《太微灵书紫文仙忌真记上经》

Fangzhu Qingtong Jun (a perfected immortal in the Shangqing Jing) copied this Jing (scripture) and transmitted it to Gong Zhongyang and Youyang of Zhutian Danling, then had them pass it on to the various Zhenren of the Southern Palace.

Qingtong Jun said: “Cultivating to become an immortal is difficult, and the difficulties are of more than one kind. The difficulty spoken of here is not the hardships of worldly life; the difficulty of attaining immortality also includes some matters that are hard to set down clearly in writing. Even if a person possesses the physiognomy of an immortal and ought to be able to fly and ascend, there are still ten circumstances that can damage this immortal physiognomy. Even relying on having an immortal physiognomy, if one nevertheless violates these taboos and ruins the immortal physiognomy, one cannot become an immortal. Now I secretly inform those who possess the immortal physiognomy that you ought to observe them.

Do not indulge in lust. Lust causes the hun fluids to flow outward and be lost, the radiance of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) to wither and dry up, the primordial Shen (spirit) to be scorched and damaged, the hun and po to scatter and disperse, the bones to become brittle and the marrow filthy. The hun and po will wail in the lingfu, their voices reaching the heavenly pavilions, causing the Three Palaces (the palaces in the human body associated with spirits and Jing-Qi) to fall into contention and chaos, and the Taiying (the numinous deity within the body) to grieve and become disordered. This is the first behavior that damages the immortal physiognomy.

Do not secretly harm others, nor be vicious and brutal. Viciousness causes the Huangting (the region in the body for storing Shen and refining Qi) to contend in chaos, the Three Corpses (the spirits that according to Daoism dwell in the human body and record faults) to delight in killing, the hun Shen to spy upon wickedness, and the po ghosts to invade the dwelling; the gaze scatters like weapons, and a breath that injures others arises in the mouth. This is the second behavior that damages the immortal physiognomy.

Do not become drunk on wine. Drunkenness causes the physical form to deteriorate, the Shen and the true Qi to become disordered, the hun to forget its original chamber, the po to wander to deviant places, the Chizi (a Daoist term symbolizing the pure primordial Shen within the body) to fly away and scatter, and the fire Qi in the throat and brain to be exhausted. This is the third behavior that damages the immortal physiognomy.

Do not be filthy or negligent and thereby lose solemnity. Filth and negligence cause the clear numinous Qi to lose its original authenticity, the Jing hun to be unable to dwell in peace, pests to breed in the Three Palaces, the Chizi to drift and wander, the blood to become turbid and the marrow to stink, the Shen light to lose its dwelling place, the po to flee toward the evil gate, and even to attract documents of death. This is the fourth behavior that damages the immortal physiognomy.”

Fifth, do not eat the meat of the zodiac animal corresponding to the natal year of one’s parents. Otherwise the innate primordial form loses its foundation and the root of life loses its proper measure. The fetal spirit (Taishen, the spirit that protects the fetal origin) howls in grief, the Crimson Lord (Jiangjun, a Shen (spirit) within the body) sighs in yearning, the three hun (the hun-Shen of the human body according to Daoism) suffer bitterly, and the po (the soul attached to the physical form) seeks the grave. Once this meat enters the mouth, life plunges into a long darkness. This is the fifth omen of ruining the immortal Dao (the Way).

Sixth, do not eat the meat of the zodiac animal corresponding to one’s own natal year. Otherwise the physical form and Shen may be invaded, the Niwan (referring to the head and the Shen-Qi (Qi, vital energy) residing in the brain) declines, the Three Palaces (the three locations of Shen-Qi in the body) close, the Infant (referring to the primordial Shen or true Qi within the body) becomes disordered, the hun-Shen fly and scatter, and the po-ling seek the coffin. This is the sixth omen of ruining the immortal Dao.

Seventh, do not eat the meat of the six livestock (the commonly raised domestic animals). Otherwise Qi and form stagnate and grow foul, the Jing-ling (Jing, essence, and ling) become turbid and obstructed, the brain marrow decays and the teeth wither and are damaged, and death-qi is generated in the spleen; the hun no longer receive true Qi while the po generate deviant qi. The body sinks into a deep abyss and the bones themselves wish to be buried in the earth. This is the seventh omen of ruining the immortal Dao.

Eighth, do not eat the five pungents (wuxin, foods of strong pungent odor such as onions and garlic). Otherwise the five viscera emit a foul stench, the Three Flowers (the essences manifested by the body’s Jing-Qi) collapse in disorder, Shen-Qi cannot remain upright and unobstructed, and the Jing-fetus sinks and perishes; hun and po separate, the Red Infant (referring to the primordial Shen within the body) grows agitated and distressed, the flying ling lose their protection, and the radiance in the eyes scatters and flows away. This is the eighth omen of ruining the immortal Dao.

Ninth, do not kill insects or other living beings. Otherwise one forms enmities with the myriad things as if of weapons and warfare, the corpse-bones are bound and blood-vengeance entangles the body; the physical form grows violent, the po-qi becomes ferocious, the hun-qi battle one another, the fetal ling wanders unsettled, the True Infant flees and scatters, deviant qi rages wildly in the Niwan, the Red Infant abandons the body and rebels, and the corpse-body seems as if fallen into boiling soup, boiled by water and rotten by fire. This is the ninth omen of ruining the immortal Dao.

The original text contains repetitions or variants in wording in the sixth, seventh, and ninth items; the above merges the repeated content and follows the more complete version of each item.

The Tenth Taboo: Do not bow facing north or raise your head to gaze at the sun, moon, and stars; do not comb your hair, remove clothing, or unfasten your belt while facing north, nor spit or curse facing north. These actions offend “Po” and “Wang.” “Po” refers to the earthly branch in which the Year God resides, while “Wang” refers to the direction of the currently vigorous Qi (vital energy).

Do not become angry toward the sun, moon, and stars. On the days of the Eight Seasonal Nodes (the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice), do not administer punishments. Do not become angry on the first day of each lunar month. On the six Jia days, do not eat the flesh of turtles, dragons, or animals with scales and shells. On Bingwu days, do not eat pheasant meat; on Bingzi days, do not eat the meat of black beasts. On Gengshen days, do not engage in sexual intercourse, nor share a bed and lie together with a woman. On Yimao days, do not become heavily intoxicated.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, do not take life while facing north. On the ninth of the second month, do not eat fish. On the third of the third month, do not eat the five viscera of animals or the tender hearts of the hundred herbs. On the eighth of the fourth month, do not kill grass or fell trees. On the fifth of the fifth month, do not look upon blood. On the sixth of the sixth month, do not disturb the earth. On the seventh of the seventh month, do not dwell on evil thoughts. On the fourth of the eighth month, do not purchase various shoes or other items worn on the feet. On the ninth of the ninth month, do not arrange the bed mats. On the fifth of the tenth month, do not punish others. On the eleventh of the eleventh month, do not fail to bathe. During the last three days of the twelfth month, do not fail to fast, burn incense, and invoke the immortals.

Taboos such as these are matters strictly forbidden in both the celestial realm and the human world. The Three Officials (Sanguan, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water) inspect and verify them; violating them constitutes a grave crime. Transgressing the taboos may cause the three hun souls to contend with one another and the seven po souls to scatter, or may incur the aversion of the Fetal Spirit, damaging the Three Palaces within the body (locations in the human body regarded as the dwelling places of spirits). Nightmares will then disturb the mind and Shen (spirit), demons and sprites will seize the opening to enter, Jing (essence) and Qi will suffer harm, the thoughts of Shen will become dazed and confused, and various changes will occur in body and mind. The taboos are numerous, and people may not clearly know how to avoid them. If you can observe them in your cultivation, you possess the qualifications to become an immortal; if you do not observe the heavenly prohibitions, you will suffer injury.

Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way), upon the arrival of the Autumnal Equinox, should all maintain inner stillness, observe fasting and self-restraint, refrain from giving rise to evil thoughts, and constantly resolve to seek ascent and become immortals. The ancient divine beings said: “If one wishes to ascend to heaven, one must treat the Autumnal Equinox with caution. Sins great or small will all be reported upward; seeking immortality while carrying sins makes becoming an immortal exceedingly difficult.” Therefore, in cultivating the Dao one must remain vigilant toward one’s own faults. These are words of the utmost importance.

If one is a Daoist who has long observed fasting, at noon on the Autumnal Equinox one should confess sins to the Seven Ancestors (the seven generations of forebears) and to one’s parents, examine the faults of one’s entire life, and swear to amend them. Unless one truly possesses a pure and unworldly character, one must be especially cautious when making this confession on that day.

Qing Tong Jun (an immortal sage of Daoism) said: “If you understand that the signs of seeking immortality are not the most urgent matter, then you ought to realize that avoiding the signs of failure is what truly matters. People of the dusty and defiled world often possess merely a human form; how could they possibly know the path of cultivating the Dao with assistance that leads toward immortality?

Those who cultivate the Dao should first extensively perform hidden De (Virtue, good deeds done in secret without seeking reward), treating all beings with a compassionate heart, rescuing those who have fallen into hardship and delivering those in peril; they should regard wealth lightly and value the Great Dao, bestow kindness and spread De, not begrudge material possessions but give them to the poor, and swear an oath with sincere Qi (vital energy) while humbly kneeling in prayer and supplication. Thus the important ancient teachings compare the accumulation of blessings and the performance of good deeds to the cultivation of a field of blessings, holding that only thereby can one set foot upon the path to immortality.”