《上清九真中经内诀》

Recorded by the Perfected of the Great Void and Chisongzi, the Highest Immortal of Nanyue.

The Method of Taking Cinnabar

Take one jin of cinnabar and grind it carefully; do not pound it with a mallet. Add three sheng of rich bitter wine, mix evenly, then simmer over a gentle fire until the mixture can be rolled into pills. Each pill should be the size of a hemp seed and taken twice a day.

After forty days of taking it, all sorts of abdominal illnesses will be eliminated and the Three Corpses will also depart. The “Three Corpses” are the spirits spoken of in Daoism that reside in the human body, record faults, and hinder cultivation. After one hundred days the skin and flesh become firm and strong. After one thousand days the Director of Destinies (the deity who governs human lifespan and matters of life and death) will strike the practitioner’s name from the register of the dead, granting a lifespan equal to heaven and earth, companionship with the sun and moon, and a transformation of physical appearance.

Consuming refined cinnabar is said to enable one to escape aging and prolong life: white hair turns black, fallen teeth grow back, and one can even see distant scenery through walls or view what lies underground.

The method of refinement is as follows: take three jin of cinnabar, wrap it in heavy silk, pound and press it, place it in a copper basin, and soak it in nine sheng of rich, mellow vinegar until it becomes mud-like, then dry it in a high place. Afterwards repeatedly soak and dry it according to this method, using three sheng of vinegar for each jin of cinnabar and continually exposing it to the sun. After thirty days the cinnabar should appear purple, not stick to the hands when held, and stretch like malt sugar, at which point it can be rolled into pills. Each pill is about the size of a hemp seed; take three pills daily, swallowed on an empty stomach in the early morning. The original text repeats this preparation method and dosage once.

Before taking the medicine one must observe a thirty-day fast and purification and bathe with five kinds of incense. After taking it for one day it is said that the “three worms” (the insect-spirits that Daoism says reside in the human body and harm body and mind) will be expelled; after six days accumulated illnesses and discomforts in the chest and abdomen disappear; after sixty days one will have visions and auditory experiences; after one year white hair turns black and fallen teeth regenerate; after two years one’s appearance becomes like that of a fifteen-year-old.

The scripture further states that after taking the medicine a divine being will arrive carrying a purple food tray with purple zhi fungus upon it. Upon seeing this one should inquire and eat the purple zhi without panicking, settling the mind and spirit, after which other things will arrive of their own accord. Thereafter one can summon a hundred ghosts. The scripture lists the names of three deities, written as “Shang,” “Qing,” and “Qing.” The practitioner may also call the names of all things, causing water to raise waves and metals to turn into liquid, seeing ten thousand li distant, perceiving the five viscera, and becoming a Zhenren (True Person); all the gods will know one’s name, one may come and go without obstruction, and the Dao can thereby be accomplished.

While taking the medicine one should drink little wine and take it with the first water drawn from the well at dawn. The scripture says that even an eighty-year-old woman can still bear children after taking it; both men and women may consume it. When preparing the medicine one must fast, purify, and keep clean; before the summer solstice first prepare the “medicine mother” (the foundational drug serving as the basis for subsequent preparations), and after the summer solstice prepare the medicine for consumption. During the period of taking the medicine one is forbidden to eat raw fish, wine, dog meat, raw vegetables, the five pungents (five kinds of spicy stimulating foods), as well as greasy and oily substances. The formula must not be transmitted to unsuitable persons, otherwise calamity will extend to one’s descendants; it should be transmitted only upon encountering a suitable person. The original text’s final sentence “男子为乃能使人矣” is somewhat unclear in meaning; taken literally, it appears to indicate that after a man has cultivated he will then be able to command or summon others.

There is another method of preparation:

Take one jin of cinnabar and grind it into powder, then add two sheng of pure lacquer and three sheng of rich, mellow bitter wine. Mix the three ingredients thoroughly and simmer them over a gentle fire until they can be formed into pills the size of hemp seeds. Take three times each day.

When preparing the medicine, avoid hai days in the first month, yin days in the second month, si days in the third month, shen days in the fourth month, and again hai days in the fifth and ninth months. One should select wangxiang days (days considered auspicious in traditional date-selection arts) for the preparation. When taking the medicine, one must also avoid wei days, self-punishment days (days on which an earthly branch punishes itself within the stem-branch system), and the prescribed taboo days of each of the four seasons: in spring, avoid wuchen and jisi days; in summer, avoid wushen and jiyou days; in autumn, avoid wuxu and jihai days; in winter, avoid wuyin and jimao days. On these days, one must neither prepare nor ingest the medicine. Whenever medicines are prepared, one should always choose an auspicious day of clear and fair weather.

The method of Zhaijiao (purification ritual) offering to Taiyi (the ritual method for performing a sacrificial offering to the deity Taiyi).

Anyone wishing to ingest cinnabar, the eight stones (the eight mineral medicines used in Daoist alchemy), mica, or pills and powders made from various herbs, in order to prolong life, nourish one’s nature, and seek the Dao of the immortals, must offer sacrifice to Taiyi Jun (a deity venerated in Daoism). Without the sacrifice, the medicine cannot be refined; even if it is refined, taking it will be of no benefit and cannot enable a person to attain the Dao, become an immortal, extend their years, or achieve deathless longevity.

Thus it is said that sacrificing to Taiyi Jun is intended to invite Taiyi Jun to descend in person, or to send down Jade Maidens, so that the Qi (vital energy) of the spirits may empower the medicine, allowing it to be successfully refined and to take effect after it is ingested.

The sacrifice must always be accompanied by fasting and purification. Those who prepare pill medicines should perform the sacrifice while compounding the formula; those who make medicinal elixirs should perform it at the moment the fire is kindled; those who prepare powder medicines should wait until the medicine is finished before sacrificing. Before the sacrifice, first gather all the various herbs and arrange them in front of the spirit seat of Taiyi Jun, then carry out the offering. An altar table is to be used when sacrificing to Taiyi Jun; if none is available, plates may be used instead. Facing south, set out five cups of wine, five pieces of dried meat, and two plates of jujubes. The amount of wine may be adjusted as appropriate. All who participate in the sacrifice must keep their minds upright and offer sincere, wholehearted devotion, for only then will the spirits descend.

The text continues by specifying that the offerings for the sacrificial feast consist of five dou of wine, five jin of dried meat, and two sheng of jujubes; deer jerky may also be used. The phrase “唯只可用尘当耳” at this point is suspected to be a textual error whose meaning cannot be determined. After the offerings have been placed, incense is burned, the host performs the rites of bowing and kowtowing, and respectfully invokes the Two Perfected Ones of the Nine Heavens, the High August Supreme Emperor Lord, the Three Elder Lords of the Nine Heavens, the Supreme Perfected Ones, the Supreme Jade Maidens, the Nine (the original reads 九罢扇耍九老仙都君, which appears corrupt) Elder Immortal Capital Lords, the Immortal King of Taiqing, the Heavenly Perfected Taiyi Jun, and the Earthly Perfected Tai... The original text is incomplete from this point onward.

The spirits—Yi Jun, the Taiyi Jade Lad, the Taiyi Jade Maiden, Huangluo and Ziluo, Mingxian Erlang, and the Huagai Fire-Light Envoy, among others—are invited to descend and take their seats.

The host once again performs the rites of bowing and kowtowing, and states his petition: “Today we pray to all the spirits to eliminate for So-and-so all the various sins accumulated from the seventh generation down to the present person himself, and to transfer away disasters and misfortune so that all of this is dispelled, allowing So-and-so to attain long life and enduring vision.” The host once again performs the rites of bowing and kowtowing, and states the same petition.

A certain compound medicine is now to be blended and offered to the Supreme Lord Taiyi. We earnestly request that Lord Taiyi oversee this, and together with the assembled spirits partake of it beneath the Yellow Palace and Purple Canopy. May the medicine remain stable, neither scattering nor flying away; may it blend with the spirits’ dust, floral essence, and true yellow qi (vital energy). We respectfully offer this medicine to the celestial spirits, that the divine medicine may shine forth in radiance. May the Bright Master raise the fire, with the Jade Maiden attending at his side; may the essences of the celestial realm descend, and may the Divine Lord Taiyi also arrive here.

The host So-and-so once again performs the rites of bowing, then immediately presents wine cups three times. After the ritual is completed, the host steps forward to offer wine in farewell, raising his head to express his sincere intent: “What we have offered is meager; we earnestly request that the spirits descend and take notice of us. May those above and below find mutual delight, and may the spirits drink until they are fully sated and intoxicated.” He then prays that the assembled spirits presiding over this affair mount their carriages and return.

Great-grandson So-and-so prays that each of the spirits will protect him, so that he may receive the blessings of Heaven and the assistance of the spirits, eliminating disasters and pardoning sins; may all that is sought come to pass, bringing wealth, honor, and long life, and lasting blessings. He then again prays that the assembled spirits presiding over this affair mount their carriages and return. Great-grandson So-and-so prays that each of the spirits will protect him, so that he may receive the blessings of Heaven and the assistance of the spirits, eliminating disasters and pardoning sins; may all that is sought come to pass, bringing wealth, honor, and extended years, and lasting blessings. All who participate in the ritual perform the rites of bowing, wishing that all petitions may be fulfilled as desired.

Methods of Jiao Offerings and Fulu (Talismans and Registers) for the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Dark Warrior

This concerns the use of jiao offering rituals to worship the four directional spirits—the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Dark Warrior—and to perform the related methods of Fulu. Jiao offerings typically include such stages as setting out seats and making offerings, bowing in worship and prayer, and presenting wine to send off the spirits.

I report to the Lord Taiyi of the Great Dao, the Direct Talisman Envoy, the Jade Maiden in Charge of Talismans, and the True Person Lord of the Dipper: Today is a Jiazi day, coinciding with Qingming. A certain man named Jia today receives the Fulu (talismans and registers) for flying across the nine calamities and the like. Respectfully, beneath the constellations, we have prepared clear wine, jujube preserves, and incense, and we respectfully invite the spirits to descend and take their seats. Please allow Jia to wear the Fulu so as to avoid inauspicious disasters, blades of weapons, and harm from the hundred insects, remaining unharmed, and so that calamities from official authorities may also be eliminated. Let all evils dissipate, so that he does not suffer illness and hardship, and remains far from poisonous insects and vicious wolves; upon seeing the Fulu they halt and dare not encroach. Jia kowtows once more.

Method of Steaming Jusheng

This method is to be performed in a clean and secluded room, without allowing anyone to publicize or leak it. The master and the Su Nu (a goddess figure in Daoist liturgical methods) walk facing each other, each taking three steps and leaving nine footprints. The disciple stands in the Wu position (due south), the master stands in the Zi position (due north), and each knocks the teeth three times. The disciple walks to the right, the master to the left, then each returns to the original position. The Su Nu returns to her original place, the master and disciple are located at the Wu position, and the Jusheng (a crop of the flax or sesame type) is placed in the center. Both hands are crossed, and the Upper Origin is taken three times... (here the original text appears to have errors or omissions, and the meaning is incomplete.)

The master recites:

“The Jusheng is bright and magnificent; it is the grain bestowed by Taiyi. After nine days and nine steamings, consuming it yields the efficacy of Jin Xuan. The Jusheng is about to transform, becoming a golden slurry as moist and lustrous as jade. After consuming it one ascends as an immortal and transcends the world, attaining a status equal to that of the Immortal King.”

The Su Nu recites:

“O Jusheng, O Jusheng, the Heavenly Dao will be fulfilled. I tread the mysterious principles of the Heavenly Dao, and immortals come to receive and guide. Consuming it one can ascend as an immortal, with a status comparable to An Qisheng (a legendary immortal).”

Method of Steaming Sesame with the Su Nu

If one wishes to make the eyebrows and eyes bright and the teeth and lips beautiful, one should arrange one's clothing neatly and bathe with orchid decoction. Do not allow pregnant women or people with fierce gazes and malicious hearts to touch the medicine; if it is touched, the medicine cannot be refined, and taking it will bring no benefit.

The beginning of this passage contains a considerable number of garbled characters. The surviving text cannot be reliably identified, and therefore a complete interpretation is not possible.

The recognizable portion states that this oral formula was transmitted by word of mouth from the former teacher Li Jun and was never written down on paper, out of concern that the heavenly secrets might be leaked; it has therefore always been kept as a secret transmission. It must not be casually passed on to unsuitable persons, otherwise misfortune may befall oneself and the accomplishment of the immortal path may also be hindered.