《太清中黄真经》

The Taiqing Zhonghuang Zhenjing, also known as the Taizang Lun, is said to have been compiled by Huang Zhenren, the Lord of the Nine Immortals. Huang Zhenren observed the primordial Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth, seeing how it surged and condensed to form tangible things. The human body is nourished by the five viscera, which correspond to one another according to the patterns of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); the seven orifices symbolize the sun, the moon, and the five planets, manifesting their distinct functions. Consciousness arises within the body, and the Shen (spirit) circulates throughout. When the hun and po souls are at peace and the Shen is abundant, a human being is born. Form and Shen depend on each other and together bring about completion. If the mouth and tongue greedily savor external flavors, one loses the original mind; if the body is driven by inner desires, Jing (essence) and Qi are depleted. When Shen departs from the form, the form declines; when the form loses Shen, life is lost.

People often fail to realize that the skin and flesh are interconnected with the viscera, from which the sinews and bones take shape: the liver unites with the sinews and corresponds externally to the nails; the heart unites with the vessels and corresponds externally to the complexion; the spleen unites with the flesh and corresponds externally to the lips; the lungs unite with the skin and correspond externally to the body hair; the kidneys unite with the bones and correspond externally to the hair of the head. Different flavors likewise harm different parts of the body: saltiness injures the sinews, bitterness injures the bones, sweetness injures the flesh, pungency injures the Qi, and sourness injures the blood. Therefore the sages teach that one must first eliminate desires in order to nourish Jing and Qi, then regulate diet in order to preserve life. From this it is clear that the practitioner who takes embryonic Qi as food and the numinous origin as drink follows the path of seeking longevity and returning from old age to youth. This is precisely what the sages hold in high regard.

If a person concentrates wholeheartedly on cultivation, they can progress from readily accessible principles to the profound Dao (the Way). As long as the intention is present, one will also find that the heavenly Dao is not distant or unattainable. To study yet fail to achieve is folly; to neither study nor seek knowledge is benightedness. Yet if the “three worms” (the insect-spirits of Daoism that damage the body and obstruct cultivation) have not been eliminated, even practicing this path remains like walking through a field of thorns. Once the three worms have perished, one may reach the land of Huaxu, the legendary ideal realm of the immortals.

This Jing (scripture/classic) illuminates the road of cultivating immortality and sets forth in detail the methods of the embryonic immortal (the adept who cultivates through embryonic breathing), enabling the reader to understand the roots of sagely practice and to discern the exalted ranks of the immortal officials. Visions of the immortal realm such as rosy cloud robes and feathered garments, jade palaces and heavenly kitchens, serve to reveal the goal of cultivation for those who aspire to the Dao. The text only slightly discloses heavenly secrets and is not to be casually revealed to others. Rashly transmitting these matters to unsuitable persons will invite calamity. One must carefully safeguard the secret methods of the sagely gate in order to ascend the immortal path; they must not be given to the superficially learned nor shown at random. Treating this Dao with contempt injures the Shen; speaking of it lightly shortens one’s years. Unless one is a person of genuine aspiration, the teaching must not be discussed in public.

The complete Jing comprises eighteen chapters collected in a single volume entitled Taizang Zhonghuang Jing. The sections interlock, the phrasing continues from one passage to the next; the purport is devoted solely to attaining the Dao, the language fully expounds the arts of nourishing life, the style is lucid, and the content is complete and practical. The principles of ingesting primordial Qi and the methods of cultivation that return one to the heavenly Dao are all recorded herein. The chapters are now transcribed below.

Internally nourishing the physical form and Shen (spirit) requires eliminating all addictions and desires. What is called “internally nourishing form and Shen” means cultivating a true form that does not cling to external appearances. The Most High said: “The true Dao (the Way) nourishes the Shen, while the false Dao only nourishes the physical form.” Gather the primordial Shen of the spiritual valley (the inner consciousness) into the Heavenly Valley (Tiangu, an acupoint in the body for storing and nourishing the spirit) and strictly guard the root of life; this is nourishing the Shen. The Dadong Jing states that the human body has thirty-nine passes, and the Tiangu point is the first. The Most High said: “If one can guard the pass of dead Qi (vital energy) where I reside (the aperture for storing and nourishing primordial Qi), even the withered bones of seven generations of ancestors can obtain vitality.” Therefore internal nourishment of form and Shen must begin by removing addictions and desires. The Dongyuan Jing says that the way of cultivation first requires discarding addictions and desires so that one unites inwardly with the five Shen; next one must abstain from grain foods so that the mind remains unmoved and the six fu organs shine as brightly as lamps. By constantly practicing this path, form and Shen naturally become settled.

Concentrating on the practice of stillness and concentration allows the body to become as pure and solid as jade.

When the Shen comes into contact with external things, the inner mind should be as empty and luminous as the Great Void; by calmly guarding the foundation of life one naturally enters stillness and concentration. The human mind generates myriad thoughts and moves in accordance with external things. One should always remain in quiet solitude, not mixing with the crowds; internally leave no thoughts, and externally do not greedily pursue desires. By consistently practicing in this way, primordial Qi naturally becomes abundant.

Consume only primordial Qi and do not eat the five grains.

People commonly regard the five grains and miscellaneous cereals as food that maintains the body, yet they do not know that eating too much can also damage the body. Practitioners should choose the three months of spring and, in a cool and quiet room, arrange a table along with thick and warm mats for sitting and lying, keeping famous incense constantly burning upon the table.

At midnight, when Yin Qi (vital energy) first arises, one should settle the mind and spirit (Shen), knock the teeth thirty-six times, clench both fists tightly, face upward and close the eyes. Wait until the breath naturally exhales, then close the mouth, puff out both cheeks, and swallow the Qi according to the method. When the Qi enters the abdomen, one should feel a sound within; take a sensation of fullness as the measure, and if still hungry, swallow again. Practice with calm composure and without fear.

After swallowing Qi, if the mouth feels dry, one may take a few sips of sesame decoction. Sesame decoction nourishes the body and moistens the abdomen. Prepare it by taking three large sheng of superior jusheng (sesame), removing the husks, and steaming and sun-drying it nine times; then take three liang of superior poria and grind it into fine powder. First boil the sesame powder in a pot several times, add the poria powder and boil several more times, and finally add a little ghee and honey. Drink one or two cups when thirsty; this quenches thirst and also lessens the urge to eat. One may also drink goji berry decoction, one or two cups each time, which helps the swallowed Qi circulate smoothly. As long as the abdomen remains peaceful and harmonious, the Qi will naturally be swallowed smoothly.

The scripture continues that as practice deepens, one no longer needs various soups and waters and thereby comes to grasp the wonders involved. Once the swallowed Qi fills the abdomen, stagnant accumulations in the intestines are completely expelled; the scripture describes the sensation of Qi moving in the abdomen as “Qi like soup water reaching directly below the navel.” Those beginning to swallow Qi need not be surprised if their urine turns yellow-red, nor fear restlessness in the chest. With the mind and spirit settled and unmoved, one gradually comprehends the underlying principles.

The scripture holds that if one continues drinking soups and waters, even after the stagnant accumulations in the intestines and abdomen are fully expelled, one will never thoroughly understand the distinctions. To cut off soups, waters, and grains, one must observe and persist on one’s own without a fixed time limit: some last one month or fifty days, others one hundred days. After cutting off soups, waters, and grains, the three Dantian (energy centers)—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, referring to the three gathering places of Qi within the body as described in cultivation—fill in sequence: the lower Dantian fills in thirty days, the middle Dantian in sixty days, and the upper Dantian in ninety days.

When the Qi (vital energy) of the lower Dantian (energy center in the lower abdomen) is abundant, the viscera suffer no more from hunger. When the middle Dantian (energy center in the chest) is full, the breath fills the entire body and signs of weakness or emaciation disappear. When the upper Dantian (energy center in the head) is filled, the Qi condenses, the face displays an unusual radiance, the skin becomes plump, and the Triple Burner (the upper, middle, and lower visceral functions in Chinese medicine) is harmonious and at peace. No more chaotic thoughts arise in the mind; the spirit (Shen) is concentrated, the body is clear, and only then can one distinguish right from wrong.

When the lower Dantian is filled, Shen and Qi are sufficient without leaking outward and hunger is not felt. When the middle Dantian is filled, movements become light, vigorous, and agile. When the upper Dantian is filled, the appearance is beautiful. After all three Dantians are filled, body and mind naturally settle, the path opens, and only then can one place the heart in the sacred realm and cultivate according to the method of embryonic breathing (fine and slow respiration like that of a fetus). This is a wondrous method of single-mindedly nourishing Qi and the superior path for seeking immortality.

Indulging in food and drink at times and abstaining at others damages a person’s will. Craving various flavors makes it difficult to dispel the grain Qi (Qi transformed from diet). This hinders the nourishing of Qi and is a great affliction in the cultivation of seeking immortality. The scripture says: “Salty, sweet, rich, pungent, and sour flavors damage the five viscera; saliva in the mouth is stirred by flavors and the mind-spirit grows dim. The spirit-Qi of the six fu-organs thereby weakens, and the four limbs, hundred bones, and nine orifices lose their sensitivity.” If the cultivator can firmly hold to this, abstaining from all flavors and desires, after ninety days the Qi of the three Dantians condenses and fills; within a hundred days one can inwardly observe the five viscera; after three hundred days ghosts and demons cannot hide their forms and yin spirits dare not deceive; after a thousand days the name is entered in the Heavenly Emperor’s register and the body ascends to the Taiwei heavenly realm.

One will certainly obtain the true immortal register in the Vast Heaven.

All who ascend to heaven through flying refinement become lower heavenly immortal officials; those who visualize the Wuwei (non-action) black spirit and cultivate the way of the Three Ones become upper heavenly immortal officials; true practitioners of the Dao who ingest Qi and achieve embryonic breathing obtain the ascending true register of the Vast Heaven. At that time a thousand carriages and ten thousand riders come to welcome them, and the cultivator attains the rank of True Honored One of the Middle Heaven.

Every day concentrate wholeheartedly on cultivation for a hundred days, nourishing the Dantian with ingested Qi.

The so-called “three Dantian (energy centers) being insufficient” means that cultivation cannot rely solely on the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) in the Dantian; other conditions must also be present. Frequently ingesting black Qi or swallowing clouds and rosy mists, or claiming that such practices can nourish body and mind, will not yield results overnight. One should first cultivate oneself through De (Virtue), then eliminate inner evil thoughts and genuine anger. This alone constitutes the true aspiration of studying the Dao (the Way). If evil thoughts have not been eradicated, the “three worms” (the three corpse-spirits that Daoism says dwell in the body) cannot be removed either; if one acts contrary to the teachings, cultivation will be difficult to accomplish. Therefore the Taiwei Xuanzhang states: “Eliminate cravings and desires, abandon greed for fame and profit, harmonize the five viscera, and Shen (spirit) will naturally become abundant.”

Chapter Two: The Mysterious Subtleties of Ingesting Qi

“The mysterious subtleties of ingesting Qi” generally discusses five matters. “Mysterious subtleties” refers to the principles of Wuwei (non-action) that are profound and marvelous; “five matters” indicates that learning to cut off the five grains and ordinary food will cause the hun and po souls to undergo change and will also stir the three corpses. The crucial principles involved are understood by very few.

If a person’s inner cultivation is not yet complete, they will fail to recognize that various demonic obstacles run counter to the work of cultivation and will therefore conclude that the methods of the Dao have no efficacy; in reality they have simply not grasped the true principles. If one first accomplishes benevolence and De, even the mere ingestion of saliva can produce a sense of peace and harmony in body and mind, to say nothing of ingesting Qi.

When one has just begun to ingest Qi, the effect is still weak. At the outset there may be internal obstruction. After roughly one or two weeks, as impurities are gradually expelled, the body feels weak and the limbs powerless; there is no need for surprise. This occurs because primordial Qi has not yet reached the abdomen and stomach, producing temporary fatigue. If one simply continues to swallow primordial Qi and allows it to circulate smoothly, the body improves day by day. At this stage the will must be firm and concentration single-minded; once the lower Dantian is full, hunger and thirst vanish at once.

Even if this state has not yet been attained and the skin and complexion turn sallow while the body grows thin, there is no cause for fear; gradual improvement will follow. If the will is not concentrated, if one ingests Qi while still eating ordinary food, or if one expends physical energy in walking, no results will appear and failure will easily become habitual. The Jing (scripture) notes that such conditions arise only in those whose inner cultivation remains insufficient; if the mind is continually entangled by greed and attachment, cultivation will likewise fail.

As long as one remains constantly steadfast in resolve and concentrates on guarding “yi hou.” What is called “yi hou” means allowing the qi (vital energy) to settle and dwell in the lower Dantian (energy center), gradually accumulating until it is plentiful. Once the qi in the lower Dantian becomes sufficient, one will no longer feel hunger or thirst. If one fears bodily weakness, emaciation, or a sallow complexion, cultivation cannot proceed. If one completely cuts off grains and drinking water, after a long time one will naturally feel comfortable and strong, and vitality will recover.

You must use the mind’s intention to guide and hold this qi.

The Taixuan Jing (scripture/classic) says: There are many cultivation methods of the xiumei type, and even the most direct path in studying the Dao (the Way) requires nine years of practice; anything less than nine years is difficult to succeed. Only the method of fuqi (nourishing primordial qi through breathing exercises of inhalation and exhalation), if one can persist in guarding and refining for one hundred days, completely abstaining from all soups and waters, with the mind unwavering, the Three Corpses (the three spirits that Daoism says reside in the human body and harm body and mind) will naturally be eliminated, and cultivation will no longer fail. It is just that those who study the Dao often have floating thoughts that have not yet settled, falling into doubts that cause the mind and Shen (spirit) to waver; the Three Corpses then erupt all at once, miscellaneous thoughts surge forth in succession, and the mind is hard to gather in. In this way, even practicing fuqi, it is easy to regress and fail, just as a hesitant person cannot obtain the response of the spirits.

What is the difference between fuqi and shougu? Qi is difficult to retain and easily disperses.

If one wishes to quickly regulate and nourish the five viscera through fuqi, one can eliminate soups, waters, and medicines and fast for forty-nine days, so that the residues in the small intestine are completely expelled, the grain qi is cut off, and swallowing qi can then circulate naturally. Some people fail to complete the cultivation, mostly because the mind easily changes, sometimes eating and sometimes fasting, so they ultimately fail. If one still eats even a small amount of mixed-flavor food, it is difficult to expel the grain qi. If one wishes to use the breath to make the condition of the five viscera clearly manifest, one should ingest and refine the primordial qi. For fifty days eat no food at all, close the eyes and internally visualize the qi in the spleen rising from the heart region and spreading to the four limbs. Then raise the head and reciting the incantation facing outward:

The center corresponds to Wu and Ji. Stored within the body is “Yuanwu” (the primordial void, the original state of emptiness of which Daoism speaks). The yellow Qi (vital energy) is strong and solid; circulating and deploying it allows it to exercise a governing function. Danyang should not decline, but should confer together with Zhuyun. When this Qi reaches the four limbs, the yellow cloud-Qi will flourish greatly.

Every day at the fifth watch, when the kite first begins to cry, one must keep vigil at the proper time and not miss the moment. Practicing in this way continuously for twenty-seven days, one will be able to see Zhuyun gathering in counsel within the spleen. When it arrives at the four limbs, yellow cloud-Qi will arise. If one does not practice at the fifth watch, or cannot hold firmly, even a single day missed will yield no effect. This is the “Method of Closing the Black with Central Yellow” (the cultivation method of circulating the central yellow Qi so as to halt the black Qi).

Some people have weak constitutions and insufficient heart-Qi; others have weak viscera and inadequate strength. If the black Qi has not yet reached the four limbs, symptoms of weakness may appear. But so long as one holds firmly to one’s resolve, there is no need to be afraid on this account. The Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture) says: “Hold as in the beginning, and in the end there will be accomplishment.”

Among the Three Corpses, the Upper Corpse-worm dwells in the brain palace.

The Dongshen Xuanjue (Mysterious Instructions of the Cavern of Spirit) says: The Upper Corpse-worm resides in the upper Dantian (energy center), that is, the center of the brain. Its color is bluish-white; its name is Pengju. It causes people to crave savory flavors and sink into desire, making the heart-Shen (spirit) dull and stagnant. Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) ought to restrain it. Even if one has not yet completely cut off the five grains, one should constantly visualize and hold this in mind; after a year or more, the Upper Corpse-worm will perish of itself, and the possibility of accomplishment will be present. Worldly people do not understand the mystery in this; they merely abstain from the five grains in vain, without removing thoughts of craving food—how then can they cause the Three Corpse-worms to vanish?

Thoughts of every kind come flooding in, disturbing the human heart. If one constantly thinks of the inexhaustible flavors of food and drink, desires arise, and one only adds to one’s ailments.

If those who cultivate the Dao have no inner cultivation to support body and mind, they will instead be deluded and disturbed by the Three Corpse-worms.

Among the Three Corpses, the Middle Corpse-worm dwells in the heart palace.

The Dongshen Xuanjue says: The middle corpse-worm is named Peng Zhi, its color white tinged with yellow, dwelling in the middle Dantian (energy center; the central energy center spoken of in the body’s Neidan [internal alchemy] cultivation). It causes people to greedily pursue wealth and goods, to be unpredictable in joy and anger, to disturb the pure and authentic Qi (vital energy), to bring about changes in the Three Corpses (the malevolent spirits within the body according to Daoism), and also to prevent the Seven Po (the seven corporeal souls among the conceptions of hun and po that constitute a person) from being at peace.

Therefore the Dongxuan Jing says: Without joy or anger, the three corpse-worms will be greatly fearful; without greed for food or craving for desires, body and mind can be harmonious and content. Sitting quietly in this way to cultivate, one can see the Yuanyang (primordial yang qi), and the host of Shen (spirits) will also come to gather.

The Three Corpses will cause your hun-spirit to drift in dreams: sometimes it feels fragrant and delightful, sometimes not so; sometimes advancing, sometimes withdrawing, difficult to maintain constancy. The spirit is dazed and confused, as if deranged, so that even sitting you cannot be at peace, and instead it damages the foundation of cultivation. If you can understand and restrain these conditions, the Dao (the Way) will flourish, the inner mind will be at ease, unmoved by external circumstances, and the Dao can then remain constant.

The lower corpse-worm dwells between the abdomen and stomach, its color white tinged with black, named Peng Jiao, residing in the lower Dantian (energy center; the lower energy center spoken of in the body’s Neidan cultivation). It causes people to greedily love clothing and to indulge in wine and sensual pleasures. Those who study the Dao should attentively observe, make the inner mind stable, and persist in restraining themselves; then the corpse-ghosts will have no means to stir up trouble and thus will cause no harm.

One should always make oneself bland and without desire. Constantly maintaining blandness, the Three Corpses will naturally be extinguished; after the Three Corpses perish, the mind will no longer have all sorts of thoughts and worries.

When quiet, the mind easily becomes lonely, giving rise to many feelings and thoughts; when disturbed, the mind becomes agitated and easily angry.

At the beginning of ingesting qi, when the breath is not yet flowing freely, the three corpse-worms will disturb body and mind: sometimes making one frequently joyful or angry, sometimes causing sadness and much thinking, sometimes making one addicted to desires and flavors.

These will all cause the mind-spirit to become deviant and chaotic, losing the order of Jing (essence) and the mind-spirit. If you can guard the original mind, the three corpse-worms will then leave.

The Taishang Shengxuan Jing says: If one ingests qi, cuts off food and drink, and firmly holds the inner mind for a full month, one worm will depart of itself, and the other two will also lose their support. As long as a person concentrates on ingesting qi and firmly maintains it for thirty days, the upper corpse-worm will die, and the Three Corpses will also abandon the body.

The Taishang Shengxuan Jing (scripture of the Most High's ascent to mystery) says: If one eats only black rice, firms one's resolve, and continues for a month without eating other foods, one worm will depart of its own accord, and the two worms will have nowhere to hide. If a person can eat only black rice and persist with firm determination, after thirty days the upper worm will die; after sixty days the middle worm will die; after ninety days the lower worm will die. If one holds to this for a hundred days without wavering, the body will naturally become healthy, the Shen (spirit) will become clear and bright, and it will never decline. If one eats for a time and then fasts for a time, this will frustrate the will, wasting effort to no avail, so one should persevere to the very end.

In this way one can behold the Five Sprouts (Wuya) and the Nine True Ones (Jiuzhen). The Five Sprouts are the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), generated within the five viscera; the Nine True Ones are the Dao (the Way) of the Nine Heavens. After the Jing-Qi of the Five Phases coagulates, it corresponds with the Nine Heavens, and thus the Qi of the five viscera is also called the "Qi of the Nine Heavens." Once the primordial Qi (Yuanqi) has been cultivated to completion, one can naturally discern the Qi of the Five Phases clearly, causing their circulation to proceed unobstructed.

When the Five Sprouts Are Completed, One Detests the Five Flavors

After the Five Sprouts have been completed, one will come to detest pungent, sour, and other such flavors. If one cannot cut off the five flavors, the numinous Qi of the five viscera will not arise, and one will be unable to thoroughly eliminate attachment to thoughts and desires. However, one may first still the thoughts of rumination and desire, and cut off the drinking of water, grains, and other foods of external flavor. What reason would there then be to worry that the Qi of the Five Phases cannot arise? After the five Qi arise, the five emotions are easily harmonized; after the five viscera become replete, the primordial Qi naturally coagulates. After the primordial Qi coagulates, the five Shen naturally manifest; after the five Shen manifest, one can fully discern the good and evil of the human world, and what worldly anxiety could then move the cultivator?

Yet the three worms (the spectral beings that, according to Daoism, reside in the human body and record a person's faults) constantly follow you, and the corpse-ghosts wait for you to die; how can you remain at ease and without fear?

The three corpses (the spirits that, according to Daoism, reside in the human body and wait for an opportunity to report a person's faults) always hope that people will die soon, hiding within the body in search of sins. On every Gengshen day they report to the Siming (the deity who governs lifespan and the registers of fate). If one does not become vigilant, cultivate form and Shen in good time, and restrain the five flavors, then lifespan will be shortened, primordial Qi will weaken, and form and Shen will wither away. Even if one possesses a resolve as steadfast as pine and bamboo, it will ultimately be difficult to succeed in the cultivation. When the day comes that life is cut off, of what use will regret then be?

I urge you to withdraw your mind from mundane affairs, ...

The essential key to cultivating the Taiqing Zhonghuang Zhenjing (The True Scripture of the Central Yellow of Great Clarity) is to quietly guard the heart-Shen (spirit), cease all miscellaneous affairs, and allow the “Three Corpses” (the spirits that, according to Daoism, hinder cultivation and give rise to desires) to dissipate of their own accord. In this way the Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) will circulate, the practitioner will naturally attain gradual penetration, and the spirits of the five viscera will also become settled. This is the subtle and marvelous principle of cultivation.

The mind and aspiration are transcendent and at ease, as if one’s feelings were lodged amid the mists, rosy clouds, mountains, and waters.

If the heart-Shen can be made clear and still and the Shen-Qi abundant, the aspiration will naturally become luminous, and one will then transcend the mundane world, discern the principles of things, as if the scenes of mist and rosy clouds were right before the eyes.

Chapter Four: Purifying Aspiration amid Mist and Rosy Clouds

The aspiration of mist and rosy clouds can penetrate mysterious and profound principles.

If dependence on the flavors of food and drink can be eliminated, the meridians within the body will naturally become unobstructed and clear, the numinous light of the five viscera will appear, and one’s actions will be leisurely and at ease; the principles involved are profound and difficult to fathom. The “numinous light” referred to here means Shen-Qi.

It enables one, even while sitting in stillness, to understand the Dao of life and death.

If all flavors can be abstained from, after one hundred days there will be some realization. At that time it will seem as if the various spirits are both hidden and manifest, the paths of life and death all before one’s eyes, and one can even perceive the conditions of the dark netherworld and the yin offices beyond the heavens; this speaks of discerning the subtle and hidden matters.

Steaming and refining the sinews and bones makes the joints throughout the body unobstructed; grasping firmly (the cultivation posture of tightly clasping both hands and gathering in the heart-Shen) enables latent communication through all the hundred apertures of the entire body.

According to the Scripture of the Ultimate Principles of Embryonic Breathing, those who cultivate embryonic breathing, after fifty days, even if they have not yet ceased eating and drinking, should, on days when the weather is clear and the sun is bright, enter a quiet room at noon, lie at ease on a thick, soft mattress, with hair unbound and using a low pillow, forming both hands into the grasping-solid gesture (the seated meditation posture of tightly clenching the fingers) and placing them beside the two ribs. Then they knock the teeth seven times, rectify their thoughts, and close their eyes. If they feel that the Qi (vital energy) is faint, they must forcefully hold the breath while maintaining the grasping-solid, allowing the sinews and vessels to gradually unfold so that the numinous Qi stealthily courses through and connects the bones and flesh, with saliva and sweat moistening the skin. Repeated practice will enable the complexion to become gradually harmonious and pleasing, strength to double, the hair to turn as black as lacquer, and the beard to resemble dark silk.

If one does not understand holding the breath and refining the form, and does not employ the primordial Qi, one cannot cause the Qi to circulate and moisten the skin, and will ultimately fail to attain the state of freedom. If the Qi is able to circulate among the hairs, the sideburns will naturally twitch. If this method is not obtained, even practicing grain-avoidance for longevity, one will be like tiles, rubble, grass, and trees, without the radiance of Jing (essence) and Qi.

Chapter Five: The Interconnection of the Hundred Orifices

The hundred orifices of the entire body communicate with one another, always presided over by a divine spirit.

The hundred orifices communicate with the hundred acupoints, and the hundred acupoints in turn communicate with the hundred viscera. Two acupoints lie above the eyes and lead to the liver viscera; because the liver viscera communicate with the heart, sorrow in the heart produces tears. Two acupoints also lie on the cheeks and lead to the nasal meridians, which further communicate with the heart viscera, so sorrow in the heart makes the nose sting. The nasal viscera further communicate with the brain meridians, and thus heat in the brain dries the nose. The Dongshen Mingzang Jing says: “When the hundred meridians flow freely, the hundred orifices generate one another, the hundred passes interconnect, and the hundred joints connect with one another.” Therefore the blockage of a single acupoint may give rise to a hundred diseases, and the obstruction of a single meridian throws many meridians and collaterals into disorder.

After ingesting Qi (vital energy) one therefore becomes free of illness and every meridian naturally opens. Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) attain long life because nothing stagnates in the stomach and abdomen. When one discerns the auspicious and inauspicious, the hundred Shen (spirits) gather in the body; cold and heat cannot draw near, and the original Qi is harmonized and settled within. Poisons and harms cannot invade, for the numinous Shen of the five viscera firmly protect and uphold the body; fierce beasts cannot injure, for the earth spirits also stand guard. Whether hidden or manifest, all is at ease, and bone and flesh unite with the Mysterious Female (Xuanpin, the profound source of the Dao). Advancing and withdrawing without obstruction, there is nowhere that does not connect; one naturally penetrates the true Dao, so why worry that one cannot accord with the wisdom of the sages?

Youzi drives out the evil and filthy so that they return into my body.

The hundred passes and nine orifices all have spirits dwelling in them. When the viscera are free of evil qi and the vital mechanism is abundant, the ten thousand Shen gather. The evil qi spoken of here is grain qi. If the upright Qi circulates smoothly, original scars, moles and spots on the body recede of themselves.

Peacefully penetrating, one self-illuminates the true Dao and can therefore discern clearly, fully distinguishing the evil from the upright. Self-illuminating the true Dao, one endures for a long time. Regulate the physical form and the Shen so that they enter the gate of immortality and cause oneself to ascend above the Nine Heavens.

Chapter Six: The Way of Long Preservation

The way of long preservation lies in concentrating the mind with single-minded dedication. Cultivating with sincerity and exclusive focus of the heart, one penetrates the sagely principles. Returning and bearing the three hun souls, one knows that it does not die.

Once the qi mechanism has become unobstructed, one should then bear one’s own physical form so that spiritual illumination does not perish.

Chapter Six: The Way of Long Preservation

The way of long preservation lies in concentrating the mind with single-minded dedication. Cultivating with sincerity and exclusive focus of the heart, one penetrates the sagely principles. Returning and bearing the three hun souls, one knows that it does not die.

After the Qi (vital energy) has been harmonized, one must personally protect and sustain this physical form; this too is a path toward the Dao of spiritual immortality.

What things might become obstacles? During the forty-nine days...

After finishing the ingestion of the black dregs (a certain black sediment mentioned in the scripture), one should cut off drinking water and grains. The most crucial thing is to persist for forty-nine days. As cultivation advances, the meridians throughout the body should gradually become unobstructed, the inner reflection should shine as brightly as a candle, worldly miscellaneous thoughts should immediately recede, and the five viscera will also become peaceful. If one cannot persist, all previous effort will be completely wasted, and it will not be easy to start cultivating again. Ultimately, one will be unable to attain the Dao.

One must firmly and cautiously maintain this, avoiding sour, salty, and other flavors.

Eating foods of various flavors makes it difficult to escape grain Qi (the Qi that the scripture considers produced by diet and that hinders cultivation).

Chapter Seven: On Salty, Sweet, Pungent, and Sour

Salty, sweet, pungent, sour, and similar flavors cause the five viscera to become ill; once the juices and flavors of food enter the mouth, they make the mind and Shen (spirit) dull and heavy.

After the various five flavors enter the mouth, the scripture holds that they all pass to the acupuncture points of the two eyes and spread throughout the entire body, causing the grain Qi to congeal and become solid, remaining within the viscera and bowels. Those who wish to quickly reach the goal of cultivation should especially resolutely cut off these flavors.

This causes the Shen Qi of the six bowels to weaken, and the bones of the entire body as well as the nine orifices (two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, and the places of urination and defecation) to lose their sensitivity.

This is because the Shen Qi cannot condense in the Dantian (energy center) (the key site within the abdomen spoken of in Neidan internal alchemy), and thus the numinous light cannot illuminate the viscera and bowels.

If you can cautiously maintain this during this period of cultivation, reaching ten xun (one hundred days), all the meridians will become transparent and clear, like a bright mirror.

After the effort has been completed for one hundred days, the Shen Qi should naturally condense and become full, the numinous light shining brightly like a candle, with nothing in the entire body remaining unpenetrated.

The bright spirits of the six bowels will no longer hide, and will converse with you, speaking of inner states.

The spirits of the five viscera will naturally appear.

If the effort is obstructed, the path of cultivation will be difficult to illuminate; this is mostly due to the illness caused by the congealing of grain Qi.

If one cannot remove the grain Qi, ultimately one will not see the profound and mysterious ultimate principle. If one can cut off grains and drinking water, one can naturally reach the mysterious and wondrous realm.

Chapter Eight: On the Essence of Grains

The essence of grains will cut off spiritual nature, entwine the six bowels, and cause all the meridians to become dull and stagnant.

The essence of the five grains transforms into slimy fluids and thin membranes that cling to the five viscera and six bowels as well as the joints, sinews, and meridians, which is why they are difficult for people to notice. Those who abstain from grains and ingest Qi (vital energy) in place of eating cereals, after fifty or sixty days, see that the residues in the intestines and stomach have been completely expelled and therefore assume that nothing else remains in the body. They do not know that the essence of the grain Qi has not yet been discharged. As a result, thoughts of wanting to eat arise, along with fears that the cultivation will be lost; the appetite actually grows stronger, and the anxiety in the mind becomes unbearable. The scriptures also describe this situation as the work of corpse-ghosts.

Thereafter, what is expelled may look like pus or blood, or like decaying intestinal fat and the feces of eagles and ducks. This is the appearance that occurs when the grain Qi is about to leave the body. After another twenty or thirty days, further foreign matter resembling slimy fluids and thin membranes will be expelled; this is the true form of the grain essence.

If one has previously practiced ingesting Qi and abstaining from grains only intermittently, or if the cultivation has been pursued sporadically, and after more than a year one suddenly cuts off food and drink completely, results can still be achieved simply by resuming the practice. Even if the various signs described above do not appear, there is no need to be surprised. The scripture then states that once grains are cut off, black Qi will course through all the hundred meridians, rendering the body internally and externally perfectly clear and luminous, as if illuminated by candlelight.

The Dadong Jing (Scripture of the Great Cavern) says that those just beginning to ingest Qi and abstain from grains also feel that the filth in the intestines has already been expelled, seeing only the soups and water they drink flowing through the stomach and intestines, as if nothing else remains inside the body. In reality they do not realize that grain Qi is still being discharged. Once the grain Qi has been completely cut off, distracting thoughts cease, the mind and Shen (spirit) become peaceful, the viscera and bowels harmonious, and one is no longer troubled by anxious thinking, loneliness, or emaciation.

If during practice one feels lonely or weak, one should not become afraid and retreat on that account, nor worry that progress has come to a halt. One must reflect carefully and not abandon the work halfway. Should one, after cutting off soups and water for about thirty days, allow even a slight doubt to arise in the mind so that the will is not unified and one cannot persist with firm resolve, then all previous effort will be wasted. This is like digging a well until water appears and then failing to draw it—truly a regrettable and painful thing.

If the Yuanqi cannot return, by what means can one then settle and establish the body? If you have not yet comprehended it inwardly, how can you understand the principles involved?

If the Guqi (the qi produced from the digestion of food and drink) cannot be expelled from among the viscera, the Yuanqi cannot descend into the Dantian (energy center). Therefore those who cultivate the Dao are often dim and ignorant, failing to realize that the marvelous efficacy is actually close at hand within oneself; one must be cautious.

Alas, that Xuangong (the divine mansion within the human body) has twelve layers of pavilions; who would know that they would actually become dwelling places for the Three Worms (harmful insects within the body, also referring to evil qi that damages form and spirit).

If one does not cultivate the physical form and the spirit, all the palaces and chambers throughout the body will become nests for the Three Worms; yet people do not know that the marvelous efficacy is actually close at hand within oneself, and one must be cautious.

Alas, that Xuangong has twelve layers of pavilions; who would know that they would actually become dwelling places for the Three Worms.

If one does not cultivate the physical form and the spirit, all the palaces and chambers throughout the body will become nests for the Three Worms.

Chapter Nine: On the Dwelling of the Three Worms

The Three Worms reside in the upper, middle, and lower three sections of the human body, that is, they constantly dwell in the Three Dantians (the upper, middle, and lower three cultivation sites).

If you can apply the methods of cultivation, why then worry about death?

As long as one follows the teachings of the sages and cultivates with a dedicated mind, why then worry that calamities and the karmic retributions of successive lives will befall one?

The Yuanqi always remains densely concentrated here.

The Yuanqi continuously circulates and moves within the body, flowing throughout the entire body; after one cycle of circulation, the upper and lower become unobstructed and harmonious, and it returns once more to the Three Dantians.

At that time one can then discern the nine immortal qi of Yuanhe.

After the Guqi is exhausted, one can naturally discern the qi of Yuanhe.

Chapter Ten: On the True Qi of the Nine Immortals

The true qi of the nine immortals originally possesses numinous spirituality; after the Three Worms perish, one can then discern the nine immortal qi of Yuanhe.

After the Guqi is exhausted, one can naturally discern the qi of Yuanhe.

Chapter Ten: On the True Qi of the Nine Immortals

The true qi of the nine immortals originally possesses numinous spirituality; after the Three Worms perish, the person then returns to peace and tranquility.

The Dadong Xuanjing says: After the Three Corpses (similar to the Three Worms, referring to the yin entities within the body that hinder cultivation) perish, the Shenqi will flourish of its own accord. Within a hundred days one can command the Shenqi and illuminate the five viscera. The Yuanqi can enable a person to attain a nearly sacred realm. If one wishes to live in seclusion in the world and travel back and forth, the relevant methods are detailed in the Chapter on Embryonic Breathing.

After the Shenqi is sufficient, it will then drive the circulation of the breath, rising like clouds and mist.

It resides within the Dantian, shining brightly.

When the practice of ingesting Qi (vital energy) (through tu-na breathing to take in and refine the breath) reaches success, the Qi in the Dantian (energy center) naturally becomes full and steady, and can circulate among the upper, middle, and lower Dantians. When it condenses it resembles a sparrowhawk, its radiance as bright as candlelight, illuminating several li and making the surroundings brightly prominent. This is the marvelous manifestation of the Shen (spirit) Qi of the Dantian.

The sinews and bones become strong and robust, and the body grows peaceful, harmonious, and at ease.

The Sanguang Jing states: “After refining the marrow, the marrow becomes as congealed and pure as frost; it transforms the sinews and bones, making them as hard as steel. After ingesting Qi for a thousand days, strength doubles that of ordinary people, and one can walk a thousand li in a single day, so swiftly that even a galloping horse cannot catch up, truly like a divinity.”

Spiritual awareness is at peace, the mood comfortable, thoughts expansive, the spirit elevated, and the mind-spirit bright and clear.

After the ingested Qi has become full, the mind-spirit is often comfortable and joyful, with lofty emotions and free-ranging thoughts, no longer taking to heart the shallow people and affairs of the mundane world.

Consequently one feels that the five flavors (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty) all carry turbid and filthy Qi, and even smelling the five fragrances seems to have a fishy and rank odor. The Dao practitioner, following the branches and leaves of plants and trees, can see their roots, which indicates that the merit of the Dao has already been accomplished, and thus such sensations arise. This occurs naturally; it is an experience that appears after heavenly Qi has connected through to one’s own body. Do all cultivators have such experiences?

The skin and flesh become firm and pure white, and the sinews and bones also become clear and healthy.

The chapter on embryonic breathing records in detail the methods for refining the bones.

After ingesting Qi has succeeded, one ought to be able to perceive the circumstances in which the Yinfu (the netherworld place that administers the name registers of the deceased) employs the spirits. If one can practice embryonic breathing (a cultivation method of holding the breath in imitation of a fetus and circulating with inner respiration), reaching one hundred breaths, the body enters an extraordinary realm and the netherworld name register is removed; when ingesting Qi reaches one thousand breaths, one can be entered into the ranks of the Three Heavens (the heavenly strata spoken of in Daoism), with the hun-spirit roaming in the upper realms.

The Upper Scroll of the Taiqing Zhonghuang Zhenjing is complete.

Taiqing Zhonghuang Zhenjing, Lower Scroll

Composed by Jiuxian Jun, annotated by Zhonghuang Zhenren.

Chapter Eleven: True Immortal of Embryonic Breathing

To accomplish the true immortal of embryonic breathing, one relies on eating Qi to attain the Dao, then closes off external breathing so that the true Qi circulates, thereby cultivating embryonic breathing.

The Fuxi Jing states that only after one hundred days of regulating and refining the Qi (vital energy) of the five viscera may one practice embryonic breathing (taixi), in which the breath is regulated until it grows extremely fine, as though one were a fetus in the mother’s womb. The Zhun Jiutian Shen Jing advises that before beginning practice one must first prepare a windless inner chamber, spread a thick and soft felt mat, and use a pillow about four fingers high so that the head remains level with the body. It is best to have at one’s side a companion wholly devoted to cultivating the Dao whose mind is in complete harmony, to offer guidance.

The practitioner must set aside all worldly thoughts, perform wogu by tightly clenching the fists in order to gather and contain the mind-spirit, and lie supine facing outward, seeking nothing in the heart and remaining unmoved by external things. Gradually one gathers the numinous Qi until the mind-spirit grows calm and joyful. At first one holds the breath ten times, then gradually increases to fifteen, twenty, and finally one hundred; at that point the body feels completely settled, as though one were simply lying in a room, and it is enough that the mind does not wander.

A day and a night comprise twelve double-hours and contain altogether some thirteen thousand five hundred breaths. Hence the Taiwei Shengxuan Jing declares: “To cut off the breath is to die that very day; to hold the breath is to become an immortal that very day.” At this stage the po remains within the body to guard it, while the hun travels through the heavens. If the breath has not yet been held for one hundred counts, the hun-spirit will perceive its own po, for the po belongs to the yin Shen (spirit) while the hun belongs to the yang Shen.

The scripture further explains that the yin spirits always desire a person’s death and never their life. There are seven of them, clad in black garments, wearing black caps, and holding black ceremonial insignia. The Dongshen Jing of the Three Caverns names this being Xuanmu, the Mysterious Mother, who is the ruler of the yin corpse. Should the practitioner behold this spirit, one must concentrate in visualization and recite the following incantation:

“O Xuanmu, O Xuanmu, you who rule my corpse-body, nourish and strengthen my bones, sinews and vessels; do not depart from the corpse, but enter the heavenly realm together with the Hun Father.”

Thereafter one should see the Hun Father: three figures, each one chi and five cun in height, dressed in vermilion robes, wearing vermilion caps, and holding vermilion insignia. They lead the practitioner upward to the Shangyuan Palace to pay homage to the various brain spirits. Then more than a hundred deities appear from within the body, and one may also behold the primordial Qi within the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers)—the sites of visualization and inner cultivation—appearing like white clouds, luminous and translucent. At this moment the practitioner should earnestly call the names of the three hun: the first is Shuangling, the second Taiguang, and the third Youjing.

Upon obtaining this method, the Yang Shen among the three hun will command the various Shen of the brain and guide the Yuan Shen to roam the heavens. When the Yuan Shen goes forth, one simply feels the body emerging from the “Xifang”; thereafter one may see the forms of various ghosts and spirits, some several zhang tall, others as tiny as swallows or sparrows, some with disheveled hair, others with eyes flashing like lightning. These are merely the appearances of ghosts and spirits as they pass by. The practitioner need only keep the mind at peace and the will settled, without alarm or fear, and will pass through unharmed; if no appearances are seen at all, that is the most excellent condition. Should the appearances be clearly distinguished in black and white, it is a sign of auspicious goodness.

For this reason, reliable companions are required to accompany and assist. The scripture further mentions “Lü Yuan Hei Shang” in correspondence with the hun Shen; while concentrating the Shen and remaining in quietude, if one worries about seeing other appearances, the heart grows uneasy. At such a time the Yuan Qi (vital energy) disperses through the mouth and nose, and the body cannot depart. In the space of a single night’s practice, another person or oneself may record the number of breaths; when one thousand breaths have been counted, one can roam the upper realms together with the three Yuan Shen, and the Dao (the Way) of cultivation is thereby achieved. Once the method is completed, it must be kept in strict secrecy and never divulged; the scripture regards this as an exceedingly sublime spiritual principle and repeatedly warns that it must be guarded with utmost caution. Provided one does not cling to external things or give rise to heterodox thoughts, ghosts, spirits, and demons will naturally submit.

Whence come the feathered garments and the roseate clouds? They arise as the cloud-Qi and pinions generated by the five viscera.

When the physical form is cultivated and one ascends, it naturally transforms into five-colored feathered robes. The Zhongtian Yu Jing says: “As light as cicada wings, brilliantly radiant without end.” The cicada produces its wings by drinking dew and feeding upon Qi; when a person ingests and refines Yuan Qi, the celestial garments condense upon the body, and thereby the meaning may be grasped.

Chapter Twelve: The True Qi of the Five Viscera

The true Qi of the five viscera flourishes like the tender sprouts of lingzhi.

The Taihua Shoushi Jing states that Yuanxi, the breath of the Primordial Beginning, disperses and transforms, forming a person’s six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind). The good and ill fortune, blessings and calamities that a person receives come according to their own actions. The Xi Qi within the body forms consciousness, while the Xi Qi in the womb forms Shen (spirit). If a person can practice taixi (embryonic breathing, a cultivation method of regulating the breath to enter stillness), they can return to an infant-like state and restore the hun-spirit. When the five viscera first form, they are arrayed in water; the six bowels correspond to the external six roots.

The liver governs the east and its color is associated with cyan.

The Taiming Wuwei Jing states that the liver belongs to Wood, is generated by Water, and is controlled by Earth. It originates from the east, its color is cyan-azure, and it is endowed with yang Qi (vital energy). By concealing and nurturing this Xi Qi, after a thousand breaths luminosity can be produced. In daily practice one continuously employs the Xi Qi. If embryonic breathing has not yet been attained, one visualizes cyan Xi Qi welling forth from the left flank. Each day is divided into six periods of continuous contemplation, beginning at the zi hour and visualizing once every other two-hour period. After fifty days one should be able to see black Qi resembling a cyan cloud.

This Xi Qi can be used to regulate various illnesses in others, such as febrile diseases, seasonal epidemics, swellings, scabies, and emaciation. One first observes the other person’s condition, then according to the severity of the illness visualizes this Qi attacking and treating it; it is said that none fail to recover. However, if one observes that the other suffers from a disorder of the liver channel with a haggard complexion, regulation becomes more difficult and may even prove incurable.

The practitioner need only close and guard Jing (essence) and Qi, continuing to breathe a thousand times, whereupon the cyan color will circulate throughout and naturally appear.

The Taixi Jing states that after a thousand breaths the cyan color will spontaneously condense within the body.

The heart governs the south and its color is associated with red; after ingesting and refining a thousand breaths the red color appears.

The Taiming Wuwei Jing states that the heart belongs to Fire, is generated by Wood, and is controlled by Metal. It originates from the south, its color is red, it is endowed with vermilion yang Qi, and it belongs to summer.

The Tai Ming Wu Wei Jing states that the heart belongs to Fire, which is generated by Wood and able to overcome Metal. Heart Qi (vital energy) originates in the South, is red in color, receives the vermilion Yang Qi, and corresponds to summer. Once the breath has been concealed for a thousand respirations, it ought to issue from the Heart Hall, the residence of the heart-spirit. Those who practice Tuna but have not yet attained Taixi—fetal breathing, a condition of extremely subtle respiration that appears independent of the mouth and nose—may each day at the Wu hour (noon) visualize red Qi rising from the heart, about the size of a kite, gradually circulating to the crown of the head and then emanating from the vertex. After the Qi has been sent forth, visualize it dispersing of itself.

During the visualization recite the incantation: “Southern Bing Ding, the Red Dragon dwells and remains; the Yin spirit yields its place, the Yang official descends to greet; think of it and it arrives at once, employ it and it proves efficacious.” Thereafter, whenever this incantation is recited three times, the Qi must be circulated while the mind is concentrated in visualization. If practiced continuously for fifty days, a red, fire-like radiance should become visible. This Qi can be employed to regulate the ailments of all sorts of people: directing the Qi against the illness will bring about recovery. Should the patient’s complexion appear greenish, the dark Yin Qi is too deeply entrenched and the condition cannot be healed. Methods of visualization, incantation, and holding the spirit-Qi in mind are all to be kept secret from others.

The lungs belong to the West and are white in color. After a thousand breaths of ingested Qi, the white reaches its fullest intensity.

The Tai Ming Wu Wei Jing states that the lungs belong to Metal, which is generated by Earth and able to overcome Wood. Lung Qi originates in the West, is white in color, cool and faintly luminous. After concealment for a thousand respirations its brightness gradually becomes apparent. Practitioners may each day at the Chou hour visualize a mass of Qi in the lungs, shaped like a white pearl whose radiance steadily enlarges, rising to the space between the eyebrows, and then continue the visualization. Recite the incantation: “……”

The western Qi (vital energy) of Geng and Xin is called Taiwei Xuanzhen (the Mysterious Truth of Grand Tenuity). It corresponds to the six fu-organs of the human body and transforms into the Lung Shen (spirit). It circulates within the Dantian (energy center), the place where the breath gathers in the human body, and guards life. By cultivating according to this method, Shen and Qi can attain the realm of the immortals. In practice one must apply oneself urgently and follow all the ordinances. Visualize once each day and persist for forty-nine days; a mass of black Qi will then appear in the lungs, manifesting like white clouds. This mass of black Qi is said to be able to illuminate all manner of treasures beneath the ground, and also to observe the good and evil of people, causing hidden circumstances to become apparent.

If one does not practice this method of visualization and only absorbs Qi for three years, one can then see the interior conditions of the five zang organs. Yet if there is no genuine cultivation and one merely absorbs Qi, one cannot discern the principles of mutual overcoming and generation among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). For instance, when encountering cold one should employ the Qi of the heart, because the heart belongs to Fire; when encountering heat one should employ the Qi of the kidneys, because the kidneys belong to Water. If one does not understand these principles, even employing the breath will produce no effect. The Nine Qi Jing (scripture/classic) likewise does not discuss the method of black Qi. Content of such profundity and vastness is still kept secret and not transmitted—how much less, then, to ordinary people.

The spleen governs the Center, and its color belongs to yellow. When absorbing Qi reaches a thousand breaths, the color of the spleen Qi will appear. The Taiming Wuwei Jing says: the spleen belongs to Earth, is generated by Fire, and overcomes Water. It comes from the Center, and its color is yellow. Hold the breath and absorb Qi to a thousand breaths; one need only visualize once each day, without restriction as to the hour, and without needing to recite incantations. Continuously visualize the spleen for forty-nine days, and it will appear of itself. Here it is said that black Qi will emerge from within the spleen; afterward one can cause the body to conceal itself within walls without any obstruction.

The Qi of the central direction belongs to yellow in color. Hold the breath and absorb Qi to a thousand breaths; visualize once each day, without restriction as to the hour, and without needing methods of incantation. Visualize the spleen for forty-nine days, and it will appear of itself. After black Qi appears in the spleen, it is said that one can then cause the body to conceal itself within walls without any obstruction.

The kidneys govern the North, and their color belongs to black. When absorbing Qi reaches a thousand breaths, the color of the kidney Qi will appear.

The Taiming Wuwei Jing says: the kidneys belong to Water, are generated by Metal, and overcome Fire. They come from the North, and their color is black. In cultivation one should gather and subdue the breath in the Lower Origin (the region of the lower Dantian), thereby presiding over the Gate of Life. Within the kidneys there is true white Qi, which must be guarded so that the mind and Shen do not forget or lose it. When visualizing the Shen of the five zang organs, one need only, at the beginning of the fifth watch (as dawn approaches), visualize the corresponding Qi-colors of the five zang organs together at the crown of the head, without contemplating them separately one by one. One may also refrain from reciting incantations, though the effects will simply be somewhat slower. After a hundred days the Qi-colors will take form and can then immediately be used for verification.

To command the myriad spirits, there are naturally laws of their own.

The practitioner should concentrate wholeheartedly on cultivating the method of ingesting Qi (vital energy), while at the same time upholding inner De (Virtue/Power). Inner cultivation and outer conduct support one another, filling the five viscera and the Dantian (energy center) with primordial Qi. After one full year, ghosts, goblins, sprites, and local earth deities of the world will no longer dare to conceal their traces; wherever the practitioner goes, the local deities will come forth to welcome and pay homage, constantly accompanying and protecting them. The affairs contained in the Six Registers of the underworld offices that govern life, death, good, and evil can all be known as well. Nevertheless, one must not on this account casually command these deities; because one has not yet received the True Registers of the Three Heavens (the celestial official titles conferred by Daoism), rashly employing them may well bring harm.

If cultivation reaches the stage of embryonic breathing (in which respiration becomes so subtle that it resembles a fetus breathing in the womb), and one further obtains the formula for bodily ascent, then should an opportunity arise to wander among humankind, one ought to follow the method of corpse liberation described in this scripture (leaving the physical form through specific practices and ascending in transformation), traveling naturally through the world without obstruction. Otherwise, one must still not forget the work of the Dao. If one does not devote effort to these practices but concentrates solely on teaching others, this too can bring benefit to both self and others.

Riding upon rosy clouds, one returns to Taiji (Supreme Ultimate).

The Scripture of Embryonic Breathing and Subduing Yin (Taixi Fuyin Jing) states: “The inner Qi (vital energy) cannot be encompassed by any name; inner cultivation and action work in mutual accord.” If one does not keep the precepts, and one’s practice has not yet reached embryonic breathing (taixi, a stage of inner-breath cultivation), how could the Shen (spirit) unite with the divine?

If one has not yet attained the stage of embryonic breathing yet wishes to travel abroad, one may practice corpse liberation (shijie, a legendary Daoist art of shedding the bodily form and departing through transformation). The Book of Numinous Concealment of the Grand Tenuity (Taiwei Lingyin Shu) says that those who have not entered embryonic breathing, as well as those who have already entered it, may all employ this method if they wish to travel abroad. In the transformation one may make use of objects close at hand, and thus there arose the practice of turning garments into a substitute for one’s own form.

One ordinarily chooses the geng hour on a geng or xin day and practices in a quiet, still chamber. The outer physical form must be arranged as if asleep: a small table is set out and a censer of fine incense is burned; a staff, shoes, and similar items are placed beside the head; the clothes are not removed, a quilt is drawn over the body, and the head faces west. One then visualizes in the mind that one has already died, and silently recites the following incantation seven times:

“Taiyi of the Mysterious Darkness, receiving life from one’s own numinous spirit; seven times contemplate, seven times summon; the three hun souls follow and greet; stand in for my body, conceal my form; let the form transform following the object, and be accomplished in response to the transformation. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!”

After the recitation, one visualizes for the length of a meal, then rests as in ordinary sleep. On the day of practice, from the moment visualization begins one must not speak with any outsider, or the method will fail. Continue in this way for forty-nine days, and the method will gradually be accomplished.

Once it is accomplished, if one wishes to employ it—whether walking, standing, or sitting—one may silently recite the incantation seven times, then pick up any object at hand, and one’s person can depart. Others will see only that the object in the hand has become one’s own form, and that form will appear already dead. Afterward the object returns to its original state. This method may be used to take refuge from calamity and to preserve oneself; it must not be used to do anything contrary to the Dao. One must carefully safeguard the method and keep it strictly secret.

If the form left outside is exposed, it is enough to cover it with a quilt. The practitioner silently recites the incantation once and may then depart; others will see only what appears to be one’s own corpse beneath the quilt, and will not see the clothes or other items. After the method is accomplished, greed for wealth and lust are especially to be avoided; otherwise the heart-mind and Shen will be injured and punishment will follow.

Chapter Thirteen: The True Palace of Taiji

The True Palace of Taiji (the immortal palace in the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) realm) stands above the azure sky. Vermilion palaces and high terraces rise in successive layers, jade towers connected one to another and arranged like soaring mountain peaks.

The official residences and lodges of the upper realm arise in a profound and mysterious domain, all condensed from five-colored Qi (vital energy). The land of the lower realm is formed by water Qi condensing and supporting it laterally, and thus lacks sufficient freedom, solidity, and endurance, as well as evenness and rectitude. The upper realm employs the Eight Treasures; the earth uses the Seven Jewels as utensils; and the palaces are compounded of seven kinds of precious treasures. They operate by the power of spontaneous generation and require no human effort to set them in motion.

The upper realm forms the sun and moon from the Jing (essence) Qi of the Seven Treasures, while the lower realm forms them from Yin-Yang Qi. What the lower realm calls a year of three hundred sixty days corresponds to one day of twelve dual-hours in the upper realm. The Taiwei Xuanjing (scripture) states: “If one does not consume the Jing of the earth, one can dwell in the City of Taiyi.” This means that both physical form and Shen (spirit) can transcend together.

The jasper halls radiate a luster like fine jade, rich in emerald hues; red clouds and purple Qi frequently unfurl in auspicious harmony, and the spaces between jade walls and golden pillars are exquisitely delicate.

The Xuangong Yutang Jing (scripture) says: The palaces have walls of white jade, pillars of gold, beams of green coral, and structural members of red jade, adorned with the Seven Treasures, brilliant in radiance and transparent without obstruction inside or out. A thousand towers and pavilions reflect one another. Great immortals and Perfected Ones still reside outside this palace complex.

Phoenixes dance and simurghs sing, and immortals wander and chant within.

Here the “Dance of the Heavenly Phoenix” and the “Song of the Empyrean Simurgh” are both names of musical pieces.

Jade vessels and golden sweet dew may be taken at will. The Jiuyan Xuanchu Jing (scripture) says: Immortal fare of the Nine Empyreans is presented ten times a day and immortal brew of the Eight Jades seven times; that is, meals are offered ten times and wine seven times each day.

The True Immortals of the Nine Qi (those who command the nine kinds of primordial Qi) occupy positions of honor.

Once embryonic breathing—the Daoist method of regulating the breath and nourishing Qi (vital energy)—has been fully cultivated, one may take a place among the Nine True Highest Immortals, those high-ranking immortal sages.

The True Immortals of the Nine Qi wear embroidered brocade robes, draped with cloud-patterned garments and trailing sashes as thin as cicada wings. The True Lords wear brocade garments engraved with jade patterns, light and thin as cicada wings. They wear heavenly crowns whose ornaments sway and produce a scattered yet melodious sound. The various ornaments on the heavenly crowns sway with the wind, their sounds clear and pleasant, as if the five musical tones were naturally playing. They wear brocade shoes embroidered with nine kinds of patterns, the floral designs on the surfaces lavish and ornate like twinkling stars.

The True Immortals of the Nine Qi, clad in rainbow garments (celestial robes resembling colorful clouds), proceed to pay audience to the True Lord of the Grand Ceremony, lord of the Nine Heavens. Colorful maidens of the ten directions hold banners, the host of a hundred numinous Shen (spirits) guide the carriages, and jade youths accompany them. Dragon-shaped flags lead in front and tiger-shaped banners follow behind. Ahead is the Vermilion Bird, behind the Dark Warrior, to the left the Azure Dragon, and to the right the White Tiger; all these belong to the host of a hundred numinous spirits. Feathered robes flutter as the spirits of the eight directions play music. Here “eight black” refers to the orthodox realms of the eight directions; the spirits first prepare and clear the roads, opening the way for the immortal sages. Then they ascend to the lofty distant heavens and enter Taiwei.

Taiwei, the celestial palaces and offices, is located in the fifth of the Nine Heavens and is known as the Golden Star Wheel Vermilion Flower Official. It oversees the movements of the sun, moon, five planets, and constellations, and also administers the registers of life and death in the lower realms, reporting matters upward. The offices here are numerous, said to number around four hundred thousand.

The heights of Taiwei connect to the vast and remote heavens, where the wind, when it blows, produces sounds harmonious like the notes of sheng reeds and xiao pipes. The wind sounds of the upper Taiwei realm all resemble the music of sheng reeds; this scene is depicted as a realm of utmost bliss, naturally so. The palaces and pavilions are tall and profound, stacked in layers upon layers, exceptionally magnificent and splendid.

Lifespan becomes even more prolonged, clothing grows ever lighter and more ethereal, and the human body correspondingly becomes taller and more imposing. The circumstances of each of the Nine Heavens (the ninefold heavens of Daoism) change with every successive layer doubling in transformation.

The feathered robes (the feather-adorned garments worn by immortals) and ceremonial regalia of the Nine Heavens likewise increase in abundance, layer upon layer. The robes become even lighter, the body even taller, the colors even more vivid and magnificent, and the cycles of the sun and moon grow even more prolonged. This is attaining freedom through the mind: by circulating oneself through the power of intention, one is able to transcend the Three Realms (the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm).

By stilling the mind, clarifying principle, and cultivating the True Dao (the Way), one may become a sage. The Nine Practices of the Empty Gate (nine kinds of cultivation practices and gates of emptiness) record the cultivation standards of the True Person.

The so-called Nine Practices are the very ground on which the cultivator of the Dao settles body and establishes life. Whether in activity, rest, or daily observance, one must never depart from these nine practices, taking sincere compassion as clothing, stopping and gathering as food, an upright mind as vehicle, concentrated aspiration as wealth, humility as demeanor, accordance with righteousness as implements, attachment to wisdom as cavern, cultivation of emptiness as dwelling, and hidden giving (secret assistance without seeking return) as vocation. If those who cultivate the Dao do not uphold these Nine Practices, they will grow ever farther from the Dao.

Chapter Sixteen: The Nine Practices of the Empty Gate

The Nine Practices of the Empty Gate are the path leading to the realm of Ultimate Truth. The Great Dao does not contend or grow angry with people. Whether in activity or stillness, one must continuously uphold them without slackening; when the Yin Shen (the subtle inner spiritual power) reflects back upon oneself, it will constantly come to assist.

Holding the mind without cease, the Dao is easily accomplished.

The various practices appear to be undertaken with intention, yet one should not cling to mental conceptions; this is genuine application of the mind. By circulating oneself through intention and persisting constantly, the Yin Shen reflects back and will frequently come to assist.

Holding the mind without cease, the Dao is easily accomplished.

When the various practices do not cling to mental conceptions and one circulates through intention, one can return to the Heavenly Dao.

The so-called mind of no-mind is employing the mind’s intention by means of the mind’s intention. Although the Dao is without mind, it still requires the human mind’s intention in order to be perceived and put into practice.

Only by removing dust and attaining no-mind can one be called True.

The myriad affairs of the world cause the mind to be covered in dust; remaining undisturbed by affairs is itself the clearing away of dust. Removing mixed thoughts from the mind and stilling delusive thoughts, the various forms of cultivation then return to purity.

Following one’s own embryonic breathing (the subtle, deep, and prolonged state of respiration), one can enter the Heavenly Gate. In practicing embryonic breathing, doing good is the key, and no-thought is the highest path.

The Mysterious Origin of Correct Principle (the true path of the profound original source) is stored within the body; when the mind-ground is not biased or deviant, the physical form can conceal and transform, uniting with the True Dao.

The Dongxuan Jing says: “When the mind is without crookedness, the myriad Shen (spirits) will be abundant.”

When the three parts of the human body (upper, middle, and lower) are clear and empty, the original Qi (vital energy) becomes stable; the six fu-organs (the six viscera of the body) can likewise transform into a million spiritual beings.

When the Three Origins (Sanyuan)—the original Qi of the upper, middle, and lower sections of the body—remain quiet and at peace, the six fu-organs become harmonious and coordinated. When the true Qi (Zhenqi, the genuine vital energy within the body) gathers and returns, the myriad Shen (spirits) respond. As these two principles come into mutual accord, the various Shen dwelling in the five zang and six fu organs number as many as a million; they naturally refrain from conflicting with one another, and thus the myriad Shen become fully sufficient.

When the three sections of the body are clear, still, empty, and luminous, and the original Qi (Yuanqi) is firmly established, the six fu-organs naturally generate a million numinous Shen.

When the Three Origins are quiet, the six fu-organs coordinate themselves; when the true Qi gathers, the myriad Shen respond. With the two principles in harmony, the million Shen of the five zang and six fu organs naturally appear and echo one another.

Chapter Seventeen: The Myriad Shen of the Six Fu-Organs

The myriad Shen of the six fu-organs exist constantly.

Within the five zang and six fu organs, the hundred passes, and the nine joints dwell a million spirit beings. If one perseveres every day in the cultivation of stillness and clarity, these Shen will manifest themselves.

The large intestine governs the hall of the lungs.

This fu-organ stands first among the six and is the master of the Triple Burner (Sanjiao), the system that unifies the Qi-transformation functions of the body’s upper, middle, and lower sections.

When original Qi is regulated and set in motion, it completely transforms and digests the grains of food and drink.

If one employs original Qi to circulate and transform, why should one worry that the Qi of the grains will fail to disperse?

The numinous Shen within will naturally conceal themselves.

Once the zang and fu organs have become clear and still, the myriad Shen naturally withdraw into latency. Thus the Taoming Jing states: “The large intestine governs the lungs.” The center of the nasal column corresponds to the intestines. The large intestine weighs twelve liang, measures one zhang two chi in length and eight cun in width, lies to the left of the navel, coils in twelve layers, and can contain one dou two sheng of water and grain; it governs the twelve double-hours of the day. Twelve Shen reside within the large intestine, each clad in garments and caps that accord with its own nature. If the Qi of water and grain can be entirely eliminated, original Qi becomes abundant, these Shen appear, and they take turns according to the hours they govern in order to protect the practitioner of the Way.

Within the kidney fu there ought to be a luminous inner-palace maiden; outwardly it corresponds to the ears, which serve as its portals.

The Nei Shen Jing (Classic of Internal Spirits) states that Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are governed by the kidneys. The kidneys are the internal organs at the rear of the body, and among the internal Shen (spirits) a rank of female deities presides over them. The kidneys correspond to the ears, and kidney Qi manifests through the ear apertures. The left kidney belongs to Ren and the right to Gui; the Qi of the two kidneys circulates between the two ears, where five hundred Shen reside. The kidneys are guarded by the Yuanshen (the primordial Shen that governs the kidneys), which oversees and directs a person’s aspirations and wisdom. If a person frequently gives way to unrestrained joy or anger the kidneys are harmed; when the kidneys are damaged the will and Qi decline, and when the will declines one loses the very foundation of cultivating the Dao (the Way), whereupon the Yuanshen itself disperses. Practitioners therefore most strictly avoid impatience and outbursts of anger. Once the Dao has been successfully cultivated the internal Shen frequently appear within the body to protect the practitioner.

The bladder is the fu organ paired with the kidneys and also the portal through which the vital fluids enter and leave; the circulation of the Qihai (sea of Qi, the place where primordial Qi is stored) is an important pathway for the body’s Qi mechanism.

The bladder is the fu organ paired with the kidneys and governs the vital fluids. The kidneys and bladder combine, the bladder serving as the receptacle of those fluids; it corresponds upward to the root of the tongue. The vital fluids circulate within the body, continually moistening the skin and flesh. The tongue corresponds to the two sides of the bladder; if kidney Qi is insufficient the fluids fail to moisten adequately. Those who practice respiratory exercises should ordinarily speak little in order to conserve the vital fluids, for excessive speech dries them up; when the fluids are exhausted the breath becomes difficult to regulate. Within the bladder reside three hundred and sixty Shen, corresponding to the three hundred and sixty days of the year. When cultivation is accomplished and the internal Shen appear, one should constantly maintain an attitude of neither reckless seeking nor greedy desire. Therefore the cultivator of the Dao does not fix the mind on food, drink or sensual desires, so that body and mind may accord with the principles of the Shen. The Dadong Shengxuan Jing (Great Cavern Scripture of Ascending Mystery) says: “When conduct accords with the principles of the Shen, the Shen will manifest; when the Dao is successfully cultivated one may return to the heavenly realm.” These Shen appear of themselves when a person cultivates according to Taixi (embryonic breathing, the method of regulating the breath so that it becomes subtle, fine and prolonged), constantly protecting the practitioner and drawing him or her nearer to the Great Dao.

You ought to be able to see the manifested internal Shen; if throughout your life you never disclose the heavenly secrets, the Shen will frequently come to your aid.

Always carefully guard and never leak the heavenly secrets, and the celestial Shen will assist you.

Chapter Eighteen: Do Not Disclose the Heavenly Secrets

Carefully guard the heavenly secrets and concentrate the mind upon preserving the will. All scriptures and esoteric teachings transmitted from the heavenly realm must not be lightly passed on to others.

When encountering scriptures of the celestial realm, do not leak them lightly; they must be treated with the utmost caution.

The Daoyou Taiguang Jing (Scripture of the Dao Possessing Embryonic Radiance), a Daoist classic in thirty-three chapters, is known to few in the world. Even after death, it should still be regarded as one of the most secret portions of the Zhonghuang Zhenjing (True Scripture of the Central Yellow).

The Daoyou Taiguang Jing is strictly forbidden from casual transmission, and still more so the numinous and wondrous verses of the Zhonghuang Zhenjing, which are especially precious and must be treated with repeated caution.

Before reading the text, one should first pay ritual respects to the Three Perfected Ones (Sanzhen) and the Jade Immortal Envoy (Yuxianshi). According to the Jiaoling Ke (the regulations concerning scriptural teaching rituals), to reveal scriptures such as those of the Three Perfected Ones, one must first select a Jiazi day, burn incense in a quiet chamber, visualize in the mind the Nanhua Zhenren (Perfected One of Nanhua), and pray to the Nine Heavens True Saints (Jiutian Zhensheng) and the Three Heavens True Lords (Santian Zhenjun) to bear witness together. Then, with the hair bound, one performs four bows in ritual homage, and only then may the scripture be opened and revealed. Next one recites: “I, seeking the Dao (the Way), open the true writings of the Great Sage of the Nine Heavens and transmit them once. Thereby I receive the joint protection of the hundred spirits, my body returns to the Great Nonbeing (Taiwu), and my name is entered in the gates of the celestial realm. The scripture must not be transmitted to three persons—bear this firmly in mind!”

Scriptures are easily leaked. If one does not follow the regulations of scriptural teaching and reveals them casually, or treats them as ordinary writing to be read, one will incur disasters and punishments; the offense is by no means slight.

Those who violate the scriptural teachings will themselves meet with unexpected calamities, and their descendants will also suffer misfortune; therefore one must be cautious and restrained.

The remaining disasters and punishments will extend to descendants through generation after generation. One must greatly dread this! Greatly dread this!

End of the lower scroll of the Taiqing Zhonghuang Zhenjing (True Scripture of the Central Yellow of Grand Purity).

Note: The nine characters noted beneath the title—“composed by Jiuxian Jun (Lord of the Nine Immortals), annotated by Zhonghuang Zhenren (Perfected One of the Central Yellow)”—were originally absent; they were supplied by the editor according to conventional practice.