《黄庭内外玉景经解(朝散大夫赐绯鱼大臣蒋慎修上进)》

Immortals and Daoists are not born with supernatural powers, but rather attain the realm of the Zhenren (True Person) through the accumulation of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) and long-term cultivation.

The so-called Shen (spirit) has no fixed form or boundaries; Zhen (the True) is a tangible realm that can be cultivated and accumulated. Supernatural abilities are not innate to cultivators of the immortal Dao, but the path of cultivating Zhen can be gradually achieved by accumulating Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy).

“Huangtong neiyin” refers to the inner mysterious sound associated with Huangtong, which is difficult to hear; “Yushu,” “Jiangjian,” and “Chidanwen” are precious and mysterious Jing (scripture) texts.

In the palatial chamber of the spleen there is a luminous child, hence it is called the “Yellow Child.” The Yellow Court comprises three layers, all transmitted through recitation. The five viscera being free from disturbance by external things, this is therefore termed the “inner tones.” The hidden musical tones of the various heavens presumably have their origin here.

The perfected person has no need to seek the Dao (the Way) by means of hearing; ordinary people, even having heard, may not be able to understand. Both the case of not needing to hear and that of hearing yet failing to understand belong to what is difficult to hear. To comprehend the principle within there is no other recourse than to inquire carefully into its meaning.

The avenues of immortal cultivation are numerous, the essential lying in advancing in concert with yang Qi (vital energy). The crux of the practice is to refine it to pure yang. Thus the scriptures are produced from jade. Jade itself is the Jing (essence) of pure yang. The Qi of Highest Clarity (Shangqing, that lofty pure numinous Qi of which Daoism speaks) descends to join with the myriad things, so the slips are stained crimson (deep red). Crimson stands for the descent of the heavenly Dao. Pure yang does not arise apart from Yin-Yang, but is based on one yin and one yang and achieved by cultivation. Rooted in Yin-Yang, their intermixture forms patterned lines, whence the distinction of chi and dan: chi takes fire as yang, dan takes two as yin. Scrutiny of how the principles of Dao and De (Virtue/Power) show forth in the colors of things yields something of this sort.

Books serve to bear the Dao, slips to bear the written characters. To bear the Dao by means of the Jing of pure yang, and to bear the characters by means of the crimson that signifies the heavenly Dao descending, is in each case to employ the qualities of the things themselves in order to convey the corresponding principles. The making of characters involves the differentiation of Yin-Yang, the successive use of the yielding and the firm, and then, by combination and interweaving, the patterns are formed. In things this appears as floral brilliance; in the seasons it corresponds to summer. Then the heavenly Dao descends and the transformations of the myriad things become visible. When the principles are dissected with the utmost subtlety so that the marvel of the Dao stands clearly forth, the significance of chi and dan is thereby understood.

Under the title it is noted: the characters appear as “the Perfected Person wears a golden kerchief.”

The wording is given as “The Zhenren (True Person) wears a golden kerchief.”

If one can grasp its meaning, one will understand what is called the accumulation of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), ultimately cultivating oneself into a Zhenren. “Zi” is an honorific title, indicating success in cultivating the Dao (the Way) and a status of nobility, and is therefore used to praise the Zhenren. Laozi said that he “styled it the Dao,” and the meaning here is the same.

“Wears a golden kerchief” means that the Zhenren wears a golden kerchief upon the head. The commentary holds that Jing and Qi are all generated from the lungs, and the lungs are in turn associated with the head, so a golden kerchief is used as adornment.

The Zhenren is clad in armor, holds Fulu (talismans and registers) (credentials used in Daoist rituals to summon deities and expel evil), and opens the seven gates; he also dispatches fire soldiers, prepares the talisman diagrams, and guards the spiritual pass.

The so-called “bearing the jia” refers to images of the northern turtle-snake type: turning the back toward the yin region in order to protect oneself. “Fire troops” refers to images of the southern vermilion bird type: facing toward the yang region in order to resist the enemy.

The “seven gates” refer to the bodily portals such as the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth, that is, the so-called “gates of life.” The gates of life communicate outward with the external world, while a person’s consciousness and mind-nature correspond to them inwardly. Therefore the Zhuangzi says: “Hearing stops at the ears; the mind stops at the tally.” From this we may infer that the functions of the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) must all accord with the tally-contract of the “jiaoyou.” “Jiaoyou” is a specialized term in the original text; its precise referent here is unclear.

Thus, before opening the seven gates, one must first hold the talisman; only by opening in accordance with the talisman will there be no fault of reckless or improper movement. However, before holding the talisman and opening the gates, one must first use “bearing the jia” for self-defense. For once the gates of life are opened, the external “six thieves” (a term frequently used in Buddhist and Daoist literature to refer to the sensory objects that disturb body and mind) may take the opportunity to enter, so one must first take protective measures. Once the protection is secure, thereafter one will not encounter difficulties. This is the meaning of “bearing the jia, holding the talisman, and opening the seven gates.”

The so-called “talisman diagram” refers to the nine-palace schema of the River Chart: three on the left, seven on the right, nine worn above, one trodden below, two and four at the positions of the two shoulders, six and eight at the positions of the two feet. This schema corresponds to the upper and lower parts of the human body and can therefore be used to complete the “spirit passes.” The “spirit passes” refer to the three passes; within the three passes is contained the Dao (the Way) of the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity, and humanity in turn matches heaven and earth, hence they are called “spirit passes.”

The flourishing or decline of jing-shen concerns the root of life. When the inner accords with numerical principles and the outer matches the principles of affairs, faults of reckless movement have no way to arise. Those who govern a state set up gates and passes and employ tallies and tokens; whenever gates are opened or closed and personnel enter or exit, all must proceed according to the tallies. “Gate” refers to the nearer checkpoint, “pass” to the farther checkpoint; once the near one has been opened, the distant one cannot be left unguarded. This is the meaning of using “fire troops” and the “talisman diagram” to guard the spirit passes.

The front rises high, the rear lies low; the high places and the low places are arranged in sequence.

Holding a long sword and waving colorful brocade banners, ten banners whirl through the air as fan-shaped ranks unfold in lively profusion.

The term “baizhang” conveys an imposing, majestic presence and does not mean the sword is literally a hundred zhang long. “Huobing” refers to weapons and ceremonial accoutrements of fierce, formidable power: the long sword overawes enemies and inspires reverence and obedience, while the brocade banners display the ranks, heighten their splendor, summon the assembled followers, and make people glad to join. “Shijue” indicates banners arrayed in ten directions or multiple layers; “pankong” describes the banner formation circling and spreading through the air; and “shan fenyun” portrays the ranks opening out like a fan, richly varied in their unfolding.

The nine colors of the Nine Palaces connect with one another and are woven into brocade; when they separate from one another they become “severed.” The term “severed” here takes its name from the fact that the colors do not join one another, yet it actually refers to banners. The “Ten Severed Numinous Banners” spoken of in the Scripture of Salvation (Duren Jing) are precisely these banners.

The Yellow Court Scripture (Huangting Jing), in its chapter on the gallbladder, mentions “nine-colored brocade robes and green-flowered skirts”: the five primary colors together with ornamental patterns correspond to the Nine Palaces; Wood is born from Earth, so that azure and yellow combine to form green, and they are therefore collectively called the ten colors. What is discussed here is the cultivation of the Dao by the Perfected One (Zhenren). The essential point is to expel what is evil and false and to guard the heart-spirit, so that the numerical principles of the talisman diagrams secretly accord with inner cultivation without the slightest error. External evil then finds no opportunity to take advantage. The ten colors encircle densely without any gap; even if the evil and false wander about on the periphery, they cannot enter the inner chamber.

Nevertheless the cultivator must still understand the method of driving out evil. This is like first rendering oneself invulnerable and then waiting for the adversary to reveal an opening. There is no other secret to becoming invulnerable; it depends upon majestic and discerning spiritual power. Therefore the completeness of the ten colors also corresponds to the gallbladder spirit. The gallbladder belongs to Lesser Yang (Shaoyang). When the Qi (vital energy) of Lesser Yang is set in motion, it is like thunder and lightning shaking the eight directions, dragon banners stretching across the sky, hibernating insects awakening once more, and the Qi of heaven above and earth below intersecting so that they communicate freely. Thus the patterned colors here connect with one another and are woven into brocade.

The Perfected One is outwardly unlike ordinary people and inwardly accomplishes the Heavenly Dao; standing alone and unchanging, he moves without cease. This keeps him at a distance from the myriad things of the world, and therefore the patterned colors separate from one another and are called “severed.” What was earlier spoken of as brocade banners and later as the Ten Severed ultimately express one and the same meaning.

The fire bell is raised high into the cloudy heavens and, falling, transforms into smoke.

(The fire bell is a ritual implement or a symbol of divine power in Daoist magical arts and ceremonies. This sentence describes the scene of the fire bell rising into the heights and falling to become smoke.)

The fire bell is raised high into the cloudy heavens and, falling, transforms into smoke.

The fire bell is the majestic sound of the gallbladder. Speaking of the fire bell here means drawing upon the gallbladder’s imposing power and keen perception. Evil and false things lurk in darkness and remain submerged, belonging to the lower region; the fire bell soars and flies through the air, belonging to the upper region. Yet if the gallbladder’s imposing power only proceeds upward and not downward, those dark and submerged things will seize the opportunity to gain the upper hand. Therefore, although the fire bell rises into the void and occupies a high position, it must still rely on its falling in order to exert its effect. The gallbladder section says “hurl,” while here it says “fall”; the meanings are connected: after it is hurled forth, it is made to fall. Smoke is by nature difficult to cause to fall, yet here it is said that the smoke is made to fall, precisely to describe the swiftness of its downward-striking momentum.

Fire belongs to Yang, the bell belongs to Yin. The fire bell thus symbolizes Yin contained within Yang and belongs to the symbolism of the Li trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). The Li trigram manifests its benefit upward and exerts its function downward; this is the principle by which nature and life operate.

(After the imposing power of the fire bell has exerted its function from above to below,) it is placed between the two eyebrows at the Huangque (Yellow Tower, the region around the space between the brows). What is placed here is not the branches and leaves, but the true root.

The Heavenly Court refers to the position of Heaven, while the Yellow Court (Huangting) refers to the principle of Earth. The earthly Dao (the Way) takes the inner as its principal, and its tendency is to move downward. It possesses this characteristic precisely because it both resides within and moves downward. The Li trigram manifests its benefit upward and exerts its function downward; this is the principle by which nature and life operate.

It is placed between the two eyebrows at the Huangque. What is placed here is not the branches and leaves, but the true root.

The Heavenly Court is the location of Heaven, while the Yellow Court is the earthly Dao (the Way). The earthly Dao governs the interior and occupies a lower position; to communicate upward from within, there must be a passageway. What is called a “que” is an elevated place along the path. The space between the eyebrows is indeed where the Heavenly Court resides, and the passageway of the Yellow Court is also here, thus it is called the Yellow Que. The Yellow Que is the great passageway for the coming and going, ascent and descent of Heaven and Earth. The conjunction of Heaven and Earth generates the transformations of the myriad things; the crucial mystery of the True Person’s cultivation of the Dao likewise lies here. This is what is meant by Heaven and Earth pairing above and below to become the “two principles.”

However, the Yellow Court is positioned below while the Yellow Que is above, so the scripture asks “where is it?”—that is, it questions exactly where it is located. The reason for questioning its whereabouts is that the Dao is present everywhere; since it is nowhere absent, the very presence of a question precisely shows that it is therein.

Branches and leaves grow from the root yet are not the root. Because the branches and leaves are not the fundamental, they alternate between flourishing and withering, changing with the sun and moon, while the root itself does not change along with them. The True Person returns to the root and reverts to original nature, thereby completing their own Heaven. Those who chase after floating splendor regard ornate decorations, sharp implements, food and drink, and wealth as of great importance and greedily cling to them; they are merely pursuing the branches and leaves.

Therefore the True Person “bears the jia and holds the fu” (with jia and fu symbolizing guardianship and credentials), cautiously opens the doors and guards the passes, screens out external things, gathers the mind and Shen (spirit), and reflects back upon the self. In this way speech and conduct, movement and stillness all issue from the root without vain error, and thus it is said that this is the true fundamental.

Purple Clarity Chapter

The Supreme Sovereign of the Great Dao of Purple Clarity (the Lord of the Great Dao, Supreme Sovereign in the Heaven of Purple Clarity).

The “Emperor of Wuwei (non-action)” and the “Lord of Action” together are collectively called one Emperor. The first chapter treats the two separately, while this section unites them. The previous chapter explained the Dao of the True Person: screening out external objects, returning the light to reflect inwardly, and through impartial non-discriminating contemplation realizing the truth and accomplishing the Great Dao, and is therefore called the True Person. The Emperor of Wuwei and the Lord of Action ultimately return to one Emperor, mutually manifesting and interacting. The principle here is subtle and cannot be understood through thinking and discrimination; only the True Person can grasp it.

The Great Mystery (Taixuan) and the Great Harmony (Taihe) stand together in attendance at the upright place, transforming and nurturing the myriad things so that I may become an immortal.

The Great Mystery is the realm of contemplation, discrimination, and attaining comprehension; only the True Person (zhenren) can truly know it. It can also be said that Taixuan is the mysterious heaven of the north, which gestates the myriad things and makes the numinous root firm; Taihe is the azure heaven of the east, which with harmonious Qi (vital energy) transforms and nurtures the myriad things, allowing numinous brightness to become penetrating. These two spirits serve the Sovereign Lord and return to unity, and thereby the immortal Dao (the Way) is attained. Although the immortal Dao is vast, its root lies in preserving life and nurturing the vital mechanism. From north to east it corresponds precisely with the gradual arising of Yang Qi, and here the principle of transforming and nurturing the myriad things is manifested. However, only when the four seasons run their course and the yearly work is completed is the heavenly Dao considered complete; remaining at the time when Yang Qi arises is still merely the beginning.

One flies up above the ten heavens, riding the jade wheel; for seven days and nights one concentrates the mind on the Dao and does not sleep.

The number of heavens is usually said to be nine; here “ten heavens” includes that empty place as well, just as in the number of the Great Expansion one number is left unused, and the marvelous function lies therein. The ancient True Persons, realizing the truth and accomplishing the Great Dao, understood the intention of the Sovereign Lord and could thus transcend the nine heavens, wandering alone in the realm of empty unity: this is “flying up to the ten heavens.” “Flying up” means circulating together with Yang Qi, and so it is called the “jade wheel”: jade symbolizes pure Yang, the wheel symbolizes the Dao of circulation, meaning one rides the pure Yang Qi rising from below. Yang Qi activating from below corresponds precisely to the time of Return spoken of in the Yijing; the “seven days” correspond to the cycle in which Yang Qi is sequentially restored. If one wishes the thoughts of the mind to communicate upward, one must concentrate on the Dao and not indulge in sleep. The ancients, after hearing the Dao, once pondered intensely for seven consecutive days until their bodies grew emaciated and stood erect like bones. This expression is borrowed here to illustrate the effort of cultivation, referring to the initial stage of the True Person’s practice of the Dao.

If you can cultivate this method, you may long preserve life; only by accumulating meritorious practice and completing the refinement and nourishment can it be attained, and it is not something that comes of itself.

That which causes the myriad things to transform and generate, and which enables me to attain immortality, is brought about by the Emperor. What is called the Emperor’s causing is not a deliberate arrangement by any external force, but rather something that occurs of itself, naturally. Therefore the true “I” belongs to the inner Dao (the Way). If you can cultivate this Dao, you can endure for a long time; this is accomplished through study and cultivation. Since it is achieved by learning and practice, it is not something originally inherent by nature. Therefore the “you” obtained through acquired cultivation belongs to a shallower layer of the Dao.

The Dao can neither simply be called “natural” nor “unnatural.” This text specifically points out that what is gained through cultivation is not originally inherent by nature, in order to establish the teaching. Once the teaching has been established, study and cultivation can then return to accord with the natural.

This all depends on utmost sincerity and undivided concentration. The commentary explains that this is a process of continuously accumulating effort and cultivating it through practice. “Sincerity” means having no doubts; “undivided” means the mind’s will is not dual. When there are no doubts toward things, things will respond; when the mind’s will is undivided, the Shen (spirit) can gather and concentrate. Shangqiu Kai (a figure from an ancient fable) firmly believed an illusory matter to be true and thus crossed the river to fetch the pearl, showing a mind free of hesitation to which things responded. The hunchbacked old man (the stooped elder from an ancient fable) concentrated solely on catching cicadas, allowing no external things to disturb his mind-spirit, and thus succeeded in all he undertook, demonstrating undivided will and concentrated Shen. Those who study the Dao, by visualizing the three palaces (the three palaces within the body), find that the myriad Shen respond according to their thoughts; this may be said to be sincerity and concentration taken to the extreme. Yet external things constantly interfere, and few cultivators do not lose their hold because of this. Therefore one should cut off all entanglements, abandon fame and profit, and concentrate wholly on the Dao in order to achieve success.

The Dao of inner guarding must be firm and lasting, holding fast to the true within the true. When the inner mind is empty, still, and tranquil, the Shen will naturally manifest.

Although the five grains arise from the essence of the earth, they are suited only for nourishing the body; the outward deliciousness of the five flavors actually mixes in impure, turbid, fishy, and foul Qi (vital energy).

The five grains are the Jing (essence) Qi of the earth; they can nourish the physical form yet are insufficient to nourish the spirit. The so-called “external beauty of the five flavors” means that although the taste of food is good, the Qi it contains is filthy, turbid, fishy, and foul. The scripture further uses this to show that people all recognize delicious food as beautiful, yet excessively pursuing such external flavors will instead invite harm. Although the five grains cannot nourish the Shen (spirit), they can still assist a person’s original authenticity; however, born of the earth, they ultimately possess a downward, stagnant nature and cannot be compared with soaring to the ten heavens.

When the flavors and odors of diet are mixed, they disturb Shenming, causing the Qi of fetal breathing to diminish; how then can one reverse aging and return to infancy? The three hun become dazed and scattered, and the po likewise decline and collapse.

Here “Shenming” refers to a person’s spirit, while “fetal Qi” refers to the Qi of fetal breathing spoken of in internal cultivation; “three hun” and “po” are traditional Daoist terms for a person’s spirit and hun-po souls. The scripture holds that fishy, turbid diet damages the spirit and the Qi of internal cultivation, making it difficult to attain the realm of reversing aging and returning to infancy.

The Shen (spirit) of a person, encompassing both the mind and spirituality, is best when it remains quiet and still, empty and bright, and thoroughly unobstructed. Overeating causes blockage by turbid Qi (vital energy); once this quietude, emptiness, and brightness are lost, body and mind fall into chaos and degeneration. The so-called fetal Qi is the primordial Qi that a person receives from Heaven. Existing in a state of undifferentiated harmony, it arises naturally within the body and causes life to cohere and become firm. Yet external activities such as seeing with the eyes, hearing with the ears, eating and drinking, and breathing continually disturb body and mind, like boring a hole each day, and the fetal Qi dissipates along with them. When the Shen becomes chaotic and declines day after day, one cannot reverse aging; when the fetal Qi is lost, one cannot recover an infant-like state. The Hun endows a person with spirituality; if the Shen is scattered and disordered, spiritual brightness remains difficult to attain throughout life, so the three Hun become dazed and unstable. The Po attaches itself to the physical form; once the fetal Qi dissipates, the body declines, and the Po likewise scatters and collapses.

Why not nourish and absorb the Jing (essence) of Great Harmony? In this way one can avoid death and enter Huangning, the realm of quietude and peace spoken of in Daoism.

A person lives because Qi (vital energy) gathers within the body. When Qi gathers, life exists; when Qi disperses, the person dies. Therefore the practice of eating Qi is undertaken in order to keep Qi gathered and prevent it from scattering.

“Taihe” refers to the Qi of Shaoyang. It is generated from harmonious Qi, and the mouth is the portal through which it functions. By rinsing the mouth and swallowing the numinous fluid already present within the body, one can cause the body to shine with radiant splendor. These are the innate roots of life itself; they do not depend on anything external and can nourish a person to self-sufficiency, which is why longevity becomes possible.

“Huangning” denotes the state in which the Qi of the spleen and stomach is settled and both body and mind are healthy. The dwelling-place of the spleen and stomach is called the Yellow Court (Huangting). It is responsible for digesting the five grains, circulating Qi and blood, and also for managing the body’s various ailments; consequently it is always in motion and cannot come to rest. If one nourishes the body with inner true Qi and no longer relies on external things, the spleen and stomach are freed from these regulatory tasks, they settle into stillness, and the person becomes healthy as a result.

The scripture holds that the preceding chapter described the firm guarding of true Qi and the emptying of the mind into quiet detachment, so that Shen (spirit) gathers of itself. That process is the long cultivation that finally produces a Zhenren. The present chapter adds that once this stage is reached one may abandon external food and drink and nourish oneself solely by true Qi, thereby attaining longevity.

Beginners, however, have not yet completed their innate true nature and their Shen is still unsteady, so they must continue to rely on ordinary diet to sustain the body. Heaven-born foods nourish Jing (essence) and Qi and stabilize spirit and breath; earthly grains nourish the physical form and make the flesh full and moist. Until the spleen and stomach have come into harmony with true Qi and the Shen has become firm, the supplementary power of food remains considerable.

Hence the Bright Lad of the Great Granary (Taicang Mingtong), the spirit of the spleen and stomach charged with regulating diet, oversees the various grains and also employs the five flavors. Through digestion and transformation it converts what is eaten into fresh Jing-Qi that circulates throughout the entire body. The region occupied by the spleen and stomach is the Yellow Court, the central zone of the body that performs transportation, transformation, and regulation.

After prolonged practice, when true Qi has become stable, the five grains, the five flavors, and all other dietary intake may be cut off. The mind being empty, quiet, and detached, the palace of the spleen and stomach grows as still as an empty chamber and is then called Huangning. Although Huangning still exists inside a body that possesses form and color, it already approaches the realm of silent immobility. The Zhenren of the ten heavenly directions are able to practice Wuwei (non-action) and follow what is natural; their foundation lies precisely here.

The Huangting Neiwai Yujing Jingjie is a commentary on related classics such as the Huangting Neijing Jing (Scripture of the Inner Landscape of the Yellow Court) and the Huangting Waijing Jing (Scripture of the Outer Landscape of the Yellow Court). “Huangting” (Yellow Court) is an important term in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) and visualization cultivation, often referring to a central region within the human body associated with the circulation of Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy). “Yujing” (Jade Scenes) is a sacred image commonly found in Daoist scriptures. The parenthetical note in the title, “Presented by Jiang Shenxiu, Chaosan Dafu granted the crimson fish-bag,” indicates that Jiang Shenxiu submitted this book in his capacity as Chaosan Dafu.