《先天玄妙玉女太上圣母资传仙道》

The Holy Mother told Lord Lao: Human beings are born endowed with the Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth, possessing both clear Qi and turbid Qi. Those who receive the clear Qi are intelligent and benevolent; those who receive the turbid Qi are ignorant and violent. Enlightened people fulfill their original nature through cultivation, while the benighted indulge their desires and thereby damage their nature and life.

Original nature is the root of the body, and nature and life constitute its foundation. Therefore those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) and pursue learning must rely on the “Nine Elixirs” (relevant methods of alchemical cultivation in Daoism) to refine body and mind, harmonize the “Five Shen” (the spirit entities corresponding to the five viscera), return Qi to the origin of life, and sever the obstructing roots at the “Three Passes” (the bodily passes spoken of in cultivation). Through repeated refinement and nourishment the entire body becomes unobstructed and blockages dissipate, enabling one to recognize the original truth and become a superior immortal.

If one does not cultivate the Dao or pursue learning, demonic forces invade the body, various illnesses arise in succession, and finally lifespan is exhausted amid indescribable suffering. Immortality begins with inner cultivation: only sincere intention of the heart-mind allows one to become an immortal; the Dao is valued in seeking inwardly, and it arrives only when the inner heart is tranquil. Those able to still the mind in seeking the true and empty the heart in communicating with Shen (spirit) draw ever nearer to immortality. If the heart and Shen contend restlessly, weary and uneasy, the body agitated and unable to concentrate, Jing (essence) and Qi depleted through one’s actions, and the ears and eyes lose their clarity, then even after years of seeking the Dao it recedes ever farther.

People sojourn between Heaven and Earth for merely a brief lifetime. If they can gather the breath, nourish the Shen, and devote themselves wholly to seeking the true, long persistence yields the Dao, allowing them to coexist with Heaven and Earth and reside in Taiwu (the realm of emptiness and stillness spoken of in Daoism). If they can thoroughly penetrate emptiness and stillness and realize nonbeing, they attain the state of seeing without seeing and hearing without hearing, thereby merging with the Great Dao to become true.

Laozi inquired about the Dao (the Way): “I now dwell in the dusty world and wish to live long without dying, while also according with worldly affairs in order to save and deliver the people. Can this be accomplished?”

Yuanjun replied: “I possess a secretly transmitted treasured method, which I transmit only to sages and worthies. Anyone able to cultivate it can live for a long time.”

Laojun said: “I would like to hear its essential meaning.”

Yuanjun said: “The supreme Dao is profound, distant, and subtle; it cannot be fully known through ordinary understanding. It can neither be said to exist nor not to exist; it is neither sound nor form and color. Look for it and it cannot be seen; reach out to touch it and it cannot be felt. It encompasses Heaven and Earth, so that the state of those who attain the Dao is without limit. It is also near at hand within each person’s own self, yet no one can fathom it. To be able to understand its principle is called Mysterious De (Virtue/Power).”

Laojun asked: “In cultivating the Dao, are there also specific methods by which one can reach this state?”

Yuanjun answered: “The Dao is the utterly true realm of empty stillness and penetrating openness; techniques are the mysterious methods of employing transformation. The Dao relies on techniques to deliver the people of the world; people, through cultivation and refinement, unite with the Dao, and thus transformations become inexhaustible. The essential secret of cultivating the Dao lies in following what is natural and acting through Wuwei (non-action); the secret of the techniques lies in Fulu (talismans and registers) and black medicine. Fulu are the numinous, wondrous graphs of the sun, moon, and stars, and they are also the tokens of Heaven. Medicine is the essence of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) and fluids of the earth. What is called ‘black’ refers to the condensed quintessence after Yin-Yang have been harmonized, and it is also the numinous, wondrous Jing of the myriad things.

Even if a person obtains one of these, cultivation is not yet complete; one must rely on both Fulu and medicine for the cultivation of the Dao to be accomplished. This is my secret treasure. If you can cultivate both together, you will be able to live long and deliver the people of the world without measure.”

Laojun said: “The body is the vessel by which one attains the Dao; the ‘black’ is the root that sustains life. If the root is pulled out, life comes to an end; if the vessel is damaged, the Dao also departs. Now I wish to cultivate these things so that life may be made stable and the work of the Dao may flourish. May I hear the specific methods?”

Here “Fulu” refers to Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers), and “black medicine” is the substance of cultivation spoken of in the scripture. This passage explains the relationship of the two to the cultivation of the Dao, without yet unfolding the concrete methods of practice.

Yuanjun said: The human body with which we are born is as fragile as pottery. Clay that has not yet been fired and refined is easily destroyed, and a body that has not undergone cultivation will likewise have a short and fleeting lifespan; this is a principle of nature. Even a person of high De (Virtue) and outstanding reputation, whose spirit communicates with the Great Dao (the Way), may still be unable to avoid aging and death. Why is this? Because the human body changes along with the transformations of creation, and this is inherently difficult to escape.

Only medicinal substances can refine and nourish the physical form, while Fulu (talismans and registers) can summon the spirits. When the spirits return, the mind becomes clear and penetrating and the disposition becomes peaceful and at ease; when the physical form is made firm and solid, the Qi (vital energy) becomes stable and life itself is preserved. Thereafter Qi transforms into Jing (essence) and one enters the formless realm, able to soar through the air, move with complete freedom, and even determine life and death at will, thereby attaining lasting existence. Those who have attained the Dao will not be harmed by disasters even if they encounter calamities or the collapse of heaven and earth. This is precisely why Fulu and medicinal substances are so precious.

Laojun asked: When longevity is obtained by ingesting the Divine Elixir, is it because the spirits are offering their protection, or is it due to the power of the medicine itself?

Yuanjun answered: The efficacy of longevity comes from the elixir, yet the successful refining of the elixir depends upon the divine spirits. Therefore, before one begins to refine the elixir one must first rectify one's thoughts and refrain from all evil deeds; only then will the divine spirits offer their protection and the elixir be successfully completed. Once the Divine Elixir enters the mouth, one attains immortality and never dies.

Heaven and earth perceive all things with clarity, and the Great Dao belongs to those who are benevolent and generous. The many foolish people of the world are called “walking corpses.” They do not believe that longevity can be cultivated through practice and instead regard it as nothing but absurd talk. From morning until night they occupy themselves only with things that injure life; how then can heaven and earth force them to go on living? By indulging their desires they die swiftly; even if a thousand pieces of gold are spent on their funeral rites, what benefit is there?

When the Dao of the Divine Elixir is accomplished, it not only confers longevity but can also become a treasure among the people of the world. Why should one who understands this Dao regard all under heaven as so important? Even if someone wished to exchange an entire country for my elixir formula, I would not transmit it unless the person were suitable.

Laojun performed a ritual bow and said: I wish to hear the essential points of this teaching.

Yuanjun then looked up toward heaven and uttered a long cry. In the blink of an eye a purple cloud resembling a chariot canopy descended from the sky. Within the cloud were five-colored luminous Qi whose radiance illuminated the four directions, and the immortal Juanzi attended at her side. Yuanjun took out the divine diagrams, the precious chapters, and the methods of transformation, and transmitted their essential teachings to Laojun.

Yuanjun (an honorific title for female immortals) looked up to heaven and uttered a long cry. Suddenly a canopy-like sheet of purple cloud descended from the sky. Within the cloud there was five-colored luminous Qi (vital energy), shining in all directions, and the immortal Juanzi (a legendary immortal) attended beside her. Yuanjun brought forth the divine diagrams and precious chapters, the methods of transformation, and the arts of refining the Returning Elixir, of subduing water and fire, and of mercury and the Golden Liquid—seventy-two chapters in all—and transmitted them to Laojun.

The Holy Mother, the Mysterious Jade Maiden, said: “The Dao (the Way) of becoming an immortal does not lie in sacrificing to ghosts and spirits, nor in daoyin exercises of guiding and stretching the limbs, nor in repeated prayer and many words, and still less in painful brooding and diligent self-exertion. The crucial point of long life is the Divine Elixir. This principle is easy to speak of, yet truly hard to carry out. If you can cultivate according to it, you may abide forever. When this Dao is accomplished one may become an immortal; I too attained completion only through study, and was not thus by nature.”

The Art of the Golden Liquid says: Mysterious White can generate the Golden Lord; the Solar Flowing Pearl enters the Floriate Pond. Five liang of Wenweiluo are placed in the furnace; Red Salt combines with White Snow and becomes male and female. Cultivate the Five Talismans and the Nine Elixirs and one can fly and ascend. The true method of the Dao is here; it is only that worldly people do not know it.

The Five Talismans are called Mysterious White, Golden Essence, Flying Talisman, Golden Floriate, and Three-Five Azure Dragon Essence. The Nine Elixirs are called the White Snow Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, the Female-Male Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, the Golden Liquid Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, the White Floriate Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, the Elixir Floriate Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, the Five-Colored Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, the Mud-Mercury Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, the Golden Essence Nine-Times-Cycled Returning Elixir, and the Nine-Tripods Extreme-Radiance Returning Elixir. Among the Nine Elixirs, obtaining any single one is enough for long life; one need not refine them all. The arts of the Divine Elixir all pass through three transformations and five cyclings, with nine as the final limit; after ingestion one can take one’s place among the immortals.

All nine elixir methods are regarded as ways of ascending to heaven, and of these the Golden Liquid is the most exalted. Those who ingest the other elixirs among the nine wait three years, two years, one year, or half a year—or a hundred days, sixty days, thirty days, ten days, or even three days—before immortal officials come riding cloud-dragons to receive them. Only those who ingest the Golden Liquid, the moment it enters the mouth, find the whole body turning purple-gold, immediately grow wings, and ascend to heaven as immortal officials.

Before taking it, however, one must observe a long period of fasting and purification and abstain from grain for a full year. Without the registers in the Mysterious (the qualification for immortal cultivation recorded in the mysterious Daoist books) and the name of deathlessness (the status of being entered in the register of those who do not die), one will never be able to hear of the Dao of the Nine Elixirs and the Golden Liquid. When the elixir has been refined by the methods described above and the Golden Elixir (Jindan) has been transformed into Golden Liquid, this path of cultivation is complete. This is my secret treasure.

Note: In the original, the seventh through ninth of the “Nine Elixirs,” together with the sentences on the periods of waiting after ingestion and on fasting and grain-abstinence, show repetition and omissions; the foregoing has been arranged according to the recoverable sense of the text.

Laojun transmitted the Dao (the Way) to Yin Xi, saying: “The Great Dao takes the three grades as its law, the ‘One’ as its measure, and uprightness as De (Virtue/Power). If you can comprehend the ‘One,’ all things will become thoroughly accessible. Close off the passions and desires, enter the secluded inner chamber, and take the refining of gold and the ingesting of Qi (vital energy) as primary. If you understand this principle, hold fast to it and do not lose it.”

Laojun further said: “There are no Utmost Perfected High Gods who have not attained the Dao through the Golden Elixir. They tread through the Nine Darknesses (the deep and gloomy realms) and enter the Distant Obscurity (the remote and profound realms); they ascend and descend in the realm of Void and Primordial Origin, relying on the power of Shen (spirit) to be raised together.”

Laojun said: “The way of refining gold and ingesting Qi is the essence of heaven and earth and the root of Yin-Yang; the so-called ‘two Qi’ refers to this. The Yang Dragon and Yin Tiger, Wood Fluid and Metal Jing (essence)—when the two Qi intermingle, after refinement it is called Waidan (external alchemy). Harmonizing the breath, nurturing and storing it, exhaling the old Qi and inhaling the new, causing Qi to rise to the Niwan (cultivation site in the head) and descend to the Dantian (energy center), circulating without cease, gathering in the Crimson Palace (cultivation site in the heart), then gathering and refining the Jing of the five stones to nourish the hundred Shen—this is Neidan (internal alchemy). Those who nurture and attune the breath while cultivating the Dao can prolong life by obtaining Neidan and ascend to heaven by obtaining Waidan. The ‘Three-One Nine Contemplations’ is the essential formula of inner cultivation; the ‘Nine Elixirs Golden Fluid’ is the ultimate of Waidan practice. Combining the two in cultivation, the Dao is accomplished.

“The ingesting Qi formula says: Ingesting Qi can consolidate and guard Jing and Qi, receiving the luminous and marvelous Mysterious Scripture. It is the profound essential of life and of cultivating the Dao, able to enter and exit the obscure and dark realms; above it consolidates the Cloud Gate (upper Qi pass), below it consolidates the Numinous Root (lower foundation of life). Knowing this principle is easy, practicing it is difficult. If the body moves wildly, De is scattered; if Qi is dissipated, one departs from the Great Dao; if Jing Qi is consumed, the Hun is damaged; if the gaze moves wildly, the Po is disordered. Therefore the sage stills the form and consolidates the Qi, stores Jing Qi and concentrates Shen. Thus Dao and De become empty, quiet and settled, Hun and Po are consolidated; the form is unified and Shen is abundant, and the Dao is accomplished.

“Always after midnight, lie supine with both hands grasping firmly (clenching the fists to gather and contain), inhale clear Qi through the nose, then slowly exhale through the mouth. Then hold the Three Ones (Shen-Qi of the three bodily locations), enter the quiet room and practice the Nine Contemplations (nine kinds of inner visualization), with spirit settled and breath even, and one is near the immortal Dao.”

Afterwards Laojun transmitted the thirty-five chapters of the Yuli Zhongjing (Jade Calendar Central Scripture) to Yin Xi.

Lord Lao said, “The Dao (the Way) of the Three Ones is highly esteemed by the immortals. People of the world rarely hear of it, so you must carefully conserve it and not transmit it readily.

“One inch inward from between the two eyebrows is the Hall of Light; two inches further in is the Cavern Chamber; at three inches is the Mud Pill, which is the Upper Dantian (energy center), the site of cultivation in the upper part of the body. Therein dwells a red infant, whose courtesy name is Yuanxian and personal name Dixiang. Within the heart is the Crimson Palace, the Middle Dantian; therein is a Perfected Person, courtesy name Zidan, personal name Guangjian. Three inches inward from the navel is the Gate of Life, the Lower Dantian; therein is an infant, courtesy name Yuanyang, personal name Xuangu.

“These three figures are each three inches in height, clad in crimson robes and crimson shoes; they constitute the ‘Three Ones.’ The Shen (spirit) of the Upper Dantian wears purple, that of the Middle Dantian crimson, and that of the Lower Dantian yellow, all resembling infants in form. The Lower Dantian also contains a golden bed and jade stand. Practitioners commonly employ a golden furnace and jade spatula to blend the Jing (essence), then nourish the Shen of the Upper and Middle Dantians with it. Visualize these three both day and night.

“If you attain longevity, the Three Ones will become manifest; if you can hold fast to the One, the One will likewise protect you. Jing and Qi (vital energy) transform from obscurity into Jing, Jing into Shen, Shen into an infant; the infant ascends to become a Perfected Person and then a red infant, which is the True One.

“It is further said that cultivating the physical form alone is a futile approach to the Dao; the genuine Dao nourishes the Jingshen. When the Jingshen is pure and genuine, one communicates with the Dao and can both conceal and reveal oneself. Shen enables the form to fly and even to move mountains. Even should the form turn to ashes, it remains identifiable.

“When the ears and eyes drown in sounds and alluring sights, they bequeath faults; when the nose and mouth greedily pursue fragrances and flavors, they invite misfortune. The body is the origin of affliction, for pain, itching, cold, and heat all bring suffering; the mind-intent likewise burdens the form with worry and gloom. Unless these attachments are swiftly removed, the will and Qi will waste away day by day, and life cannot easily be prolonged. This principle is of long standing.

“You ought first to lessen all manner of desires and refrain from letting the mind-intent run unchecked; live in quiet solitude and devote yourself to cultivation within a pure chamber. Even perusing ten thousand volumes of elixir writings cannot compare with holding to the One. Constantly take emptiness and stillness as the condition of the body and primordial Qi as the root of the heart-mind; when body and mind both return to primordial harmony, one may speak of guarding the Shen. Guarding the Shen until one attains mysterious penetration is called union with the Dao.

“It is akin to lofty mountains and vast marshes that do not deliberately summon insects, fish, birds, and beasts, yet these creatures naturally gather. If a person can remain empty and still while holding to the primordial, without deliberately seeking the Great Dao, the Dao will likewise return of itself.”

Lord Lao further transmitted to Xi the “Method of Nine Refinements of the Solar Golden Truth,” also called “Nine Chambers Visualization.” This consists of entering in sequence nine visualization realms, namely thought without evil, thought of the upright body, thought of bringing about governance, thought of great uprightness, thought of extreme uprightness, thought of the body’s uprightness, thought of true uprightness, Dongxuan thought, and Great Cavern thought. Entering these nine chambers and carrying out these nine visualizations enables one to merge form with the sun and together reach the Great Dao.

Xi kowtowed in thanks and respectfully received this profound instruction. He soon resigned his official post, invited Lord Lao to his home, performed the rites, and once more requested further teaching.

Lord Lao said: “If you wish to cultivate body and mind, follow the methods of the Dao (the Way), condense Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) to form Shen (spirit), and attain a boundless state from beginning to end, the first thing you must achieve is purity and stillness.”

Therefore Heaven is settled because of purity and stillness, Shen transforms because of purity and stillness, and humans are able to survive because of purity and stillness. When about to enter stillness, withdraw the hearing and observe inwardly: do not allow random thoughts in the mind, do not speak carelessly with the mouth, and do not move the body recklessly. In this way one can see the colorless color, hear the soundless sound, and taste the flavorless flavor; the wordless principle can also become teaching. Divine scenes will descend, blessings and De (Virtue/Power) will arrive, and harmonious Qi will respond in kind.

If you wish to quiet the thoughts of Shen, you must first bathe and fast for twenty-five days, then concentrate on cultivating yourself to make the hun and po souls harmonious, and only afterward can you enter the quiet chamber. After entering the chamber a cinnabar snake may wrap around your heart, or you may see the Queen Mother descending, or the manifestation of the body of the Dao. These are all the spirits within your body testing you. Do not panic or be afraid; even if they inquire, do not answer; even if you suffer injury or offense, do not fear. Simply settle the mind and stabilize the intention, and the appearing visions will naturally vanish.

From the twenty-fifth day, the forty-fifth day, the sixtieth day, the eighty-fifth day, the one hundred fifth day, the one hundred twenty-fifth day, the one hundred fiftieth day, up until the one hundred eightieth day, divine spirits will arrive; these are all tests for you. As long as you settle the mind and do not respond, you will not be harmed. If fear arises, it counts as failing the test, and you will lose the Dao. Be cautious, be cautious.

After one hundred eighty days the quiet chamber will naturally become bright; you will be able to know in advance matters of safety and danger, survival and death; the palaces and offices within the body (the dwelling places of the inner gods spoken of in Daoism) will also appear one by one. After two hundred eighty days all diseases will be eliminated; after one year the scars on the body will disappear; after one thousand days both physical form and spirit will attain a subtle and marvelous state, becoming a Zhenren (Perfected Person).

Lord Lao said, “I am about to pass beyond Heaven and Earth and roam in a realm of profound mystery and remoteness. There the eight directions are without limit, and Heaven and Earth have no boundaries above or below. You wish to follow me—how could that possibly be done?”

Yin Xi replied, “Whether entering fire or plunging into the abyss, whether descending into the earth or ascending to Heaven, even if my body is smashed to pieces and I lose my life, I am still willing to follow the Great Immortal.”

Lord Lao said, “Even those who have attained the Dao (the Way) can follow me only with their eyes. How then could you succeed?”

Yin Xi answered once more, “Whether entering fire or plunging into the abyss, whether descending into the earth or ascending to Heaven, even if my body is smashed to pieces and I lose my life, I am still willing to follow the Great Immortal.”

Lord Lao said, “Those who have attained the Dao possess penetrating vision and unobstructed hearing; they transform without limit and appear or vanish without any fixed pattern. Even so, they may not necessarily be able to follow me on a distant journey. Although you were born with an endowment that accords with the Dao and, by cultivating according to the proper methods, could originally become an immortal, the time you have spent attaining the Dao is still short. You have not yet reached the realm of Shen (spirit) and divine illumination. How then could you display transformations and follow my Dharma-body?”

Yin Xi bowed again in thanks and asked, “May the method of communicating with Shen and of transformation be explained to me?”

Lord Lao said, “All things that possess life and have bodily form belong to illusion and transformation. When the creative work of Heaven and Earth began, Yin-Yang interacted, and from this the myriad things grew forth and likewise proceeded toward death. When things reach their extremity they undergo change, and their forms migrate and alter accordingly. This is called ‘transformation,’ and it is also called ‘illusion.’ The power that creates the myriad things is ingenious and profound, and therefore it is difficult to exhaust and difficult to bring to an end. The power of things that have form is limited and their foundation is shallow, and therefore after they appear they gradually decline. Only when one understands that illusion-transformation and creative transformation are no different from birth and death can one begin to study the way of change. If you can concentrate single-mindedly on cultivation and accord with nature, then you may transform your traces together with me and travel throughout the various lands.”

Thereupon Lord Lao transmitted the five-thousand-character Daodejing (the Jing of the Dao and of De) to Yin Xi and repeatedly admonished him to eliminate distracting thoughts, still the mind, and hold fast to the One (the method in Daoist cultivation of concentrating the spirit and guarding the original source). Having finished speaking, Lord Lao rose into the air and sat upon a radiance resembling colored clouds. His face emitted five-colored light and his body displayed golden radiance that illuminated the ten directions. Then he slowly ascended and departed.