《洞真太上飞行羽经九真升玄上记》

The Taishang Dadao Jun (a revered Daoist deity) once obtained the Feixing Yujing Jiuzhen Shengxuan Shangji from the Xuhuang Gaozhen Daojun in the Yuqing Shang Gong. This Jing (scripture) is recorded in purple talismanic script and golden characters, and it sets forth methods for transcending the void, treading upon emptiness, and ascending by riding the clouds.

Later, the Taishang Dadao Jun transmitted the essential secrets of this Jing to the Shangqing Yudi Jun; the Yudi Jun passed them to the Shangyuan Taisu Jun, who in turn transmitted them to the Taiwei Tiandi Jun. The Taiwei Tiandi Jun then conveyed this true mystery to the Chen Zhong Huangjing Jun; the Huangjing Jun passed it to the Huangchu Ziling Jun, who further transmitted it to the Zhongyang Huanglao Jun. Finally, the Zhongyang Huanglao Jun transmitted it to the Jiuwei Taizhen Yubao Wang, Jinque Shangxiang Dasiming, Gaochen Shi Qingtong Taijun Fanmei, instructing him to use this Jing in teaching those destined to become Zhenren.

Anyone whose name is recorded in the Taisu Jianglu (the Daoist register of immortal Zhenren) or inscribed upon golden slips should have the opportunity to read this Jing; those who are not suitable will never encounter it. Transmission of the scripture must be carried out by the Jinque Shangxiang Dasiming Gaochen Shi Qingtong Taijun Fanmei, who is to employ it in instructing those who are to become Zhenren.

Anyone whose name is listed in the Taosu Jianglu (the Daoist register recording the names of immortals and Perfected Ones) or on the golden slips ought to have the opportunity to read this Jing (scripture). Those who are not suitable persons will never encounter it. Anyone wishing to transmit the Jing must first confirm that the recipient responds with sincere devotion and is capable of spiritual communion before it may be delivered. Both parties to the transmission must seal a blood covenant and swear never to leak it.

Those who possess this Jing will be attended by twenty-four jade lads and twenty-four jade maidens sent by the Three Lords of Grand Simplicity, who record and investigate any faults of leaking or neglecting the Jing while also protecting the holder. This is the Dao (the Way) of the Supreme Central Perfected. It does not belong to the ordinary successive stages of cultivation but is the Central Perfected Dao of the realm of Central Harmony. The holder’s title will be matched with the Three Primes and inscribed in the name register of Grand Simplicity. When traveling they bear purple yak-tail banners as insignia and ride in an eight-luminosity brocade carriage, preceded by a myriad of spirits and followed by a thousand Perfected Ones. Nine phoenixes cry out together, the music of Heavenly Harmony resounds, divine dragons open the way, and the Jade Emperor accompanies the carriage. They soar through the Great Void, roaming and feasting in the Cinnabar Empyrean, and ultimately take their place as Perfected of Highest Clarity, becoming teachers of the Jade Ministers.

All who cultivate the Taishang Feixing Yujing Shengxuan Jiuzhen must observe the rules of transmission: the Jing may be transmitted only six times in every three thousand years. If a suitable person is encountered, it may be transmitted all at once within a single day. If no suitable recipient is found, when the three-thousand-year term expires the text is written in vermilion characters on white silk, copied into six exemplars, and sealed in a chamber of the Golden Terrace on Mount Emei, after which it is no longer transmitted. To transmit it without a suitable person is to leak the Dao of the Perfected; to receive the Jing yet fail to keep the transmission precepts is to abandon the oaths of the Perfected. The transmitter of the Jing should be a Jing master, and the recipient should be a person eligible for transmission. When the three-thousand-year period expires, six copies are likewise to be made and sealed in the Golden Terrace of Mount Emei, after which it is no longer transmitted.

Anyone who violates the precepts of the Jing, treats this precious Jing with contempt, and leaks it will cause their ancestors of seven generations together with their parents to suffer the torture of wind-blades in the Mysterious Capital; they themselves will become ghosts of the lower realm, imprisoned in the Night River. Those who wish to receive the Dao of Flying must scatter gold to establish the covenant; those who wish to know the taboos of becoming an immortal must present a patterned kerchief as token. Those who already know this feathered book are in accord with the Dao of Heaven and Earth; those who hear this mysterious Jing can ride the clouds and ascend—this is precisely what is meant. At the end of the Jing it is noted that the text issues from the Weiyu Cavern Terrace and that names are inscribed therein.

The Three Origins Lord of Great Simplicity (a Daoist honored deity) said: “Immortals at first only knew the way of relying on the shelter of the Dipper stars (the Northern Dipper and other stars), but they did not know the method by which True Persons (those who have succeeded in cultivation) store and contain the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the Dipper stars. The Nine Dippers are the proper floral canopy of the Celestial Pivot and are also the exquisite treasure of the mysterious heavenly axis. They preside over the critical hubs, unify and command the eight directions, operate throughout the nine degrees of the celestial circuit, illuminate heaven and earth, circulate and gather harmonious Qi, regulate Yin-Yang, enabling all things to obtain their proper measure, reaching everywhere without exception. The mysterious radiance of the Dipper stars shines upon the sun and moon, causing the Xuanji (the pivot of heavenly bodies’ movement) to become visible at night. It propels the Four Images (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, also denoting the four directional star regions) into operation and circulation. Mystery and brilliance intershine, and their majestic radiance is displayed together.”

The Great Emperor Lord said: “Immortals know only how to attune Yin-Yang and to circulate the two Qi through exhalation and inhalation, yet they do not know that the Dipper stars are the very origin of Yin-Yang and also the mysterious guiding principle of the two images of sun and moon. They laboriously dwell upon the surface transformations of flux, without recognizing the root; they chase after twigs and leaves and thereby forfeit the foundation. Why not store the Nine Dippers within the heart, thereby bringing the two images of the sun and moon into harmony? After fourteen years of such cultivation, the Most High (the supreme honored deity) will come to welcome them riding a jade wheel, enabling the practitioner to surpass the void, tread upon emptiness, ascend into the Shangqing realm, and be ranked among the Upper True Ones. It will also restore Shen (spirit) and Qi, rendering the countenance like that of an infant, with a host of deities attending the chariot.”

The original first and second paragraphs show obvious traces of repetition and textual omissions; they have therefore been interpreted by combining them according to the coherent meaning of the passage.

Qing Tong Dajun said: Immortals often know only that the Xuanji (the Big Dipper) possesses formidable majesty, its radiance shining upon the host of stars. They observe the nine streams of stellar Qi (vital energy) in circulation and employ visualizations of the circuit of the heavens to gather and concentrate the mind-spirit, using this to protect the body, seek longevity, and become immortals. Yet they still do not know that the nine kinds of Qi must be drawn back into the body, contemplated inwardly, and the light of the Dipper stars stored within the Niwan Palace (the site of Neidan (internal alchemy) practice in the head). In this manner the hun and po souls congeal and undergo refinement, uniting with the numinous cloud-Qi, thereby comprehending the Dao (the Way) within, ascending to the Shangqing realm, and ultimately attaining the Dao to become a Highest Perfected One.

Therefore the Zhenren hold the image of the Great Dao in their embrace, concealing themselves amid clouds and rosy vapors, gathering the Jing (essence) and Qi of the Dipper stars into their bodies. It was for this very reason that my former master rode green clouds on the left and drove crimson morning clouds on the right, his body ascending to Taisu (the pure, empty, and remote immortal realm), transcending the void and traveling through empty space. During practice one visualizes the Dipper stars as purple and the rigid Qi of the stars as crimson, while feeling the warmth of the purple Qi; the size of the stars follows the mind’s visualization. This is the oral formula transmitted by Qing Tong Jun.

In ancient times Wu Chengzi, Gu Xizi, Guangchengzi, and Qing Zhenzi each visualized the Qi of the Dipper stars and entered together with their own bodies into a lotus seed. Suddenly they saw within the lotus seed a golden pool a thousand li across, jade mountains of ten thousand qing, palaces, platforms, and towers soaring into the clouds, vermilion trees bearing fruit, purple flowers filling the gardens, together with azure carriages, mysterious-yellow objects, the Three Su and Eight Shu, and other sights so marvelous they defy description. The four wandered for some time, feasting and gazing to their hearts’ content before returning. At that moment they were entirely unaware that they remained at the center of the lotus seed.

This refers to containing the vastness of heaven and earth within an extremely minute object, transforming without a trace. The ultimate reach of visualizing the stars is precisely to allow the large and the small to interchange freely and without obstruction. In this way even the tiniest space can hold the Eight Seas; what then is so remarkable about a lotus seed?

Practice should be performed on the first, third, and fifth days of each lunar month, at the yuzhong hour (late morning approaching noon) or at midnight, choosing one of these hours each session.

On the first, third, or fifth day of each lunar month, during the yuzhong hour (around nine to eleven in the morning) or at midnight, choose one of these times to perform the practice. Enter a quiet room, sit upright facing north, join the hands, regulate the breath, close the eyes and visualize. Then imagine the nine stars of the Northern Dipper descending and entering the Niwan Palace at the crown of the head (the inner visionary site at the center of the head). The handle of the Dipper points forward and the bowl faces upward.

After a while, suddenly visualize a great Shen (spirit) appearing in the bowl of the Dipper, whose clothing and title match those given in the preceding invocation. After visualizing at length, the head should feel slightly warm. This is the sign that the true Qi (vital energy) of the nine Jing (essence) of the Upper Prime (the subtle Qi associated with the Upper Prime and the Northern Dipper) has entered the body, producing an unusual warmth. Next swallow saliva fifty times, knock the teeth nine times, then raise the third finger of the left hand, press it between the eyebrows, and reciting softly:

“Most High Purple Radiance, supreme of the nine ways, floral canopy of seven descents, revolving in brilliant light that illuminates the myriad dawns. In motion you drive the high spirits; in stillness you attune the scenic clouds. The Qi of Yin-Yang circulates and infuses, the two Qi differentiating from within. Circling to succor, you reach everywhere; your light shines through all the heavens. Please set out at the beginning of the month and descend to the Niwan Palace. The primordial Jing-Qi interact and congeal, transforming into a great Shen (spirit) named Qiniu, styled Linggang. He sits upright in the central Dipper, touring my Mingtang (the spirit mansion within the head). Draped in a purple cape of phoenix feathers, wearing a cinnabar robe with tiger patterns; jade at the left, a golden ornament hanging from the right waist, holding a flowing bell, crowned with dawn light. He exhales true Qi, nourishing the Jing-Qi, bringing peace to the Niwan; causing the hun and po souls to condense, stabilize and unite, cultivating the floral pillars and beams of the body. Let me become a flying immortal, transcending the void and walking upon emptiness; jade at the left, a golden ornament hanging from the right waist, holding a flowing bell, crowned with dawn light. He exhales true Qi, nourishing the Jing-Qi, bringing peace to the Niwan; causing the hun and po souls to condense, stabilize and unite, cultivating the floral pillars and beams of the body. Make me a flying immortal, transcending the void and walking upon emptiness, ascending into Shangqing (the high celestial realm of Daoism); driving tigers and dragons, going north to have audience with the King Emperor, proceeding to the Qionglin Upper Palace, then westward paying homage to Taisu, and offering respects to the Three Primes (the three origins or three honored deities of Daoism).”

When the invocation is finished, swallow saliva thirty more times, knock the teeth nine times, then recite the preceding invocation once again. Afterward rise and bow twice facing north, then bow twice facing west. Once the bows are complete, cease closing the eyes to visualize, and the rite is ended.

In a bedroom, still chamber, or other quiet place, it is sufficient to cultivate according to this method. When performing the rites there is no need to kneel all the way to the ground. The Zhenren (the Perfected One who has attained the Dao), when performing ritual methods, emphasizes remaining at ease in a suitable position, honoring principles that are subtle yet concise, no longer engaging in complicated, circuitous actions that go against convention, and not disrupting the original arrangement of the dwelling. The essential formula does not lie in elaborateness; the key within it is exceedingly marvelous.

Thereafter, when performing the method of the “Three Invocations” (the different rituals of prayer or practice), one generally follows this same approach; only the invocatory texts differ, and the orientation when visualizing the stars also varies. The crucial point is to carry it out in a hidden inner chamber so that others do not see one’s visualization (cunsi, the focused concentration of thought and visualization). This is because during visualization the Jade Lads and Jade Maidens (the immortal youths and maidens who attend the deities) will be present nearby, observing.

Furthermore, one should not participate in mourning rites nor approach corpses, for filthy and deviant Qi (vital energy) readily contaminates. Clothing, bedding, headcloths, shoes, and similar items should not be mixed indiscriminately or lent to those who are not of the same kind. By “the same” is meant those whose aspirations accord and who cultivate the Dao together. Do not sit on the same mat with those whose interests do not coincide; do not share a table and eat with those who are not fellow practitioners and allies. Those who cultivate the Dao are distinguished from worldly people.

Do not stay in the rooms of those who revere the “Six Heavens” or who sacrifice to the demonic spirits of mountains and rivers; do not eat the food they prepare, nor wear their clothes or don their headcloths. This is to avoid the turbid Qi emitted by corpse pollution and to cut off the traffic of deviant Qi. This is what is called the True Dao within the True Dao, the subtlety within subtlety. Only by realizing these marvelous points can one obtain the True Dao; only by avoiding pollution can one obtain freshness and purity.

If one mixes all kinds of people together in residence, places the foul and the fragrant in the same vessel, fails to distinguish the spirits and deities, fails to regulate the Qi, allowing the deviant and the orthodox to intermingle and the greedy and the honest to occupy the same space, remaining unalert even when deviant winds invade, remaining amid worldly dust without thinking of transcendence, yet hoping thereby to seek the True Dao—then the so-called True Dao cannot be obtained. A luminous night pearl does not grow in a cesspit, nor do lowly plants grow on towering mountain ridges; this is precisely the principle.

When concentrated sincerity induces a response, numinous efficacy appears in subtle details; the Jade Radiance (the auspicious light manifested by immortals) conveys confirmation, and the divine light also reveals its brilliance. Yet unless it is your own master, do not speak of these matters.

The Great God of the Dipper is a Shen (spirit) that appears through the inductive response of the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the nine stars. It may at times transform and manifest, appearing suddenly, and might even show itself in a cesspit; those of weaker power cannot appear on high mountain ridges. When Jing and Qi induce a response, the form of the Shen seems both present and absent; spiritual responses arise in the subtlest places, the Jade Flower appears as verification, and the divine light shines in accompaniment. Do not speak of this to anyone except your master.

The Great God of the Dipper is what suddenly appears after the inductive response of the nine stars’ Jing and Qi. When practicing this method, silently hold the name of the Shen in the mind. After the invocation is recited, the Shen summoned by the prayer will also appear, and one should continue to visualize it inwardly as before. If the visualization is of the star Shen in the Niwan Palace, let it reside there constantly. All similar cultivation may take this as the standard.

Visualize the Big Dipper descending, concentrating single-mindedly until the self is forgotten, as if it has already entered the body. At the outset of visualization, if no clear response arises, simply continue to focus the thought; even the mere sense that it is already within the body is enough to elicit a response. Over time one will gradually enter a subtle and marvelous realm.

On the seventh, ninth, and twelfth days of each month, around the Si hour or at midnight, enter the chamber, sit upright, interlace the hands, regulate the breath, and close the eyes slightly. Then visualize the nine stars of the Big Dipper descending into the heart, with the Dipper’s handle pointing upward and firmly appearing within the body. This too is sufficient to elicit a response; over time one will gradually enter a subtle and marvelous realm.

On the seventh, ninth, and twelfth days of each month, around the Si hour or at midnight, enter the chamber, sit upright, interlace the hands, regulate the breath, and close the eyes slightly. Then visualize the nine stars of the Big Dipper descending into the heart; further let the handle point upward toward the throat, with the Dipper’s bowl facing outward. After a time, one suddenly sees a Great God within the Dipper’s bowl, whose clothing and name are as stated in the invocation. After a long while one should feel warmth in the heart as Zhen Qi (true Qi) enters the body. Then swallow saliva fifty times, knock the teeth nine times, raise the index finger of the right hand to press over the heart, and softly recite the prayer:

The Supreme Purple True One (the highest True Spirit of the Purple Tenuity) is a wondrous numinous presence among the Nine Qi (the nine kinds of primordial vital energy that constitute Heaven and Earth), encompassing all phenomena. The Xuanji (the pivot of celestial motion, also referring to the stars) shines with brilliant radiance, flying auroras swirl and flow, illuminating the Jade Purity (Yuqing, one of the heavenly realms spoken of in Daoism). The mysterious celestial canopy covers the host of stars, and Yin-Yang are thereby distinguished and take form; the harmonious Qi of the four seasons intermingles and descends, and the Seven Wefts (referring to the sun, moon, and five planets) proceed in orderly sequence. On auspicious days at the beginning of each month, numinous light shines into the heart, streaming radiance falls and fills the Middle Origin (the central region within the human body). The gates of the Six Palaces (referring to the various viscera within the body) open, the floral fluids (referring to the saliva) within are harmonized, and the hun and po souls are restrained and tempered.

The practitioner who obtains the essential gist of the True Dao (the Way), once the resonant response arrives, can trigger transformation, and all manner of divine transmutations of Shen are accomplished in an instant. Suddenly one sees a great Shen seated peacefully in the heart chamber (in Daoist concepts of internal cultivation, the heart is the dwelling place of the Shen/spirit), regulating the breath and facing the fluids. Qi and blood circulate throughout every part of his body; he grasps and holds the Northern Dipper, relies upon the Doukui (the bowl of the Dipper), and gazes afar in the four directions. The great Shen is named Xuandu, courtesy name Sukang; he wears a green feathered robe and a splendid cape, a dragon-patterned sash at the waist, and tiger-patterned garments; precious light radiates from his body, a circular halo is behind his neck, and he wears a Flying Dawn crown upon his head, adjusting the cap so that it sits at a fitting height. He causes me to become a flying immortal, rising transcendent into the Great Void, ascending to the Purple Palace (the purple heavenly court), to pay homage facing north to the Jade Emperor and to command the myriad Shen. Hosts of numinous beings come forth to welcome me; a lotus blossom arises in my heart, auspicious clouds of good fortune flourish enduringly, phoenixes cry with clear and soaring notes, and the calls of luan birds ring out resonantly and pleasantly.

When the prayer is complete, swallow saliva thirty times, then click the teeth nine times, and then pray once more according to the preceding text. When the prayer is finished, rise and face south to bow twice; the ritual concludes here, after which one opens the eyes.

On the fifteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-third days of each month, in the late morning (yuzhong), or at midnight, sit upright and properly indoors, join both hands together, regulate and settle the breath, close the eyes and sit in stillness. After completing the prescribed ritual, pray once more according to the preceding text; when the prayer is finished, rise and face south to bow twice; the ritual concludes here, after which one opens the eyes.

On the fifteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-third days of each month, during mid-morning (Yuzhong), or at midnight, enter a quiet chamber, sit upright with both hands joined, settle the breathing and concentrate the gaze. After this is completed, visualize the nine stars of the Northern Dipper descending and entering the Lower Primordial Palace three cun below the navel (the cultivation site beneath the navel). Visualize the “scoop” of the Dipper’s handle standing upright, its face turned upward toward the heart, with the bowl of the Dipper facing outward. Visualize in this manner for a long time, until suddenly a great deity appears within the bowl of the Dipper, whose attire and name are as described in the invocation. At this moment one should also feel a slight warmth in the navel; this is what practitioners call the arrival of true Qi (vital energy).

Then swallow saliva sixty times, click the teeth nine times, raise the third finger of the left hand and press the Renzhong point below the nose, then softly recite the following invocation:

“Supreme Purple Sovereign (the highest Purple Tenuity Heavenly Emperor), whose radiance illuminates the central pivot, the nine jade zhang (jade implements symbolizing the majesty of the spirits) shine with gleaming brilliance, beautiful as the Grand Rosy Clouds. The myriad spirits look up and receive his protective pacification; the host of celestial deities array themselves like planted ivory banners. Sevenfold radiance appears; nine layers of cloud-Qi bloom in fragrance. He constrains Yang Qi so that it proceeds in accord, and holds Yin Qi so that it is brought into harmony. True light opens the array; the mysterious root governs all things. Now on this auspicious day of the mid-month, gazing within the navel, purple Qi rises into the heavens, flying light descends freely; refine and nourish my hun and po souls, causing the splendid fluids to encircle and steam. Suddenly I behold a great deity, a noble spirit of the Upper Palace, named Zhu Meng, style name Liu Yu, seated upright within the navel. The mysterious root governs all things. Now on this auspicious day of the mid-month, gazing within the navel, purple Qi rises into the heavens, flying light descends freely; refine and nourish my hun and po souls, causing the splendid fluids to encircle and steam. Suddenly I behold a great deity, a noble spirit of the Upper Palace, named Zhu Meng, style name Liu Yu, seated upright within the navel. He rides the nine Qi of the Northern Dipper, inhaling and exhaling cloud-fluids; he harmonizes the blood and Qi and regulates the stomach and viscera. He is clad in a yellow phoenix-feather robe, wears a dragon-patterned garment and a tiger-patterned sash; in his hand he opens the source of the sun, on his head he wears a green Fulu (talisman and register), and from his waist living fire-light flows, shining with incomparable brilliance. May he cause me to fly up and become an immortal, to transcend the void and tread upon floating clouds, to ascend to the Jade Chambers (celestial palaces), to come and go through the high heavens, to command the myriad spirits, and to share the longevity of heaven and earth.”

After the invocation, swallow saliva thirty more times, click the teeth nine times, and recite the preceding invocation once again. When the prayer is finished, rise and bow twice facing one’s natal direction. After the bows, open the eyes; the method of cultivating the Lower Primordial is then complete. Raising the hand to press the Renzhong is the prescribed gesture while reciting the invocation; after the prayer ends, the hands are again joined as they were at the beginning.

On the night of each of the eight solar terms (Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice), at midnight, enter a quiet chamber, sit upright, join the hands, regulate the breath evenly, close the eyes, and turn the gaze inward. Visualize the body slowly rising and flying into the bowl of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper. Continue this for a time until it feels as though one is already situated within the Dipper’s bowl. Concentrate on the visualization until heat is felt in the body; the scripture states that this is the sign that one’s own True Qi has united with the Dao.

Next, visualize the names and the colors of the vestments of the Nine Essences and the Three Great Deities. Their appearance is like that of newborn infants. Visualize the three deities sitting opposite oneself and, in the mind, offer them a salute. Focus intently on their forms while gradually releasing attachment to one’s own physical body, allowing consciousness to enter a state of vague emptiness and luminous clarity.

Then swallow saliva eighty times and knock the teeth nine times. Raise the left hand and rest it over the heart, then perform the zhengzhu (the ritual of praying to the deities), saying:

The Supreme Danling, the highest spirit of the alchemical path, manifests, and mysterious radiance sparkles and flows. The Nine Zhang open the Xuan Palace, light and Qi (vital energy) spreading forth in clarity; the light of the Purple Dawn shines dimly, the Seven Luminaries (the sun, moon, and five planets) gather, and the two luminaries of sun and moon shine in unison. Yin-Yang is thereby distinguished, and the measures of the four seasons operate in prosperity. The Cloud Ford, where cloud-qi gathers, whirls and infuses, and the Eight Nodes, the eight seasonal junctions, open the primordial Qi.

The practitioner ascends to the Nine Origins, climbing the stellar net according to the positions of the Northern Dipper, and pays homage to the Three Spirits. The Three Spirits ask me why I still linger in the human world and have not yet become an immortal. I immediately kowtow, my heart fearing ghosts and spirits. The Emperor Lord then displays awesome radiance, holding the Jing (essence) of the sun in his mouth, shattering the Six Heavens with his left hand and subduing Deng Mountain with his right. The light of the ritual bell rises, and the myriad demons scatter and are destroyed.

The Emperor Lord then harmonizes my hun and po souls, strengthening my three hun; he conceals the radiance of the Northern Dipper within the body and stores the nine kinds of Jing-Qi in the heart. Purple auroras illuminate the interior, flying light extending ten thousand zhang; he regulates the hun, subdues the po, and refines the six viscera. After the Jing-Qi communicates and undergoes transformation, the Jade Consort suddenly appears, seated upright in my heart, looking down and gazing upward. Her name is Mihua, styled Linqian; she inhales and exhales vermilion primordial Qi, bringing peace to the hundred meridians throughout the body.

She wears embroidered silk draperies, clad in garments of phoenix radiance and a skirt patterned with luan birds, a tiger-striped Fulu (talismans and registers) tied at her waist, and dragon-patterned jade inscriptions on her clothing; she holds the lunar essence in her hands and wears a solar crown on her head. She soars through the distant heavens, riding sunlight and mounting cloud-Qi, inscribing my name in Taisu, the sublime heavenly realm of Daoism. I am thereby able to fly and become an immortal, transcending the dusty world, riding the qionghua Qi to ascend to Taiyuan, reaching the Vermilion Chamber, and commanding the myriad Shen (spirits).

The ritual further records the Emperor Lords of the four directions together with the sounds and lights of thunder and lightning: the Northern Emperor’s lightning quakes, the Southern Emperor’s fire array spreads, the Eastern Emperor Lord opens brightness with awesome thunder, the Western light circulates, striking twice and emitting a ringing. The divine powers of the four directions lift me up, causing me to ascend, recommending me as a Jade True One, an immortal who has attained the Dao. Thereupon I ride the Qi of the Eight Sceneries, roaming and feasting among the nine-layered mists and vapors.

When the prayer is completed, swallow saliva thirty times, knock the teeth nine times, and pray again as before. After the prayer, rise, face northwest, and bow twice, then open the eyes; thus the true method of the Eight Nodes is completed.

This method of the Dao (the Way) is a secret and wondrous gateway for transcending the mundane world and soaring aloft through empty space; it is also an extraordinary cultivation practice among the Nine Perfected. It is divided into three stages of practice, carried out for nine days each month, and is therefore called the Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ascending to Mystery. This is a precious text that the Most High strictly forbids from being transmitted outside and keeps treasured within; it is also an important secret for cultivating to become a Perfected Person.

When a suitable candidate is met and one prepares to transmit it, the recipient of the method should observe a purification fast for one hundred days, thirty days, or ten days, choosing according to actual circumstances. One must also fast for one day before the formal transmission in order to cleanse the inner heart. The transmitter of the method must likewise observe the fast just as the recipient does.

On the day of formally delivering the scripture (Jing) and method, the old custom required both parties to smear blood, construct an altar, and cut their hair to swear an oath, serving as proof that the scripture and method would not be leaked. Later sages considered that smearing blood would harm the vital life-force and cutting the hair would damage the body, and therefore substituted two yi of gold in place of the blood oath of trust, and thirty-two chi of azure soft silk in place of cutting the hair to establish the covenant. Here “yi” is an ancient unit of weight.

After the master receives these objects of the covenant, they must not be scattered for private profit, nor may they be misused; they should be given as gifts to those who cultivate the Dao in mountain seclusion and to impoverished companions of the Dao. If used in practices of super-ascent and soaring through emptiness or walking upon the void, the covenant objects may also be placed in a quiet chamber in the mountains or scattered among the cloudy cliffs. This is done to demonstrate that the Heavenly Dao values covenants and oaths of trust, while the methods of the Dao do not take cherishing the physical body as the primary concern.

If these precepts and agreements are not observed, the seven generations of ancestral parents of this life and future lives will all suffer the wind-knife punishments of the Mysterious Capital, and one oneself will also fall to become a ghost in the earth prisons. The years of transmission and the specific procedures should all follow the previously stated standards and be carefully observed. The objects used for the covenant should all be of the finest and purest quality. During transmission one should open a sincere heart, remain upright and solemn, be open and genuine, single-minded and trustworthy, and thoroughly explain all that ought to be explained.

The one who receives the scriptures (Jing) is the ancestral master; the one who transmits the scriptures is the scripture master. Upon hearing the Great Dao (the Way), one should revere and emulate one's teacher. Those who hope for long life should set their minds on the immediate way of cultivating life. If one does not observe the teachings one has received, becoming negligent and careless, contrary and indolent, then the ancestors of three generations will be punished by the Fire Official, and one will oneself develop illnesses brought on by karmic causes.

Xuanyuan once took the Elder of Panshan as his teacher. The Elder knew only the art of refining stones and possessed no other mysterious powers—how could he compare to Jinyun? Xuanyuan once asked him about the method of refining stones, and so took him as teacher. The Elder of Jingshan is Ji Youzi, who now lives at Weiyu Mountain. He can refine stones into water, decoct the water into jade, grind the jade into powder, and take it together with the stone water. Knowing this method he can exist coeval with Heaven and Earth; but he cannot soar in flight, nor hold the morning glow in his hands. Although the art of stone-refining is marvelous, it is after all only a minor technique.

The foregoing is the content of the Most High Scripture of Feathered Flight, the Upper Record of the Nine Perfected Ascending Mystery (Taishang Feixing Yujing Jiuzhen Shengxuan Shangji). The methods of the Dao come to an end here. Its lower volume, the sixth, is the Most High Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected (Taishang Jiuzhen Zhongjing). Although the upper and lower volumes have order and oral formulas, the methods and uses they describe are different from each other and not connected. The Central Yellow Elder Lord transmitted this scripture separately to the Perfected of Great Void, succeeding in sequence with the “Secret Words of the Eight Daos.” The Jiuzhen Zhongjing is practiced in the human realm and also has oral formulas; the text of the scripture, owing to its secret nature, has not been written out. Now we explain further.

The first perfected method should be practiced in the human world on the fifth, fifteenth, twenty-fifth, twenty-seventh, and twenty-ninth of the fifth month, a total of five times, all in the early morning.

The second perfected method should be practiced on the eighth, eleventh, fourteenth, nineteenth, twenty-third, and twenty-seventh of the eighth month, a total of six times, all during the chen hour (about 7 to 9 a.m.).

The Third True Method is to be practiced on the sixth, seventh, seventeenth, eighteenth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth days of the sixth lunar month, for a total of six times within the month, all during the Si hour (9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.).

The Fourth True Method is to be practiced on the second, eighth, fourteenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-eighth days of the first lunar month, for a total of six times within the month, all during the Wu hour (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).

The Fifth True Method is to be practiced on the third, eighth, thirteenth, twentieth, and twenty-sixth days of the third lunar month, for a total of five times within the month, all during the Wei hour (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.).

The Sixth True Method is to be practiced on the seventh, eleventh, fourteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fifth, and twenty-eighth days of the seventh lunar month, for a total of seven times within the month, all during the Shen hour (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

The Seventh True Method is to be practiced on the second, sixth, ninth, thirteenth, sixteenth, nineteenth, twenty-third, and twenty-seventh days of the eleventh lunar month, for a total of eight times within the month, and may be performed during the Shen hour (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) or the You hour (5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.).

The Eighth True Method is to be practiced on the second, seventh, ninth, fifteenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-seventh days of the second lunar month, for a total of seven times within the month, and may be performed during the Xu hour (7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) or the Hai hour (9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.).

The Ninth True Method is to be practiced on the third, ninth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twenty-sixth, and twenty-ninth days of the twelfth lunar month, for a total of six times within the month, all during the Zi hour (11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.).

In the original text a paragraph repeating the dates and hours of the Fifth True Method appears before the Sixth True Method; the Ninth True Method likewise contains a passage that does not specify the month and whose wording is identical to that of the Eighth True Method. The interpretation given above follows the complete listings of the Sixth and Ninth True Methods that appear later in the text.

The cultivation formulas of the Jiuzhen Zhongjing (Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected) conclude here. The days of this month are times when the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang converges, revolves, and attunes itself in harmony, generating primordial Qi and gathering Jing (essence) and Qi. At these times it is suitable to concentrate the Shen (spirit) in visualization, and it is also easy to communicate with the mysterious and wondrous realm.

If someone lives in seclusion on lofty mountain ridges, dwelling among rocks wreathed in clouds and mist, cutting off all contact with people both inner and outer, abstaining from grains and ordinary food in order to cleanse the intestines and stomach, rectifying body and mind, and following “Hanchen” (a morning cultivation practice conducted according to the methods of the Jing), then they should practice every day as described in this scripture. The reason only a comparatively brief method is recorded here is that worldly affairs are numerous and people cannot cultivate in leisure every day. If one can cultivate according to this for fourteen years, one can likewise transcend the dusty world and attain the realm of emptiness; one can make life and death subject to oneself, pass in and out of water and fire, ascend to Shangqing (Highest Clarity, the high heavenly realm of which Daoism speaks), and cause the five viscera to generate radiance that corresponds with Heaven.

The cultivation method described in the upper volume of the Shengxuan Yujing (Feathered Scripture of Ascending to Mystery) proceeds along three paths, performed nine times each month. This arrangement likewise takes into account that people of the world still find it difficult to attain a state of extreme purity and stillness.

If one can observe long-term fasting and precepts, maintain purity and stillness, cultivate in solitude, look up to the lofty, distant, and empty-luminous realm, and concentrate on remaining far from worldly affairs, then it is suitable to practice in sequence on these days. Performing the practice nine times each month is arranged for those who dwell in the world.

During the practice of the “Eight Nodes Ascending the Dipper” ritual, visualization (cunsi, through quiet sitting and imaginative contemplation of the spirits) is also required. Suddenly a Jade Consort appears within the Dipper, seated upright before one. Riding purple vapor, she enters one’s heart; after a long time her garments become identical to those used in the Eight Nodes prayer rites. This woman is the yin spirit of the Nine Jing (essences) and is also the high consort of the Jade Clarity (Yuqing) realm. The foregoing comes from the oral instructions of the Azure Lad.

The following note is a textual collation remark: terms such as “Jade Emperor,” “Heavenly Emperor of Great Tenuity,” “Yellow Radiance,” “Yellow Elder Lord,” and “zai” were supplied on the basis of the Shangqing Scripture of the Five Constants, Transformations, Myriad Changes and Dark Profundity; in one other instance the original reading “gong” was emended to “juan.”