《上清素灵上篇》

The Xuandan Shangjing of the Supreme Heavenly Emperor Lord (Taishang Tiandi Jun), the High God (Shangdi), and the Taiwei Heavenly Emperor Lord (Taiwei Tiandi Jun) was transmitted by the Great Lord of the Azure Lad (Qingtong Dajun).

The Great Emperor Lord (Taidi Jun), the Supreme Heavenly Emperor Lord, and the Taiwei Heavenly Emperor Lord had all previously received the Xuandan Shangjing from the Most High Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun, a supreme Daoist deity). After succeeding in their cultivation they later ascended to become emperors of the heavenly realms. At the moment of their ascent, the Great Emperor Lord transmitted the scripture to the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu); the Supreme Heavenly Emperor Lord transmitted it to the Upper Prime Lord of the Southern Pole (Nanji Shangyuan Jun); the Taiwei Heavenly Emperor Lord transmitted it to the Sage Lord of the Golden Portal (Jinque Shengjun); the Sage Lord of the Golden Portal then transmitted it to the Prime Minister Azure Lad Lord (Shangxiang Qingtong Jun); and the Prime Minister Azure Lad Lord in turn transmitted it to Juanzi.

This scripture is the Suling Shangpian (Supreme Chapter of the Plain Numina). The principles it contains are lofty, profound, and mysterious, not something ordinary mid-level immortals can hear. Unless a person’s name is recorded on the Crimson Slips (jiangjian, the red tablets of Daoist legend that register the names of immortals and perfected beings) and in the green-character name registers of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), there is no opportunity to encounter, see, or hear the Xuandan Shangjing.

If a Daoist can fully cultivate the Three True Grade Scriptures of the Most High, their rank can reach that of Upper Duke or Upper Minister, positions above those of emperors; if they obtain only a portion, with limited hearing, the highest they may become is King of the Numinous Palace of Lesser Existence (Xiaoyou Linggong), Minister of the Divine Continent (Shenzhou), or a mid- or lower-ranking Grand Master of Taiji. Even then they can ride dragons and mount clouds, soar through the air, guided and guarded by divine officials, their divine light radiating to the distant eight directions.

These principles are subtle and profound and must not be lightly proclaimed. Explanations of the scripture’s grades and titles appear in the Taishang Yinshu Basu Pian (Eight Plain Chapters of the Hidden Book of the Most High), which also stipulates the different levels and limits that cultivators may attain.

The Niwan Heavenly Emperor of the Three Ones (the celestial deity who governs the entire body within the Niwan Palace together with the god of the “Three-One”) is the fundamental root to which the spiritual nature of the whole body returns. It is also the origin upon which the hundred spirits rely for their continued existence, the source from which the fluids are generated, and the jade chamber in which the hun-soul and Jing (essence) reside. A person’s stomach resembles a square pool used to contain food; the palatial chambers in the brain are round and empty, suitable for nurturing true Qi (vital energy). The hair of the entire body stands erect and the thousands of pores seem as if smoke were rising; its merits and virtues equal those of heaven and earth, blending into one with the profound and mysterious Dao (the Way). Therefore “Niwan” refers to the Shen (spirit) that resides in the upper part of the body.

You probably know only the cultivation methods of swallowing saliva, ingesting Qi (vital energy, the primordial life-force spoken of in Daoism), knocking the teeth, and swallowing the fluids in the mouth, yet you do not know the root of these methods. They are merely the terminal functions that issue from the Niwan, the efficacy manifested by the side branches of the brain palaces. Now I shall tell you the secret instructions that assist cultivation and lead toward Shouyi (guarding the One, concentrating the spirit upon unity), so that you may become Zhenren among the highest immortals.

A disciple who receives this Jing (scripture) should observe a purification fast for forty-five days; only after the period has elapsed may it be transmitted. At the time of transmission, forty chi of blue silk fabric, five red bright mirrors, and three pairs of gold rings are to be used as tokens of the covenant jointly to guard the “Dongyi,” together with an oath never to disclose it publicly.

From between the two eyebrows, going inward one cun is called the Mingtang; going further inward two cun is called the Dongfang; going further inward three cun is called the Dantian (energy center). Along the center upward, within a square of one cun, it is called the Xuandan; this is the palatial chamber in the brain where the Niwan and the hun and po reside.

Within the Mingtang (the palatial chambers in which the various gods of the body reside during Daoist visualization practices) there is the Perfected Lord of the Bright Youth on the left, the Perfected Lord of the Bright Maiden on the right, and the Perfected Lord of the Bright Mirror in the center. The Perfected Lord of the Bright Youth is named Xuanyang, with the style Shaoqing; the Perfected Lord of the Bright Maiden is named Weiyin, with the style Shaoyuan; the Perfected Lord of the Bright Mirror is named Zhaojing, with the style Siming.

The three Perfected Lords jointly govern the Mingtang Palace. They all wear robes of green brocade, with four jade bells fastened at their waists and jade mirrors held in their mouths; both the mirrors and the bells are fashioned of red jade. Their heads and bodies resemble those of infants. They sit facing one another, ordinarily oriented outward, though at times they sit directly opposite each other. This is the method of cultivating the Mingtang, a practice followed by immortals and cultivated by those who pursue the Dao.

If fear arises in the heart of a Daoist practitioner, one may visualize these three deities causing them to ring their jade bells, the sound reaching Taiji (Supreme Ultimate, the distant heavenly realm of Daoist cosmology); then visualize them expelling the jade mirrors, which emit ten thousand zhang of crimson radiance. After the visualization is complete, invoke the names of the three Perfected Lords three times in succession and strike the heavenly drum nine times (a practice that simulates drumbeats by clicking the teeth). This will cause hosts of demons and evils to submit and ghosts and sprites to scatter.

If the practitioner feels hunger or thirst, one may likewise visualize the three Perfected Lords causing them to emit red Qi (vital energy) from their mouths, pouring it into one’s own mouth; inhale and swallow it, and before long a sense of satiety will arise.

If the practitioner is traveling at night and darkness obscures the path, one may visualize the three Perfected Lords emitting three rays of firelight from their mouths to illuminate the way ahead; presently the road will become bright.

If one finds oneself in a place of peril and hardship, or in a critical situation of armed conflict, immediately visualize the three Perfected Lords causing them to ring their jade bells, and concentrate the mind in visualization. The Jing states that enemies will naturally become terrified and will no longer give rise to thoughts of doing harm.

If the practitioner wishes to extend the years, attain longevity without death, or, when gravely ill and near death, hopes for deliverance, lie down peacefully and concentrate on visualizing the three Perfected Lords of the Mingtang, causing them to face outward and kneel upright. Then visualize them emitting red Qi that first courses through one’s own body and encircles the mouth. Hold the red Qi in the mouth and swallow it, the more times the better, with eyes closed and swallowing gently. Presently the red Qi will circulate throughout the entire body, transforming into flames that likewise surround the form. Finally body and fire seem to merge into one, luminous within and without. Maintain this state for a time and then cease. This method of cultivation is called “Refining the Form with Sun and Moon”; the Jing declares that it enables one to die and be reborn.

Practicing in this manner every night before sleep will confer long life and extended years. Regular visualization and swallowing of the red Qi can also restore a youthful countenance, with complexion like that of a child. This is what the Jing calls the way of immortality, and it is the essential secret of the Mingtang observed by immortals.

Every morning after getting up, one should swallow the saliva in the mouth thirty times and use the hands to rub the face and massage the eyes, taking these as daily practice. Visualize the saliva transforming into red saliva.

In the Dongfang (the spirit chamber within the head) there are three Zhenjun: Wuyingzi on the left, Baiyuan Jun on the right, and Huanglao Jun in the middle. The three Zhenjun jointly preside over the Dongfang. As for this method of Feizhen cultivation, there are other specialized Jing (scriptures) that record it.

In the Dantian (energy center) there is the Shangyuan Zhenyi Dijun, together with his three Qingzuo, who jointly preside over the Dantian. This is the cultivation method of holding to the Sanyuan Zhenyi. In the field of the Dizhen there is also the Shangyuan Zhenyi Dijun and his three Qingzuo, jointly presiding over the Dantian, cultivating and holding to the Dao (the Way) of the Sanyuan Zhenyi. This is an important path for the cultivation of Dizhen, and also the road of riding the dragon chariot.

The Zhenren of heaven mostly delight in becoming Zhenren of the earth. Earthly Zhenren live in seclusion without holding official positions and need not trouble their minds with court banquets, so they can be at ease and roam freely at any time. They ride seven carriages to ascend on high and walk among the four kinds of primordial Qi (vital energy) in the Taiyuan. Although there is a slight difference in rank between Tianzhen and Dizhen, they both belong to the category of Zhenren. The Dizhen each rest content in their own places and no longer wish to become officials in the clouds.

In the Xuandan Gong (the spirit palace within the head) there is the Niwan Taiyi Zhenjun. About one cun behind the Dantian lies the Liuzhu Gong. The cultivation methods of the true Shen (spirits) within the palace are recorded in other Jing, and this is also the place where the Siming Shen exercises his authority. This path of cultivation is extremely important and can be transmitted only after a profound, secret, and solemn alliance ritual. The method is transmitted once every three hundred years and ceases after being given to five people, with no further outward transmission. This is the Dao of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Gongqing Siming.

The human head contains nine palaces. Below we first describe their structure. In the area extending upward from between the two eyebrows there are the Huangque, Zihu, Jiangtai, and Qingfang; these palaces together form a region one square cun in size, located between the two ears. Guarding the left of the cun... (The original text is incomplete in meaning at this point; missing text or a textual error is suspected.)

The human head has the "Nine Palaces." Here we first introduce some of the sites among them: in the area above the space between the two eyebrows, there are internally the Yellow Watchtower, Purple Door, Crimson Terrace, and Azure Chamber, which together form the location known as "Guarding the Inch," situated between the left and right ears. The left side of Guarding the Inch has the Crimson Terrace, and the right side has the Yellow Watchtower. The Perfected Ones of the Nine Palaces all enter and exit through the passageway between the Yellow Watchtower and the Crimson Terrace, so the terrace and watchtower are established on the left and right. The purpose of the terrace and watchtower is to observe anomalous signs and to greet the Perfected Ones in their comings and goings.

The great Shen (spirit) of the Purple Door is named Pingjing, with the courtesy name Fawang; the great Shen of the Azure Chamber is named Zhengxin, with the courtesy name Chufang. Both great Shen appear in the form of infants, wearing garments that correspond to the colors of their respective directions and doorways, and they hold flowing-gold bells in their hands. What is called "Guarding the Inch" refers to the position located three fen inward from the spot between the two eyebrows.

When going to sleep at night and when practicing visualization (the Daoist method of inner contemplation and visualizing Shen), first visualize the two great Shen as though they were right in front of one's eyes, then call out each of their names three times. After this is done, softly recite the following incantation:

"The Purple Door and the Azure Chamber have two great Shen, who hold flowing bells and whose bodies generate wind and clouds. They guard the true Dao (the Way) and do not allow external things to interfere, causing my thoughts to communicate with the Shen, making the spiritual passes unobstructed, and ensuring that entry and exit are pure and smooth."

Then continue reciting:

"The Purple Door and the Azure Chamber have two great Shen, who hold flowing bells and whose bodies generate wind and clouds. They guard the true Dao and do not allow external things to interfere, causing my thoughts to communicate with the Shen, making the spiritual passes unobstructed, and ensuring that entry and exit are pure and smooth; let me climb the Nine Gates so that I may see the Nine Perfected Ones and the Most High Honored Shen."

After the recitation is finished, then visualize the Three Ones, the Cavern Chamber, the Nine Perfected Ones, and other important aspects of visualization cultivation.

The two great deities who guard the ear orifices obey only the commands of the true officials within the Nine Palaces (the sacred chambers inside the human body). Only those who reside within the Nine Palaces may enter and exit through the ears. From edicts issued by the Highest Lord down to Jade Youths, numinous perfected beings, worthies, sages, and immortals arriving at the Imperial Pavilion (the residence of the Emperor-Lord), all may enter after receiving the command. All others who are not genuine spirits are uniformly forbidden entry by these two great deities. This is the regulation of the Central Yellow Taiyi (the Taiyi deity venerated in Daoism).

Thereupon the Infant Emperor-Lord (the divine lord residing within the human body) commands the two ear deities Jiaonü and Yunyi to guide the arrivals inside. Therefore when a person experiences tinnitus it is because an external messenger is entering. The arrivals may be good or evil; Yunyi sometimes strikes the chime-bell, sending the sound to the Nine Palaces so that the spirits within know an outsider has come and take warning. What is called the chime-bell is the sound of tinnitus heard nowadays.

One who hears tinnitus should interlace the hands and cover the ears, reciting the prayer: “The Infant is in the palace, the Nine Perfected are in their chambers; please heed the divine command and also examine the inauspicious. Taiyi releases the flowing fire to intimidate all fierce and evil forces.” After the prayer, pat the ear gates (the acupuncture points in front of the ears) seventeen times. If afterward the face feels hot, this is a good omen.

If one feels coldness in various places inside the head, this means evil Qi (vital energy) has entered. One should immediately lie down, close the eyes, and visualize the Taiyi True Lord in the Mysterious Cinnabar Palace, imagining that he illuminates the Flowing Fire Bell (a ritual implement bearing fiery light) and then hurls it forth, causing the evil Qi to depart immediately from outside the ears, with the firelight following behind and brightly illuminating the entire body. After a short while the body will return to tranquility.

If one suddenly hears in the ears sounds like flowing water, or like thunder and drums, this is a manifestation of bodily exhaustion and internal damage. The heart-Shen (spirit) is extremely weary, unable to enable the true Shen to sustain vitality; if one further indulges in lust and dissipation, with the heart-Shen scattered and disordered, it will cause the six viscera to lose their order and the hun and po souls to wail in grief. This is regarded as a sign that illness is about to form, or even that life itself may be endangered. At this time the regulations in the Niwan (the divine chamber in the head) are disordered, the Nine Palaces also lose their normalcy, sorrow and disturbance surge and toss, order is chaotic, as if drum sounds arise in disarray, and the Shen wish to relocate from their dwelling, abandoning the human body.

One who hears these sounds should concentrate the mind on the Taiyi True Lord, allowing the heart-Shen to return completely to single-minded focus. If the transgressions are not yet too deep, there is still opportunity for reform. As for deafness, it means that the ear Shen have already departed.

The ears are the portals of the Dijun (the inner Shen (spirit) that governs hearing); the eyes are the sun and moon of Taiyi (the honored deity of Daoism); the nose is the hills of the Sanyuan (the Qi (vital energy) of the upper, middle, and lower Three Origins); the mouth is the crimson abyss of the Jianggong (the residence of the heart Shen). The eyebrows are the floral canopy of Baiyuan (an inner Shen); the hair is the forest Jing (essence) of the Mingtang (the spirit chamber of the head); the tongue is the dragon shaft of Wuying (an inner Shen); the teeth are the power of the Weigong (the inner spirit chamber corresponding to the spleen and stomach); the two hands are the external assistance of the gallbladder Shen; the two feet are the wondrous passes of the kidney Yuan (the original Qi of the kidneys); the Yinji (the hidden part of the lower body) is the true mechanism of the Dongfang (the dwelling place of inner Shen).

The entire human body is inhabited by Shen such as Linjing and others; the tongue, teeth, hands, feet, and Yinji also each have their corresponding Shen and functions. The hundred Shen in the human body each have their proper affiliations; the practitioner must not fail to examine them clearly, nor treat them without caution.

If one suddenly hears golden sounds and jade tones, this is the true Qi (prenatal original Qi) entering within, meaning that one's cultivation of the Dao (the Way) is about to achieve success. If one suddenly hears the sounds of stringed music, then the Liuding Jade Maidens (the protective Shen of Daoism) have come to guard you, likewise meaning that cultivation of the Dao will achieve success. At this time one should dwell in seclusion in a quiet place and concentrate on cultivation; the more diligent and assiduous one is, the more one must apply oneself even more than before. The Zhenren (the person who has attained the Dao) thereby gradually manifests traces. Do not tell these matters to anyone except your master.

If one hears flute, horn, or similar musical sounds in the ears, this is an auspicious omen indicating that noble and honored events are about to arrive. If shouts or cries are heard, it is an inauspicious omen predicting encounters with humble and distressed circumstances. If a foul odor is smelled, it is certainly connected with filthy and unclean matters and serves as a sign of impurity. In such a case one should immediately bathe, burn incense, and sweep the bedchamber as a response. This is the Sovereign Lord using the omen to remind and admonish people.

If a fragrant aroma is smelled, it means that spirit officials and numinous beings are at one’s side examining the situation. At this time one should perform more good deeds, extend kindness, relieve the poor, accumulate meritorious acts without seeking reward, and treat others with benevolence. The spirit officials and numinous beings will report one’s manifestations of good and evil to Taishang (the Supreme One, a revered Daoist deity). Upon encountering a fragrant aroma one should likewise bathe, burn incense, and clean the bedchamber as a response.

The subtle profundity and mystery of the Dao (the Way) cannot but be carefully observed; the signs described above all belong to this category. The matter of smelling fragrant aromas should not be told to others except one’s own master; smelling foul odors, however, ought to be told to others so that people understand it is a sign appearing because of mistakes and violations of impurity taboos.

If the odor of blood is smelled, or a pile of blood is seen for no reason, this is an omen of military disaster and peril. One should hastily avoid the turmoil of the human world, pray to the Three Primordial Sovereign Lords (the revered Daoist deities who govern the Three Origins) for rescue, and observe a solitary fast for three months, after which the calamity can be eliminated. These are all ways in which the Sovereign Lord reveals fortune and misfortune in advance so that people become alert, fearful, and correct their faults.

When inauspicious omens appear, one should accumulate hidden virtue by performing good deeds in secret, widely bestow kindness and aid others; even good deeds that others cannot accomplish should be striven for, so that there is hope of being spared from the deadly calamity. You must diligently put this into practice; simply adhering to the constant Way will suffice.

Three fen inward from between the two eyebrows is the “Shoucun Dual Fields”; one cun inward is the Mingtang Palace; two cun inward is the Dongfang Palace; three cun inward is the Dantian (energy center) Palace; four cun inward is the Liuzhu Palace; five cun inward is the Yudi Palace. One cun above the Mingtang Palace is the Tianting Palace; one cun above the Dongfang Palace is the Jizhen Palace; one cun above the Dantian Palace is the Xuandan Palace; one cun above the Liuzhu Palace is the Taihuang Palace. In this way the head contains nine palaces in all.

The Jing (scripture/classic) methods of the four palaces of Mingtang, Dongfang, Dantian, and Liuzhu are all the Dao (the Way) by which divine immortals cultivate themselves into Perfected Persons, and they have already been transmitted to the world. The Jing method of the Xuandan Palace is likewise an important essential formula held by the True Officials and the Directors of Destiny; it is the root that governs the four palaces. This Jing may be transmitted only after permission from the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Emperor Lord, a revered Daoist deity; only then can it be brought forth and conferred. The cultivation methods of the five palaces circulate in the world, yet only those who possess a true name will encounter them; unless one is of outstanding innate root-capacity and allotted destiny, one will not hear these contents.

The Yudi Palace is inhabited by the Jade Clarity Divine Mother; the Tianting Palace is inhabited by the Highest Clarity True Maiden; the Jizhen Palace is inhabited by the Taiji Emperor Consort; the Taihuang Palace is inhabited by the Most High Lord’s Consort. These four palaces all belong to the “Female True One” (the feminine true spirit in Daoist cultivation), whose Dao stands higher than that of the “Male True One” (the masculine true spirit). Each contains a precious Jing used to transmit to those who have already become Perfected Persons. Those who have not yet achieved perfection cannot hear these Jing essentials, nor are the essential formulas of the Female True One lightly transmitted.

The reason the Most High is able to enter and exit the extremely lofty realm of the Eight Sceneries, enter the jade pavilions of the immortal realm, with three thousand jade maidens attending the Perfected and supporting the chariot shafts, with numinous consorts singing in accompaniment and divine empresses holding towels in service, is precisely because he has maintained the Dao of the Female One and thereby meets with the assembled immortals in the Mysterious Dawn, the pure and empty immortal realm of which Daoism speaks. This is the fundamental ancestral method of the Most High, transmitted by the Void Sovereign.

Everyone possesses these four palaces, yet if one does not cultivate this Dao the palaces remain empty and contain nothing. If the nine palaces are not all cultivated, there will likewise be vacant palace chambers; it is not only the four palaces where the Female True One resides that are so. In the Dantian Palace there always dwells an Emperor Lord; at the Shoucun location there always dwells a Great Spirit. There is no need to inquire further: only after cultivation can one see them appear within the palaces. Those who cultivate may become immortals; those who do not cultivate will die at the end of their allotted lifespan, and the palaces will remain empty and silent.

The Daos of the two kinds of true spirits, male and female, may both be cultivated by men and women alike, and both may obtain responses in the course of cultivation; only by applying oneself with the utmost diligence and effort can one obtain the benefits.

When cultivating the Dao (the Way) of “Guarding Xuandan Taiyi Zhenjun,” in the evening still the mind and retire, discarding all thoughts; sitting or lying down are both acceptable. First visualize the purple Qi (vital energy) of the Polar Star descending and entering the Xuandan Palace (a symbolic cultivation chamber within the body). In a moment it fills the palace, then overflows outside the body, pervading the entire person, connecting interior and exterior, so that one becomes one with the purple Qi.

Then visualize the sun entering the Xuandan Palace, filling the chamber and occupying the center of the purple Qi; it looks like a fire pearl in a dark place. Next visualize Shangqing Zhonghuang Taiyi Zhenjun (the True Lord Taiyi of Central Yellow of Highest Clarity) descending from the polar purple Qi, entering the Xuandan Palace and taking his seat. The Zhenjun’s personal name is Guiying, courtesy name Huaxuan; his clothing, appearance, and the colors of his garments are as described earlier. Then visualize oneself suddenly entering the Xuandan Palace and sitting opposite Taiyi Zhenjun. The colors of one’s garments may be chosen freely. Then, in the mind, rise and perform the rites, kowtow and kneel before the Zhenjun to inquire of the Dao, praying to attain immortality and long life; say whatever one wishes to say.

Next visualize swallowing the purple Qi thirty times, then swallowing saliva thirty times. Then visualize a stream of red Qi among the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, as thick as a bowstring, descending straight into the Xuandan Palace. Thereupon Taiyi Zhenjun and oneself together mount the sun and ascend directly along the path of the red Qi, arriving within the Kui of the Northern Dipper (the bowl of the Dipper’s seven stars), and rest there for a long time. Resting according to this method will also bring genuine responses. After fourteen years of cultivation, one can travel forth together with Taiyi Zhenjun and together reach the “Net of the Seven Origins.” After sixteen years of cultivation, one may proceed to the Shangqing Palace, receive Jing (scriptures), don Fulu (talismans and registers), and command eighteen jade lads and eighteen jade maidens.

Visualize every night; as long as the prescribed number of times is completed, do not interrupt on any night. One may also cultivate this method exclusively; it is not necessary to combine it with guarding the “Three Ones” (visualizing the three divine True Ones within the body). Combining this practice brings even greater benefit; with sincere and single-minded concentration, responses also come more quickly.

On the first, third, seventh, eleventh, and fifteenth of each month, at midnight, visualize Taiyi Zhenjun in the Xuandan Palace facing outward, exhaling green Qi from his mouth, which descends into one’s own mouth; immediately swallow it, fifty times in all; then swallow saliva fifty times, and softly recite the incantation:

The original text is incomplete here; the content of the incantation is not recorded.

The Taiyi Zhenhuang (the Taiyi deity worshipped in Daoism), also known as Zhonghuang Zijun, has the personal name Guiying and the courtesy name Huaxuan. He dwells on a golden bed within jade curtains, wearing a purple embroidered brocade skirt. In cultivation one should swallow saliva fifty times in succession, then recite softly:

Taiyi Zhenhuang, Zhonghuang Zijun, personal name Guiying, courtesy name Huaxuan. You wear at your waist a bell of flowing fire that slays evil and extinguishes the treacherous; you hold the essence of the stars, and from your head arises a radiance like the sun. Please sit upright and emit true Qi (vital energy) so that I may swallow this true Qi; please converse with me and share the Xuan Dan (the elixir Qi or essence obtained through internal cultivation), washing and refining my seven po (the seven souls that constitute the spiritual activities of the human body) and harmonizing my three hun (the three souls of the human body according to Daoist teaching). May the true Shen (spirit) protect me so that I may fly aloft and become an immortal; may the five viscera naturally generate vitality, restoring white hair to black and a childlike countenance; grant me the Shangqing Jing (scriptures) and make me a sovereign lord who governs the span of life. All my wishes and requests, may they be transformed into new blessings.

After reciting, visualize yourself entering the palace and resting before the Taiyi deity, then absorb true Qi and fall asleep. In this way one may also receive marvelous signs in dreams. Through continuous practice and accumulation one gradually attains the realm of meeting the Shen (spirit).

The Taishang Longshu states: “Sit upright within the Xuan Dan, neither leaning nor deviant.” This indicates the essential principle of the method. The practitioner should frequently visualize the purple Qi of Taiyi and inhale it into the body. Thereafter absorb true Qi and sleep; one may likewise obtain responses in dreams. Through repeated accumulation one gradually approaches the realm of meeting the Shen (spirit).

The practitioner should also frequently visualize Taiyi Zhenjun dwelling within the Xuan Dan and visualize the purple Qi of Taiyi encircling the self, then swallow the purple Qi. Practiced in this manner, one attains inexhaustible longevity and is delivered from all calamities; the Dao (the Way) of the Xuan Dan is thereby completed.