a day, and a day into a double-hour; they then compress a double-hour into an even shorter span, until all seventy-two pentads—the time units used in antiquity to mark the seasons—are concentrated within a single day. In other words, one double-hour is divided into six pentads. During alchemical cultivation, one need not even wait through two full pentads. Just as there is no need to wait half a double-hour, the Reverted Elixir—the elixir formed through cultivation—can already be completed. So Subhuti asks the World-Honored One, “Is this process quick?” The World-Honored One replies, “This process is very quick.”

The deeper meaning left in the scripture especially calls for careful explanation. The character “stillness” has far-reaching implications and deserves repeated reflection. At that time, when celestial beings and humans—beings in the heavens and in the human world—encountered the scriptural teachings and methods of practice, they were all universally delivered. This should be understood in terms of Daoist cultivation. Both “celestial beings and humans” and “scriptural teachings and methods” have two layers of meaning: those who had materials offered them, while those who had methods transmitted them; some provided medicinal substances, while others heard the scripture and received the teaching. Thus scripture and method illuminate one another, and method and materials work in concert. “Celestial beings and humans” express the whole of Heaven and Earth; “scriptural teachings and methods” express the function of the Great Elixir. Each preserves its original foundation without damage. The Inner Meaning says that those who obtain these things understand the wondrous nature of spirit and cherish it, and understand Qi (vital energy) and value it. This is what it means to preserve them.

The people wholeheartedly turned toward the teaching and together gave rise to good intentions, refraining from killing living beings or harming things. This should be understood in terms of worldly ethics. People are naturally endowed with good intentions, but material desires obscure them and cause them to forget their nature; as a result, evil thoughts grow while good thoughts fade. Now, upon encountering the scriptural teachings and methods, they can turn the light inward, return to the root and restore their source, and act once more in accordance with their original good intentions. The Book says, “When they hear its cries, they cannot bear to eat its flesh.”

Whenever thoughts arise, sounds are heard, or things are seen, they may become causes that harm life, damage the myriad things, and go against the heart’s original goodness. The Book of Documents says, “When we hear its cry, we cannot bear to eat its flesh.”

The text lists various faults: harming the myriad things is called “injury”; resenting another’s ability is called “jealousy”; begrudging another’s wealth and status is called “envy”; incessant deluded thoughts are called “excess”; taking what is unjustly gained is called “theft”; loving without restraint is called “greed”; seeing something and immediately craving it is called “desire”; disparaging those who surpass oneself is called “hatred”; suspecting and resenting the upright is called “malice”; speaking false and absurd words is called “empty ornament”; and speaking without restraint is called “harmful speech.” Among the ten evils, sexual desire is regarded as the foremost of all karmic wrongs. Practitioners should first refrain from it. When Changchun Zhenren, a Daoist figure, answered Emperor Taizu, he likewise placed desire first among the precepts. The Book of Numinous Writings of the Great Tenuity, a Daoist text, also lists desire as the first of ten corrupting behaviors.

There is no other secret to cultivation: the key is to truly put an end to desire. Once this is done, everything else becomes easier. People in the world think abstaining from desire is extremely difficult because their understanding is clouded. They do not realize that the method is not difficult; they simply have not tried it. To try abstaining from desire is to practice “refining the self”—tempering and gathering in one’s own nature of mind.

Beginners can first practice alone in a secluded place and abstain from alcohol as well. During the day, they should often read alchemical scriptures, Daoist texts on Neidan cultivation; at night, they should keep the mind and spirit calm and still. When there are no external sights and sounds to disturb them, deluded thoughts within are easier to quiet. When obstacles arise in cultivation, they should strengthen their resolve all the more. They should not let the body go hungry or thirsty, and should regularly nourish and replenish themselves inwardly. If they persevere in this way for half a year to a year, then, once Jing and Qi have become firm within the body, thoughts of desire will naturally cease. If desire has not yet subsided, this shows that Jing and Qi are still insufficient and need continued care and nourishment.

The alchemical scriptures say, “When Shen is full, one does not want to sleep; when Qi is full, one does not want to eat; when Jing is full, one does not crave desire.” These words are very true to experience. Once Jing and Qi are abundant, they must still be cared for and maintained over the long term before one can refine the returning elixir, an important stage in Neidan cultivation. One can practice this personally and see the results. To live alone in a secluded place and devote oneself to refining the self is called “small seclusion.”

Only when one can settle the body and mind in a quiet place can one enter the world of ordinary life without being disturbed. If one keeps away from worldly affairs outwardly but has not removed inner desires, then the mind will stir as soon as one encounters external circumstances. This is not genuine cultivation: it is merely lofty talk, while one’s conduct remains muddled, and in the end it brings harmful consequences.

When a cultivator can sever desire, the Supreme Holy Ones secretly protect them, and spirits and deities hold them in respect. Their cultivation of the Elixir Way will then naturally bring them to realization. In the past, the Primordial Lady of Purple Emptiness and the Perfected Lord Mao examined the cases of perfected immortals throughout the world who had attained or lost the Way. They found that forty-seven had suddenly fallen back, while only two had risen again. The cause was that their desires had not been fully severed. If one can eliminate the faults brought on by desire, the ten kinds of unwholesome karma will cease as well. One can then practice universal compassion, embrace all things and other people, benefit oneself and others, bring peace to the state and prosperity to its people, and share in an age of peace.

Here, “state” also refers to the human body, while “people” refers to the body’s Jing and Qi. The Essentials of Great Peace, which Venerable Lord Pu transmitted to Gan Ji, says: Shen is bestowed on a person by Heaven, Jing by Earth, and Qi is formed through the harmony of Heaven and Earth. If people cherish their Jing and cast off desire, preserve their Qi and care for their Shen, then inwardly they can attain longevity, while outwardly they can bring peace to the state. Inner cultivation also becomes visible in outward conduct: understanding one’s nature makes the body pure; understanding the Way of life brings the Neidan to completion. By cultivating nature and life inwardly and expressing good conduct outwardly, one can bring blessings to the state, bring peace to its people, and share in an age of peace.

When this scripture first transmitted its teachings, in a state governed by the Dao, all those who were sincere and resolute, and who honored and revered the scriptures and teachings, could be delivered. The Inner Meaning explains: people are born receiving the Qi of the Dao, and the Dao is already within their hearts. They become dull and obscured only because they are absorbed in illusory, deluded thoughts. Once they encounter the scriptures and teachings, the heart becomes clear again. The Elixir substance pointed out here—the fundamental reality sought through Neidan cultivation—is something people already possess within themselves; it is not something they lacked in the past and have only now acquired. Although they attain it only after hearing the Dao, it was in fact already present before they heard it. This is why it is called “a mind already resolved beforehand.” Perfected Person Qingyuan says: “To honor and uphold” means that, after encountering the scriptures and teachings, the heart becomes clear again.

“Pointing out the substance of the Elixir” means identifying the essential nature of Neidan (internal alchemy). It has always existed; it was not absent in the past and only came into being now. Although one learns of it only after hearing the Great Dao, it was already present before that, which is why practitioners are said to have resolved in advance to follow the Dao.

Perfected One Qingyuan says: “Have faith in this scripture and seek deliverance.” “Reverence” means honoring this scripture as one would a parent or teacher, holding both awe and affection for it and fearing to treat it lightly. “Esteem” means cherishing it as one would gold, silver, precious objects, and pearls and jade, fearing to lose it. Those who embody these four dispositions can all receive the blessings of transcendence beyond the mundane world and of long life.

The hymn says: A precious pearl, small as a millet grain, hangs in the air; sages and revered deities all appear before one’s eyes. The pearl contains countless beings within it. From this, one can understand that the power of this scripture is mysterious and boundless.

The Dao says: What the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning taught when expounding the scripture consists entirely of the inner names and hidden sounds of the gods and emperors of the heavens, as well as the secret names of demon kings and the hidden names of the spirits and deities. These are not words used in everyday life.

The scripture’s teaching is this: the scriptures spoken by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning are secret names and hidden tones transmitted by the Gods of the heavens. They also contain the forbidden names of demon kings and the hidden names of various spiritual beings. These are not words used in ordinary speech in the human world.

The exalted sages who have perfected themselves as realized beings understand the mysteries and perceive the subtlest workings, so they can fully comprehend the scriptures. When they recite them ten times, the heavens sing in response from afar, and the myriad emperors bow in reverence. Rivers and seas grow calm, mountains draw in their clouds, the sun and moon cease their courses, and the celestial star instruments stop turning. Demons are bound, while ghosts, apparitions, and spirits lose their supernatural powers. The scriptures can even cause corpses to rise, restore the dead to life, and turn bare bones into living people.

When accomplished scholars of the Way recite them ten times, the Five Emperors come to protect them, and the gods of the Three Realms bow in homage. Demonic spirits and ghostly beings lose their power. The recitation can also save those on the brink of death and revive those whose breath has ceased. This is because ordinary scholars still carry impure Qi, and their bodies have not yet reached a state that connects with the true Dao. Their power to summon and command the gods of the ten directions is not yet sufficient to give orders in the heavens. They can only use their virtue to direct the earthly deities, bind demonic spirits, and keep the living from dying; they cannot bring the dead back to life.

To recite this passage carelessly will bring disaster upon oneself. To make offerings to it with reverence, bow before it, and honor it will bring prosperity to one’s household. Generations will flourish and prosper, blessed by good affinities; the myriad calamities will not intrude, and the gods will protect the household. This scripture is supremely revered and mysterious, without equal in the Jade Capital, the Daoist celestial metropolis. It saves countless people and is the foundation of the myriad Dao. Its Great Brahma virtue is lofty and vast, beyond measure.

Master Shangyang said that what the Celestial Worthy teaches in the scripture can be explained through the ordinary principles of the world. The “secret names of the emperors of the Thirty-Two Heavens” are the hidden inner names and coded words of the Lords of Heaven. The Azure Heaven Demon King, Bayuan, Choubo, and the others are the secret inner names of demon kings. Young Lord Wuying, Taokang, Heyan, and the others are hidden names of the myriad spirits.

Perfected One Qingyuan said that Lingbao is the source of Dao Qi, and guiding living beings to liberation is the forerunner of all methods. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning contains the subtle Dao, reveals methods for guiding people to liberation, then transforms those methods into written characters and musical tones. Its profound meaning cannot be matched by words of a lower order. Immortals of the middle and lower ranks cannot glimpse the scripture’s deeper meaning. Only perfected beings of the highest sagehood can deeply experience the Great Dao and thereby understand and investigate its subtleties. To explain this scripture through the Dao is to say that it refers to Neidan cultivation—that is, the return of the Elixir.

The Laozi says, “A name that can be spoken is not the constant name.” Regarding the inner names and coded words of the Lords of Heaven mentioned in the scripture, Perfected One Taiyi says in his “Song on Dispelling Confusion”: “What seems to point to something actually speaks of the Dao; Taiyi holds the true Qi within.” Is “Taiyi” not itself an inner name? The sages of old said, “Between Heaven and Earth, within the cosmos, there is a treasure secretly stored inside the human body.” This is what the coded words point to. Perfected One Zhengyang said, “The gate through which I am born is the door through which I die.” This is a way of speaking about the secret inner names of demon kings. Perfected One Boyang said, “The Perfected One lies hidden deep in the abyss.” The Buddha said, “On the seat is a Perfected One without a position.” These sayings all point to the hidden names of the myriad spirits.

All of this is exceedingly mysterious and subtle. Unless people of the highest sagehood put it into practice themselves, cultivate until they become perfected, and attain the Dao, how could ordinary people understand it and grasp it fully? The meanings of the three words “understand,” “investigate,” and “comprehend” must not be passed over without explanation. “Understand” means to grasp the meaning of the scripture; “investigate” means to explore the way of Neidan; “comprehend” means to understand the timing of the alchemical firing process. These three matters are in fact unified by a single principle, which contains many profound subtleties.

For example, in works known as Elixir Classics (texts on Neidan cultivation), many coded terms are used for the ingredients: the Sun’s soul, the Moon’s spirit; the Geng Tiger and Jia Dragon; mercury and cinnabar; red lead and black tin; yellow sprouts and white snow; the young maiden and the infant; golden liquid and flowing pearls; the flower pool and spirit water; paired pears and fire dates; phoenix marrow and tortoise essence. All of these are hidden names for the ingredients.

Other expressions—such as the Qian-Kun cauldron and vessel, the frame of Kan and Li, the single aperture of the Mysterious Pass, the divine furnace of Taiyi, the spirit chamber and yellow room, the cauldron of primordial unity, the suspended embryo and crescent moon, and the golden cauldron and jade furnace—refer indirectly to the vessels used in alchemy and their functions. The timing and regulation of Yin-Yang fire; the Taiyi and the Zi and Gui; Fu, Zhen, Tun, and Meng; the mother concealing the child in the womb; the matchmaker and betrothal of the knife and the measure; the gathering and timing; the host and guest of emotion and nature; the female and male of black and white; the Qi at the new moon, full moon, and quarter moons; reversing ascent and descent; drawing out, adding, bathing, and washing; cooking, refining, warming, and nourishing; weights, measures, and line symbols; and shedding the embryo and changing the cauldron—all are coded expressions describing the stages and processes of cultivation.

The hazy and obscure, the primordial Taiji, Zhen formed on the third day, the Moon appearing at Gengshen, finding companions in the southwest, the supreme treasure of the first scripture, the civil and martial, reversal and accord, closing the pass at the winter solstice, splitting open the vast beginning, breaking open chaos, establishing the boundary, creating the cauldron and furnace, entering nonbeing through being, moving Wu to join Ji, guarding against danger and peril, returning to life and the root, tortoise breathing and sound at the heels, and transformations by the billions—all are also coded expressions for returning the elixir, the practice of Neidan and its results. These expressions all describe the mysteries of the primordial, subtle Qi of Mysterious Unity.

Those who study and cultivate must receive guidance from a clear-sighted master, understand the arcane principles, and investigate their subtleties in order to grasp their true meaning. They must also seek instruction from the highest sages to fully comprehend these passages. The scripture says that reciting it ten times can bring the elixir practice to completion, deepen one’s Dao practice, and strengthen one’s De. This is a metaphor. If ordinary people do not understand the scripture’s meaning and assume that merely reciting it ten times will make the distant heavens respond and the myriad emperors welcome them with ceremony, they are utterly mistaken.

Once cultivation of the Returning Elixir (Neidan, internal alchemy) has reached completion and the Dao is fully realized, it would be a mistake to interpret the scripture as saying that merely reciting it ten times will make the distant heavens respond in unison and the ten thousand emperors come forward to pay homage. If cultivation of the Returning Elixir has truly reached completion and the Dao is fully realized, how could its efficacy be limited to something so slight?

The Inner Meaning explains that “the ten thousand emperors pay homage” can be understood through the words of the Zhuangzi: when the mind is calm and free of attachment, many fine things will follow. This is the virtue of Heaven and Earth and the Dao of the sage. Here, “the river and sea” are metaphors for the river of desire and the sea of suffering. When the human mind is occupied by false illusions, desire arises from emotion, and suffering comes from deluded awareness. Cultivating the Golden Elixir means bringing one’s De into accord with Heaven and Earth, and making one’s Dao-mind like that of the perfected sages. Then the river of desire subsides and the sea of suffering grows still.

“Clouds hidden in the mountains” refers to the Yellow Court Scripture’s line, “The Qi of the Five Mountains’ clouds swells and surges.” The Qi of the five internal organs is likened here to clouds among the mountains: the breathing of a perfected person is deep and sustained, and the Qi of the five organs is abundant, like clouds gathering among lofty peaks.

“The sun and moon” refer to the two eyes; “radiance” refers to light, and also to the radiance of Shen. The perfected person does not let Shen and Qi scatter outward. Though the eyes look upon external things, they remain focused and undisturbed; this is why the text says “the radiance is still.”

“The Jade Pivot” refers to the pivot of the Northern Dipper. The human heart is like this pivot: it turns in response to events while retaining a center. It seems to perceive all things, yet remains steady. The perfected person follows what is natural. Though the mind responds to external things, inwardly it remains clear and tranquil; this is why the text says “it does not move.” When demons swarm and countless thoughts disturb the mind, if the mind follows what is natural and responds without being thrown into confusion, it is as though the form were “bound”—the unruly body and spirit are brought under control.

“Ghost essences” refers to the Three Corpses, the three turbid, harmful forces said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation. So long as the Three Corpses remain, the Dao is difficult to realize. By maintaining simplicity and inner quiet, they naturally vanish; this is why the text says “the brightness is extinguished.”

“Turn back the corpse and raise the dead; make white bones into living people” describes the power, once the Elixir is complete, to bring the dead back to life and transform white bones into living people. One who has succeeded in Elixir cultivation should not seek benefits only for themselves, but should extend their merit to others, rescuing the dead and delivering all beings. The Scripture of Pure Brightness says: “My Elixir has been refined, and I can transform things at will. But I have not yet received the Emperor’s decree, so I continue to accumulate merit and await the true Mandate of Heaven.”

After Wu Zhenjun Meng was already dead, he was still able to return to life. Does this not mean that his corpse came back to life and the dead were restored to life? Those who have made progress in cultivating the Dao should practice diligently and advance without retreating.

The “Five Emperors” are the spirits of the five organs: the liver stores the Hun, the lungs the Po, the heart the Shen, the kidneys the Jing, and the spleen the intention. When people are still and calm, their mind and spirit settle; their Hun and Po become clear and peaceful, their intentions grow even, and their vital energy is less easily depleted. When they are agitated and constantly competing, their Shen becomes exhausted, their Hun and Po confused, their intentions scattered, and their vital energy diminishes as well.

People do not lack the desire for peace and long life. But everyday social obligations are numerous, and the spirit gradually grows weary. Then the Three Corpses and Nine Worms seize the opportunity to cause trouble, like pests inside the body, disturbing the true Qi in the Dantian. Those who advance diligently in cultivation can eliminate the corpse worms. The spirits of the five organs each remain in their proper place and protect the practitioner; hence they are called “attendants and guards.”

The “Three Realms” mentioned here are the domains of the Three Corpses, formed from the Yin, turbid, confused, and malign energies in the upper, middle, and lower parts of the human body. The upper corpse, Peng Ju, dwells in the head; the middle corpse, Peng Zhi, in the intestines; and the lower corpse, Peng Qiao, in the feet. It is said that when ordinary people covet desires, indulge in lust, and commit all manner of wrongdoing, they are being driven by corpse spirits. On days such as Gengshen, the Three Corpses go to the Celestial Office—the heavenly bureau that records people’s merits and faults—and report their offenses, overlooking nothing, however slight. They hope the person will die soon, and even rejoice at the prospect.

Ge Zhichuan (Ge Hong) said, “Can you cut off these enemies, the Three Peng?” A poem by an ancient immortal says, “Even if every worldly method is exhausted, only by taking the elixir can the Three Corpses be destroyed.” Perfected Ziyang (Zhang Boduan) said, “Since ancient times, on days such as Gengshen and Jiashen, there have been decrees to eliminate the Three Corpses. Once the Three Corpses are destroyed, there is hope of attaining the Dao.” This means eliminating evil thoughts and cultivating benevolence, turning stubbornness toward goodness; subduing the Three Corpses so that they come under our control and protect our cultivation. For this reason, one should bow to them in reverence.

The demonic essence loses its eye, and the spirits of ghostly fiends are extinguished. “Demonic essence” refers to an evil entity that has only one eye yet cannot see forms. “Ghostly fiends” refers to strange spirits with vital essence and awareness but without a complete physical form.

Ordinary people often pass their days as if drunk or dreaming. Though afflicted by demons, they take this state for happiness. Why? Because the Six Desires—the various sensory cravings—and the Seven Emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, aversion, and desire—have not been dispelled. Those who have cultivated deeply forget the Seven Emotions and purify the Six Roots—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They can then transform the delusion brought by demonic obstacles into wisdom, and the disturbances caused by ghosts and demons into spiritual powers.

Those of superior capacity who cultivate with diligence and resolve may still be able to prolong life even when death is near and their breath is failing. How much more so for people in the prime of life, with their Jing and Qi still abundant?

Perfected Qingyuan said: When thoughts surge up in a multitude, they are inner demons; when calamities and hardships press in, they are outer demons. When inner demonic obstacles persist, they are called “essence”; the Seven Emotions and Six Desires are called “ghosts.” They bring distress and confusion of mind and spirit, obstructing the cultivation of Dao and De: these are what are meant by demons. Those of profound cultivation are firm in resolve and do not turn back, so these demons cannot hinder them.

Even if beginners have no distracting thoughts, their minds may still be unsettled when things from the outside world suddenly arise. How, then, can they refine the Elixir? Thus the scripture says, “You who study the Dao have not yet dispelled the impure Qi from your bodies.” Those who indulge their desires cannot attain purity or self-awareness; their bodies carry impure Qi. If they encounter a cultivator, they should quickly keep away and avoid offending or colliding with the cultivator’s true Qi, lest they bring calamity upon themselves. If beginners cannot dispel their desires, their bodies too will be regarded as impure, and their breath will not be able to reach the true Dao. How, then, could they summon and command the ten directions? Even after accumulating many small acts of goodness and minor merits, they still cannot govern the appointed times of the celestial Northern Dipper’s seven stars.

Those who have refined the Golden Elixir act in harmony with the De of Heaven and Earth and correspond to the radiance of the sun and moon. Wherever the Celestial Ladle points—the direction indicated by the Northern Dipper’s handle—the Pole Star lies ahead. If the Elixir has not yet been successfully refined, one’s power is still insufficient to command the celestial ordinances. This is called being an “initial immortal.”

If one cannot cultivate the wondrous Way of the precelestial, but continually accumulates De and makes it deep and abundant, that person is called an “earthly immortal”—an immortal who remains in the human world and possesses certain extraordinary abilities. Their De can subdue and command only the spirits of the earth.

“Binding demons and spirits” refers to those who do not understand the wondrous Way of the precelestial, but rely only on visualization and drawing talismans to command spirits and ghosts, while often absorbing what they call the ghostly Qi of the underworld. Such a person is called a “ghost immortal.” Tirelessly accumulating such practices, as described above, can also prolong one’s life. This is merely a way to avoid death, however; it cannot bring about renewal. Those who follow this path persist for a long time through their physical form. If one day they stop practicing, calamity will descend at once. To understand this principle but fail to put it into practice, then casually speak of it to others, is to treat the recitation of this chapter with disrespect; one will thereby bring misfortune upon oneself.

The Inner Meaning, an exposition of the scripture’s underlying principles, says: The key to cultivating the Golden Elixir lies entirely in carefully and diligently harmonizing Yin-Yang. With a single-minded focus, one can understand; with tireless effort, one can succeed. First, one must diligently gather the medicines; next, one must carefully preserve and guard them, avoiding excess. Once the vessel is perfected and the medicines are ready, one then operates the talisman and advances the fire at the appointed times, adding and withdrawing mercury and lead so that each moment accords with its seasonal phase, without error. In this way, the Qi of Yin-Yang becomes abundant, the pearls of Li and Kan—the inner elixir symbolizing the union of Yin and Yang—are perfected, and wondrous transformation brings one to realization, attaining long life and enduring vision.

If one is impatient in temperament and lax in mind, acting recklessly, with the sequence disordered and the firing times out of balance, unnatural signs will appear, such as “midsummer frost and midwinter heat.” The Enchantress, a term in internal alchemy often referring to Yin essence, will scatter and flee; the Red Dragon, often referring to Yang essence, will bolt away. Once Shen, Qi, and Jing have dispersed, the Golden Liquor—the refined substance produced through alchemical cultivation—will be difficult to obtain. In the end, one’s strength will be exhausted, the body weakened, and the physical form will decay and die.

One should make offerings to and revere the true immortals and holy masters, approaching them with sincere devotion and paying respects morning and evening. At the same time, one must practice with earnestness and reverence.

Serve and honor the perfected immortals and holy masters with a devout heart, morning and evening without fail, and practice with steadfast reverence. Then the household will prosper and both body and mind will be at peace. In daily life, one’s actions will often accord with good fortune, and the spirits will guard the household gates.

Gao Xiangxian thought of the true Dao morning and evening. Before he knew it, his spirit had ascended to Yujing, the realm of immortals. The Lord above took pity on him and commanded Lady Xihua Taiyi, a revered female immortal, to transmit to him the formula of the Golden Elixir. The formula says: “Qian and Kun are the gateways through which Yin and Yang unite. The Way of Qian belongs to the male; the Way of Kun belongs to the female. People in the world do not understand the true principles of Yin and Yang, and so they wander blindly through heaven and earth in search of the Dragon and Tiger.” From this we can understand that the gateways and dwelling places can also be realized within oneself.

This scripture is noble and wondrous, unmatched among the scriptures of Yujing. The Seven Tablets of the Cloudy Satchel, in its section on teachings and scriptures, says: “The Three Caverns, the collective name for the three classes of Daoist scriptures, express the subtle tenets that return to the One Vehicle and set forth mysterious teachings on the Three Luminaries, the three heavenly realms or the images of the sun, moon, and stars. To understand them is to ascend to the realm of the highest sages; to grasp them is to join the ranks of the highest perfected beings. Dragon chapters and phoenix seal script reveal the ultimate principle; jade tablets and golden books point the way to the essential method of returning to the root and restoring the origin.” How much more so for this scripture, which stands at the head of the Three Caverns: hence it is called “unmatched in Yujing.” Since ancient times, no immortal or perfected being, no highest sage, has gained realization without cultivating in accordance with this scripture; every method issues from it. It is lofty and vast, beyond the full reach of words and thought.

The hymn says: “The inner names are secret and should not be spoken of lightly. The true person without rank is called the Sole Exalted One. Only by understanding the inner names and cultivating and applying them can one know that one may endure through the kalpas and remain forever.”

The Dao says: Whoever recites this scripture ten times will bring all the heavenly beings down together. Their ancestors across the generations, the souls in the netherworld, and the dead who suffer will also be delivered through it and ascend to the Vermilion Palace, a heavenly palace. After nine years, they will receive instruction and be reborn, becoming people of high status. If they continue to delight in studying this supreme scripture until their merit is complete, they can become immortals, ascend to the Golden Tower, the palace of the Celestial Emperor, and wander and feast in Jade Capital, the Daoist celestial city of the immortals.

Practitioners of the Dao of the highest attainment who cultivate and recite this scripture can all be delivered and ascend to the Southern Palace, a heavenly palace. If people in the world receive and uphold this scripture and recite it, they can prolong their lives and ultimately cultivate the Way of Corpse Liberation. Corpse Liberation is a Daoist means of becoming an immortal: the physical body seems to disappear temporarily as the soul and spirit leave it, without passing through hell. The person can later make the body appear again and roam through the vast heavens.

This scripture is profound and vast, and can save countless beings everywhere. All living beings in heaven and on earth benefit from it. Its immeasurable blessings extend to both the living and the dead. Heaven holds this scripture precious, so it must not be passed on casually to people in the world. Practitioners who have attained success in the Dao must prepare gold, silver, and treasures, then swear a solemn oath to Heaven with sincere devotion before they may transmit the scripture. If they reveal it carelessly or treat it with disrespect, calamity will reach their ancestors for nine generations. The scripture says that those who receive it will also be served over time by ghost officials attending the Five Emperors, and guarded by twenty-four Jade Boys and twenty-four Jade Maidens, who protect the sacred text.

Shangyangzi said, “‘Ten crossings’ signifies that the scripture’s merit and virtue have been brought to completion. At that time, the divine beings of all the heavens descend together.”

Perfected One Qingyuan said, “‘Billions of generations and ten thousand ancestors’ refers to the many forebears who, since the distant beginningless past, became one’s parents and ancestors through successive rebirths. Their souls have long remained in suffering. Now they can all be delivered and rise to the Vermilion Palace.

“In the Southern Cinnabar Heaven world stands the Upper Palace of Nanchang. Within it is the Office of Vermilion Mounds, and inside that, the Court of Flowing Fire, where the spirits of the dead are refined and transformed so they may attain deliverance and become immortals. The spirits who have been granted ascent pass through this palace and undergo the Great Refining by the Three Fires. This burns away the Five Turbidities—the impure states of body and mind—and their defiled forms. The light of the King’s Eyes then refines their Qi and disposition, while the water of Yellow Flowers washes their corpse forms. Afterward, numinous reality gestates within them; transformed according to their respective karmic consequences, they receive new life.

“The periods required for refinement and deliverance fall into three grades: practitioners of the highest grade receive deliverance in three years, those of the middle grade in nine years, and those of the lowest grade in twenty-four years. The text gives nine years as a general measure, following the middle grade; this is an explanation from the worldly perspective. From the perspective of cultivating the Dao, one should understand it through one’s own body. ‘Ten crossings’ refers to the changes that take place over ten months, while ‘the heavens all arrive together’ means that the myriad spirits within the body gather and return to the original unity.

“‘Billions of generations and ten thousand ancestors’ may also be understood as the body, temporarily formed from the vital essence and blood of one’s parents. ‘Dark souls and bitter breaths’ then refers to the murky, turbid Qi that takes shape once there is a body. To be ‘delivered and rise to the Vermilion Palace’ means refining these turbid, dim breaths that arise from the body’s provisional union, so they may transcend into a realm of purity and luminous clarity. Through transformation, they receive new life and become beings of nobility. More deeply, it means refining provisional, turbid Qi until it becomes the Yang Spirit; bringing the myriad spirits into a single spirit and the myriad Qi into a single Qi, thereby nourishing the sacred embryo—the true spirit gestating through cultivation.

“Those who have reached this level of learning have a complete spirit and abundant Qi. They can prolong their lives and attain longevity, but this alone does not make them immortals. They must continue studying the scriptures until their merit and virtue are complete, then advance their inner cultivation and accumulate good works in the world. Only then can they be said to have become immortals. Inner cultivation means mastering the timing and methods of refinement and undergoing the spiritual transformation of shedding the mortal body. Good works in the world mean helping living beings and bringing benefit to all things. For example, Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master of the Han dynasty, distinguished spirits from demons; Ge Xianweng delivered souls from the underworld; and Xu Zhenjun subdued the flood dragon demon. The scripture says that even those who uphold the Great Dao cannot attain it if they do not accumulate merit and virtue. If one completes the Neidan and continues accumulating good works over a long period, bringing merit and virtue to completion, one can ascend to the Golden Towers of Heaven and freely roam the Jade Capital in the realm of immortals. This is no empty claim.

“Practitioners of the highest grade who recite and cultivate this scripture can all receive deliverance at once and ascend to the Southern Palace. ‘Practitioners of the highest grade’ here means those who, having heard of the Great Dao, cultivate it diligently.”

Laozi said, “Those of the highest capacity, when they hear of the Dao, practice it diligently.” Diligent cultivation of the Dao brings attainment, even ascent to the Southern Palace, a celestial palace in the realm of immortals. If ordinary people in this world accept and recite this scripture, they can extend their lives and, in the end, all attain the Way of Corpse Liberation—a method of cultivation in which one sheds the mortal body and becomes an immortal.

The Perfected One Ziyang said, “The method of the Great Elixir is exceedingly simple. Even the ignorant and ordinary, if they obtain it and practice it, can rise to the rank of sages.” There are four kinds of Corpse Liberation. The first is liberation by weapons: for example, Ji Kang was executed in the marketplace, while the King of Huainan was said to have been executed in prison. The second is liberation through writing: for example, Ciqing transformed his body into a shoe, while Fei Changfang, a disciple of the Master of the Pot, left behind his bodily form in a bamboo stalk. The third is liberation through water or fire: for example, Feng Yi drowned in a great river, and Fengzi was burned in a large tree. The fourth is seated liberation. The person appears to have died, yet the feet do not turn blue, the skin does not wrinkle, and the eyes retain their brightness; the limbs can still be bent and extended by another person. This kind of Corpse Liberation is called “refining the substance in Great Yin.” It is said that the fleshly body remains uncorrupted even after a hundred years, and can then be reborn as a human being.

The True Words says that immortals who attain Corpse Liberation cannot command the canopy—the parasol above an immortal’s carriage—or ride a dragon up to the Heaven of Taiji. Yet at least they do not die. Thus the hun and spirit temporarily leave the fleshly body, need not pass through hell, and can recover their original form and roam through the vast emptiness. Some explain that after Corpse Liberation, the bones are pure and light, and the essence and blood remain unchanged. If the corpse is placed in a famous mountain or great river, it will transform into pearls and jade after a hundred years.

This scripture is subtle and profound, and can universally save countless beings; all celestial and human beings—those in the heavens and in the human realm—can benefit from it. In terms of the workings of the Dao, this scripture is the supreme treasure, that is, liquid gold. What is called “subtle and wondrous” is the White Tiger, a term from internal alchemy, and also “two sevens.” The Perfected One Cui’s Mirror for Compounding the Medicine says, “The two sevens gather as supports and assistants,” referring to two forces coming together and aiding one another. With the subtle, wondrous efficacy of this scripture, practitioners can follow the natural course and bring forth the myriad things; by reversing the process of refinement, they can form the Golden Elixir. In this way they can widely aid sentient beings and universally save countless lives. All celestial and human beings, as well as great practitioners, can benefit from it.

All celestial beings and great practitioners can receive blessings and good fortune through this scripture. “Celestial beings” has two meanings, just as the Way of the Golden Elixir distinguishes between the Dragon and the Tiger. Celestial beings apply both the method and the medicinal substance, and so they all receive blessings. When the merit of cultivating the scripture is complete and the alchemical Way has been perfected, its benefits extend beyond one’s own longevity: one’s ancestors, too, may receive the blessing of ascension.

“This scripture, cherished by Heaven, is not passed down to ordinary people of later generations.” This is an explanation in terms of worldly convention. The Perfected One Qingyuan said: “When the Most High Perfected Ones (those who have attained the Way) go to court and present their memorials, they always chant this scripture.” Heaven cherishes this scripture and does not transmit it lightly. Later, a sage ruler made an earnest request so that living beings might be saved from the floods of the jia-shen year. Only then was it passed from sage to sage, and kept from ordinary people. Only those intent on cultivating the Way, who offer gold and treasure as tokens and swear an oath before the heavens to show their sincerity, may receive the transmission.

Why use gold and treasure as tokens? Because nothing is more highly prized by people. Gold is hard, and the Most High uses it to teach people to give up what they treasure, overcome a miserly heart—the reluctance to part with wealth or give alms—and turn a spirit of generosity toward cultivating the Way. It also shows that their sincerity is firm as metal and stone. If the scripture is carelessly revealed or transmitted indiscriminately, misfortune will befall the nine generations of one’s kin, from distant ancestors to later descendants.

The Five Emperors who attend upon this scripture, along with twenty-four Jade Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens, are explained in terms of the operation of Daoist methods. The scripture is ancestral Qi, the primal energy that is the source of all things. The Five Emperors wondrously transform into the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). The twenty-four Jade Youths and Jade Maidens correspond to the inner and outer scenes; through true spirits and true Qi, they operate and nourish the alchemical body, protecting the recipient of the scripture until the Great Elixir is perfected.

In the past, Xu Jingyang, the Daoist Xu Xun of the Jin dynasty, cultivated the returned Elixir and moved the attention of the Lord on High. The Lord sent five immortal youths and Jade Maidens down to the human world, carrying swords. Xu Jingyang practiced swordplay with them every day and later attained the Way. This, too, shows that immortal youths and Jade Maidens can protect those who receive the scripture.

The eulogy says: The scripture treasured by Heaven is not transmitted lightly. Whoever personally receives its transmission can ascend to the celestial realm. What is precious about using gold and treasure to show one’s sincerity? It is because this scripture is wondrous and profound, and its blessings are boundless.

The Dao says: If one observes a prolonged fast during the first lunar month—a period of fasting with prescribed pure foods—and recites this Jing, one can release the souls of the dead from past lives from confinement in the underworld, enabling them to be delivered to the Southern Palace. Observing a prolonged fast and reciting this Jing in the seventh lunar month can grant the reciter an immortal body and have their name entered in the registers of the heavens. Their name can be erased from the registers of the dead, recorded in the Yellow Registers and White Tablets that Daoism says keep account of life, death, and longevity, and entered instead in the registers of the living.

Observing a prolonged fast and reciting this Jing in the tenth lunar month can bring blessings for kings, emperors, rulers and ministers, fathers and sons: the foundations of the state will be secure, its fortunes will endure through generations, and the ruler will remain in his rightful position. It can also bring peace to the local region, so that its people call it an age of peace and prosperity.

Reciting this Jing on one of the Eight Festival days—the important solar terms, including the four seasonal beginnings, the two equinoxes, and the two solstices—can make one a Perfected of the Nine Palaces, a title for Daoist immortals. Reciting it on one’s natal day, the day corresponding to one’s birth in the cycle of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, can purify and straighten the hun and shen, preserve the original Qi, and free one from suffering. The body will shine with light, receiving the protection of the Three Realms, the welcome of the Five Emperors, and the homage of the myriad spirits. One’s name will be entered in the registers of heaven, and when one’s merit is complete, one can ascend to Shangqing, the lofty and pure celestial realm of Daoism.

Shangyangzi says that, according to customary methods of cultivation, one should observe a prolonged fast in the first lunar month, reciting and chanting this scripture. The first lunar month marks the beginning of the year and is the first of the opening months of the four seasons. It is also the month of the Celestial Officials’ Upper Origin celebration. “Prolonged” means to focus the mind and persevere without interruption; “fasting” means to guard one’s thoughts and maintain careful discipline. This is what is meant by a prolonged fast in the first lunar month. “Reciting” means voicing the words aloud; “chanting” means continuing to sing the scripture whether walking or sitting still. This is what is meant by reciting and chanting this scripture.

Perfected One Qingyuan says that the first lunar month is the first month at the start of the four seasons. Heaven and Earth are open and harmonious, and all things begin to grow again. According to the rules by which the Celestial Officials assess people’s conduct, observing a prolonged fast and reciting scripture at this time can deliver the souls of the dead from previous lives, freeing them from the suffering of being seized and confined by the Earthly Bureau—the office in the underworld that governs the souls of the dead—and allowing them to ascend to the Southern Palace.

From the perspective of cultivation, the first lunar month is the season for “advancing the fire”—using Yang Qi to propel cultivation—and “gathering the medicine”—collecting and refining Qi and essence. These expressions describe the essentials of inner cultivation within the body. The Inner Meaning says that the first lunar month corresponds to the Yin month. In cultivating Neidan and gathering the medicine, Yin and Shen mark the moments when the movement of Qi rises and falls. The hour of Yin is when Yang Qi begins to rise. If one is to practice at the Jia hour, one must begin keeping watch from the hour of Yin and perform the practice when the Jia hour arrives.

A prolonged fast means bringing the body and mind to stillness; reciting scripture means gathering and regulating the breath. Clearing the mind and gathering the breath is gathering the medicine. The “souls of the dead from previous lives” refer to the Yin Qi accumulated within the body. Although Yang Qi begins to emerge at the hour of Zi, at that point the single Yang is still pressed beneath the five Yin. By the hour of Yin, Yin and Yang still constrain one another: Yin Qi is above and Yang Qi below, so Yang Qi is stifled and cannot unfold. This is why it is said to be confined. At the Jia hour, one applies the method of gentle nurturing; Yang Qi rises with vigor and enters the Palace of Li, the place symbolizing the heart and Fire. This can be described as ending confinement in the underworld and ascending to the Southern Palace. The Vermilion Palace, Upper Palace of Nanchang, Vermilion Mound, and Southern Palace mentioned in the scripture all refer to the Palace of Li, which corresponds to the Palace of Kan.

The Li position, which symbolizes the heart and belongs to Fire, also corresponds to the Kan position, which symbolizes the kidneys and belongs to Water. This is what Perfected Zhang meant when he said, “Take the full, substantial Qi from the center of the Kan position and transform the Yin Qi within the belly of the Li palace.”

By observing a prolonged fast and reciting this scripture in the seventh month, one can cultivate oneself into an immortal. The seventh month corresponds to Shen, when Yang Qi lies dormant. To practice during the Geng hour, one first maintains the practice during the Shen hour; when the Geng hour arrives, one then moves the mercury and casts in the lead, so that a treasure forms in the cauldron. This is also called gathering the medicine and casting the cauldron. As Yang Qi gradually flourishes and Yin Qi gradually recedes, the saying goes: pure Yin becomes a ghost, while pure Yang becomes an immortal. Once Yang Qi is strong, one draws ever closer to becoming an immortal. When one’s practice is complete and Qi is abundant, one can undergo spiritual transformation and shed the mortal body, revealing the form of a Perfected One. This is why the text says, “The body attains immortality.” Those who attain the Dao are removed from the registers of the dead at Fengdu and Daishan and entered into the registers of immortals, where they receive talismans and registers. In the end, they ascend. Thus the scripture says that the heavens inscribe people’s names on yellow registers and white slips, erase them from the registers of the dead, and enter them in the registers of the living.

Observe a prolonged fast and recite this scripture in the tenth month. The “Inner Meaning,” a section explaining the scripture’s inner methods of cultivation, says that after the medicine has been gathered in full and the cauldron cast, one should enter a quiet chamber in the tenth month to harmonize Shen and Qi. Beginning fifteen days before the winter solstice, carefully contemplate the spirit between the kidneys. This is called “fortifying the numinous root,” so that Shen and Qi arise together at their source. The body is like a state: Shen governs the body, and Qi serves as Shen’s minister. When Shen is full and Qi abundant, the whole body and all its limbs are brought into harmony. Once the elixir is formed, the body sheds its former shape and can endure through time without dying. The bones and flesh may even ascend together, while form and spirit both reach the mysterious. This is just as the scripture says.

By reciting this scripture on the days of the Eight Seasonal Nodes, the eight calendar points corresponding to the Eight Trigrams, one can become a Perfected One of the Nine Palaces. The practitioner enters a quiet chamber, uses talismans to advance the fire, and begins at the Zi hour on the winter solstice, keeping the spirit in the space between the kidneys. As the Yang Fire moves, the spirit advances with it. The kidneys are the root, and the spirit chamber, the inner place where Shen and Qi are cultivated, is the belt. From root to belt, root and belt revolve around one another, forming the embryo and cultivating the elixir. Each time, the process advances in three two-hour periods: from the Zi hour to the Chou hour, then from the Chou hour to the Yin hour. Gold and Fire press upon and follow one another, returning to the spirit chamber, where the Golden Elixir gradually congeals.

Cultivation proceeds according to the eight seasonal nodes of the year: at the Winter Solstice and Beginning of Spring, the corresponding trigrams are Kan and Gen. Bathe during the Mao hour (5–7 a.m.), and advance the fire during the Chen hour (7–9 a.m.). By the Si hour (9–11 a.m.), use Metal and Fire to drive the process forward, causing the breath to return to the Sea of Marrow, where essence is stored and Qi nurtured, then guiding it into the Spirit Chamber, where spirit is preserved and Qi nurtured in internal cultivation. The Golden Elixir gradually congeals.

At the Spring Equinox and Beginning of Summer, the corresponding trigrams are Zhen and Xun. When the Yang Fire reaches its peak, circulate the talisman during the Wu hour (11 a.m.–1 p.m.). During the Wei and Shen hours, when Metal and Water alternate in their operation, guide it through the Twin Passes and the Magpie Bridge—the openings and pathways through which breath moves in cultivation—and into the chamber, where the Mysterious Pearl, a symbol of the internal elixir, is enclosed and secured. At the Summer Solstice and Beginning of Autumn, the corresponding trigrams are Li and Kun. Bathe during the You hour (5–7 p.m.), and circulate the talisman during the Xu and Hai hours (7–11 p.m.), bringing true Qi back to its source and ushering in the return of a single Yang. At the Autumn Equinox and Beginning of Winter, the corresponding trigrams are Dui and Qian. The process then repeats in an unbroken cycle.

This compresses the year’s cultivation work into a single day, corresponding to the eight seasonal nodes. The movements of Yang Fire and Yin Talisman both return to the Central Palace, the hub of internal cultivation, where they nourish the Sacred Embryo, the inner numinous essence described in internal alchemy. After ten months, when Qi is full and the precious vessel’s work is complete, one sheds the mortal womb and undergoes spiritual transformation, becoming a perfected person. The Eight Trigrams are arranged in a ring, substantial on the outside and empty at the center, with the elixir body at the center. The Book of Changes says, “The Eight Trigrams are arranged in rows, and the images are contained within them.” Hence the name Perfected Person of the Nine Palaces.

According to popular belief, on the days of the eight seasonal nodes, Taiyi, the Lord of Destiny, leads the officials of the various bureaus in recording people’s offenses, blessings, and merits. Those with merit are recommended, while those at fault are punished. Reciting scriptures on these days follows the prescribed practice of recommendation and can lead one to become a Perfected Person of the Nine Palaces. Reciting this scripture on one’s birth date can clear and rectify the soul spirits and preserve the original Qi.

The human body has three souls: one is on duty and belongs to the office of the star deity governing one’s birth; one resides in the underworld; and one remains within the body. The seven Po souls, by contrast, are always in the body. The seven Po souls can make people dull and prone to indulging their desires, while the three souls favor people’s practice of goodness.

On the day corresponding to one’s birth year, the hun-soul returns to the body and joins with the physical form, in a cycle of repeated return. This allows the living to remain at peace and makes calamities and illness less likely. If one keeps mind and body pure and calm on this day, the hun and po can unite. The hun belongs to Yang, and the po to Yin. When Yin and Yang are in harmony, the Dao’s Qi (vital energy) enters the body, the root of life is strengthened, and the body becomes tranquil.

If one indulges in alcohol and sexual pleasure until mind and body grow confused, the returning hun-soul will find itself seven paces away from the body, unable to join with it. Defiling Qi strikes the hun-soul, and it departs once more. Because the hun cannot return and unite with the body, the Yin energy of the Seven Po—seven Yin spirits associated with the body and its desires—grows stronger, as though emboldened, and gives free rein to sensual desire.

If confusion prevents the hun and po from uniting on three birth-year days, Yang energy will weaken and Yin energy will grow strong. The Seven Po will consort with Yin ghosts and think only of sexual disorder. Each of the Seven Po has a name: Corpse Dog, Hidden Corpse, Sparrow Yin, Swallowing Thief, Flying Poison, Removing Filth, and Stinking Lung. They are said to govern, respectively, greed, appetite, lust, theft, delusion, the ruin of good conduct, and various afflictions. Since these are regarded as harmful influences, their names carry derogatory meanings.

Once a person’s thoughts become improper, it is easy to stray onto an evil path: indulging in alcohol and sexual pleasure, dreaming of all manner of wicked things, behaving in a defiled manner, becoming mentally confused and drowsy, and exhausting one’s Jing (essence) and spirit. As a result, Qi weakens, illness becomes frequent, and afflictions persist until death—while the Seven Po are thereby left to run free.

If, on one’s birth-year day, one devotes oneself to good deeds, recites scriptures, and cultivates the Dao, persevering over time without slackening, one’s merits and good works will reach Heaven and bring about the efficacious results described in the scriptures. When merit is complete and De (Virtue/Power) is fully realized, one can ascend.

In the Scripture Method for Delivering People through Purity of the Numinous Treasure, Xu Zhenjun—a Daoist immortal revered by Daoists, whose personal name was Xu Xun—sets out the “Ten Things Not to Forget,” ten principles one must keep in mind. The most important is “Do not forget firmness and purity”: that is, do not forget to be upright and pure. To be upright means to maintain one’s principles and refrain from licentious or improper conduct.

Those who purify body and mind should observe the precepts and avoid craving food and drink. Restraining sexual desire prevents harm to the body and spirit; abstaining from gluttony prevents the killing of living beings. Thus, those who drink and indulge in lust while reciting scriptures and discussing the Dao bear the gravest guilt. This is the explanation from the perspective of worldly precepts.

From the perspective of Daoist practice, the passage has a deeper meaning. The “day of one’s life allotment” (the practice day corresponding to one’s birth date) is the day for gathering the ingredients and entering the chamber, returning to the original source, and going back to the root to restore one’s life. There is only one such day in a year, and only one shichen (two-hour period) within that day. Within that shichen, only two ke (quarter-hour periods) are used. This is the method of “gathering and concentrating”: compressing a longer process of cultivation into a shorter span of time. The scripture says to gather the seventy-two pentads (an ancient unit for dividing the seasons) into one day, and the thirty-six thousand kinds of upright Qi (vital energy) into one shichen. A shichen corresponds to six pentads; only two are used for reciting scriptures and refining the Elixir, while the remaining four have another subtle use, which must be taught by a master through oral instruction. This is what is meant by the day of one’s life allotment.

Perfected Peng said: At the beginning of cultivation, the internal Elixir has no form, like the undifferentiated chaos before Heaven and Earth separated. Through such stages of practice as raising the fire and circulating the tallies, it is like the beginning of a new year, when life is nourished anew. The Cantong qi (a Daoist classic on cultivation and refinement) says, “Crowning and marriage join the Qi; in the first year, the sprout begins to grow.” This means that Yin and Yang Qi unite, like the rites of capping and marriage, and new life begins to emerge. The Neiyi (a work explaining Neidan practice) says that once the stages of fire and timing are complete, one may enter the realm of shedding the mortal womb and spiritual transformation. The sacred embryo (the spiritual body formed through Neidan cultivation) rests in the Sea of Marrow, completing one cycle in sixty days; one full cycle of the life allotment coincides with this sixty-day period. At that time, it is as though thunder resounds and the Gate of Heaven bursts open: the sacred embryo emerges, and the cultivator sheds the mortal body, becomes an immortal, and lives forever. The cultivator receives the Demon King’s endorsement and is welcomed by the heavens; once merit and virtue are complete, they may ascend.

Li Changling said: “Merit” refers to sustained daily practice; “virtue” refers to good deeds accumulated day by day.

As long as one is as diligent as a farmer hoping for a good harvest, and as eager as a merchant building wealth—accumulating De (virtue and power) today and continuing to establish merit tomorrow—then the so-called three hundred good deeds required for an Earth Immortal can be completed in a year, and the thirteen hundred good deeds required for a Celestial Immortal in four years. Yet people often begin doing good and then give up halfway, because their resolve is not firm enough.

The Primordial Lady of the Void (Zixu Yuanjun), a Daoist female immortal, said: “When Master Fu was young, he loved the arts of the Dao. He entered a stone chamber on Jiao Mountain to cultivate the Dao for seven years. One day he unexpectedly encountered the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate, a revered Daoist deity. The Perfected One gave him a wooden drill and told him to bore through a massive stone, saying, ‘When you have pierced the stone, I will come to deliver you.’ The stone was more than five feet thick. Master Fu drilled without pause, and after forty-seven years, he finally pierced it. The Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate then came, just as promised, to transform and deliver him. This shows resolve so steadfast that even a massive stone can be pierced. How much more, then, can one achieve by reciting scripture and cultivating the Dao with unflagging diligence? A verse says: ‘Keep the purifying fast and recite this scripture for three consecutive months, and the holy beings in the heavens will record your name.’ People know that the days for reciting scripture are connected to their birth destiny, yet in their daily conduct they often do things the wrong way around.

“The Dao says: On every day devoted to practicing the Dao, bathe with fragrant water, observe the fast, and enter a quiet chamber. Face east and click your teeth thirty-two times, sending the sound up to the thirty-two heavens, then make obeisance thirty-two times in your heart. Close your eyes and meditate quietly. Visualize yourself seated upright amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white Qi, with deep, shadowy vastness all around, within and without. Azure Dragons, White Tigers, Vermilion Birds, Black Tortoises, lions, and white cranes line up on your left and right. The sun and moon shine, illuminating the chamber. A round radiance appears above your head, its light shining in all ten directions. Visualize these scenes clearly and distinctly, then silently recite the secret incantation:”

The spell begins, “Tanluo Yulu, Fu Wusuotuo. Taichong Taiji, Yin Xin.” During practice, one should put aside distracting thoughts, refrain from drinking alcohol and from sexual relations, change into clean clothes, burn incense, recite the scripture, and learn to do good. While sitting quietly, remain alert and do not fall asleep, allowing Yang Qi to embrace and harmonize. One who can pass between being and nonbeing, and between life and death, cannot be discerned even by ghosts and spirits; transformations arise naturally.

Primordial Chaos Qi—the original vital energy at the beginning of creation—is mystery within mystery. Above, it reaches into the boundless; below, it penetrates the vast and profound depths. Reciting the scripture once can make serious illness heal of itself. By refining and nurturing the hun and po souls, the true Yang Qi can naturally be preserved. Through fasting, ritual observance, and recitation, and by accumulating ten thousand acts of merit, one can ascend and become an immortal. This is the unsurpassed secret incantation. Those who receive the mandate to practice it will enjoy blessings and long life.

The heart mantra is proclaimed once more: “Tanluo Dongming, Yuqing Shangji; Brahma Qi, pure and wondrous energy, billows and spreads.” It distributes numinous Qi and pours it into the body of the practitioner, bringing both body and spirit to a wondrous state, united with the Dao in true accord. The practitioner attains the Dao, and seven generations of ancestors also ascend. This teaching is handed down like a golden rule and governs all numinous beings. Hasten to carry it out in accordance with the laws of the Primordial Beginning’s Mystic Capital.

The Supreme Mysterious Origin, the Most High Lord of the Dao, summons the Three-Five Merit Officers—divine clerks who transmit documents—within the practitioner’s body, along with the Left and Right Official Envoys, the Attendant Incense-Bearing Golden Youths, the Message-Transmitting Jade Maidens, the Five Emperors’ Direct Talismans, and the Incense Officials on Duty that day, thirty-two of each. Together they are to transmit and report the matters presented. Today is an auspicious day. In the pure fasting hall, the practitioner observes a long fast and studies the supreme scripture, the Scripture on Universal Salvation by Measureless Deliverance. The scripture is recited in cycles, and a prayer is offered for rebirth. May the matters presented ascend and be delivered directly before the Most High Primordial Emperor, the Supreme One of the Thirty-Two Heavens.

When the ritual is complete, draw in Qi thirty-two times, then face east and recite the scripture.

Shangyangzi says: This passage of scripture describes practical methods of cultivation and points to the true meaning of Ancestral Qi, the vital energy that is the source of all things. That is why it says “on the day of practicing the Dao,” rather than “on the day of reciting the scripture”: it refers to drawing in Qi thirty-two times and then facing east to recite the scripture.

Shangyangzi says: This scripture describes the true methods of cultivation and reveals the true principle of the Ancestral Qi, the vital energy at the source of life. The text says “the day of practicing the Dao,” not “the day of reciting the scripture,” to make clear that the scripture is the Elixir, the Elixir is the Dao, and the Dao is also the scripture. Without the Dao, the scripture cannot be revealed; without the scripture, the Elixir cannot be perfected; without the Elixir, the Dao cannot be realized. This is a settled principle, and there is no other path. It should be understood from both the perspective of Daoist cultivation and that of conventional ritual propriety.

There are two kinds of practicing the Dao: internal practice and external practice. First, external practice: bathing, fasting, solemnly preparing the ritual altar, burning incense and reciting scriptures, performing Step-the-Void chants, and offering praises through prostrations to the gods all belong to external practice.

The Lord of Azure Origin of the Eastern Sea says: Reciting incantations while washing the body with water infused with the Five Fragrances is external bathing. Internal bathing, by contrast, means circulating Brahma Qi—the pure, primordial energy of Heaven—so that it pervades the ten directions, then harmonizing the body’s Five Qi and uniting its many spirits.

Fasting does not simply mean avoiding meat and impure foods; one must also first abstain from sexual desire. Ordering the mind helps prevent calamity, while restraining one’s nature wards off misfortune. To “enter the chamber” means to go into a quiet room, shut out worldly distractions, and focus body and mind so as to communicate with the spirits.

Facing east means turning toward the direction of longevity in order to summon the generative Qi. When knocking the teeth, the left side is like the heavenly bell and the right like the heavenly chime; in this way, one summons the immortals. The center is like the heavenly drum, used to present petitions to the highest sages. A mental bow is performed without moving the body, by offering a focused salute in the mind. Closing the eyes means drawing back one’s gaze and turning inward, so that the Qi settles into stillness.

Azure represents the Qi of Mysterious Unity, yellow represents the Qi of Primordial Unity, and white represents the Qi of Original Unity. These three colors take their models from the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities revered in Daoism. Visualize them while sitting in stillness, and the divine beings will appear. The inner vision and the outer realm will gradually merge in profound obscurity.

Next, visualize the Azure Dragon emerging from the liver and positioned on the left; the White Tiger emerging from the lungs and positioned on the right; the Vermilion Bird emerging from the heart and positioned in front; and the Black Tortoise emerging from the kidneys and positioned behind. Visualize six lions and six white cranes emerging from the six viscera, arranged on the left and right. The left eye transforms into a disk of the sun, radiating nine layers of purplish-red light.

The right eye transforms into a lunar disc, emitting seven layers of yellow-white light. The disc hangs three feet from the body, shining brilliantly. Its light enters the nose, passes through to the back of the head, and enters the Palace of Golden Radiance (a palace within the body visualized during cultivation), where it condenses into a circular wheel of light, as large as a carriage wheel. The wheel’s blue, yellow, and white colors interweave to form a nine-colored image. Let this radiance illuminate the ten directions, then silently recite the secret incantation mentioned earlier. “Secret” means that it is not spoken aloud. After finishing the incantation, make the formal report to the deities as described above. When the report is complete, sit facing east and visualize the four beasts and other deities emerging from within your body and listening before you as the teachings and scriptures are expounded. Then recite the scripture aloud in a clear voice. Do not let your thoughts wander, speak with others, or interrupt the text. Conduct yourself as though in the presence of a ruler and a father, without the slightest slackness, and strive to make your spiritual response reach Heaven.

The practices described above are external rites of conducting the Way, the usual form of worldly cultivation. From the perspective of inner cultivation, however, conducting the Way means putting the Great Way into practice, and its content differs greatly from external rites. Why is this so? When people read scriptures, they often seek only to finish them, without realizing that a scripture presents a complete method of cultivation and guides them to practice in accordance with its Way. For this reason, the occasion is called “the day of conducting the Way,” not “the day of reading the scripture.” To cultivate Neidan (internal alchemy, a practice centered on refining the body’s Jing, Qi, and Shen), one enters a quiet chamber to begin cultivation. Thus the instruction is “enter the chamber facing east,” not “ascend the altar.” The phrase “ascending the hall” refers to the cultivation of returning the Elixir to its origin, the process in Neidan by which one returns to the source.

“Scripture” also carries the meaning of reverent devotion. The Celestial Worthy expounded scriptures so that those of lesser spiritual capacity might know where to turn. With reverence in their hearts, they would incline toward goodness and avoid wrongdoing; they could also preserve Shen and nourish Qi, thereby escaping calamity. Without bathing, observing purification and abstinence, changing clothes, and entering the chamber to recite scripture, they might instead incur calamity and punishment. Those of the highest attainment, the perfected ones, directly cultivate the Great Way taught in the scriptures. Hence the occasion is called “the day of conducting the Way.” The scripture is the Way, and the Way is the Elixir. Only the cultivation of Neidan requires entering a chamber; hence the instruction to “enter the chamber facing east.”

To refine the Returned Elixir (internal alchemy), one must first cultivate body and mind and gather one’s thoughts. This is called “bathing.” A person of the Dao first cuts off desires and stray thoughts; this is called “fasting and abstinence.” The ignorant do not understand these things. They only know how to chant aloud, then leave as soon as they have finished.

What does it mean to “practice the Dao”? It means cultivating the Returned Elixir. What is the “Returned Elixir”? It must be explained by a master. Perfected Pure Yang (Lü Dongbin) said, “Without a master’s guidance, this matter is hard to understand.” The Old Lord also said, “I was not a sage by birth; I attained it through learning.” Therefore, to cultivate the elixir method, one must first seek a master’s instruction and must not rely on groundless speculation.

After receiving a master’s teaching, one must first cultivate oneself. “Refining the self” means removing desires and nurturing Jing and Qi. Perfected Pure Yang said, “First refine the self, then wait for the right moment.” After refining the self, one should also seek elixir companions—like-minded fellow cultivators who support one another—as an outer source of support. Liu Haichan, a Daoist Neidan adept, said, “This is no ordinary matter. One may wish to find someone to help, yet it is not easy to meet the right person.” Chen Niyan, a Daoist Neidan adept, said, “Without like-minded people to counsel one another, by the time you awaken, you may already have missed the moment when the fire in the furnace is just right.”

Once one has found fellow cultivators, one must first seek the “furnace and cauldron,” a metaphor in Neidan cultivation for the foundations of practice in body, mind, and the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth. The Wuzhen pian, a Daoist Neidan classic, says, “First take Heaven and Earth as the vessel, then gather the medicines of the Crow and Rabbit to refine them.” Here, “Heaven and Earth” refers to the cosmos, while “Crow and Rabbit” commonly symbolize the sun and moon, and the Qi of Yin and Yang.

Once the furnace and cauldron are in place, one must also choose the right day. On choosing a day, Perfected Ziyang (Zhang Boduan) said, “When lead meets the time of Gui Water, gather it at once.” He also said, “When sweet dew descends, Heaven and Earth unite.” These words refer to selecting the right moment. After choosing the day, one must also determine the precise hour and follow the trigrams in circulating “trigram Qi”—the sequence for cultivating Yin-Yang Qi arranged according to the sixty-four hexagrams. The Wuzhen pian says, “Take the solid substance at the center of Kan and transform the Yin substance in the belly of Li.” Here, the Kan and Li trigrams symbolize the harmonious joining of Water and Fire, Yin and Yang.

Thus, clicking the teeth thirty-two times and bowing inwardly thirty-two times correspond to the sixty-four hexagrams. Closing the eyes and meditating inwardly follows the teaching of Perfected Boyang (Wei Boyang): “The ears, eyes, and mouth are three treasures; they should be closed and kept within, not allowed to leak outward. The Perfected One hides in the depths, drifting and abiding within the compass.” This passage teaches one to gather in the senses, concentrate the Shen, and guard the center.

To sit upright amid clouds of blue, yellow, and white follows the teaching of Master Yuanduxi: “The primordial One Qi comes from within emptiness.” Blue Qi represents mercury, white Qi represents lead, and yellow Qi represents earth. Mercury and lead have not yet joined; they require earth to harmonize them and bring them together.

The Ziyang’s Own Preface says: Guide the Yin and Yang Qi along the Yellow Path—the route taken by Qi within the body—so that Jing, Qi, and Shen converge in the realm of Wuwei (non-action). Gather the Qi of the Five Phases and harmonize the Qi of the Four Images. The dragon’s roar and tiger’s howl, the husband’s call and wife’s response, are all metaphors for the union of Yin and Yang. Only then does one understand that the hidden Qi within and without all returns to Earth. Because mercury and lead have not yet been fused, “Earth” is invoked to harmonize them.

Another passage in the Ziyang’s Own Preface says: Guide the Yin and Yang Qi in its course, so that Jing, Qi, and Shen converge in the realm of Wuwei; gather the Five Phases and harmonize the Four Images. The dragon roars and the tiger howls; the husband calls and the wife responds. Then one can see the dim, hidden scenes within and without: the four sacred beasts arrayed in their places, the sun and moon shining, the room suddenly bright, and a circular radiance appearing above the head. All these scenes become clear and distinct. The “secret incantation” refers to a sound so subtle it seems almost inaudible—the meaning of “the great sound is faint.” This is practicing the Way and reciting the scriptures; it is also the inner and outer landscapes. Once Neidan (internal alchemy) has been accomplished, one performs the ritual of reporting to the gods, and the hun and po souls within the body are all transformed into spirits.

The verse says: The practice of cultivating within the chamber lies in putting aside delusive thoughts. One should recite the scriptures and practice the Way early, and begin one’s cultivation. According to tradition, the Jade Maiden performs the ritual report first, then ascends in sequence through the thirty-two heavens.

Commentary on the Supreme Scripture of Primordial Beginning, Limitless Salvation, of the Highest Order, Volume One, ends here.

Commentary on the Supreme Scripture of Primordial Beginning, Limitless Salvation, of the Highest Order of the Great One’s Cavern Mystery and Numinous Treasure, Volume Two

Commentary by Chen Guanwu, Master Shangyang

Master Shangyang says: A scripture is the Dao (the Way), and it is also reverence. One should honor the Dao and act in accordance with it; one should respect the scriptures and preserve them with care, never letting them be lost. People know that what they revere and serve are the Three Treasures: the Dao, the scriptures, and the master.

Shangyangzi says: “Jing” means the Dao, and also carries the sense of reverence and faithful observance. The Dao is what people should honor and put into practice; reverence is what they should uphold and never lose. The Three Treasures honored by people in the world include the Daoist Three Treasures: the Dao, the Jing, and the Master.

The root of the Three Treasures is, in fact, the wondrous Dao. In terms of the Dao’s workings, the Three Treasures are the treasures within the human body; in terms of the teachings practiced in the world, they are the treasures within the religious tradition. There are two accounts of the treasures within the body, and likewise two accounts of those within the tradition.

The Three Treasures of the tradition discussed here are the Dao, the Jing, and the Master. Within the tradition, there are two accounts, called the “present liturgy” and the “ancient liturgy.” The Dao is the primordial Qi of the mysterious One, the source from which Heaven, Earth, and all things arise; hence it is called the “Treasure of the Dao.” The Jing is the scripture in which the Dao Lord of Jade Dawn expounded the Dao of the mysterious One and which was left to later generations as a guide to cultivation; hence it is called the “Treasure of the Jing.” The Master is the source of the transmission: the Lord Lao bestowed scriptures and registers—Daoist scriptures and talismans—upon Celestial Master Zhang, through whom the teachings were passed down; hence the Master is called the “Treasure of the Master.”

The transmission of the teachings takes the Celestial Master as its foundation, though here, too, there are two accounts. Thus, within the tradition, the Dao, Jing, and Master described above are called the “Three Treasures of the Present Liturgy,” while the other account of the Three Treasures is called the “Three Treasures of the Ancient Liturgy”; the names used for them also differ. This is the perspective of the teachings practiced in the world and their instruction of the people.

In terms of the Dao’s workings, the Three Treasures are those within the body, and here again there are two accounts. The essence of the primordial, mysterious One, true and complete, is called the “Treasure of Heaven,” also known as the “Treasure of the Dao.” The innate Qi of the Golden Liquids of Shangqing is called the “Treasure of Numinous Power,” also known as the “Treasure of the Jing.” The spirit of the primordial chaos, boundless and without limit, true and complete, is called the “Treasure of Spirit,” also known as the “Treasure of the Teaching.” These Three Treasures reside within oneself; the practice of returning the Elixir and the attainment of the immortal Dao both depend on them. The Book of Gold on the Great Presence of the Three Treasures also says that the Treasures of Heaven, Numinous Power, and Spirit are all transformed forms of Qi and are likewise the Three Treasures within the body.

When discussing specifically the Dao of returning the Elixir through Golden Liquid, there are again two accounts of the Three Treasures within the body: Shen, Qi, and Jing are the inner Three Treasures, while the ears, eyes, and mouth are the outer Three Treasures. By carefully guarding the ears, eyes, and mouth and preventing them from acting recklessly, one allows the inner Shen, Qi, and Jing to gather and coalesce into the returning Elixir, which then forms the embryo-child—the “sacred embryo” that symbolizes the fruit of Neidan cultivation.

Thus, when discussing True Writings and sacred talismans, dragon chapters and phoenix scripts, and the Way of the Returning Elixir and Golden Liquor, the “Three Treasures” within the body are understood in two ways: Shen (spirit), Qi (vital energy), and Jing (essence) are the inner Three Treasures; the ears, eyes, and mouth are the outer Three Treasures. If one can guard the outer Three Treasures and keep the ears, eyes, and mouth from acting heedlessly, the inner Three Treasures can coalesce into the Returning Elixir and give rise to an embryo-child. Here, “Returning Elixir” and “embryo-child” are terms from Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to the process in which Jing, Qi, and Shen gather and cultivation reaches fruition.

The True Writings and sacred talismans, dragon chapters and phoenix scripts, jade cases and golden books, the esoteric canons of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen), as well as the thirty-six divisions and eighteen thousand scripture texts, all arise from the Three Treasures and are called “Jing” (scriptures). Thus, Jing is also the Elixir, and it is also the primordial Qi that precedes Heaven and Earth (the original energy before Heaven and Earth were divided).

This Scripture on Deliverance from Suffering was composed by the Jade Dawn Dao Lord, who expounded the Way of the Primordial Beginning and transmitted it to Perfected One Xuan Yi. Perfected One Xuan Yi then passed it on to the Celestial True Sovereign. Following what the Dao Lord had transmitted, the Celestial True Sovereign set it down in writing and compiled it as this scripture. For this reason, most chapters begin with the words “The Dao says.” Only this chapter and the chapter “Jade Calendar” lack the heading “The Dao says”; instead, the Celestial True Sovereign directly recorded the Way of the Primordial Beginning. These teachings, however, were also transmitted by the Dao Lord.

It is wrong to treat the sections marked “The Dao says” as a preface and those without that heading as the main text. It is even more misguided to recite only these two chapters and omit the preceding scripture. The title Supreme Scripture of the Limitless Deliverance of the Most High, Cavern Mystery, Numinous Treasure, Highest Grade of Sublime Scripture was given by the Celestial True Sovereign; the shorter title Primordial Beginning’s Supreme Scripture of the Limitless Deliverance, Highest Grade of Sublime Scripture was given by the Dao Lord. The scriptures have different lines of transmission and teaching, but all come from the Dao Lord, who is therefore called the “Treasure of the Scriptures.”

Jing carries and embodies the Dao; through Jing, the Dao can work in the world. From the perspective of Golden Liquor and the Returning Elixir, Jing comes before the Elixir, and after the Elixir is formed, it is through Jing that its power is put to work. When the Elixir is described through Jing, it is called the “Primordial, Supreme Numinous Treasure of the Ninefold-Returning Golden Elixir.” When Jing is explained through the Dao, it is called the Primordial Beginning’s Supreme Scripture of the Limitless Deliverance, Highest Grade of Sublime Scripture.

The hymn says: The Way of the Primordial Beginning is the precelestial Shen, Qi, and Jing; its wondrous workings are immeasurable, and it is supremely numinous. To deliver others and oneself alike, one must rely on another’s deliverance. The highest-grade method of alchemy is precisely this sublime scripture.

The Great Dao of Dongxuan of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning is the foundational chapter of the Lingbao Scriptures and the subtle beginning of the highest-grade scriptures. The scripture saves living beings through the method of “tenfold deliverance,” within which a hundred wondrous tones are concealed. These teachings separate and recombine, transforming and arising spontaneously. Before Chaos divided, red sacred writing appeared, issuing from the Supreme True One and the primordial kalpa of Primordial Beginning. It gave birth to the heavens and opened the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—and is the source of all things between Heaven and Earth.

Above it there is no other origin; only the Great Dao is the underlying reality. The five sacred writings unfold and nourish the spirits everywhere. Without sacred writing, there would be no light, manifestation, establishment, accomplishment, or deliverance, nor the generation and transformation of the myriad things. This sacred writing is itself a luminous vision and the foundation of Heaven and Earth. The scripture then restates the Great Dao as the source, the five writings as nourishment for the spirits, and their role in bringing forth the myriad things.

This passage describes the highest celestial realm within Great Brahma Heaven, named Yuluo Xiaotai and the Upper Capital on Jade Mountain. Beyond it lies the supreme realm, the Great Luo Jade Clarity. That place is vast and remote, beyond measure, as though it both exists and does not exist. The Three Flowers shine distinctly, revealing the wondrous court of Great Being. Golden gates and jade chambers stand in profusion, pure and vast. Brahma Qi, the primordial energy of the precelestial origin, circulates throughout the ten directions.

There dwell the divine being who delivers people from death and the Lord of Longevity of the South Pole; the Great God Sima, who delivers beings from the world; Lord Han, the Elder who cherishes life; and the revered gods of the South who govern destiny, record, longevity, the increase of one’s allotted years, and deliverance from calamity. They can revive abandoned remains and restore the dead to life, saving living beings through boundless methods. Today, as this scripture is collated and recorded, the spirits of the heavens have come to look on from before the pavilion.

Shangyangzi says: This entire chapter speaks of the workings of the Great Dao. “Primordial Beginning” refers to the ancestral Qi of the precelestial beginning, before Taiji divided. “Dongxuan” refers to the profound meanings of the Three Caverns scriptures, and is also the root and source of the myriad teachings. The spirits spoken of here can revive abandoned remains, restore the dead to life, and deliver people through boundless methods. Today, as this scripture is collated and recorded, the spirits of the heavens have come to look on from before the pavilion.

Shangyangzi says: “This chapter speaks entirely of the workings of the Dao. ‘Primordial Beginning’ refers to the ancestral Qi of the precelestial realm before the Taiji had yet differentiated—the fundamental vital energy that existed before Heaven and Earth came into being. ‘Cavern Mystery’ refers to the profound principles of the Three Caverns scriptures, the fundamental purpose underlying the myriad teachings. The chapter on ‘Numinous Treasure’ speaks of nature, existence, and substance; it is also the response of life and the source of mystery. The Laozi says, ‘There was something whole and undifferentiated that existed before Heaven and Earth.’ Thus it can generate the myriad things and human beings.

“‘Supreme Subtlety’ speaks of life, nonbeing, and function, as well as the response manifested by nature, like ‘the gate of the female’—the portal through which the myriad things are born and transformed. The Perfected Ziyang says, ‘The White Tiger’s first scripture is a supreme treasure; the divine water of the Flower Pool is the true scripture.’ This is because it can enable people to become Buddhas and immortals.

“‘Return’ means to revert and return. This scripture calls it ‘ten returns that deliver people’; in Neidan practice, it is called the ‘Ninefold Return Golden Elixir.’ The key reason this scripture is revered as foremost among the Three Caverns scriptures lies in the word ‘deliver.’ Those who seek to become immortals or Buddhas must first understand what ‘deliver’ means. Only then can they return to the primordial Yang true Qi—the pure Yang vital energy of the precelestial realm—and coalesce the Reverted Elixir, the elixir formed through Neidan cultivation.

“‘The hidden rhymes of a hundred demons’ refers to the six faculties within the body—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—and their perceptions and thoughts, the three hun souls and seven po souls, the three divisions and eight scenes, the twenty-four spirits, and so on. Those who have not yet understood the cultivation of the Dao are easily disturbed by these thoughts, which pull them into the realm of desire, a state governed by desire. Hence the term ‘a hundred demons.’ After cultivating the Great Elixir, these demons are brought under control and no longer trouble or test the practitioner. The transformations of separation and union in body and mind then occur naturally. Although the path of the Reverted Elixir involves cultivation, it does not rely on forced contrivance; each transformation of separation and union arises from the natural process of creation. The Wuzhen pian says, ‘When the two things come together, feeling and nature unite; where the Five Phases are complete, tiger and dragon entwine.’ This is what it means.

“‘The undifferentiated cavern, the vermilion script’ refers to original true nature and the indestructible original spirit. The Perfected Qingyuan says, ‘The Origin is the root of the myriad things, occupying the foremost place among the vast forms; its movement and transformation have no end. The Beginning is the state in which something first appears indistinctly, before the transformations of the myriad things; it stands alone in honor, yet continually transforms.’

“‘Cavern Mystery’ means to perceive the profound unity and deliver beings of Heaven and humanity through transformation. ‘Numinous Treasure’ means that in Heaven it is called “numinous,” and in the human world it is called “treasure.””

This chapter explains in detail the essentials of cultivating the Dao and returning to union with it. It begins by tracing the source back to the undivided, indistinct beginning, before the transformations of the myriad things, showing that the Great Dao is uniquely supreme yet capable of ceaseless change.

“Dongxuan” means penetrating the mysteries and returning to “Xuanyi,” the mysterious unity that is the source, and through this transforming and guiding both heaven and humanity. “Lingbao” means that in heaven it is called “ling,” or numinous, and in the human world it is called “bao,” or treasure. This chapter discusses the foundation of cultivating the Dao and returning to union with it. “Supreme Grade” refers to uniquely attaining the mystery and establishing teachings through skillful means; “Wondrous Beginning” is the foremost of all wonders, the source of the myriad teachings.

Through the wondrous, heaven and earth become empty, still, and clear; Yin and Yang become harmonious and pure; the sun and moon shine brightly; the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) become refined; and all things reveal their true nature. The Inner Meaning says: “‘Supreme Grade, Wondrous Beginning’ is the Golden Liquid Elixir, a subtle Great Dao symbolized by Neidan cultivation, and the crown of the unsurpassed wondrous Dao.” “Ten Cycles of Delivering People” refers to the work of cultivation over ten months; upon completion, one can deliver the world and become an immortal. “Hidden Rhymes of a Hundred Demons” is another name for the Elixir. “Separation and union occurring naturally” serves as a metaphor: Metal and Wood, though originally apart, can reunite, while Water and Fire, though originally opposed, can be harmonized into “Already Complete,” a state in which Water and Fire interact and Yin and Yang are balanced. All this follows its natural course and brings about transformation.

“Primordial Chaos, Red Writ” refers to the source of all things and the true nature of living beings. “One Qi,” the primordial vital energy of the universe, is the ancestor of all things and the root revered by all the gods. The Scripture of the Western Ascension says: “Emptiness gives rise to the natural; the natural brings the Dao to completion.” Here, the “Dao” has no fixed form. It is the foundation from which the precelestial One Qi gives birth to all things and brings about the transformations of heaven and earth.

Those who cultivate the Golden Elixir should follow the transformations of heaven and earth, taking emptiness and the natural as their model. The precelestial True One Qi is also called “empty Qi.” The “Golden Embryo” is an image of Neidan: born of the “Golden Mother,” it serves as the foundation for refining the Elixir. Before the union of the parents, this Qi is blended as one with primordial chaos, and is therefore called “Primordial Chaos.” After the parents unite and Jing and Qi combine, this Qi responds and attaches itself, and is called “Yang Essence.” The scripture also uses silver ore as a metaphor and calls it “Original Shen,” saying that it is stored in the “Kun Palace,” a symbol of a Yin, nurturing place; it is therefore also called “nature,” meaning one’s original true face. Before birth it is called “Yin Metal”; after birth, “Yang Lead,” and it is said to be the “mother of the five metals.” The Cantong qi says that this text directly points to the numinous root of heaven and earth: the human being’s original true face.

Before the myriad things came into being, it was called “Yin Metal”; after they had taken form, it was called “Yang Lead.” It is the foundation of the Five Metals—a Daoist alchemical term that broadly refers to metals. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three), a Daoist alchemical classic, says this directly reveals the numinous root of Heaven and Earth. It also clearly points to the source of the substances used in alchemy and to the sacred mother who symbolizes Yin-Yang, establishing them as the foundation of alchemical practice.

When Heaven and Earth had yet to take shape and all was chaos, this primordial Qi—the original vital energy at the beginning of cosmic generation—condensed into jade characters and was therefore called the “Red Writ.” It is the Dao above the highest, supremely true and wondrous, and is thus called the “Supreme True One Beyond Nonbeing.”

At the beginning of the Primordial Ancestor’s cosmic cycle, the primordial Qi that gives rise to the heavens was transformed into being. Stirring at the outset of this cycle, it divided into three kinds of Qi, which formed the Three Heavens: Qingwei Heaven, Yuyu Heaven, and Taichi Heaven. The Qi of the Three Heavens then divided into nine kinds, forming the Nine Heavens: Shiqing Heaven, Qingyuan Heaven, Shidan Heaven, Tadan Heaven, Shisu Heaven, Dasu Heaven, Shixuan Heaven, Daxuan Heaven, and Qingwei Heaven.

The sacred, pure Qi of the Nine Heavens continued to divide, forming the Nine Empyreans, or Nine Heavens: Great Empyrean of Radiant Brightness, Flowing Light, and Pure Splendor; Azure Empyrean of Primordial Truth and Precious Radiance; Jade Empyrean of Universal Birth, Opening the Numinous and Transmitting the Dao; Crimson Empyrean of Great Peace, Responsive Transformation, and the Dao’s Sovereign; Cinnabar Empyrean of the Central Pole, Utmost Wonder, and Transformation into Emptiness; Jade Empyrean of Bright Primordial Essence, Majestic Virtue, and Shining Crystals; Lang Empyrean of Flying Azure, the Primordial Gate, and Transmission of Salvation; Purple Empyrean of Conjoined Splendor, Twin Towers, and Manifested Forms; and Divine Empyrean of Jade Purity, Wondrous Splendor, and Great Being.

The sacred Qi of the Nine Empyreans continued to divide, giving rise below to the Nine Heavens, also called the Nine Heavens of Life-Giving Spirits. First, in the south, Yudan Wuliang Heaven; second, in the northwest, Chanshan Wuliangshou Heaven; third, in the east, Fanjian Xuyan Heaven.