《太上洞玄灵宝芝草品》

According to tradition, the root of the methods for prolonging life and increasing longevity lies in the ingestion of medicinal substances in the pursuit of long life. The Book of the Hidden Secrets of the Great Treasure (Hongbao Wanmi zhi Shu) states that immortals are able to command ghosts and spirits. Thus Guangchengzi, dwelling on Mount Kongtong, revealed the art of governance to the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan and transmitted to him the methods of the Dao (the Way); Chisongzi ascended to the palace of Kunlun, ingested water-jade, and also instructed the Flame Emperor. Riding the wind and rain, they moved up and down and came and went, investigated the signs of how things transform, wandered among famous mountains, observed plants and trees, and brought to light and verified principles that are profound, hidden, and subtle.

The zhi plants—legendary immortal herbs said to prolong life—take many different forms and are difficult to recognize. People therefore drew pictures to record their shapes, composed explanations, and circulated them together with illustrations, hoping to seek out and ingest the zhi and thereby set foot on the path to immortality.

Azure Jade Zhi grows in the mountains of Yangzhou. Its flavor is sweet with a touch of sourness, and it is said that after ingesting it one may live for 120,000 years. Prince Qiao became an immortal after ingesting it. It is guarded by a gray-blue tiger. It should be gathered and ingested according to the illustration. This zhi has four tiers; the second tier has two branches, and both the cap and the stem are blue-green.

Red Jade Zhi, also called “Child-Food Zhi,” grows in the mountains of Yuzhou. Its form is as shown in the illustration, and its flavor is bitter. Chisongzi became an immortal after ingesting it. It is guarded by a red tiger and a red fish. It should be gathered and ingested according to the illustration. Both the stem and the cap are red, and it has two tiers in all: the lower tier has two small zhi, and the upper tier likewise has two small zhi, each of them bearing a cap.

Yellow Jade Zhi grows on Mount Penglai. It is yellow in color and pungent in flavor. After the Eastern King Father ingested it, his lifespan reached 90,000 years and he became an immortal. It is guarded by a yellow tiger and a yellow fish. Yellow Jade Zhi has three tiers in all; the lower tier has three branches, one of which puts forth nine caps. Both the caps and the stems are yellow.

In the original text, “Red Jade Zhi” appears in two consecutive passages, which differ in their accounts of the guardians, the number of tiers, and the form; the above translates each of them separately in accordance with the original.

The White Jade Mushroom (bai yuzhi) grows on Fangzhang Mountain (a legendary mountain of the immortals). Its taste is pungent and its color pure white. The cap has four tiers: the lower tier lies on top, two others grow joined together, and three grow on the upper tier. It sometimes grows on large rocks, in yellow sand, at the roots of rotten wood, beneath tall trees, or on the shaded sides of famous mountains. Whoever obtains and consumes it can become an immortal. A white tiger guards it.

The Black Jade Mushroom (hei yuzhi) grows on Turtle Mountain (a legendary mountain of the immortals). Its taste is sweet with a sour note. After consuming it, Xianyu Zi became an immortal. It grows beneath tall trees or on the shaded sides of famous mountains, with a black tiger standing guard beside it. Its form is as follows: two small branches grow stacked one upon the other at the top; it is black in color and has four tiers, while both the stem and the cap are red.

The Five Emperors Jade Mushroom (wudi yuzhi) grows on Mount Songgao (Mount Song) and other famous mountains. It has five colors corresponding to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and changes with the seasons. Gathered and consumed according to the four seasons, it enables one to become an immortal who lives for ten thousand years. It has three tiers; each of the two lower tiers bears two branches that grow opposite one another.

The Azure Emperor Jade Mushroom (qingdi yuzhi) grows beneath great trees on famous mountains, covered by yellow cloud-Qi (vital energy). The cap is azure, the inner surface red, and the stem white; the taste is sour. Gathered and consumed on jia and yi days in spring, it can keep a person from aging and enable them to become an immortal.

The Red Emperor Jade Mushroom (chidi yuzhi) grows on the sun-facing sides of famous mountains. The cap is red, the inner surface yellow, and the stem white. Red cloud-Qi hovers above it, and the taste is sweet with a bitter note. Gathered and consumed in summer, it can make a person an immortal for four thousand years.

The Yellow Emperor Jade Mushroom (huangdi yuzhi) grows on famous mountains, with five-colored cloud-Qi at its crown. The cap is yellow, the stem white, and the taste sweet with a bitter note. After it is consumed, it can free a person from fear and alarm, grant a lifespan of thirty thousand years, and enable them to become an immortal.

The White Emperor Jade Mushroom (baidi yuzhi) grows among overlapping rocks on the sun-facing sides of famous mountains. The cap is white, the stem azure, the inner surface black, and the taste sweet. After it is consumed, it can make a person an immortal for three thousand years.

The Black Emperor Jade Mushroom (heidi yuzhi) grows on the shaded sides of famous mountains. After it is consumed, one can become an immortal in great measure.

The White Emperor Jade Mushroom grows among overlapping rocks on the sun-facing sides of famous mountains. The cap is white, the stem azure, the inner surface black, and the taste sweet. After it is consumed, it can make a person an immortal for three thousand years.

The Black Emperor Jade Zhi grows in the great valleys on the shaded sides of famous mountains, shrouded in black clouds. Its cap is black, the underside blue-green, and the stem yellow, with a taste that is sweet and slightly sour. Gathered in winter and eaten, it enables a person to age no further and at last to attain the Dao (the Way) and become an immortal.

The Eastern Zhi grows in the great valleys on the sunlit sides of famous mountains. The underside of the cap is mottled blue-green and red; it has two layers of white caps, the stem is blue-green, and the taste is sour. Eating it can prolong life, so that one lives to a hundred thousand years and becomes an immortal.

The Southern Zhi grows on the sunlit sides of famous mountains. It is red throughout, both cap and stem, and it has three branches; the taste is bitter. It must be gathered with a bamboo knife, dried in the shade for a hundred days, and then eaten in pieces the size of a coin, whereupon one can live to thirty thousand years and become an immortal.

The Central Zhi grows on the shaded sides of famous mountains. Its cap is white, its stem yellow, and its underside black. The form of its branches is like a single stem bearing a cap, with two further branches extending outward; halfway along they curve upward, and their tips hang down like suspended caps. A yellow goat stands guard beside it. Gathered with a wooden knife and eaten, it enables one to become an immortal.

Another kind of Central Zhi also grows on the shaded sides of famous mountains, with a white cap, a yellow stem, and a black underside. The form of its branches is like a single stem bearing a cap, with two further branches extending outward; halfway along they curve upward, and their tips hang down like suspended caps. Dried in the shade for a hundred days and then eaten in pieces the size of a coin, it enables one to live to thirty thousand years and become an immortal.

The Western Zhi grows on the shaded sides of famous mountains. Its cap is white, its underside black, and its stem blue-green, with three branches growing together; the taste is sweet with a touch of pungency. Eating it enables one to live to ten thousand years and become an immortal.

The Northern Zhi grows on the shaded sides of famous mountains. Its cap is black, and three stems and branches grow together; the taste is pleasantly sweet. Eating it enables one to become an immortal, to enter water without sinking, and to age no further, living to eighty thousand years. It is guarded by a black ox.

The Stone Mortar Zhi grows on Mount Shaoshi. A red cloud of Qi (vital energy) accompanies it, and yellow tigers stand guard on either side. Its cap is red and its stalk is black, and it grows opposite the Stone Jade Zhi. Before gathering it, one should fast and bathe for thirty days. When the rooster crows, one must declare oneself the “Celestial Fast General,” and then send an envoy dressed in colored robes, wearing a cap and sash and clad in black ceremonial dress, to gather it. Eating one ge (an ancient unit of capacity) of the Stone Mortar Zhi can extend life by six hundred thousand years; another account says one hundred sixty thousand years. It grows among great rocks, tastes sweet with a touch of sourness, sends its roots out in the four directions, and stands three chi high.

The Wood Shen (spirit) Zhi grows on the northern slope of Mount Songgao. Its cap is yellow and its inner side is black, and red clouds and the Vermilion Bird guard it from above. Gathered and eaten in the sixth month, on a wu or ji day at the chen hour, it yields a lifespan of nine thousand years and enables one to become an immortal. It is shaped like a square stone, and one kind of it has a flat surface.

The Ghost Fungus Zhi grows on the northern slopes of famous mountains. Its cap is white, and its form resembles a zeng (a vessel used for steaming rice). Two ghosts guard it and vanish as soon as they see a person. It should be gathered at night, dried in the shade for one hundred days, and then taken in a dose the size of a daogui (the amount held by an ancient minute medicinal spoon). After it is taken, people submit wherever one goes. After the Weaving Maiden took it, she became an immortal and ascended to heaven.

The Human Might Zhi grows on Mount Songgao, Mount Shaoshi, and Mount Taishi. It is shaped like a human being and reddish in color, with a cap on top whose color shifts between yellow and red, and it tastes sweet. Once taken, it can keep a person from aging; if it is taken for one hundred thousand years, one can become an immortal. Tradition has it that after the Weaving Maiden took it, she too became an immortal and ascended to heaven.

The Metal Jing (essence) Zhi grows on Mount Hua. Its cap is white, white clouds rest on its stalk, it is shaped like a sparrow-fowl, and its taste is sweet with a pungent note. Gathered in the tenth month on a ren day, dried in the shade for one hundred days, and then taken, it can confer a lifespan of eight thousand years. After Han Zhong took it, he became an immortal.

The Yellow Zhi grows on Yellow Earth Mountain. Its cap is yellow and has three layers, and it tastes sweet. After it is taken, one may live as long as Heaven and Earth. There is another kind of Yellow Zhi whose stalk is white.

Golden Zhi grows on the southern face of famous mountains. Its cap is white, the underside reddish, and the stem likewise red. Gathered in spring and summer, dried in the shade for one hundred days, and taken in the amount of one ge (an ancient unit of capacity), it is said to dispel yin disorders and prolong life.

Guiwei Zhi grows in the deep pools of Mount Chang. It is blue-black; the cap bears markings like a tortoise shell, the underside is bluish white, the stem is black, and the taste is sour and bitter. Taken after gathering, it is said to bring about the immortality of a life lasting ten thousand years.

Longwei Zhi grows on the northern face of Mount Tai. The stem is blue-green, the cap purple, and the underside white, with markings like dragons and snakes; the taste is sweet with a sour edge. Gathered and taken in spring, it is said to enable a person to live for one hundred sixty thousand years.

Niaowei Zhi grows on the northern face of Qiushan in the Southern Marchmount. The cap is red, the stem black, and the taste sour. After it is taken, it is said to make the body light and robust, to halt aging, and to confer a life of ten thousand years.

Fire-Essence Zhi grows on the northern face of Mount Huo. The cap is red, the underside yellow, and the stem yellow.

Chiwei Zhi grows on the northern face of Qiushan in the Southern Marchmount. The cap is red, the stem black, and the taste sour. After it is taken, it is said to make the body light and robust, to halt aging, and to confer a life of ten thousand years.

Another kind of Fire-Essence Zhi grows on the northern face of Mount Huo. The cap is red, the underside yellow, and the stem yellow. Upon it is a portion like a red cloud, shaped like a bird or a chicken, and the taste is sweet. Gathered on the bingwu day of the fifth month, it is said to enable a person to become an immortal for nine thousand years.

Huoxi Zhi grows beside great trees on the southern face of famous mountains. Its color is red as fire; the stem is blue-green and the cap red, and it divides upward into five branches like rising flames. The taste is sweet with a bitter edge. Gathered and taken in summer, it is said to lengthen one’s years and bring attainment of the Dao (the Way) and immortality.

Chisongzi Zhi grows on Mount Yuan, among thousand-year-old pines, and is shaped like a person fashioned of wood. Gathered, dried in the shade for one hundred days, and then taken, it is said to grant a lifespan equal to that of Heaven and Earth, making one an immortal who lives forever and does not die.

Wood-Essence Zhi grows among famous mountains; in winter its root resembles a spinning wheel. Those who gather it may seek it there, and it is shaped like a person fashioned of wood. Gathered, dried in the shade for one hundred days, and then taken, it is said to grant a lifespan equal to that of Heaven and Earth, making one an immortal who lives forever and does not die.

Another kind of Wood-Essence Zhi grows in famous mountains. In winter its root resembles a spinning wheel, and it may be gathered and selected at any time. It is white, and the taste is sweet with a bitter edge. After it is taken, it is said to make the body light and robust and to bring attainment of the Dao and immortality. It has no cap; its form is like a fork, and the stem is red.

The Wood-Spirit zhi (Mushen zhi) grows on Mount Tai in the region of Qi (that is, the Eastern Marchmount). Its form is a blue-green canopy, a red wrapping, and a red stem, and at its top is a mass of blue-green cloud shaped like a chicken. It must be gathered and eaten on a ren day; one may then become an immortal, with a lifespan of ten million years.

The Heavenly-Eye zhi (Tianmu zhi) grows on the sun-facing slopes of famous mountains. Its color is blue-green; midway along the stem it divides into two branches, and the top resembles a curved canopy, red in color, covering a larger canopy. Cut it with a bamboo knife, dry it in the shade for a hundred days, and then eat it, and one may become an immortal for fifty thousand years. Black clouds hang over it.

The Heavenly-Heart zhi (Tianxin zhi) grows in the rock crevices on the sun-facing slopes of famous mountains. It has a blue-green canopy and a red stem, and its taste is sour. Cut it with a bamboo knife, dry it in the shade for a hundred days, and eat an amount the size of a fingernail, and one may become an immortal for three thousand years. Red clouds are above it, and a white sheep guards it below.

The White-Blossom zhi (Baiying zhi) grows on the sun-facing slopes of Mount Tai. It is blue-green, with five stems and branches set in correspondence with one another. Its taste is sweet and fine; after eating it, one may become an immortal for ten thousand years.

The Water-Spirit zhi (Shuishen zhi) grows on Mount Heng. It has a black canopy and a blue-green stem, and above it is a mass of black cloud shaped like a horse. Gather and eat it, and one may become an immortal for six thousand years.

The Earth zhi (Tu zhi) grows in the great marshes on the sun-facing slopes of famous mountains. In the original text, words are missing after this sentence in an earlier passage; a later passage supplies them: it has a white canopy like porcelain, and its taste is acrid and bitter. After it is eaten, the body is neither cold nor hot; gathered and taken in summer, it enables one to become an immortal.

The Jade-Viewing zhi (Wangyu zhi) grows among the ridges and clefts on the shady slopes of famous mountains. It has a yellow canopy and a red stem, and its taste is sweet. After eating it, one may extend life by two thousand years and become an immortal. Below it, three stems grow together, with blue-green canopies and red stems; above it are two stems, with yellow canopies and red stems.

The Wood-Pattern zhi (Muwen zhi) grows among the famous mountains. Its top is blue-green and its interior yellow, and its taste is sweet with a touch of sourness. Gathered and eaten in spring, it can keep one from aging for seven hundred years, and one may thereby become an immortal.

The Copper zhi (Tong zhi) grows in the deep valleys at the sources of springs on the shady slopes of famous mountains. Its shape rather resembles a zeng (an ancient cooking vessel) used for steaming rice. Its colors are a mixture of blue-green, yellow, and red, and its taste is acrid and bitter. Eat one ge of it, and one may attain long life and become an immortal.

Tianjiang Zhi grows in the hills and deep valleys. Its cap is black, while the interior and the stem are both red, and its taste is sweet with a touch of pungency. Eating it keeps one from feeling either cold or heat. The Jing (scripture) further says that when this zhi grows in deep valleys, it is shaped like an overturned steamer and occurs in three colors—blue-green, yellow, and red—with a taste that is pungent and bitter; eating one he of it brings longevity and immortality. Another account holds that eating Tianjiang Zhi can make one an immortal for six thousand years.

Fuling Zhi appears on the day of the winter solstice beneath dodder. It is shaped like an ox’s hoof, black in color, and sweet in taste. Eating it enables one to see things a thousand li away; one’s life may reach ten thousand years, and one may become an immortal.

Beifang Zhi grows on earthen hills. It is shaped like a snake, red outside and white within, with a taste sweet and slightly sour. Eating it can bring unending life and make one an immortal for twenty thousand years.

Mujun Zhi grows on trees in the shaded deep valleys of famous mountains. Three nodes emerge from the wood; its color is blue-green, and its taste is sweet and pungent. Eating it can make one an immortal for ten thousand years.

Fengjing Zhi grows in famous mountains. Its cap is blue-green, its stem divides into three branches that grow together, and its taste is sweet. Cut with a bronze knife and eaten, it can make one an immortal for ten thousand years.

Lingjing Zhi grows in the shade of famous mountains. Its cap is red and has two layers, and its stem is purple. Eating it can make one an immortal for twenty thousand years. The Jing says that clouds of blue-green and ochre stand guard above this zhi.

Niaowen Zhi has a white cap and a black stem. Within it are markings six chi long and four cun thick, and its taste is sweet. Eating it can extend life by forty thousand years.

Yujun Zhi grows on the sunward slopes of famous mountains. Gathered in midsummer and late summer, dried in the shade for one hundred days, and then eaten, it can make one an immortal for one hundred thousand years. Its form resembles that of Yejing Zhi: the surface is crimson, the base yellow-white, the stem vermilion, and the cap red, the cap curling upward as it grows.

Zhoujing Zhi appears in autumn on the sunward slopes of famous mountains. It is crimson, with two branches growing side by side. Cut with a wooden knife and dried in the shade for one hundred days, one he of it can extend life by thirty thousand years; both the stem and the cap are red.

The names, forms, colors, flavors, places of growth, and methods of gathering and eating these zhi are all features and claims recorded in the Jing. A he is an ancient unit of capacity, and drying in the shade means keeping the material out of the sun and drying it in a shady place.

Night Essence Zhi (Yejing zhi), a legendary immortal medicine of the lingzhi type, grows on the shaded sides of famous mountains. Its leaves are blue-green, and its stem is also blue-green; it tastes sour, and its cap flares outward and upward. There are two kinds, one that bears dew and one that does not. The dewless Night Essence Zhi is dried in the shade for one hundred days; eating one he (a traditional unit of volume) is said to enable a person to live for thirty thousand years. Its stem and cap are both red. The dew-bearing Night Essence Zhi, once drunk, is likewise said to enable a person to live for thirty thousand years.

White Jade Zhi (Baiyu zhi) grows in the valleys of Mount Tai (Taishan). Its leaves are blue-green, the underside is red, and on each side there are three tiers of red stems. Gathered and eaten, it is said to enable a person to live for eighty thousand years.

Dawn Essence Zhi (Zhaojing zhi) grows in summer. It is white, has no cap, is shaped like a square stone, and tastes bitter. It is gathered with a copper knife and dried in the shade for one hundred days; when eaten, it is said to enable a person to become an immortal and live for ten thousand years. Two people stand guard above it.

Spring Essence Zhi (Chunjing zhi) is blue-green and red. Its cap flares outward, it has horn-like projections, and two fruit-like parts hang down from above. It tastes bitter. It is gathered with a copper knife, and one may take as much as one wishes; when eaten, it is said to enable a person to live for thirty thousand years. Five-colored clouds cover it from above.

Earth Fungus Zhi (Tujun zhi) has five colors and shifts suddenly from yellow to blue-green, from red to white, and then to black. Above it are three branches, and it bears fruit. When eaten, it is said to prolong life and enable a person to become an immortal.

Wood Fungus Yellow Zhi (Mujun huang zhi) grows inside large rocks. Its leaves are two cun wide and one chi long, blue-green in color; three leaves grow side by side, and the lower part resembles a square block of stone. It grows in both winter and summer, tastes sweet and pleasant, and when eaten is said to confer deathless longevity and enable a person to become an immortal.

Summer Essence Zhi (Xiajing zhi) grows among famous mountains. Its cap is red, and upon it are two pearl-like parts that grow inside the cap. It tastes sweet. It is gathered with a bamboo knife and dried in the shade for one hundred days; when eaten, it is said to enable a person to become an immortal and live for forty thousand years.

Autumn Essence Zhi (Qiujing zhi) grows in low-lying pits and valleys, with many fragrant herbs beside it. It has a yellow cap and tastes sweet. It is gathered with a bamboo knife and dried in the shade for one hundred days; when eaten, it is said to enable a person to become an immortal and live for forty thousand years.

Another kind of Autumn Essence Zhi also grows in low-lying pits and valleys, with many fragrant herbs beside it. Its cap is yellow and red on the inner side; three branches grow side by side in a curve, their tips hanging downward, and the stem is blue-green. When eaten, it is said to enable a person to live for ten thousand years.

White Cloud Zhi (Baiyun zhi) displays five colors and is round in shape like a drum. Above it are six red fruits, and its stem is also red. It tastes sour. When eaten, it is said to enable a person to become an immortal and live for ten thousand years.

The Left Shen (spirit) Zhi grows among famous mountains. Its black cap faces downward, and a woman stands guard upon its white stalk. It drinks dew and is already two thousand years old.

The Right Shen Zhi grows in famous mountains. Its cap is blue-green, its stalk is white, and it has three branches. Harvest it with a bone knife and dry it in the shade for one hundred days; each time one eats a piece about the size of a melon seed, life can be extended by ten thousand years. A white deer stands guard beneath it.

The Wood-Emolument Zhi is blue-green, with branch-like markings, and grows in famous mountains. Its flavor is sweet. Eating it can extend life for ten thousand years. It has five stalks above, and its cap is blue-green.

The Stone-Fungus Zhi grows in famous mountains. Dry it in the shade for one hundred days; each time one eats a piece about the size of a melon seed, life can be extended by ten thousand years. A white deer stands guard beneath it.

The Wood-Emolument Zhi is blue-green, with branch-like markings, and grows in famous mountains. Its flavor is sweet. Eating it can extend life for ten thousand years. It has five stalks above, and its cap is blue-green.

The Stone-Fungus Zhi grows in famous mountains and gives off light at night. If, at noon in summer, one gathers the central portion that is reddish in color and eats it, it is said that one can thereby cultivate into an immortal of ten thousand years. Its stalk is white, and its top is shaped like a lotus flower.

The Red Gui Zhi grows in famous mountains. Its cap is white, with patterns on the inner side; its stalk is blue-green, and its flavor is pungent. Eating it can bring deathlessness, and two hundred spirits will attend one’s person and assist one in becoming an immortal.

The Iron Jing (essence) Zhi grows in autumn. Its cap is purple and yellow within, it has five branches, and its flavor is sweet. Harvest it with a copper knife; each time one eats a piece about the size of a wood-ear fungus, it is said that life can be extended by three thousand years and that one can become an immortal. Five-colored clouds cover it from above.

The Ke Jing Zhi grows in the shady places of famous mountains. Both its cap and its stalk are white. Harvest it with a wooden knife and dry it in the shade for one hundred days; each time one eats a piece the size of a bean, it is said that life can be extended for ten thousand years and that one can become an immortal. Only the central portion, which is yellow, may be eaten.

The Earth-Fungus Zhi grows in famous mountains. Its cap is blue-green and its stalk is white. Eating it is said to extend life by ten thousand years and to confer immortality.

The Stone Zhi grows in famous mountains. Both its cap and its stalk are white. Eating it is said to enable a person to extend life by sixty thousand years and to become an immortal. Take a dose the size of a square-inch spoon, three times a day.

The Stone Jing Zhi grows in autumn. Its cap is red and white within; its stalk is red, and its flavor is sour. Eating it is said to extend life by ten thousand years and to confer immortality. A red bird stands guard above it.

The River-Closure Zhi grows in autumn. It is yellow, with three branches growing together. It drinks the dew from above and is said to extend life by nine thousand years and to confer immortality. Its cap faces in the opposite direction.

The kinds of zhi described in the text set out their colors, forms, seasons of growth, and methods of harvesting, and they also record the effects of longevity and immortality that follow ingestion. All of these belong to the lingzhi beliefs and the teachings of dietary cultivation found in the Daoist classics.

Stone Jing (essence) Zhi grows in autumn, with a red cap, a white underside, and a red stalk, and its taste is sour. One who eats it becomes an immortal with a lifespan of ten thousand years. A red bird stands guard above it.

River Closure Zhi grows in autumn. It is yellow, and three stalks grow together. One who drinks the dew upon it becomes an immortal with a lifespan of nine thousand years. Its cap turns upward and opens out.

Water Fungus Zhi has a blue-green cap, a white underside, and a blue-green stalk. Eating one ge (a unit of volume) of it each day can dispel illness and make one an immortal with a lifespan of ten thousand years.

Beast Fungus Zhi grows beneath the pines and cypresses of famous mountains, and both its cap and its stalk are white. Gathered on the day of the summer solstice and eaten at one ge a day, it transforms one into an immortal after three years.

Sea Tower Zhi grows in autumn upon sand and stone. Its cap is divided into four tiers and shaped like an umbrella; it is blue-green, its stalk is red, and two stalks grow together. Dew lies upon it, and one who drinks this becomes an immortal with a lifespan of ten thousand years. Five-colored clouds cover it from above.

Cloud Jade Zhi grows in autumn. Both its stalk and its leaves are blue-green, and a white bird stands guard above it. One who drinks the dew upon it becomes an immortal with a lifespan of a thousand years.

Blue-green Fungus Zhi has a two-tiered blue-green cap, a white underside, and a white stalk, and its taste is sour and sweet. Eating one ge of it each day makes one an immortal with a lifespan of a thousand years.

Cloud Zhi bears blue-green dew; one who drinks it becomes an immortal with a lifespan of a thousand years.

Blue-green Fungus Zhi has a two-tiered blue-green cap, a white underside, and a white stalk, and its taste is sour and sweet. Eating one ge of it each day makes one an immortal with a lifespan of a thousand years.

Cloud Zhi has a blue-green cap and a yellow stalk, and its taste is like honey. One who eats it becomes an immortal after a thousand years. Five-colored clouds cover it from above.

Kunlun Zhi grows in autumn. It has a two-tiered yellow cap and a yellow stalk, and its taste is sweet. Dew lies upon it, and one who drinks this becomes an immortal with a lifespan of three thousand years.

Human Jing Zhi grows on famous mountains. Its top is blue-green, its cap white, and its underside red; three stalks grow together, and its taste is sweet. One who drinks the dew upon it becomes an immortal with a lifespan of ten thousand years.

Mountain Bloom Zhi grows on famous mountains, in the shade of deep cliffs and near damp places. It is red, and its form resembles the tiers of a four-story futu (a Buddhist pagoda). One who eats it becomes an immortal with a lifespan of a thousand years.

Purple Zhi is shaped like a human head, and its taste is pungent. Eating it makes the mind penetrating, the body deathless yet light and vigorous, and the hearing keen.

Winter-Like Zhi grows in autumn on the sun-facing side of Mount Tai (Taishan). Its cap is yellow, and it has three yellow stalks; the roots stand apart while the caps are joined, and its taste is sweet with a note of pungency. Dried in the shade for a hundred days and then eaten, it makes one an immortal with a lifespan of two thousand years.

The Red Essence Zhi (zhi, the numinous mushroom) grows in summer. Its cap is yellow, its stalk green, and its inner layer white, with nine layers or two. When it is gathered for eating, the root is the same color as the cap, and the taste is sweet with a touch of pungency. Dried in the shade for one hundred days and then ingested, it allows one to cultivate immortality and live for two thousand years.

Another kind of Red Essence Zhi grows in summer. Its cap is yellow, its stalk green, and its inner layer white, with nine layers or two. After it is ingested, one may cultivate immortality and live for five thousand years. Five-colored grasses grow beside it on both sides.

The Purple Stone Zhi tastes bitter. Its cap is red, its inner layer yellow, and its stalk red. After ingestion, it can enable a person to live on without dying and thereby become an immortal.

The Purple Cap Zhi has three stalks sharing a single root. The base is round and the top square, and it stands two chi high. Its cap is purple and its taste sweet. After ingestion, one may cultivate immortality and live for three thousand years.

The Red Essence Zhi is crimson throughout, like flames rising upward, and tastes sweet. Cut it with an iron knife, dry it in the shade for one hundred days, and then ingest it; one may cultivate immortality and live for two thousand years. When the zhi is gathered, two people stand guard. It is shaped like a torch, and both the stalk and the flame-like portion are red.

After the Yingshanlian Zhi (the “mountain-greeting linked zhi”) is ingested, one can travel a thousand li in a single day, cultivate immortality, and live for eight thousand years. It has three branches. The middle branch bears a cap at its tip, and the three branches grow together from one root. The whole is purple, and the branches on either side have no caps.

The Purple Mountain Zhi is reddish purple, with four layers, and its cap is red. After ingestion, one may cultivate immortality and live for three thousand years.

The Purple Zhi has a white cap and a yellow inner layer, is shaped like the moon, and has a white stalk. After ingestion, it can make the body shine with light, so that one becomes an immortal.

The Wood Zhi, once ingested, allows one to cultivate immortality and live for one thousand years.

The Water Zhi is shaped like the character 王 (wang, “king”). After ingestion, one may cultivate immortality and live for one thousand years.

The Double Purple Zhi has a yellow cap and a red stalk, with two branches growing side by side and joined together. After ingestion, one may attain the Dao (the Way) and become an immortal.

The Six-Pillar Purple Zhi has both cap and stalk red, with a yellow inner layer. There is a cap at the top, while the three layers below have none. After ingestion, one may attain the Dao and become an immortal.

The Purple Ke Zhi is red, with a white inner layer; it is shaped like a snake and tastes bitter. The Chu Zhi has a red cap, a red stalk, and a yellow inner layer; there is a cap at the top, while the three layers below have none. After ingestion, one may attain the Dao and become an immortal.

Another kind of Purple Ke Zhi is red, with a white inner layer; it is shaped like a snake and tastes bitter. It can drive out the pathogenic influences of cold and heat. Ingest one ge each day, and one may become an immortal. It should be gathered in autumn.

The Purple Zhi tastes sweet. Its cap is white, and it has three branches. The upper part of the stalk is yellow and the lower part red. There is a cap at the top, while the layer below has none. After ingestion, one may attain the Dao and become an immortal, filling out and strengthening the bones and the body, and transforming the intestines into sinews.

The Layered Purple Zhi (Chongzizhi) is formed as follows. Its taste is sweet with a note of bitterness, and eating it enables one to become an immortal. Its cap looks as if it has only just risen; the stipe is yellow and the root red. It has three branches in all: one cap at the top, and, on the tier below, two branches that bear no caps.

The Purple Zhi (Zizhi) has a red cap, white within, and a red stipe, and its taste is sweet. Eating it can prolong life and confer immortality.

The Ke Zhi (Kezhi) is red on the outside and white within, and its taste is sweet. Taken in winter, it can keep a person from aging and make them an immortal. Its form resembles a snake’s tail.

The Purple Zhi has a red cap, white within, and a black stipe, and its taste is sweet. Gathered in autumn and eaten, it enables one to become an immortal.

The Fire Zhi (Huozhi) has a red cap, white within, and a black stipe, and its taste is bitter. Gathered in winter or summer and eaten, it enables one to become an immortal. Five-colored clouds cover it from above, and its form resembles a snake’s tail.

The Purple Zhi has a red cap, white within, and a black stipe, and its taste is sweet. Gathered in autumn and eaten, it enables one to become an immortal.

The Fire Zhi has a red cap, white within, and a black stipe, and its taste is bitter. Gathered in winter or summer and eaten, it enables one to become an immortal. Five-colored clouds cover it from above, and its fungal branches fork and grow across one another.

The Ke Zhi has three tiers in all and is red, with a white cap; its taste is sweet with a pungent edge. Eating it can prolong life and enable one to attain the Dao (the Way) and become an immortal.

The Water Zhi (Shuizhi) has a red cap, white within, and a white stipe. It has three branches in all, and the branches reach upward to put forth caps. Eating it can prolong life and confer immortality.

The Palace Zhi (Gongzhi), when eaten, can prolong life, prevent aging, and confer immortality. Its whole body is divided into eleven segments in all; the cap is vermilion and the stipe red.

The Gate-Tower Zhi (Quezhi), gathered and taken in summer and autumn at a dose of seven fen of a square cun each time, can endure as long as Heaven and Earth. Both its cap and its stipe are purple, and it has seven segments in all; the middle branch is longer, and its two caps resemble wheels of pearls.

The Upper Emolument Zhi (Shangluzhi), when eaten, enables one to become an immortal and to travel by riding the void. Its cap is blue-green and its stipe vermilion, and it has eleven segments in all: six in the upper part, two in the middle, and three in the lower part.

The Jade Jing (essence) Zhi (Yujingzhi) grows in the great sea, and its taste is sweet. Once it is taken, one can become an immortal and travel by riding the void. Its cap is blue-green and its stipe vermilion, and it has eleven segments in all: six in the upper part, two in the middle, and three in the lower part.

The Jade Jing Zhi grows in the great sea, and its taste is sweet. Taken for two thousand years, it enables one to become an immortal. Its cap is vermilion, its stipe is like jade, and the whole is vermilion.

The Daihou Zhi (Daihouzhi) is round above and square below. Gathered and eaten in spring—one account says in the fifth month—it can confer a lifespan of ten thousand years. It is vermilion and shaped like a bucket.

Tan Zhi: if one eats it for six years, a red cloud will guard and watch over one’s head. It has a red cap, a red stem, and red leaves, six leaves in all.

Undying Zhi: eating it can extend life by ten thousand years. A red cloud hangs above it; the cap is purple, and the stem is also purple. It has four branches and no cap.

Vermilion Zhi: eating it enables a person to live to the age of one thousand and become an immortal. It has a red cap and a red stem.

Heavenly Might Zhi: it is blue-green and may be gathered and eaten in all four seasons; it is said to extend life by ten million years. Red cloud vital energy (Qi) covers it from above, and both the cap and the stem are blue-green.

Warding Essence (Jing) Zhi: it grows in the sea and is blue-green; eating it is said to let one live a thousand years. Its form resembles a human being.

Heavenly Cold Zhi: it is yellow and shaped like a human being. Eating it is said to let one live a thousand years and become an immortal.

Red Blossom Zhi: its taste is pungent. It may be gathered and eaten in all four seasons and is said to extend life by three thousand years. It has two branches that cross: one has no cap, while the other is red at one end and, at the other end, resembles a flower that has not yet opened.

Heavenly Zhi: it may be gathered in all four seasons. After it is dried in the shade for one hundred days, taking the measure of one fangcunbi each time is said to make one an immortal. A fangcunbi is a small spoon used in ancient times to measure medicinal powder. It has a red cap and a purple stem.

Heavenly Land Zhi: if it is cut with a copper knife and eaten, one is said to be able to cultivate into an immortal with a lifespan of three thousand years. Its two stems grow side by side and are red, in a shape like a lotus that has not yet opened. It has a red cap and a purple stem. The original text then records Heavenly Land Zhi once more: it again says that it should be cut and eaten with a copper knife, that the two stems grow side by side and are red, and that the shape resembles an unopened lotus.

Heavenly Watchtower Zhi: eating it is said to let one live ten thousand years and become an immortal. Two stems grow side by side; the cap is red, and the inner layer is white.

Earth Essence Zhi: two sheep stand guard over it. Taking the dew upon it is said to let one live six thousand years and become an immortal. Three stems grow side by side; the cap is red and the stems are blue-green.

Sun Essence Zhi: its taste is sweet. Gathered with a bamboo knife, dried in the shade for one hundred days, and taken each time in the measure of one fangcunbi, it is said to let one live five thousand years and become an immortal. It is red, has three branches and no cap, and the three branches join into a single cluster.

Moon Essence Zhi: it may be gathered with a bamboo knife in all four seasons. It is as large as a bean, and after it is eaten one is said to live five thousand years and become an immortal. One person guards it, and both the cap and the stem are yellow.

Four Seasons Essence Zhi: taking the dew upon it is said to let one live twenty thousand years. Two azure dragons guard it; the body of the zhi is red, and five-colored clouds cover it from above. It has two layers, and both the cap and the stem are red.

Black Essence Zhi: its taste is sweet with a hint of sourness. Cut with a bone knife and eaten, it is said to let one live two thousand years.

The Essence Zhi of the Four Seasons: Taking the dew that gathers upon it can extend life by twenty thousand years. It is guarded by two azure dragons, is red in color, and is covered above by five-colored clouds. The zhi plant grows in two tiers; its cap resembles a vermilion umbrella, and its stem is likewise vermilion.

Black Essence Zhi: Its flavor is sweet with a touch of sourness. Gathered with a bone knife and eaten, one may become an immortal after two thousand years. It is dried in the shade for one hundred days, and a sheep stands guard beneath it. Both the cap and the stem are purple, and it bears two leaves.

Wood Essence Zhi: Its flavor is sweet. After it is eaten, one may become an immortal in two thousand years. It is dried in the shade for one hundred days, and three horses appear above it. It is gathered with a bone knife. The cap is purple and curls upward.

Water Essence Zhi: Its flavor is bitter. Gathered in summer and eaten in an amount the size of a fingernail, one may become an immortal in five thousand years. The cap is blue-green, with four stems piercing through the top of the cap; there is also a form without a cap and with a white stem.

Metal Essence Zhi: Its flavor is sweet. Cut with a wooden knife and eaten, one may become an immortal in a thousand years. It is dried in the shade for one hundred days. After five sections have been eaten, the body rises as if in flame. It is vermilion, with a vermilion cap and stem; in one variety the cap looks as though it has only just emerged, and the stem is blue-green.

Water Zhi: It grows beside all kinds of waters, and its flavor is bitter. Gathered in summer and eaten in an amount the size of a fingernail, one may become an immortal in one hundred thousand years. The cap is purple, with three corners at the top; the stem is blue-green and emerges through the cap, and the tip has no cap.

Rain Essence Zhi: It grows in summer, its flavor is sweet, and there is no limit to how much may be eaten. It grows beside all kinds of waters, and its flavor is bitter. Gathered in summer and eaten in an amount the size of a fingernail, one may become an immortal in one hundred thousand years. The cap is purple, with three corners at the top; the stem is blue-green and emerges through the cap, and the tip has no cap.

Rain Essence Zhi: It grows in summer, its flavor is sweet, and there is no limit to how much may be eaten; one may become an immortal in six thousand years. The cap is blue-green, the stem is purple, and it bears four branches.

Water Essence Zhi: It grows beside water in the mountains, is blue-black in color, and four branches grow together; the cap opens upward, and the flavor is slightly bitter. Drinking the dew upon it, one may become an immortal in one hundred thousand years.

Cloud Essence Zhi: It grows on Mount Hua, and its flavor is sour. Gathered with a bamboo knife and eaten without limit, one may become an immortal in nine thousand years. The cap is purple and the stem is white.

Tiger Essence Zhi: It grows on the northern side of Mount Hua, is yellow, resembles a tiger’s hide, and tastes sweet. After it is eaten, it can keep a person from aging, confer intelligence, and enable one to become an immortal. The stem is vermilion.

Here “zhi” refers to immortal medicines of the lingzhi type, and “cai” means to gather. The bone knife, wooden knife, and bamboo knife mentioned in the text are different implements used when gathering zhi. “Yin gan” means drying in a shaded place, and “shang lu” refers to the dew that condenses upon the zhi plant. The numbers of years and the effects of becoming an immortal given in the scripture are all the original text’s accounts of the efficacy of lingzhi.