《太清金阙玉华仙书八极神章三皇内秘文》

At the beginning of the cosmos, the two kinds of Qi, Yin and Yang, had not yet taken shape. Essence gathered in the void, and the subtle, numinous breath of wind converged into purity. Sacred writings arose amid chaos; jade characters appeared through spontaneous transformation in nature. Existing between being and nonbeing, they shone forth before Heaven and Earth took form. The sun and moon relied on them to illuminate all things, and Heaven and Earth relied on them to cover and sustain all things.

Then the Supreme Vacuous Sovereign commanded the Great Sage Primordial Beginning to compile these writings in the Golden Gate and place them among the jade registers, as secret texts kept deep in the upper realm. They had not originally been passed down to the human world. Only later, when people of the Dao were examined and recognized by Heaven, were they granted these writings. Thus the Yellow Emperor received a divine mandate, Fuxi received the trigrams, Emperor Gaoxin received the Heavenly Scripture, and Yu the Great received the Luo River Writing. Through these revelations, the way of the spirits began to work through responses, bestowing blessings or imposing punishments.

Later, Xuanyuan—the Daoist honorific for Laozi—took pity on the people of the world and served emperors in succession as their teacher. When worldly conduct and people’s hearts grew ostentatious and false, he transmitted the Dao De Jing to teach people to return to simplicity. When spirits and ghosts grew tangled and disruptive, he sent down this text to sweep away demons and evils. These writings were also kept in secret at the Western Terrace as numinous texts, and hidden in the Eastern Florescence as true instructions.

The scripture’s dragon-shaped characters and cloudlike seal script are not to be passed on to those without De. Once received, they must not be abandoned; when putting them into practice, one must remain wholly focused and steadfast. Even without attaining the way of the immortals, one can cultivate it in the human world and has already become able to attain the rank of an Earthly Immortal. A box may be made of jade or stone, and a pouch of five-colored silk, to preserve the text in a meditation chamber for alchemical practice or worship. It must never be treated lightly.

The Scroll of the Inner Secret Writings of the Three Sovereigns: Divine Chapters of the Eight Extremities, Jade Florescence Book of the Golden Gate of Great Purity

Chapter One: The Subtle Rectification

The Lord of the Celestial Sovereign said: Before the Great Void—the realm of emptiness before Heaven and Earth took shape—everything was still and formless. How did subtle Qi stir and move so that the “True One,” the unified source of all things, could come into being? As the True One moved, primordial Qi arose naturally. Within primordial Qi, there is being born from nonbeing, and nonbeing concealed within being. It is so vast that it cannot be measured, and so subtle that it can scarcely be perceived. Yin and Yang Qi gradually mingled and emerged, while the Qi of undifferentiated unity remained stable and unchanged. From this, the beginnings and signs of all things came forth.

Clear, bright Qi rose to become Heaven; turbid, heavy Qi gathered to become Earth. Harmonious, yielding Qi condensed to become human beings; numinous, vigorous Qi transformed into spirits; discordant, baleful Qi dispersed and became strange beings. All were born from the same primordial Qi, yet divided into myriad forms, each with its own place. Though living beings are caught up in ceaseless activity, all can cultivate themselves into sages. After perishing, they are born again, cycling without end. This is the substance of the Dao and De. The minds of humans and spirits respond to one another without limit, and this mutual resonance never leaves the realm in which all things move and change.

Thus, the Dao is the image of emptiness, the source of creation and transformation, the root of the spirits, and the origin of Heaven and Earth. It is so vast that it has no outside, and so subtle that it has no inside; boundless in expanse and unfathomable in depth. It is supremely hidden and difficult to fathom, yet it shines with great brilliance. It is utterly still and without private intent, yet enables all things to take their own forms and follow their own order. At the beginning of undifferentiated unity, there were no formed things and no sounds. From it all phenomena arose, and the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—took shape. Growth always reaches an end, and formed things always suffer decline. All things are born and reborn without cease, changing without end, while the Dao has remained clear and unchanged from ancient times to the present. This is the Dao.

De is the power received by all things in Heaven and Earth, and the means by which Yin-Yang transformation takes place. It weaves the Five Phases into its warp and the cycles of the four seasons into its weft. Through the rule of sovereigns and the teaching of teachers, even plants and animals in hidden places can each find what suits them. Its beneficence flows without interruption, though living beings may not perceive it. This is De.

Therefore, the Dao and De are the ancestral roots of Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth are the parents of all things; the honored spirits who govern the celestial realm are the guiding principles of the order of emptiness; the spirits of the Eight Extremities, who govern the farthest reaches in the eight directions, hold the authority by which Heaven and Earth operate. The clear, regular courses of the sun and moon are the measures of Heaven and Earth; the stars and myriad phenomena are manifestations of their transformations; the Five Phases and the Six Qi—the transforming influences of Yin-Yang, wind, rain, darkness, brightness, and the like—are the pivots of Heaven and Earth’s workings. Emperors and rulers govern the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. The various living beings take form through the transformation of Yin-Yang Qi; spirits, demons, and ghosts are reflections of the transformations of Qi in Heaven and Earth; and numinous fungi and elixirs are transformed from pure, clear Qi. From this we can understand that all things take Dao and De as their root, while before the image of the Thearch, the True One is the source.

Chapter Two: The Divine Origin

The Celestial Emperor said: Heaven and Earth could not bring themselves into being. What brought them forth was the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). The Taiji, too, could not set itself in motion; what set it in motion was the “True Essence”—the subtle Qi that drives the transformations of Heaven and Earth. The True Essence moves and transforms in accordance with the natural patterns. The wondrous, luminous presence is called the “Vast Sovereign,” who dwells in the Nine Heavens of Purity, the lofty celestial realms of Daoism, and governs the mysterious workings of creation. The one who commands the myriad spirits is called the Primordial Lord. The Primordial Lord is also known as the Perfected Pangu, Lord of the Nine Emperors, Divine King of the Eight Extremities, and Supreme Keeper of the Great Luo.

The form of Heaven was like an immense canopy. At that time, the sun and moon had no light, and the stars had no radiance. Heaven and Earth were remote and vast, formless and dark, silent and without a name. Above, there was nothing to rest upon; below, there was no foundation. There were no Eight Extremities—the distant limits in the eight directions of Heaven and Earth—nor Five Sacred Peaks above or below, and no laws or pivots governing the movement of change. At that moment, the Primordial Lord took shape within the chaos.

He continually breathed the Original Qi, the fundamental energy that constitutes and moves all things in Heaven and Earth. Later, through transformation, he responded to the True Essence, and eventually formed the single Qi of the Taiji. This single Qi of the Taiji divided into the Yin-Yang Two Modes: above, the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities revered in Daoism and their celestial realms, took their places; below, the Four Great Calamities unfolded, the four great stages in the evolution of Heaven and Earth.

After another forty thousand kalpas, the earth produced hard whiskers; the hard whiskers produced Bin Qian; Bin Qian produced the dragon; and the dragon produced water. The banks of waters, stone mountains, and blood then appeared in succession. The blood transformed into the Great Primordial Mother. She gave birth to a being who could speak and was exceptionally beautiful. This being often wandered through the depths of the earth and breathed the Original Qi. When the Primordial Lord learned of her, he joined his breath with hers. The sun and moon then shone, the stars became radiant, the Five Cycles of change in Heaven and Earth became distinct, and the Six Qi of Heaven and Earth each settled into its proper place.

After another forty thousand kalpas, the Primordial Lord transformed into the Perfected Pangu and opened her left heart and small intestine. Only then could she conceive living beings. After a further forty thousand kalpas, the Heavenly Emperor King was born, with thirteen heads. The Heavenly Emperor King gave birth to the Earthly Emperor King, who gave birth to the Human Emperor King. This is what the methods of the Inner Secrets of the Three Sovereigns relate.

Thereafter, the five directions took shape between Heaven and Earth, giving rise to the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks, who became the rulers of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). In Heaven, the Five Phases appear as the five planets and the five Qi; on Earth, they appear as the Five Phases and the Five Sacred Peaks. In the east is the spirit of the Eastern Peak, the lord of Yang Wood. In the south is the spirit of the Southern Peak, the lord of brightness. In the west is the spirit of the Western Peak, the lord of manifest eminence. In the north is the spirit of the Northern Peak, the wondrous sovereign lord. At the center is the spirit of the Central Peak, Emperor Xuanyuan Gongsun. The spirit of the Central Peak occupies the pivotal position, governs the myriad phenomena, and oversees the registers that bring Heaven and Earth into harmony and keep the myriad things at peace.

In the Great Luo Eight Heavens at the center of Heaven are thirty-two emperors. At the Eight Extremities are seven hundred and twenty lords. In the midst of the void are the thirty-six Grotto Heavens, Daoist realms of the immortals, along with the Demon-Subduing Divine Kings of the eight directions.

The Three Upper Heavens:

The Four Grotto-Heavens of the Azure Heaven: In the Grotto-Heaven of the Sun Essence Treasure Register, the Lord of Sunlight is supreme, and the Son of Heaven of the Sun is its patriarch. Below him, in order, are the Divine Kings and divine immortals. The deities who dwell in this Grotto-Heaven jointly oversee everything in the world connected with the radiance of the sun.

The Grotto-Heaven of Lunar Radiance and Manifest Response is led by the Yang Spirit of the Great Yin Star, with the Celestial Maiden of Lunar Radiance as its honored figure. Its Divine Kings and divine immortals jointly oversee the movement and transformation of the stars, the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang in favorable and adverse courses, and the good and ill fortune of all things.

The Grotto-Heaven of the Southern Dipper’s Charge over Life is led by the Great Emperor of Longevity of the Southern Dipper, with the Star Lord of Longevity as its honored figure. Its Divine Kings and divine immortals jointly oversee the destinations to which beings of land and water are reborn, their fated ranks and fortunes, and the registers of their lives and deaths.

The Grotto-Heaven of the Northern Dipper’s Seven Talismans and Net of Stars is led by the Great Emperor Ziwei of the North Pole. Its Divine Kings and divine immortals jointly oversee the judgment of offenses and blessings involved in Zhaijiao (purification rituals in which an altar is set up to invoke the gods), as well as the expulsion of ghosts and evil forces and the cleansing of spirits and monsters.

The Four Grotto-Heavens of the Wind Heaven: The Grotto-Heaven of Precious Blossoms and Divine Light, the Grotto-Heaven of Great Simplicity and Pure Yang, the Grotto-Heaven of Golden Blossoms and Western Jade, and the Grotto-Heaven of Accumulated Excellence and Supreme Purity. The deities and immortals of these four Grotto-Heavens jointly undertake duties related to documents and moral instruction, and govern the affairs of the netherworld.

Cloud Firmament (Yunxiao) contains four grotto heavens, celestial realms where immortals dwell: the Grotto Heaven of Divine Response in the Great Void, the Grotto Heaven of the Seven Bright Flame Demons, the Grotto Heaven of the Blade of the Profound Realm, and the Grotto Heaven of Tranquil Passage at the Eight Extremes. The gods and immortals in these four grotto heavens oversee the cessation of the ten evil deeds, the practice of the ten virtues, and the offices governing ascent to immortality. Below Cloud Firmament lie the Three Lower Firmaments, arranged in levels from the bottom upward. The middle one marks the boundary; these realms are already above the Heavenly Gate.

The Three Middle Firmaments:

Mist Firmament (Yanxiao) contains four grotto heavens: the Grotto Heaven of Purple Ultimate Tranquil Brahma, the Grotto Heaven of Jade Purity in the Divine Firmament, the Grotto Heaven of Vermilion Phoenix and Bright Yang, and the Grotto Heaven of the Green Youth of Eastern Florescence. The gods and immortals in these four grotto heavens oversee the affairs of the Water Courts, the Earth Deities, seas and mountains, and blessed lands. They also govern the terrestrial immortals, roaming immortals, and sword immortals among the Three Islands and Ten Continents, as well as accomplished adepts who have accumulated virtue and cultivated the Way.

Rosy Cloud Firmament (Xiaxiao) contains four grotto heavens: the Grotto Heaven of Feathers, Wind, Emptiness, and Clarity; the Grotto Heaven of Great Change and Harmonious Yang; the Grotto Heaven of Jade Clouds and the Highest Perfected; and the Grotto Heaven of Immortals Gathered at the Great Beginning. The gods and immortals in these four grotto heavens all possess the power to illuminate and transform Yang Qi and bring about great changes in Yin essence. They oversee the ascent of the ranks of immortals to heaven and hold offices in the Southern Palace.

Qi Firmament (Qixiao) contains four grotto heavens: the Grotto Heaven of Jade Purity at the Great Beginning; the Grotto Heaven of the Four Sages in Great Harmony; the Grotto Heaven of Demon-Extinction in the Divine Firmament; and the Grotto Heaven of the Celestial Splendor and Highest Ministers. The gods and immortals in these four grotto heavens oversee changes in the fortunes of Qi and in calamities, the souls of the sun and moon, the crossings and irregularities in the courses of the stars, the rise and fall of earthly rulers, the awe-inspiring Qi of Heaven and Earth, and the gathering of wind and rain. Above the Three Middle Firmaments lie realms where essence and Qi gather, Yang Qi takes precedence, the cosmos is connected, true Qi condenses, and palaces are established. These belong to the Three Realms, the three tiers of heaven in Daoist teaching.

The Three Lower Firmaments:

Scenic Firmament (Jingxiao) contains four grotto heavens: the Grotto Heaven of the Golden Palace of Great Purity, the Grotto Heaven of the Mysterious Transformation of the Divine Perfected, the Grotto Heaven of the Wood Duke and Metal Mother, and the Three Universes.

The four Grotto-Heavens of the Vast Firmament (Jingxiao)—celestial grotto realms where immortals dwell—are the Grotto-Heaven of the Golden Palace of Great Clarity, the Grotto-Heaven of Mysterious Transformation by the Divine True One, the Grotto-Heaven of the Wood Duke and Golden Mother, and the Grotto-Heaven of the Utmost Transformations of the Three Origins. The Jade Emperor is the chief ruler of these four realms. They are home to divine kings and immortals who govern affairs in Heaven, on Earth, and in the underworld, and oversee the Three Lineages, the Seven Sovereigns, and various offices.

The four Grotto-Heavens of the Azure Firmament (Bixiao) are the Grotto-Heaven of the Azure Void and Great Unity, the Grotto-Heaven of Purple Essence and Night Radiance, the Grotto-Heaven of Essence and the Great Void, and the Grotto-Heaven of Jade Yang and Limitlessness. The gods and immortals within these realms assist the Jade Emperor in governing the various celestial immortals and officials in Heaven, as well as matters concerning the gains and losses of heavenly beings.

The four Grotto-Heavens of the Vermilion Firmament (Danxiao) are the Grotto-Heaven of Brocade Forest, the Grotto-Heaven of Cloud Forest, the Grotto-Heaven of Divine Essence, and the Grotto-Heaven of Great Luo. The Earth Emperor is their principal ruler, with the Great Emperor of Heaven also sharing authority. They are home to divine kings and heavenly officials responsible for the sacred teachings of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing)—the Daoist traditions that revere the Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity, and Great Clarity—and the numinous writings of the Eight Extremities, sacred texts associated with the farthest reaches in the eight directions. They also oversee the examination of immortal scriptures, divine instructions, and related matters.

Beyond the Nine Heavens and outside the Eight Extremities lies the Heaven of Great Luo. It contains the Sacred Realm of Jade Clarity. As a sacred realm, it has no established sacred teachings and bears no responsibility for the numinous writings of the Eight Extremities or for examining immortal scriptures and divine instructions.

Above the Nine Heavens and in the farthest reaches of the eight directions lies the “Great Luo Heaven.” Within it is the sacred realm of Jade Clarity, the supreme sacred realm. There are the supreme sacred lineage and the supreme Immortal Lords, as well as the Mother of the Great Dao and the Lord of the One Qi, whose name is Primordial Beginning.

There is also the true realm of Highest Clarity, where the Lord of the Great Dao, the Primordial Emperor, resides. The immortal realm of Great Clarity is where the Most High Lord Lao resides. On Mount Jade Capital grow such rare treasures of the immortal realms as pearl groves, purple fruits, jade flowers, and phoenix marrow.

There are eighty-one passages there, linking to the eighty-one grotto-heavens of the mortal world. The Ancestral Sages, Ancestors, Divine Kings, Imperial Lords, Celestial Officials, Celestial Immortals, Celestial Beings, Great Sages, and the gods of the Nine Heavens and lords of the Five Sacred Peaks all pay court at Mount Jade Capital once every five days.

Within the Three Realms, before Primordial Beginning, all who come from every direction can gather together, whether they are separated by eight heavens and nine earths or by tens of millions of li. They can arrive in an instant.

Beneath the Five Sacred Peaks, affairs concerning the earthbound immortals are overseen by the Perfected Lord Zhenwu of the north, a northern deity honored in Daoism. He was born into the human world, to a family whose ancestors had accumulated hidden virtue. From childhood he admired the tranquil, true Dao, and began practicing the Daoist way in his youth. He mastered the origins and workings of the transformations of Heaven and Earth, and deeply understood the mysteries of the spirits’ transformations. Later, he met the Lord of Jade Clarity, who bestowed upon him ten heavenly books of jade writings for slaying ghosts, an iron mirror, and a bronze tally, to help him sweep away baleful forces and strange spirits. With his hair loose, he holds the Jade Clarity Celestial Warrior Sword, wears a feathered robe patterned with the Eight Trigrams, and stands upon a tortoise and snake, symbolizing his protection of Heaven and Earth.

The Director of Destiny for the Southern Peak, the deity in charge of its affairs, is Lady Wei of the Sui dynasty. The Director of Destiny for the Eastern Peak is Lady Ziwei; the one for the Western Peak is the Queen Mother of the West’s most beloved thirteenth daughter; the one for the Northern Peak is Cui, Lord of the Prefecture, a minister of the Tang dynasty; and the one for the Central Peak is Li Jing, a minister of the Tang dynasty. The official who oversees the rewards and punishments of the Three Origins is the Perfected Lord of the Three Mao Mountains.

Taichu’s wife is the Daoist Lord of Mount Emei. Zhang Zifang of the Han dynasty, also known as Zhang Liang, is of Mount Wangwu …

The Mountain Dao Lord oversees matters concerning those who drowned and died in the Five Lakes and Four Seas, and in the three ravines and nine rivers. Master Wang Xi is the immortal lord of the upper island of Penglai; Master Jing, also known as Juanzi, is the immortal lord of Penglai’s middle island. Perfected Xu is the palace lord of Dantai Palace and oversees the cultivation merits of the spirits and immortals throughout the world. Lady Yang is the Dao Lord of Mount Tiantai; she later served as an immortal official beside the Jade Emperor, in charge of documents. Shao Jian is the cave lord of the Small Abode Cavern on Mount Kuanglu. Master Chen Tuan oversees Penglai’s lower island. Zhongli Jia oversees the affairs of the immortals in Yaotai Palace and temporarily serves as the Grand Preceptor of Dharma Lectures in the Southern Continent.

The lesser immortals of the seventy-two blessed lands, eighty-one grotto-heavens, and ten continents and three islands; the recluses of the nine earths; the ghost officials of the Underworld; the spirit lords of Fengdu; the minor messengers of mountains and rivers; the spirits of the people of rivers and seas; and the immortal maidens who are still cultivating and have not yet ascended to Heaven have not been entered in the Jade Register, the register of immortals in the celestial realm, and their names have not been included in the Golden Tablets, the books recording the names of immortals in the celestial realm.

Chapter Three: On the Ghost Clans

Ghosts are formless beings of great numinous power. They are void, still, and impossible to fathom; their spiritual wonder is profound and remote, like a voice echoing through an empty valley: though there is a response, it does not linger.

In the east are eight kinds of ghosts. The first is called the Ghost of the Yin Corpse. It is found in the east, has the shape of a young child, and often transforms into the appearance of a woman, acting in attendance on the celestial spirits. The other seven are called the Ghost of Luoda, the Ghost of Yangming, the Ghost of the Red Wind, the Ghost of the Solitary Flower, the Ghost of the Great Spring, the Ghost of Wenming, and the Ghost of the Spirit-Demon. All eight kinds are ghosts in the service of the celestial spirits and are upright in nature; they do not harm others’ lives out of selfish motives. Together, they dwell in the Eastern position of the Year’s Virtue, associated with the Year Star and the Year’s Virtue.

In the south are eight kinds of ghosts: the Ghost of Wuluona, the Ghost of Tiandapo, the Ghost of Dileizha, the Ghost of Jingling… They too dwell in the Eastern position of the Year’s Virtue.

In the south are eight spirits: Wuluona, Tiandapo, Dileizha, Jingling, Jiushi, Mujing, Sun Daotian Shen, and Niunü. All eight have chicken heads and human bodies. They wear yellow gauze robes of a vermilion hue, like flames. They accompany the celestial deities and serve as attendants in charge of wind and hail. They dwell in the southern position of the Fire Virtue, associated with the Fire Phase and the planet Yinghuo (Mars).

In the west are eight spirits: Chunsheng, Wunaposhi, Zhumi, Haotuo, Manbian, Tianxing, Huangzha, and Yinmei. They are impartial and, accompanying the celestial deities, deal with demons and evil beings and execute those who act unjustly. They dwell in the position of Taibai (Venus).

In the north are eight spirits: Yasha, Fuluo, Rendi, Xianghua, Bali, Mowen, Zhisha, and Jinfeng Nüzi. They are troops and generals dispatched by the Northern Emperor, upright and unbiased. They often accompany the Northern Emperor as he sweeps away all manner of harmful, troublesome spirits. Their appearance resembles that of celestial deities. They dwell in the northern position of the Wei lunar mansion and Chenxing (Mercury).

At the center are eight spirits: Sengzha, Mingzha, Weixing, Haisha, Liuding, Liujia, Yünü, and Wudao. They too accompany the celestial deities, traveling among the Five Sacred Mountains to pursue the dead and convey news of changes in fortune and misfortune. Their appearance resembles that of deities. They dwell in the central position of Zhenxing (Saturn).

The Heavenly Sovereign Lord says: These forty celestial ghosts of the five directions are the duly appointed officials of the Five Sacred Peaks—Mount Tai in the east, Mount Heng in the south, Mount Hua in the west, Mount Heng in the north, and Mount Song in the center—and the regular troops of the five directions. They belong to the celestial gods and wield the power of the orthodox Qi of emptiness. They assist Heaven and Earth in bringing about transformation through De, set wind and thunder in motion, and help the Five Sacred Peaks sweep away treachery and deceit. Each ghost of the five directions commands three hundred thousand officials and troops, and together they uphold the orthodox Qi of Heaven and Earth.

There are methods for anyone who wishes to command the ghosts of the five directions. On Metal days, command the eight ghosts of the west; on Wood days, the eight ghosts of the east; on Fire days, the eight ghosts of the south; on Water days, the eight ghosts of the north; and on Earth days, the eight ghosts of the center. First draw the talisman of the True Form of the Heavenly Sovereign, which symbolizes the Sovereign’s divine power, on yellow silk, five inches long and five inches wide. Vermilion ink is best. Then burn the talisman to ash, face the Gate of Heaven—the celestial portal invoked in the ritual—and swallow it with fragrant water. Once the talisman enters the belly, the spirit will immediately transform. The myriad ghosts will submit of their own accord when they see you, and the myriad gods will willingly follow. This will protect you from harm inflicted by outside forces.

Afterward, on a day corresponding to the relevant direction, write the name of one ghost on white paper. Face the Gate of Heaven, recite the incantation of the Heavenly Sovereign, Shangdi, three times, draw in three breaths, and blow them onto the seal. Then apply vermilion to the seal. Face the direction in question, call out the ghost’s name once, and stamp the paper with the seal. Each time you stamp a ghost’s name, that ghost will appear, perhaps as one of the Six Ding spirits or as a Jade Maiden of the Six Jia, the feminine form of the Six Jia divine generals. You may question the ghosts at length; whatever they tell you will come to pass as you wish.

They can take the forms of gentle winds, thin mists, rosy clouds, dragons and tigers, or other shapes. They can also become mountains, forests, rocks, sheep, horses, birds, or beasts. They may ride clouds and cranes to roam beyond the world, or travel in an instant across the Four Great Continents, observing all manner of things in the human realm.

To adjudicate an injustice, take a sword three feet and two inches long, with a projecting point and a sharp edge. Hold it in your left hand and point it toward the Gate of Heaven. In your right hand, hold the seal of the Heavenly Sovereign, Shangdi. Recite the Heavenly Sovereign’s Lament three times, draw in three breaths and blow them onto the seal, then apply vermilion to it. Stamp the tip of the sword once with the seal, then throw the sword into the air. The ghost will know your intent. Even if the target is ten million miles away, with rivers and seas between you, the ghost can bring about their beheading in an instant.

The Celestial Sovereign said: In ancient times there was a divine sage named Master Zhixu. Before he had practiced the subtle methods of internal cultivation, he already understood the principles of transformation and circulation. When he was about to begin his practice, he roamed freely beyond the four seas. Thus, the principles for commanding the myriad spirits and entering many wondrous realms are all contained within the scope of this text.

The key to learning this Daoist method is to keep the mind empty, still, and pure, and never violate this requirement by indulging in desire. Let thoughts return to what is upright and the will remain in Great Harmony—a state of peace and balance. Forget distracting thoughts, hold fast to simplicity, and gradually enter the gateway to the immortal Dao. If the Six Dusts—the disturbances encountered or stirred up by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—cannot be stilled; if, like a cowherd who cannot rein in and forget the mind’s wandering, you remain consumed by desire and fail to cast off worldly habits, then you are not in accord with the text I have transmitted.

Chapter Four: The Lineage of Jing

The Celestial Sovereign said: Beyond the celestial ghosts of the five directions, the various lesser spirits are all classed as Jing entities. Though their forms are strange, they cannot aid upright Qi. They belong to the ranks of private spirits and demonic Jing. When my imperial seal and imperial incantations are used, they reveal themselves and can be commanded like household servants.

My arts subdue their spirits as fiercely as blazing fire consumes fine grasses; they drive their ghosts as powerfully as ocean waves sweep away dead leaves. Besides the upright spirits and ghosts, there are also seventy-two kinds of Jing beings, which will be described one by one later. These ghosts are neither gathered by Heaven nor governed by Earth. The Five Sacred Peaks do not command them, and mountains and seas cannot restrain them. They do not follow great virtue or aid the flourishing of the upright Dao. They delight in killing, rebellion, sexual misconduct, and consuming blood and flesh. Such evil ghosts are called “private spirits.”

One kind is called the “Corpse-Devouring Demon Soul Jing.” It looks like a young woman in the bloom of her sixteenth year: her complexion is rosy, her lips vermilion, her eyebrows blue-green, her cheeks flushed, her eyes clear as autumn water, and her skin smooth and lustrous as rich cream. She likes to wear emerald-blue garments.

It is called the “Demon Soul That Devours Corpse Essence.” It looks like a sixteen-year-old girl, with a rosy complexion, vermilion lips, green-tinged eyebrows, flushed cheeks, eyes clear as autumn water, and skin as soft and fine as jade. It likes to wear turquoise-blue clothes and an e-hua crown, so people often mistake it for an immortal maiden. It can conjure up pavilions and palaces, using demonic energy to create all kinds of apparitions. These make people fall ill and disturb the tranquility of those cultivating the Dao, leaving them physically uneasy.

This ghost spirit’s surname is Ren. Between its left eyebrow and eye is a purple eyebrow hair about one inch long. It was originally a fox that had cultivated for ten thousand years. After transforming over many years into a woman, it beguiled many people. If those seeking immortality and studying the Dao enter the mountains and suddenly encounter it, they need only call out its familiar name, “Mohun Tunshi Gui.” Upon hearing its own name, its form will vanish of its own accord. This shows that knowing a demon’s true nature prevents one from being deceived by it.

Another ghost spirit is called the “Fivefold Private Spirit.” It looks like a handsome man, has only one foot, and likes to wander among people, debauching men and women in their homes. Simply call out its name, and it will vanish of its own accord. This shows that knowing a demon’s true nature prevents one from being deceived by it.

There is yet another ghost spirit also called the “Fivefold Private Spirit.” It looks like a handsome man, has only one foot, and likes to wander among people, disrupting relationships between men and women in their households. Some of these spirits linger for years and refuse to leave. It was originally a household servant and, after dying, acquired the power of the “Fivefold.” Nowadays, some women say they have a husband accompanying them while also exhibiting strange laughter and weeping, seeming to die and revive, laughing in midair, or suddenly speaking to people. Even when driven away, the spirit does not leave: it possesses and beguiles women, or steals things to help the household. Such incidents are said to be the work of this kind of ghost spirit.

The scripture describes the following method of expelling it: Take a piece of yellow paper five inches long and write the “Heavenly Emperor’s True Form Talisman” on it in cinnabar. Burn it to ashes and mix them into fragrant water, then have the woman drink it while gazing toward the Gate of Heaven. At the same time, hold the “Seal of the Heavenly Emperor” at the Gate of Heaven, recite the Heavenly Emperor’s incantation three times, then draw three breaths and chant them into the seal. Next, write the name and mark of the Fivefold ghost spirit on white paper, apply cinnabar to the seal, and press the seal onto the paper. Finally, have the afflicted woman put the paper in a scarlet pouch and wear it at the crown of her head. The ghost spirit is said to vanish at once.

A spirit known as the “Cat-Hair Spirit” looks like a man in his thirties. It wears black clothes, goes barefoot, and resembles a person with chicken’s feet. It often possesses women, claiming falsely to be a “Heaven-Connecting Spirit,” and is skilled at predicting the future. The text says that the so-called female ritual specialists of today, who practice magic and perform prayers to avert calamity, are possessed by this spirit. It is said to originate from people who died unjustly and whose souls could not find rest.

A spirit known as the “Blood-Corpse Spirit” looks like a monkey covered in feathers, with red eyes and white eyebrows. At times it takes the form of a snake, spider, or toad. It often possesses women and feeds on people’s vital essence, blood, and flesh, causing them to waste away, fall ill, and die. After leaving a victim who has died, it returns to its original form and possesses someone else. The text attributes tuberculosis passed between men and women—a wasting illness that gradually weakens its sufferers—to this spirit. It also says that the spirit was once an old dog spirit from the “Land of Swallowing Hair.”

A creature known as the “Pig-Horned, White-Bellied Ghost” looks like a child of seven or eight, dressed in purple with black feet. It often turns into water in mountain valleys. People who mistakenly drink this water fall ill, gradually lose the ability to speak, and eventually die; the illness is called “speechlessness.” The text warns that a person cultivating immortality should not drink water that fails to reflect their face, or eat food that appears to have changed color, because these signs mean the creature has entered the body. It is said to originate from people who died in childbirth and whose souls could not find rest.

A creature known as the “Female Fork Spirit” looks like a coarse-featured woman dressed in blue. At night it often enters a child’s belly and steals the child’s soul, causing the child to cry in its sleep.

A ghost called “Tiaole Jinggui” commands three or four lesser ghosts, each with a different appearance. Some have the head of a donkey and the body of a human, wear yellow clothes, and have ruddy faces. They carry a pouch filled with baleful Qi. They like to roam about, spreading epidemic diseases among people. The “heaven-traveling illness” people speak of today—that is, epidemic disease—is caused by this ghost, which can transform into the disease-bearing miasma that makes people ill. This ghost arises from an imbalance in the Qi of the Five Phases and is transformed from a person’s forceful hun-soul.

A ghost called “Yaoche Qushi” looks like a young woman, with a graceful bearing and lovely features, though it sometimes takes human form. It likes to appear at night as people fall asleep. If someone has intercourse with it in a dream, it takes away their true Qi. It is said to originate from people in the human world who practiced the art of “gathering Yin” but failed. It is also called a “ghost of pure, numinous goodness and freshness.” The “ghost intercourse in dreams” people speak of today refers to this phenomenon. It is not under the authority of the celestial bureaucracy, nor is it governed by earth spirits. It is an independent spirit between Heaven and Earth, transformed from the vital essence of the Eight Mountains.

A spirit called “Leisheng Ji” looks like a crouching tiger, with a spotted body and a green neck. It likes to roam at night on high peaks and poses no danger to people. It is transformed from the vital essence of a copper lode that has existed for ten thousand years.

A spirit called “Chunqiong Quan” looks like a sixteen-year-old girl. She wears her hair in three knots, is dressed in a yellow robe and skirt, and goes barefoot. She often walks at night carrying a torch, but the flame goes out after only a few steps. She poses no danger to people and is transformed from the vital essence of a gold lode that has existed for ten thousand years.

A spirit called “Shu Shaonian” looks like a young boy. He wears a hat and straw sandals, is dressed in white, and has delicate features. He often appears during the day, playing along the road with a bird or fish in his hands. He is transformed from the vital essence of a silver lode that has existed for ten thousand years.

A demon called “Shuangshi Shijing” has vermilion-red hair that hangs loose. It wears a “slander robe,” has emerald-green eyes, and stands about one zhang tall. It often appears in the mountains, answering people who call to it and sometimes calling out their names. It is most often found where piles of rock are steep and landslides are likely. There it causes cliffs to collapse and rocks to tumble, injuring people. According to legend, it was once the lonely spirit of someone crushed to death by mountain rocks and left unburied. Neither Heaven and Earth would receive it, nor rivers and streams contain it, so it often harms living beings and takes human lives.

A demon called “Yubai Shuihaojing” is often seen beside a pond where evil things gather. It can take the form of a woman floating faceup at the water’s edge. Those who see it and go into the water to rescue it often drown themselves instead. According to legend, it was formed from the fierce spirit of someone who drowned.

A demon called “Zhushe Baimianjing” takes the form of a ghost and often wanders beside the water, calling out as if asking someone to answer it. When someone comes within about ten paces, it breathes on them, robbing them of control over themselves and making them leap into the water. According to legend, it too was formed from the fierce spirit of someone who drowned. The original text describes this creature twice in succession; the later account closely resembles the earlier one.

A demon called “Wang Yuzhen” looks like a young girl. It wears a tall crown and splendid clothes, has a graceful, slender build and a beautiful face, and dresses in blue with vermilion shoes. It is often accompanied by two or three maids. It tends to appear in empty houses, stone caves, enclosed ritual grounds, and remote mountain places rarely visited by people. It beguiles young men, most of whom die as a result. According to legend, anyone who sees it has a fine, blue hair about two inches long between the right eyebrow and the eye. It loves singing and is skilled at poetry, and often beguiles the living after dusk. Such demons are still said to appear in mountain valleys today. According to legend, it was formed from a white snake spirit that had cultivated itself for three thousand years.

A demon called “Qiucaoyejing” looks like a young woman, with a fresh complexion, a slender figure, and a red silk cloth wrapped around her hair in a bun. It likes to beguile the living, and such demons are still said to appear in mountain valleys today. According to legend, it too was formed from a white snake spirit that had cultivated itself for three thousand years.

A demon called the “Essence of the Autumn-Grass Leaf” takes the form of a young woman, with delicate features and a slender figure. She wears her hair in a bun wrapped in red silk. Sometimes several such young women can be seen chasing one another, usually in groups of five to seven. They can turn water into wine and are skilled at composing poetry and singing. These demons appear in remote valleys, far from traveled roads and sparsely inhabited places, often among flowers, grasses, and trees. They were originally the spirits of a long-lived gongshu rat.

A demon called the “Red-Browed Soul” looks like a fearsome ghost. It has two heads sharing one body, with horse’s hooves and tiger’s claws, and is naked and several zhang tall. It often falsely claims to be a divine being or impersonates a local earth god. People who do not know its origins burn incense and worship it; in time, it begins to take human lives. It was originally the spirit of a long-lived tree.

A demon called “Huo Gongsun” has the shape of a flying bird, with two heads sharing one body, brocade-like feathers, and a red beak. It is about the size of a chicken. It can also draw out a person’s vital spirit, causing them to die gradually. This is a spirit creature that has lurked and dwelt in one place for thousands of years.

A demon called the “Red-Beaked Sea Monk” is about the size of a chicken. It too can draw out a person’s vital spirit, causing them to die gradually. This is a spirit creature that has lurked and dwelt in one place for thousands of years.

A demon called the “Sea Monk Nun” has the shape of a fish but the body of a woman, with an exceptionally beautiful face. She wears a crown and hair ornaments made of bone. She swims among mountains and waters, and sometimes enters rivers, lakes, and seas. When she encounters people, she often exhales a stream of breath, sending the water’s vapor toward them. Anyone touched by this vapor will die. For this reason, people call her “a creature with a fish’s body and a human head that can speak.” She was originally the spirit of a long-lived human soul.

A demon called the “Deer-Body Funeral-Clothed Corpse Spirit” takes human form, resembling a woman dressed in white mourning clothes. She often weeps by the water. Anyone who sees her and approaches to ask what is wrong will die. This demon was originally the spirit of a thousand-year-old carp.

A demon called the “Evil Poison Ghost” is described in the original text as having a human form and usually being difficult to see. The text then describes it as resembling a woman dressed in white mourning clothes, weeping by the water; anyone who approaches to ask what is wrong will die. It was originally the spirit of a thousand-year-old carp.

The Malicious Water Ghost is a demon said to cause people to drown. It looks like a person and is usually difficult to see. When someone accidentally enters the water, it grabs their feet and prevents them from reaching shore, eventually causing them to drown.

The Yellow Filial White-Faced Spirit looks like a small snake with red scales and five legs. It often appears beside wells. When people see it, they think someone has jumped into the well and are overcome by the urge to jump in themselves, eventually dying there. The scripture says it is transformed from the powerful soul of someone who died by jumping into a well.

The Star-Cha Granny looks like black vapor coiling above a well. Anyone who sees it will fall into the well and die. The scripture says it is transformed from the wronged soul of a spring spirit in the well.

The Complete-Complete Hidden Soul Spirit has no visible form and seems to lurk beneath the water. It is said to be the source of crying or laughter heard coming from the water. It can raise clouds and mist and take people’s lives; the spirits of Heaven and Earth and the Five Sacred Mountains do not restrain it. The scripture says this monster is transformed from a thousand-year-old crab spirit.

The Xia Family Poison Spirit looks like a white snake with a horn on its head. It often hides in a woman’s belly, making her complexion yellow and causing her hair to fall out. Sometimes, when a woman has difficulty giving birth, it takes the form of a white snake, shines brightly, and departs. The scripture says it is transformed from the Yin poison of a decaying corpse.

Yellow Far-Reaching Heaven looks like a ghost and often hides in a woman’s belly, allowing it to speak to its mother through her abdomen. The scripture says that women possessed by it do not live long. It is transformed from the spirit of plants and trees a thousand years old.

Zhang Yanzui looks like a woman, with disheveled clothes and loose hair. It likes to steal things from homes, and sometimes people can see it take on a visible form. The scripture says it is the ghost of someone who died unjustly, transformed from a household servant.

Liu Yuanheng looks like an infant and can change its shape to match the object it possesses. It often attaches itself to clay figurines, so men and women in the household worship it as a spirit. The scripture says it is the ghost of someone who died unjustly, transformed from a household servant.

There is a spirit creature called “Liu Yuanheng.” It looks like an infant and can change its form to match whatever it pursues. It often inhabits clay figurines of people. When people make offerings to these figures, they may, over time, show signs of efficacy. But if they later bring misfortune, it is because they have turned into spirits through the passage of many years.

There is a spirit creature called “Gaoyang Ge.” It looks like a young woman, but has a very ugly face, and it delights in sexual license. At times it has intercourse with people. The text describes this as what happens when someone dies from infatuation with romantic love and desire, and their soul later possesses another person and has intercourse with them. This creature is transformed from the powerful soul of someone who has died.

There is a spirit creature called “Yue Niang Jing.” It looks like a woman and delights in sexual license and lust. It often inhabits clay images of deities. Someone may enter a temple, see a female deity whose face is dignified and pure, and fall in love with her. At dusk, the spirit creature may come to lodge with that person and disturb human affairs. It is formed from the vital essence that has accumulated in a deity image worshipped over a long period.

There is a spirit creature called “Ma Yuanshi Zi Jing.” It has five brothers who look like ghosts and are naked. One carries a fan, another a small gourd, and another a bag of wind. The scripture calls them the “Four Spirits and Five Monsters.” They often bring misfortune and are skilled at controlling wind and sand. They are formed from the vital essence of wandering spirits.

Another account also calls a spirit creature “Ma Yuanshi Zi Jing.” It likewise has five brothers who look like ghosts and are naked. Among them are ghosts carrying a fan, a small gourd, and a bag of wind. They are the “Four Spirits and Five Monsters,” often cause trouble, and can control wind and sand. They wander through the world and possess the living, making people suffer chills and fever and crave ice water. The scripture classifies what is now called malaria as one of these phenomena. They are called the ghosts of the Five Directions and Five Wastings.

There is a spirit creature called “Du Chang Jing.” It looks like a black rat and likes to roam through palaces, halls, and residences in the human world, causing unusual losses. The scripture says that when things go missing or are damaged for no apparent reason in a storehouse or home, this creature is responsible. It is believed to be the spirit of a thousand-year-old rat.

There is a spirit creature called “Shehuan Xiao Shi Jing.” It looks like a red rat, though its size is difficult to determine, and it hides in dark places. It can blow a breath from afar at a person’s shadow. Anyone touched by this breath will develop malignant sores and may even die. The scripture holds that it is a spirit creature formed from an old object that has existed for many years.

A demon spirit known as the Black-Flower Essence resembles a dog, but has no fur. Its skin is red, and it has six eyes. It often hides in remote, quiet places. When it sees someone at a distance, it breathes out a puff of air. Anyone touched by this breath will suddenly feel oppressed and distressed, then spit, cough up blood, and eventually fall ill and die. It is an evil spirit that haunts dwellings.

A demon spirit known as the Ox-Headed Baidu Essence has fleshy horns growing from its head, a green face, red eyes, an eagle’s beak, a tiger’s neck, horse-like hooves, and a human body. It often appears in mountain valleys and takes people’s lives. It is the spirit of an old horse from the Lion Kingdom. At first it obtained a dragon pearl; later it became a monstrous form, then transformed into a human body and spread in all directions. Many such demon spirits still inhabit mountain valleys today.

A demon spirit known as the Cinnamon-Dragon Evening-Sky Essence resembles a dragon but has no horns. It is skilled at driving clouds and mist, often roams among ponds and marshes, and likes to eat the brains of living people. It is a water demon left behind when the dragons of Western Sichuan moved the mountains and altered the waterways.

A demon spirit known as the Dengchao Yellow-Sky Essence resembles a gigantic softshell turtle. It has horns growing from its head and four eyes. It likes to appear in water, where it destroys dikes and smashes river mouths. It also often sucks the brains from the soles of people’s feet and the palms of their hands. It is a water demon.

A demon spirit known as the Caohong Heavenly-Eye Essence has disheveled hair and only one leg, and resembles a woman. It roams through mountain valleys and often lifts its leg and laughs when it sees people. It can ride the wind and fly, and can also breathe out air and transform. It is skilled at devouring the lives of the living. This is a heavenly demon, originally the spirit of a withered cypress that had stood for ten thousand years.

One kind of spirit creature is called the Peach Slave New Spirit. It appears as a woman with a yellow, swollen face, dressed in pale clothing. It often appears at night with a loud cry, but may also show itself during the day. It is most often found in rock caves, caverns, or houses that have long been uninhabited. Those who see it often fall ill. It is the spirit creature of a thousand-year-old shrimp spider.

One kind of spirit creature is called the Song Qiu Wandering Ghost Spirit. It looks like a woman and often roams through mountain forests, weeping beneath the grass. If someone questions it, it usually says that it was a woman from a respectable family. Pressing it to explain further often brings misfortune. It can be recognized by the fact that it has no left ear. It is the spirit creature of a thousand-year-old wild civet cat.

One kind of spirit creature is called the Wu Ai’ai Spirit. It appears as a woman who claims to come from a respectable family. She often holds a child and sometimes has one or two maids with her, and she likes to wander through valleys. She is skilled at unsettling cultivators’ minds and creating obstacles for them. Those who wish to study the Dao can easily be deceived and harmed by her if they lack this book to distinguish the crooked from the upright. She has a round red mark on her left cheek, about the size of a bean. When you see her, you can call her by the nickname “Red Disc Mark on the Left Cheek.” This ghost spirit knows her own identifying mark. She is the spirit creature of a thousand-year-old stubborn stone.

One kind of spirit creature is called the Zuo Shouquan Evil Spirit. It looks like a mighty heavenly deity or warrior and often carries a sharp blade. In the mountains, it bears a human head and makes sounds like a giant tiger roaring or rocks splitting apart. Anyone who accidentally encounters it is likely to die. It is the spirit creature formed from the male soul of a man who died in the mountains. Even Heaven and Earth cannot subdue it, so it often becomes one of the evil spirits of the Eight Extremities.

A monster called the “Old Monk Essence” resembles an elderly monk. It wears a coarse cloth robe, has a frail build, and carries several scrolls of scripture. It often appears in valleys or beside narrow paths. Its left eye is red, and its eyebrows resemble a pig’s bristles. When it sees a monk doing good deeds or talking with someone, it reveals itself and speaks to them. Anyone who encounters it is devoured. It is a monster transformed from an old monk on Nanyun Mountain after he was tainted by demonic influences.

A monster called the “Sheep-Head Peddler Essence” has four horns and a human body, with dark blue-black skin. It roams the four seas, luring unmarried women in the human world. If a family’s daughter is born during the day and dies that same night, this monster is to blame. It is a monster transformed from a sea dog that lived for a thousand years.

A monster called the “Chen Mad Corpse-Chaser Essence” has a tiger’s head, a bird’s body, and fleshy wings. It can fly into the sky and feeds only on the flesh of living people. It is a monster transformed from a river porpoise that lived for ten thousand years.

A monster called the “Swallowing Demon, Little Straight Essence” often wears a golden-flower crown and plain-colored clothes, and looks like an immortal. It can spew demonic qi and conjure palaces to lure beautiful women into them. It craves blood and flesh, demands that people hold jiao rites for it, and engages in sexual relations with women of the human world. Those who claim to be divine and use that claim to demand people’s worship and reverence are usually monsters of this kind. It is an aversion spirit between Heaven and Earth, originally the essence of an old chicken.

A monster called the “Guo Hua Little Spirit Essence” has a ghostlike form and a human face. It wears plain cloth, has sunken eye sockets, and often carries a small knife, appearing suddenly in the wilderness. When someone sees it, it slashes their face with its sharp little knife, then devours their blood and flesh. It is a monster transformed from a minor spirit that appeared in an unholy place.

A monster called the “Mountain Peak Sun Qing Essence” wears yellow clothes and looks like an old, gloomy person. It often appears in valleys and desolate wilderness. It always holds a bird in its left hand, its body covered in brilliantly colored brocade feathers. When it sees someone, it releases the bird. People who see the bird’s bright, lovely plumage stop to watch it, and then invariably fall suddenly ill. It is a monster transformed from an old crow in a deep valley.

One kind of demon spirit, called the “Yellow Maiden Essence,” looks like a little girl whose body is covered in feathers patterned with brilliant brocade. When it sees a person, it reveals its own form. People find its feathers so dazzling and lovely that they cannot help staring at it, and soon afterward they often fall suddenly ill. It is the spirit of an old crow from a secluded valley.

Another kind, also called the “Yellow Maiden Essence,” looks like a little girl with twin buns and a purple robe. People often encounter it at night and speak with it. It then transforms into wind to draw out their Jing and Qi, and afterward returns to consume their flesh and blood. It is the spirit of a lion that has cultivated for many years.

A demon spirit called the “Great Obscurity Essence of Zhoude” looks like a strong, healthy woman. She wears a crown adorned with jade beads representing the Seven Stars and clothes patterned in many colors. Her hair is piled high like clouds, and her lovely brows and eyes are as clear as autumn water. She often carries a dried child’s skull. When she meets someone, she transforms it into an embroidered, perfumed sachet, which people cannot help stopping to admire. She says, “I was once a woman who lived deep within her chambers and never went out. I only came out to stroll and play because I happened to want to see the scenery beyond the walls.” The scripture says that anyone who becomes infatuated with beauty and loses command of their mind will be deceived by her and suffer harm to their life. After having intercourse with her, a person may even waste away to the bone and be reduced to dust. Between her eyebrows is a spot the size of a bean, a mark left by Heaven and Earth. She is the spirit of an old river turtle. Such spirits are often found in places of extreme heat. They are not governed by Heaven and Earth, nor are they under the jurisdiction of the Eight Caverns, the Daoist system of grotto-heavens inhabited by immortals. They belong to the “Essences of Wandering Souls of the Eight Ages.”

A demon spirit called the “Lacquer-Lacquer Little Pest Essence” looks like a woman with her hair in a simple bun, dressed in vermilion clothes and red shoes. She is beautiful, sings well, and delights in composing verse about love and the moon. She appears sometimes on moonlit nights and sometimes at dusk, often claiming to be a woman from a nearby household. Young men who see her are easily smitten and draw close to her. Over time, their Yang soul—their Yang energy and spirit—gradually wanes, and they eventually die. She is a demon spirit formed from the ghost of a young woman who died before marriage.

A monster called “Su Xiaoyaojing” looks like a young boy. It appears at unpredictable times, sometimes at dusk and sometimes at dawn. When it sees people, it avoids them, yet brings misfortune to those it encounters. Anyone who has seen it is unlikely to remain unharmed. It is formed from the ghost of someone who suffered for a long time from cold damage and died with an unjust grievance.

A monster called “Yuanlang Gumijing” looks like an adult man dressed in white or yellow. At night, it calls out a person’s soul. Anyone who answers will die. So when people go out at dawn, dusk, or night, whether in the mountains or near their home, if they hear what sounds like someone calling them but the call is not repeated three times—one loud call followed by two faint ones—they should know it is this monster. It is the essence formed from a coffin that has grown very old.

A monster called “Yanghua Guishijing” looks like a man dressed in white or blue-green. It has four eyes and no feet. It often wanders through deserted places at night, pretending to call for someone and saying that it is in unbearable pain. Anyone who mistakes it for a real patient, or calls back to ask what is wrong, will die. It is the essence formed from an ancient coffin.

A monster called “Huanghe Daxiaojing” usually travels in groups of three to five or seven to eight. They may have no heads or feet, or lack mouths, noses, eyes, ears, arms, or elbows. Sometimes they gather around a fire at dusk. Those who see them are often struck by serious illness. They are the essences of ghosts and hungry ghosts formed from scattered bricks and stones that have grown old and received no offerings.

A monster called “Tengshe Baihu Xiaohaojing” is described in the source text as sometimes having no arms or elbows and sometimes gathering around a fire at dusk. Those who see them often suffer serious illness. The text then again describes them as the essences of ghosts and hungry ghosts formed from scattered bricks and stones that have grown old and received no offerings.

A creature known as the “Tengshe Baihu Xiaohào Jing” takes the form of a woman, wearing a flowered robe and a floral crown, with a beautiful face. It often goes out at night and patrols along roadsides during the day. Sometimes it says, “I am a respectable young woman. The journey is exhausting, and I am too weak to keep walking. Could someone carry me for a while?” People often take this as a chance to offer a kind hand, unaware that disaster has already drawn near. In truth, it is a creature transformed from a rabbit that has lived for many years.

A creature known as the “Hunxing Wangliang Jing” looks like a ghost. It stands several dozen feet tall and is about three to five feet wide, with eyes like flames. It often stands alone by the water at dusk or at night, or appears on a remote path. Anyone who sees it is bound to fall ill with a minor ailment, but it does not take human lives. It was originally a stone, clump of earth, or piece of decayed wood beside the water or on a remote path. After absorbing the damp Qi of its surroundings and building up power over many years, it transformed into a creature.

A creature known as the “Jiafu Jing” takes human form, resembling a young woman dressed in white like mourning clothes. It often appears in a main hall. At night, it may laugh or cry, sing or recite poetry, walk alone, or appear in groups of two or three. Anyone who sees this creature will die. In truth, it is a ghost transformed from the body of someone who died in an old house.

A creature known as the “Lianglin Qingmian Jing” has a green face, wears white clothes, and has disheveled hair. It often makes the doors and gates of a household rattle, disturbing the peace of the residence. In truth, it is a creature transformed from the body of a man who died in the house.

A creature known as “Li Tong” takes the form of a young woman, with a lovely face and a graceful, refined bearing. It often goes out at night, wearing red clothes and a tall headdress. Skilled at reciting poetry and singing, it walks along as it performs, often using seductive charms to bewitch people. In truth, it is a creature transformed from a lampstand that has existed for many years.

A creature known as the “Gunu Seng Jing” takes the form of a woman, dressed either in mourning clothes or brightly colored garments. At night, it appears beneath a lamp with cloth covering its head and face. It can speak and likes to toy with the flame; it also grips people by the throat until they die. In truth, it is a creature transformed from a broom.

There is a kind of spirit creature called a “Wood-Soul Killer” (Shamu hun jing). It is two or three people in size and likes to stay in deep, secluded places. It can speak, delights in playing tricks with lamplight, and will throttle people until it kills them. It is a spirit creature transformed from a broom.

Another kind, also called a “Wood-Soul Killer” (Shamu hun jing), is likewise two or three people in size. It likes to emerge from deep places and make the sound of footsteps in a household courtyard. It often makes people ill and can harm children. It is a spirit creature transformed from an old household object.

There is a kind of spirit creature called a “Jade-Essence of the Earth” (Tuyu jing). It looks like a white rat, though at times it resembles a ghost, and often throws tiles and bricks about at night. This ghost brings prosperity to a household; in fact, it is a spirit creature transformed from copper or iron. To find it, take a sheet of white paper and write on it the “Heavenly Emperor’s Spell Seal,” a talismanic seal invoking the power of the Heavenly Emperor. Roll the paper into a wick, dip it in oil, and at night set it alight in the place suspected of harboring the spirit. Then shine a lamp on the spot. If something uncanny is there, the lamp flame will droop downward. At dawn, dig up the place and you will find the object.

There is a kind of spirit creature called a “Great Luo Demon-Killer” (Daluo shaguijing). Its form is uncertain; it claims, or appears, to be able to foretell good and ill fortune. At night it rides a bird into a household. Sometimes it makes noises in a room, and it may also shed tears before people. It is the ghost of a deceased family member who has not yet been reborn. Heaven’s gods will not accept it, and Earth’s spirits will not take charge of it. This is the kind of spirit creature that people call an evil spirit.

There is a kind of spirit creature called an “Iron-Cloud Luoye” (Tieyun luoye jing). It is skilled at conjuring clouds and mist and has the form of a child. At the back of its head is an eye that shines like lightning; its hands and feet resemble the claws of a bird. At night it appears as a glow of fire, while at dawn it often hides in a woman’s belly, preventing the household from prospering. It is transformed from a “wayward dragon” (guailong), a dragon spirit that has yet to take its rightful place.

There is a kind of spirit creature called the “Zhao Clan Ancestor Spirit” (Zhaoshi zongjing). It looks like a man, though its clothing is indistinct. At night, as people sleep, it makes them hover between dream and waking, suddenly feeling that someone has come to press down on them. Anyone who sees it falls ill. Heaven’s offices will not accept it, and Earth’s spirits will not take charge of it; it is a spirit creature transformed because it has no name in the registers.

There is a kind of spirit creature called a “He Duokou Spirit” (He duokou jing). It has the form of a man and is most often found in caves. When it sees someone, it exhales; if its breath touches them, it makes them ill. Pain then moves throughout the body, and the hands and feet hurt as though broken, without letting up. People often think they have been bitten by a tiger. It is a spirit creature transformed from an old tiger that has lived for ages in the deep mountains.

A spirit creature called Huihu Shenjing has a tiger’s head and the body of a gray donkey. All four feet have claws, and its eyes shine like lightning. It is skilled at changing its shape and can travel anywhere on the wind. It delights in taking human lives and devouring children. This creature is the product of an old, malevolent person, and can transform itself by drawing on the power of ash qi.

A spirit creature called Tang Yongmingjing has a camel’s head and a human body. It wears red clothes, goes barefoot, and carries a small knife. It often appears in kitchens and beside cooking stoves, stealing food and drink. It can make food turn cold or spoil for no apparent reason; anyone who eats it will fall ill. It is skilled at changing its shape and can travel anywhere on the wind. It delights in taking human lives and devouring children. This, too, is the product of an old, malevolent person, and can transform itself by drawing on the power of ash qi.

A spirit creature called the Nüzi Jing has a humanlike appearance, with five topknots, four eyebrows, four eyes, and four arms. It wears yellow clothes and has the feet of a bird. It often appears among people and can suck their blood, putting them to sleep. If, on waking, someone finds bluish-black spots on their body that remain for two or three days, these are marks it has left behind. Anyone who encounters it will suffer minor misfortunes. This spirit creature is formed from a venomous snake that has lived for ages in the deep mountains.

A spirit creature called Zheng Dafu has no fixed form. It often appears suddenly inside homes as balls of fire chasing one another. This is a spirit creature formed over many years beside a doorway.

A spirit creature called Qixian Xuezhuo Jing has the shape of flames. When they shine on one another, they look like lamplight, and they often travel together in groups of three or five. They mostly appear at night around ancient altars, graves, roads, and open, deserted places. This, too, is a spirit creature formed over many years beside a doorway.

An apparition known as “qixian xuezhuo jing” takes the shape of flames, reflecting one another like lamps. It often appears in clusters of three or five, moving while clinging together. It is commonly seen at night near ancient altars, graves, roads, and open fields. It may appear in great numbers, and its size varies. When people chase it, it sometimes appears and sometimes vanishes. What people today call “ghost fire” is this phenomenon.

This phenomenon originally appears around remote houses, marketplaces, or mountain cliffs. It may form from the blood of living people, the dead, or birds and beasts. When blood remains on the ground for three days without drying, it absorbs a measure of numinous energy from the Yin-Yang realm and then transforms into these flames. Flames formed from the blood of a living person are red; those formed from the blood of a dead person are blue-green and give off smoke.

To observe it, hold the Heavenly Emperor’s Divine Seal, a Daoist ritual seal, and place it at the Gate of Heaven, the specific direction used when performing the rite. Recite the Heavenly Emperor’s incantation three times, then blow three breaths onto the seal. Point the seal toward the place where the flames appear, and the ghost fire will show itself. Then stamp it with the seal, and the ghost fire will go out. Afterward, examine its form: it will resemble a broken vessel. Inside the vessel is red, watery blood; it may also contain skin or hair, or fresh left on old silk.

Chapter Five: The Heavenly Statutes.

The Celestial Emperor Lord said: “The Heavenly Statutes” are ritual arts of the upper realm in the Eight Extremities—that is, the eight directions between Heaven and Earth—and ordinances recorded in the Jade Writings of the Nine Heavens, the lofty skies. They are used to seize celestial soldiers, behead great gods, cut off demonic spirits that cause trouble, eliminate evil influences and harm, drive out and kill ghosts, and sweep away ill omens. Their power rests in the righteous Qi represented by the Heavenly Statutes. They cut down evil gods as a raging fire burns through the fine grasses of autumn; they sweep away ghosts as the sea carries off rotting leaves. Nothing can withstand their cleansing.

The incantation says: To cut down evil spirits and ghosts, simply behold their forms, speak the source of their transformations, and call them by name; then they dare not flee. Next, follow the seal method and summon the designated ranks of righteous ghosts from the Five Directions, commanding the evil spirits to go to the Ghost-Beheading Altar. Alternatively, you may order them to submit to judgment in the Four Great Hells, according to the officiant’s intention. To behead a ghost, take the Ghost-Beheading Sword and hold it in the left hand, pointing it toward the Gate of Heaven. Recite the Celestial Emperor’s Incantation three times, draw in a breath and blow it onto the ritual seal, then apply cinnabar to the seal and stamp it on the sword’s tip. Cast the sword into the air so that the ghosts and spirits under your command know your intention. After a short while, once the beheading is complete, the true forms of the spirits and monsters will be visible.

The Celestial Emperor Lord also said: The ritual altar must be marked off with cinnabar and arranged in three tiers. It may be set on stone or on the earth, and its surface should be five feet long and five feet wide. Whenever the forms of various spirits and demons appear, their source must be cut off according to the Heavenly Statutes, so that people will not be deceived by them again in the future. To see a spirit and fail to behead it, to see an apparition and fail to clear it away, or to see a sick person suffering and fail to help them is also a sin of having no compassion. Therefore, eliminate spirits and monsters in the otherworld, behead ghosts at the Nether Terrace beneath the earth, and drive out evil influences at the ritual altar. In this way, the righteous path is upheld and demons are prevented from harming the people.

The Celestial Emperor Lord said: Whenever you encounter a spirit or ghost, promptly burn half a bundle of white spirit money as an offering to send off the spirit that has been beheaded.

The Heavenly Statutes: Beheading Evil Spirits in the Four Hells; Diagram of the Orthodox Unity Celestial Emperor Altar

To cut down evil ghosts, take out its seal, call the ghost by name, drive away the evil spirits and monsters, and cut them down. If they cannot yet be cut down, first confine them in hell so they cannot escape.

Celestial Emperor’s Altar-Guarding Talisman Rite (a talismanic rite used to guard the ritual altar): To cut them down, take out their seal, call the ghosts by name, drive away the evil spirits and monsters, and cut them down. If they cannot yet be cut down, first confine them in hell so they cannot escape.

Place this talisman in the northwest, at the Qian position (one of the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams, directions).

(Talisman illustration missing)

Place this talisman in the northeast, at the Gen position (one of the Bagua directions).

(Talisman illustration missing)

Place this talisman in the southeast, at the Xun position (one of the Bagua directions).

Place this talisman in the southwest, at the Kun position (one of the Bagua directions).

Celestial Emperor’s Divine Seal, Chapter Six

The Sovereign of Heaven says: Whoever receives the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns also receives the Inner Seals of the Three Sovereigns—the ritual seals paired with those writings. The upper seal of the Sovereign of Heaven is four inches long and three inches wide; the middle seal of the Sovereign of Earth is three and a half inches long and three and a half inches wide; the lower seal of the Sovereign of Humanity is three inches long and three inches wide.

Take the heartwood of a jujube tree that has been struck by lightning and use it to make the seals. If no such wood is available, axle wood may also be used. The piece of wood should be large enough to make the seals. During the Zhaijiao (purification ritual) of receiving the seals, place the wood in the direction of the Celestial Physician, then arrange it among the offerings at the four sides of the ritual altar. First choose a clean room; no chickens, dogs, girls, or women may be outside it. Inside, compose and settle the mind. Before making the seals, bathe and purify yourself, bow toward the eight directions, and then begin carving.

If, on the day the seals are carved, wind blows sand and stones, clouds and mist gather, thunder roars in all four directions, and rain drums loudly, these are regarded as signs that the seals are being opened and displaying their power. Once made, wrap the seals in a pouch of red silk, place them in a stone case, and store them in secret in a mountain dwelling or stone chamber, in keeping with the principles of Heaven.

To use the seals in ritual, first burn incense and silently bow to the Three Sovereigns’ exalted perfected beings and the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks, asking to receive the ritual seals. Then recite the divine incantation, blow onto the seals, and use them to perform the rite. It is said that they can command the ghostly armies throughout the world and destroy the spirits and demons that haunt the human realm, while the power of the seal of the Sovereign of Heaven brings all spirits under its command. Point the seal at the stars, and they fall; point it at the moon, and it wanes; point it at the sun, and the sun…

When the Supreme Seal of the Celestial Sovereign (the divine seal used by the Celestial Sovereign) is stamped on clouds and mist, they disperse; stamped on wind and rain, they cease. It can summon the spirits of the Five Directions: ask for wind, and wind will come; ask for rain, and rain will come. Such is the power of the Supreme Seal of the Celestial Sovereign.

When the Middle Seal of the Terrestrial Sovereign (the divine seal used by the Terrestrial Sovereign) is stamped on the ground, the earth splits open; stamped on plants and trees, they turn to dust; stamped on flying birds, they fall to the ground; stamped on tigers and insects, they collapse and die. Such is the power of the Middle Seal of the Terrestrial Sovereign.

When the Lower Seal of the Human Sovereign (the divine seal used by the Human Sovereign) is used to treat various illnesses, the sick recover. Such is the power of the Lower Seal of the Human Sovereign. If someone encounters all manner of calamities, the seal can be taken with fragrant broth to turn misfortune into good fortune, strengthen the body, and bring prosperity and blessings. If the seal is stamped on a person’s back over the heart, that person will die at once; stamp it again over the front of the heart, and they will immediately revive. Such is the power of the Lower Seal of the Human Sovereign.

Therefore, the divine seals of the Three Sovereigns play an especially important role in the Daoist system of ritual arts that governs and enacts the methods of the Three Primordial Periods. To test their efficacy, take a seven-year-old child, coat the seal with cinnabar, recite an incantation, and stamp it on the front of the child’s heart. The imprint will then appear on the back of the heart. The esoteric methods of the Three Sovereigns truly are efficacious. Without these divine seals, evil beings have nothing to fear; with them, all malign spirits flee.

“The Celestial Sovereign’s Divine Seal Chapter,” Part Seven

Spell text: Great Emperor of Ziwei (a revered deity of the Northern Pole Heavenly Court), Northern Pole Heavenly Deities, the Star Lord Kui and the various ghosts and demons, the spirits known as the Chimei, Wangliang, and Piaoxing, the Eight Caverns’ Heavenly Soldiers (troops and generals of the celestial realm), the fierce troops of the Five Sacred Peaks, commanding generals, the Nine Spirits of Water and Fire, the Seven Luminaries and Seven Lodges (the spirits of the sun, moon, and five planets, and of the twenty-eight lunar lodges), Black-Killing Tianpeng, the Three Empyrean High Ministers, the Supreme Venerables of the Ten Directions, Tianying and Tianzhi, the Yellow Lords of the Four Killings, Tianxin and Tiannei, Tianfu and Tianheng, the Southern Spirit Divine General, the commanding general who bears the precious seal, the Nine Spirits of Water and Fire, the Seven Luminaries and Seven Lodges, Black-Killing Tianpeng, the Three Empyrean High Ministers, the Supreme Venerables of the Ten Directions, Tianying and Tianzhi, the Yellow Lords of the Four Killings, Tianxin and Tiannei, Tianfu and Tianheng, the Southern Spirit Divine General, the attendants who carry out the precious seal’s commands, the Nine Earth Lad Boys, the True One of the Ghost King, Tianzhu and Tianshi, Tianren and Tianding, the twenty-eight lunar lodges, the generals of the twelve time periods, the monthly duty emissary, and the daily duty divine boy: follow the methods I enact and the commands I uphold, and enter my ritual seal. Carry them out at once in accordance with the statutes and commands. By command of the Great Emperor of the Heavenly Sovereign, the High Immortal of the Great Luo, I summon and call in all the deities.

Chapter Eight: The Talismanic Inscription of the Heavenly Sovereign’s True Form

The Lord Heavenly Sovereign said: “The diagram of the true form is the jade register and seal script of my true form. With a new brush dipped in cinnabar, write the Fulu on silk and wear it or attach it to the body. The spirit will change at once; all ghosts will disperse of their own accord, the hundred demons will be bound, every kind of evil spirit will hide itself, and sacred power will descend. When the practitioner swallows the talisman, ghosts and spirits will reveal their true forms; those forms are precisely the true form of the Heavenly Sovereign. Thus the Heavenly Deities will submit to him.”

The Lord Heavenly Sovereign also said: “For anyone in the world suffering from an illness that will not heal, a calamity that has befallen them, a serious or critical illness, or desperate distress—even someone who has faced repeated dangers for many years and suddenly contracts an incurable disease—this talisman may be written in cinnabar, burned to ash, and taken with fragrant water. It is said that all such afflictions will soon be cured.”

Chapter Nine: The Rite for Establishing the Altar of the Three Sovereigns’ Transmission of the Teaching

The ritual altar should be eight feet square. A stone mound is best; an earth mound is second best.

Memorial for the Three Sovereigns and the Five Sacred Peaks (a model petition addressed to the Three Sovereigns and the deities of the Five Sacred Peaks):

After filling in the location—province, county, township, village, and so on—and the ritual office and full name, submit the following memorial:

“Your servant, [name], has admired the ways of the immortals since childhood and followed the example of the divine beings. My heart yearns for the mysterious, true Dao, and I hope to receive abundant blessings. Now, on [year, month, day], by a fortunate meeting of causes and conditions, I encountered a Golden Scripture. My heart was moved by the wondrous Dao, and so I have dared to practice it in private.

Your servant, [name], has admired the ways of the immortals since childhood and followed the example of the divine beings. My heart yearns for the mysterious, true Dao, and I hope to receive abundant blessings. Now, on [year, month, day], by a fortunate meeting of causes and conditions, I encountered a Golden Scripture. My heart was moved by the wondrous Dao, and so I have dared to practice it in private.

I respectfully prepare this memorial and submit it to the Great Sovereigns of the Three Sovereigns and the Immortal Lords of the Five Directions and Five Emperors, who govern the five directions. Your servant, [name], looks up to the compassionate and generous master and the exalted perfected ones, and begs for their mercy. May the light of wisdom shine everywhere—where could it fail to reach? Since the wind of compassion has swept through, where could any place be left out?

I reflect that your servant, [name], is as small as an ant, and that my fate is like being adrift in a sea of suffering. Though I possess spiritual awareness, my body and mind are as if tormented by a blazing fire. Now the numinous mound, the place set for the altar and offerings, has been prepared, and the jade flowers for the ritual are fresh and bright. I respectfully pray that the Celestial Lord’s cinnabar radiance descend soon, and that all the deities of the numinous mound take their places. Together with your disciple and servant, [name], may they request a confirming testimony and covenant, so that your servant may reverently receive the way of the mysterious texts, the sacred scriptures of the Dao.”

On [year, month, day], [ritual rank and full name], respectfully prepares this memorial.

If the ritual is performed at the numinous mound, it should begin in the hour of Hai (about 9 to 11 p.m.) and continue until the hour of Zi (about 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.). Facing the Gate of Heaven, the celestial portal invoked in the ritual, arrange your robes and cap, then bow and pray:

“May all the deities of the numinous mound take their places. Together with your disciple and servant, [name], may they request a confirming testimony and covenant, so that your servant may reverently receive the way of the mysterious texts.”

On [year, month, day], [ritual rank and full name], respectfully prepares this memorial.

If the sacred mound (the ritual altar or site) is used for a sacrifice, begin at the hour of Hai and continue until the hour of Zi. Face the Gate of Heaven, arrange your robes and cap, and, after making your obeisance, burn the prayer memorial inviting the gods. After a while, if you sense an unusual fragrance filling the air, see light flickering before your eyes and streaks of radiance passing through the sky, and suddenly see luan birds and immortal cranes flying, while your body grows cold and trembles violently and your heart fills with reverence for the gods, these are signs that the Immortal Lords and the assembled sages have descended upon the sacred mound.

When the Immortal Lords descend, the tea and wine on the sacred mound will change color. At this point, arrange your robes and cap, bow toward the sacred mound in all eight directions, and do not be afraid. Set your heart aright and calm your spirit, then pray to the High Saints: “Your servant, so-and-so, now receives the celestial writings and secret records, and hopes to be granted proof and a covenant.” The sacred mound may be taken down only between the hour of Zi and the hour of Mao.

When facing the Gate of Heaven, arrange your robes and cap, bow toward the sacred mound in all eight directions, and do not be afraid. Set your heart aright and calm your spirit, then pray to the High Saints: “Your servant, so-and-so, now receives the celestial writings and secret records, and hopes to be granted proof and a covenant.” The sacred mound may be taken down only between the hour of Zi and the hour of Mao.

Face the Gate of Heaven and burn five coins. Burn all paper money and paper horses at the Ghost Gate. Then write a short petition and burn three bundles of white paper money, for the forty great ghosts of the five directions to receive together. Next, use the seal to perform the technique, by which ghosts are brought under control, evil influences driven away, and mountains sealed off for dwelling in caves. In all matters, whether tangible or intangible, a response will arise naturally.

Chapter Ten: The Three Sovereigns’ Sword Method

The Heavenly Emperor says: On a Jiazi day, one of the days in the sexagenary cycle, take three jin and six liang of bright steel and forge it into a sword two chi and four cun long. Engrave and depict on the sword, in gold, the talismanic true forms of the Heavenly Emperor, the Earthly Emperor, and the Human Emperor. Then wrap it in white silk, tie it with a cord, and lower it into an ancient well from which no one draws water. After forty-nine days, take out the sword and talisman and use them to subdue and capture the earth spirits. At that point the iron will turn white, and the blade will be blood red. Anyone who sees it, human or ghost, will be subdued and destroyed. This sword is called “Red Spring Iron”; it is a sword transformed from divine spirits. Seal it in a precious case. When it is needed, simply recite the ritual words as instructed, and it will respond to the sound of the recitation and move; its divine power will invariably take effect.

End of Volume One of The Taiping Golden Gate Jade Florescence Immortal Book: The Eight Directions’ Divine Chapters and the Three Emperors’ Inner Secrets.

The Taiping Golden Gate Jade Florescence Immortal Book: The Eight Directions’ Divine Chapters and the Three Emperors’ Inner Secrets, Volume Two

This scripture is an immeasurably profound secret canon of the celestial realm. It is the forerunner of the Cinnabar Terrace and Jade Grove, the paradisal realm of immortals, and the beginning of the auspicious signs of cloud and rosy radiance. It is a precious book formed naturally in the celestial Great Luo Heaven. Its purple jade slips took shape as the Supreme Lord and the exalted perfected beings breathed forth red Qi, forming the text, and exhaled cinnabar-colored radiance, forming the seal script. They were kept secret in the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, the dwelling place of the Celestial Emperor, and inscribed on jade tablets and golden, ornamented slips.

The book records methods of mountain cultivation. It also records how the Divine Youths of the Great Cavern’s Eight Su, spirits in Daoist scriptures, can protect people from wolves, tigers, and venomous insects; help them find lingzhi mushrooms and identify immortal medicines; distinguish the orthodox from the deviant and recognize immortal visitors; and understand transformations and subdue spirits. All these matters are recorded in this book. Those who obtain and read it will find its contents profound and secret.

Chapter One: The Earthly Emperor’s Divine Seal

The Earthly Emperor’s Divine Seal can, by virtue of its authority, govern the human world. It can also protect people from venomous insects, help them find lingzhi mushrooms and identify immortal medicines, distinguish the orthodox from the deviant and recognize immortal visitors, and understand transformations and subdue spirits. All these matters are recorded within it.

Chapter One: The Earthly Emperor’s Divine Seal

The Divine Seal of the Earth Sovereign governs all affairs on the land of the mortal world, and so holds first place in the practice of magic. Some primordial elixirs of the immortals—legendary elixirs from high antiquity—take form through transformation, using external objects as their bodies. They may also assume the likenesses of birds and beasts, or of men and women. When examined with the Divine Seal, these transformations are broken apart and vanish. When sacred mushrooms and auspicious plants take form through transformation, examining them with the Divine Seal can also make them appear.

Hymn to the Potent Spirit of the Earth Sovereign’s Divine Seal

The heavenly spirits Kui Feng and Ba Sha, among others, all bow in submission; the old man of the Nine Mysteries and Four Eyes, too, will yield. The great seal of authority, feathered and transformed in the Primordial Beginning, can subdue the evil essences of the land.

The clear and far-reaching celestial text is the foundation of the spirits. Its wondrous hymn declares:

The heavenly spirits Kui Feng and Ba Sha, among others, all bow in submission; the old man of the Nine Mysteries and Four Eyes, too, will yield. The great seal of authority, feathered and transformed in the Primordial Beginning, can subdue the evil essences of the land.

The clear and far-reaching celestial text is the foundation of the spirits; beyond its mysterious profundity, there is nothing else. One may await the manifestation of the Jade Radiance’s numinous-light seal script. Wherever it arrives, the divine wind sweeps away evil and depletion.

The precious seal, shaped like a dragon of fine jade, occupies the pivotal place among the high ministers. Its wondrous mechanism commands the myriad things and is supremely effective in driving out evil. Celestial secret arts can counter all manner of demons and apparitions; the immortal power of seal and blade reaches straight to the azure void.

When the Dragon-Blossom’s splendid treasure seal-script appears, the assembled evils bind themselves of their own accord. The purple star of the Supreme Ultimate subdues thirty thousand evil spirits; its vast force sweeps away malign influences and drives off uncanny beings.

The dark numinous powers draw on the strength of my Divine Seal and join in helping the True Empyrean clear away strange apparitions. When purifying the ground and performing rites in midair, spirits and ghosts alike will be afraid. When directing Qi toward the mountains to work magic, the Divine Seal is especially essential.

Sacred mushrooms can transform into hundreds or thousands of forms, and immortal elixirs can become flying birds and beasts. When the Divine Seal is directed toward the sky, nothing cannot be subdued. The transformations of Heaven and Earth themselves all fall under its command.

Earth Sovereign Incantation

The Seven Stars of the South, the Six Ding of the Earth Gate, and the Jade Maidens of the Six Jia all obey the command to wield my Divine Seal. At once, in accordance with the statute, subdue all things.

Chapter Two: The Talismanic Seal of the Earth Sovereign’s True Form

The jade-script talisman diagram of the true form of the Earth Sovereign is four inches long and four inches wide. Write the seal script in cinnabar on yellow paper.

The Earth Sovereign says: Anyone living in a mountain cave or hermitage, or dwelling in seclusion among woods and valleys, should write this sacred talisman each morning at the hour of Mao. Burn it to ash, mix the ash with fragrant water, then face the Gate of Heaven and swallow it. This will prolong life and prevent evil Qi from invading. Those living in the mountains who gather various immortal fungi and sacred herbs may also burn the talisman to ash and swallow it. Then use the seal to verify the matter, and the medicines will come of their own accord.

Chapter Three: What Practitioners Should Observe When Dwelling in the Mountains

The Earth Sovereign says: Among all living beings, humans are the most honored. Thus, the growth of all things must have its roots, and every undertaking has its proper method. A person of shallow learning may suddenly form an aspiration toward goodness, yet, without having grasped the truth or understood the mysteries, rashly enter a famous mountain. They may then face five kinds of harm and eight kinds of danger, or encounter unforeseen calamities in the mountains—being attacked by insects and snakes or injured by fierce tigers—and many have lost their lives as a result. Yet they do not know that dwelling in the mountains has its own methods that must be followed.

People born in the Yin or Chen years are suited to living around Qian Mountain or Kan Mountain, where blessed sites can be found. Those born in the Mao, Si, or Wu years are suited to Kun Mountain; those born in the Shen or Wei years, to Gen Mountain; those born in the You year, to Zhen Mountain; those born in the Xu year, to Xun Mountain; and those born in the Hai, Zi, or Chou years, to the area around Li Mountain or Dui Mountain. Qian, Kan, Kun, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, and Dui are the names of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) directions.

If a dwelling lies to the due east, due south, or southeast, it may be on a blessed site suited for habitation, or face a mountain valley. But if, in spring or summer, the trees there appear sparse, the grasses and shoots look parched and yellow, and the stones and trees lack a moist vitality, that mountain is called a “Fire-Killing Mountain.” People who settle there are prone to disasters caused by mountain fires, so they should choose another mountain suitable for living.

Chapter Four: The Mountain-Lord Rite for Entering the Mountains

The Earthly Sovereign Lord, a deity of the Earthly Sovereign, said: “Great mountains have great mountain spirits who govern them, and small mountains have small mountain spirits who govern them. Those who enter the mountains to cultivate the Dao, if they do not first perform a Zhaijiao rite (a purification ritual offering to the spirits) and ask the mountain spirits for permission, are like people barging without cause into someone else’s home. In this way, no bond is formed between them and the mountain spirits.

“Anyone who enters the mountains to seek a cave or build a hermitage should spread a clean cloth on the ground or on a stone below the mountain gate. Set out a plate of vegetarian food, and prepare one serving each of tea and wine. Offer them for a short while. Then burn a bundle of white spirit money and cast into the flames a small written petition describing the prayer. It should say: ‘On this day, in this month and year, I have come into the mountains seeking the Dao of long life. I dare not settle here without permission, and therefore perform this rite and respectfully ask the mountain-lord spirit for protection.’ Only after doing this may one settle in the mountains, as though one now had someone to rely on and look after one.”

Chapter Five: Choosing a Cave with High, Mysterious Vital Energy

The Earth Sovereign Lord said: When ordinary people go to live in the mountains, even if they have chosen a blessed land, they must still select a suitable cave dwelling. In a blessed land, a cave on the mountain’s eastern side is a dwelling for immortals only if its entrance is more than fifty feet high but less than three zhang. An entrance lower than five feet belongs to a Yang-Smoke hermitage and is unsuitable for living. A cave higher than three zhang is a Cloud-Womb isle. Though it can be inhabited, its Yin energy is too strong and harms Yang energy, damaging a person’s soul and spirit.

If there is a stone chamber on the mountain’s southern side, with an entrance more than fifty feet high but less than three zhang, it too is called a cave dwelling. A stone chamber in the southeast is called the Radiant-Fire Cave Dwelling; one in the west is called the Soul Grotto; one in the north is called the Corporeal-Soul Cavern; and an entrance in the northeast is called Stone Poison. Living in a stone-city cave dwelling brings auspicious signs, and lingzhi mushrooms and elixir herbs will appear. Those who live in grottoes and caverns, however, will suffer interference from essence-demons and damage the vital energy generated by Heaven and Earth, distancing themselves from the foundations of immortal cultivation. Without the protection of a divine scripture, the misfortune will be severe.

When entering a mountain suitable for dwelling, if there is no cave dwelling but the trees in the southeast are lush, the stones moist, and the plants thriving, and the terrain resembles a certain written character while the watercourse winds three times, one may cut thatch to build a hermitage and cultivate the Root of Life, the basis of life as understood in cultivation. Such a place also counts as a blessed land of the immortals, and a heavenly official is sure to appear.

Chapter Six: The Seal of the Mountain and the Pure Land of Primordial Heaven

The Earth Sovereign Lord said: Now that you have already settled in an immortal’s dwelling, …

Lord Earth Sovereign said: Since you have already taken up residence in an Immortal Abode, you must seal off the mountain forest and purify the land, preventing evil spirits and uncanny beings from entering your domain. Take six boards of mountain peach wood, each seven inches long, three inches wide, and one inch thick. Leave the bark on one side of each board and plane the other side smooth. Dip a new brush in fragrant ink and write one Six-Ding talisman on each board. Then apply cinnabar to a seal. Holding the seal in your left hand, face the Gate of Heaven, recite the Earth Sovereign’s incantation three times, and breathe in three times, blowing onto the seal with each breath. Next, apply cinnabar to the seal again and stamp each of the Six-Ding talismans once. Set the peach-wood boards to guard the places known as the “Six Extinctions.” Evil spirits and uncanny beings will then vanish without a trace; tigers and leopards will hide themselves, birds will fall silent, and all kinds of creatures will cease to appear. By dwelling there for a long time, one may follow this Way and ascend to the Upper Realm.

Distinguishing Immortal Guests from Evil Gods (Chapter Seven)

The Sovereign Lord of Earth said: If one lives for a long time in a renowned celestial grotto or immortal abode, and one’s resolve to cultivate the Dao remains firm and pure as the years pass, immortal guests and divine officials will naturally descend. They may be recognized by this sign: at dawn or dusk, one suddenly sees rosy clouds moving through the sky and smells fragrance drifting into the valley. Auspicious light and color, together with a fragrant atmosphere, linger all around. This means that exalted perfected beings are traveling there.

If one offers prayers with reverence and devotion, reports one’s wish to the Sovereign Lord of Heaven, and seeks the way to liberation, the exalted perfected beings will take pity and compassion on one and naturally descend to offer instruction. If, while traveling among mountain rocks, beside streams, in forests, or on peaks, one suddenly sees clouds and light gathering around, with strange beasts and auspicious birds assembled nearby; or sees figures dressed in red and riding vermilion dragons, dressed in yellow and wearing jade ornaments, or six immortal maidens dressed in purple; or sees figures carrying tally-staves, banners, and canopies, these are all signs that immortals and divine beings are descending.

If black vapors and dark clouds suddenly appear in secluded valleys, forests, on mountain peaks, or in the sky, with indistinct figures inside wearing hats, headscarves, and garments, in groups of varying size and with forms mostly blurred, then evil spirits have gathered. For this reason, where immortals and divine beings are about to descend, fragrant winds often first pass through the valley, their scent entering the nostrils. Without this sign of fragrant wind, immortals and divine beings are not descending. Be cautious in such matters; do not try to summon them through visualization.

Chapter Eight: Identifying the Transformations of the Thirty-Six Kinds of Zhi Plants

The first category consists of nine kinds of zhi: Immortal-Foot Zhi, Cinnabar Zhi, Purple Zhi, Radiant Zhi, Cloud Zhi, Celestial Zhi, Terrestrial Zhi, Smoke Zhi, and Spirit Zhi. Each is marked with star-shaped speckles in a different color: purple, vermilion, yellow, blue-green, dark, black, green, and brown. Spirit Zhi bears red markings like winding threads. These nine kinds belong to the same category. They originally grew on famous mountains, formed from the condensation of spirit and the Qi of sacred stones over countless millennia. They vary in size, but all are pure white in appearance, like cold jade. At night, they shine in rocky ravines, casting their light toward the high sky. From a distance they look like stones; their surfaces are glossy and bright, and their kinds can be identified by their star-shaped speckles.

The second category consists of nine kinds of zhi: Green Jade Zhi, Numinous Zhi, Flame Zhi, Water Zhi, Qi Zhi, Jade Zhi, Treasure Zhi, Dragon Zhi, and Tiger Zhi. Each bears flowers of a different color: blue-green, black, purple, white, yellow, vermilion, pink, emerald, and green. These nine kinds also belong to the same category. They grow along the shores of seas, rivers, mountains, and streams, formed from the gathered essence of beautiful landscapes. Their leaves resemble those of fine hemp, and they grow three to five feet tall. They do not wither in winter or summer, and their leaves often appear to be veiled in faint clouds of Qi. Their kinds can be identified by the color of their flowers.

There are nine kinds of Qiongzhi: Qiongzhi takes the form of flowers; Zhuzhi resembles trees; Huazhi takes the form of birds and beasts; Jinzhi takes the form of people; Xuanzhi resembles clouds; Jinzhi resembles running beasts; Qingzhi has no fixed shape; Shizhi resembles water; and Fengzhi resembles towers. These nine kinds of zhi all arise from the transformation of the same fundamental nature. They mostly grow in grotto dwellings and stone chambers in rocky mountains, formed from the gathering of the root veins of cloud Qi and the tips of smoky Qi. Their size is impossible to estimate. They resemble stone stalactites and can take the forms of dragons and tigers, flying birds, people, and other figures, clinging to the rock walls. Their color is like vermilion flame; they shine day and night, their fragrance spreads on the wind, and they reveal all kinds of forms.

These twenty-seven varieties are all numinous zhi with jade-like flowers and golden stems, capable of enabling a person to become an immortal through bodily transformation. If one encounters them, gathers them, and consumes them, one can ascend into the clouds, transform a mortal’s bones into immortal bones and an immortal into a perfected person, transcend the ordinary world and enter the sacred realm, and fly bodily up through the nine heavens. Thus, when the ancient immortals said, “Swallow lingzhi, and ascend to heaven in broad daylight,” they were referring to this kind of zhi.

Yunjingzhi resembles clouds; Huangzhi resembles a dog; Yingzhi resembles a pavilion; Ruizhi resembles a mandarin duck; Xiuzhi resembles a crane; Huazhi resembles flowers and fruit; Muzhi resembles a wood moth; Caozhi resembles a tiger; and Shangzhi resembles a person. These nine kinds of zhi also arise from the transformation of the same fundamental nature, and their forms are impossible to predict. They mostly grow on dead trees and rotting stumps, in palace courtyards, and on buildings beside the water. Gathering and consuming them can prolong life and also provide some nourishment.

Identifying the Forms of the Thirty-Six Immortal Medicines, Part Nine

One is called cinnabar essence, and its body is red; one is called copper sulfate essence, and is blue-green; one is called gypsum essence, and is white; one is called realgar essence, and is red; one is called sulfur essence, and is yellow; one is called azurite essence, and is pale red; one is called alum essence, and is green; one is called mica essence, and is black; and one is called stone-sand essence, and is purple. The essences of these nine immortal medicines all arise through the transformation of metals and stones. They look like huge demons, with red hair and red eyebrows, and often appear. Each, however, has a different body color, by which it can be identified.

One is called black-stone essence and has sixteen legs; one is called Yu-yu essence and has twenty-four legs; one is called well-spring-stone essence and has twelve legs; one is called wash-earth essence and has ten legs; one is called orpiment essence and has no legs, but has fleshy wings and flies skillfully; one is called talc essence and has eight legs; one is called actinolite essence and has six legs; one is called stone-fat essence and has four legs; and one is called mercury essence and has two legs. The essences of these nine stones also arise through the transformation of metals and stones. They look like scorpions, and their size is impossible to measure. Their color is like white lian silk—white, scoured silk. They can be identified by whether they have legs and by the number of their legs.

One group consists of nine spirits of immortal herbs formed from transformed plants and trees. The ginseng spirit looks like a child dressed in white and holding a flower. The poria spirit looks like a child holding a branch of pine or cypress. The goji spirit looks like a small dog and cries out at night in mountain valleys. The rhubarb spirit looks like a woman holding clothes, with her body exposed. The amber spirit looks like a tiger and can fly through the air. The spirit of an old kudzu vine, ten thousand years in age, looks like a dragon without scales and usually hides in rocky caves. The spirit of an old vine looks like a lump of flesh; when cut open, it resembles ointment. The sealwort spirit looks like a child holding a sealwort shoot. The atractylodes spirit looks like a child holding an atractylodes shoot. It often roams among high peaks and ridges and appears at night. These spirits are commonly found on famous mountains and can be identified by their form, color, and appearance.

Another group also consists of nine spirits of immortal herbs, said to have formed from zhi plants, a kind of medicinal herb that includes lingzhi. The gastrodia spirit is blood-red, the polygala spirit white, the rehmannia spirit yellow, the achyranthes spirit earth-colored, the monkshood spirit black, the white-tree spirit purple, the tu-rong spirit green, the pine-moss spirit blue-green, and the licorice spirit brown. They are often found on famous mountains. They resemble large spiders, with red eyes, no mouths, and four legs. The zhi plants they transform into can be identified by their colors.

The names of these thirty-six immortal medicines are used to identify the forms they take after transformation. Take a sheet of white paper and write the name of a particular essence herb on it. Face the Gate of Heaven, hold the Earth Sovereign’s seal (the ritual seal used by the Earth Sovereign) toward the paper, and recite the Earth Sovereign’s incantation three times while holding the seal. Draw breath in three times and blow onto the seal. Then apply cinnabar to it and stamp the name written on the paper. The fungus corresponding to the name will then appear, whether near or far. Stamp it once more, and the medicinal herb will reveal its original form. After taking it, one can shed the mortal body, summon wind and clouds beneath one’s feet, and attain long life without death.

The Earth Sovereign’s Methods for Taking Immortal Medicines, Ascending to Immortality, and Attaining the Dao, Chapter Ten

Take sixteen jin of the herb zhu (a medicinal plant) that grows toward the south. Wash it clean and soak it in water. Peel three jin of white poria and remove the cores from three jin of asparagus root. Place all three ingredients in a mortar and pound them 3,500 times, until they form a paste like mud. Put them together in an earthenware pot, add one shi of water (an ancient unit of capacity), and simmer over a low fire until only three dou remain. Strain out the dregs, then boil the liquid down to a paste as thick as honey and seal it in an earthenware jar.

Each day, take half a liang on an empty stomach, dissolved in good wine. While taking it, avoid meat, mallow, sour foods, and salty foods, and also abstain from sexual intercourse. After one hundred days, chronic illnesses will be gone, along with all other ailments. After one year, the five organs will be nourished and the body will become bright and lustrous. One will naturally stop eating the five grains; the mind and spirit will be clear and refreshed, untouched by cold or heat, and the complexion will be radiant. After three years, a jade-like radiance will appear on the body, and a round halo will form at the nape of the neck. Take it for a long time, and one can transcend birth and death, ride the clouds beyond the world, and become an immortal called a “Spirit-Walking Immortal”—one who is resolved to gather the fungus and thereby attain the Dao.

The Scripture of the Jade Florescence of the Golden Palace of Great Clarity, the Divine Chapters of the Eight Extremes, and the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Secrets

Lower Scroll

When the Dao reaches the state of “nothingness,” Heaven and Earth arise from it. Though Heaven ceaselessly moves and changes, the Northern Dipper Pole Star remains steady and unmoving, and the void is not diminished. Though Earth rests in stillness, rivers continue to flow eastward and clouds continue to rise. Heaven and Earth endure for a long time—why, then, must people die?

It is because people do not understand the patterns governing Heaven and Earth’s movement. They lose the divine principles that sustain body and mind, cling to affection as though it were love, and regard worldly desires as things to draw close to and rely on. Often, before reaching middle age, they meet with calamity and shorten their lives. Therefore, this text now reveals the foundation of the Great Void—the state of nothingness before Heaven and Earth came into being—and explains the source of Heaven and Earth and methods for cultivating the divine. Its purpose is to save living beings and keep people from losing the foundations of cultivating the Dao. Those who encounter this book, and whose merit and resolve move the divine, can ascend to Heaven in broad daylight; those who refine Qi through the Dao can attain long life in this world. This text contains sublime and profound inner secrets, revealing the hidden mysteries of Heaven. It should be treasured in a jade casket. Carelessly transmitting or disclosing it, or treating it with disrespect, will bring disaster upon one’s nine generations of ancestors. It must be kept secret.

Chapter One: Restrain Evil and Promote Good

The essence of Yang Qi is called the Hun and Shen; the essence of Yin Qi is called the Po and the Corpse—the force that governs the body and its Yin life functions. When Shen prevails, a person inclines toward goodness; when Po prevails, a person inclines toward evil. Restraining evil thoughts and cultivating good deeds brings stability to body and mind. Forgetting good deeds and giving in to evil thoughts brings disorder to body and mind. If stability endures, the Corpse and Po perish; if disorder endures, Shen departs and Hun scatters. Thus, when the Corpse is destroyed and Po perishes, Shen unites with the body and, following the Qi of the Sun, becomes an immortal. When Shen departs and Hun scatters, the Corpse and Po sink into ruin and, following the Qi of the Moon, become ghosts. These are all natural principles.

Chapter Two: Uphold the Right and Forget the False

In cultivating the Dao, people should uphold the right path and forget false thoughts. The right path is like the sun…

Those who cultivate the Dao should establish the right way and remove deluded thoughts. If the right way is not established, all kinds of disorder arise and damage the spirit. If deluded thoughts are not removed, they bring various harmful consequences that turn back upon oneself. Thus, establishing the right way brings one ever closer to the Immortal Way, while following deluded thoughts brings one ever closer to the way of ghosts. To remain unable to forget sensual desires or cut off scattered thoughts, unwilling to restrain one’s cravings or clear the heart, and instead to covet pleasure, sink into desire and romantic attachment, and let the mind run unchecked—this is the deviant path.

On Recognizing Confusion and Disorder, Chapter Three

If you cannot recognize the worthy, choose your friends with care, or distinguish the methods you practice, how can you avoid confusion? If you do not understand the transformations and union of Yin and Yang, do not discern the principles by which Yin and Yang combine, and practice without restraint, suppressing your nature and depleting your spirit, how can you avoid harm? If you do not understand the mysterious principles and cling only to narrow techniques, how can you avoid illness? If your efforts lead only to death, how can you avoid going astray?

On Preserving the Body, Chapter Four

Nurturing the body is the foremost practice in preserving life and the foundation for cultivating the Great Dao. Withdraw to a quiet place, forget the temptations of sound and sight, and dwell in nature’s calm and balance with a simple, tranquil heart. Yet you must also distinguish what benefits you from what harms you, understand the prohibitions, discern the inner from the outer, and know how things overcome and generate one another through change. Let the vital essence and fluids gather in the Jade Pool—the place in the mouth where saliva collects—and preserve the sweet dew of the Purple Palace, where the spirit and Qi reside within the body. As Jing and Qi accumulate, primordial Qi arises naturally. When primordial Qi is abundant, numinous Qi flourishes, and the original spirit gathers of itself. As the original spirit grows strong and comes together, the Five Qi naturally circulate. Once the Five Qi are in motion, one gradually penetrates the mystery and draws near the realm of ultimate truth.

On Refining Spirit and Qi, Chapter Five

The spirit water—the vital essence and fluids spoken of in internal refinement—and the River Cart, the method for conveying Jing and Qi through the body, become clear and pure. The measure of cinnabar, a term for the elixir or vital essence in cultivation, is refined through repeated cycles and renewed continually. The trigrams unfold, revealing the image of Li, and drops of Jade Liquid fall one by one. Green Qi mingles with faint, misty vapors; the deeper one goes, the more profound it becomes. Bring Kan and Li, Water and Fire, into union, so that the Dragon and Tiger, symbols of Yin and Yang Qi, meet. After the hour of Zi and before the hour of Wu, let them each make one circuit, rising and descending in turn. Then begin at the Primordial Head, the head, and advance section by section; as you proceed, correspond to the hours of Mao and You. Guide the vital essence through Kunlun, the head, past the Jade Cream, then into the Flower Pool, where saliva gathers in the mouth, and divide it into three paths. Make it flow upward in reverse, exchanging and renewing Jing and Qi, continuing the pure Yang Qi, and circulating through the whole body and its organs. When the timed measures of the Eight Directions and Three Lines are complete, spirit and Qi unite, and the body can endure forever, imperishable.

The secret formula says: Refine each drop of essence, like sweet dew, until it is clear as water. Use it to refine and nourish the original Qi, replenishing the weakened marrow. When the righteous Qi of all eight trigrams rises together and breaks through the body’s two gates, one can transform one’s appearance.

Chapter Six: The Birth of the Sacred Embryo

Emerald green, clear and lustrous, rich and vivid: a bright pearl untouched by dust. When all the dust has been swept away, the original true nature appears. This original reality has no distinction of size; it transforms with spiritual power and becomes an infant. Essence envelops blood, and blood in turn envelops essence. When essence and blood merge, muscles and bones take shape. Once the muscles and bones have formed, the emerald, richly lustrous scene appears again, and the bright pearl remains untouched by dust. When the dust is gone, the original reality appears. It has no distinction of size; it transforms with spiritual power and becomes an infant. Essence and blood envelop and merge with each other, and from this the muscles and bones take shape.

As the muscles and bones take shape, Heaven and Earth also divide. Once Heaven and Earth have separated, the spleen corresponds to intention, and intention returns to the spleen; the Hun returns to the liver. The heart and kidneys harmonize, and the Po returns to the lungs. When the five organs are settled, Shen and Qi are complete. Then the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—divide into six positions. The Essence Palace, where essence and Qi are stored, is the gateway through which they gather and are received. The six pitch standards are assigned to the positions of the lines, establishing the five tones. When the five tones are complete, the yang number is full. The circuit of Heaven completes half its course, refining the Qi that moves along winding paths. Shen and Qi become distinct, the body settles, and the mind becomes focused; one then continues to refine and nourish the righteous Qi. As the righteous Qi rises, Shen naturally becomes unobstructed. What is being refined gains spiritual power, and after ten months of practice, the Sacred Embryo takes shape.

When the ten months’ work is complete and the Sacred Embryo has formed, it can enter and leave without hindrance, roam freely, traverse the four quarters of Heaven and Earth, and ascend to the Palace of Peng, an abode of the immortals, where it will not decay for a million years.

The secret formula says: When the yang number is full, one must nurture and refine the Sacred Embryo. Essence and Qi envelop the newly born spirit, and its hands and feet gradually unfold. Refine repeatedly from nine to nine, until the number nine reaches its perfection; then one can transform a single body into many forms.

Chapter Seven: Transcending to Immortality

The source of the Dao is one, but its workings can be understood on three levels. At the highest, it appears in the rising and descending movement of the two Qi, Yin and Yang, between Heaven and Earth. The two energies flow without end, circling and returning; their comings and goings never lose their order.

Grasp this principle, and you can roam freely among the lofty clouds. The Sun and Moon move back and forth, while the Yin-Yang numbers represented by “two, eight, nine, and six” work together. Their essences mingle, the Hun and Po souls unite, and their movement never exceeds its proper measure.

Rise higher still, and you will move to the Southern Palace, one of the abodes of Daoist immortals. Below it, the Qi of the Five Phases passes and circulates, receiving and following the movement of Qi to generate the trigrams, their lines, and the myriad forms. Nothing departs from principle. Continue to understand and advance, and you can ascend to the Three Isles, legendary mountains of the immortals, reaching a state without beginning or end.

The Sovereign of Humanity said: Those who cultivate the Dao and wish to gather Shen and Qi, refine the body, and strengthen the power of life cannot do without this “Chapter on the Spirit.” Practitioners may dwell in mountain caves, hermitages among the trees, or a quiet room. They should burn incense and offer flowers, making the surroundings pure and peaceful. Then they should choose an auspicious day and bow toward the eight directions: east, west, south, north, and the four corners. After completing the bows, they should set up a Dantian furnace to refine Qi; with Qi, they nourish Jing, with Jing, they settle Shen, and ultimately bring life forth.

By practicing this way for a long time and advancing without cease, one can undergo wondrous transformations and become a perfected being. “Nine turns, five returns, three reversions, and eight transformations” refers to the many cycles of change, return, and transformation in cultivation. When cultivation is complete, one’s appearance can rival that of Heaven. Returning to a state of simplicity, the weak grow strong, the old regain their vigor, adults become youthful again, and children seem to return to the purity of infancy. A common person cultivates into a sage; the sage becomes an immortal, the immortal advances to become a perfected being, and the perfected being enters the wondrous realm. At last, that realm merges with Shen, and Shen joins with the realm of emptiness. The Qi of emptiness is the beginning of the original Dao.

From this we can understand that the Dao is within oneself. Once perfected, one may fly beyond the Four Seas or enter the Imperial Abode, the dwelling place of the Celestial Emperor. One may attend court at the Golden Palace in Heaven, pay respects to the exalted perfected immortals, and have one’s name entered among the Nine Primordials, with rank corresponding to the stars. One may dwell above the Nine Heavens or in the Hall of the Eight Extremities; go with the immortals to the Court of Mystery; accompany the exalted perfected on excursions through the Great Luo Heaven; or travel among famous mountains and great rivers. One may attend an assembly in the Southern Palace, receive a heavenly command to review the registers of humans and spirits, or descend to inspect the offenses and blessings recorded in Zhaijiao purification rituals, overseeing famous mountains and great rivers and administering the registers of life and death.

One may also ride with the immortals in phoenix carriages, traveling north to the Purple Garden and crossing south over the Golden Spring, where guests gather to pick herbs, flowers, and fruits; travel west to Turtle Mountain and pay court to the Queen Mother in her Golden Hall; or journey far east to Fusang and drink red wine in the Jade Garden. These are the supreme, Wuwei realms of free and untroubled immortal life.

Where, then, do the immortals come from? First, one must gather in the six senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought—and cut off the disturbances of the six sensory fields: forms, sounds, scents, flavors, sensations, and mental objects. One sees things without being enchanted by them and hears sounds without being led astray. One remains peaceful and detached, keeping the heart clear and still, subtle and open. One nurtures original Qi, allowing one’s inborn true nature to transform, and ultimately achieves this through the highest art of refining Qi with Shen. Perfected immortals do not come from worldly desires, greed, or attachment to loved ones.

A talisman is an archaic script in the form of a dragon, revealing the true shape of things. It undergoes six transformations and is formed through Qi refined by the utmost spirit. It cannot be obtained through worldly desires, greed, or affection.

A seal is the righteous Qi within the Great Void. The profound intent of the Heavenly Dao, the workings and transformations of Heaven’s secrets, and the key to the circulation of the utmost truth are all contained in this seal. It is an important method for commanding spirits and ghosts and subduing evil forces. By means of the seal, one can conceal one’s shape and shadow, hide one’s breath, and gather in one’s spirit. The body then changes along with the transformations of Yin-Yang, so that neither people nor ghosts can see its form.

Diagram of the Human Sovereign’s Seal: three inches long and three inches wide.

True-form talismanic script of the Human Sovereign: three inches long and three inches wide.

The nine Qi rise aloft, and the jade incantation rises with them. The Exalted and Sublime Marvelous Prison, the Supreme Lords of the Ten Extremities, the Divine Lord of the Great Void, the Great Lords of the Eight Heavens, the Wood Elder and Metal Mother, and the Supreme Mysterious Perfected each send down their true Qi to drive away evil. The Red Emperor of the South arrives riding a fire dragon; the White Emperor of the West cuts away baleful influences; the Black Emperor of the North reveals a radiance like rosy clouds; and the Green Emperor of the East gives voice like a bird’s cry. The gods of the Nine Heavens, the Celestial Wardens of the Ghost Gate, the Jade Maidens who directly hold the talismans, the Grand Year, the officials and troops of the Five Sacred Mountains, the Celestial Officials of the Directorate, the Eight-Eyed Divine Youths, the Dipper’s head and stars, the Four-Eyed Old Xi, the Great Demon-Swallower, the Forty Robust Ones, and the Six Ding and Six Jia all enter my seal. Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands, seize and take them.

It is said that this incantation enables one to know life and death. It then calls upon the Dipper’s head and stars, the Four-Eyed Old Xi, the Great Demon-Swallower, the Forty Robust Ones, and the Six Ding and Six Jia to enter the seal, concluding with “Swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands” as a summons.

Method of Presenting the Five False Plain Petitions for Knowing Life and Death, Chapter Ten

The method for knowing death: join the palms and extend only the fourth finger. When it is extended, Yama will surely know.

The instructions say to perform this once on the seventh, seventeenth, and twenty-seventh of each month, for a total of three times a month. Each time, it is used to examine the signs of life and death over the next ten days. Burn incense and face east. Just as the sun rises, recite the “Human Sovereign Incantation” (a spell invoking the Human Sovereign) once toward the east. Then draw in three breaths of the sun’s Qi and swallow them into the abdomen. Still facing east, sit upright, join the hands in the “Heavenly Origin and Earthly Essentials” gesture (a specific hand gesture described in the scripture), and extend the fourth finger.

If the fourth finger cannot be extended, this is said to mean that all the spirits remain present, a sign that death has not yet come. If it suddenly extends, this is said to mean that neither humans nor spirits can offer help: the spirit Qi has left the body, a sign of death. To determine the day of death, calculate from the day the sign is discovered according to the Five Phases: if it belongs to Metal, death comes on the third day; Wood, the fourth; Water, the fifth; Earth, the seventh; Fire, the ninth. The scripture says that ghost messengers will come to seize the person. Once the date of death is known, one then uses the “Five Borrowed-Life Methods” (five ways of borrowing a false life to evade calamity) to respond.

The “Five Borrowed-Life Methods” are said to enable one to avoid calamities from Heaven above and escape the misfortunes of a declining cycle below. For example, when faced with the calamity of a flood sent down from Heaven, with floodwaters pouring down from above and surging up from below, and river and sea levels rising sharply…

The “Five Illusory Methods” refers to five magical arts used to evade natural disasters and misfortune. When floods strike, the waters surge down from above, rivers and seas overflow, currents sweep across the land, mountains are submerged, and heaven and earth become a vast expanse of water, leaving nowhere in the world to take refuge. Those who cultivate this method can enter the water without being harmed by it.

When wind and fire bring calamity upon heaven and earth, flames sweep across sky and land, reducing all things to ashes. Those who cultivate this method can enter a realm of peace and stillness, undisturbed by the disaster. When wars break out and nations swallow one another’s territories, corpses pile up like mountains and blood runs like a sea. This method can make ordinary people invisible, allowing them to roam freely among the clouds without hindrance.

When one faces the peril of the “Three Limits,” the misfortune of an empty fate, or the convergence of major and minor cycles of fortune, with one’s fetal endowment clashing against one’s fortune and one’s allotted years nearing their end, this method can prevent changes in fate from taking effect. The Qi of Yin and Yang cannot harm such a person, and ghosts and spirits cannot detect them. It is said that those who practice it can live to the age of one hundred and twenty and attain longevity.

Wei Furen of Mount Heng, a legendary Daoist immortal woman, continued: “Ordinary people and those who have not studied the Dao deeply may set their hearts on the Way and rush into famous mountains, yet fail to recognize lingzhi fungus and have no way to deal with tigers or leopards. How is this different from walking into a place of certain death? Many who originally sought longevity instead meet with an accident and die young. I took pity on them and once petitioned the Supreme Emperor. I was granted this scripture, which uses the Five Talismans and True Registers, Daoist arts of talismans and registers, to destroy evil forces and slay demons, subdue tigers and wolves, make the demon hordes hide and the hundred ghosts flee, and enable all who cultivate the truth to understand the Dao of Wuwei (non-action).

In this way, the mountain forests become peaceful and still; lingzhi and immortal herbs appear; the Qi of gold and jade diffuses, and the pure vitality of the mountains and rivers rises like vapor. Those who cultivate the Dao can gather and eat lingzhi, dress in coarse cloth, dwell in the mountains to cultivate the truth, experience the Great Dao, and let Jing and Qi nourish body and mind. Would this not be a life of peace?”

The Wufu Zhenwen discusses how to choose a place to live in the mountains. Mountains differ in quality, and the Qi within them may be either vital or stagnant. Anyone wishing to live in the mountains and cultivate must first choose a suitable place. If the clear and refined Qi of the mountains can nourish body and mind, then living in seclusion to realize the Dao and cultivate the true, as the ancient hermits did—gathering and eating sacred herbs and wearing coarse cloth, with abundant Jing and Qi and a peaceful spirit—would surely be a fine life.

When a great mountain has a well-formed landscape, it is especially auspicious to have smaller mountains nearby as companions. When a small mountain has a well-formed landscape, it is especially auspicious to have a great mountain nearby. A stone mountain paired with earthen hills around it, or an earthen mountain paired with stone hills around it, is also considered a favorable arrangement. Whatever their size or composition, the surrounding mountains bring greater good fortune when they face toward the mountain where one lives. After choosing such a mountain and settling where vital Qi and the Five Blessings gather, one may withdraw to a cavern dwelling, shelter in a rocky crag, or build a thatched hut, keeping company with cranes and deer. By living there for a long time and following methods for nourishing body and mind, one may hope to prolong life and even attain immortality. Why? The scripture holds that such places are rich in Yang essence, with the mountains’ beautiful, numinous Qi rising and gathering there.

How can one distinguish among names for mountain dwellings, such as caverns and rocky shelters? A place facing east is called a “cavern”; one facing south, a “mansion”; one facing southeast, a “crag”; one facing southwest, a “cave”; one facing north, a “grotto”; and one facing northeast, a “pit.” The scripture holds that those who live in caverns, mansions, crags, or caves may receive the protection of perfected beings and transcendent immortals—Daoist adepts who have completed their cultivation—as well as enlightened scholars and recluses, and thereby understand the subtle Dao. Those who live in grottoes or pits, however, may suffer disturbances from venomous insects, fierce beasts, mountain spirits, and ancient demons, because such places are considered contrary to the normal Qi of Heaven and Earth.

When identifying lingzhi, the names include Cinnabar Lingzhi, Green Lingzhi, Fleshy Lingzhi, Purple Lingzhi, Golden Lingzhi, Immortal Lingzhi, Grass Lingzhi, Orchid Lingzhi, Jade Lingzhi, Fruit Lingzhi, Crimson Lingzhi, Lingzhi that sways of its own accord without wind, Lingzhi that shines with a divine light at night, illuminating its surroundings, Lingzhi imbued with the fragrance of the Great Unformed, Lingzhi that grows in places with Grotto-Heavens and gives forth the call of a crane, as well as Lingzhi, Jade-Grain Lingzhi, Cloud-Dew Pure Lingzhi, Green Langgan and White Ganoderma, Five-Brightness Nine-Radiance Lingzhi, Yang-Essence Plain-Medicinal Lingzhi, Great Unity Eight-Winds Lingzhi, Brocade-Pattern Purple-Stem Lingzhi, Light-Containing Emerald-Wrapped Lingzhi, and Green-Cinnabar Plain-Blossom Lingzhi.

These herbs are broadly divided into twenty-four kinds. It is said that taking any one of them after finding it can grant a lifespan of a thousand years.

The True Forms of the Five Talismans

The East belongs to the Wood virtue, is governed by the Lord of the Year Star, and corresponds to the Azure Emperor Talisman.

The South belongs to the Fire virtue, is governed by the Lord of the Planet Mars, and corresponds to the Red Emperor Talisman.

The West belongs to the Metal virtue, is governed by the Lord of the Planet Venus, and corresponds to the White Emperor Talisman.

The North belongs to the Water virtue, is governed by the Lord of the Planet Mercury, and corresponds to the Black Emperor Talisman.

The Center belongs to the Earth virtue, is governed by the True Lord of the Planet Saturn, and corresponds to the Yellow Emperor Talisman.

Divine Incantations of the Five Talismans

When reciting the Azure Emperor’s incantation, say: “Fire-Commanding Youth, the Celestial Emperor commands: swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the law!”

When reciting the Red Emperor’s incantation, say: “Kiss the Emperor’s stars and Dipper; the Great Beginning commands: swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the law!”

When reciting the White Emperor’s incantation, say: “Four white-clad spirits, the Great Void commands: swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the law!”

When reciting the Black Emperor’s incantation, say: “The Five Stars guard the Dipper; the Five Emperors command: swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the law!”

When reciting the Yellow Emperor’s incantation, say: “Dragon Radiance, Celestial Peng; Black Killing commands: swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the law!”

Here, the “Five Talismans” are Fulu corresponding respectively to the five directions, the Five Phases, and the Five Emperors. “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the law,” a common closing phrase in Daoist incantations, means that an order is to be carried out without delay.

Discerning the Orthodox from the Deviant: Whenever you stay in a hermitage, in the mountains, or in a cave, you must discern whether the things you encounter are orthodox or deviant. The relevant methods are all recorded in the hermitage; some people have used them to ascend and become immortals. When gathering zhi fungus, choose a time in the third lunar month, when plants sprout in the mountains and the lingzhi appears. After empowering it with the Five-Talisman method, pick it, and you will naturally be able to find it. Each day, write the phoenix chapters and dragon scripts according to the method for that day, then go searching; you may find it. Where lingzhi grows, there are always strange signs: during the day, clouds of five colors gather; at night, rosy radiance surrounds the place; or there may be a serpentine phenomenon, hundreds or thousands of feet long, rising and falling.

This talisman is used in games of chance, and is said to ensure victory. Write it on paper of any size, following the method given above. Place it beneath your feet: men should put it on the left, women on the right. Its efficacy is said to be striking.

This talisman was used by the Supreme Lord Laozi when entering the mountains. It should be written in cinnabar on white paper.

This talisman is used in games of chance, and is said to ensure victory. The paper may be any size; write it according to the method given above and place it beneath your feet. Men should put it on the left, women on the right. Its efficacy is said to be striking.

This talisman was used by the Supreme Lord Laozi when entering the mountains. Write it in cinnabar on white paper. Written horizontally, it is said to protect the bearer from calamity while traveling throughout the world.

If a perfected person wears this talisman for a year, then enters the mountains, mountain spirits will not dare approach, and the ghosts of the dead will be unable to disturb them.

Wooden Substitute for the Body Talisman: On a Jia or Yi day, write the talisman in cinnabar on paper, burn it to ash, and swallow it. Then face due east and use your hands to assume the appearance of a corpse. Rise after one day; leave your headscarf and hat behind, and use bamboo in your place. Once others have gone far away and reached another place, do not look back or yearn for where you came from.

Diagram of the Five Substitutes for Transforming the Body

Metal Substitute Method for Disappearing the Body Talisman

Lord Human Sovereign said: Those with a Metal destiny should follow the diagram and swallow the invisibility talisman. Put on your clothes and return, then wear the invisibility cap. After performing the astral-paced steps three times, they are said to be able to escape death.

Wood Substitute Method for Disappearing the Body Talisman

Lord Human Sovereign said: Those with a Wood destiny who swallow the talisman will be able to reach the terrestrial deities and conceal themselves within the workings of creation. The ghosts and spirits will naturally be unable to see their form.

Water Substitute Method for Disappearing the Body Talisman

Lord Human Sovereign said: Those with a Water destiny who swallow this talisman and follow the astral-paced steps into the corresponding direction will conceal themselves within the workings of creation. The ghosts and spirits will naturally be unable to see their form.

Fire Substitute Method for Disappearing the Body Talisman

Lord Human Sovereign said: Those with a Fire destiny who swallow this talisman and follow the astral-paced steps into the corresponding direction will conceal themselves within the workings of creation. The ghosts and spirits will naturally be unable to see their form.

Earth Substitute Method for Disappearing the Body Talisman

The Human Sovereign Lord says: Those whose destiny belongs to Earth practice the method according to the “form-concealing talisman” (a talisman used to hide one’s traces).

The Human Sovereign Lord says: Those whose destiny belongs to Fire swallow this talisman and enter the hidden transformations of the directional deities by performing the “pace of the Dipper” (a Daoist ritual walk using prescribed steps). Spirits and ghosts will then naturally be unable to see their forms.

Earth Method: Talisman for Vanishing from Sight

The Human Sovereign Lord says: Those whose destiny belongs to Earth walk the pace of the Dipper, swallow this talisman, and enter the hidden transformations of the directional deities. Spirits and ghosts will then naturally be unable to see their forms.

Taiping Golden Tower Jade Radiance Immortal Book: Divine Chapters of the Eight Extremities and Secret Texts Within the Three Sovereigns, juan 2