《太清服气口诀》

The lives of all things take form by receiving the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang and gather into their respective kinds. The circulation and transformation of Yin-Yang follow Yuanqi (primordial Qi, the fundamental Qi that generates all things), giving rise to the distinction between cold and heat. When the sun rises, a warm and luminous atmosphere manifests between heaven and earth, and all things grow as a result. When Taiyin (here referring to the moon) moves, a cool and austere Qi pervades heaven and earth, causing plants and living beings to wither. Nothing is born or perishes except through Qi. These phenomena frequently appear before the moon's movement, as those of insight well know. Thus it is said that one who can ingest Yuanqi will neither be harmed by Heaven nor constrained by Earth—this is truly precious.

If one can cause Yuanqi to communicate between the kidneys and the nose, and distribute and harmonize the Qi of Yin-Yang within the viscera, so that respiration is without error and the methods of nourishment do not stray, then one may hope to set forth on the path of longevity. The oral formula I now record is the method of ingesting Yuanqi. There remain certain secret instructions that can be transmitted only by word of mouth and cannot be committed to paper. Although what is written here is brief, it constitutes one of the essential formulas of this school. Those who aspire to this practice, once they have received the formula, must not disclose it lightly.

There are three barriers within the human abdomen. The first lies below the heart. Beginners in the practice of ingesting Qi (taking in and regulating Yuanqi through breathing) often experience fullness below the heart and in the stomach. By eating somewhat less and persisting in practice for a time, they will gradually feel the breath becoming unimpeded. The second barrier is below the viscera. At the outset one likewise feels abdominal fullness; after prolonged practice, the Qi will be felt descending to the Dantian (energy center) below the navel (the place where Qi gathers beneath the navel). Thereafter one senses Qi circulating throughout the body, though it has not yet entered the Jiu Zhong (an original term denoting the region between chest and abdomen). Still later, the Qi of the Jiu Zhong is felt circulating outward; it is said that at this stage one becomes able to treat the illnesses of others.

In the beginning one must settle the body in a quiet place and practice with single-minded concentration, without interruption. Once the Qi has entered the abdomen, practice may be continued while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. However, if the Qi in the stomach has not yet descended, one should not practice in other circumstances, or success will prove difficult.

When first practicing fuqi (the cultivation method of ingesting Qi (vital energy) by swallowing and regulating the breath), after inhaling one holds the breath for a moment, feeling as if the retained breath fills the chest and abdomen. Upon exhaling, only about two-thirds is released; one then pauses briefly before swallowing the Qi downward. This process is repeated until the abdomen feels full, at which point practice stops. Beginners should train four times daily—in the morning, at noon, at midnight, and in the evening—because the Qi has not yet entered the Dantian (energy center, the site of Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation below the navel). The mind-spirit is easily scattered, so repeated practice is needed to keep the breath continuously linked. Once the Qi has entered the Dantian, it will not readily dissipate even if practice is discontinued.

If the chest feels distended and full yet one has not reached the stage of stopping fuqi, holding and nibbling a little licorice or cinnamon in the mouth can also disperse the fullness. As the original Qi descends there is naturally a slight stuffy sensation.

Beginners in fuqi must practice four times each day. Morning and evening sessions employ both supine and prone postures, while midnight and noon use only the supine posture. In the supine position the pillow is kept low; one lies on the back with the feet drawn together and the knees pressed close, the hands placed beside the flanks, then swallows the Qi. Ten swallows at a time fill the Dantian. After swallowing one pauses briefly and uses intention to guide the Qi to the jiuzhong (original terminology referring to the region between chest and abdomen).

In the prone position the abdomen is pressed flat, a quilt is used to raise the chest, and the limbs are extended straight before swallowing the Qi. With each swallow, intention guides the Qi downward along the spine and through the viscera. Morning and evening practice each day begins with the prone posture followed by the supine; every swallow of Qi must be accompanied by a distinct vocal sound. The original text states that if one does not know how to coordinate the practice with vocalization, the effort will be in vain.

When swallowing Qi (vital energy), allow the Qi to descend slowly through the throat; do not swallow it forcefully, as this can easily cause coughing. After each swallow, pause for ten breaths. One may also pause to attend to other matters, proceeding calmly at one’s own pace. When swallowing Qi, do not swallow saliva along with it; swallow it dry. The fluids that arise in the mouth should be swallowed separately. When swallowing these fluids, coordinate with inhalation as well, and concentrate attentively so that the flow of Qi does not become disordered.

When first beginning to learn fuqi (the cultivation method of nourishing life through regulating the breath and swallowing Qi), one must first recite incantations and receive the transmitted formulas. After one has mastered it, there is no need to recite incantations for ordinary daily practice of fuqi; however, if treating others’ illnesses, one must recite the incantations each time.

In addition to the four daily sessions of fuqi, if at other times one feels insufficient Qi and strength in the abdomen, one may swallow extra Qi as desired.

When first beginning fuqi, while it is still unstable, Qi often leaks downward from the intestines and stomach. One should gather and restrain it so that it does not leak out, and use mental intention to guide the Qi to spread.

When first learning fuqi, the mind must be peaceful and at ease, free of doubts, fears, and worries. If one is afraid at heart, the Qi will not circulate easily.

After practicing fuqi, if the limbs and body feel harmonious and comfortable, one should rest content and not envy other things. In this way, conditions improve day by day, and one’s mood becomes very joyful.

When practicing fuqi, do not think of eating; keep the mind calm and unattached to food and drink. If thoughts of eating persist, restrain them as much as possible, treating them as if they did not exist. Without such restraint, the mind will remain fixed on food. When thirsty, one may prepare a decoction of bìlì (a drink made from the bìlì plant), add a little ginger, bring it to a boil once or twice more, and drink a bowl; thirst will then be relieved. One may also drink ginger-honey decoction. If one can restrain thoughts of eating, even when facing fine foods all day long, one will not dwell on them.

As long as fuqi is practiced regularly without interruption, so that the Dantian (energy center) always feels full, even going out to handle affairs during the day will not hinder it. After long practice, once it becomes habitual, occasionally missing one or two double-hours will not matter.

Each time one swallows Qi (vital energy), lie on the back to expel water and lie face-down to expel food. Food is stored on the right side and water on the left. Even going out every day to attend to affairs does not hinder the practice. After long practice and habituation, even an occasional interruption of one or two shichen (two-hour periods) is of no consequence.

When swallowing Qi has been practiced for a long time, the Qi naturally reaches the “Jiu Tou” (this is the name of a bodily location given in the scripture). While swallowing Qi, lie prone and visualize the Qi traveling downward along the spine, concentrating solely on its presence in the abdomen pressed close to the spine, listening to the sound of the breath as it proceeds all the way down as if entering a hidden repository deep within the body; at the same time allow the breath to descend from the right side.

If after swallowing Qi (vital energy) you feel distension in the abdomen, or if the Qi leaks downward and is difficult to control, there is no need to be concerned. The notion of allowing Qi to disperse from the crown of the head and the four limbs means that after prolonged practice one will naturally come to experience this; if no sensation has yet arisen, it is enough simply to visualize the movement of Qi in the mind. With long-term swallowing of Qi, as long as one feels Qi in the Dantian (energy center)—the gathering place of internal Qi in the lower abdomen—and a “peng-peng” sound is produced when it is tapped, this already counts as some success; even if there is still no sensation of fullness in the chest, it is acceptable. If one wishes the chest to feel full, one need only swallow more Qi. Qi travels through the body like a worm; after long practice one will naturally become aware of it, and there is no other method.

Someone asked how one can practice until it becomes as natural as eating. In the beginning it is more or less like this; after long practice, swallowing Qi becomes as natural as ordinary eating. After ingesting Qi, one should allow the Qi to circulate throughout the body, but without deliberately forcing it out; let it enter and exit of its own accord. If while attending to affairs one feels insufficient energy, one should swallow Qi, without waiting for any fixed hour.

The Jing (scripture/classic) further states that one may close the eyes and inwardly visualize whether the feces in the intestines have been completely expelled, yet even after fasting more than twenty days residue may still remain in the intestines, and only then will it be fully cleared. During the first fourteen days of fasting, one must still eat one or two meals of boiled vegetables each day in order to promote the expulsion of old stool. Each meal may consist of a bowl of alfalfa, mustard greens, turnips, wormwood, or similar vegetables; first remove the bitter juices, add a little ghee, then season moderately with salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, without adding grains such as rice or flour. After eating in this manner for four or five days, switch to drinking only vegetable broth, and after another three to five days cease eating altogether.

The Jing also says that once the abdomen is empty, one may drink some wine according to individual circumstances, and at the end drink an extra quantity so as to expel phlegm from the chest, considering that this will make the body fresher. Every day one should also consume Sichuan peppercorns, about one ge each time, carefully picking out the seeds, closed peppercorns, and dust; they may be taken with wine, water, ficus pumila (a plant name), or vegetable broth. It is said this helps to benefit Qi and to drive out impurities from the abdomen. Ginger has the function of dissolving food: while food still remains in the abdomen one may drink ginger decoction; once the food has been completely expelled, this should no longer be done. If the vegetables contain xiehao or huying (both plant names), they must not be eaten, for the Jing holds that they disturb the Qi of the human body.

When swallowing Qi, one lies supine, swallows the Qi into the intestines, and then guides it into the jiu (a bodily location mentioned in the Jing); when swallowing Qi while lying prone, one guides the Qi to emerge from the “cooked viscera” (the viscera as termed in the Jing). The Jing distinguishes the internal viscera of the human body as “cooked viscera” and “raw viscera,” and states that only after a month of practice does Qi begin to enter the intestines, producing faint sounds as it circulates through the winding, coiled intestines; only then is the practice considered to conform to the proper method.

The Jing further ranks quality according to the number of intestinal coils: a greater number of coils is superior; below twelve turns, from ten, nine, seven, and five down to three and two turns, the fewer the coils the inferior. It also maintains that people of lowly status have intestines that are wide and short; although their hearing is acute, they lack wisdom. “Kang” corresponds to cleverness and “short” to lack of wisdom; therefore long intestines are regarded as good, and if they are both short and thin, one is not considered a normal human being. These are the views expressed in the Jing.

Finally, the Jing correlates the viscera with Qi: the heart governs Shen (spirit) Qi, the liver governs forbidden Qi, the lungs govern killing Qi, the spleen governs Dao (the Way) Qi, and the kidneys govern original Qi; what is being swallowed at this moment is internal Qi.

Generally speaking, people with longer intestines find it easier to retain Qi (vital energy); those with shorter intestines find it more difficult to retain Qi.

When practicing the ingestion of Qi, if you feel churning and rumbling in the intestines, lie on your right side, place the bowl beside your right ribs, support your head with your right hand, and with your left hand draw your left foot so the left leg is bent while you stretch the body and the right leg. After swallowing the Qi, visualize it entering the right foot; this enables you to walk for a long time. Each time the Qi descends it produces a sound, as if flowing along the coiled and winding small intestine. Sounds also arise when it passes the bends; remember all these bends and count the faint sounds made as the Qi circulates. The lighter the sound, the better the Qi is circulating. The human intestines contain “four greens,” as well as jiekan (sites resembling joints or obstructions); the number of these jiekan should also be remembered.

Method for Distinguishing External Qi from Primordial Qi

Primordial Qi (the inner Qi of the human body) and external Qi (Qi inhaled from the outside) do not mix with each other. If the Qi that is swallowed is newly inhaled, after a short while it is expelled from below and cannot remain in the intestines. If, while circulating Qi, you feel that it has reached the head and the heat in the head then travels downward to the feet, the situation is the same.

If you first circulate Yang Qi, the feet feel cold first and then become hot. Why? Because Yang Qi expels Yin Qi, producing this sensation. If you first circulate Yin Qi, Yang Qi emerges first and the feet heat up like fire; only afterward do the feet feel cold. Other parts of the body may be understood analogously. If you can circulate Qi to the head, you can prevent wrinkles on the face. This teaching comes from the Laojun Taixu Taishang Wushang Ziran Taiqi Jing.

Lord Lao’s method of governing the body and guarding the One states: at midnight, when primordial Qi begins to arise, sweep the tongue across the teeth and then lick the lips up and down; inhale through the nose and swallow with the mouth. Repeat this twenty-seven times (three nines), and the generating Qi will circulate through all the hundred vessels of the body, conferring longevity.

The method of governing the body is as follows: after rising in the morning, first exhale, then rub both palms until warm and massage the forehead fourteen times with the warm palms. This is called “visualizing the Mud Pill” (cun Niwan, visualizing the Mud Pill Palace in the head) and makes the body’s Shen (spirits) complete.

Next, rub the hands warm and wipe the face fourteen times; this is called “dry bathing” and can expel evil Qi. The face is known as the “chi residence”; the Perfected Person dwells within it. One who can see the Perfected Person will not fall ill. Then rub the hands warm again and wipe the body fourteen times; this is called “bathing the body” and can expel cold winds.

Next, rub the two hands together until they grow warm, then comb and massage the hair upward from the forehead twenty-one times. Visualize and guard the spirit of the hair in the mind; this is called “bathing the head.” It is said that this practice keeps the hair from turning white and even allows fallen teeth to grow back.

Then rub the hands warm again and, crossing them from below the ears, massage both ears upward twenty-one times; this is said to sharpen hearing and brighten the eyes.

Each ear has two spirits, named Jiaonü (Delicate Maidens).

Method of Guarding the Body and Guarding the One: Upon rising in the morning and after dressing, comb and massage the head with the hands while reciting: “Great auspiciousness, long life, all illnesses eliminated and healed, gathering at the Gate of Blessing, the five viscera in harmony, free from worries and troubles; all the spirits observe purification and follow my body, causing me to reach old age without fearing people.” After reciting, step down from the bed, first with the left foot while saying “Qian ci,” then the right foot saying “Yuan ci,” the left foot saying “Heng ci,” the right foot saying “Li ci,” and finally the left foot saying “Zhen ji.” Then recite together: “Qian Yuan Heng Li Zhen. The body is lord of the myriad spirits; the Jade Door appears; great auspiciousness in broad daylight; what is hoped for is obtained.” After reciting, quietly guard.

“Qian, Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen” are the hexagram statements of the Qian hexagram in the Yijing. Reciting them in coordination with the steps forms a daily cultivation method that joins oral formulas with physical movements. In the original text this passage contains repetitions from transmission and copying, and some wording may contain errors.

The method of guarding the One also includes constantly cherishing primordial Qi, speaking cautiously so that more Qi is inhaled than exhaled, thereby nourishing primordial Qi through the breath; concentrating the mind upon primordial Qi ultimately brings long life.

In the method of guarding the One, lying down and rising must accord with the changes of the four seasons and solar terms. In spring and summer rise early, like a rooster with the dawn; in autumn and winter rise later, waiting until sunlight appears, without growing weary. To violate this rhythm of rest and activity damages the body.

The incantation for commanding the body spirits.

Respectfully summon and command the Five Viscera and Six Bowels within my body, the Nine Palaces and Twelve Shen (spirit) Chambers, together with the four limbs and five bodily constituents, the sinews and bones, marrow and cerebral marrow, skin and blood vessels, orifices and Ying-Wei Qi (the vital energy circulating within and without the vessels), the one hundred eighty muscle-and-joint sites, the three hundred sixty bone joints, the one thousand two hundred bodily forms and images, the twelve thousand streams of Jing (essence) Qi luminosity, as well as the Three Hun souls on the left, the Seven Po souls on the right, and the Three Ghosts and Five Shen.

Let the Vermilion Bird (the southern divine bird) be placed upon the head, the Dark Warrior (the northern divine beast) tread beneath the feet, the Azure Dragon supporting from the left and the White Tiger guarding from the right. The Azure Dragon assists in receiving, the White Tiger assists in seeing off; the Vermilion Bird goes before to lead the way while holding banners and streamers, and the Dark Warrior follows after bearing bells and drums.

May my heart remain uninvaded by evil Qi, my liver unharmed by illness, my lungs unassailed by wickedness, my kidneys unconfused, my spleen undamaged, my gallbladder Qi unstartled, and my stomach uninvaded by defilement. Let my breath be aroused and unfurled, and further apply the techniques of Daoyin. May the object of this prayer swiftly come to pass.

Should one tread upon filthy matter or enter an unclean place, one must bathe, rinse the mouth, loosen the garments and wash the body in order to remove the pollution. The method consists of taking ten liang of bamboo leaves and four liang of the white inner bark of the peach tree, boiling them in one hu and two dou of clear water until the liquid comes to a single boil, then allowing it to cool to a comfortable temperature for use in bathing; this is said to be capable of eliminating filth.

If the hair is to be washed, one may not rely solely upon this bathing “lian-shi su-jiang” (the plain slurry employed for washing corpses); the present instruction refers to its use in bathing the body. The hair should still be washed according to the ordinary procedure.