《玄珠心镜注(王损之)》

The Xuanzhu Xinjing Zhu is a Daoist scripture, titled as transmitted by Changsun Zi, the woodcutter of Mount Wangwu, and annotated by Qizhenzi Wang Sunzhi. A preface written by Changsun Zi in the twelfth year of the Yuanhe era of Tang Emperor Xianzong (817 CE) appears at the beginning of the book, from which it can be known that the work was roughly composed in the Tang dynasty. The entire book consists of one volume, with the base text taken from the Zhengtong Daozang in the Dongxuan section under the category of various arts.

The youngest daughter of Cui Gong, Prefect of Fenzhou, said: “When I was young I married Lu Chui, a native of Fanyang. Lu Chui held office in Fujian. A little more than a year after we were wed, I said to him: ‘Although I was born into this world and outwardly appear an ordinary woman, I was originally a celestial maiden who served as attendant scribe beside the Jade Emperor of the Golden Palace. At every autumnal equinox I would lead the immortals of the celestial palace in registering the names of those who cultivate the Dao (the Way), and in examining whether they held fast to their sincere devotion—the ardent heart of the practitioner. Many among them had fallen because they were stained by desire. I and three attendant maidens of the same palace once discussed these matters in private, and little by little we came to see the defilement of worldly passion.

‘The heavenly beings of the Form Realm and the Desire Realm still, when they meet with external conditions, engage in union; but the scribe-maidens of the Jade Emperor belong to the Formless Realm. Their bodies are generated from the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of pure Yang; they have no desire and do not know the way of husband and wife among humans. When we registered those who cultivate the Dao in the celestial palace, we often saw many fall through desire, and we sighed in indignation. Because we discussed these things privately, the celestial palace reproached us for having given rise in our hearts to the first stirrings of desire, and banished us to the lower world to be reborn as mortal women. All three of us were sentenced to become wives of the Lu family for a term of twenty-three years. Now the term is nearly complete, and I ought to sever the bonds of affection with you and still all lingering thoughts.’ She often lived alone in a single room, never entering her husband’s quarters, and she told him her origins and her name from her former life.

‘Sometimes at midnight Lu Chui heard people speaking in the room and quietly looked in. He saw several women in garments of ancient style sitting together in a circle, pointing at him and sighing. They spoke Sanskrit, which Lu Chui could not understand; he saw only that their skin, hair, and clothes all shone with light, while his wife alone was without radiance. After daybreak he told his wife what he had seen. She said: “The true immortals of the heavens all speak Sanskrit.” When Lu Chui questioned her further, she said: “If you rashly disclose these matters, we shall all be punished.”

‘She said again to Lu Chui: “Before long I shall be summoned back by the Most High (Taishang). I shall return my Shen (spirit) to the formless, serve the Jade Emperor once more, and go back to Jade Purity (Yuqing). Do not disclose this matter, lest you cause my parents to pine.” Lu Chui kept her secret throughout.

‘Later, one day, she was downcast and unhappy, and said to Lu Chui: “The matter is already urgent. If I do not tell my parents, I shall be unfilial.” She then opened a red chest, took out the Huangting Neijing Jing (Scripture of the Inner Landscape of the Yellow Court), a Daoist classic of inner cultivation, and presented it to Cui Gong, saying: “The lifespan of your honored wife ends on the seventeenth day of the third month. Only the Neijing Jing can preserve her; yet even if it is recited ten thousand times, it can extend life by only twelve years.” Cui Gong asked in astonishment: “How do you know the span of my life? I once met an extraordinary person who told me the term of my years, but I have never dared speak of it, and my heart has been greatly anxious. What do you intend to do?”

‘The young woman then set out three tables, spread layer upon layer of sitting mats, prepared a white brush, and made ready to write ten thousand petition documents—writings that request the protection of the gods—for ritual intercession, summoning the celestial official of the Southern Dipper who presides over the reckoning of human lifespan. She had Cui Gong dress neatly and pray once more for an extension of years. In Cui Gong’s topknot were hidden three vermilion robes; when the libationer had completed the offering, she took the petition documents and departed. Thereafter her parents both felt that she was no ordinary person. She still said: “Now that a celestial secret has been disclosed, I cannot remain long in the human world.”

‘A little more than a month later she died. When the coffin was lifted at the burial, it was found to contain nothing at all; only her clothes remained inside, left behind like a shed husk.’

Chu Chui was astonished by this matter and therefore asked his wife about the arts of the Dao. His wife left behind one chapter of the Poem on Guarding the One, saying: “In the world there are methods for cultivating blessings and accumulating De (Virtue), yet few people truly understand the Dao. When you reach the Bingshen year, at the time when wondrous opportunities and cyclic destinies coincide, you will encounter an extraordinary person, Lord Langya, who will surely explain this poem to you. At present you have not yet entered the Daoist community, so it is not permissible to discuss the teachings of Wuwei (non-action) with you.”

Chang Ye likewise asked his wife about the arts of the Dao. His wife left the same chapter of the Poem on Guarding the One and spoke the same words. A friend of Zhangsun Juze related: “Xizhenzi Wang Jun once went to the outskirts of Shaan and met Chui. Chui recounted in detail his wife’s circumstances and also presented the Poem on Guarding the One to consult Wang Jun. Upon seeing the poem Wang Jun was greatly astonished and said: ‘This is the secret principle of the innately endowed true Dao; it cannot be fully explained in a hasty manner.’ He then elucidated the meaning of the poem sentence by sentence, composing it into a written work titled the Mysterious Pearl Heart Mirror. This was in the Dingyou year of the Yuanhe era, and Chui received this text.” After hearing Wang Jun’s account, Juze organized the complete sequence of events into a biography and listed the profound and hidden meanings among the various chapters and verses.

The Poem on Guarding the One

The original source of attaining the One,

The “One” is a name reluctantly given to the Heavenly Dao (the Way), and it is also the root of the generation and transformation of all things. It is the primordial Qi (vital energy) at the beginning of Heaven and Earth, also known as Great Space (Taikong), Great Non-Being (Taiwu), Great Void (Taixu), Great Beginning (Taishi), and Great Origin (Taichu), and is likewise called “Nature” (Ziran). Laojun held that this primordial Qi is formless and imageless, impossible to describe by any concrete name, and is therefore reluctantly termed the “One,” and also called the Dao.

Primordial Qi is the foundation at the initial stage of Taiwu; through transformation it produces the Mysterious Origin (Xuanyuan), also called “Nature.” Nature is the root of the Heavenly Dao. In the Xisheng Jing, Laojun states: “The highest filial piety may be said to consist in nurturing the mother. If one can constantly nurture the mother, the body will endure long.” The scripture further says: “Emptiness and Non-being generate Nature, Nature generates the Dao, and the Dao generates the myriad things; all things embrace the One in order to come into being.”

Being takes Non-being as its root, Non-being takes Emptiness as its root, Emptiness takes the Dao as its root, and the Dao takes Nature as its root. Nature is the foundation of immortal cultivation and also the profound source of the transformation and generation of all things. What the Daode Jing calls “attaining the One” is obtaining this origin. Those who can constantly nurture the “Mother”—that is, the root of Nature—are able to employ its mysterious functions.

“Knowing the white and guarding the black” means knowing the purity and brightness of the pure Yang Qi, yet guarding the inner, profound root; holding to it constantly without reckless movement, one ultimately returns to the Wuji. “White” refers to the pure Yang Jing (essence) Qi; “Black” refers to the Yin Qi within the human body, including the Qi of the five viscera and the Triple Burner (Sanjiao). The commentary further calls it the “Divine Elixir of Nine Revolutions and Eight Jades,” stating that the elixir splendor resides in the Niwan Palace (the inner cultivation site in the head) within the Jade Chamber. Practitioners who nourish it also term it the “True Qi of the Eight Purities.”

Those who study the Dao, while knowing the “white,” must also guard the “black.” At the beginning of guarding the black, the Qi in the body seems pitch-black; with continued practice the Yin Qi gradually disperses, until finally the Yin Qi is exhausted and the pure Yang Qi becomes luminous within the body. At that point, closing the eyes and withdrawing the gaze, it is said one can see the inner palaces of the five viscera and also perceive the thirty-six thousand blood vessels. The scripture holds that each vessel possesses its own spirit, appearing with complete clarity. At this moment the primordial Shen (spirit) is pure, still, empty, and luminous, communicating with the Dao.

Once spiritual communication is attained, one can freely expand or contract, appear while seated and vanish while standing, move in and out between Being and Non-being, and even differentiate into countless forms. The scripture describes this as understanding the origin of “attaining the One,” nurturing the root, knowing white and guarding black, guarding the black without confusion, and ultimately returning to the Wuji.

Only by comprehending the origin of the “One” can one avoid failing oneself. The Dongling Zhenjing states: “Having obtained the origin of the One, Heaven cannot be relied upon, Earth cannot be relied upon, and humans cannot be relied upon; only the origin of attaining the One can be trusted.” The reason the Dao is trustworthy is that those who guard the One can render the body empty and still, make the mind empty and bright, neither looking, hearing, speaking, nor eating, constantly maintaining emptiness and Wuwei (non-action), and concentrating the Shen within. Only this constitutes skill in holding to the origin of attaining the One.

Through such cultivation the primordial Qi of the initial Heavenly Dao naturally gathers into the body of the one who guards the One, governing and nourishing his nature and life. At this time the person feels the Shen communicating with the Dao, transforming without obstruction; the inner state attained cannot be fully expressed in words. The Xisheng Jing says: “If a person can remain empty and practice Wuwei, even without deliberately seeking the Dao, the Dao will naturally return.” These words are indeed well founded.

Laojun said to Master Wenshi: “The Dao that I contemplate and seek originally issues from a place of profound obscurity and remoteness.” Here “Yaoming” refers to guarding the black. Ordinary people, in their ignorance, fail to grasp this principle and instead imagine they already understand it. In reality they do not know that cultivating the Heavenly Dao requires guarding its black, guarding its Yaoming; Yaoming signifies emptiness, Wuwei, and stillness. Even calculations according to the calendar cannot accord with it. Thereafter, within the empty stillness of Wuwei, through the resonance of sincerity, one can condense into the form of an immortal.

Ignorant people in the world think that as long as they eat their fill every day and remain idle, they need not practice diligently, nor concentrate their spirit in emptiness and stillness. They merely stretch out their legs to sleep, indulge their temperament, pass the days, and refrain from doing evil, considering this to be cultivating the Dao (the Way). They further hope to be reborn into a better family in the next life, obtain blessed rewards, and wait for things to take their natural course so that they may attain the Dao. There are a great many such people.

They transmit mistaken ideas among themselves and deceive themselves, willingly falling into the cycle of birth and death. These are merely people who crave ease and possess low character, or who only cultivate blessed rewards and perform good deeds on the surface. Generation after generation they grow old and withered, their complexion fades, and they end in death; bound by the physical body, even after hundreds of millions of kalpas they find it difficult to have a day of liberation. Only when they face death, afflicted by illness and hardship, do they still complain that the Great Dao lacks compassion. This is precisely the behavior of ignorant people. As for those whom the world calls deaf and blind, are they only people whose bodies are deaf or blind? Such people have limited vision; they both mislead themselves and mislead others, which is truly pitiable.

How could they know that the wondrous functioning of the Heavenly Dao exists in profound emptiness, stillness, purity, austerity, and simplicity! The practitioner must cause the Ying-Wei Qi (vital energy circulating inside and outside the body) within to continue without interruption, seeming both to exist and not to exist; cause the empty and still body and mind to seem as if destroyed and then reconstituted, dying and then coming back to life; Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) interact and constantly change, thereby generating the myriad conditions of things. What is called “the conditions of things” is the image that embodies the true suchness of the Great Dao, such as the Golden Flower Superior Immortal (the image of immortal true persons spoken of in Daoism).

This means that in cultivation one temporarily sets aside affairs outside the body, allowing the mind to enter a state of profound stillness and stability, not clinging to any thing but concentrating and focusing the spirit; only then can one be said to have obtained the origin of “attaining the One.” The Daodejing (Jing, scripture/classic) says: “The breath of guarding the One continues, as if it exists.” Unfortunately, those who hold to the origin of the “One” often are not diligent enough in their efforts.

Generally speaking, those who practice guarding the One must first set aside affairs outside the body, let the body lie at ease on the pillow and mat, and bring body and mind into profound stillness and concentration. The body is like withered wood, the mind-spirit returns to emptiness and stillness, and only then can the breathing become long, fine, and subtle, remaining silent and unmoving. After prolonged stillness and skillful guarding of the Qi (vital energy) within the body, until the breath circulates in fullness, one will perceive the heavenly light appearing from within.

At this point body and mind sink into stillness, reaching a state of extreme stability. Therefore the Nanhua Zhenjing (the Daoist honorific title for the Zhuangzi) says: “When the mind is peaceful, at ease, still and settled, the heavenly light will appear.” The person will then exhibit a state different from that of ordinary people. If this can be achieved, the practice of guarding the One will succeed. The “yu” spoken of here refers to the body that the practitioner of guarding the One is about to shed.

Once the cultivation of guarding the One has attained profound stillness and stability and has continued for a long time, the heavenly light illuminates from within. The practitioner seems to leave the physical body-shell, gathers the gaze to look inward, and feels that the original Shen (spirit)—the fundamental spirit of the person—condenses and takes form within the shed shell. Its appearance is the same as in ordinary life, only more dignified, solemn, and youthful. At this time flames of light encircle the outside of the body, while inside it seems as if thousands of bodily forms have differentiated. Then the Most High summons Taiyi (a venerated Daoist deity), registers the person’s name in the Golden Palaces (heavenly palaces), causing liberation from the form-shell and ascent to heaven, where the person goes to the Golden Palaces to receive an immortal office and become a True Person of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). In this light, what is said in Cui Nü’s “Poem on Guarding the One” is not false.

The foundation of Shouyi (guarding the One, that is, holding to the original source and concentrating the spirit with undivided attention) and the teaching of Wuwei (non-action) were originally established for those of superior wisdom who possess a profound understanding of the Dao (the Way); they are not something ordinary people can comprehend. When a person of lofty wisdom and great illumination hears of the Great Dao, they are able to sit upright in stillness among the cloudy groves, rendering the body empty and quiet while clearing the inner mind, concentrating the spirit in a profound and mysteriously distant realm so as to attune with the gate of all wonders. The orthodox teaching of the heavenly Dao stands in complete opposition to the aspirations of those who pursue worldly glory and contend for fame and profit; therefore the latter cannot be permitted to glimpse the path that leads to the heavenly Dao.

The Daode Jing says that one who practices Shouyi has a physical form that is pure, still, and detached, while the Shen (spirit) and soul seem both present and absent. Within the indistinct there is nevertheless something; within the dimness there is nevertheless an image. In the profound darkness there is Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy); this Jing-Qi is authentic and not illusory, and within it there is a reliable verification. The so-called “xin” (verification) is a concealed name for the heart-seal of Taishang Dadao Yuchen Jun (the Jade Dawn Lord of the Supreme Great Dao, a revered Daoist deity), the essential credential for transmitting the methods of the Dao; the “seal” itself is the root of Shouyi, which is none other than the original Shen, the infant-like pure demeanor, and the image of the Great Dao.

If people of the world can recognize the heavenly Dao, take the heavenly Dao as their mind, hold to the original source and nourish the root of the Dao, cultivating diligently without slackening, they will ultimately return to the realm of Wuji (the Limitless) and non-being. Then the image of the Great Dao will manifest, and the infant-like pure form will concentrate the spirit and take shape. This is called the “supreme image of the Dao,” and it is also the realm of the “immortal of the Golden Flower.”

The Taishang Neijing Jing states that the root of Shouyi is the heart-seal of the Most High. When the scripture speaks of the heart-seal, it says: “The Perfected One wears a golden kerchief.” These five characters are the heart-seal of Taishang Yuchen Jun. The heart-seal is made into a tablet of red jade, with characters traced in gold thread, and then transmitted to inner-chamber disciples. Lord Lao transmitted this heart-seal to Yin Xi, the Master of Literary Beginnings; thereafter it was secretly passed to the various immortal Perfected and sages, who dared not write the heavenly secret openly on bamboo and silk.

To hold this heart-seal is to hold the root of Shouyi, and it is also to enter the gate of the heavenly Dao. All the highest sages and lofty Perfected enter through this gate. This gate is the root and original source of the heavenly Dao, occupying a position of supreme elevation.

The Zhen Gao records that during the Former Han there was a man from the Central Peak named Zhou Xiye. He wore tattered clothes, concealed his name, and behaved like a madman. He often sang on the main roads: “The Zhenren wears a golden kerchief on his head, strikes the heavenly drum, and enters the heavenly gate.” The ministers and high officials of the Han court heard this song and all found it strange. They discussed and interpreted it among themselves, yet no one could grasp its meaning. Only Marquis Liu (Zhang Liang) recognized that he was an immortal, so he requested leave from the court, changed into ordinary clothes, and went to visit him. Zhou Xiye invited him into a secret chamber, privately transmitted certain teachings to him, and arranged to meet later at the Xiaoyou Grotto-Heaven on Mount Song.

After Marquis Liu had assisted Emperor Gaozu of Han in accomplishing the great founding of the dynasty, he sought to avoid fame and high office. He abandoned his family estate, entered the Xiaoyou Grotto-Heaven on Mount Song, and devoted himself wholly to the cultivation of Shouyi. In the end he attained the Dao (the Way) and became the Ziyang Zhenren.

According to the Inner Biography of Lord Su, Immortal Minister Shu, after Lord Su had cultivated and attained the Dao he went to the Jinque (Golden Portal of the immortal palaces) to receive scriptures. He then boarded a soaring chariot, crossed the vast ocean of the Giant Spirit, and traveled west to ascend Yanshan. Entering the Ziyang Palace, he paid homage to the Zhenren Zhang Zifang. Zhang Zifang ordered a serving maiden to open the cloud-wrapped satchel, take out ten volumes of the Longta Jing (scripture), and present them to Lord Su.

In summary, the essential purport of Shouyi cultivation is to guard the Canghai, travel west to ascend Yanshan, enter the Ziyang Palace, and pay respects to the Zhenren Zhang Zifang; Zhang Zifang then commands a serving maiden to open the cloud satchel, take out the ten volumes of the Longta Jing, and transmit them to Lord Su.

In summary, to hold fast to the Origin of the One is to guard the primordial Shen (spirit)—the original spirit of the human being—within empty stillness and Wuwei (non-action). The Neijing Jing (Inner Landscape scripture) says: “The primordial Shen is the verification in the heart-mind of realizing the Origin of the One.” It also says that the path to immortality is not something that comes about of itself, but depends on sincere single-mindedness and sustained practice. Only by turning the gaze inward can one realize what is real in the obscure and subtle depths; the Zhenren (Perfected Person) is within oneself and need not be sought outside. By gathering Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) and nurturing Neidan (internal alchemy), Shen and Qi can be generated and transformed; by preserving embryonic breathing and stopping the dissipation of Jing and Qi, one can extend one’s years and prolong life.

To hold fast to the Origin of the One is not a matter of deliberately emptying the body, suffering in vain, or sitting in silent contemplation through long years; one need only make the heart-spirit quiet, still, and profound. The Origin of the One possesses numinous response and authentic sincerity; it is without form or appearance, yet it can be realized, though it cannot be seen directly.

It is said to “possess numinous response” because the primordial Shen has subtle awareness, enabling a person to know the Heavenly Dao (the Way). It is said to “possess authentic sincerity” because the original nature is still and yet able to respond and communicate, allowing the human spirit to connect with the Heavenly Dao. It is said to be “without form” because it is hidden and latent, capable of transformation. It is said to be “invisible” because it is like Xiangwang (the Formless—an existence without form or image, difficult to grasp). It is said to be “realizable” because the practitioner can obtain the mysterious pearl (the treasure that symbolizes the true meaning of the Great Dao).

To hold fast to the Origin of the One is to cause the pure-yang Jing and Qi within the body to respond and coagulate, transforming into the primordial Shen, which then undergoes hidden and subtle change. The primordial Shen is called “the Utterly Marvelous,” and is also called the Dharmakaya of True Suchness (the body that embodies true original nature). After cultivation is accomplished, it is as if a circular light rests upon the crown of the head, its radiance spreading throughout the entire body like a flaming pearl. The Laojun Xisheng Jing (Scripture of the Western Ascent of Lord Lao) says: “Although the Heavenly Dao cannot be seen, the principle of extending life has already been made manifest.” Knowing that life cannot last long, a person should therefore use the Origin of the One to guard life. If one unites the Origin of the One with oneself, one can become an immortal, abide long with the Dao, and transcend life and death.

These things are not received directly from Heaven.

This passage states that there are people in the world who pursue the ultimate Dao (the Way). They discipline themselves with arduous effort and cultivate with unwavering firmness, their aspiration remaining constant. Once they encounter someone who understands the Heavenly Dao and receive the mind-seal transmission from Taishang (the Supreme One, a venerated Daoist deity), thereby grasping “the Origin of the One” (the primordial source of all things and the foundation of the practice of guarding the One), then even the most minute, subtle, and difficult questions can be understood. At that point one may respectfully seek instruction from the teacher and take a vow to receive the Dao.

After thoroughly discerning the Heavenly Dao, one must hold fast to “the Origin of the One,” accumulating meritorious practice and refining the physical form. Such a person understands that the functioning of the Dao becomes increasingly manifest; body, mind, and Shen (spirit) become unobstructed and at ease. One also feels one’s appearance returning to youthful freshness, the body becoming younger, and lifespan exceeding ordinary human limits. This is called “knowing the Dao.” Cultivating in this manner, one attains the Dao; there is no need to wait further for Tianzhen (the innate natural Dao) to descend, as though only after the master has personally instructed does one then begin to guard “the Origin of the One.”

The Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascent) says: If people of the world know how to hold fast to “the Origin of the One,” they can thoroughly comprehend the principles of Heaven and there is nothing they do not know. Such persons possess a vast capacity that encompasses all things and an insight into the minute that enters everywhere. When speaking of the generation and transformation of life and its mysterious origin, there is likewise nothing of the principles of Heaven they do not understand.

If anyone in the world cultivates “the Origin of the One,” they can obtain “unknowing.” Here “unknowing” is to be understood according to the original text as “unknowing”; the following text then states that in the great there is nothing they do not encompass, in the subtle nothing they do not enter, and when discussing the mysterious origin of the generation and transformation of life there is likewise nothing of the principles of Heaven they fail to comprehend.

In this world there are those who cultivate the “Yuan of the One” (holding fast to the primordial, purely unified Qi and concentrating the spirit with single-minded focus), and they may thereby attain the Dao (the Way). Why is this so? Because they hold to the Yuan of the One, their mind remains empty and in Wuwei (non-action); they concentrate spirit and thought in stillness and guard the spirit in profound, mysterious depths. After many years the primordial Shen (spirit) condenses into form and unites with the person’s original body. Such a person’s primordial Shen has already become numinous and wondrous, able to communicate with the Heavenly Dao. Once that communication is established, they can freely command life and death while sitting or standing, manifest a thousand bodies, and pass in and out of existence and non-existence. Thus those who cultivate the Dao can attain it by this means.

The so-called “Yuan of the One” is the purely subtle, profound and unfathomable state of Heaven and primordial Qi before they have manifested; it is also the fundamental primordial Shen that generates all things. Holding to the Yuan of the One is extremely arduous and tedious, silent and solitary, with nothing to rely upon. Later students of the Dao, unless blessings have been transmitted from distant ancestors, they have accumulated merit and De (Virtue/Power) and secretly correspond with the Dao, will find it hard to hold to it single-mindedly and practice diligently without alteration. The reason is that holding to the Yuan of the One requires concentrating the spirit in dark, silent stillness, keeping the mind clear, idle and detached, unattached to external things; one neither looks, nor listens, nor eats, nor speaks, eliminating only the restless deluded mind while leaving the inner nature of luminous awareness intact. Hence it is said that understanding how to hold to the Yuan of the One is not difficult, yet truly cultivating it is very difficult, because it is dry and flavorless, running counter to the worldly mind.

Most people of the world prize purposeful activity and crave its flavor, and so they willingly fall into the cycle of birth and death. The Daodejing says, “The Dao of Heaven has no favorites; it always associates with the good.” The “good people” spoken of here are not merely those who practice the Five Constants in isolation, but those born with complete blessings, excellent endowments, and outstanding moral character and talent. The perfectly good are those of good talent, good circumstances, good intelligence, good appearance and nature, good wisdom, and virtuous conduct. Such people nevertheless restrain their radiance and do not display their sharpness; they hide insight deep within while outwardly accomplishing benevolence and De. They value self-cultivation above all and do not take governing the world as their primary concern; they are outstanding figures who stand apart from the mundane.

When they take office they are respected throughout the realm, occupy high positions of conspicuous power, assist the ruler in governing the state and bring peace to the world. When they withdraw they roam freely among mountains, forests and clouds, content with Heaven’s mandate, realizing the Great Dao, and taking the Celestial Perfected Great Shen as teachers and friends. Recent examples include Zhang Liang, Marquis of Liu and Chancellor of the Han; Fan Li, Chancellor of Yue; Wei Boyang, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince of Wu; Tao Hongjing, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince of Song; Ge Hong (Ge Zhichuan), Left Cavalier Attendant-in-ordinary of the Eastern Jin; Xu Yufu, Chief Clerk of the Princely Household; and Tang Ruoshan, Censor-in-chief of the Tang. All of them could regard abandoning the world as casting off old clothes, leave their households to dwell in mountain forests, seek teachers and visit the Dao, and ultimately never return to the dusty world, ascending to the immortal realm. Since the Zhou, Qin, Han and Wei dynasties such good people have been too numerous to count; only a few are cited here as models.

Those whose blessings and endowments fall short of these good people will find it very difficult, if they rely solely on their own strength, to cultivate the superior Dao, hold to the Yuan of the One and become immortals at once. People of medium or lower endowment, when receiving Qi in the mother’s womb, possess insufficient true Qi and a greater share of deviant Qi; their wisdom is not sharp, their insight is shallow, they easily deceive and display strength, their judgments are biased, and they are often drawn by selfish thoughts toward misfortune. Even if they happen to hear of the Heavenly Dao they often half-believe and half-doubt. If someone truly believes and strives to cultivate, it is because they can resist deviant Qi with strong yang Qi and so are not overwhelmed by it. If they cannot strive to resist, they can only resign themselves to the cycle of birth and death and remain long in the sea of suffering; yet to abandon the path of immortality on that account is perhaps also inappropriate.

Those of profound blessings and De and perfect endowments did not obtain their good fortune by chance. They too began from thin blessings and shallow fate, changed their destiny through diligent cultivation, accumulated good fortune and gradually planted the seeds of blessing and De. The path of accumulating blessings lies in accumulating De and practicing benevolence, loving all things with compassion, relieving the people by means of the Dao, assisting the ruler in governing the realm, cultivating the field of blessings in the heart, accumulating unknown meritorious deeds and forming good affinities. That a person can know and hold to the Yuan of the One is neither innate nor accidental, but because they studied the Dao in previous lives, accumulated merit and accumulated benevolence, and the blessings have been transmitted to their descendants.

During the Xingning era of the Eastern Jin, seventy-seven Celestial Perfected High Immortals descended to the meditation chamber of Perfected Yang Xi. Chief Clerk Xu was a disciple of Master Yang and, through his teacher, was able to communicate with the Celestial Perfected and converse with the High Immortals. He therefore took the opportunity to ask how those who have not yet studied immortality might enter the immortal Dao, so that later students would have something to follow.

Chief Clerk Xu asked Perfected Pei of Qingling: “When people of the world study the Dao, from what gateway should they begin?” Perfected Pei replied: “The key lies in ming and fen (destiny and allotted share).” Chief Clerk Xu asked: “From where do ming and fen come?” Perfected Pei answered: “They lie in practicing hidden De (doing good secretly without seeking reward) and in establishing a heart of benevolence and goodness.” Chief Clerk Xu asked again: “From which scripture does the teaching of practicing hidden De and establishing a good heart come?” Perfected Pei replied: “It comes from the Taishang Taiqing Xiaomo Jing. This scripture has not yet been transmitted to the human world. What it says about ‘cultivating the field of blessings in the heart and thereby ascending to immortality’ is precisely this principle. When accumulated hidden De reaches one thousand, one person among the descendants will attain the Dao; when it reaches five hundred, one among the grandchildren will attain the Dao. This is receiving the remaining blessings of ancestors, with hidden De flowing to descendants.”

Even so, although blessings have been accumulated, if the person about to become an immortal still has ancestors of seven generations who bear sins, and the culpability implicates descendants, they cannot be permitted to pass Donghua (an important pass in the Daoist immortal realm). At such a time one must receive the remaining blessings of the ancestors, encounter a sagely teacher of bright De and obtain the transmission of the Yuan of the One; at the same time, on every Autumnal Equinox one must remove the cap and expose the head beneath the constellations, weep and kowtow in prayer to the Supreme Mystery (the highest deities of the celestial realm), and beg the immortals who confer registers to pardon the accumulated sins of the parents of seven generations. If one can continuously and earnestly petition the Immortal Officials (the divine offices in charge of immortal registers and examinations), the blessings and good fortune of the ancestors will flow to and benefit the descendants; whether the sins are great or small they can all be pardoned. The souls of the parents of seven generations can then be permitted to pass Donghua, and their Jing (essence) and earthly souls can be reborn in the Southern Palace. Only then do descendants have the opportunity to become immortals. This is the principle of cultivating blessings and De through good deeds so that parents and descendants together benefit and ascend to immortality; it is not without limits.

Therefore if later students of immortality encounter a sagely teacher and receive the transmission of the Yuan of the One, it is not by chance. Perfected Pei of Qingling told Chief Clerk Xu: “Your ancestor of seven generations, Xu Ying, widely practiced hidden De while alive, sacrificing himself to help others. On snowy days he often scattered grain under the long corridors to relieve hungry birds; he also took out his own clothing and food to aid those suffering from cold and hunger, saving hundreds of people. When a great epidemic raged and many families suffered successive deaths from illness, he personally brought medicine to treat them, saving one thousand seven hundred people. His benevolent De moved Heaven, Earth, ghosts and spirits, and thus the Most High Great Dao Jade Dawn Dao Lord wrote his name on the register of the Southern Eaves of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). From this, blessings flowed to later generations, causing thirteen descendants of your lineage to attain the Dao, among whom nine ascended as True Immortals and four became Intermediate Immortals. Thus it can be seen that the reason people of the world find it difficult to become immortals is that their intention to cultivate and accumulate hidden De is not firm and long-lasting enough; it is not because continuing to do good brings no reward.”

Generally speaking, those who cultivate the great Dao (the Way) of becoming an immortal, unless their ancestors have accumulated meritorious virtue that continues into later generations and thereby grants them the destiny to encounter a sagely teacher’s guidance, have no opportunity to receive the transmission of the “One,” the fundamental root of this great Dao.

However, those of middling aptitude and below, even if they hear of the Dao, should not therefore suppose that the Dao can be accomplished through a moment’s effort and that they themselves can immediately become high Zhen (immortal Perfected of high rank). This is because, when they received primordial Qi (vital energy), the orthodox Qi they obtained was insufficient, their mind-consciousness is not sufficiently round and luminous, the Yin-Yang Qi within the body contend against each other, and the yin-evil Qi is difficult to overcome. Even if they can long hold fast to the “One” as this foundation, they are limited by their own innate endowment and thus find it hard to accomplish the Dao.

Nevertheless, being able to know this Dao is no accident. As long as one clearly recognizes this Dao, understands and follows the heavenly principle, believes sincerely in the heart without delusion, and never allows the aspiration to decline, even if one has not yet accomplished the Dao in this lifetime, after death the hun and po will temporarily pass through Taiyin (the netherworld or the dim underworld) and, by virtue of the accumulated meritorious virtue, obtain a corresponding body of blessed recompense and be reborn. Even if it takes three or five lifetimes to become an immortal, it is like a person in the world seeking official rank and fame, obtaining it only after three or five years.

Moreover, one day in heaven is equivalent to one year among humans. As long as one is willing to strive to do good and accumulate hidden virtue, constantly cherish the immortal Dao in the heart, and the upright Dao-heart does not perish, in the next life one can, by the accumulated blessed recompense, be born into a family replete with blessings. Such a person is called an “immortal of complete goodness and perfection,” able to descend into the human world, and superior immortals will regard him as teacher and friend; he receives the blessed recompense, elevates his character, and ultimately becomes an immortal. This is the Dao of extending years.

The Perfected of Supreme Age, the unsurpassed immortal.

The “Perfected of Supreme Age” and the “unsurpassed immortal” are both Zhenren (Perfected Ones) to the left and right of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate).

The Perfected of the Great Elder and the Immortals of the Primordial Summit all belong to the Perfected Ones on the left and right of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), their status reaching the “High Primordial Summit.” The Perfected One on the right is titled the Jade Emperor, and the Perfected One on the left of Taiji is titled the Golden Flower Supreme Immortal. If people of the world cultivate the fundamental method of “guarding the One,” following the Heavenly Dao and completing the cultivation, they may hope to become the Perfected of the Great Elder and the Immortals of the Primordial Summit.

There are four Perfected Ones on the left and right of Taiji who hold the highest offices among the heavenly officials, because their rank is extremely high. Becoming such a supreme immortal requires qualifications that are perfectly complete, and one must go through the cultivation processes of holding to the True One, transforming and nurturing the primordial Qi (vital energy), refining the Qi of the Heavenly Dao, and nourishing the Shen (spirit) for transmutation. If we take the worldly official career as an analogy, this is like succeeding in the imperial examinations as a presented scholar and attaining the highest degree, thereafter shedding commoner status and assuming posts such as collator or corrector of texts.

The two immortals Jade Emperor and Golden Flower, together with the eight Perfected Ones, are formed by the condensation and transformation of the eight-plain true Qi. The eight plains belong to the lungs; the lungs correspond to the Metal of the west, and the color of Metal is white; therefore the Golden Flower Supreme Immortal is explained as being condensed from the white Metal Qi in the lungs. The Yujingshan Jing says: “Embryonic breathing (through regulating the breath so that respiration returns to deep stillness) becomes quiet and settled, the body’s passes and orifices are silent; deepening the cultivation, the Niwan (the upper Dantian (energy center) in the head) becomes bright as a mirror, thus becoming a Golden Flower Immortal.”

People of the world call the Buddhist the Great Golden Flower Immortal because the space between his two eyebrows is cavernously bright like a mirror. The Buddhist received instruction from the Great Immortal Asita in the supreme way of embryonic breathing and the method of guarding the One, causing the eight-plain true Qi to rise and assemble in the Niwan brain palace, ultimately making the space between the two eyebrows bright as a mirror. The Taishang Neijing Jing says: “It is peacefully located in the Yellow Gate between the two eyebrows; this is not the branches and leaves but truly the root.” The “root” spoken of here is the origin of the One. The scripture further says: “Between the two eyebrows is the place where radiance is produced,” used to indicate that it is precisely the place where the origin of the One manifests.

The Daode Jing says: “When the world has the Dao, even the finest horses are used for manure; when the world lacks the Dao, war horses are born in the suburbs.” Here “horse” is interpreted as a hidden name for the eight-plain true Qi. The eight-plain Qi rises every day from the Metal Chamber to assemble in the Niwan brain palace, thereby making it bright as a mirror. If worldly people do not cultivate the Dao, they accumulate injurious evil Qi, like “war horses” appearing around the viscera; these “war horses” refer to the turbid Qi produced by greedily eating rich and fatty delicious foods. Laozi calls such things thieves that injure the body, like sharp axes, halberds and spears that in turn harm a person’s life. The war-horse Qi corrodes the intestines and stomach and damages the viscera; once the viscera are ruined, death draws near.

Therefore those who hold to the origin of the One are called persons of the Dao: the eight-plain true Qi ascends to court in the Niwan brain palace, and after the cultivation of the Dao is accomplished, the space between the two eyebrows becomes bright as a mirror. This realm is formed by embryonic breathing and concentrating the Shen, enabling one to become the Golden Flower Supreme Immortal and the Perfected of the Great Elder, with status the same as Lord Lao. Only when the cultivation is completed will one know that what Mr. Cui said about holding to the origin of the One is not empty words.

“Light containing shadow, hiding” means that the practitioner guards the “origin of the One” (the primordial Qi (vital energy)), sincerely guarding the Shen (spirit), accumulating practice and refining the physical form, gradually reaching a state in which the mind is free of distracting thoughts and one forgets one’s own bodily form. Internally there is no longer any distinction of the self; externally one is unaware even of heaven and earth. When the practice of guarding the One attains such stillness, it is called “body and mind in peaceful stability.” Over time the mind-spirit enters a subtle and mysterious realm.

In this stillness the bones and flesh gradually transform into pure Yang Jing (essence) and Qi, the Yin Qi within the body dissipates and turns into primordial Zhengqi that nourishes the Yuanshen (original spirit). At this point the practitioner begins to feel heavenly light illuminating the entire body from within: the brightness is contained and hidden inside, while the external form and shadow seem to vanish. The Nanhua Jing says: “When the universe is peacefully stable it emits heavenly light; people see the person.” Here “universe” refers to the inner body and mind of the one who guards the One. This is “knowing the white and guarding the black”: one guards the dark and silent realm until Yin Qi is completely exhausted and the pure Yang Jing-Qi naturally emits light.

In the deep stillness of Taixi (fetal breathing, a cultivation state of resting the breath, concentrating the Shen, with Qi becoming extremely subtle), the practitioner gathers the Yuanshen into the physical form, withdraws seeing and hearing, and contemplates inwardly, thereby seeing one’s own image; the true-suchness Dharmakaya also appears dignified and clear. This is the cultivation of guarding the Shen through fetal breathing, the Shen never leaving the body, embracing the Hun and controlling the Po, ultimately achieving the supreme immortal. Lord Lao told Master Wenshi that he himself contemplated this Dao (the Way), at first also running about in the secular world and weary of the dusty realm, later embracing the origin and guarding the One, thereby transcending ordinary people and becoming immortal; he added that this Dao originally issues from the obscure, profound and deep realm, which is itself “knowing white and guarding black.” At the beginning of guarding the black the body seems a pitch-black expanse; persist unremittingly and the sunlight appears. After three years of guarding the black the practice is accomplished, form and Shen differentiate, and one is thus able to avoid death and attain long life as an immortal.

When ordinary people are first born and receive form, Yin-Yang two Qi already exist inside the body, and consequently form and shadow appear outside. The heavenly-true Shen is formless and ghostly beings have no shadow because they are constituted respectively of pure Yang and pure Yin Qi; pure Yin and pure Yang originally belong to formless form, so there is no distinction of form and shadow. The heavenly-true is formed by the condensation of Yuanshen from pure Yang primordial Qi. The Golden Flower superior immortal is likewise a formless form, a subtle and true image of the Dao. Ghostly beings are condensed from the pure Yin Po after worldly people follow the transformations of life and death and gradually approach death.

If worldly people do not understand the origin of guarding the One, the pure Yin death-Qi consumes the heavenly harmony, primordial Qi and Zhengqi within the body; once Yang Qi is exhausted the Yin Po condenses into a ghostly being. That being coalesces out of the deceased’s form and the Yin officials send ghost messengers to take the deceased to the Dengdu Six Heavens for trial and punishment. Because Yang Qi is gone the Yang officials no longer have jurisdiction; the case is taken over by the Yin officials and the person enters the ghost path. The Chongxu Zhenjing says: “The ancients regarded the dead as returning people. That is, living people are traveling people.” Meaning that even while alive people are already moving step by step toward death. Worldly people labor their minds and expend their Shen, employing their talents, rarely enjoying a moment of ease; in the blink of an eye the body turns to earth.

The scripture further says that people regard sounds, colors and flavors as pleasure, yet do not know they invite disaster. Indulging in them depletes lifespan and Jing-Qi and harms the internal organs; craving them is equivalent to rushing toward death. Guangchengzi uses “accumulating fire to burn the five poisons” as a metaphor for burning away the temptations of the five flavors; when those entanglements are exhausted one attains long life, and this is itself the origin of guarding the One. Pure Yang Qi can burn away the five Yin evil Qi. If the practitioner neither eats nor drinks, neither sees nor hears, and maintains purity, stillness and indifference, the five flavors no longer corrupt the viscera and longevity becomes possible. If one allows the body to decay with the four seasons and to be corroded by the five flavors, life and nature become constrained by external things. The Chongxu Zhenjing says that a person’s life has four great transformations—infancy, youth and vigor, old age, death—while heaven and earth shift quietly and people often fail to notice.

A person’s birth obtains the primordial harmonious Qi of heaven and earth, which condenses into the infant form. The infant is like spring: the harmonious Qi has not yet dissipated and the nature is closer to the Dao. Growing into youth and vigor is like summer: Yang Qi is vigorous, desires are fiery, and blood and Qi are thereby depleted. Old age is like autumn: the form gradually withers and strength recedes. Death is like winter, the stage in which pure Yin death-Qi condenses. When young, desires are vigorous and one is busy making oneself abundant; once blood and Qi decline the form rapidly decays and lifelong aspirations lose their vitality. This is like autumn frost destroying plants, causing them to wither and fall. After residual Yang Qi is exhausted, Jing and Po condense into a ghostly being and the Yin officials send ghost messengers to collect it.

As long as a bit of Yang Qi remains in an ordinary person’s body, death has not yet occurred; as long as a bit of Yin Qi remains, long life cannot yet be attained. If one meets a sage teacher and receives the transmission of guarding the origin of the One, guards the Shen and protects the fetus, concentrates the Shen in fetal breathing, and holds it with firm will, one can use the great Yang Qi to refine and nourish the form and exhaust the Yin Qi. The scripture describes the result as bones and flesh melting, heavenly light illuminating from within, the Yuanshen condensing in the Jianggong (the place of Shen-Qi within the human body), and cultivation thereby accomplished.

The scripture also says that the name of the accomplished one is reported by the Three Officials to the Dao Lord of the Immortal Way of Xuanzhou; the Dao Lord registers the immortal name so that it is known throughout the heavens. The Yin officials then remove the name from the black register of deaths, while the living officials list it on the golden roster of immortal registers and record it on the southern pavilion of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Subsequently the Jade Dawn Dao Lord of the Supreme Great Dao dispatches embroidered-robed messengers to summon him to the Jade Capital Golden Palace and grants the rank of Zhenren of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). At that moment the accomplished one sheds the mortal body, rides a floating chariot to the immortal palaces of famous mountains; welcoming officials guard the dragon carriage with banners and canopies, heavenly music resounds through the clouds, and they lead him away. Only then does he realize that those coming to welcome him are indeed the heavenly beings.

“Formed in nature” means that the physical form appears of itself, spontaneously. The discussion continues: once a person has withdrawn their radiance and concealed their traces, Shen (spirit) can condense within emptiness and stillness. The Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascent) says: “When it suddenly takes form, one knows this is not longevity.” The meaning is that if one merely concentrates the spirit for a time in emptiness and non-being, with Shen remaining in the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, the dwelling of the heart-spirit in Daoist teaching), thereby producing an extraordinary bodily form, this still cannot be counted as true longevity. One should understand that this is not the physical form of an ordinary person.

Some ignorant and obstinate people neither comprehend the mysterious principles of the Heavenly Dao (the Way) nor grasp the root of shouyi (guarding the One: concentrating the spirit in unity and holding to the original source). They take cultivation of the Dao to mean enduring emptiness and hardship in silence: not speaking, not eating, neither looking nor listening, only contemplating inwardly and embracing the mysterious, so that after long ages the spirit might condense in profound darkness and stillness. Others believe that merely sitting at ease awaiting a long life, eating their fill all day, and letting the body follow the turning of Heaven’s fate, is enough to attain the Dao. Such teachings deceive and mislead one another. Some even hold that as long as they do no evil and simply accept life and death, they are cultivating the Dao—this too is a grave error.

How could such people understand “form appearing in nature”? On the contrary, they busy themselves with all manner of purposeful action, their hearts entangled in worry, their bodies worn out and their Shen damaged, so that they can scarcely complete their allotted years. All this comes from excessive craving and overtaxing the nourishment of life. If one is bound by such affairs, even after hundreds of millions of kalpas there will be no end, and one can never hope to become an immortal.

The Chongxu Zhenjing (True Scripture of Chongxu, the Liezi) says that even if a person is clever and eloquent, with ringing speech and insight as bright as sun and moon, this does not enable them to understand the nourishing of the body. It also says: “That which generates generation has never itself been generated; that which transforms transformation has never itself been transformed.” This refers to the transformations of Yin-Yang and the cycling of the four seasons as they inherently are. For the physical form to accord with nature is to abide in change without clinging to change. The perfected persons of high antiquity contemplated the cyclic return of things by means of the Dao; constantly without desire, they thereby beheld the mysterious. They held to the original source, so that they themselves accorded with the transformations of nature.

If worldly people do not understand the mysterious principles of the Heavenly Dao and do not take emptiness, non-being, and nature as their model, in the end the physical form will transform back into earth and mud, and Shen will revert to a ghostly being. If they understand the Heavenly Dao, hold to Heaven’s constancy, follow the principles of nature, and long practice shouyi, they can accord with the root from which the ten thousand things are generated and transformed: the physical form melts and returns to Heaven and Earth and the primordial Qi (vital energy); Jing (essence) and po (the earthly soul) follow the transformation and change, ultimately achieving the status of a supreme immortal. This is “transforming yet not transforming”—that is, concentrating Shen from within emptiness, stillness, and non-being, so that Shen appears of itself.

What is called “generating life yet not living” means that worldly people exhaust themselves pursuing the enjoyments of life, overconsume Shen, enslave the mind, and greedily seek wealth and abundance. They willingly throw themselves into the contention among the ten thousand things, and thereby harm themselves; they cannot complete their allotted years, causing the physical form to return prematurely to earth and mud, and Jing and po to become lower ghosts. This is not Heaven and Earth seeking to kill people, nor harm inflicted by ghosts and spirits; it is that they themselves overwork, exhausting Shen, and thus bring this about.

The Nanhua Jing (Scripture of Southern Florescence, the Zhuangzi) says that if the nourishing of life is enslaved by external things, one will die prematurely; though external things may be many, the physical form receives no nourishment. This means that those who have lost the Dao cling to things outside the body and thereby allow those things to harm life. Ordinary people do not understand that the root of the Heavenly Dao lies in shouyi, in concentrating Shen within profound stillness and silence; instead they are constantly disturbed in their nature by cravings and desires, entangled by the ten thousand things, and step by step they walk toward death, willingly becoming lower ghosts.

The Huangzhong Yinfu (Hidden Talisman of the Yellow Center) explains the difference between supreme immortals and lower ghosts as the result of the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang: when yin Qi overcomes yang Qi, Jing and po transform into ghostly beings; when yang Qi overcomes yin Qi, hun (the heavenly soul) and Shen condense into immortals. This distinction arising from the transformations of Yin-Yang is obvious. When yang prevails over yin, those who practice shouyi are still and without desire, tranquil and pure, according with Wuwei (non-action) and nature. When yin prevails over yang, people greedily cling to things that harm life, that please the eyes and gratify the feelings, and thereby hasten their own death.

True peace is not something deliberately sought, but comes from allowing the original Shen (spirit), or yuanshen, to dwell for a long time.

What is called “true peace” means guarding the root of the original Shen so that it enters the state of embryonic breathing (taixi). Embryonic breathing is an inner, prolonged quality of respiration; the scripture says it rests peacefully in the Jianggong (Crimson Palace, a term in Daoist Neidan or internal alchemy referring to the seat of the heart-spirit within the body), unceasing, stable, and tranquil, just as a fetus is serenely nurtured in a woman’s womb. For the original Shen to condense in stillness and emptiness, it also needs the stability of embryonic breathing as its support. To achieve this, one must gather the mind-spirit inward, without clinging to the body, so that thoughts remain continuously calm and settled. This is called “regarding the body as external and preserving the Jing (essence)”: not taking the body as the self, preserving the inner Jing and Qi (vital energy), so that the light of Shen can remain. There is no clever technique to employ here; one need only concentrate the mind within so that the original Shen dwells for a long time.

The practitioner of Shouyi (guarding the One, that is, single-mindedly holding to the original Shen) has a quiet mind, prolonged embryonic breathing, and concentrated Shen without restless movement; this is called “the body-bell in great stillness.” In this way the original Shen remains long within the body and does not scatter outward. The scripture holds that when Shen does not leave the body, one can last as long as the Dao (the Way) of Heaven, guarding the original Shen so that it endures.

Lord Lao said to Master Wenshi: If a person can keep Shen within the body—neither looking, nor listening, nor speaking, nor eating—inwardly observing and embracing the mysterious Dao, and persist for a long time, then Shen can dwell in peace; only when Shen dwells in peace for a long time can it condense and become immortal. If Shen cannot condense, how could one attain this state? The Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascension) says that those skilled at guarding Shen hide it within the body so that it does not scatter outward, and conceal the inner Dao within themselves without revealing it; only then does the Qi of Heaven’s Dao become abundant.

Therefore the root of Shouyi lies in taking emptiness as the body and Wuwei (non-action) as the mind. Settling body and mind in emptiness, one can guard Shen; guarding Shen and penetrating the mysterious, the body unites with the Dao. Thus it is said: “If you can understand Shouyi, all affairs may be brought to a close.” When the mind clings to nothing, ghosts and spirits will also submit.

“When it is pure and beautiful, it is true”: what is good, beautiful, and pure is the True.

This concerns the guarding of the One of the Origin (the method of cultivation that holds fast to the original true Shen (spirit)): one concentrates the mind within the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, the seat of the heart), while drawing upon the two Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang, bringing them into harmonious accord until they attain a condition of subtlety and pure beauty. When this pure beauty reaches its utmost, the Shen coalesces within the true realm.

As the Shen is about to coalesce, the Qi of yang harmony illuminates the whole body, as a lamp or candle lights a room, so that the interior of the body becomes clear and radiant. Thereafter the Qi of pure yin gradually recedes; the light of yang harmony likewise fades away, and the body sinks into obscurity, black as lacquer. Lord Lao said to Master Wenshi: “When you know the brightness and also behold the darkness, sit upright at once and hold fast.” He further said: “Know the white and keep to the black, and the divine Shen will naturally congeal.”

While one is in this darkness, the body should be laid upon a pillow, as if one had died for a time. This is the condition in which the Qi of pure yin has united with yang Qi, and yang Qi no longer manifests on its own. Only then can it be said that inwardly one no longer feels oneself to possess a body, and outwardly one can no longer distinguish Heaven from Earth; body and mind both merge with the dark mystery of the Heavenly Dao (the Way). At the moment of this union, the officials of the immortal realm keep strict watch over the practitioner, and a hundred evils dare not encroach.

Thus the Jing (scripture) says: “When nothing is seen, there is no such thing as life or death; without letting go and cutting off, there can be no accomplishment. Place yourself in the land of death, and thereafter you may live long; let the physical form perish, and thereafter you may endure.” When immortals congeal a physical form, they too require yin Qi as a support, for the Qi of pure yang cannot generate the myriad things by itself, just as a man cannot give birth alone but must rely upon a woman’s womb to produce a child.

The way of the immortals takes its model from the two Qi of Yin-Yang. When the two Qi are brought into harmony and reach the utmost of pure beauty, the original Shen rests quietly in silence, and upon sensing the opportune moment it comes into being. The same holds for the concentration of Shen: the original harmonious Qi of pure yang refines away the old physical form, and the subsequently formed dharma body of wondrous form and true suchness (a true body that transcends ordinary flesh) naturally coalesces. This is the appearance, from out of the dark mystery, of the origin of the true One.

The coalescence of pure beauty into the true is a return to the origin, a restoration to the primordial condition that preceded the beginning of life. One who attains this realm is called a Golden Flower Highest Immortal. Even while still dwelling within a physical body in the midst of transformation, one can quietly contemplate a thousand million worlds, pass in and out of being and non-being, and transform at will without obstruction.

The dharma body may divide into a thousand million forms, roaming through the palaces and offices of the immortals, or it may present itself in audience before the higher realms. When the dharma body transforms into a great body, it can fill the void, merge as one with the original Qi of the Heavenly Dao, and encompass Heaven and Earth together with a thousand million worlds, as if gazing upon an object in the palm of the hand. Even when one encounters the “yang-nine and hundred-six” (Yangjiu Bailiu, the cycles of calamity spoken of in Daoism) and the alternation of greater and lesser kalpas, one regards them as no more than the succession of day and night. When the dharma body transforms into a small body, it is smaller than a mote of dust; yet within that mote of dust infinite worlds can be contained. All of this is the manifestation of unimpeded spiritual powers and transformations, of free expansion and contraction, that appear once the guarding of the One of the Origin has been accomplished.

Those who cultivate the “Great Ji” and are able to guard the One, from the very beginning when they first received their physical form and coalesced into shape in the womb, the original nature of the primordial Shen (spirit) and the bodily form was empty. The primordial Shen originally communicated freely with the Great Dao and encountered the myriad things without obstruction. After the fetus was received and the form completed, Qi (vital energy) and blood accumulated, giving rise to this restricted body of flesh. Once the body comes into the world, it grows more distant from the Heavenly Dao with each passing day and advances step by step toward death.

The Most High Jade Dawn Dao Lord (a revered Daoist deity) pities the people of the latter age who do not understand the mysterious principles of the Heavenly Dao and do not know that they can return to the root and restore the origin, going back to the primordial state before birth. Pitying those in the world who willingly fall into the cycle of birth and death, he dispatched his close disciple Laojun to descend into the world to transmit the teaching of Wuwei (non-action) and the natural Dao. Like the sun and moon illuminating the human realm, this enables people to realize that the Heavenly Dao is right before their eyes, to proceed step by step in accordance with the Dao, and to see the Heavenly Dao as vast and clear. This is called “attaining the origin of the One,” which is the Dao of the empty Dharma-body and the gateway that penetrates the marvelous.

The Book of Yingyang states: “My body was originally empty; my primordial Shen originally penetrated all; when there is no obstruction in the heart, then everything is without obstruction.” This is indeed a statement of ultimate truth. The teaching of the Heavenly Dao’s Wuwei, which is spontaneous and natural, is the method of emptying the body and the gateway of emptying the Shen. If one can render the mind-Shen empty and penetrating so that it unites with the Dao, then one may be as great as encompassing Heaven and Earth or as small as entering a mote of dust. In quiet sitting, traces of form can vanish instantly; coming and going occur without interval; expanding or contracting, one is completely free, reaching a state in which nothing is either possible or impossible. All of this is accomplished through attaining the One and returning to the origin, causing the true nature to condense in beauty and goodness, realized by the marvelous functioning of the Heavenly Dao.

The nature of the physical form distinguishes between the firm and strong and the soft and gentle.

This sentence discusses the “Origin of the One” (the source of the Dao [the Way]): it is beautiful and good, coalescing into the True. After one succeeds in cultivating the Dao, one can divide the body and attain liberation; this is the formless wondrous method, namely the Dharmakaya of True Suchness (the dharmakaya that embodies true nature), able to be firm or yielding at will. When yielding, even if one tries to grasp it in the hand it cannot fill the palm; when firm, it can pierce through metal and stone. The Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascension) says: “Under Heaven there is nothing more yielding than Qi (vital energy), and within Qi there is nothing more yielding than the Dao.” Qi appears yielding, yet it can penetrate all things; there is nothing it cannot encompass, even wrapping Heaven and Earth. Therefore it is said that the image of the Dao is formless and shapeless; it can pass from the formed into the original source, transforming with spiritual power, freely stretching and contracting. Between Heaven and Earth there is nothing more yielding than the nature of the Dao.

“Cinnabar Empyrean and Azure Void, companions of the Highest Sages” means that the Cinnabar Empyrean and Azure Void are the dwelling places of the Highest Sages. The Cinnabar Empyrean and Azure Void belong to the realm of the Golden Towers and Jade Clarity, where the various Celestial Emperors and Dao Lords reside. Palaces of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) stand there; only the Highest Sages and Lofty Perfected are qualified to dwell there in peace. Above the Cinnabar Empyrean and within the Azure Void, it has never been heard that those immortals of the lower realm whose lifespan is limited and who still possess a physical body can visit at will. Moreover, the palaces in empty space cannot even bear a goose feather; how then could the embodied immortals of the lower realm roam the formless realm?

Those who attain the “Origin of the One” and thereby complete the Dao are ranked among the Perfected of the Three Pure Ones; they subsequently ascend into the registers of the Most High, fly up in broad daylight, and are able to reside in the Cinnabar Empyrean and Azure Void, becoming companions of the various heavenly immortals and Great Dao Lords, rather than associating with the earthly immortals of the lower realm. Those who come from the heavens naturally draw close to celestial immortals; those who come from the earth naturally draw close to earthly immortals. The Yi Jing (Book of Changes) says: “Things each follow their own kind.” Immortal ranks have distinctions of high and low; they are far separated from one another, and the dwelling places are not ones that earthly immortals can reach.

A hundred years later, only a burial mound remains.

These two sentences explain that those who have successfully cultivated the Way of Shouyi (guarding the One), upon releasing the physical form and ascending to heaven, proceed to Jinque Yuqing (the Golden Palace of Jade Purity, a heavenly palace) to receive celestial scriptures and be enfeoffed as Tianzhen Zhenguan (True Officials of the Heavenly Perfected).

When Tianzhen Shangxian (Heavenly Perfected Superior Immortals) are about to leave the world and ascend to heaven, they ordinarily do not disturb worldly people nor allow themselves to be seen. They depart quietly, concealing their traces; sometimes they use a medicinal staff or similar objects as a substitute for the body, serving as evidence to the outside world that they have already died. Those about to depart board a floating carriage and proceed to famous mountains and immortal palaces; the immortal officials and ceremonial escorts who greet them arrive afterward, and they then receive Yuce (jade registers, celestial appointment documents) and take up posts in the immortal palaces. Therefore, a hundred years later, people often see only an empty tomb; if the grave is opened, usually only leftover clothing and molted shells remain, and sometimes swords, staffs, and other substitute forms.

Worldly people of shallow understanding, upon hearing these words, often remain half-believing and half-doubting. They say: “I have heard that the immortals of heaven all ascend in broad daylight, riding clouds and driving dragons, with pipes and songs resounding through the sky, departing amid grand ceremonial processions so that worldly people may see with their own eyes, thus sufficiently proving that attaining the Dao (the Way) is no empty claim. This being so, why is it also said that some quietly conceal themselves without letting the world know?” Qizhenzi (Master Qizhen) smiled and replied: “Even those who have completed cultivation in the lower realm are unwilling to let their physical forms come into contact with external things or to associate with worldly people; how much more so for the heavenly immortals who have long transcended the physical form—why would they care about the gazes of worldly people?”

There are many paths to attaining the Dao, and the ranks of immortals likewise vary in high and low, which cannot all be listed. The Way of Shouyi is regarded as the supreme and unsurpassed method; after cultivating it to completion, one may rank among the Tianzhen Dashen (Great Gods of the Heavenly Perfected), transcend the Wusejie (Formless Realm), and enter the realm of Yuqing (Jade Purity). In the past, during the Han dynasty, there was Taiyuan Zhenren Maojun (Lord Mao, the Perfected of Supreme Origin), who once followed Xicheng Zongzhen Wangjun (Lord Wang, the General Perfected of the Western City) in cultivating the Way of Shouyi. After attaining the Dao, Taishang (the Most High) summoned him. Lord Mao once reproached himself before Shangdi (the Supreme Emperor) and the various Heavenly Emperors, saying that he was unwilling to quietly conceal himself and hoped to manifest his ascent to heaven with a grand ceremonial procession for worldly people to see. He did this perhaps in order to guide his two younger brothers, so that they would know the nobility of the immortal Dao, understand that worldly glory and honor are like a dream, and thus believe in and turn toward the immortal Dao.

The two younger brothers of Taiyuan Zhenren later both held high official posts in the Later Han, yet they did not believe that the way of immortals and gods could be cultivated to completion. Lord Mao therefore used a magnificent ascent ceremony to convert them. When Lord Mao ascended to heaven, the immortal officials and ceremonial procession that greeted him caused heaven and earth to tremble and ghosts and spirits to be terrified; the details are recorded in his original biography and will not be elaborated here. The understanding of worldly people is constrained by everyday experience, their vision shallow—how can they measure the affairs of immortals and gods? It is like those who have only ever seen ponds: how could they fathom the depths of the vast ocean? The Shangsheng Tianzhen (Superior Sages and Heavenly Perfected), looking down upon those in the world who scramble for fame and chase profit, see them as ants and crickets—how would they care about the praise or blame of worldly people?

However, there are indeed some ignorant people who, borrowing the principles of immortals, harbor hidden schemes and devote themselves solely to seeking fame and profit. They only deceive worldly people, possessing not a single upright or honest word, and instead loudly proclaim false doctrines, mutually deluding one another. They have only the empty name of seeking longevity, yet lack the aspiration to honor the Great Dao; they randomly consult charts and registers, competing to spend money to obtain the Golden Elixir (Jindan), yet do not cultivate benevolence and virtue, hoping only to attain the Dao by chance. This practice only harms life and incurs sin, running contrary to the Great Dao. According to Daoist disciplinary codes, there are also many such people who violate the Nüqing Kelü (Female Azure Disciplinary Codes).

They have not met an enlightened teacher and moreover cling stubbornly to biased views; the evil karma accumulated over successive lifetimes causes them to advance step by step toward death. Eventually there comes a day when the breath is cut off and the body stiffens; the originally brief and filthy physical body after death should likewise turn into earth. At the moment of death they still deceive worldly people, claiming to have attained the Dao, or saying that they have undergone Shijie (corpse liberation, in which the physical body does not die in the ordinary manner but is liberated to ascend as an immortal), and they even fabricate so-called principles of exhaustion, penetration, and transformation. In fact these claims have no foundation; if the coffin is opened and examined, inside there are only bones—where then are any traces of molted clothing, swords, staffs, and the like?

The "Precious Chapter on Guarding the One" discusses taking the practice of guarding the One as the essential key to cultivation. "Jade Clarity is without color, the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor" is a sacred description of the origin of this precious chapter: it is associated with Jade Clarity (Yuqing, a high-level heavenly realm venerated in Daoism), the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, and their common source, and is therefore appended to this chapter.

"The Dao (the Way) is Wuwei (non-action)" means that the Great Dao follows nature and does not act arbitrarily. The correct principle of the operation of heaven and earth takes "non-being" as its foundation, and from "non-being" returns to its origin; returning to the origin and restoring it is precisely the constant law of the Heavenly Dao.

What is meant by "Wuwei" is to abide in emptiness, stillness, and naturalness: to understand the luminous and manifest side while also abiding in the obscure and hidden side. Here "black" refers to the profound and unfathomable; "yaoming" refers to empty stillness without form. In cultivation one does not cling to any thing, allowing the mind to return to empty stillness. As the Nanhua Zhenjing (the Daoist name for the Zhuangzi) says, "leaving the limbs, discarding cleverness, forgetting the body and intellect, and uniting with the Great Dao," this likewise means that internally one no longer distinguishes the self, and externally one no longer differentiates heaven and earth, remaining quiet and detached. Not hearing sounds and not seeing forms is to unite with empty stillness; this is Wuwei, following the natural heavenly principle.

The Lord Lao's Dingguan Jing says that to abide in Wuwei is to follow the natural Heavenly Dao. As soon as a thought arises in the mind, one must eliminate it; what is eliminated is the mind of delusive movement, not the mind of clear awareness and illumination. One should concentrate and stabilize the empty, still mind, and not cling to thoughts that have form and appearance.

The Lord Lao's Xisheng Jing says this is called "the highest filial nourishment of the mother's body," which can last long. Here "mother" refers to the source from which the myriad things are born: being takes non-being as mother, non-being takes emptiness as mother, emptiness takes the Dao as mother, and the Dao takes naturalness as mother. Naturalness is the root of Wuwei, and also the original source of the generation and transformation of immortals and perfected ones.

"Nothing is left undone" continues from "the Dao is Wuwei": although the Great Dao does not act arbitrarily, it enables all things to attain their proper places and each to achieve completion.

The profound mysteries of Heaven's Dao (the Way) can only be grasped by those who attune themselves to the original source and personally cultivate it. This does not mean refraining from all cultivation, nor does it mean that one can become an immortal simply by following nature and letting oneself drift until death. The Inner Vision Scripture (Neijing Jing) says: “Becoming a divine immortal is not something that happens of its own accord; it requires sincere concentration as well as constant perseverance. Turn inward to observe the deep and hidden recesses, and recognize the genuine truth within them. The True Person is within oneself; there is no need to seek it outwardly. Condense Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), nurture the Dao-embryo so that Shen (spirit) and Qi may generate and transform; by guarding the Dao-embryo and gathering Jing and Qi, one can extend one’s years and achieve longevity.” This describes the cultivable and practicable aspect of the Dao.

As for what is called the “Dao of non-existence,” it refers to things external to the body: treasures and the like, as well as sounds and colors, and the tastes of food and drink. The myriad things of the world are numerous and frequently harm a person’s life, causing decline, weakness, and even the loss of any chance at longevity. Whether one is poor or rich, if a person remains unaware that body and mind are being harmed by external objects, they will drift farther from the Dao with each passing day. All things that injure life are causes of losing the Dao; and have I not fallen into this condition precisely because of my own actions and being pulled along by external things?

The Scripture of Western Ascent (Xisheng Jing) states that ordinary people take sounds, colors, and the flavors of food and drink as the greatest joys, without realizing that they are actually great misfortunes. Therefore the sage, understanding this, does not greedily pursue such desires but returns to the primordial state. The Hidden Talisman Scripture (Yinfu Jing) likewise says that the myriad things are employed by humans yet in turn consume them, causing aging. Lord Lao told Yin Xi that people of the world treat life lightly and die young, not because Heaven and Earth intend to kill them, nor because ghosts and spirits harm them, but because they themselves bring it about through overworking the body and excessively depleting their life force. Those who know not to seek in vain and not to act in vain are more worthy than those who merely pursue the art of nourishing life.

The Nanhua Scripture (Zhuangzi) says that one who comprehends the true nature of life need not pursue what life itself does not require; one who comprehends the true nature of destiny need not force what cannot be altered. These principles can be experienced and confirmed through the heart-mind; they are not to be understood solely through intellectual inquiry. Those who cultivate the Dao and nourish life should first discern the role of external things: it is not uncommon for someone to possess many possessions yet find that life itself remains unnourished. In the world, those who claim to understand the principles often fall short in practice compared to their words; those who slight actual practice and value only rhetoric are likewise innumerable.

“It can be verified through the heart, but cannot be known merely by relying on intellectual knowledge.”

The Heavenly Dao has no fixed form; it is profound, remote, and subtle. Only by stilling the heart can one silently experience and personally verify it. Worldly cleverness and intelligence cannot thoroughly fathom it. If one uses worldly knowledge to explain and transmit the Great Dao, this will instead weaken the Great Dao itself. The state of mind that comprehends the mysterious principles and verifies the Great Dao is like a musician plucking strings or blowing pipes: subtle and exquisite notes arise from beneath the fingers, yet they cannot be completely transmitted to others through words. In teaching, one can only let the disciple experience the melancholy tones within; words ultimately cannot fully express it.

What is called “knowing”? What is called “verification”?

These two sentences further inquire into the preceding text.

“Knowing” requires dispelling intellectual knowledge.

This means that after understanding the Heavenly Dao and seeing everything as vast, empty, and clear, one must set aside the bodily senses and worldly cleverness, abandon attachment to physical form and intellect, so that the heart-Shen (spirit) unites with the Heavenly Dao. This is called gathering in the radiance and concealing the sharp edge, revealing neither any intent of striving nor any traces. Once the inner heart has grasped it, one should firmly hold and remember it, allowing the heart to mysteriously unite with the Heavenly Dao: experiencing as if there is no heart, experiencing the body as if there is no body. This is the person who verifies the Heavenly Dao.

“Verification” requires emptiness and stillness in order to respond and unite.

Anyone who holds to the “One” (the root of the Dao), if able to render the body empty and still, will allow the Heavenly Dao to enter themselves. The Xisheng Jing says: “If a person can be empty and still in Wuwei (non-action), not deliberately seeking the Dao, the Dao will naturally return.” This is called the person who returns to the Dao. The response after emptiness and stillness occurs as naturally as an echo answering a sound or a shadow following a form.

Therefore one must also make the body empty and still and the heart empty and luminous. The Xisheng Jing says: “When the body is empty and still, the myriad things will arrive; when the heart has no obstruction, harmonious Qi (vital energy) will return.” At the moment of verification the heart does not cling to external things and thoughts become concentrated and still. This is called inwardly maintaining harmony, smoothness, and simplicity, so that the heart-Shen mysteriously unites with the original Shen (spirit).

“Responding” is then according with Wuwei (non-action).

The response of the Heavenly Dao has no fixed origin. When a practitioner of the Dao obtains some verification, although they cannot explain why it happens this way, it occurs spontaneously of itself. The so-called response of “empty origin” means that the Yuanshen (original spirit, the fundamental Shen of a person) becomes empty and still; upon perceiving this emptiness and stillness, one can communicate with the Qi (vital energy) of the Heavenly Dao. When the heart-mind communicates with the Dao (the Way), one comprehends it. Lord Lao took “origin” as his teaching method for instructing people in cultivating the Dao, which consists in returning the heart-mind to emptiness and stillness so that everything happens of itself. The so-called “emptying the heart-mind” means causing the heart-mind to unite with the Dao.

Cultivating the Dao requires making the heart-mind empty and still and the body empty and still. When the heart-mind is empty and still, the Heavenly Dao descends into the heart-mind; when the Heavenly Dao descends, the Yuanshen becomes spiritually luminous; when the Yuanshen is spiritually luminous, it can communicate with the Heavenly Dao. Reaching this state, there is nothing that remains obstructed or uncommunicated. The cultivator understands the experience within their own heart, yet cannot clarify it by words alone.

Once the heart-mind is thoroughly communicated, it connects with the “One,” and all matters become clear.

Lord Lao said to Master Wenshi: “If you can understand the ‘One,’ then all things will be understood.” How much more so if the Yuanshen can communicate with the “One”? The Yuanshen communicating with the “One” means holding fast to the original “One,” accumulating merit and virtue, refining and nourishing the physical form, causing the physical form to unite as one with the empty, natural, formless Qi of the Dao, whereupon all things are thoroughly communicated.

If the cultivator’s body manifests the state of communicating with the “One,” it can fill the entire void and encompass billions of worlds; it can also transform into a tiny body as fine as a mote of dust, yet still contain billions of worlds within that small body. Only when spiritual powers reach this degree can it be called “all affairs completed,” and only then can one be called a person of the Dao.

The “One” is the root. The “One” is the foundation of Heaven and Earth, the source of immortals and spirits, the mother of the myriad things. Heaven obtains the “One” and becomes clear and bright; Earth obtains the “One” and becomes peaceful and still; the myriad things obtain the “One” and grow; humans obtain the “One” and become spiritually luminous. The spiritual luminosity of humans comes from the Yuanshen communicating with the Heavenly Dao. The “One” is originally the Great Dao, and is also the foundation of the cultivation of immortals. All things take it as their gateway.

Reaching the original, fundamental realm of “attaining the One” depends on holding to the Taishang Heart-Seal (the mind-method transmitted by the Most High). What the Taishang Heart-Seal speaks of is “affairs”—that is, the method of guarding the One. It is the gateway into the Dao (the Way) of guarding the One. Even if people of the world can understand the root of the One, if they cannot find the gateway of guarding the One, they have no means of beginning; without entering through this gate, they also cannot truly comprehend the Five Thousand Words. The Xisheng Jing (Scripture of Western Ascent) says: “Heaven and earth are clear and still, all because they guard the One.” This likewise is entered through this same gateway. Therefore it is said: “Doing affairs yet as if there were no affairs; tasting flavor yet as if there were no flavor.” In this way, the affairs that are done return to the One and reside within the body and mind of the person who guards the One.

When the affairs that are done return to the One, the One constantly abides.

These two sentences mean that the ten thousand things are all born from the One and ultimately also return to the One. The One is the root of life and death, and also the source from which the ten thousand things are generated and transformed. Only the Taishang Heart-Seal is the gateway of guarding the One, enabling a person to reach the original, fundamental realm of “attaining the One.” When the One enters a person’s body, that person’s life can constantly abide. However, if one wishes to become an immortal and be delivered from the world, one must still continually accumulate merit and De (Virtue).

When holding, one is not attached to “being”; here this is provisionally called “guarding.”

The method of holding the Taishang Heart-Seal is provisionally called “guarding the Shen (spirit)”; in reality it is not a matter of deliberately using the mind to watch over the Shen. In holding to the Dao of the Most High, one neither deliberately applies the mind nor allows the mind and Shen to scatter in disorder. One need only constantly congeal in stillness, making the correct Qi (vital energy) complete and full, reaching a state of silent stillness without movement; once there is a response, one can then penetrate through. When there is response and penetration, the original Shen (a person’s original, fundamental spirit) then unites with the Heavenly Dao in the obscure and mysterious. Therefore the Neijing Jing (a Daoist classic of nourishing life and cultivation) says: “Empty and silent, within emptiness there is pure simplicity; cause the physical form to maintain this condition, and do not let it become polluted. Circulate the Qi and regulate the breath, soaring forth and entering the path of the Heavenly Dao.”

Guarding in the realm of emptiness and non-being, life can then be long-lasting.

The “Dao (the Way) of Heaven” spoken of here has as its key the holding to emptiness and stillness together with Wuwei (non-action). What is meant by holding to emptiness and holding to non-being is, first of all, keeping the body empty and still, as vacant and luminous as a clear sky, without allowing the Qi (vital energy) of food and drink to disturb this state. In other words, one should not be greedy for food, should not pry or peek, and should not look about excessively, thereby bringing oneself to a condition of extreme emptiness and stillness.

One must also empty the heart-mind and hold to a single mind. A person’s eyes are like the heart-mind: if even a speck of dust enters the eye, the eye becomes uncomfortable; if trivial matters enter the heart-mind, the heart-mind likewise becomes agitated. In brief, one must make the heart-mind empty, bright, and quiet. The heart-mind is like a bowl of turbid muddy water: when the muddy water is cloudy, even if it is not stirred, it is difficult to clarify; if it is continually stirred, it becomes even more difficult to make it limpid. Only by holding to a single mind can the Shen (spirit) be settled and stable. The mind’s Shen readily becomes clear and bright, yet is also readily disturbed. A person’s Qi is like water in a basin: if emptiness and stillness are continuously maintained, the root of the body will be stable, and the Dao will constantly abide within the body.

If the Qi of Heaven constantly abides in a person’s abdomen, that person will naturally become an immortal (xian); when the immortal endures for a long time, they can share the same lifespan as Heaven.

Xuanzhu Xinjing Zhu (Commentary on the Mysterious Pearl Heart Mirror)