《上清明堂元真经诀》

The White Jade Turtle Terrace Nine Numina Great Perfected Primordial Sovereign Queen Mother of the West (Baiyu Guitai Jiuling Taizhen Yuanjun Xiwangmu, an honorific title of the Queen Mother of the West) transmitted and explained the Mingtang Xuanzhen Jing (Scripture of the Mysterious Perfected of the Hall of Light), saying:

“The Most High (Taishang) is mysterious upon mysterious; the two Qi (vital energies) shine through completely. The Xuanzhen reflects inwardly while the Mingtang remains clear outwardly. Swallowing and resting the two radiances brings longevity of Shen (spirit) and Jing (essence). One ascends to assist the Siming (Director of Destinies) and oversees the myriad numina. The six splendors overflow, and one perceives Huangning through and through.”

These forty characters form the root scripture of the Xuanzhen. Everything that follows is the Queen Mother’s condensation of its essential meaning together with her explanations of the methods of practice, just as the Jiuzhen Zhongjing (Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected) takes the “dragon” as its central theme. The forty characters are said to have been carved by the Taishang on the southern veranda of the Phoenix Terrace. Transmission is withheld from anyone who is not a disciple of the Zongzhen lineage and from anyone whose destiny has not been approved by the Siming.

Those whose names stand in the Xuanting Lu (Mysterious Stem Register) and who, by right, ought to be entered in the life register of the Siming should first receive and cultivate this method. Lord Yang served as divine administrator of Wu and Yue, and the Zhangshi (Senior Clerk) was about to be enfeoffed as a regional governor and granted a territorial fief, so they too received the transmission; not every recipient had to be a Zongzhen disciple. When the text speaks of the many special opportunities the method will bring, this may simply be a way of setting forth the causal conditions of practice in order to encourage and guide students.

The practice is called the Xuanzhen fa because the Jade Maiden bears the titles Taixuan (“Great Mystery”) and Shangxuan (“Upper Mystery”) and her courtesy name is Xuanzhen; that is why it is named Xuanzhen, and that is precisely what “internal reflection” refers to. It is also a superior method that opens the way to the realm of true mystery, which is why Dongqing remarked: “The Dao (the Way) of true mystery is simple and not elaborate.”

The text ends by returning to the practice of visualizing the solar image (cunsi rixiang), which may likewise employ particular causal circumstances in order to encourage and guide practitioners.

The Jade Maiden spoken of in the Xuanzhen Method is titled “Taixuan Shangxuan,” with the style name Xuanzhen, and is therefore called Xuanzhen. She is also an internally manifested image. This is moreover a cultivation method beyond True Mystery, so Dongqing said: “The Dao of True Mystery is simple and not cumbersome.”

In cultivation one visualizes the sun and moon entering the mouth. According to this scriptural formula, when first ingesting the Jade Maiden’s fluids one should first visualize the images of the sun and moon arriving at the mouth, their radiance and rosy vapors of Qi (vital energy) pouring in together; thereafter the sun and moon are allowed to return to the Mingtang (in Daoist internal alchemy the bodily site corresponding to Shen (spirit) and Qi), and only then are they permitted to enter from the mouth and ascend. If one does not practice the visualization of the Jade Maiden, the subsequent independent method is used: at the outset one simply visualizes the sun and moon as large as circular rings remaining in the mouth.

By day one visualizes the sun and by night the moon. Here “daytime” refers generally to the daylight hours and “midnight” generally to nighttime, not specifically to noon and the zi hour. One may also alternate visualizations of sun and moon throughout day and night, or visualize both sun and moon by day and likewise by night. Nevertheless sun-and-moon cultivation is ordinarily divided into visualizing the sun by day and the moon by night. If one visualizes only once a day this may be done at the first rising of the sun or moon, thereafter visualizing according to actual circumstances; if one wishes to practice more often the limit is three times each by day and by night. In practice one sits level, closes the eyes and joins the hands: facing the sun by day and the moon by night. On cloudy days or when the moon cannot be seen the exercise may be performed indoors, still facing the direction of the sun or moon.

In visualization the sun is red and the moon yellow; the sun is accompanied by nine purple rays and the moon by ten white rays. The sun and moon stand nine chi from the mouth and all the rays point toward the mouth, shooting into it as straight as a bowstring. First one visualizes the sun and moon still in the heavens, retaining the size and hue of light ordinarily seen, then allows them to descend slowly and shrink gradually until, nine chi from the mouth, they become the size of a spherical ball, bright and translucent.

The phrase “nine rays of purple light” denotes nine beams of purple radiance; each beam is distributed around the sun and moon in the prescribed number and directed toward the practitioner. For example, when visualizing the sun one causes the rays on its eastern side together with those above and below and to the north and south to curve around in unison and merge with the rays on the western side, as though drawn into a string from the east, finally entering the mouth together; the rays must not be allowed to scatter in all directions.

Next one visualizes a woman within the sun and moon. She wears a purple kerchief and is clad in a vermilion brocade cape and skirt, announcing herself as the “Taixuan Shangxuan Danxia Jade Maiden,” whose personal name is Chanxuan and style name Mizhen. After completing the visualization of the sun and moon and their rays one visualizes this woman appearing within the sun. She sits respectfully upright with hands joined, her form about three chi tall and her features as beautiful as jade; she wears a purple lotus kerchief, is draped in a crimson brocade cape, clothed in a vermilion flying skirt and girded with a green plain sash, facing the practitioner’s mouth. She kneels and declares: “I am the Taixuan Shangxuan Danxia Jade Maiden, personal name Chanxuan, style name Mizhen.” She then opens her mouth and emits red breath that fills the space among the rays of the sun and moon, thereafter blending with the rays and rosy vapors and pouring together into the practitioner’s mouth.

The incantation later in the scripture mentions “emerging from the sun and entering the moon,” which is the recitation used when ingesting the moon; it refers to the Jade Maiden emitting crimson Qi from her mouth. Therefore when visualizing the Jade Maiden within the moon one should likewise visualize her emitting red breath that enters the mouth together with the moonlight. The “ray-mists” of the scripture may be understood as the red luminous Qi encircling the rays; the Jade Maiden’s title “Danxia Jade Maiden” is likewise connected with this red luminous Qi. The same luminous Qi surrounds the moonlight.

The practitioner visualizes swallowing while the Jade Maiden correspondingly emits breath. One swallows ninety times in all: each emission by the Jade Maiden is matched by one swallow. At first the Qi is circulated in three stages: the first thirty swallows convey it to the Mingmen Palace, the middle thirty to the Jiang Palace and the final thirty to the Niwan Palace. The scripture indicates the sites of Qi circulation within the body by means of the Mingmen, Jiang Palace and Niwan Palace; one then visualizes the luminous Qi permeating the entire body and illuminating the five viscera.

At the same time the images of the sun and moon draw gradually nearer, advancing one cun with every swallow. When the ninety swallows are complete the sun and moon lie close against the mouth, reaching upward to the tip of the nose and downward to the chin, shining brilliantly, and the body feels intensely warm; the image of the Jade Maiden likewise shrinks gradually as the sun and moon approach.

One then visualizes the Jade Maiden’s mouth joining one’s own, allowing her breath and fluids to flow into the mouth. The Jade Maiden remains throughout within the sun and moon, her head and mouth aligned directly with the practitioner’s mouth; the red breath and elixir fluid enter between the lips and teeth. At this point one does not swallow immediately but waits until the incantation has been recited before swallowing. The scripture then continues: “I thereupon softly recite, saying:”

Taixiao Zizhen (the Purple Perfected of the Grand Empyrean) is the yin Shen (spirit) of the Mingtang (Hall of Light). She draws Jing (essence) from the sun and moon and arrives swirling like a jade maiden. She was originally born from the void, with the style name “Mizhen.” She wears a purple headscarf and a lotus numinous crown, is draped in a brocade cape, and clothed in a vermilion flying skirt.

She emerges from the sun and enters the moon, her body radiating heavenly light and giving off a faint, subtle fragrance. From her mouth she expels crimson Qi (vital energy), infusing my Three Primes (the upper, middle, and lower Three Primes, also referring to the corresponding primordial Qi within the human body). She instructs me on the Heavenly Well (an inner site or pass in Daoist cultivation), causing the pliant Po to restrain the Hun, allowing the mysterious fluid to circulate, enabling the embryonic Jing to grow to completeness, causing the five viscera to produce refined essence, and making youthful authenticity appear as the countenance returns from age. She commands the myriad numina, governs human nature and life, and also presides over the affairs of flying ascent to immortality.

“Within the eleven lines, at ‘when ingesting the sun,’ the rhyme should probably be changed; it is also said ‘emerging from the moon and entering the sun’” is a commentary note: in the preceding eleven lines, at the phrase “when ingesting the sun,” the rhyme ought likely to be altered; some also say it should read “emerging from the moon and entering the sun.”

After completing the visualization, one should visualize the fluids from the Jade Maiden’s mouth flowing into one’s own mouth, continuously as before. Once the prayer is finished, continue to expel the fluids while swallowing them; one should also first rinse the mouth with the fluids already there and then immediately swallow them, repeating this ninety times.

The expelled fluids are still visualized as red. One expels once and swallows once, successively visualizing the Three Palaces (the three inner palaces within the body) by the same method as before, until the prescribed number of repetitions is completed. Then visualize the Jade Maidens raising their forms, each following the sun and the moon into the mouth, holding them there for a moment before returning to the Mingtang (a bodily location in Daoist visualization, ordinarily the palace between the eyebrows or within the head). At this point the sun stands at the Yellow Gate on the right (a sacred portal within the body). Concentrate the Shen (spirit) and visualize with focused attention; with this the entire process is complete.

Calm the mind and attune to the response. The more one practices, the better; there is no fixed upper limit. One may practice whenever free time appears, day or night, and need not restrict oneself to three sessions. The items and repetitions of visualization are nevertheless numerous, and if other practices are undertaken at the same time the thoughts may become entangled. When visualizing the sun, do not visualize the moon; when visualizing the moon, do not visualize the sun. The two cannot be visualized separately at the same moment. In practice the number of visualizations of sun and moon should be kept roughly equal: visualize the sun by day and the moon by night; visualize the sun three times during the day and the moon three times at night.

Outside the periods of ingesting the fluids (visualizing and swallowing them), one should also visualize the two scenes of the sun and moon (their inner images) returning to the Mingtang: the sun on the left, the moon on the right, so that their radiance shines upon the pupils of both eyes and their Qi (vital energy) interpenetrates. At the same time visualize the reddish-yellow sunlight and the purple-white moonlight connecting with both eyes, illuminating the body and face and causing the radiance to shine upon the Nine Palaces (the sacred palaces within the body). One frequently visualizes in this way while sitting upright; at such times sun and moon are together in the Mingtang, and there is no need to visualize them separately as one does by day and by night. When the time comes to ingest the fluids, however, sun and moon must not occupy the same position simultaneously.

One may also frequently visualize the sun and moon within the Mingtang in ordinary daily life, not only when ingesting the fluids. What is meant here is the Jing (essence) and Qi of the sun and moon that originally reside in the Mingtang, distinct from the sun and moon visualized earlier as the dwelling of the Jade Maidens. One may visualize them often while sitting or lying down, as if seeing them.

After cultivating in this manner for five years, the Jade Maiden of Tai Xuan (the goddess who dwells in the realm of Tai Xuan) is said to descend to the practitioner’s side and rest and sleep together with him. She can also divide herself into several dozen Jade Maidens who obey the practitioner’s commands. The Jing (scripture) explains this as the result of prolonged attunement and condensation of Jing and Qi, whereby inner visualization crystallizes into a visible form—the outcome of Jing-Qi cultivation reaching its utmost and producing a wondrous response through attunement.

“Tai Xuan” is the realm in which the sun and moon dwell; the Jade Maiden is the daughter of the consorts of the sun and moon. The form she manifests through attunement may rest, sleep, and roam together with the practitioner, but this does not refer to sexual intercourse. If, while previously swallowing the fluids, one harbored distracting thoughts, there will be no response of the Jade Maiden’s descent; only when the inner heart is peaceful and open is it possible to concentrate the Shen and attune. Although it is later said that the Jade Maiden can divide her form and be commanded by others, it remains difficult to cause her to appear in a true physical body.

When the True Person of Tai Yuan first studied the Dao (the Way) on Mount Chang, he once dreamed that the Jade Maiden of Tai Xuan, holding a jade tablet, led him to the Western City. The Jing regards this as the Jade Maiden spoken of here. Later the True Person of Tai Yuan did indeed succeed in cultivating the Way of Mysterious Perfection, and therefore took that dream as a sign of sincere attunement and a premonitory manifestation.

The Taishang Zhen Guan (a Daoist divine official who oversees human lifespan and destiny registers) cultivates the "Dao of Solar Glow" (Dao, the Way) and the "Method of Drawing in the Two Luminaries" (a practice of gathering the essences of the sun and moon). This enables a person to communicate with the divine, attain the realm of the Perfected, manifest a jade-like luster throughout the body, command and dispatch the various deities, and ultimately ascend to the abode of the Heavenly Emperor.

Here, the "Taishang Zhen Guan" refers to a divine office of the Siming type. In former times the Zhongshan Zhenren transmitted Dao methods to Xia Yu; this was the Xuanzhen method, though it was abridged in transmission and omitted cultivation techniques of the "Chanxuan" type. According to the preface of the Jian Jing (Jing, scripture/classic), however, Xia Yu ingested Lingbao and cultivated the Nine Perfected, while the Wu Fu states that the Zhongshan Zhenren taught Xia Yu the method of ingesting the sun, moon, and Five Stars. These accounts differ from the present text. The absence of the "Chanxuan" method mentioned here may refer to material later transmitted by Dongqing; the version initially given to the two disciples was likewise only an independent practice.

The Xuanzhen method recorded in the present recension already contains its essential principles in full. Only the inner true talismans of the Yin-Yang (yin-yang) two luminaries (the sun and moon) remain preserved in the Jinshu Jing and have not circulated in the world. In the past the Siming received the Xuanzhen method and the Zongzhen Jue from the Queen Mother (Xiwangmu). After three years of practice according to the formula his appearance became as youthful as a maiden's, flowing radiance appeared on his body, and his face displayed a jade-like moist luster. He later transmitted the method of cultivation according to the Jing to two disciples. They devoted themselves with utmost sincerity and concentrated contemplation; after three years divine light manifested. They subsequently learned the "Chanxuan" method as well and thereby obtained the office of Dinglu Baoming (the divine post that records destinies and protects lifespan).

Dongqing Siming said: "My former teacher Wang Jun once transmitted to me the Taishang Mingtang Xuanzhen Shangjing and instructed me in Qingzhai (purifying body and mind through fasting) and Xiuliang (ceasing or regulating food intake), together with the method of Cunsi (cultivation through concentrated visualization). In this way I obtained the office of Dinglu Baoming."

Dongqing Siming (a Daoist deity) said: “My former teacher Wang Jun once transmitted to me the Taishang Mingtang Xuanzhen Shangjing. Before practicing this method, one must perform a purification fast (qingzhai, fasting to purify the body) and cease eating, then visualize the sun and moon in the mouth: visualize the sun during the day and the moon at night. Cause them to appear as large as rings. The sun is red, emitting nine rays of purple light; the moon is yellow, emitting ten rays of white light. Visualize swallowing the liquid formed from the radiance of the sun and moon, and practice this secretly over a long period.

When not practicing the visualization, let the sun and moon return to the Mingtang (the visualization position in the center of the face): the sun on the left, the moon on the right, so that the two luminaries of sun and moon connect and communicate with the Qi (vital energy) of the pupils of the eyes. This cultivation can gather and nourish the vital mechanism, nourish Jing (essence) and Qi, harmonize the hun-souls and Shen (spirit), and one will have the Six Ding (Daoist guardian deities) in attendance and heavenly soldiers for protection; it is the Dao (the Way) of the Highest Perfected, a high-level cultivation method.

To practice the Taishang Xuanzhen Jing (scripture/classic), one must first establish a sworn covenant, and only then can one carry it out; after the practice is completed, one may hear of the Dao of the Jade Pendant and Golden Earrings (a more profound transmission). Ji Wei formerly observed a long fast of three years, cultivating with concentrated sincerity and reverence, and only then was able to learn this method. Afterwards divine light shone upon his body, and only then did he receive the transmission of the Jing.

This is the Xuanzhen Dao, a method that is simple and not complicated. I have always treasured it and kept it secret, hiding it on my person, and so now I transmit it to you; you must carefully keep it confidential. This is probably the method received by Yu the Great. Siming now first transmits this simple and easy secret formula to Yang Jun, intending for Changshi to practice it. At that time Changshi’s Lingchi (referring to the inner spiritual state of the mind-spirit) had not yet been clarified, so the content concerning the Jade Maidens is temporarily omitted, to be told to him through a biography at the appropriate time; this is what is called first practicing the Xuanzhen method.

The Mingtang Xuanzhen has its own Jing, which is not lengthy, and its main content is just these oral instructions and cultivation methods. Ji Wei at first also did not obtain the Jing, but simply practiced according to this method, and later obtained the Jing.”

If you wish to obtain this Jing (scripture), you can go to Wei to fetch it; however, the Jade Pendant Hidden Writings are not something Wei can see. When the Jing says “you wish to obtain it,” it means that Yang Jun may go to request and look it over. The Jade Pendant and Golden Earrings are secretly stored by the Eastern Minister. The Eastern Minister and Xuanzhen are of the same kind, both cultivating the Dao of the sun and moon; yet there is concern that Yang Jun might seek this book from these two Zhenren, which is why this statement appears.

When walking at night or sleeping in a dim place, if fear arises in the heart, visualize in the mind the sun and moon returning into the Mingtang (the site in the human body used for storing Shen (spirit)). In a short while, all manner of evil influences will disperse of themselves. It is better to practice this visualization frequently. This is the same visualization method employed when not ingesting elixirs. Living in a secluded place in the mountains, one may anticipate encountering disturbances or tests, and therefore it is suitable to visualize often in order to avoid such things. This oral formula is transmitted separately in the Zhen’gao (a Daoist classic) and is not recorded in the previously handed-down material. It belongs to the secret method of the Xuanzhen lineage, so it is appended here. Nowadays those who can cultivate the Way of the Jade Maiden no longer practice this method, and thus no further annotation is offered here.

The above is the oral formula transmitted by the Mao family. Originally there were four items; here only one is selected.

The Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Zhenren’s Superior Immortal Formula for Ingesting the Cloud-Teeth of the Four Extremes

The female disciple Wei Huacun received this formula from Qingxu Zhenren. The original note consists of twelve characters.

The Zhenren holds in embrace the radiance of the primordial dawn of the Five Directions and swallows the Jing (essence) of the Nine Auroras, so that Shen-light shines from within and vermilion brilliance appears outwardly; the body is lustrous as jade, and form, Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) are all clear and luminous. After practicing in this way for ten years, the Elders of the Four Extremes and the Central Yuanjun will descend and unite with the practitioner; the practitioner then rides the clouds and drives dragons, ascending to the heavens in broad daylight.

Here the “Elders of the Five Directions” refer to the naturally generated spirits of the five directions, not something that worldly learned techniques can produce. How can such a realm be reached in ten years, so swiftly? This is in fact a vacuous and mysterious wondrous art of the Dao, and also a secret method within Tuna breathing cultivation.

In former times, the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Zhenren Xiliangzi received the oral formula from the Taishang (the honorific title used in Daoism for the supreme deity). This method is transmitted only five times in a thousand years and must not be divulged at will. According to the regulations of the “Siming Kefa” (the precepts and rituals for transmitting secret methods) and the Hidden Writings, the recipient must observe a five-day fast before the transmission can take place; they must also make a vow and perform ceremonies in the five directions, serving as a covenant between humans and Heaven to guarantee that the secret will not be leaked. A portion of the original text is damaged at this point and cannot be precisely interpreted.

The five-day fast and the performance of rituals in the five directions refer to those living in the mundane world. When Lord Wang was formerly at Huayin, he completed the reception within a single day because he had already grasped the essential principles; if one is cultivating in the mountain forests, a prolonged period of fasting is required. The so-called “longgui” (the original characters are suspected to be corrupt) refers to sincerity and single-minded concentration within the heart.

After the Xiliang Zhenren had transmitted the Qingjing method, he then transmitted this method as well, because the principles of the two methods can mutually assist each other, allowing emptiness and substance to complement one another. The so-called “five pairs” correspond to the “five directions,” indicating that one proceeds according to the functions of the five directions; it may also be that the Xiliang Zhenren referred to “pairs” as “directions,” and therefore provided further explanation through the oral formula. What the oral formula mentions is five paired rings. In addition, five liang of azure silk must be used; this is said to be the method employed by the Xiliang Zhenren. The annotations written here in vermilion ink were recorded by Lord Yang according to oral transmission; the words attributed to the “Lady” are those of Lord Wang.

Facing east, knock the teeth nine times and then silently recite the incantation: “Eastern Azure Tooth, purple clouds flowing with rosy mists, the Three Primes hovering, mysterious frost and jade gauze, ingest the morning radiance, drink the dawn florescence.” The incantation is divided into three rhymes. After reciting it, use the tongue to lick the outer side of the upper lip, collect the saliva in the mouth, and swallow thirty times; swallow once each time saliva is produced by licking. Visualize the saliva as azure in color, entering the liver. After ten years of practice, the Elder of the Eastern Pole (the immortal of the east) will come, transmit to you the Qingzhen Jing (scripture), and ascend to heaven together with you.

Then face south, first knock the teeth nine times, and then silently recite the incantation:

The Southern Vermilion Elixir (the red numinous Qi of the south) shines like rosy clouds upon Taiwei (a star name, also referring to a heavenly region). Nine strands of crimson cloud-smoke disperse, filling the space with bright radiance. Ingest the numinous dawn (the marvelous morning Qi) and drink from the Cinnabar Pond (the red numinous liquid). The invocation consists of three rhymes.

After reciting the invocation, use the tongue to lick the outer side of the lower lip, gather the saliva in the mouth, and swallow it in thirty portions. Visualize the saliva as red, entering the heart. Both of these methods involve licking the saliva from the outer front of the chest, which is why both employ the character “jie.” After practicing in this way for ten years, the Southern Pole Elder will come to assist, transmitting the Danjing (a type of scripture) so that one unites with it and ascends to heaven together. Danjing is the name of the scripture.

Next, face west. First knock the teeth nine times, then silently recite the invocation: The Western Bright Stone (the numinous stone of the west), flying rosy clouds and golden liquid; ingest the Great Brightness (the bright numinous Qi), absorb the essence of the Plain Spirit (the white numinous Qi); drink the jade slurry. The divine radiance (the marvelous light-flower) opens the numinous marvelous realm, enabling me to ascend the void and rise into the lofty clear realm. The invocation consists of four rhymes. The character “shen” perhaps should be “chen.”

After reciting the invocation, use the tongue to lick the inner side of the upper lip, gather the saliva in the mouth, and swallow it in thirty portions. Visualize the saliva as white, entering the lungs. After practicing in this way for ten years, the Western Pole Elder will come to assist, transmitting the Suling Weishen (the name of one of the six Fulu) so that one unites with it and ascends to heaven together. Suling Weishen is the name of one of the six talismans.

Next, face north. First knock the teeth nine times, then silently recite the invocation: The Northern Mysterious Moisture (the mysterious numinous Qi of the north), auspicious clouds open the fetal origin; green rosy Qi spreads the morning light, a purple floral canopy and azure banners appear. Ingest the moonlight essence and drink the jade nectar (dew like jade liquid). The invocation consists of three rhymes.

After reciting the invocation, use the tongue to lick the inner side of the lower lip, gather the saliva in the mouth, and swallow it in thirty portions. Visualize the saliva as black, entering the two kidneys. After practicing in this way for ten years, the Northern Pole Elder will come to assist, transmitting the Xuanlu Baoming (the name of a scripture) so that one unites with it and ascends to heaven together.

Then sit facing south, raise the face, first knock the teeth nine times, and silently recite the invocation: The origin of Wu-Ji (the original Qi of the central direction), yellow-plain five clouds; rosy Qi of the four directions and purple immortal observatories, eight scenes and nine dawns; the rays of the two brightnesses surge, seven Xuanlu Baoming, causing me to unite with it and ascend to heaven together.

Here Xuanlu Baoming is the name of a scripture.

Then sit facing south, raise the face, first knock the teeth nine times, and silently recite the invocation:

The phrase “Wuji zhi yuan” refers to the original source of the central Earth De. Huangsu Wuyun, Sixia Ziguan, Bajing Jiuchen, Erming Jihui, and Qiyao Lingzun are all designations in the scripture for heavenly deities, auspicious scenes, and the sun, moon, and stars. In practice one should harmonize Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), circulate Qi while ingesting the Qi of the central origin, then visualize oneself consuming jewel-like flowers and dragon embryos, nourished by the sweet liquor-spring.

After reciting these five verses, stir the saliva with the tongue until it fills the mouth; move the tongue back and forth inside and outside the oral cavity and between the teeth so the saliva flows throughout, then swallow, repeating the process forty times in all. One may also swallow after each filling of the mouth. Visualize the saliva as yellow and entering the spleen.

This passage shows textual variants: the authentic original read “thirty characters,” with “Dingshu” added later, the adjacent handwriting resembling the original writing. The content here indicates the center commanding the four directions, analogous to the sense of Zhenxing Menfeng. After ten years of cultivation the Central Yuanjun Shangxuan Huang Laojun descends, bestows upon the practitioner the Huangqi Yangjing Cangtian Yinyue Dunjing Luzhang Qingyao Hushu, and enables ascent to heaven together with the Four Elders. The work comprises jing (scripture), fu (talismans), and zhang (chapters).

The superior methods recorded in this Yujing (Jade Scripture) aim to penetrate the Dao of the Five Elders. The scripture states that practice of them cuts off grain food, removes corpse impurities, renders the face glossy and radiant, and reverses aging to restore youth; one fears neither cold nor heat and suffers no injury from disasters, while Shen (spirit), Qi, and Jing become luminous, life is prolonged, and the span of years increases by ten thousand. At the highest attainment one obtains the Nine Lin Jade Liquor and Eight Qiong Flying Essence, unites with the two scenes of sun and moon, and shares the same tally with heaven and earth. This section mainly treats the cultivation method represented by “Yunya.”

The Five Yin Invocations (visualization formulas corresponding to the Five Phases (Wuxing)) should all be accompanied by knocking the teeth nine times. They may be practiced in ordinary times and need not wait until the cock crows or dawn; at midnight, sitting upright in a quiet room with body and mind clear, bright, and at ease, is the time most suitable for cultivating according to this method. In the past, one faced only the east when knocking the teeth; now it is specially noted that this should be done in all five directions. The names of the Five Sacred Mountains should also be silently recited according to their respective directions, and holding the breath should be combined with each direction.

Those who cultivate guarding the One (Shouyi, the single-minded holding of the original Shen (spirit) or the Qi (vital energy) of the Dao), if they can hear of this method and put it into practice, will find that what they seek is easily accomplished. With the inner heart empty, still, and detached, inwardly substantial, holding to the original source, and swallowing the saliva—this is what is called the “True One.” From this a person can obtain blessings by their own efforts. The so-called nourishing of the Shen by means of the “six fluids and five Qi” is because these breaths are already fully present within oneself, and therefore it is said that blessings must be obtained through one’s own cultivation.

When this practice is taken to its extreme, one should not eat dried meat or other flesh foods. If hunger arises, wheat-based foods may be eaten, and the intake of grains should be reduced gradually; one must not completely stop eating all at once within a single day. This is the meaning of “diminishing and diminishing again, until one arrives at Wuwei (non-action).” Being able to practice grain abstention surpasses the Qingjing method and is a higher form of the Dao of avoiding grains. However, the mind must be still and detached, with few affairs and dedicated cultivation, accumulating over many years, before there can be any benefit. If one at the same time takes on other miscellaneous practices, it is feared that one’s energy will be unable to sustain it; it is better to combine food and cultivation in mutual regulation, so that both inner and outer receive benefit. The specific method still depends on the strength or weakness of a person’s constitution, whether the body is deficient or excess, and whether one is old or young; not everyone can apply the same set of methods all the way through.

Some people in the past, although they had already received this method and praised and recounted it, never actually practiced it. Only genuine practice can be called outstanding in resolve and achievement; in cultivation one should also look to the distant traces left by the ancients. This method emphasizes empty stillness and reflective illumination; it is a cultivation path that accords with nature: taking the essence of heaven and earth from afar, taking what one already possesses from nearby—this is its meaning.

“Yun Ya” (Cloud Sprouts, a visualization or Qi-ingestion method in Daoist cultivation) is an ancient remnant method of cultivation transmitted by the Five Elders (venerable deities corresponding to the five directions). This method takes empty stillness, contemplative observation, and accordance with nature as essential, that is, taking the essence of heaven and earth from afar and taking what one already possesses from nearby.

“Yun Ya” is the Jing (essence) of the Five Elders (the venerated deities of the five directions in Daoism), and also the rosy mist transformed from Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the origin of the cosmos. Gathering the essence within sunlight to harmonize the Six Fluids (the six kinds of saliva spoken of in cultivation) enables one to perceive the subtle and hidden, to communicate with the power that dwells in mysterious darkness, and to cause the multitude of Shen (spirits) to descend. Darkness and light respond to each other; they correspond even without being summoned.

When the dragon howls in the myriad-layered abyss, auspicious clouds descend from the horizon; when the tiger roars upon the numinous hills, strong winds surge from every direction. When the Yangsui (a fire-kindling device) faces the light, vermilion flames blaze vigorously; when the Fangzhu (an ancient dew-collecting vessel) faces the yin, cool waters fill and overflow. These resonances arise of themselves, and people find them hard to foresee.

How much more so for those who cultivate the Dao (the Way), who concentrate on guarding the mysterious and thoroughly study the root of the Dao, dispersing filthy mixed thoughts from the chest and storing true Qi (vital energy) in the Three Palaces (the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers) within the human body). They gather the scattered radiance of the Five Dawns (the dawns of the five directions), ingest the rosy nectar transformed from the Six Sweet Liquors (six kinds of sweet numinous fluids), invoke the rare treasures of the Nine Heavens, and recite the mysterious secret words. Thus they emit radiance like a leaping dragon, bright light appearing layer upon layer; they taste the Three Flowers (the essences of Daoist cultivation) between white teeth and draw abundant saliva from the lips. Then, through inner refinement, they nourish the Six Palaces (the internal viscera of the body), open acute hearing and keen sight, breathe the Qi of Heavenly Origin, refine and nourish the hun and po souls together with the physical form, pay homage to the mysterious realm, return heart-mind and Shen to emptiness and stillness, and gradually attain the numinous and wondrous state. After a long ten years of cultivation the Five Shen descend—what in this is worth boasting about?

Although I am a frail woman, I have been fortunate to practice the superior methods of the Dao. The subtle sounds of this method have already been cut off and it is not fitting to publicize them openly; I shall tentatively record their mysterious points and transmit them to those of like mind and purpose. If someone’s cultivation of De (Virtue/Power) has not yet reached the required standard, I hope he will not on that account blame or slander this Jing (scripture) and its oral instructions. This is the preface of the Lady of Nanyue.

The above records the matter of Wang transmitting the oral instructions and methods. In the annotations, any content not urgently needed at the time of cultivation has not been copied item by item.