《上清明鉴要经》

Laozi said: “Taking the ‘golden-water inner landscape’ (the inner scenes manifested through inner refining and visualization) as the foundation, one relies on the yin function to activate yang Qi (vital energy). Mastering this method allows one to divide the body and transform its form, multiplying from one into a myriad and swiftly arraying them as six armies. Even from a distance of a thousand billion li one can come and go with the breath, ride the clouds and tread the waters, entering and exiting without the slightest obstruction. Heavenly gods, earthly deities, evil ghosts, old demons, and all kinds of hidden things can be seen. Through careful examination and single-minded contemplation one can foresee events that are about to occur. If you can hold fast to this Dao (the Way), you will become an immortal king.”

Laozi said: “If you wish to practice the technique of the bright mirror, do not enter households where funeral rites are being conducted, nor places where women are giving birth. Wear clean clothes, fumigate them with incense, bathe using five aromatic substances, and drink a fragrant liquid prepared from orchids and cassia. Do not eat pungent foods with strong odors, abstain from fishy and rank things, and do not approach women. Cultivate in a quiet and hidden place, in a secluded inner chamber where the sounds of carriages and horses, gongs and drums cannot be heard, nor the clamor of birds and beasts.

In practicing this method of the Dao the greatest taboo is to be startled or disturbed; once begun one must not withdraw halfway, and should it fail, recovery is extremely difficult. During cultivation do not allow other thoughts to remain in the mind, and do not let the ears listen to external sounds; concentrate the Shen (spirit), hold the gaze properly, visualize as if it were there yet not there, remaining pure, focused, and without slackening—only then is it possible to succeed.”

Laozi said: One should prepare a nine-cun bright mirror. The surface of the mirror must not be warped, damaged, or flawed; it must be clear and bright, perfectly upright and complete, capable of reflecting a person’s appearance, and only then is it suitable.

In the past my teacher used a one-chi-two-cun mirror, placing one in front of the body, one behind, one to the left, and one to the right. This arrangement is called the “Four Specula” (Sìguī). Cultivating this method is extremely difficult to produce rapid results, yet it easily invites accidents; if one is startled, great misfortune will ensue, and therefore few people succeed in completing it. Wenzi, Haocheng, and others merely placed a single one-chi mirror upright in front of them; by this means they too could see the spirits, yet they could not attain longevity.

Laozi further said: Place a nine-cun mirror on each of the left and right sides of the body so that they flank and protect both sides; this is called “Sun and Moon,” and it too can prolong life and increase longevity.

If one wishes to divide the body and undergo transformation, to make the physical form vanish while seated, to ascend into the Yellow Court (Huangting, the dwelling place of the inner deities within the body according to Daoism), to attain immortality without dying, to command various spirits and deities, to pass through water and fire, metal and stone, wood and earth, even to fly at will, then one should cultivate the “Four Specula” method of which I speak. If one merely wishes to foresee good or ill fortune in advance, the “Sun and Moon” method is sufficient.

Laozi said: The method of arranging the mirrors is as follows: each of the mirrors is placed one chi and five cun away from the body, at a height level with the eyebrows; from every mirror hangs a purple or cyan thread, and from the thread is suspended “Huashui” (Flower Water, here referring to an implement or marker used for calibration during the practice), taking care to keep the mirrors perfectly level. During practice one keeps the eyes open day and night until a response appears. One must not close the eyes, for fear that if the eyes are closed when a deity suddenly manifests, the practitioner will not see it in time; it may also cause the spirit to depart, or one may suddenly open the eyes and encounter the deity, gradually becoming frightened, and ultimately causing the cultivation to fail.

Laozi said that those who cultivate the Way of the Four Regulations (Siguì) will certainly behold noble spirits. This method is suitable only for those of profound cultivation who have attained the realm of the Zhenren (True Person) and must not be transmitted to unsuitable people. The Daoist methods I transmit are extremely secret; suitable recipients are rare in this world, so it is better to keep them within the Daoist community.

Practitioners of the Four Regulations should see the spirits at a distance of one chi and five cun from themselves and three chi in height. In the eastern regulation one should see two immortals wearing caps adorned with red silk ribbons, with long narrow faces, ears rising above the crown of the head, and black hair covering their bodies; do not panic upon seeing them. In the western regulation one should see Xiwangmu (Queen Mother of the West, a Daoist goddess) attended by jade maidens. In the southern regulation one should see Zhonghe Wuji Yuanjun (a Daoist deity) who has eleven heads on a single body, wears a natural crown, and is dressed in red. In the northern regulation one should see Tianhuang Jun (a Daoist deity) who has thirteen heads, the colors of his clothing and cap changing according to the season.

The original text then repeats that in the western regulation one should see Xiwangmu and the jade maidens attending her, and in the southern regulation one should see Zhonghe Wuji Yuanjun. It finally mentions again that the northern Tianhuang Jun has thirteen heads. Here the Four Regulations refer to the cultivation methods corresponding to the four directions of east, west, south, and north; the text describes the forms of the spirits that should be visualized in each direction.

Lingyang Ziming obtained this method of visualization. He said that at times two persons appear: the one wearing yellow robes, a yellow cap, and a white beard is Yanshou Jun, while the younger one is Shouming Jun. At other times two persons both dressed in red robes and red headcloths are seen, the younger being Bingming Jun and the elder Siming Jun. Sometimes two persons wearing feathered robes and yellow-and-dark caps appear, one of them Chaxing Jun. On occasion three persons in feathered robes and red head ornaments are seen, one of whom is Tingxiang Jun.

A person wearing a large cap and vermilion robes, holding a brush and documents, is Siguo Jun. A person in yellow robes and a yellow cap that covers the face is Zengnian Jun. Two persons wearing red skirts are the Shixing Jun.

Jade maidens (yunü) may appear as well: those in green robes are named Huijing Yunü, those in black Taixuan Yunü, those in red Chigui Yunü, and those in yellow Changyang Yunü.

Three boys may arrive together, dressed in green robes with purple hems and named Changzai, Juedong, and Wude. Nine jade maidens in five-colored garments may come as a group; they are called Shang, Hu, Fu, Lingque, Konglin, Feng, Zhu, Duo, and one whose name is fragmentary in the text.

A person whose eyes extend three inches vertically below, wearing yellow robes with green hems, is Tongmu Jun. An infant two or three chi tall who smiles toward people is the Jiudu Tongzi. A boy five or six chi tall who stands smiling, with a naturally formed floral canopy above his head, is the Rizhong Tongzi; without the canopy he is the Yuezhong Tongzi.

A being with a human head and bird body, patterned in five colors mixed with black and yellow, is the Shangshang Taiyi Jun Daofu. Nine persons all in green robes with white hair are the Wuji Dayuan Jun.

Figures of still other appearances may also be seen. One six chi five cun in height, wearing a horn-shaped cap, white robes with a red collar, and sometimes tiger patterns and phoenix emblems, is Li Er, courtesy name Boyang, who typically appears at dawn. One six chi seven cun tall, wearing a Chonghua cap and white robes with green patterns, is Li Tan, courtesy name Boyang, appearing at sunrise. One six chi nine cun tall, wearing a Chonghua cap and five-colored robes, is Li, courtesy name Boguang, appearing at breakfast time.

One seven chi two cun tall, wearing a Bixie cap and gauze robes of dragon-and-snake appearance, is Li Shi, courtesy name Menggong, appearing in the forenoon. One seven chi three cun tall, wearing a Flying Dragon cap and vermilion robes, is Li Chongquan, courtesy name Ziwen, appearing at noon. One seven chi five cun tall, wearing a Sanjie cap and vermilion-jade robes, is Li Ding, courtesy name Wuyang, appearing in the early afternoon.

One eight chi tall, wearing a fur cap and black robes, is Li Yuan, courtesy name Boshi, appearing in the late afternoon. One eight chi five cun tall, wearing a Natural cap and dragon-snake patterned robes, is Li Yuan, courtesy name Yuansheng, appearing at sunset. One nine chi five cun tall, wearing a Natural cap and green-purple robes, is Li Yuan, courtesy name Bowen, appearing at dusk.

This passage of the scripture identifies the spirits according to their clothing and caps, physical form, and the hours at which they appear. Some characters in the transmitted text are already damaged, so that the original wording cannot be determined. Titles such as Siming and Shouming likewise correspond to divine offices in the Daoist tradition that preside over lifespan and the registers of destiny.

Laozi said: In practicing this method, those of superior aptitude can complete it in seven days, those of medium aptitude require ten days, and those of inferior aptitude need one month.

Laozi said: Take purple and azure things as the inner layer, combine them and repeatedly visualize nine times, and you will see a person. He is nine chi and five cun tall, wearing a natural crown and dressed in azure-purple garments. His name is Li Yuan, courtesy name Bowen. He can usually be seen at dusk.

Laozi said: In practicing this method, those of superior aptitude can complete it in seven days, those of medium aptitude require ten days, and those of inferior aptitude need one month.

Laozi said: Take purple and azure things as the inner layer, combine them and visualize nine cun; the diameter of the gui (a circular implement or diagram used for visualization) is one chi two cun.

Laozi said: When those of superior aptitude practice, they first see their own bodily form, then see the ghosts and spirits within the dwelling, and finally see the celestial gods. The ghosts and spirits sometimes do not all appear; generally at most six or seven will come. Simply concentrate on gazing into the gui, do not stare for long at the gods you behold, and do not speak or perform ritual salutations; quickly settle yourself and do not panic or become afraid.

Laozi said: Those who practice this method should not fell trees in spring, should not pour water to extinguish fire in summer, should not dig the earth in the transitional months of the four seasons, should not smelt metal in autumn, and should not dam water or dredge wells in winter.

Laozi said: Those who practice this method should not eat liver in spring and should not eat heart in summer. They should not dig the earth in the transitional months of the four seasons; they should not fell trees in spring, should not pour water to extinguish fire in summer, should not smelt metal in autumn, and should not dam water or dredge wells in winter.

Laozi said: Those who practice this method should not eat liver in spring, not eat heart in summer, not eat spleen in the transitional months of the four seasons, not eat lungs in autumn, and not eat kidneys in winter. If the Shen (spirit) of the five viscera become angry, they will cause a person to become mentally confused and not live a long life.

Laozi said: In practicing this method, one must cultivate continuously for seven days; after succeeding, perform it once every seventy days, and each time as earnestly as on the first day. Practicing in this way can restore youth and delay aging. Lingyang Ziming said: “The mind is open and at ease, already settled into calm.”

Laozi said: After seeing the gods, perform it once more, and you may inquire of the gods about the essential secrets of longevity; the gods will tell you the essentials in detail.

Laozi said: After accomplishing this Dao (the Way) of the Four Gui, one may then practice the Dao of Grasping One Gui and need no longer use the Four Gui. Observe a double fasting of the Youque, don a green headscarf, ascend to enter the Northern Pole, then descend to enter within it, and thus one may inquire about the essential secrets of longevity; the gods will tell you the essentials in detail. Here “gui,” “Four Gui,” “Grasping One Gui,” as well as “Youque” and the like, are all cultivation terms from the Jing (scripture/classic); their specific referents must be understood in conjunction with other chapters of this Jing.

Laozi said: Once this set of the “Four Regulations of the Dao” has been cultivated to completion, one may hold and apply only a single regulation in practice and need not employ all four again. One should perform a twofold purification ritual (Zhai) in the Youque (secluded palaces or secret realms), wearing a green headscarf; one ascends into the Northern Culmen above and descends into the mysterious traces (Xuan Zong, the profound and hidden nether realm) below, using a mirror to reflect the affairs one intends to undertake. When practicing this Dao one must constantly visualize above a Vermilion Bird three chi in height; below a Xuanwu (Dark Warrior) five chi in height; to the left an Azure Dragon nine chi in height; to the right a White Tiger seven chi in height; and one must also tread between the sun and the moon.

Laozi said: One cannot carry this out by oneself alone; the Vermilion Bird must hold a nine-cun mirror in its beak, the Xuanwu must bear a one-chi-two-cun mirror on its back, the Azure Dragon must hold the sun in its mouth, and the White Tiger must hold the moon in its mouth; the practitioner visualizes taking on the form of a dragon-serpent. One must also be capable of dividing the body and transforming, so that while seated one can see beyond the Four Seas—only then is the aim achieved. When cultivation reaches this stage, Zhenren (Perfected Persons) and numinous beings will come forth. For nighttime practice lamps and candles may be used, or better still lamp-fire made from hemp oil.

If one wishes to treat illness in others or to enter deep mountains while fearing that mountain spirits and assorted ghosts and demons will test the cultivator, a mirror may be placed above the doorway, a vessel of clear water set below the door, and a knife or sword laid horizontally upon the water with the blade facing outward. In this way the hundred ghosts dare not approach; even should an old demon enter the gate, it cannot cross the water and will die at once, leaving its blood in the water. This method is to be kept secret and not revealed to ordinary worldly people.

Laozi said: If one wishes to avoid weapons and all manner of evil influences, one may take a three-cun mirror, cast it as a circular heavenly talisman, and wear it in the bosom. Wear it on the right on yin days and on the left on yang days. Upon entering a crowd one will surpass all others, and everyone will hold one in awe. My methods of the Dao are secret.

In a certain year, month, and day, in a certain prefecture, commandery, and county, a three-cun mirror and circular heavenly talisman were cast and worn in the bosom; on yin days on the right, on yang days on the left. Upon entering a crowd one will surpass all others, and everyone will hold one in awe. My methods of the Dao are secret.

In a certain year, month, and day, in a certain prefecture, commandery, county, and village, the Daoist so-and-so transmitted the Essential Instructions of Laozi’s Four-Regulations Bright Mirror to the student so-and-so of a certain place. The recipient offered forty chi of white silk, one dou of rice, one bundle of firewood, and five sheng of salt as the items of the oath-alliance. Bing must not fail to communicate the essential instructions; if so-and-so fails to keep the oath of offering the body into the Yellow Springs, then they shall share the blame with the former teacher. The Mysterious Lord Zhang Baiyu Oucheng and the Metal Master so-and-so Bing together drew the character “one” as a token of proof. After three years, once its efficacy is confirmed, it may be transmitted; it must not be given to unsuitable persons. If the oath is violated, one must make amends to the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water; even if one attains the Dao and becomes an immortal, one must not abandon the fundamental oath.

Laozi said, “The Huitian Fu, also known as the Yuantian Fu or Gaitian Fu, was secretly transmitted by Zuo Yuanfang. This talisman is written with cinnabar.” Laozi said, “The Yuantian Fu can dispel disasters and misfortune, enabling a person to attain long life and enduring vision (to live long while retaining eyesight) and to coexist with heaven and earth. Tigers and wolves will be so overawed that their teeth snap, and no weapon will dare to injure the bearer; anyone who sees the talisman will prostrate on the ground and not dare to rise. If a certain Jia reveres this talisman, who could perceive it? May the gods of soil and grain (She and Ji, who oversee land and crops) protect him so that he receives the blessings of Heaven, living through a thousand autumns and ten thousand years with inexhaustible longevity. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

In former times a Huangting Zhenren, a realized Daoist who cultivated the Huangting Jing, kowtowed and asked: “Among the Qi (vital energy) of heaven, earth, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), human beings are the most honored. Why, then, do some people enjoy long life while others die young?”

Laozi replied, “Human beings are born endowed with the Qi of heaven and earth and originally could all live to one hundred and twenty years. Yet people constantly give way to erratic joy and anger, lust after beautiful appearances, crave savory flavors, delight in rich and fatty foods, and pursue the pleasures of the palate; they cannot abstain from eating grains. They are also unwilling to dwell in quiet solitude, spending their days in the mundane world, refusing to contemplate the Dao (the Way), and constantly keeping company with evil spirits. That is why they cannot live long.”

The Daoist asked, “If one can abstain from grain foods, neither craving rich flavors and oral pleasures nor lusting after beauty, can one then transcend aging?”

Laozi said, “If you can love the Great Dao, carefully cultivate body and mind, and uphold the Dao of your own person, you can remain free from old age. A person’s head is round, modeling itself on heaven; the feet are square, modeling themselves on earth; the five viscera model themselves on the Five Phases; the four limbs model themselves on the four seasons; the nine orifices model themselves on the Nine Provinces; the eyes model themselves on the sun and moon, and the hair symbolizes the stars. Human beings correspond to the fundamental principle of heaven; therefore, among the myriad things, humans are the most honored.”

In the heavens there is a divine medicine named Jiuheng, found throughout the world and growing in moist places. Its leaves are bright and glossy, resembling those of Changxiong, and it grows with great vigor. In the eighth month of autumn the roots of the male and female plants join and bind together, their branches and leaves intertwining. When dragons and snakes obtain this herb they carry it away in their mouths and conceal it. In the third month of spring, at the first sound of thunder, it sprouts forth. If a person obtains and consumes it, it may be stored in a stone chamber as a treasure.

When Emperor Yao faced the great flood the people suffered hunger and thirst. Yao ordered them to gather this herb, and by it they were able to survive. After careful identification and ingestion one may cultivate to become an immortal; sages who consume it close their mouths and remain silent. Now I reveal this to you so that you may thereby transcend this physical form.

The herb must be gathered when there is fog. In the height of autumn, when the male and female plants meet, its medicinal nature is especially potent and most suitable for cultivating immortality. After gathering, hang it on the northern side of the house and dry it in a cool, shaded place, then pound it a thousand times. Place it in a large vessel, mix with honey, and form into pills the size of wutong seeds. Take three pills each day for twenty-one consecutive days and the cultivation is thereby completed.

On the first day of taking the medicine the potency rises to the Niwan, the upper Dantian (energy center) in the head, then descends to Kunlun, the site of Qi (vital energy) circulation within the body. On the second day it moves to the Jade Hall; on the third day it passes the Jade Portal; on the fourth day it traverses the Floral Canopy and comes to rest in the Crimson Palace, the location of the heart. On the fifth day it ascends along Mount Hua in a most splendid state, with the various spirits accompanying one to climb the Jade Heaven and reach the Jade Hall. After twenty-one days of taking it, whether man or woman, in the prime of life or still young, each attains the corresponding attainment. How could one not exert oneself? Transmit this method to those of worthy virtue.

This herb grows by the roadside in the second month, green in color, a single stalk having nine nodes. The third node bears twelve leaves, the fourth node twelve leaves, and the sixth node likewise twelve leaves, totaling thirty-six leaves. Its root is shaped like a seated person, about three cun in length, white at the center with yellow outer skin, the taste sweet with a pungent note.

When preparing the medicine four Fulu (talismans) are to be made, one in each of the four directions; combining the medicine with these talismans is said to possess divine efficacy. The four talismans are the Northern Heavenly Union Talisman, the Western Great General Talisman, the Southern Red-Phrase Jade Maiden Talisman, and the Eastern Green-Tooth Youth Talisman. These talismans are written in black ink, placed in the north, and prepared on a gathering day. When combining the medicine four white talismans are used, which is said to possess divine efficacy.

The Northern Heaven Combined Talisman, Western Great General Talisman, Southern Red Sentence Jade Maiden Talisman, and Eastern Green Tooth Child Talisman. Write them in black and place them in the north, making them on a Shou day; write them in white and place them in the west, making them on a Jian day; write them with cinnabar and place them in the south, making them on a Man day; write them in cyan and place them in the east, making them on a Cheng day.

The Yellow Child and Jade Maiden oversee the Jing (essence) of the medicines. On days suitable for compounding medicines, making the four directional Fulu (talismans and registers) means there is no need to fear various depletions and disturbances.

Laozi said: the middle corpse in the lower part of the body (one of the Three Corpses spoken of in Daoism, referring to the corpse-worms that lurk in the human body and hinder cultivation) is like a worm. After a Daoist takes this medicine, the corpse-worms are expelled along with the Qi (vital energy), and in a short while the eyes become bright. To eliminate this sha-corpse, choose days that possess bright light and can break through evil sha; after sweeping away the corpse-worms within the body, then drink pure water. In general, to prevent the corpse-worms from remaining, the process can be completed after seven Po days; the expulsion of hidden corpse-worms does not exceed seven Po days. If an elderly person undergoes seven Po days, the body becomes even more debilitated and one should rest quietly in seclusion.

It is also said that these two talismans both come from the eighth talisman of Laozi’s Thirty-Nine True Talismans. The originally transmitted book consisted of two volumes; because the recorded talisman forms differed, they are rewritten here. There are likewise two talismans used to break hidden corpses. Whenever one wishes to expel the corpse-worms, one must not tell others in advance. When the appointed day arrives, even though the Three Corpses have neither ears nor eyes, they can still perceive a person’s intentions beforehand, so one can know of it only in secret.

The compounding of medicines should be carried out in a quiet place. Suitable days for entering the mountains are the first of the first month, the twenty-fifth of the second month, the twenty-fourth of the third month, the sixteenth of the fourth month, the eleventh of the fifth month, the sixth of the sixth month, the second of the seventh month, the twenty-fifth of the eighth month, the twenty-first of the ninth month, and the sixteenth of the tenth month. The Heavenly Granary opening days listed here are the sixteenth of the fourth month, the eleventh of the fifth month, the sixth of the sixth month, the second of the seventh month, the twenty-fifth of the eighth month, the twenty-first of the ninth month, and the sixteenth of the tenth month. Traveling to famous mountains on these days, the journey will be smooth and auspicious.

There are also Heaven-Earth opening days assigned according to the months: take a Zi day in the first month, a Chou day in the second, a Yin day in the third, a Mao day in the fourth, a Chen day in the fifth, a Si day in the sixth, a Wu day in the seventh, a Wei day in the eighth, a Shen day in the ninth, a You day in the tenth, a Xu day in the eleventh, and a Hai day in the twelfth. Selecting days for entering the mountains according to this method is most auspicious, suitable for long-term residence, and enables a person to remain stable and free from misfortune.

Laozi said: the mountain-entering talisman, written with cinnabar on white silk and worn on the person, allows one to travel throughout the world.

Laozi said: “The name without designation is my dwelling place; once a name has designation, it instead causes me to lose my storehouse. When there is no wealth to seek, my De (Virtue/Power) can be preserved; when there is wealth to pursue, it instead invites calamity. There is no greater transgression than indulgence, no greater disaster than greed, and no greater fault than desire. If one has these three afflictions, it is like boarding a chariot that summons misfortune: in milder cases it endangers oneself, in severe cases it damages the family estate.”

Even so, one must still practice zhai of the heart (purifying body and mind) and contemplate three deities within: the first is called Lingzhu Jun, the second Lingming Jun, and the third Linghuang Jun. Constantly keep them in mind, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down; reciting each of their names three times every day enables one to pass through years of misfortune. This method should be kept secret and not transmitted to others.

The first deity wears crimson robes and a yellow skirt; the second deity wears yellow robes and a yellow skirt; the third deity wears crimson robes and a yellow skirt.