《诸真圣胎神用诀》

Those who understand the Dao (the Way) will not be harmed by Heaven; those who nourish and cultivate the primordial Qi (the innate fundamental vital energy) will not be destroyed by the Earth. The Dao is not distant; it resides within one’s own person. When the mind is applied with fine precision and undivided concentration, life can last a long time.

The Secret Instructions of Lord Liu says: If one wishes for longevity, one should cultivate the root of life. Life begins from Jing (essence) and Qi (the subtle forces that constitute the human body and sustain life); after Jing and Qi congeal, they form the body. The body is the foundation that bears Jing and Qi, and Qi is the origin of the physical form. The process by which primordial Qi is received and takes shape as the body can be examined through the principles of how the physical form is generated.

The scripture says: “When the roots are planted deep and the foundation is firmly held, one can achieve long life and enduring vision.”

The scripture also says: “Within the physical form there are mother and child; why not guard them?” Here the “mother” refers to the primordial Qi within the body; the “child” refers to Shen (spirit). A person initially forms the body by means of the Qi of respiration, therefore primordial Qi is compared to the mother; after the body and Qi have formed, Shen is also present, therefore Shen is compared to the child.

Shen and Qi unite within the physical form, circulating among the viscera and regulating the respiration above and below. With long practice, Shen gradually becomes clear, and Qi gradually becomes harmonious. Once Shen is clear, it can illuminate and observe the five viscera; once Qi is harmonious, it can act upon the four limbs. Therefore the scripture says that the Yellow Emperor practiced inner vision (quietly observing the interior of the body) continuously for three months, concentrating the mind and employing Shen so that Shen and Qi circulated and nourished within the five viscera. From this the principle can be inferred.

The scripture further says that within intention there is movement and stillness; as the intention is regulated, Qi will of itself become harmonious. When Shen is clear it illuminates the five viscera, and when Qi is harmonious it acts upon the four limbs. The Yellow Emperor’s three consecutive months of inner vision, concentrating the mind and employing Shen to nourish the five viscera with Shen and Qi, precisely illustrates this point.

It is also said that when the movement and stillness within the mind-intent unite with Qi (vital energy), the Qi is able to communicate with spiritual illumination. When one practices the methods of the Dao while guarding one's own person, one's spiritual light shines brightly. This principle can be investigated and understood.

People of the present day have Shen (spirit) and Qi operating separately, like a child parted from its mother. Although Qi continues to circulate with the breath inside the body, Shen constantly chases after external things. As a result Qi loses its governor and Shen cannot penetrate; when Shen fails to penetrate, Jing (essence) and Qi dissipate of themselves. Moreover, regarding Shen as the master and the physical form as the dwelling: if the master does not remain inside attending to the house but instead rushes about outside all day, the dwelling naturally becomes empty and the body gradually weakens and decays. Still more, later generations of those who cultivate the Dao, in the hundred ke of a single day and night, have thirteen thousand five hundred respirations of body and Qi, every one of which is driven by Shen to the exterior, so that not a single breath remains at rest within the form. How then can one hope to attain the Dao of long life and enduring vision?

The master said: If one understands how Shen governs Qi so that child and mother (the analogical terms for Shen and Qi) circulate in mutual support, one can behold the gate of immortality. If Qi has no governor and is merely allowed to breathe naturally, to open the five viscera and digest the five grains, it can only sustain ordinary physiological functions; it cannot restore Yin Qi or return Yang Qi, nor fill and nourish the blood and the brain.

The teacher said: I take Shen as my chariot and Qi as my horse, and I drive them throughout the day without growing weary.

The Jing (scripture) says: “When the world has the Dao, they retire the war-horses to manure the fields.” This means that when the world possesses the Dao, horses are no longer used for warfare but are returned to agricultural work. This saying is employed precisely to illustrate the present principle.

Yin Zhenren said: If Shen can drive Qi, nasal respiration will cease. These words strike the essential point.

The method of governing Qi.

From the Niwan Palace above (the upper Dantian [energy center] within the head) to the Mingmen below (the vital gate of life at the waist), allowing the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of these two places to circulate mutually can rescue those who are aging, ill, or weak. If one cannot let Shen (spirit) govern the breath when exhaling, that breath is incomplete; if one cannot let Shen govern it when inhaling, it is likewise incomplete. If one can unite Shen with Qi in every breath, embryonic breathing will condense amid the latent circulation of the breath, and the breath will also subside because the inner embryo has formed. When embryonic breathing and Jing-Qi condense within the body, one can live long without dying.

After the practice is accomplished, men condense Jing-Qi while women form an embryonic infant; even if stirred by desire, one cannot allow Shen to contend with it. This is called truly transforming Jing into Shen. This is the oral formula of Shangqing Yuzhen for cultivating embryonic breathing. Persist in daily practice and one will naturally experience its flavor, gradually attuning to the true Dao of the Most High.

The Embryonic Breathing Formula of Immortal Haichan

Yuanqi is the mother of Heaven and Earth, the root of the Great Dao (the Way), and the material basis from which Yin-Yang are formed. In the myriad things it is called the pure, harmonious, and beneficial Qi; in the human body it is called Yuanqi, which is the root of a person’s nature and life. Ordinarily a person breathes 13,500 times in one day and night, and the true Qi often dissipates through the mouth and nose. Sages cultivate embryonic breathing over a long period so that the true Qi is constantly received into the Dantian (the region of Neidan [internal alchemy] cultivation in the lower abdomen). Thus the breath enters and exits finely, body and mind are at peace, and longevity is attained. So-called longevity means that the heart unites with Shen and Qi and returns together with the Great Dao to the real.

The Embryonic Breathing Formula of Immortal Xuanhu

The Great Dao takes emptiness as its root and cutting off external forms as its wondrous realm. Penetrate the original source and settle quietly in Taisu (the primordial state of purity and stillness), draw Qi into the Dantian, refine Shen in the Golden Chamber (the place of refining Shen in Neidan practice), and settle the mind-spirit in the Sea of Awareness (the realm of clear consciousness). When the mind is settled, Shen is tranquil; when Shen is tranquil, the breath abides; when the breath abides, joy naturally arises in the heart.

One should contain and guard the true breath (the subtle and authentic inner respiration) throughout the hundred ke of a day and night. It is also said: Shen and Qi penetrate the original source, settle quietly in Taisu, draw Qi into the Dantian, refine Shen in the Golden Chamber, and settle the mind in the Sea of Awareness; the mind settled, Shen tranquil; Shen tranquil, Qi abiding; Qi abiding, the heart naturally joyful. When Shen and the breath settle, Metal and Wood unite; when the mind-intent is still, Dragon and Tiger join. This is the true function of embryonic breathing in Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation.

Anyone who cultivates the Dao (the Way) and seeks immortality without dying must first cultivate the heart and Shen (spirit).

The Zhenren said: “The heart is located one cun and three fen below the lungs. Within the heart there is a place of clear, empty, and luminous Qi (vital energy) called the Jade Flask.” The Jing (scripture) states that brightness is born from emptiness and stillness, termed Empty White. It also bears other names: Jade Flask, Spirit Chamber, Jade Hall, and Crimson Palace. Contained within it are the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering, the Deathless Immortal Spirit, Lingbao Tianzun (Numinous Treasure Heavenly Worthy), the Mandate of the Primordial Beginning, Taiyi Zhenren, and the Zhenren Who Saves from Suffering.

During cultivation one must constantly guard the original Qi (the fundamental vital energy of the human body) and not allow it to dissipate. The scripture continues that cinnabar coagulates within the body, the size of a millet grain and the color of gold, named Precious Gem. If the practitioner can recognize, discern, and confirm it, gather in the six gates (normally the six sense faculties of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind together with the coming and going of thoughts), and constantly abide in the innate true nature, then taixi (fetal breathing)—in Neidan (internal alchemy) the state in which breath returns to profound stillness—will form of itself, thereby extending life, promoting longevity, and conferring lasting immortality.

Yuan Tiangang’s Formula of Fetal Breathing.

Yin-Yang is the primordial Qi (vital energy) that truly circulates between heaven and earth (the fundamental Qi upon which all things in the universe depend for their generation and operation). Yin and Yang interact with each other, giving birth to the myriad things. For human beings it manifests as the Qi of respiration; for heaven it manifests as the Qi of the changes of cold and heat. The scripture further says that the two Qi of Yin and Yang are able to drive the succession of the four seasons; this is the true Qi contained and stored by Wu-Ji (a term of the Five Phases and directions, here referring to the power that occupies the center, harmonizes, and conceals the true Qi).

The Qi of spring circulates in the Xun position (one of the directions of the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams), causing the myriad things to sprout and grow; in summer it circulates in the Kun position, causing the myriad things to grow lush and flourishing; in autumn it circulates in the Qian position, causing the myriad things to mature; in winter it circulates in the Gen position, causing the myriad things to withdraw and conceal themselves. These transformations are all the functions exerted by the exiting and entering, rising and descending of the two Qi of Yin and Yang. Therefore Yang Qi arises from within Water and makes Wood Qi flourish, while Yin Qi arises from within Fire and makes Metal Qi flourish. Yang Qi begins to arise at the zi hour (midnight) and becomes manifest at the mao hour (dawn); Yin Qi begins to arise at the wu hour (noon) and withdraws at the you hour (dusk). Zi, wu, mao, and you are four important double-hours, known as the gates of heaven and earth.

To cultivate the Great Dao (the Way), one must take and use the respectively pure and authentic breath of each of the four seasons. In cultivation, moving breath belongs to Yin, while settled breath belongs to Yang. At the beginning of cultivation one must cause the heart-mind, the will, the Shen (spirit), and the breath all to become settled, so that the dragon and the tiger draw close and meet (a term of Neidan, or internal alchemy, referring to the harmonization of the two Qi of Yin and Yang), thereby forming the sacred embryo, that is, the “embryonic breathing of the True Person” (the inner embryonic breathing state formed in the course of cultivation).

The Formula of Embryonic Breathing of the True Person

In cultivation, first one must make the heart-mind and Qi settled. When heart-mind and Qi are settled, Shen can congeal; when Shen congeals, the heart-mind becomes peaceful; when the heart-mind is peaceful, Qi will rise; after Qi has risen, the inner state returns to emptiness and stillness; when the state is empty and still, heart-mind and Shen become clear and quiet; after becoming clear and quiet, the turmoil of the myriad things seems to vanish; when the turmoil vanishes, the root of life is preserved; when the root of life is preserved, the Dao arises from this; after the Dao arises, one no longer clings to external forms; not clinging to forms, awakening becomes clear and bright; when awakening is clear and bright, one can penetrate the spiritually wondrous.

The scripture says: “When the heart-mind is penetrating, then the ten thousand dharmas are all penetrating; when the heart-mind is still, then the ten thousand dharmas are all extinguished.” This method is a genuine form of meditative concentration. Those who cultivate the Dao should first practice the method of settling the heart-mind. Once the method of settling the heart-mind is mastered, the Returned Elixir (a Neidan cultivation term referring to the completed inner elixir) is not far off, the Golden Fluid (a Neidan term referring to the essence obtained through cultivation) is not difficult to seek, and the immortal Dao can thereby be accomplished.

The Formula of Embryonic Breathing of Xu Shengong

Shen is the wondrous function exercised by the original source of emptiness and non-being; the method of breathing is a cultivation method that gradually brings the activity of respiration to a halt and returns it to stillness.

Shen (spirit) is the functioning of the empty original source, while breathing is the functioning of primordial Qi (vital energy, the source of life). One must refine away the entanglements of the mundane world, regarding right and wrong, self and other, wealth and possessions, sounds and colors, taking and giving, gain and loss, as well as enemies and kin, all with impartiality. Naturally one then receives protection and accomplishes the mind of the Dao. The scriptures say: “Shen is the functioning of emptiness.” Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen together constitute the Lingtai (the abode of the mind-spirit). If the practitioner can stabilize the breath and regulate Jing, Qi, and Shen, they may attain immortality and become a transcendent immortal beyond the dust of the world; these words are no empty talk.

Yanluozi’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

Movement is originally movement, stillness originally stillness; fundamentally there has never been a distinction between movement and stillness, for they arise from the same source. Because sentient beings are thrown into chaos by delusive thoughts that cannot settle, the sages left teachings instructing people to regulate the breath and calm Shen: Shen settles as Qi settles, and when Qi abides, Shen likewise abides. If Qi is restless, the heart follows in restlessness; once the heart stirs, Shen grows weary.

If those who cultivate the Dao do not practice embryonic breathing (the method of regulating respiration so that the breath becomes stable), they remain pulled by movement and stillness. How then can they enter the gateway of the Dao of Wuwei (non-action)? In this way they lose the very direction of cultivation.

Bodhidharma Chan Master’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

To cultivate embryonic breathing is to refine Qi and stabilize the mind-spirit. By constantly settling the breath in the heart-wheel (here referring to the place of contemplating the breath and concentrating Shen), one no longer clings to the myriad things. If Qi cannot settle, Chan cultivation likewise comes to nothing; when Qi is settled, the body suffers few illnesses, and both Chan practice and cultivation of the Dao become stable together.

If the practitioner does not guard the mind-spirit, primordial Qi scatters and cannot be gathered, and the Dao is hard to accomplish. The ancients said: “When Qi is settled the heart is settled; when Qi congeals the heart is still.” This is the essential formula for cultivating the Great Dao, also called “returning the elixir” (the process in cultivation whereby Jing, Qi, and Shen condense and return to the origin). If a Daoist has no attachments and practices thus every day, it is called genuine Chan meditation and contemplation. Therefore the cultivation of worthies and sages of past, present, and future all emphasizes this formula, called the dual cultivation of Chan and concentration.

Li Zhenren’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing, whose taboo name was Ziming.

The true Qi (vital energy) referred to in embryonic breathing means entering a quiet room, burning incense, facing the wall toward the south, and sitting cross-legged. Do not dwell on affairs in the mind or let thoughts wander chaotically; allow the Shen (spirit) to become clear and the breathing to settle, while constantly observing the entire body, and a natural sense of unobstructed flow will arise.

Practitioners must not completely hold the breath, for fully stopping it damages the Shen. Simply follow the natural length of one’s own breathing and allow the Qi to enter and exit of itself. Do not deliberately listen to or examine the breath, and do not let the mind wander. This is the proper approach. With regular regulation the breath gradually becomes fine and slow, as if neither leaving nor entering; after a long time the Qi settles and dwells in the Dantian (energy center in the abdomen). Maintaining this state is called the “true embryo,” and thereby one attains the Dao (the Way).

Baopuzi Embryonic Breathing Formula

Those who cultivate should regulate the breath until it is settled. “Breath” carries the senses of being upright, stable, smooth, gathered, latent, tranquil, and still. If one can constantly practice in this way amid the everyday activities of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, one enters the true realm of the Dao. Do not cling to external phenomena; it is best to keep the mind empty and still while the abdomen is full.

Simply keep the breathing clear and still and the mind-Shen settled: when the mind is settled, Qi becomes tranquil; when Qi is tranquil, the Shen becomes clear and still; when the Shen is clear and still, the outer world appears empty and silent; after emptiness and silence all thoughts cease; when all thoughts cease there are no attachments; with no attachments the inner mind is clear and still; when the inner mind is clear and still the Dao arises; when the Dao arises one follows what is natural; following what is natural one attains carefree ease. Upon reaching that realm there is boundless freedom, and one may cultivate immortality. The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) converge, the six Qi (the six kinds of Qi that constitute the workings of heaven, earth, and the human body) harmonize, and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) coordinate with one another, forming Neidan (internal alchemy) within the body so that the physical form never decays.

Kangcangzi Embryonic Breathing Formula

All who cultivate to enter the Dao should settle the thoughts, neither disorder the Shen nor leak or scatter the Qi and Shen, and should not become startled or uneasy during Neidan practice. In this way the physical body can remain long undamaged.

All those who cultivate in order to enter the Dao (the Way) must settle the mind and not allow the Shen (spirit) to scatter. Do not leak or exhaust Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), or damage the mind-spirit; do not become startled or filled with remorse; do not expend Qi through speech or injure the blood through excessive talking; do not stagnate the breath or spit saliva without cease; do not let the Qi scatter far, or allow nasal mucus to flow freely; do not indulge anger, vexation, worry, and resentment; do not cling to the thought of “I,” do not contend and harm others, and do not keep others’ faults in the heart. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or at any other time, constantly abide by these principles. In this way the mind becomes naturally peaceful and joyful, and cultivation gradually succeeds. If one does not uphold this teaching, effort is wasted and final accomplishment remains difficult. So long as one practices thus every day, the Neidan (internal alchemy)—the inner Jing-Qi formed through cultivation—will surely take shape; if one can moreover forget even the distinction between movement and stillness, the Dao appears of itself, without any need for deliberate seeking.

Yuanxian Zhenren’s Formula of Taixi (fetal breathing)

Those who practice Wuwei (non-action) Taixi (cultivation that employs no deliberate action and takes natural regulation of the breath as its method) need only guard the originally pure and tranquil mind. This is also called “Zhenru” (true suchness, the true unchanging nature). It is originally without form or substance, resembling the vast Great Void: it has neither coming nor going, neither above nor below, and belongs neither to movement nor to stillness. Empty, still, and profound, it is of one body with true emptiness and of one source with the Great Dao, enabling a return to one’s original face.

To cultivate the Great Dao one ought to cultivate the Dao of Wuwei, making the mind like the Great Void—without coming or going, without above or below, unattached to movement or stillness, clear, still, empty, and luminous. Though the mind is clear and still, one does not cling to “stillness”; though it is settled, one does not cling to “settledness.” When the mind is clear and bright, the pull of external objects recedes, and neither mind nor objects are clung to, one enters the true Dao of Wuwei. If students of the Dao practice this method, Neidan forms of itself, the breath naturally settles, and one thereby attains Taixi (a cultivation state in which the breath is deep and subtle, as though a fetus were breathing in the mother’s womb).

He Xiangu’s Formula of Taixi

“Refining” means cultivation; “breath” refers to Qi, and also to Shen and Jing. The root source of the breath-Qi is the pure and still true Qi. Visualize the true Qi entering the Dantian (energy center), the vital site of Neidan cultivation in the lower abdomen, and cause it to enter and exit with the utmost subtlety. Cultivating in this manner, the dragon and tiger—the interaction of Yin-Yang, Jing-Qi and other inner forces—will naturally be subdued. When the mind does not stir recklessly, the Shen does not think recklessly, and the Qi harbors no desire, this is called “Great Stability” (a cultivation state of profound stillness). When true Qi is stored and nourished within the bodily form, one may reach the realm of the true immortal, transforming without limit, and is called a Zhenren (True Person).

The so-called “embryonic breathing” refers to visualizing the spirits and deities within the body during cultivation, settling the mind and intention, and guarding the Three Passes (the key bodily locations spoken of in cultivation). The “three methods” here refer to Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). Practitioners should hold and guard these three every day during the six time periods, thereby gradually accumulating the “treasures” within the body. When the mind is at peace and the spirit is harmonious, one suffers fewer illnesses and fewer afflictions, the body feels light and at ease, and the ears and eyes become keen. This is the path by which cultivators of the True approach the true Dao (the Way). If one persists in the practice for three to five years, the scriptures say one will receive the protection of Heaven and the blessing of the spirits, and will also be respected by others; over time one will naturally attain the Dao.

Jade Cloud Zhang Guolao’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

“Tai” (embryo) is the place where life is conceived and nurtured; “xi” (breath) is the vital breath. The scripture says that the breath gathers in the “Original Sea,” that is, the Dantian (energy center) about one cun and three fen below the navel. Life receives the true Jing and thereby takes form, and also takes in the Qi of Heaven and Earth: after one month of pregnancy it is like a pearl, after two months like dew, after three months like a peach or plum. This state is called the Qi of primal purity and simplicity.

The fetus in the mother’s womb breathes along with the mother’s breathing; after ten months, when the breath is sufficient, it is born into the world. After birth the Six Emotions (the six kinds of human feelings or sensory desires) rush outward, no longer turning back to contemplate the original source, nor guarding the inner breath, and thus there is birth and death. The sage says: do not indulge the Three Corpses (the spirits within the body that, according to Daoism, draw people after desires), let the Six Emotions rest in the Dantian, and hold and guard them without retreat or loss.

Those who cultivate the Dao should first practice stilling the mind. The scripture further says: if one first understands the source of one’s own mind and then cultivates the Dao, one can succeed with little effort and easily; if one does not understand the mind and merely attends to cultivating the Dao, it will instead be laborious and of no benefit. First make the source of the mind clear and pure; the mind will then naturally become settled, the Dragon and Tiger (symbolic expressions in Neidan (internal alchemy) for the forces of Yin-Yang, Jing, Qi, and the like) will be subdued, and there will be hope of completing the immortal Dao.

The Dantian (energy center), located about 1.3 cun below the navel, is the place where primordial Qi (the fundamental vital energy of the human body) gathers. It is said that three hundred and sixty gods of essence and light guard this primordial Qi. Inside there is a divine turtle that inhales and exhales the primordial Qi, causing it to come and go with the breath. In the course of one day and one night a person breathes 13,500 times; this primordial Qi is lost through the mouth and nose, so pathogenic Qi can easily invade the resulting emptiness and cause illness.

The Dantian is the source that generates Qi and is known by many other names: Jinglu (essence pathway), Qihai (sea of Qi), Shougong (guarding palace), Dayuan (great source), Shenshi (spirit chamber), Yuancang (primordial storehouse), Caibao (treasure gathering), Wuji (Wu and Ji), and Bengen (original root). All these names refer to the dwelling place of Taihe Yuanqi (the harmonious and pure primordial Qi). If Jing (essence) and Qi can be retained in the Dantian, one obtains the Dao of long life and enduring vision.

Whether walking, standing, or sitting in stillness, the practitioner should constantly contain the true breath (the regulated respiration of cultivation) within the Dantian so that the primordial Qi becomes abundant. With prolonged practice one can become an immortal. This is the fetal breathing (respiration centered on internal Qi like that of a fetus in the womb) spoken of by the True Person.

Hou Zhenren’s Formula of Fetal Breathing

Cultivating the Dao (the Way) of the “True One” cannot depart from the original source; the original source is a person’s single heart-mind. When the heart-mind does not waver and does not race outward, that is the original source; when the original source does not linger or stagnate, that is the heart-mind. When the heart-mind is pure and still, the Great Medicine can be accomplished. If the heart-mind is confused and chaotic, it becomes a great harm: it depletes Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), steals and scatters Shen (spirit), damages the furnace and tripod, loses the medicinal ingredients, injures the body, and even endangers life.

Those who cultivate the Dao should first cultivate the inner heart-mind, making it quiet, and further reach a state of settled heart-mind and Shen. When the heart-mind is settled, Shen is peaceful. The union of lead and mercury and the affinity of dragon and tiger refer to the harmony of Yin-Yang in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. After the required number of circulations of the Heavenly Circuit has been completed, one then increases Jing and Qi and nourishes Shen. If these three cultivations are all accomplished, the various Shen and Qi will gather in the Dantian (energy center), Qi and blood will flow throughout the body, and one will thus advance toward the carefree Way of longevity.

How can one attain purity and stillness? One should clarify the heart-mind and Shen, cut off stray thoughts, forget the self, eliminate the disturbances of external conditions, and hold fast to original authenticity. This is the subtle Dao of purity and stillness.

Guiguzi’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

Those who cultivate the Dao must return to the original source and recover pure authenticity, so that the inner being unites with true Qi. After returning to the Great Dao, one employs concepts such as the Four Images, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the Six Qi, the Seven Origins, and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) to cultivate Jing, Qi, and Shen, causing them to condense into form and substance. This is a method of seeking the real within emptiness and obtaining being from non-being, secretly storing the true elixir inside the body.

Refining the heart-mind can transform Shen, refining Jing can produce form, and refining Qi can nourish life; this describes the rising and falling circulation of Yin-Yang Qi. The source of Qi is the root of life. Therefore, practicing these three arts is cultivating the Great Dao.

The Yellow Emperor’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

Those who cultivate the Dao should constantly practice inner observation, expel the Three Corpses (spirits that Daoism says dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation), free themselves from the pull of the Six Emotions, return inward, and preserve and nourish the “Three” (here referring to the inner fundamentals that should be preserved and nourished in cultivation). Heart-mind and Shen remain at their corresponding inner locations, Qi is stored and does not disperse, and the various spirits can then be at peace, harmonious, and joyful. The three practices of nourishing Qi, refining the form, and preserving nature must not be abandoned. This is the Embryonic Breathing of the True One, also known as the Great Medicine of the Mysterious Pass.

Chen Xiyi’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

The transformation of the Dao (the Way) proceeds from youth to old age, from old age to illness, from illness to death; after death it becomes Shen (spirit), and Shen in turn generates all things. Qi (vital energy, the life force of which Daoism speaks) gives birth to numinous beings, while Jing (essence) takes on form. When Shen, Qi, and Jing are transformed and refined through cultivation, they can be transmuted into a true immortal. Therefore one must nourish Jing and Qi, cultivate Shen, and refine Qi; these three practices constitute essential work in cultivation that cannot be ignored. The four double-hours of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, together with the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, are all pivotal gateways at which Yin-Yang Qi alternately enter and exit.

When the mind and Shen are perfectly still and unmoving, this is called Chan; when Shen is wondrously penetrating and able to respond to every kind of change, this is called Ling; when wisdom comprehends all affairs, this is called Hui; when the origin of the Dao unites with Qi, this is called Xiu; when true Qi returns to its source, this is called Lian; when dragon and tiger intermingle (the union of Yin and Yang Qi in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy), this is called Dan (elixir); when the three elixirs unite and correspond, this is called Liao (completion). A practitioner who understands these fundamental principles is not far from entering the Dao.

Xiaoyaozi’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

Cultivation consists in establishing resolve and in nurturing. Nurturing means to nourish and to gather inward so that the original truth may appear. To nurture the breath one must first nourish Jing; to nourish Jing one must first nurture Shen; to nurture Shen one must first cultivate original nature; to cultivate original nature one must first nourish life. Here “nature and life” refers to Shen and Qi, hun and po, Yin and Yang, Li and Kan (the trigrams that symbolize Yin and Yang). Prolonged practice according to this method produces the sacred embryo, and that is genuine embryonic breathing.

Zhang Tianshi’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

One uses primordial Qi (the original vital energy of life) to nurture original nature, beginning with the nourishment of life. Here “nature and life” likewise refers to Shen and Qi, hun and po, Yin and Yang, Li and Kan. Prolonged practice according to this method produces the sacred embryo, and that is genuine embryonic breathing.

Primordial Qi is formless, the true mind has no fixed method, and the Great Dao knows no distinction of near or far. Only the single method of refining the breath contains the genuine Great Dao. It is also said: the mind is settled, Qi is settled, Shen is settled. If a cultivator of the Dao can accord with the primordial way of the Great Elixir, attain a state of clear emptiness and stillness, cut off mixed thoughts, forget all subjective intention, keep the mind empty, luminous and tranquil without attachment, and leave no trace of any technique, this is genuine cultivation of embryonic breathing. In this way one becomes an immortal.

Guo Zhenren’s Formula of Embryonic Breathing

Cultivation is the practice of refining the mind and Shen (spirit), bringing the mental state back to emptiness and stillness. One should not let the ears hear external sounds, the eyes see external objects, the nose smell odors, or the tongue distinguish flavors, while evening the breath and settling the mind and Shen. This method is to realize the subtle principle between “being” and “non-being,” between “form” (visible appearance) and “emptiness”: neither clinging to being nor clinging to non-being; neither clinging to form nor clinging to emptiness. One neither fabricates with deliberate effort nor sinks into vacuity. This state is the true embryo, and it is also the method of nourishing Qi (vital energy) and regulating Shen by means of embryonic breathing (taixi)—quiet, deep respiration like that of a fetus.

It is also said: “I cannot be seen, nor can my voice be heard; keep far from all dualities and attachments—this is called the wondrous Dao (the Way).” This method is of the highest order.

The Embryonic Breathing Formula of the Yellow Elder Lord of the Center

Heaven and earth are established upon fundamental principle and generated through Yin-Yang. Pure Qi rises to become heaven; turbid Qi condenses to become earth. In the human body, pure Qi corresponds to the heart and turbid Qi to the kidneys. Worldly affairs pull at the human mind and stir thoughts, so that pure Qi and turbid Qi cannot be harmonized. Why is this so? As soon as a person moves or walks, or uses the eyes to see and the ears to hear, the so-called “Five Thieves”—sensory activities that deplete a person’s Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen—consume the true original energy. What the eyes see is transmitted to the heart; the mind’s thoughts then move accordingly, and Shen and Qi become exhausted. Sounds heard by the ears also enter the heart, and the heart then carries their influence to the kidneys, leaving the mind and Shen weary and agitated, so that the true original energy is damaged. Once the mind stirs, true Qi dissipates, and embryonic breathing is therefore difficult to accomplish.

How can it be accomplished? If a person sits in stillness with the mind unmoved, stilling miscellaneous thoughts and forgetting emotions so that Qi and Shen are harmonized and evenly balanced, then after a long time the practice will naturally be completed.

People of the world often do not know how the body they rely upon for daily existence is formed. Alas, this is because the clear Qi (vital energy) of Heaven combines with the turbid Qi of Earth: when the original Jing (essence) does not decline, the myriad things are able to condense and take form. The human form receives the clear Qi of Heaven from above to take shape, and connects with the turbid Qi of Earth from below to become a body. Within the body is contained the “One True” (the original root of life), yet people of the world do not recognize it, and so Jing, Qi, and Shen (spirit) dissipate outward. If one does not guard these three, aging and death will quickly arrive. The sages never depart from the methods of guarding Jing, Qi, and Shen; whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, they persist without interruption, and over a long time they form the “embryo” (the symbol of the coalescence of inner life in cultivation), attaining the realm of the immortals.

The verse says: People live in the world yet do not know the root of life; they only greedily seek and abandon their original true self. They disregard original Yang (the innate yang qi of life) and true breath (the authentic qi of respiration), until now Heaven’s anger has sent down calamities and illness afflicts the body.

Embryonic Breathing Formula of Lishan Laomu

The scriptures say: “Heaven and Earth steal from the myriad things, the myriad things steal from humans, and humans in turn steal from the myriad things.” Heaven and Earth, the myriad things, and humans mutually constrain and consume one another, and therefore the true Qi and the spirit scatter, making it impossible to achieve embryonic breathing (taixi, the practice of nourishing life through inner regulation of the breath). If the practitioner does not greedily attach to the myriad things, external objects will naturally not harm one’s original nature. Therefore it is said that the cultivator who keeps to their proper lot does not greedily take what belongs to you, nor do you greedily take what belongs to them; each abides in their proper lot. What does it mean to keep to one’s proper lot? It is neither going out nor coming in, constantly guarding the root of life; neither attached to movement nor attached to stillness; neither coming nor going, as if present yet as if absent. This is comparable to a living person who yet appears as if dead, unmoved by the attraction of external things. In this way, the immortal Dao (the Way) is near at hand.

Embryonic Breathing Formula of Li Xiangu

Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) in the world must uphold its methods and persist in practice, while also paying homage to the true deities and repenting their faults. On Gengshen days, Jiazi days, the distant death anniversaries of one’s parents, and festivals such as the Three Primordials and the Eight Seasonal Nodes, it is fitting to perform Zhaijiao (purification ritual), the Daoist ceremonies of praying for blessings and honoring the gods, so that one may receive divine protection.

On ordinary days, if free of miscellaneous affairs, one should sit quietly indoors, clarify the mind’s thoughts, and nourish Shen (spirit) together with Qi (vital energy), the life energy spoken of in Daoism. Persisting in this will naturally cause the Three Palaces to rise and descend, the Six Qi to circulate, the hundred meridians to flow freely, and the Qi of all things to gather in the Yellow Court. The Yellow Court is the inner region at the center of the body, also called the Central Palace. If one can constantly guard the Central Palace so that Jing (essence) and Qi do not scatter outward, this is genuine fetal breathing, a method of cultivation centered on quiet nourishment, inner guarding, and regulated breath.

The Fetal Breathing Formula of the Tiantai Daoist

Whenever the mechanism of Qi circulates and the hundred meridians flow unimpeded, the Qi of all things gathers in the Yellow Court. The Yellow Court is the Central Palace. If one can constantly guard the Central Palace so that Jing and Qi do not scatter outward, this is genuine fetal breathing.

The Fetal Breathing Formula of the Tiantai Daoist

Practitioners should always maintain a mind of equality, practicing patience and humility. The moment an improper thought arises, it must be discarded. Once the mind’s resolve is firm, one regulates and circulates the two Qi of heart and kidneys so that they travel up and down and unite in the Central Palace. In this way the various Shen and Qi are not lost; then, by gently warming and nourishing the original Qi, cinnabar and yellow sprouts (terms in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) that symbolize the refined essences obtained through inner cultivation) arise of themselves. As the foundation gradually stabilizes and the breath continues without interruption, over a long time one may attain longevity, transcend the dusty world, and realize the Dao.

The Fetal Breathing Formula of Perfected Liu

The fundamental way of cultivating fetal breathing requires that the mind harbor no killing intent, greed, theft, unlawful taking, improper thoughts, or deluded thoughts, nor allow itself to fall into madness. The mind then naturally becomes clear and open. In daily life one should keep fasting and precepts, regulate the true breath evenly, and contemplate the whole body. When body and mind are pure and still, this is the way of longevity.

Those who cultivate the Dao should, like a firm golden mine holding treasures, guard their own person and not allow the six gates (the sensory portals through which the body communicates with the outside) to stand open, so that evil Qi cannot enter and the body suffers few illnesses. If the six gates are left unguarded, Jing and Qi continually drain away like stolen treasures, a person easily falls ill, and the Dao becomes hard to accomplish.

A verse says: The true Qi in the heart is Tianying, the root of a clear Shen and bright Qi. Cultivating according to the mysterious methods of the Great Dao, if the mind remains pure and still, Qi gives rise to spiritual mechanism.

Each inhalation and exhalation proceeds without pause; as Qi (vital energy) circulates upward and downward, the transformations of life are generated thereby. When the mind and Shen (spirit) become tranquil and the breath grows clear and unperturbed by external objects, then, at that moment, as breathing comes to a halt, the numinous marvel naturally manifests.

Those who come later in their studies, if they fail to comprehend how to abide in the primordial Dao (the Way), find their delusive thoughts arising without end; as thoughts emerge and fade, the mind and Shen chase after external things. How then could one ever complete the practice of embryonic breathing?

Langranzi's Formula for Embryonic Breathing

The cultivator should burn incense and enter a quiet room, sit calmly, and gather in the mind and Shen. By knocking the teeth one concentrates the spirit, settles chaotic intentions, and subdues restless thoughts, drawing the Shen and Qi together into a single place and locating them in the Dantian (energy center)—the region in Daoist internal cultivation where Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen are stored and nourished—so that they may be gently contained and cultivated. In inner observation one must not allow the Shen to gallop outward, just as a marshal commands an army: the Shen serves as commander-in-chief and the Qi as the troops. Wherever the Qi goes, the Shen follows; the two remain together and must not be separated. In this manner all illnesses are kept from invading and a thousand calamities are dispersed.

If a student of the Dao has grasped this method, he should practice it with diligence. Only today has this humble Daoist revealed the heavenly secret; should you fail to cultivate according to it, I myself will suffer disaster.

The Formula of Embryonic Breathing through Inner Vision of the Hundred Cliffs

What is called embryonic breathing remains unknown to ordinary people, yet worthy sages who have succeeded in cultivation have all verified it in their own persons. Without this method it is difficult to seize the essential points; without the oral formula one does not know how to begin; without personal transmission it is still harder to learn truly. Even when someone teaches by taking one by the hand, success is not assured.

People of generally lesser aptitude often begin by rushing to stabilize the mind and subdue miscellaneous thoughts, thereby wasting their efforts in vain and finding it hard to accomplish anything of importance. A genuine cultivator who wishes to subdue miscellaneous thoughts and settle the mind should first regulate the Qi and stabilize the breath, then clarify the inner heart, put a stop to deliberation, and let external affections fade into forgetfulness; only thus may one accord with the requirements of embryonic breathing. Otherwise one merely squanders time. Without a teacher’s guidance this matter is indeed difficult to understand.

Cao Xiangu's Formula for Embryonic Breathing

Embryonic breathing, a cultivation state whose essence is the regulation and nourishment of body and mind so that respiration becomes deep, subtle, and harmonious, cannot be attained through any external method or technique. If one insistently applies deliberate effort, one will only stray ever farther from the Dao (the Way).

For a person to live, Shen (spirit, or conscious awareness) must be settled and Qi (vital energy) must be retained; only then can life be sustained. Shen and Qi depend upon each other, and it is from this that a person’s nature and life are established. When the inner heart is empty and still, one attains spiritual clarity and a luminous state of mind; when body and mind are in harmonious accord, Qi circulates throughout the whole body, gentle and moistening. When Shen is settled, Qi flows freely; when Qi flows freely, the blood vessels are harmonized; when the blood vessels are harmonized, the bones become strong; when the bones are strong, the marrow is plentiful; when the marrow is plentiful, the abdomen is full; when the abdomen is full, the foundation of the lower body is firm. With a firm foundation, walking becomes light and vigorous; with light walking, one does not readily tire in movement, and the four limbs grow robust.

This is like a country whose territories are at peace, its qi and blood flourishing as though the storehouses were full; or like a prosperous household, in which a person’s spirit is joyful, complexion at ease, and one can even sing and dance freely while walking. In this way one approaches the immortal Dao.

Therefore it is said that nowadays some people recite the names of the Buddha or of the Dao merely wishing to avert disaster and misfortune; this is not as good as resolving to eliminate deluded thoughts. If those who thoroughly understand the principles of things grasp this and put it into practice, they will naturally be able to cultivate embryonic breathing.