《登真隐诀》

The first scroll of Dengzhen Yinjue was written by Tao Hongjing, the Recluse of Huayang. It records the cultivation formulas transmitted by Lord Su, a High Minister of Xuanzhou.

The transmitted formulas include material on “Guarding the One,” a method of cultivation that involves visualization and protecting what is authentic within the body. Its explanations are detailed and thorough. The scripture also includes the Scripture of Walking Through the Air, but discusses it only briefly. Since these teachings are difficult for practitioners to understand, they are annotated in detail one by one to dispel doubts and confusion.

True Talismans (the following section concerns True Talismans).

In the “True Talisman of the Taiji Emperor,” all four sections of talismanic writing are called “Taiji Emperor.” The Taiji Emperor is the emperor of the Taiji celestial realm and was also the master of the Three Ones whom the Sage Lord of the Golden Gate served when he first began to study the Dao. The “Three Ones” are the deities within the body corresponding to the upper, middle, and lower Three Origins.

There are six talismans for the Upper Origin, five for the Middle Origin, and five for the Lower Origin. Here, the upper, middle, and lower Origins refer to the Three Origin Palaces within the human body; the forms of the characters in each talisman also come from different sources. Juanzi obtained these talismans by cutting open a carp. They are the talismans the Supreme Lord Lao uses to summon the Three Ones and have them guard the body. Using talismans to summon the One and have it remain within the body is like using purple script to inform the Three Hun souls.

The Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice are the eight festivals on which to begin this practice. At dawn on each festival, face the direction of the ruling deity for that day and write a talisman in cinnabar on white paper. Swallow one talisman each day. After finishing, bow and offer a prayer of your choosing. When beginning the practice, write the talisman at dawn on the Beginning of Spring, facing the Yin direction, and start with the first talisman of the Upper Origin. Hold it in your left hand as you pray; when you have finished, swallow it, then bow.

You may also draw all sixteen talismans at once, cut them apart, and store them, taking one each morning to swallow. When swallowing an Upper Origin talisman, visualize it entering the Upper Palace; for a Middle Origin talisman, visualize it entering the Middle Palace; and for a Lower Origin talisman, visualize it entering the Lower Palace. The procedure is the same in each case. Before writing or swallowing talismans, burn incense on your left. Other scriptures that prescribe swallowing talismans often provide accompanying prayers. The instruction here that one may pray as one wishes means that a set prayer is not essential. You may also use four-character rhyming verses expressing the intention to summon the deities to appear; a set prayer is also provided elsewhere.

A talisman may also be worn on the head, enclosed in a brocade pouch, and must not be stepped on. After wearing it for five years, you will be able to meet the True One. When first beginning the practice, you may also, after drawing the talisman at dawn on the Beginning of Spring but before swallowing it, write the Three Origin talismans in cinnabar on plain white silk. Cut the silk into three pieces and hold all three together while praying. When you have finished, roll them up separately, place them in a purple brocade pouch, and wear it on your head; then swallow one paper talisman. It is enough to write and wear the talisman at the Beginning of Spring and wait to meet the True One. On the other festivals, there is no need to make and wear another talisman; simply write and swallow talismans again at the appointed times.

Begin swallowing talismans on one of the eight festivals, continuing for sixteen days in a row, then stop. When the next festival arrives, begin again in the same way. Each time, swallow the first talisman at dawn on the festival day. There are sixteen talismans in all, and the practice ends once they have been swallowed. Adjacent festivals are about forty-five days apart, while the solar terms are about fifteen days apart. Thus, if you begin swallowing talismans on a festival, you will finish just as the next solar term arrives. Since in the sixth month one is meant to visualize the Central Dipper, one should not omit swallowing talismans. The text mentions only eight festivals because it later says that four festivals are combined into a single prayer. In other words, talismans should still be swallowed, but the schedule should be arranged so that the practice does not conflict with the observances for the Summer Solstice and Beginning of Autumn.

After completing the Qi cultivation of the “Sovereign Lord of the Taiji,” one should, in the sixth month, visualize the Central Dipper—the stars at the center of the Northern Dipper—and must not neglect to wear the talisman. Only eight seasonal observances are singled out here because, together with the four observances discussed later, they form one and the same set of invocation rites. In other words, one should wear the talisman on those occasions as well, to distinguish the summer solstice from the beginning of autumn.

The “Precious Inscription of the Sovereign Lord of the Taiji” is said to have been transmitted by the Lord of the Azure Lad of the Eastern Sea to Juanzi, for sealing and guarding sacred mountains and exercising authority over them. It, too, was obtained by cutting it from the belly of a carp. This is not mentioned again here because the preceding talisman text has already explained it.

Write the Precious Inscription in cinnabar on white silk, and wear it at the left elbow. Do not let it come into contact with anything unclean. After wearing it for eight years, one will be able to see the “Three Ones”—the three unified spirits within the human body. First follow the method given earlier: draw the talisman during the day, then ingest and wear the Three Primordial Talisman. Afterward, face north and write the Precious Inscription on white silk, making it the same size as the gold Precious Inscription. Hold it in the left hand and make your invocation as you wish. When the invocation is complete, roll it up, place it in a purple brocade pouch, and wear it at the left elbow until you meet the spirits.

If the beginning of spring falls in the twelfth lunar month of the previous year, write and wear the inscription on the day of the beginning of spring, then ingest a new talisman on the first day of the first month. While wearing the Precious Inscription or the talisman, do not step on anything unclean. If circumstances temporarily make it inconvenient to wear them, or you fear you may forget them, you may put them away for a while. When the matter is over, remove them and place them in a container beside the bed.

The text says that wearing the inscription for eight years will allow one to see the Three Ones, while an earlier passage says that after five years one can meet the “True One.” These statements do not conflict: after five years, not all the spirits will have appeared. Meeting the “One” means not only seeing the Three Ones within oneself, but also the descent of the Three-One Imperial Lords from the Palace of Taiwei to meet the practitioner. The spirits who transmit scriptures are included as well. Thus one must first diligently maintain the One over a long period before one can commune with the external “One.”

On the morning of the first day of the first month, write a talisman using blue pigment. This, too, is called a Precious Inscription. Once ingested, it is called a “talisman”; only when engraved on metal and worn is it called an “inscription.” An “inscription” resembles a seal and has fixed dimensions that cannot be reduced. A “talisman,” by contrast, resembles an imperial edict and has no set size. The text therefore says that the talisman may be written small, somewhat shorter than the Precious Inscription.

Ingest a talisman every year on the morning of the first day of the first month, and continue until you see the “One.” When writing it, use fine kongqing or zengqing stone pigment. Grind it carefully, soak it in water to remove its metallic Qi, then mix it with glue and write it thinly on white paper. Do not make the writing too thick. Daiqing pigment may also be used. After writing while facing north, hold the talisman in the left hand and make an invocation, bow twice, then swallow it while visualizing it entering the Upper Palace. Whenever a talisman is ingested to summon or address the spirits within the body, one must bow. If addressing spirits outside the body, bowing is not required. All the examples here follow this rule.

After meeting the Three Ones, one may make a Precious Inscription of gold: nine cun long, four cun wide, and three fen thick, with the writing engraved upon it. “Gold” generally means gold, while “material” refers to the base on which the writing is engraved. This size would require more than ten jin of gold, beyond the means of most Daoist practitioners, so white metal—that is, silver—may also be used. The characters should be engraved like those on a seal and written in reverse. The dimensions follow the ancient measures. This inscription is used to seal and subdue evil spirits in mountains and rivers, and to govern the True Essences of the Five Sacred Peaks. The Three Primordial True-One Lords will personally teach the precise order of the rites when the time comes. The method of sealing and exercising authority involves the command of spirits, and its rules have not yet been disclosed; instruction can be received only after the Three Ones appear. This method comes from the Scripture of the Most High’s Pure Numina. The scripture says that this true classic has not yet circulated in the world and is the foundational classic of the method of maintaining the One.

The human head contains nine palaces. First, their locations must be explained, then the methods of cultivation. All the palaces lie inside the head, and their positions are measured inward through the bone from the point between the eyebrows.

The area extending three fen inward through the bone from between the eyebrows is called the “paired fields of Shoucun.” It is about one cun deep from front to back, with one field on each side. The Green Chamber lies on the left and the Purple Portal on the right, each inhabited by a deity. The paired fields of Shoucun also include the Terrace and Gate. Only the area seven fen deep within them is called the Hall of Light.

One cun inward from between the eyebrows is the Palace of the Hall of Light. The Perfect Lord Ming Tong dwells on the left, the Perfect Lady Ming Nü on the right, and the Lord Spirit of the Bright Mirror in the center: three deities in all. Two cun inward is the Palace of the Cavern Chamber. Although the interior of the head may generally be called the Cavern Chamber, here the term refers to its proper site: Lord Wu Ying dwells on the left, Lord Bai Yuan on the right, and Lord Huang Lao in the center: three deities in all.

Distances such as “one cun inward” and “two cun inward” are measured from between the eyebrows; they are not measured anew from the boundary of the paired fields of Shoucun. The author gives the Yellow Chamber of Long Valley in the Five Celestial Bodies method as an example. It lies at the philtrum, about two fen inward. Within it, the planet Saturn is suspended above, even protruding beyond the skin. If one had to go two fen inward to reach the Yellow Chamber, the planet could not appear outside the body. The scripture also says to enter directly by one cun, with a span of one cun, which provides further evidence. The Palace of the Heavenly Court is one cun above the Hall of Light; the Palace of the Emperor’s Domain, the Mysterious Palace where Mercury resides, is two cun above it. These descriptions likewise show that the distances are measured from between the eyebrows. Anyone able to see these true palaces will know that this account is correct.

Three cun inward from between the eyebrows is the Palace of the Cinnabar Field, also called the Palace of the Muddy Pellet. The Emperor Lord Red Child of the Upper Origin dwells on the left, and the Imperial Lord on the right. Four cun inward is the Palace of Flowing Pearls, inhabited by the True Spirit of Flowing Pearls. Five cun inward is the Palace of the Jade Emperor, inhabited by the Divine Mother of Jade Clarity.

In addition, one cun above the Hall of Light is the Palace of the Heavenly Court, where the True Lady of Highest Clarity dwells. One cun above the Cavern Chamber—that is, about two cun inward from between the eyebrows—is the Palace of Supreme Perfection, where the Imperial Consort of the Supreme Ultimate dwells. One cun above the Cinnabar Field—that is, about three cun inward—is the Palace of the Mysterious Cinnabar, also called the Portal of the Mysterious Cinnabar, where the True Lady of Highest Clarity dwells. One cun above Flowing Pearls—that is, about four cun inward—is the Palace of the Great Sovereign, where the Consort of the Most High Lord dwells. There is also the name “Mysterious Palace of the Mysterious Cinnabar and Muddy Pellet, Essence of the Brain,” inhabited by the True Lord Central Yellow Great One.

Thus, the head contains nine palaces. Apart from the combined area of the Hall of Light and Shoucun, each of the other eight palaces is about one cun square. Shoucun is not another palace; it is the Terrace and Gate outside the Hall of Light. The Hall of Light extends about one cun on each of its upper and lower sides, but is shallower from north to south, with a true depth of only seven fen.

Although all nine palaces lie in the head, they are ranked in order of status: highest is the Palace of the Jade Emperor, followed by the Palace of the Great Sovereign, the Palace of the Heavenly Court, the Palace of Supreme Perfection, the Palace of the Mysterious Cinnabar, the Palace of the Cavern Chamber, the Palace of Flowing Pearls, the Palace of the Cinnabar Field, and finally the Palace of the Hall of Light.

The palaces of the Hall of Light, the Cavern Chamber, the Cinnabar Field, and Flowing Pearls each have an associated method of cultivation. The scripture for the Palace of the Hall of Light now contains only a visualization method and seems to have no prayer formula; the author suspects that the transmitted text is incomplete. The method for the Palace of the Cavern Chamber is the Inner Scripture of the Cavern Chamber’s Advanced Adepts, as it is known today. It consists only of a recitation and does not explain how to visualize or apply the method. Although it has circulated in the world, the author has never seen an authentic original. The method for the Palace of the Cinnabar Field is the practice of maintaining the True One of the Three Origins, which originated in the Book of the Unadorned Spirit. The relevant teachings have been fully set out here. The method for Flowing Pearls is said to have been practiced by the Grand Dukes and Ministers of the Supreme Ultimate, as well as by the Lord of Fate; the Central Lord and Lesser Lord may also receive it. Though said to have been transmitted to the world, no one has ever seen it. The Central Lord once said, “If he practices diligently without slackening, I will transmit to him the true method of Flowing Pearls.” This seems to have been said to Yan Ke, but it is not known whether Yan Ke ever received the transmission. This, too, is a superior Daoist method at the level of the Central Truths.

The Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir Palace is also an important teaching transmitted by the True Official of Fate, the deity who governs life and the registers of destiny. It is the foundational scripture that presides over the Four Palaces. The scripture may be passed on to others only when the Emperor Lord of Taiji personally conveys it, and it is taught only at specific times. The Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir discusses the highest Dao. Its mention here seems to have offered an opportunity to explain it to Yan Ke, though it is unclear whether Yan Ke ultimately received the scripture.

The Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir sets out teachings that follow the Three-Ones method, and its source, too, was originally the Scripture of the Plain Numina. This Daoist method is exceptionally profound. It appears in the same volume as the Three Origins and is the method Su Jun ultimately practiced to become a Perfected One. Ziyang recorded the relevant events in a biography so they could be passed down to later generations. These two works were not originally the same scripture. The Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir has different vows and rules of transmission from the Three-Ones method, so a recipient need not receive both methods together. The Scripture of the Mysterious Elixir says that one should contemplate the Mysterious Elixir only after practicing and guarding the Three-Ones morning and evening. This means that those who cultivate the Mysterious Elixir may first practice guarding the One, while those who practice guarding the One need not necessarily know about the Mysterious Elixir.

If the Way of the Five Palaces circulates in the world, only those with the right affinity who have received their true names may encounter it. People who lack exceptional endowments and an unusual destiny will not hear these teachings. Many people in the world receive this Daoist method, but very few truly persist in practicing and guarding it. It cultivates the deities within the body, unlike other methods of cultivation. It is a secret method treasured by the Highest Perfected Ones, and can serve as the foundation of practice. Those who cultivate this Way can live long; those who do not will ultimately die. This does not mean that only people with special bone structure or destiny can practice it.

There are also four other palaces. The Jade Emperor Palace is inhabited by the Divine Mother of Jade Clarity; the Celestial Court Palace by the Perfected Lady of Highest Clarity; the Palace of the True Ultimate by the Imperial Consort of Taiji; and the Grand Sovereign Palace by the Empress of the Most High Lord. Earlier, the text sometimes calls the third palace the “Palace of the Ultimate True,” while here it calls it the “Palace of the True Ultimate.” The order of the two words differs, making it difficult to determine which form is correct; the variation may be due to an error in later copying. The deities who inhabit these four palaces are all female True Ones, whose level of practice is higher than that of the male True Ones. Each has precious scriptures, transmitted only to those who have become Perfected Ones. Those who have not yet become Perfected cannot hear them or receive the essentials of the female True Ones.

The deities in the five palaces mentioned earlier are all male, so they are called “the Male One.” The deities in these four palaces are all female, so they are called “the Female One.” In the Nine Palaces of the Upper Clarity Heaven of Great Tenuity, each palace is inhabited by a True Lord; accordingly, the human head also has corresponding palaces. The saying “In emptiness and harmony, one can guard the Male; in quiet solitude, one can guard the Female” means that a mind empty, still, and peaceful is suited to practicing and guarding the Male One, while a state of serene solitude is suited to practicing and guarding the Female One. “Quiet solitude” means living apart from others in undisturbed stillness. Even if someone studies the Way while living in the world and has not yet become a Perfected One, this method is unsuitable so long as impediments and distracting thoughts remain in the heart. The Five Thousand Words, or the Dao De Jing, also says, “Know the male, keep to the female.”

These four palaces are present in everyone’s body. If one does not cultivate this Way, the palaces remain empty and without deities. If the Nine Palaces are not cultivated, their positions are likewise as if unoccupied; this is not true only of the four palaces inhabited by the female True Ones. The Palace of the Dantian, however, is already regularly inhabited by an Emperor Lord, and the place one guards at the inch mark is likewise regularly inhabited by a Great Deity. They do not appear only after cultivation. Those who cultivate can become immortals; those who do not simply live out their allotted lifespan. We can therefore see that ordinary people, too, have the Three Ones within them, but cannot practice and guard them. When their lifespan ends, the deities leave the body and the person dies. If one persists in cultivation and contemplation of these deities, the corresponding empty palaces will also come to be inhabited by deities through practice; it is not only the Palace of the Dantian that has an Emperor Lord. If one practices guarding the One without slackening, death no longer follows once the allotted lifespan has passed; this continues until one meets the deities. After meeting them, one attains the Dao.

Both men and women may cultivate the Male One and the Female One together; there is no need to distinguish between them on the basis of sex. Benefit comes only through exceptionally focused and strenuous practice. A man who practices guarding the Female One retains a male body, and a woman who practices guarding the Male One retains a female body. The Three Ministers are deities formed from one’s own Jing and Qi, and so each retains the distinction corresponding to the practitioner’s sex. In the early stages of practicing and guarding the One, it is advisable to devote a year or two to focused contemplation and strenuous effort. Once one can sense it faintly and has formed an initial impression, contemplation becomes easier.

“Guarding the Inch” is the starting point for practicing the method of “Guarding the One.” A review of the introductory explanations in the scriptures shows that the material appears in different orders from one passage to another. Some sections are difficult to distinguish or divide clearly, while others are interwoven. It is therefore impossible to reproduce everything exactly in its original order. The material has been reorganized here into a coherent sequence, with its main points excerpted. All passages in large type are the original scripture, unchanged; they have only been arranged to make them easier to consult in order.

At midnight on the day Spring Begins, sit upright facing east. The scripture later says to face south when Summer Begins, west when Autumn Begins, and north when Winter Begins. The instructions explain that this is the method for guarding the Three Originals of True Unity, practiced on the nights of the Four Beginnings—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Practice may begin after the hour of the Pig, with each person facing the direction assigned to the month’s lunar station. The Four Beginnings fall in the four initial months, not in the cardinal directions; the Five Dipper divisions of the solstices and equinoxes fall in the four central months.

Sit upright, hold the breath, lower the eyes almost closed, and clasp the hands firmly over the knees. Then, following the method, first visualize and guard the Inch. Between the eyebrows lie the Yellow Portal, Purple Door, Crimson Terrace, and Azure Chamber; together they form the center of the practice of guarding the Inch.

Between the eyebrows, on either side, is a tower portal. The area extends about three fen from front to back, with the towers and portals within it. Each side is one cun wide and three fen square, leaving a four-fen passage in the middle. This passage leads inward to the Bright Hall, the spirit chamber inside the head, and upward to the front gate of the Celestial Court.

To the left of the guarded Inch is the Crimson Terrace, shaped like a square tower beside a city gate. Its interior and exterior, above and below, are made of red jade. A window sits atop the tower, with a blue curtain hanging from it, and a spirit dwells inside. To the right is the Yellow Portal, built in a similar square form. Its exterior is made of yellow jade, and a window above the portal is hung with a purple curtain. A spirit dwells within.

The Perfected Ones of the Nine Palaces, the spirits who reside in the nine palaces of the head, pass through the passage between the Yellow Portal and the Crimson Terrace. The tower portals stand on either side of the passage so that they can watch for anomalous Qi and receive the Perfected Ones as they come and go. This describes the arrangement of the spirit chambers in the head; it does not mean that one must specifically visualize the tower portals during practice. Even by command of the Supreme Emperor, the passage used by the true spirits of the head’s Nine Palaces is not open to unrestricted passage. Two spirits guard it, like sentries at a city gate.

The Fangzhu Dongfang says “enter through the Purple Door.” This means that the Dipper stars enter the Cave Chamber through the passage between the Yellow Portal and the Crimson Terrace, rather than entering only from the side of the Yellow Portal or the Purple Door. The scripture simply names one of them as an example. Each of the Nine Palaces has a front gate and a rear gate, and they are interconnected. The four upper palaces exit through the front gate of the Celestial Court, then pass outward along the inner side of the tower portals that guard the Inch. Only the Mudball Palace has a lower gate, which leads to the throat and connects with the two middle and lower palaces.

The Great Spirit of the Purple Door is named Tranquility, with the courtesy name Dharma King, and resides on the right. The Great Spirit of the Azure Chamber is named Upright Heart, with the courtesy name Square and True, and resides on the left. Both spirits live inside their respective chambers, so they are not named after the tower portals. They look like newborn infants, have the color of jade, and often sit facing one another. Their garments match the colors of their chambers: purple on the right and blue on the left. They wear silk, not brocade. Each holds a Flowing-Gold Bell, one bell per spirit, clasped in both hands. The Flowing-Gold Bell is also called the Fire Bell. It has no material form, but appears as a red light shaped like a flame.

These two spirits also have the Qi of wind and clouds about them, their radiance illuminating the guarded Inch. At bedtime, or when practicing visualization, if that night’s practice is limited to visualizing the Nine Palaces, one should recite the invocation according to this method upon first lying down. If one plans to guard and preserve the Nine Palaces that night, begin the bedtime visualization in the same way. First hold the breath and visualize the two Great Spirits in the forms described above, as though they had appeared and were sitting at rest in their respective palaces. Then silently call each of their names three times in the heart: “Great Spirit of the Purple Door, named Tranquility, courtesy name Dharma King”; “Great Spirit of the Azure Chamber, named Upright Heart, courtesy name Square and True.” Afterward, resume breathing and make the invocation softly under one’s breath.

Within the Violet Chamber and Azure Hall reside two great deities. They hold flowing bells in their hands, and wind and clouds arise from their bodies. They guard the true Dao and prevent evil influences from intruding, allowing the practitioner’s thoughts to resonate and communicate, to reach the numinous gate, and to move in and out smoothly, with auspicious integrity. In this way, one can ascend through the Nine Gates and meet the Nine Perfected—the exalted deities of the Most High. Only after completing the prayers does one begin to contemplate the Three Ones, the Cavern Chamber, the Nine Paths, and other essential methods.

The “Nine Paths” mentioned here are the paths of the Nine Palaces. Anyone who devotes themselves to cultivating the Bright Hall, Cavern Chamber, or Mysterious Elixir must first contemplate and pray in this sequence. The same method is followed in cultivating the wondrous practice of the Female One. When two deities occupy the nine palaces of the head, first contemplate the deity on the left, then the one on the right. If there are three deities, contemplate the one in the middle first, then the one on the left, and lastly the one on the right.

When beginning contemplative cultivation, one must start from below. Thus, when cultivating and guarding the Inch, first contemplate the Violet Chamber; when cultivating the Cavern Chamber, first contemplate the White Prime; and when cultivating the Bright Hall, begin with the left. This is because, by convention, a female’s position is honored above a male’s. Only the Emperor’s Abode in the Dantian is formed from one’s own Jing and Qi, rather than being an externally sourced deity arranged by rank, so it is contemplated last. If the upper palace is not below in the body, the left is honored first, followed by the middle, and lastly the right.

The Bright Hall

First concentrate on keeping “Cunbi” present in the Mingtang (the chamber of the heart visualized in Daoist meditation), then visualize the divine beings described here. It is also fine to practice this visualization by itself, without the method of guarding the One; practicing the method of guarding the One without this visualization poses no problem either. Practicing both methods is better still.

On the left side of the Mingtang chamber is the True Lord of Bright Youth, whose personal name is Xuanyang and courtesy name is Shaoqing; visualize him in the form of a man. On the right is the True Lady of Brightness, whose personal name is Weiyin and courtesy name is Shaoyuan; visualize her in the form of a woman. In the center is the Divine Lord of the Bright Mirror, whose personal name is Zhaojing and courtesy name is Siming; visualize him also in the form of a man. These three Divine Lords govern the Mingtang chamber together. They all wear green brocade robes and have four red jade bells tied at their waists, one on each side: front, back, left, and right. Each holds a red jade mirror in the mouth, with its knob pointing inward and its reflective face outward. Though the jade bells and mirrors have definite forms, they shine with a bright, clear red light. Their ringing is pure and resonant; sound and light mingle and illuminate all nine palaces.

The heads and bodies of the three Divine Lords are like those of newborn infants, glowing with golden light and jade-like color. They sit facing one another, usually all facing outward, though they may also face one another. By day, all three face outward; at night, the two figures on the left and right turn toward the one in the center. This is the method for visualizing the Mingtang.

If you are visualizing the Mingtang as part of the sequence for guarding the One, then at this point call each of the three Divine Lords by name three times, in order: the True Lord of Bright Youth, personal name Xuanyang, courtesy name Shaoqing; the True Lady of Brightness, personal name Weiyin, courtesy name Shaoyuan; and the Divine Lord of the Bright Mirror, personal name Zhaojing, courtesy name Siming. Then click the teeth nine times and continue by visualizing the Dongfang, another chamber within the body used in Daoist meditation.

If you are not practicing the method of guarding the One at the time, but are instead doing one of the other visualizations described later, first complete the visualization according to the method given here, then proceed with the steps that follow.

When a Daoist practitioner is startled—here, “Daoist” means someone who cultivates the Dao—if living alone in the mountains and facing an attack by demons, or feeling unsettled and afraid, they may practice the following visualization method, a form of cultivation carried out by envisioning deities and scenes.

First, visualize the Three Gods shaking jade bells, their sound reaching the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) in the celestial realm. Envision each of the Three Gods shaking a bell, while four bells are also tied at your own waist. Imagine hearing the bells ring with your own ears, their sound resounding all the way to the Taiji Palace in heaven. Next, visualize the Three Gods breathing out a red radiance like the light of jade mirrors, its brilliance extending for ten thousand zhang. At the same time, imagine this light issuing from your own shoucun—the place where you focus your visualization—shining in every direction and surrounding your dwelling within a radius of fifty li. In practice, first walk around all four sides of your dwelling, until the mountains and rivers, villages, or boundaries of the land match the prescribed area. Then visualize the light reaching the boundary and stopping there. This makes it easier to concentrate. Each visualization must be clear and precise; this applies to all such practices, not just this one. Once you have completed the visualizations, call the names of the three divine lords three times in succession, then click your teeth together nine times, a Daoist cultivation technique. This is said to quiet demons and disperse ghosts. When calling out, recite the divine lords’ names in the order given earlier. This method is used to subdue malevolent spirits and demons.

When a Daoist practitioner is thirsty—here this refers to thirst for water, though the original text may also mean “hunger and thirst”—visualize the three divine lords together breathing red Qi into your mouth. Then inhale and swallow it; after a short while, you will feel full. In practice, imagine the red Qi slowly flowing from your shoucun into your mouth, then inhale and swallow, repeating until you feel full. This method is used to relieve hunger and thirst.

If a Daoist is walking at night and cannot see the road, they should visualize the Three Lords (the three revered deities worshiped in Daoism), then recite the words using the method described earlier. This passage describes that situation.

Visualize three beams of fire coming from your mouth and lighting the way ahead. In an instant, the road will appear bright. Alternatively, visualize each of the Three Lords sending forth a beam of red light, bright as a flame, from the Shoucun (a part of the body associated with visualization practice). The beams line up before you, lighting the way far ahead with great clarity. Concentrate on the visualization as if seeing the light with your own eyes. Once you can see the road clearly, continue walking. Keep visualizing as you walk; do not stop. This method is used to illuminate the darkness.

If you are in a dangerous place or facing peril—for example, caught in armed conflict—and cannot sit quietly to enter the Dao and escape at once, nor flee far away to an uninhabited place, this method can provide protection when danger strikes suddenly, since the world is full of troubles. Even ordinary people can practice it if they focus their minds, so the text does not specify that it is a method reserved for Daoists.

In an emergency, concentrate on visualizing the Three Lords shaking their jade bells. Then go further and visualize each of them wielding four bells, whose vibrations send out light like a scarlet mirror, shining toward and driving back enemies and dangerous places. Imagine that anyone who meets this light immediately falls to the ground, overcome by fear and no longer intending to harm or kill. The word “cut” can mean to take away by cutting, but it may also be understood as “harm.” This method is used to ward off danger.

If a Daoist wants to prolong life and avoid death, or seek relief when illness becomes critical, they may lie flat and still, clasp their hands firmly (a seated meditation gesture in which the fingers are held tight), hold their breath, close their eyes, and calm the mind and spirit. First, inwardly picture the sun and moon in the Hall of Light (Mingtang, the place within the body where divine beings are visualized): the sun on the left and the moon on the right. Then, following the method described earlier, visualize the Three Divine Lords. Picture all three facing outward in the Hall of Light, kneeling upright. When visualizing them at night, have them face outward as well.

When a person lies down, the spirits within the body lie down too. Yet in visualization, the Three Divine Lords remain kneeling upright, as they do when standing. The spirits within the body may sometimes appear lying down, but the spirits envisioned in this method have distinct postures, as though keeping watch at the Inch Terrace Gate (a dwelling place for divine beings within the body). They do not turn around, so they should be imagined as leaning against the body and standing sideways; in the visualization, however, they should still be pictured seated.

Next, imagine breathing red Qi out through the mouth, its light passing through the whole body and encircling it. Each of the Three Divine Lords breathes out red Qi, bright as a mirror, which wells out from the Inch Terrace and gradually surrounds the body. Then swallow the red Qi from around the mouth, taking in as much as possible. With the eyes closed, swallow gently; as you breathe in, swallow the red Qi that passes through the body as well. Simply feel the abundant Qi entering the mouth and flowing into the chest and abdomen.

After a while, the red Qi encircling the body will, in the visualization, turn into flames. The flames burn the body until it merges with the fire, shining brightly within and without. Continue for a long time, then stop. This resembles the method of “restraining the soul”: imagine the flames completely burning through the body, inside and out, through bone and flesh, as though reducing the body to charcoal. This method is called “Refining the Form with the Sun and Moon.” It means that through refining the form, one can regain life even after death.

As soon as illness begins, use this method at once to treat it. If the illness is allowed to become severe, it may be too difficult to visualize the details carefully. At the first sign of discomfort, practice promptly. This method treats illness and dispels ailments; it has no fixed time for practice.

It is also said that practicing this method before sleep at night can prolong life and prevent death. That is, practice it every night to seek longevity. Since this is not considered an advanced method of cultivation, one can only say that it may help avoid death; even so, such lesser practices deserve attention. It is a method for combining daily practice with the pursuit of long life, and is a practice commonly used in the Mingtang tradition.

You should also repeatedly visualize and swallow red Qi (the red vital energy envisioned during practice). This can restore a youthful complexion, making it like a child’s. This is the Way of Immortality. In ordinary daily life, when you are not treating an illness, and at night while lying down and visualizing, you should also often visualize swallowing red Qi. You should further visualize the Three Lords (deities within the body) exhaling from Shoucun (a dwelling place of deities within the body). Their breath enters your mouth, and you then swallow it. This method is the Way of Returning to Youth.

The section on the Method of Illuminating Clarity ends here. The so-called Way of Immortality does not refer to treating illness. In daily life and at night, while lying down and visualizing, you should also often visualize swallowing red Qi and picture the Three Lords exhaling from Shoucun. Their breath enters your mouth, and you then swallow it. This method is the Way of Returning to Youth.

The Hall of Light (a dwelling place of deities within the body, and the related visualization practices) has seven sections, and the methods in each have now been explained. Only the item “the invocation for communicating with the Unseen” has not been mentioned. According to the Way of Constant Truth, this too belongs to the Hall of Light tradition. The content of the visualized invocation is very detailed, however, so there may be a complete scripture on the Hall of Light; what appears here is probably only an abridged excerpt.

After getting up in the morning, you should swallow saliva thirty times, rub your face with your hands, and massage your eyes as a daily practice. At the same time, visualize the saliva transforming into red saliva. This practice also belongs to the Hall of Light. In the scripture, “all” means that those who practice the Hall of Light methods for extending life should do this every morning. It can also be combined with the practice of Guarding the One (concentrating on and maintaining the deities within the body). Although it involves two methods, they can be carried out together.

Cavern Chamber

You should also practice the Cavern Chamber (a dwelling place of deities within the body, and its related visualization methods). After Shoucun and the Hall of Light, you should proceed to the Cavern Chamber before reaching the Dantian (an inner site of cultivation). This is why the text says these methods should be practiced together: the stages in between should not be skipped.

During cultivation, one should also practice the method of the Cavern Chamber. First, visualize and guard the cun (the corresponding parts within the body), then the Bright Hall; next, visualize the Cavern Chamber, and finally the Dantian. This is why these practices should be combined: none of the stages should be skipped.

Within the Cavern Chamber are also the Yellow Gate, the Violet Portal, and the Chamber of Dark Essence. These are the abiding places of the Three One Revered Lords—the three honored principal deities within the body. The Yellow Gate and Violet Portal mentioned here are not the places visualized when guarding the cun. They are separate features within the Cavern Chamber palace, like the Violet Chamber and Green Room described in the Dark Elixir. The Lord of the Supreme God sometimes enters them; this is the situation recorded in the Jade Characters. The middle and lower deities of the Three One cannot dwell or roam there. “Three One” here is simply a summary of the main subject, while “Revered Lord” refers only to the Emperor Lord, since he is the most exalted of the Three One.

Combining the Cavern Chamber practice with other methods allows one to see the spirits sooner. The more one has to visualize, the sooner a response comes. For the Perfected of the Cavern Chamber, guarding the One—concentrating on and abiding with the spirits within the body—should be the foundation. Cultivation proceeds from the outside inward and runs from beginning to end; its root always lies in the One. For the Perfected who guard the One, the Cavern Chamber should serve as a canopy. Let its luminous forms cover and protect the self, thereby bringing the work of cultivation to completion. Thus, the Three One and the Cavern Chamber depend on and complement one another. Though each has its own place, they must be practiced together to serve the work of the Dao.

The way of the Nine Palaces gives each palace its own function. It is best to practice them in combination, so that the more there is to cultivate, the better. The aims of the different methods vary, and they do not obstruct one another. Yet the meaning of the scriptures is difficult to grasp fully, and practitioners are easily wearied and lax. Thus, although many study the Dao, almost none can understand its most subtle principles.

There are three Perfected Ones in the Cavern Chamber: on the left is Lordling Wu Ying, on the right is Lady Bai Yuan, and in the middle is Lord Huang Lao. Together, they govern the Cavern Chamber. This belongs to the Way of Flying Perfected Ones, which is recorded in a separate scripture. According to this account, these three are the spirits who truly dwell in the Cavern Chamber, while the Nine Perfected Ones are spirits formed through transformation. They divide into Wu Ying and Bai Yuan, then unite to become one Perfected One. However, Bai Yuan originally resides in the lungs and does not enter the Cavern Chamber; and the Jade Characters of Fangzhu records only Lord Huang Lao.

End of Concealed Instructions for Ascending to Perfection, Scroll One.

There may be a lacuna before the character “says.”

Concealed Instructions for Ascending to Perfection, Scroll Two.

Madam Yunlin says: When you lie down at night, first close your eyes firmly and face east. As stated earlier, this method should be practiced during the time of “rising Qi.” If the time is unsuitable when you go to bed at the start of the night, wait until after the midnight hour, then wake, sit up, and practice. You may repeat the massage and silently recite the invocation any time before noon, but always face east; there is no need to change direction with the seasons.

Using the sides of your palms near the bases of your thumbs, press and rub your eyes from both sides, then move to the gates of the ears, the points in front of the ears, and bring your palms together at the back of your neck. Do this three sets of nine times, for a total of twenty-seven. Begin by gently pressing your eyes with the sides of your palms nearest the thumbs. Then rub across the eyes from side to side, massage the gates of the ears, and bring your hands together behind your neck. Repeat this sequence until you have done it twenty-seven times, then stop.

At the same time, visualize purple, blue-green, and deep-red Qi emerging from each eye. This is the inner massage guiding the Three Plain Clouds—a visualization of clouds in three colors—to pour into the Joint Child, the spirit of the eyes in Daoist visualization practice. As you massage, imagine the dense radiance of the three-colored clouds rising from your face. After twenty-seven repetitions, pause briefly and visualize the three-colored Qi circulating, its radiance pouring into the pupils. Then continue the massage.

Silently recite the invocation:

“Three clouds in the pupils, True Lords of the two eyes, bright and discerning, concentrate Jing; open and clear the Shen. In the forms of the clouds of Great Mystery, pour the numinous power into the pupils.”

The invocation means: Three-colored clouds dwell in the eyes, and True Lords—deities who protect the eyes—dwell in both eyes. May they shine brightly and gather Jing, open and clarify the Shen, and, following the patterns of the clouds of Great Mystery, pour numinous power into the pupils.

In cultivation, first recite this invocation: “Three clouds in the pupils, True Lords of the two eyes, bright and wise, attending to Jing, opening and clearing Shen, the cloudlike rites of the Great Mystery, the numinous maidens fluttering lightly, protecting the two towers, opening and penetrating the nine gates, all the joints responding in resonance, the morning fluid reaching the Niwan, the body ascending to the Jade Palace, joining the ranks of the Highest Perfected.” After reciting it, swallow the saliva fifty times, then open your eyes. Practice in the same way at other times as well. You may do the exercise seated or standing; it need not be done at night. It is best to choose a time when vital energy is strong. After about a year, your hearing and sight will become clear. With long practice, it is said, you can see a thousand miles away, perceive spirits, and hear faint sounds from great distances. This is a profound path to becoming an immortal, not merely a way to sharpen the eyes and ears. The immortal Canglang Fangzhang often kept this method close and practiced it. It comes from the Scripture of the Four Luminaries of the Great High One. To transmit it, one must swear an oath using tokens of gold and azure; only then may it be passed on. No method for nourishing and protecting the ears and eyes is more refined, so an oath must be made before it is taught and practiced. Anyone undertaking cultivation, guarding the spirit, visualization, or invocation should likewise swear carefully before the Mysterious Master; otherwise, the practice will not prove effective. The amount of gold and azure used for the tokens is left to the individual.

The above is a letter Yunlin wrote to the Yang family.

In daily practice, you may rub your face with both hands until it grows warm, moving your hands up and down and covering as much of the face as possible. First rub your palms together until they are warm, then use them to rub your face and eyes. Afterward, pass your hands through your hair as if combing it, and rub each arm in turn with the opposite hand. You can do this visualization practice whenever you have time, day or night. Each time, first warm your palms and rub your face and eyes several times. Warm your palms again and continue rubbing; repeat this four or five times. Then move your hands to the back of your neck and your temples. Rub the temples in turn, left and right, and comb your hair upward with your hands as if using a comb. Do this a few dozen times. This method is also said to be an excellent way to restore a youthful complexion and turn white hair black again. Here, the character “er” means “as” or “like.”

The preceding material comes from the Jing of Cinnabar Radiance. The scripture says that practicing this method can give the complexion a healthy luster, prevent wrinkles and blemishes, keep the hair from turning white, and prevent the pulse Qi from rising and dispersing at the body’s surface. After five years of practice, one’s appearance may be like that of a young woman. “Qi moving through mountains and rivers” means that the breath flows continuously and remains abundant, like the vital movement within mountains and rivers, nourishing and sustaining itself like plants and rocks refreshed by moisture. This records the practice instructions from the lower section of the Daoist Essence Scripture of Cinnabar Radiance, with a marginal note attributing it to “the Chief Clerk.”

After lying down or getting up, there is no need to practice this routine especially early in the morning; you can do it whenever you first rise after lying down. First let your breathing settle, making it slower and lighter. Then sit upright, facing the direction associated with the month’s flourishing Qi (vital energy). Cross your hands, turn your palms outward, and stretch your arms straight forward as far as you can. Next place your hands behind your neck, tilt your face upward, and lift your neck while forcefully raising both hands overhead, as though they were straining against each other. Repeat three or four times.

Here, “rise” means “lift.” In other words, after crossing your hands behind your neck, tilt your head back and lift your neck, stretching with force; then slowly lower your head. Repeat three or four times. It is acceptable if the bones in your neck crack as you practice. In some versions of the original text, the character translated as “rise” is written as “join.”

Afterward, loosen and bend the body: release your hands, lower your head and bend forward, and rotate your back. You may also raise your feet and support them against something. Then stretch your hands fully in all directions: lift them above your head, extend them out to either side as far as possible, then sweep them from the front of your body toward the back and arch your body backward. For the backward arch and side stretches, first lean back; then bring your hands together as you move, stretch your torso, and sway as you pull to the left and right.

“Open and move all the joints” means continuing to work the joints throughout the body, so that the body, legs, feet, arms, and knees are all moved thoroughly. Do each movement three times. After completing the set, repeat the whole routine once. This means starting the entire routine over, not performing each individual movement three more times from beginning to end. These movements must be taught orally, with someone demonstrating the postures and how to apply force. The meaning of the scripture should be understood in accordance with the commentary.

This material comes from the “Essence and Radiance Massage” chapter of the Scripture of the Great Cavern of Perfected (Dadong zhenjing). The scripture says that practice can harmonize Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), promote the free flow of the blood vessels, and prevent pathogenic wind from entering the body. With long-term practice, one can remain free from illness and live a long life. There are many volumes and chapters in the Great Cavern scriptures; they are not limited to thirty-nine chapters.

This passage comes from the “Essence and Radiance Massage Method” in the Great Cavern Perfect Scripture. It describes harmonizing the body and calming the spirit through rubbing, massage, and swallowing saliva. The scripture says that practicing this method over a long period can harmonize essence and Qi, promote the free flow of the blood and vessels, make one less vulnerable to wind pathogens, and help prolong life and ward off illness.

When lying down or getting up, first use a towel or thick cloth to rub all around the neck and behind the ears until the skin feels warm. Then massage the neck along the hairline, repeating the motion as if combing the hair. After a while, rub your hands together until warm and use them to massage the face and eyes. When finished, swallow the saliva in your mouth in thirty separate swallows to guide the body’s fluids. The scripture says that upon waking, one should face the direction of “Wang” before practicing this method, and do other things only afterward; the original text does not explain which direction “Wang” refers to.

This method comes from the upper volume of the Scripture of the Great Cavern’s Essence and Radiance. The scripture says that long-term practice can brighten the eyes, keep harmful influences at bay, and keep the body clean and free from filth. The text also gives a separate pronunciation for the character gou (“filth”).

If you feel unwell but cannot say exactly where the illness is, curl your tongue upward to touch the throat, then rinse your mouth repeatedly and swallow the saliva. The scripture says to curl the tongue upward and press it firmly against the throat. After a short while, the discomfort will disappear on its own, and the body will feel relaxed and at ease. You may also combine this with the massage, visualization, and prayer methods described in this chapter. Visualization is a method of cultivation practiced through focused contemplation.

The above material appears in the Preface to the Upper Numinous Method of Dissolution. The scripture states that, like the volumes of the Great Cavern, the Dissolution also comprises more than one text. The methods mentioned above are not explicitly attributed to any particular Perfected One.

Gently press both ears with your hands from time to time; you may do this as many times as you like. This is said to sharpen hearing and clear the mind. It is called “tending the city walls,” meaning to care for the boundary formed by the ears. The ears are regarded as the boundary of the face, and so they need care and attention. Proper practice symbolizes being entered in the “Imperial Register,” the register of immortals.

The nose should also be pressed on both sides with the hands, but for a prescribed number of repetitions. This is said to steady the breath. The practice is called “irrigating the Central Peak,” meaning to nourish the nose. Since the nose lies at the center of the face, it is known as the “Central Peak” or “Peak at Heaven’s Center.” Care for the nose diligently; you may also remove nasal hairs by counting the strokes, keeping the nostrils clean and clear. These two methods can be practiced in your spare time: press with the hands and massage the nose up and down as many times as you like. The scripture uses this imagery to describe ears that are firm and sound and a nose that is shapely and prominent. It also symbolizes being entered in the “Imperial Register” and the “Emperor’s Record,” registers of immortals.

These two methods are said to come from Lady Zhaoling of Fangzhang Terrace, and are called the methods in the upper section of the Xiaomo Jing. The name is written here as “Zhaoling,” but it should be “Zhaoling” with the character meaning “illustrious”; the difference arose from a copying error. This is what the Chief Historian recorded.

From time to time, cover your mouth and nose with your hands, close your eyes, and let your breath pass gently through your palms. After a while, moisture will gather in your hands; use it to rub your face and eyes. It is said that doing this regularly will make the body exude a pleasant fragrance. You can also hold your hands upright over your nose and mouth, letting your breath pass beneath your palms. When moisture has gathered on your hands, wipe your face with it, then cover your nose and mouth again. There is no fixed number of repetitions. This practice is also said to give the face a radiant glow.

This method appears in the Shijing Chizi Jing.

In ordinary practice, press your eyes and the inner corners beside your nose with your hands while holding your breath. Stop when the breath flows freely, exhale, and repeat. Regular practice is said to clear the eyesight. To do this, place the middle fingers of both hands on either side of the bridge of the nose and press the inner corners below the eyes, near the nose. There is no fixed number of repetitions. When the breath flows freely, lift your fingers slightly, then hold your breath and press again. You may also do three rounds of nine presses each.

This method appears in the Taishang Tianguan San Jing. According to the Xia Pin Mu, the title is written as Tianguan Santu Jing; the character for “illustrations” may have been omitted here.

In daily practice, often lie quietly with your eyes closed. Let your body rest steadily and your breathing remain soft and even. Keep a posture like that of someone asleep, so that others do not notice what you are doing. Practice at any time of day or night, not only when you feel sleepy. Keep your pillow flat and your body at rest, allowing your breath to settle into a calm, even rhythm.

Then, in your mind, gaze into the distance and listen in all four directions, as though your eyes and ears could reach places far away. With sustained practice, scenes from thousands of miles away may come to appear in your mind. Give this your full attention. Begin by contemplating one direction, then move through the others in turn. Once you have practiced all four, contemplate them together, as if you could see and hear in every direction.

At first, focus your eyes and ears on the east. Picture its mountains, rivers, and walled cities, and listen for its subtle sounds, allowing the scenes and sounds to emerge gradually in your mind. Let your sight and hearing seem to extend into the distance, until you gradually forget your body. That is the desired state. Increase the distance step by step: one li, ten li, a hundred li, then a thousand li. Also regularly imagine hearing sounds like gold and jade, silk and bamboo instruments. At first, simply hold these sounds in your mind; only later might you truly hear them.

“Four directions” is a general expression here. In actual practice, begin with one direction and concentrate your mind and spirit there. At first, you will usually feel nothing. Only through long and steady practice can you gradually enter the subtle and wondrous realm. This is generally how Daoist visualization practice works: without years of accumulation, and without deep sincerity and concentration, it is difficult to perceive anything. Do not give up just because you feel no response at first. “Worshipping the mountain with diamonds” means that one must be steadfast in one’s resolve to cultivate the Dao.

This method appears in the “Inner Vision of the Central Direction” chapter of the Jing of Purple Radiance (Zidu Yanguang Jing).

When sitting quietly, you should often close your eyes and turn your awareness inward, as if seeing your own five zang organs and six fu organs. With long practice, they will naturally become clear to you. As you contemplate them, imagine each organ in turn: its shape, color, position and size, as though you could describe it precisely. Remember their names and order, and enter them among the names of the twenty-four body spirits without recording any of them twice.

This is what the Scripture on the Three-Five Sequential Movements in the Purple Book of Cinnabar Characters says.

Before eating, do not speak of death, and do not leave food uncovered, lest it attract baleful influences. When eating, it is best to face the direction of your birth destiny or the direction where the Qi of the season is flourishing. Whether food is cold or hot, keep it covered. The scripture says that ghosts and baleful beings like to partake first of the food’s Qi. What remains becomes polluted and may also make a person ill.

Bathe regularly, and always bathe on a Jiazi day, one of the days in the sexagenary cycle. If you cannot do that, bathe on the first day of each month; this can make a person spiritually receptive. Here, “odd-numbered months” means the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh months. If a Jiazi day falls in one of these months, you may bathe again. To dispel corpse impurity, choose a day when the flourishing Qi of one of the four seasons is in command. As for the saying that immortals observe taboo days, bathe on the eleventh day of the eleventh month; the Nine Perfected Ones also choose the third day of the third month and the fifth day of the fifth month. It is better to bathe once or twice each month. There is no harm in bathing often; the difficulty is finding the resolve to do so. Bathing washes away the stench of death and allows true Qi to enter the body.

Perfected Ziyang said, “You may bathe often to wash away the Qi of illness and dispel accumulated trials and blemishes; this too is a path toward becoming perfected.” Lady of Ziwei said, “Not bathing regularly is a habit of the Po. Go against this habit and return to the right way; refine away the filth, and the Po will naturally disperse.” Thus, those who understand bathing should make a habit of it. It is an easy practice, though in winter hot water is scarce and bathing less convenient.

While bathing, regularly visualize the Six Ding, the six female Ding spirits; this can help your wishes come to fruition. The text means that you should bathe morning and evening as part of your daily routine. During a formal bath, you may also visualize the Six Ding. These divine women readily respond to people and can easily be summoned through visualization; you should also face the direction where the Six Ding reside. According to the Jiazi cycle, face the direction of Mao. The Six Ding Jade Maidens have other names and descriptions of their clothing, recorded in the Lingfei.

When combing your hair, face the direction of the month’s earthly branch, since this direction is believed to be especially receptive to communication and invocation. Follow this rule when combing, brushing, and washing your hair. The Immortals’ Taboos says it is forbidden to comb your hair facing north. In the eleventh month, the month’s earthly branch is Zi, so you should face Hai and not due north. When you begin combing, first offer a prayer, then comb your hair while quietly reciting the invocation:

“Numinous Radiance of the Muddy Pellet” (the place in the head where the spirits reside): preserve essence and endure through time. To the left is the Hidden Moon; to the right, the Root of the Sun. The Six Directions and Four Quarters (the area beneath the hair at the temples) are purified and refined, and all the spirits receive their blessing.” After reciting the invocation, swallow the saliva in your mouth three times.

The invocation’s words “Moon to the left, Sun to the right” refer to Yin and Yang interacting and uniting. This is the meaning of “the purple script, the three souls, and flying essence,” and so it is called the “Hidden Root.” “Numinous Radiance” is the name of the spirit of the hair, while “Six Directions and Four Quarters” refers to the area beneath the hair at the temples. Each of these invocations has its own significance; this passage is not the only one of its kind.

The eight practices above were methods that the Mysterious Master, the Lady of South Peak, ordered others to perform. The Senior Recorder wrote them down.

When combing your hair, face the “King’s Direction,” a term connected with choosing an auspicious orientation. As you begin to comb, recite this brief invocation:

“Numinous Radiance of the Muddy Pellet: preserve essence and endure through time. To the left is the Hidden Moon; to the right, the Root of the Sun. The Six Directions and Four Quarters are purified and refined, and all the spirits receive their blessing.”

After reciting it, swallow the saliva in your mouth three times. The Lady of South Peak had already transmitted this method, and now Lady An has transmitted it again. Perhaps the two did not know of each other’s transmission, yet they used the same method. It is said that if you practice it regularly, your hair will not fall out and will gradually grow longer.

When combing your hair, use several combs in rotation and comb it more often, but do not comb so hard that your scalp hurts. “Comb more” here means to change the areas you comb frequently. Ziwei also says to alternate among combs. The concern is that a comb will grow warm if used for too long, harming the head and hair. So prepare four or five combs and use them in turn, keeping them cool. You may also ask an attendant to comb your hair a few times. But those who have attained mastery in the Dao do not even let others approach their clothes or mats; how could they let someone else comb their hair? You should therefore comb it yourself. This helps Qi, blood, and saliva flow freely and keeps the hair roots strong.

The above material was transmitted by Jiuhua, who instructed others to practice it. It is said to come from the Green Scripture of the Supreme Ultimate and was recorded by the Senior Recorder.

The Zhenggao says: When combing and arranging the hair, comb it several times to help Qi and blood flow freely and dispel wind-dampness. Change combs regularly; there is no need to undo the hair each time. While combing, recite the incantation three times. This is an important practice to perform regularly. One should also pray often to the Immortal Marquis, asking for guidance on how to turn white hair black again.

The words above were spoken by the Lady of Purple Tenuity and recorded by the Chief Secretary.

If someone has stepped on a place of hidden filth or another unclean spot, they should bathe and remove their clothing to cleanse themselves of the impurity. To prepare the wash, take ten liang of bamboo leaves; any kind of bamboo leaf may be used. The phrase “the finest essence above the northern ji” need not be taken to specify a particular kind of bamboo. Then take four liang of peach bark, scraping away the white inner layer. Dried peach bark may also be used, but in half the quantity. The peach tree should be one whose fruit is edible. A tree growing in the mountains is also acceptable; it should not be a wild peach. Weigh both ingredients using the measures of the ancient system.

Add one hu and two dou of clear water, and heat it in a pot until it boils once. There is no need to boil it for long or reduce it to a strong decoction. Remove it from the heat and let it cool to a comfortable temperature, then use it to bathe the whole body. It will clear away all kinds of impurity. It can also help prevent or treat ailments such as damp impediment and itchy sores. Bamboo is hollow and white within, while peach bark is thought to drive away evil and cleanse impurity. These two ingredients therefore work together to purge the body of turbid influences.

The Rites says that when a ruler goes to attend the funeral of a minister, a shaman and ritual officiant first sweep away and dispel impurity with a peach branch and a broom of reeds. This, too, is meant to drive off malign influences. When heavenly beings descend to roam among us and then return to the celestial realm, they also wash their bodies with this water. Even when perfected beings descend into the world, their bodies cannot avoid contact with impure influences, so they too bathe in water boiled with peach and bamboo. Perhaps they do this in famous mountains where palaces and halls have been built. If so, immortals and ordinary people are not very different after all; they can simply travel through the air and live forever.

The simple methods used in the world, such as rinsing the mouth with talismanic water or incantations, are no match for this one. Compared with it, the old methods of cleansing impurity are like a small mound beside the immortal mountain of Fanghu. It is best to use this water for bathing, but do not wash your hair with it. The so-called “plain decoction for refining corpses” is precisely suited to bathing and is indeed a precious secret method. After washing the body, wash your hair as usual, without using this water. If, after washing your hair, you use a small amount of it to rinse or wipe the hair, that is also acceptable. This water is also called “plain decoction for refining corpses” and is intended for bathing only. Clearing away impure influences is an urgent matter for those who cultivate the Dao; this secret formula is beyond any price, even a thousand pieces of gold.

This medicinal formula was prescribed by Lady Wang of Ziwei, an immortal figure in Daoist lore. It is said to come from the Taishang Shao Xishua. Some believe that even if this is not its source, there is no need to worry. This water is also called “Essence Decoction for Cleansing the Corpse” and is used only for bathing. Dispelling corpse qi—the impure energy brought by corpses or funerals—is an urgent concern for Daoist practitioners, making this secret formula invaluable.

This, too, is a formula prescribed by Lady Wang of Ziwei. It is said to come from the Taishang Jiubian Shihua Yixin Jing, and was recorded by the Chief Secretary, an official in the immortal realm.

When taking elixirs, one usually faces the direction associated with one’s birth destiny, determined by the cyclical sign of one’s birth year. After taking the medicine, do not speak of death, funerals, or dangerous matters, as this may disturb the fetal spirit and harm the spirit; the medicine will then bring no benefit. This rule should be observed whenever taking formulas transmitted by immortals. The only exceptions are the First Spirit Pill and the Golden Elixir, which are said to be taken facing east.

This was what Lord Dongqing, an immortal figure in Daoist lore, told Lord Yang. The Chief Secretary recorded it in two copies.

Lord Yang said: At midnight each day, remove your pillow and lie flat. Clasp your hands firmly—a Daoist health practice in which the fingers are curled and held together—relax your body, and breathe gently and evenly. In this way, all the spirits within your body will be gathered in their proper places. If you feel that any spirit has not returned to its place, rise at once, burn incense, sit upright with your eyes closed, and rest your firmly clasped hands on your knees. Bring to mind the spirits of your body. Then visualize a mass of white qi, about the size of an egg, appearing between your eyes and manifesting before you. After this, the spirits of your body will be gathered again. Do this once every five days.

Commentary: This practice is performed after visualizing the twenty-four spirits of the body. In the account, however, only “visualize the spirits” is mentioned, with no explanation of the preceding steps; it is probably a retelling of that practice. The white qi appearing before you is a visualization from the “Way of the Bright Mirror.” The original says to do this once every five days, which seems to refer only to the Bright Mirror visualization, not the entire preceding procedure for gathering the spirits. The two practices may also be combined. Practitioners of the “Great Scripture” today may omit this practice.

The Lord says: The method of regulating vision can make the eyes clear, and long-term practice can also enable one to see far. The so-called “Way of the Twenty-Four Spirits Brushing the Child” is a method for seeing twenty-four spirits. One generally chooses a Gengwu day within a Jiazi cycle, at noon, and takes clear water flowing eastward, mixing in true elixir—a Daoist alchemical medicine—and two zhu of genuine pearls. Facing the direction of the monthly spirit, turn left and stir fourteen times, then use the mixture to wash the eyes. Each morning, when the weather is clear, face east and wash the eyes fourteen times as well. The scripture says that washing the eyes fourteen times while facing east is beneficial if done over a long period. These are only a rough account of the method in the scripture. If you have already practiced the original method, there is no need to use this one. Many practices recorded in various scriptural prescriptions and manuals of arts and divination fail to work; this is often the reason. How could this brief account compare with the original scripture? Only if that method cannot be found should you try this one. Some people practice until their hair turns white and still achieve nothing; it is because they have adopted crude methods of this kind.

The Lord also says: If you wish to cultivate the Dao, visualize the sun and moon in your mind, so that their images are constantly present before you. Also envision the sun in your left eye and the moon in your right. Let your teacher’s voice be constantly audible in your ears, and make your own speech and breath resemble your teacher’s. Exhale the “dead Qi” within the body and inhale living Qi, regulating the breath in accordance with the waxing and waning of the seasons. In spring, for example, exhale yellow Qi and inhale blue-green Qi. Envision the body as the arrangement of the five stars, as Pei Jun did in his practice: let the five stars be positioned to the left and right, in front and behind, and above the head. In ordinary walking, move as if walking amid clouds in the sky; this differs from the ritual steps of treading the Dipper and tracing the star pattern. Keep the thought of long life in your mind, and think of the immortals whether sitting, lying down, or walking. Be sparing with laughter and measured in speech: when there is no reason, do not laugh or speak at length. Also regularly contemplate your own appearance, remembering your face and bodily bearing. These are all important methods of cultivating the Dao.

Although the methods above do not set out a definite, fixed regimen of practice, they are all fundamental to beginning the pursuit of the Dao and learning its arts. The two entries on the right record Pei Jun’s words and are found in two manuscript copies, one by the Chief Historian and the other by the Assistant.

As listed above, there are about thirty-seven practices in all. They are important Daoist methods for taking in the forms and appearances of the things one venerates through prostration. Although these methods have no fixed forms of cultivation, they are all foundational to beginning one’s study.

The second item above concerns words spoken by Lord Pei, found in two versions of the text: the one attributed to the Chief Clerk and the one attributed to the Assistant.

As listed above, there are about thirty-seven practices in all. They concern Daoist methods of veneration, nurturing and preservation, everyday conduct, and daily routine.

Whenever you are about to pass along a dangerous road, near a temple of ghosts, or through a place that feels suspicious, difficult, or somewhat unsettling, remind yourself that you are about to pass through it. First curl your tongue inward and press it against your throat; as you approach the invocation, extend your tongue. Then swallow saliva three times. Next, with the index and middle fingers of your left hand, pinch the base of the philtrum beneath the nose, at the inner edge of the nasal opening, thirty-six times. Once you have finished pinching, immediately press firmly and keep your fingers in place as you count. Count silently in your mind while maintaining the pressure, with one breath as one count.

This spot at the inner edge of the nasal opening is called “Mountain Source,” and is also known as “Ghost Well,” “Spirit Pool,” “Root of Evil,” and “Soul Terrace.” These five names appear in the invocation that follows, so they are listed here first. The Lady of Purple Tenuity said, “Mountain Source lies beside the base of the philtrum beneath the nose, in the slight hollow there.” Needling this spot can also treat sudden fainting.

After pinching and pressing, click your teeth together seven times. Keep your hand in place, then cover your nose with your palm; do not remove your hand after the pinching and pressing, and continue clicking your teeth. When you have finished, bring your palm forward to cover your nose and mouth, with your fingertips touching your hairline. Then bow toward the Hall of Light, the inner abode of the deities in the head.

At this point, close your eyes and visualize the Three Lords of the Hall of Light, the three deities within it. See them cast forth bright red light from their bell mirrors. Then visualize the Red Child Emperor Lord in the Muddy Pellet, the spirit chamber in the head, holding and reciting the Scripture of the Great Cavern of Perfect Truth, thereby intimidating evil spirits. Then offer the invocation softly, saying:

Tianpeng, the divine general who exorcises evil and protects the Dharma; Tianpeng, Jiuyuan Shatong, Wuding Dusi, Gao Dao Beigong, the Seven Luminaries and Eight Spirits, and the mighty host of the Most High’s divine generals. Long-skulled giant beasts hold the Imperial Bell, while the three gods of the Plain Owl solemnly drive the Kui dragons. The Divine King of the Awe-Inspiring Sword cuts down evil spirits, leaving no trace of them. Purple Qi rises straight into the sky, and cinnabar clouds surge fiercely upward. The divine generals devour demons and drink the wind as they stretch across the sky, their tongues the color of deep blue and their teeth green, like an old man with four eyes.

The Heavenly Strongmen guard the south and repel baleful forces; the Heavenly Riders are fierce and formidable, holding blades in their mouths as they stand guard in the north. Three hundred thousand soldiers and generals protect my ninefold defenses, drive away corpse-demons within a thousand li, and banish ill omens. Should any lesser ghost dare to appear, a great axe reaching to the sky will cleave its five forms—the shape of the demon. The Flame Emperor rends its blood; the Northern Dipper strongmen burn its bones; the Four Luminaries’ divine generals shatter its remains; and the Heavenly You divine general destroys its kind. With a single sweep of the divine blade, ten thousand ghosts scatter of their own accord.

After reciting the text, click the teeth once after every four characters to keep the beat. The whole text has thirty-six lines, so click the teeth three plus six times.

This blessing spell may be recited at night or during the day. It has no fixed hour: whenever you have a moment, you may recite it at dawn, at night, or when you encounter a place that feels frightening and shadowed. Recite it in a low voice.

If a ghost is struck by this blessing spell, its eyes will rot and go blind, and it will die soon afterward. This refers to all kinds of ghost-killing spirits, malevolent ghosts, and the fierce, powerful ghosts between Heaven and Earth—not to the ghosts formed from the souls of people after death. These ghosts also have eyes, so when their eyes rot, they die. This blessing spell is a technique used by the High Gods to cut down ghosts and malevolent spirits. Its words contain the official ranks of Fengdu, the Daoist underworld, and the names of various gods. When ghosts hear it, they are overcome by fear and die.

A certain Xu commands a thousand troops of the Weinan army; this is a force used to drive back fierce and malevolent beings. The Flame Emperor is the Hai Emperor, and the Four Luminaries are the various Lord Gods. The Northern Emperor, the chief deity of the north in Daoism, keeps this technique hidden because ghosts and gods carrying out orders will be subdued if they encounter the blessing spell and will no longer be able to use their powers. For this reason, it has been kept from general circulation. Anyone in the world who obtains and uses this blessing spell can escape death. People die because they are harmed by various ghosts and gods; now that this technique is available, people will no longer die. Men and women, young and old, can all use it. The concern is simply that people may not know the spell. Those who know it need only use it in secret; age makes no difference. This passage seems intended to inform the families of senior officials.

When this method is performed during a serious illness, the illness will be cured at once. Once the ghost has fled, how could the illness remain? When knocking the teeth, close the eyes and visualize the Five Viscera, imagining that each organ has its own spirit. Specifically, first knock the teeth twenty-six times while closing the eyes and looking inward. Visualize the Five Viscera in sequence, making each one clear and distinct, with the spirit of each organ fully present within the body. Only then can upright Qi subdue deviant Qi and command the spirits, before proceeding to destroy the ghosts and malevolent beings.

Fengdu has kept this blessing spell hidden, and only now is it being secretly transmitted. Do not reveal it to anyone who has not attained the Dao; everyone should keep it secret together. Although this is not one of the most important scriptures of the High Perfected, the exalted Daoist immortals, it is a superior technique for cutting down ghosts and malevolent spirits. Once fierce and malevolent forces have dispersed, upright Qi can be settled. The spell may therefore be used first to destroy evil and test its efficacy, and it is also an important method for practitioners. Yet many people disdain it, considering the technique shallow and trivial, and often pass it on carelessly. As a result, the spell’s efficacy is obscured and cannot be brought to bear. This is much to be criticized.

The gentleman Yang and his assistant, who records by taking dictation, each have a copy.

Mount Luofeng lies in the north, in the direction of Gui (Gui corresponds to the north in the traditional system that pairs directions with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches). On the mountain and within it are palaces inhabited by spirits and deities. There are six palaces in each place; their names are the same and their forms alike. The six palaces on the mountain are arranged from west to east, beginning at the westernmost. All their gates face south. Each palace extends for a thousand li in every direction, and all are residences of spirits and deities.

In order, the six palaces are named: the Palace of Heaven Where Yin Is Cut Off for Zhou; the Palace of Heaven of Great Slaughter and Sincere Affairs; the Palace of Heaven of Bright Dawn and Enduring the Offenses of the Martial City; the Palace of Heaven of Tranquil Illumination and Sinful Qi; the Palace of Heaven of the Seven Non-Beings of the Ancestral Spirit; and the Palace of Heaven of Daring Command, Linked to Wanlü. If people know the names of the gates of the Six Palaces of Heaven in Fengdu, the legendary abode of spirits and deities, the myriad ghosts will not dare harm them. Earlier, “Palace of Heaven of Linked Wanlü” was given as the name of a palace; here, and in the incantation, it is also given as the name of a gate. This is because each palace gate is named after its palace, so the names are the same. When ghosts hear that someone knows these names, they believe that person is under the authority of the ruler of the heavenly palace, and so they dare not intrude.

Before going to sleep, first face north and recite the prayer softly three times. Turn your body slightly toward the direction of Gui as well. After reciting the entire prayer once, lightly click your teeth six times, then recite the prayer again. Repeat this sequence three times in all. The prayer says:

I call myself a disciple of the Most High (Taishang, a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity), who governs the Six Heavens of the lower realm. The palaces of the Six Heavens are under my jurisdiction and are also ruled by the Most High. I know their names, and for this reason I can attain long life. Whoever dares to offend them, the Most High will destroy his body.

The first palace is called the Palace of the Heaven of Utter Yin, of Zhou’s Extinction. Continuing eastward, the second palace is called … Recite the names in order, up to the sixth palace. Then call out the palace names written down earlier, in sequence, and recite, “Whoever dares to offend them, the Most High will destroy his body.” Next, click the teeth six times, then lie down to rest. Perform this ritual three times before doing anything else. If you go to sleep immediately afterward, you have merely carried out a spell.

To ward off the baleful energy of ghosts, first recite the text of the Stone Sprout incantation at night, then read the “Hymn for Xiang Liang’s Construction of Feng Palace”:

The Palace of Zhou’s Extinction rises high in the dawn of the celestial realm; its halls are built tier upon tier.

Its radiance blazes like mist among the clouds, magnificent and bright as sunlight.

Wuyang Palace bears the keen edge of divine weapons; its clear light shines forth, swallowing the Qing River.

The Gate of Heaven (Changhe) stands near the Cinnabar Well; the Cloud Gate rises high and thick.

Qifei opens onto a wondrous, ornate canopy, while Lianwan spreads out the realm of demons.

The Six Heavens span the northern road; this is where ghosts and spirits dwell.

This hymn is twenty thousand characters long; only the names of the palaces of the Six Heavens are excerpted here. It may also be recited softly at night, and is said to ward off ghosts just as effectively. Because it gives the names of the palace gates, ghosts fear them. Comparing it with the passage above, the third palace is called “Wucheng,” whereas the hymn says “Wuyang.” These may be two names for the same palace, or the difference may have another meaning; it does not appear to be a copying error.

The two instructions above were transmitted by the Central Lord and appear in two documents by Lord Yang and the Clerk.

When walking at night, one should click the teeth regularly; there is no fixed number of clicks. Ghosts and baleful influences are often afraid of Wucheng. The hymn calls it “Wuyang”; these may be two names for the same palace, or the difference may have another meaning. It does not appear to be a copying error.

The two instructions above were transmitted by the Central Lord and appear in two documents by Lord Yang and the Clerk.

When walking at night, one should often tap the teeth together gently. There is no fixed number of taps. The “ghost slayers” and evil ghosts often fear the sound, so they will not harass a person. The “ghost slayers” mentioned here are ghosts sent by the Supreme Lord of Fengdu, a revered deity of the underworld, to seize people. “Evil ghosts” are harmful spirits that exist between Heaven and Earth, such as wangliang. The practice is more effective when combined with rinsing the mouth, swallowing saliva, and reciting a spell. An immortal’s formula says that regularly swallowing saliva and tapping the teeth can restore one’s youth. Tapping the teeth wards off interference from outside ghosts and keeps the spirits within the body in their proper places. Swallowing saliva harmonizes and replenishes the breath, while nourishing and balancing the muscles and marrow; thus one does not fall ill or age easily.

The above was told by the Central Lord and appears in two books, one by Lord Yang and one by Yuan.

Some fierce and domineering ghosts from the lower realms often take the form of women to beguile and test people. Aged spirits and powerful ghosts in the world also often assume this form. The muscles and marrow are thereby nourished and balanced, so one does not fall ill or age easily.

The above was told by the Central Lord and appears in two books, one by Lord Yang and one by Yuan.

In low-lying places of the world, there are ferocious, domineering ghosts and demons that often take the form of women to beguile and test practitioners. Demons that have grown old and acquired supernatural powers are also skilled at such transformations. They do not only appear as women, but change their forms to suit a person’s desires. Anyone who follows them will become confused in mind and spirit, unable to tell truth from falsehood.

Those who are new to cultivation have not yet made their will sufficiently firm and upright, and often harbor distracting thoughts. They are therefore easily drawn into such encounters, so they must dispel deviant thoughts and remain on guard. When this happens, hold your breath and visualize the star Hengfu in the Celestial Pass. Visualize the stars, along with Xuan, Heng, Fu, and Bi, within the inch-guard. Let the Dipper’s handle point forward and govern the spirits throughout the body. Also visualize the spirits of the three palaces—the inch-guard, the Hall of Light, and the Central Palace—as well as the twenty-four spirits within the Five Viscera.

Compose your expression and steady your mind. Look closely at the other party’s pupils, within their eyes. If the pupils are cloudy and unclear, a demon is testing you. You may find a way to draw closer and examine the person’s eyes: if the pupils are dim, you will know they are not an immortal, but an evil ghost. You may also inspect them in a bright mirror.

Once you have confirmed that a demon is testing you, visualize the seven stars of the Northern Dipper appearing before you, or above your head, to drive the demon away. Next, visualize the seven stars flying out from the inch-guard and covering your head, with the Dipper’s handle pointing forward, to repel the demon. You may also silently recite the incantations of Tianmu, Tianpeng, and the like. If the other party’s pupils are clear and bright, they are among the people of the immortal path. Even if their appearance is irregular, clear and bright eyes may indicate a Xun person, a type of extraordinary being in Daoism. If firelight or sunlight falls on them and no shadow appears, this provides further confirmation. In such a situation, you may also silently recite the incantations of Tianmu, Tianpeng, and the like.

Once you understand who the other party is, you should pay your respects. If you cannot identify them, you have failed the test. Mistaking an evil ghost for a true immortal is also a failure. You must be especially cautious. These two kinds of encounters are the most difficult to distinguish, and I have discussed them in detail in “Preface on Observing the Precepts, Scroll Two.”

These are Lord Pei’s instructions, found in two manuscript copies kept by the Chief Historian and the Assistant.

The six matters listed above are methods for exterminating demons and resisting tests by ghosts.

“The Talisman of the Inner Scripture of the Bright Hall for Opening the Heart and Dispelling Delusion” is a talismanic method composed and used by Lord Wang. Its diagram appears in Volume Six, Instructions on Talisman Diagrams. The method described here is to swallow a talisman so that it enters the Bright Hall, located one inch inside the heart and serving as the dwelling place of the heart spirit. There seems also to have been a complete, extensive scripture, but only the part concerning the dispelling of delusive thoughts is copied here. Lord Wang is the Supreme Minister, Master of the Totality of Perfection.

At dawn on an Open Day, face Lord Wang, write the talisman in cinnabar, bow twice, and swallow it. Alternatively, at dawn choose a day according to that month’s monthly branch (the month marked by one of the twelve earthly branches), and write the talisman in cinnabar on white paper. When you have finished, hold the talisman in your left hand and bow. After bowing, recite the invocation, then swallow the talisman.

The invocation is: “The spirits governed by the Five Organs open the heart’s aperture and listen with undivided attention, shutting out all distracting sounds. The Three Hun gather and contain the vital essence, guarding the cinnabar heart in its entirety, so that I give rise to no delusive thoughts and do not seek recklessly beyond the Five Organs.”

After bowing, recite the invocation, then swallow the talisman. Once swallowed, swallow saliva five times and click the teeth five times. Do not let anyone see you. If you do not choose an Open Day, you may perform the method on the first, fifteenth, and twenty-seventh of each month, swallowing a talisman three times a month. It will take effect after one year. This is a secretly transmitted talismanic method. If you do not need to look specifically for an Open Day, these dates will suffice; nowadays, you may also use Open Days, performing the method five or six times a month in all.

The above is found in two copies, one made by the Chief Historian and the other by a clerk.

What the Perfected One of Donghua taught was an advanced method of internal ingestion using images of the sun and moon. Men and women in Donghua Palace continued to practice this method even after they had attained the state of Perfected Ones. Thus, the method of cultivating the sun’s radiance is still preserved by the Blue Lord, a title of a Daoist immortal. The superior method is for men to ingest the image of the sun and women the images of the sun and moon; another method is for men to ingest the image of the sun and women the image of the moon. The practice should be sustained every day without interruption. It is said to make one intelligent and perceptive, enliven the five viscera, regulate the hun and po souls, and bring harmony and calm to the six bowels, thereby attaining long life and deathlessness.

The practice is usually performed at dawn, facing east. Write the image of the sun in cinnabar on blue paper, hold it in the left hand, and visualize it transforming into a red sun the size of a pellet, radiating purple light. Then ingest it, imagining it entering the heart and its light shining through the whole body. When finished, you may click your teeth together nine times and swallow the saliva in your mouth nine times. When women ingest the image of the moon, they write it in yellow pigment on blue paper, hold it in the right hand, face east, and ingest it while imagining it entering the heart. The two characters “Returning Moon” are written in cinnabar according to the authentic model that has been copied.

These are methods for writing images of the sun and moon. The sun image may also be written as a circle. Since the transmitted versions include both square and circular forms, as well as the character “sun” without being changed into a circle, the version at hand should determine which form is used. The Purple Script, Great Mystery Talisman contains a circular character for “sun.” Since the practice is called “images of the sun and moon,” the characters “sun” and “moon” may also be used directly to represent them. In ancient texts, the character for “moon” sometimes closely resembles the shape of the moon; for this reason, early theories of script called this kind of writing “pictographic.” If a circular image is to be ingested, its written form should likewise be circular. Further details of the method are given in the Instructions on Talismans and Diagrams.

The material above comes from a letter by Lord Yang.

The Red Lord of Mount Heng, a legendary immortal, says in a method of inner cultivation: At midnight on the fifth day of each month, hold the image of the sun in the mind. Let it enter through the mouth and illuminate the heart, so that the heart joins with the sun’s radiance. This practice may be done sitting or lying down. First visualize the sun as red, emitting purple light with nine rays. Suddenly it enters the mouth and reaches the heart. Visualize the inside and outside of the heart as transparent and bright, as if merged with the sun.

Afterward, the heart should feel warm, as though lit by rosy clouds. When first practicing, simply imagine warmth in the heart; only after a long time will you truly feel heat. Concentrated visualization makes it easier to achieve a response.

After a while, recite this invocation: “Great Brightness nourishes essence; within, the cinnabar heart is refined. Radiance joins and shines; the spirit immortals come seeking.” When you have finished reciting, swallow saliva nine times. On the fifteenth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-ninth days of each month, practice in the same way. These three days are all regarded as special and correspond to the number of days. A later passage says that diligence is what matters in cultivation: there is no need to restrict it to these days; it may be practiced every night at midnight. Afterward, swallow saliva nine times as well.

It is said that this practice can bring clarity of mind, sharpen hearing and sight, open the body’s vital gateways, give the face a jade-like sheen, and make the body shine with a golden luster. After fifteen years of cultivation, the Great One (Taiyi), a revered Daoist deity, will send a carriage of protection to welcome the practitioner, who can then ascend to the Highest Heaven (Taixiao). Another scripture says that after five years, the Great One will send the Jade Protector Lord down to welcome the practitioner. The commentator believes that the character for “carriage” was probably omitted here: the “carriage of protection” must be the vehicle ridden by the Jade Protector Lord. Diligent practice is what matters; there is no need to limit it to the days mentioned earlier.

The preceding method is said to come from the Scripture of the Most High on Dispelling Demons. The present version comes from the Scripture on Dispelling Demons and Wisdom, from which the Red Lord excerpted and adopted it; hence it is called the “inner method.” The Senior Recorder, a Daoist official title, copied two versions.

At the Eastern Florescence Palace there is a method of ingesting the radiance of the sun and moon. Even after attaining the state of a perfected immortal, one continues to practice this method: simply hold the image of the sun in the mind, about the size of a coin.

The Donghua Palace (an immortal palace in Daoism) records a method of cultivation that involves taking in the radiance of the sun and moon. Even those who have attained immortality continue to practice it. During the practice, one need only visualize a sun in the heart: it is deep red, about the size of a coin, but not flat in shape; rather, it is like a pellet, about nine fen in diameter. One should also visualize the sun emitting nine rays. The scripture says only that the sun is red, without specifying the rays’ color. Since it later describes moonlight as white, however, the sun’s rays here should be purple.

As you visualize, the nine purple rays rise from the heart, pass through the throat, and reach the teeth. All the rays enter the mouth, their tips pointing toward the teeth but not extending beyond the lips. At this point, close the mouth and bring the teeth together. Only the rays rise; the sun itself remains in the heart. This is what is called “taking in the sun’s rays.”

Next, visualize the rays turning back from the mouth and entering the stomach. As the rays rise, the sun remains in the heart. Their tips reach the base of the teeth, seeming to connect with the sun, while the rays extend through the throat and chest, their radiance illuminating the mouth and teeth. After a while, the tips curl backward, descend through the throat, and enter the stomach. In the visualization, the distance between the heart and stomach is roughly the same as that between the heart and throat; the rays do not need to lengthen or shorten to cover it.

After a little longer, visualize with your eyes closed, as if you can clearly see the heart and stomach. The sun remains in the heart, while the rays are in the stomach, spreading their brightness and illuminating the internal organs. At this point, the abdomen should also feel slightly warm. Then exhale and rinse the mouth, letting saliva fill it before swallowing. As you swallow, continue to visualize the saliva as purple. Swallow the saliva thirty-nine times to complete the practice. The scripture’s instruction to “exhale” means that, at the start of the visualization, you close your mouth, bring your teeth together, and hold your breath. Once the visualization is complete, breathe normally, part your teeth, rinse the mouth with saliva, and swallow.

Practice three times each day: at dawn, facing east; at noon, facing south; and in the evening, facing west. Each time, sit upright, close your eyes, hold your breath, and then begin the visualization.

If this visualization and internal refinement are sustained for a year, illness will disappear. After five years, the body will shine with radiance. After eighteen years of practice, one will surely attain the Dao (the Way). At a certain level of attainment, when walking in sunlight, the body may even cast no shadow, and all manner of evil spirits, baleful Qi, and calamities will be unable to disturb the practitioner. If, during practice, one directly ingests the forms of the sun and moon—that is, visualizes their radiance and draws it into the body—one usually need not wait eighteen years. The method described here is slower to take effect.

The light of the sun and moon is kept constantly within the body, joining with and illuminating its form. Thus the practitioner can be without a shadow, the spirits will appear bright and clear, and evil beings will naturally dare not intrude. In ordinary practice, visualize the sun within the heart and the moon in the Mud Pill Palace, the upper Dantian (energy center), a Daoist site of internal refinement in the head. The text emphasizes “constantly visualizing” to indicate that this practice is not performed only while ingesting Qi or carrying out a ritual method.

At night, ingest the moon’s radiance using the same method as for the sun. When visualizing the sun and moon, there is no need to see their actual forms; simply sit quietly indoors and visualize them. Since the moon is practiced at night, it may also be visualized while lying down. One may also practice at specific times, such as the hours of Wu, Zi, and Chou. The earlier statement that the moon is constantly in the Mud Pill Palace refers to the Mud Pill Palace of the upper Dantian. The Mysterious Elixir is also called the Mud Pill. The method in the Xuanzhen places the moon in the Hall of Light, another Daoist palace in the head; that is a different practice. Here, the sun is said to reside in the heart, which is “the dwelling of the True Person.” By this correspondence, the moon should reside in the Chamber of the Red Child, and so it is placed in the upper Dantian.

The moon as visualized has ten rays of white light. The moon’s actual color is yellow; the text speaks of white because the Daoist moon has ten white rays. This also shows that the visualized moon does not enter through the mouth. The moon is about one inch in diameter. Next, it descends from the brain into the throat. The “nine palaces within the head” means that all the palaces are imagined to lie inside the brain. Since the moon is visualized in the Mud Pill Palace, it can be said to descend from within the head. Below the Mud Pill Palace, passages lead to the throat, so visualize the ten rays of light descending straight from the Mud Pill Palace, passing through the openings inside the nasal passages and entering the throat: five rays through each nostril, their points facing the teeth.

The rays do not pass out between the teeth but turn back and enter the stomach. At this point, as before, keep the mouth closed and the teeth together, allowing the rays to remain briefly in the mouth until it is filled with light. Then direct them backward and downward into the stomach. Afterward, exhale and rinse and swallow the white fluid—the saliva visualized or produced during internal refinement—thirty-nine times. When finished, one will feel the light connected within the brain suddenly disperse.

Lady of the Southern Pole said: “These are the methods of cultivation practiced by the perfected beings of this region. They come from the Upper and Middle Sections of the Scripture of Great Wisdom. If you practice them regularly, you can preserve yourself and live to see the Great Peace.”

Lord Wang of the Western Citadel said: “To practice these methods, place the sun in your heart and visualize the moon in the Muddy Pellet Palace, the upper Dantian inside the head. This method is simple and easy to learn. Just keep at it and do not give up halfway. You need not recite prayers or see the actual sun and moon. Visualization—quiet contemplation in daily practice—is not difficult, and you need not travel far and wide to do it while living in the world.

“This method can dispel the Three Corpses—the spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and harm people—as well as the hundred illnesses and a thousand kinds of affliction. It is a practice for refining the hun soul and controlling the po soul. The light of the sun and moon constantly shines within the body, leaving demons nowhere to hide. The body itself becomes a place where the sun and moon reside, so evil spirits have no place to lurk; in this way, illness does not arise. Lord Qing is practicing this method now, and I am one who practices it too. The Scripture of Great Wisdom contains more than methods of the Fangzhu type, so the Complete Truth adept practices it as well.

“You may also practice alongside this method the techniques in the Precious Book for visualizing and receiving the Qi of the sun and moon. It is better to practice both. The sun-and-moon method in the Precious Book refers to the Purple Script Method of the Three Hun Souls in the Scripture of the Five Elders. One method leans toward inner cultivation and the other toward outer cultivation, so they can be practiced together. In the morning and evening, first visualize and receive the radiant Qi indoors. After the sun and moon have risen, practice the Method of Fine Rosy Clouds, which involves visualizing and gathering the essences of the sun and moon.

“What I am telling you now, I am also telling Lord Yang. Those who sincerely aspire to the Dao may be taught this in confidence; the Chief Clerk should also be informed. Immortals can carry out a thousand tasks in a day and a night without at first feeling weary. This shows how diligently they cultivate. The opportunity to become an immortal must not be missed. But those who have already become immortals naturally have bodies and training that can withstand hardship. This refers to people who have attained immortality.

“Beginners are not yet sufficiently firm and strong; their strength and natural endowment can tire easily. Only after practicing for a long time do the methods gradually become familiar and effortless. So you must not exert yourself fiercely at the start and then grow lax. Begin with a little and gradually try to do more. Let one method first become a steady practice; do not covet a great many methods or lofty attainments. In cultivating the Dao, there is no need to fear having many methods, provided you put them in order and do not mix them up. The key is not to pursue what is abstruse and mysterious without understanding it fully, but to follow the proper sequence and bring your cultivation to completion.

“Only through bonds formed over countless kalpas have you gained this life. Once you lose this opportunity in this life, you may have to pass through countless kalpas before the bond comes again. How could you fail to strive diligently and persist in your cultivation throughout this life?”

The preceding account is recorded in the Yang text.

Fan, a supervisor in the Tongchu administration, said that the method for cultivating the “Three Qi” is as follows: visualize breaths of three colors—green, white, and red—each like a fine thread, descending from the sun in the east and entering your mouth directly. Practice each morning while facing the sun. Even on cloudy or rainy days, continue to visualize yourself facing it. You may sit or stand. With your eyes slightly closed, visualize the three colored breaths approaching side by side: green on the left, the others arranged in order beside it, each shaped like a hanging, slender blade of grass. Let the three breaths join and enter your mouth, while visualizing their roots still connected to the sun.

Inhale and swallow ninety times each session, stopping when you feel full. One inhalation followed by one swallow counts as a “holding.” After swallowing the breaths, visualize them dividing in your throat and flowing into the various internal organs. As you near the prescribed number, gradually slow down until you stop. After ten years of this practice, the three colored breaths will naturally be present within the body; in other words, breaths of three colors will regularly rise from the crown of your head.

This is the “Inner Landscape Method of Great Simplicity” of Lord Gaoyuan, a Daoist immortal’s title. It is one minor practice within the methods of the Three Primordial Lords of Great Simplicity in the Shangqing tradition. It should be practiced every morning with the eyes slightly closed and the mind’s eye engaged. The more clearly you can see the sun, the better the results. The method is not complicated, and the record says its effects are significant, so Lord Xu may practice it.

A note explains that this belongs to the methods of Great Simplicity. Since it was also recommended for an immortal lord to practice, it cannot be considered a shallow or inferior method. However, what Fan received and practiced was only material of the “supervisor” type; perhaps he had learned few Daoist methods and received only this one. The reason Lord Xu is now being asked to practice it is probably to support his other cultivation, rather than to make it his sole path of practice.

The preceding words are those of the Central Lord, as recorded in the Yang text.

The “Method of Absorbing Mist” of the Jade Consort of Donghua, transmitted by the Perfected Lady Zhang Weizi of Zhen Terrace, is usually practiced in the early morning, when the bedroom is quiet. It may be done sitting or lying down. First close your eyes and turn your attention inward, as though seeing the five internal organs. Following the method, visualize each one in its own shape and color.

When the visualization is complete, keep your eyes closed and exhale twenty-four times, imagining that each organ exhales Qi of its own color. Then open your eyes slightly, keeping your gaze lowered as you continue to exhale, and envision Qi in the five colors gathering and interweaving on your face. This colored Qi still comes from the five organs; it does not come from elsewhere.

Let the five-colored Qi gathered on your face remain for a moment, then inhale and swallow it fifty times. Imagine it joining with the five-colored Qi between Heaven and Earth and returning together to the five organs, each color flowing into its corresponding organ. Swallow the Qi in this order: lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, spleen. When finished, swallow saliva without accompanying breath sixty times. Finally, recite the blessing softly.

Scarlet clouds radiate their light, while numinous mists flow in every direction. Qi gathers and spirals, revealing a grotto-heaven in five colors. Within the spirit-smoke lies the power of life; even metal and stone gleam, and purple clouds thicken across the sky. The practitioner refines and nourishes the body, preserving it intact. A radiant scene appears, then recedes into the subtle and hidden realm. The Qi of the Five Spirits differentiates and circulates, joining with the light and stirring the void. At that moment, ride upon the six kinds of cloud Qi and protect my body, so that I may ascend to the nine heavens.

When the ritual is complete, click the teeth together seven times, swallow the saliva seven times, then open the eyes. The ritual is finished.

Earlier, the method of consuming mist was mentioned. The preface says: “Mist is the essence of water and fire among mountains and marshes, and the primal Qi that fills metal and stone.” Why, then, is the mist visualized and consumed now said to be the Qi of one’s own five viscera? Because one first exhales the twenty-four Qi, bringing them into contact with the mist outside. Once the two kinds of Qi have joined as one, they are drawn in and consumed. Thus, with fifty repetitions of the fivefold consumption, one can absorb mist in twenty-six rounds.

This Daoist method is exceedingly wondrous. Many people in the Mysterious Capital of the Divine Continent—the wondrous immortal realm where perfected immortals dwell—have mastered it. Can you practice it as well? This was also conveyed to Lord Yang. By practicing for a long time, one can often ride the clouds and mists on far-ranging journeys. It is also said that long-term consumption of mist can make the body dissolve and enter the void, merging with the clouds.

The foregoing is what the Middle Lord told Lord Yang.

The “method of Mysterious and White received by Du Guangping” is also called the “inner method of Mysterious and White in the embryo’s essence and central scene.” It may be practiced each morning while sitting or lying down; the posture need not be fixed. Visualize black Qi in the Mudball Palace (the upper Dantian in the head), white Qi in the heart, and yellow Qi in the navel. These three places are called the “Three Palaces.” They may also be understood as different ways of practicing the “Three Ones,” distinguished only by the colors of the Qi being visualized.

Visualize the three currents of Qi arising at the same time, like clouds covering the whole body. Each emerges from its original location, at first no larger than a bean, then gradually grows until it envelops the body. Next, the three currents of Qi transform into flames that circle the body. Although the inside of the body seems to become fire as well, three currents of Qi remain outside. At this point, visualize the body as transparent and luminous, with its interior and exterior forming a unified whole. The fire and Qi refine and nourish the body, illuminating it inside and out.

In the morning, continue the practice until nearly noon. Of the various methods of cultivation, this one is the best suited to long-term practice. When visualizing the Qi and fire, remain calm and at ease, allowing the changes to unfold gradually. After the body has been refined and nourished, continue the visualization for a long time, until the state resembles sleep and you are no longer aware of your limbs. Only then is the practice considered appropriate.

Then perform breath absorption 120 times, completing the practice. At the same time, visualize inhaling Qi in three colors, forty times for each color. The scripture says that this practice can grant long life and freedom from death, and avert all kinds of misfortune. The saying “Know white and hold to black, and though you wish to die, you cannot; know black and hold to white, and all evil spirits vanish” refers to the three-colored Qi described above, that is, “Mysterious and White.” It borrows its wording from the Five Thousand Words (that is, the Dao De Jing).

During the practice, one must especially avoid the meat of the six domestic animals and the five pungent plants (aromatic vegetables such as onions and garlic). One should also live alone and quietly focus the mind in visualization. Sexual relations must be avoided altogether; the scripture says they will bring death to the practitioner. This method resembles “Guarding the One,” a method of cultivation that focuses on visualizing the deity or Dao within the body, but its steps are more concise. It forbids sexual relations more strictly than the Guarding the One method, which requires only moderation, since that practice also allows for having children.

During the practice, first visualize Qi rising from within the body like a bean, gradually growing larger and shooting straight up to the heavens. The three currents of Qi circle the neck and body, then merge into one; suddenly, flames arise amid three streams of smoke. Use this vision to refine and nourish the whole body, so that the five viscera inside become luminous and transparent as well. This too is an important method of cultivation. The earlier account was brief, so it is repeated here: this is how one should visualize during focused contemplation.

This is a method for seeking long life, but it does not yet reach the level of becoming an immortal. It may be practiced alongside other methods to dispel malign influences and avert misfortune. The scripture says that after thirty years of practice, one can make the body invisible and travel five hundred li in a day. This method, however, is of a lower level and must be practiced over a long period. If one practices other methods at the same time, one cannot use this method. Those with modest natural endowment and limited cultivation are suited to maintaining this practice, while advanced practitioners do not make it their main discipline.

Anyone wishing to practice the Mysterious and White method should use its dedicated scripture, though the text says little about the relevant material. The method described here has a separate, formal scripture, which should also include an invocation. This passage is probably only a brief excerpt, much like the “Mysterious Truths.” The method belongs to an old lineage of the Taiqing tradition. As for what is now called “Little Lord,” it seems to mean that this method should be imparted to Yintu.

The passage on protecting life above, recorded by a clerk.

The Lord says: If you wish to prolong your years and extend your life, wash your face clean, focus your mind, and calm your Qi. When the sun has risen about two zhang, practice the method described in “What the Lord Says Now.” It seems to instruct the practitioner to offer prayers toward the Yin direction (the east).

The passage on protecting life above, recorded by a clerk.

The Lord says: If you wish to prolong your years and extend your life, wash your face clean, focus your mind, and calm your Qi. Practice this method only when the sun has risen about two zhang. Face the sun, exhale the turbid Qi within you through your mouth, and inhale the sun’s vital essence through your nose. Stop when you sneeze; this is called the unobstructed flow of Qi. At other times, you may also exhale through your mouth the turbid Qi accumulated through the four seasons, while drawing in through your nose the essence of cinnabar clouds—the sun’s vital essence. Stop after a little while, when you sneeze. This method is broadly similar to the one above, except that it has no prayer. It is a method for replenishing Jing and Qi, restoring embryonic breathing—a state in Daoist internal cultivation in which the breath is deep, as though one were breathing in the womb—and seeking long life.

The Lord says: If you wish to set your mind and spirit aright, you should regularly practice this method when the sun has risen about three zhang. First complete the steps of guiding the Qi until you sneeze, then continue with this practice. Cross your hands over your shoulders, with the left hand on top; do not reverse them. Let the sun face your heart—that is, position your body directly toward the sun—and visualize the sun facing your heart. When you feel warmth within, this indicates that your mind and spirit are in order. At the same time, visualize the sun’s radiance entering your heart, which will make you feel gently warm. Practicing this regularly is beneficial. Some people’s minds and spirits are unsettled and easily disturbed by wrongful thoughts and improper conduct, so the Perfected Ones taught them to face the sun and visualize it. When they found their minds and spirits straying, they transmitted this method. It is broadly the same as visualizing sunlight entering the heart. Whether one’s mind and spirit are already in order or not, regular practice may be regarded as beneficial.

The two instructions above were transmitted by Lord Pei and are recorded in copies kept by the Senior Registrar and the clerks.

From the preceding passage to this point, there are about nine methods in all. They are practices for ingesting Qi, exhaling and inhaling, and visualizing the Qi of mist and clouds.

These are the three instructions transmitted by the Perfected Ones, comprising fifty-two methods in all.

End of Volume Two of Hidden Instructions for Ascending to Perfection.

Volume Three of Hidden Instructions for Ascending to Perfection

Method for reciting the Yellow Court Scripture

Method for paying reverence and offering prayers

The Sanjiu Suyu Yujing Zhenjue records that the catalogue of middle-grade scriptures includes the Sanjiu Suyu, while the Wei-transmitted catalogue includes the Yujing Zhenjue. The Sanjiu Suyu should be this very scripture, except that it has not yet circulated in the world; the version circulating in the world is a forgery and does not contain this set of instructions.

When reciting the Donghua Yupian, the Huangting Neijing Jing, the rule is to recite it ten times and bow four times. This scripture here writes, “Pay homage to Taishang,” yet now these three characters are omitted, and only afterward does it explicitly say to face north, bow, and pray to Taishang. Would this not contradict the earlier meaning? One should first pay respects to Taidi and then face north.

The preface to the scripture does not explicitly state the specific method of homage; but the fourteen characters in this scripture are already sufficient to explain this matter. Why delete three characters and then separately add a preface? The Xiaomo says that recitation also touches on this matter and mentions paying homage to the four directions; this too should have its own method. Now the method of the Huangting comes from the Suyu, yet the two scriptures seem not to match in rank.

Taidi is located in the east, and the practitioner should face east to worship. Taidi is Zichen Jun. According to the Rudao Wangyun, one should face southeast and gaze afar at Taidi’s San Su flying clouds at Fusang. Fangzhu Mountain lies southeast of Kuaiji; to its northeast is Tanggu. Ruting Mountain lies northeast of Canglang and southeast of Penglai; Runing Mountain is where Taidi dwells and governs. Another record states that Qingxu Wangjun traveled east, crossed Qiming Canglang, ascended Guangsang Mountain, entered Shihui Court, and paid respects to Taidi Jun. From this it appears that Fusang is southeast of Tanggu; viewed from Jinling, one should face roughly due east, slightly to the south.

However, the Taidi recorded in the Yulu does not have the title “Zichen,” so these accounts are inconsistent. If one still wishes to perform the rite according to this, one should face due east. Therefore, when reciting the scripture one faces due east; the text still says first to pay respects to Taidi, indicating that Taidi is in the east. Then one turns north, bows, and prays to Taishang, because Shangqing is in the north; thus the scripture says that afterward one should face north. One first bows to the less honored and then to the more revered.

After the ten recitations are finished, rise and face Taidi, then bow twice more. After bowing, kneel upright, close the eyes, and pray:

A low-ranking Daoist cultivator respectfully recites the Jinshu Yujing (Scripture of Golden Writ and Jade). Donghua calls it the Yupian (Jade Chapters), but when presenting a petition to the Great Thearch, it is called the Yujing (Jade Scripture). Might these titles be confused?

The scripture says that after reciting it for ten rounds, one may pray to ascend upon the Dragon Plough. Yet the preface says that it must be recited ten thousand times in order to perceive the Five Viscera fully. To pray for ascent upon the Dragon Plough after only ten rounds seems to go against the scripture’s intent.

This prayer is also less fitting than other prayers. It asks for too much from the outset, as though eagerly seeking the realm of the immortals, and the number of recitations does not accord with what the scripture says. The prayer states: “The celestial gods descend and command the Six Ding (the six Ding spirits of Daoist teaching); the seven generations of ancestors ascend, and I ascend to Shangqing (a name for the Daoist celestial realms).” But the Huangting Jing (Scripture of the Yellow Court) speaks of harmonizing the Five Viscera and cultivating the hun and po souls. It was not originally a method for enabling seven generations of ancestors to ascend. The Nei Huangting (Inner Yellow Court) speaks only of long life and deathlessness; how can one infer from this an ascent to Shangqing? Moreover, addressing the gods and spirits as “I” when making a petition does not accord with the etiquette of humility.

In the Feibu Zhu (Prayer for the Flying Pace), the practitioner’s name and the word “I” are used interchangeably when offering prayers to the stars, in contrast to an evil person facing him. Here, however, he is personally presenting a petition to the Great Thearch and should not address himself in that way. After the prayer, open the eyes, swallow the saliva ten times, then click the teeth nine times. If swallowing saliva ten times counts as ten repetitions, then clicking the teeth should be counted in the same way. There is no sound basis for clicking them only nine times.

Next, face north, bow twice, kneel upright, and pray, saying:

“Supreme August One, Most Perfect Being, cause me to rise into the void”: the “Supreme August One, Most Perfect Being”—a supreme divine being revered in Daoism—is not a title for the deity “Jade Dawn.” Praying in this way to ascend into the void is, as in the case described earlier, open to criticism. It is acceptable to address the Great Emperor as a subject, but even less appropriate to do so before the Most High. According to the true Daoist method, when worshipping and offering prayers, one uses only the deity’s name; there is no custom of calling oneself “subject” or “I.”

After performing purification, bathing, and cultivating body and mind, and reciting the “Golden Books” (Daoist scriptures), the Most High calls this practice “the heart of the zither and the Yellow Court.” Yet the scripture also says to pray for ascent into the void at sunrise over Fusang. As before, this is improper. Why do both prayers, one at the beginning and one later, violate the rules?

To free one’s ancestors of seven generations from the world of dust, raise them to the realm of immortals, and have them appear before the Emperor, one must recite the Great Cavern Scripture ten thousand times. Only then might the ancestors become immortals of the Nine Palaces. To recite the Yellow Court Scripture just ten times and then ask to attend a banquet in the Emperor’s palace—isn’t that going too far?

The prayer also asks for a longer life and immortality, and for one’s name to be entered in the register of immortals. First it asks for ascent into the void, then for longevity and immortality. Does the cultivator begin by becoming a High Perfected One, only to end as an earthly immortal?

After the ritual, one should close the eyes, click the teeth nine times, and swallow the saliva ten times. The previous text says to open the eyes, while a later chapter says to close them; the methods for clicking the teeth and swallowing saliva are also reversed. Perhaps the two methods are no different in themselves, but simply involve different postures of bowing and looking upward. Taken as a whole, these instructions do not accord with the true rules. The explanation may be that later students, with limited knowledge and understanding, wrote them down according to their own ideas without making the principles clear, and so introduced many confusions. Later readers then treated these differing accounts as separate methods, passing them down and praising them in turn, with no one able to examine and distinguish them.

Beginners who wish to practice according to these methods need not fear that doing so will cause any hindrance. But these matters are beyond my understanding. If one insists on examining them word by word, they are not discussed in the authentic scriptures. After completing all of this, return to the scriptures one normally recites.

Another method of visualizing the spirit: an alternative method of retaining in awareness and visualizing the spirits.

The Perfected Person Qingxu said: Anyone who practices the Inner Scripture of the Yellow Court should follow the method transmitted by the Thearch, called “Filling the Spirit and Merging with Transformation into the Mysterious True.” Yet accounts of Pei Jun’s study of the Dao and the related transmissions make no mention of this so-called “Yellow Court household practice.” The method attributed here to “the Thearch’s filling the spirit and merging with transformation into the Mysterious True” is in fact a scripture forged in our own time, which secretly appropriates a method from the Purple Measure of Flaming Radiance. Its descriptions of the spirits’ forms and sizes, along with its invocations, are identical to those in that book. This takes forged material and builds another false claim upon it—a serious error indeed.

This passage is still included in the present volume because later students might encounter it elsewhere, fail to distinguish truth from falsehood, and treat it as an essential instruction, practicing it with reverence. When genuine and counterfeit methods are mixed together, they may obstruct the cultivation of the true. I therefore point out its error so that readers may understand.

After reading the scripture and completing the rites and invocations, sit upright facing east, gently close your eyes, and visualize in your mind the form, color, height, and size of your own spirits. Call them by name, so that they return and fill their respective palaces—the places within the body that correspond to them. If you do not practice this method, then even if you recite the scripture ten thousand times, the true spirits will not remain within you. In the end, there will be no response or result; instead, you will deplete your Qi and exhaust your spirit, gaining no benefit in prolonging life. I have therefore selected and explained the scripture’s essential points. The preface to the Yellow Court has already described the method of recitation in detail. If one does not know these two things, practice will bring no response, so they should be explained together.

The text later discusses how to deal with fear, illness, and encounters with impurity, yet makes no mention at all of this spirit king. Was Lord Wang unwilling to identify and transmit him clearly? If the scripture does not give complete instructions on these matters, its methods of practice cannot be put into effect.

Sit upright, slightly open your eyes, and click your teeth together thirty-six times. Then visualize the various deities within your body. If this is not the ritual known as the “Great Invocation for Restraining Evil,” you should instead click your teeth together four times, visualize the deities, and then click your teeth together nine times. But there is no precedent for this practice in the relevant scriptures.

The deity of the hair is named Canghua, with the courtesy name Taiyuan, and is two cun and one fen tall. The deity of the brain is named Jinggen, with the courtesy name Niwan, and is one cun and two fen tall. The deity of the eyes is named Mingshang, with the courtesy name Yingxuan, and is three cun tall. The deity of the nose is named Yulong, with the courtesy name Lingjian, and is two cun and five fen tall. The deity of the ears is named Kongxian, with the courtesy name Youtian, and is three cun and one fen tall. The deity of the tongue is named Tongming, with the courtesy name Zhenglun, and is seven cun tall. The deity of the teeth is named Feng’e, with the courtesy name Luo Qian, and is one cun and five fen tall. These seven deities of the face all wear purple robes and flying-silk skirts, and resemble infants. During visualization, picture them clearly and distinctly arranged across the face, each settled in its proper place.

According to the names listed in the scripture, there are two deities of the eyes and two of the ears, making nine in all, not seven. Like the “Eight Radiances”—the eight deities within the human body—they should each dwell in their corresponding place. Thus the scripture says: “The nine perfected ones of Niwan each have their own dwelling; within a space one cun square, they are all there.” The nine perfected ones are all in the brain, each with a dwelling of its own, and all wearing purple robes and flying-silk garments. This refers precisely to the nine deities mentioned above. If this passage is taken to mean the nine perfected ones of the Nine Palaces, it would make no sense to say they wear purple robes and silk garments. Those who understand the matter need only examine these statements carefully to see the errors.

The scripture also says that the deities do not dwell separately, but are all in the brain. Here, however, they are said to be arranged across the face; these accounts are inconsistent. Moreover, the heights given for the five deities of the hair, brain, eyes, nose, and tongue are all taken from the Upper Radiance Scripture. That scripture does not mention deities of the ears or teeth, so their heights have been invented here. How can this interpretation be so careless? When the practice is complete, click your teeth together twenty-four times and swallow your breath twelve times. This count, too, does not accord with the meaning of the seven deities. The invocation says:

Primordial Qi disperses and gathers, forming the various gods. They divide their dwelling places between the front and back, govern the Mud Pill (the upper Dantian in the head), and support one another above and below. The seven gods are arranged in sequence and circulate as the body changes. One must cherish and nourish the Source of Splendor (the source of divine Qi within the body) and guide the Eight Spirits, so that they surge upward through the Gate of the Cavern, guard the body, tread upon rosy clouds, and ascend to the Dawn of the Emperor (the heavenly realm at daybreak).

This invocation, too, takes its method from the “Eight Scenes.” Yet the gods of the Eight Scenes belong to the middle-scene method of the Shangqing scriptures and rites. Here, one now intends to guide them, but says, “from below they surge upward through the Gate of the Cavern, guard the body, tread upon rosy clouds, and ascend to the Dawn of the Emperor.” Does this mean they are to be controlled from below and raised to a higher realm?

Next, visualize the gods of the five zang organs and six fu organs: the heart god, Cinnabar Origin, whose courtesy name is Guardian of the Spirit, is nine cun tall and wears a cinnabar-colored brocade skirt; the lung god, Bright Radiance, whose courtesy name is Emptiness Fulfilled, is eight cun tall and wears white brocade with a yellow sash; the liver god, Dragon Mist, whose courtesy name is Containing Clarity, is seven cun tall and wears blue-green brocade; the kidney god, Dark Profundity, whose courtesy name is Nurturing the Infant, is three cun and six fen tall and wears deep blue brocade; the spleen god, Constant Presence, whose courtesy name is Soul Court, is seven cun and three fen tall and wears yellow brocade; and the gallbladder god, Dragon Radiance, whose courtesy name is Majestic Clarity, is three cun and six fen tall and wears nine-colored brocade with a green flowered skirt. The garments of these gods are all named according to the terms used in this scripture. Their heights, too, follow the specifications of the middle-scene method, except that the gallbladder god is one fen shorter and the liver god one cun shorter, presumably to show that this method differs.

The scripture says that the “true gods of the six fu organs” dwell within the five zang organs and in the palaces of the six fu organs. Yet the gods listed here are actually those of the five zang organs, while among the six fu organs only the gallbladder god is mentioned. Why, then, are they called the “true gods of the six fu organs,” and why is it said that they dwell within the five zang organs and in the palaces of the six fu organs? The scripture’s term “six fu organs” is simply a collective name for them; it does not specify where the god of each one resides. Moreover, the scripture also says that all the gods move within the heart, following the heavenly canon. It would seem, then, that they should not each dwell separately within the five zang organs and the palaces of the six fu organs.

The scripture later gives further details about six locations. Some of their inhabitants are called gods, others youths; there are three locations above and three below, and the colors of their garments and their ornaments are specified separately. This shows that the gods are not limited to the five zang-organ gods listed here. If one visualizes all the gods as infants or splendid youths and attends carefully and precisely to their presence throughout the body, that conflicts with the claim that all the gods are within the heart.

Knock the teeth twenty-four times, swallow the Qi twelve times, and pray, saying:

The true spirits of the five zang organs and six fu organs gather together, preside over the Crimson Palace, where the spirit of the heart resides, and follow one another above and below. The Red Child in the Golden Chamber, a spirit symbolizing the heart’s spirit, dwells at each of the four directional gates. These spirits dwell hidden within the heart.

Tap the teeth twenty-four times and swallow the Qi twelve times, then recite this prayer:

The true spirits of the five zang organs and six fu organs gather together, preside over the Crimson Palace, and follow one another above and below. The Red Childs in the Golden Chamber dwell at each of the four directional gates. The deep and hidden chamber and its mysterious gates are where the spirits reside and where the pivot turns. Yin and Yang blend and transform, bringing forth the spirits. Subtle and refined, the true Qi gathers in and guards the Dantian, making it shine with the same radiance as the sun and moon. Thus one may unite with the Eight Visions, the eight immortal realms or divine manifestations described in Daoist teaching, and ascend in bodily form.

According to the account of the twenty-four spirits, each of the five zang organs and six fu organs has its own spirit. Here, however, the organs are grouped together and said to “return as one,” which seems at odds with the underlying doctrine. Moreover, the Three Elders of the Hall of Light, the three spirits who dwell in the body’s Hall of Light, are clearly recorded in the scriptures. The central region is also the principal seat described in the Yellow Court Scripture. Yet none of these are mentioned in the prayer. How, then, can one claim that visualization alone enables a person to ascend into the void?

Ziwei said: In former times, Meng Guang recited the Huangting Jing. After practicing this Way for eighteen years, the Perfected One of the Yellow Court came down to meet her. Yet, after searching through the names of both male and female immortals, I found no one called Meng Guang. There was only the wife whom Liang Hong called Meng Guang after he married her. When you have recited the scripture ten thousand times, the Jade Maiden of Yellow Splendor will tell you what is really going on.

So who exactly is this Perfected One of the Yellow Court? If he was the King of the Next Cycle, why would he make a special descent just to meet her, then casually invent such a story? Unless this is made clear, people today will violate the precepts, and those who study the Dao in later generations will take it as a warning. This subtle secret teaching ends here. The “spirit within the body” means the spirits inside the body. You may also contemplate them continuously from morning to night, keeping them in mind without forgetting; you need not wait until you are reciting the scripture to do so. Keep this secret.

The above are two methods: bowing and making invocations, and preserving the spirits within the body through contemplation and mindful recollection. I have heard that these methods were passed down from the Eastern Jin period, but my inquiries have found no such books from that time. Even if someone claims they are secret teachings, a close look at their wording and content shows them to be shallow and implausible. I suspect that people eager to outdo others and make grand claims forged counterfeit scriptures and invented these formulas. I have copied them all here to distinguish the genuine from the false. By comparison, the earlier piece on bowing and making invocations is somewhat better. This piece on preserving the spirits is tangled and rambling, crude and shallow, and liable to mislead later students; its harm is considerable. If anyone thinks my judgment is wrong, let them find the genuine original and show it to me. If such a book truly exists, I will hold my tongue and never again discuss the study of the Dao.

Entering stillness (settling into a quiet, focused state of practice).

The Perfected of Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi), the Three-Heavens Master Zhang (his personal name is unknown), transmitted this oral formula to the Lady of Mount Heng, a female immortal revered in Daoism. The Celestial Master taught her this formula at Yangluo.

According to historical accounts, the Lady of Mount Heng was already studying and reciting the Cavern scriptures, Daoist classics, and had mastered various methods of cultivation. The Celestial Master therefore taught her, in an accessible form, minor techniques of the Taiqing, the state of purity and stillness described in Daoism. Those responsible for verifying such accounts in the community say that the Lady had served in the human world as a libationer, a Zhengyi religious office. That, they say, was why the Celestial Master taught her this method. But although she had once served as a libationer, she no longer held the office. Why mention it in particular?

The reason is that this method was originally under the Celestial Master’s charge, while the Lady was within the circle of those eligible to receive the teachings. The oral formula was therefore transmitted and made public, to instruct Zhengyi religious officials. Those of lower rank could not transmit the methods of high Perfected beings, so the account specifically mentions the Lady’s former office as a libationer, showing her connection to this method.

Every intention of a Perfected carries deep meaning, even in a single sentence or word. Only careful examination can make its reasoning clear. To hold the scriptures, bow, and recite them without grasping their analysis and explanation is like burying gold in the earth, leaving its value unused. Methods for entering stillness, submitting memorials, and healing illness also have definite substance.