《秘传正阳真人灵宝毕法》

The Dao cannot be taught through words, nor can names and writing fully record it. Since ancient times, many have attained the Dao and become immortals. I have long admired the worthy sages of earlier generations and yearned for the Great Dao. Unexpectedly, war broke out and the times grew turbulent. At first, I sought only to escape with my life, taking shelter among the rivers, lakes, and mountain valleys. Later, I withdrew from the world, observed my nature and mind, and devoted myself to cultivation, seeking only stillness, Wuwei (non-action), and entry into the subtle and profound.

I read the alchemical scriptures from beginning to end and repeatedly sought guidance from fellow Daoists, but found that they spoke only of modest methods for preserving life, without addressing the Great Dao by which one becomes a true immortal. Then, among the stone walls of Mount Zhongnan, I discovered and obtained thirty scrolls of the Lingbao Jing (Scripture of Numinous Treasure): the upper section, the “Golden Pronouncements,” was written by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning; the middle section, the “Jade Register,” was expounded by the Primordial Sovereign; and the lower section, the “Meaning of the True Source,” was transmitted by the Supreme Venerable Lord Lao. Together, they contain several thousand words.

I studied them diligently day and night, pondering them again and again, until at last I understood: within Yin there is Yang, and within Yang there is Yin. This is both the law by which Heaven and Earth rise and descend and the principle by which the sun and moon unite. Qi (vital energy) gives rise to water, and water in turn gives rise to Qi; this also symbolizes the mutual union of the heart and kidneys. By using images of things to explain the principles, one sees that the Great Dao is in fact not far from us. Only by joining Jia and Geng can one confirm that the cultivation of the Golden Elixir follows a definite method; by drawing out and adding to the ingredients at the Mao and You times, the firing process can be brought to just the right degree.

The so-called “red lead” and “black lead” are not the ultimate Great Medicine. Golden Liquor and Jade Liquor are the essences required to complete the final restoration of the Elixir. Cultivation begins by bringing forth being from nonbeing, and one must constantly maintain the resolve to exert oneself, restrain one’s impulses, and regulate body and mind. Progressing step by step from the lower part to the upper, one gradually enters a state of profound stillness. Drawing out lead and replenishing mercury causes Yin energy to recede; transforming the body and refining the physical form causes Yang energy to grow. The purity or turbidity of the water source must be discerned when water and fire are brought into harmony; the empty stillness of inner visions must be experienced in seated forgetting.

These hidden mysteries and profound principles are difficult to express fully in books. Yet the wondrous principles of the Lingbao can guide people from the ordinary to the sacred and lift them beyond the world of convention. I have gathered them into three levels of cultivation and named the work The Complete Method of the Lingbao. I dare not claim for myself or privately use the teachings of the sages of the Great Dao. I therefore pass them on to you, Master Lü Dongbin. When you have completed your cultivation, do not keep them secret; transmit them to later practitioners of the Dao.

Preface by the True Man Zhengyang, Zhongli Quan, courtesy name Yunfang.

The Book of Jade says: The Great Dao has no fixed form: the eyes cannot see it, and the ears cannot hear it. The Great Dao has no fixed name; it cannot be measured by lengths or counted by numbers. All things take form through the Great Dao, and once they have form, they have names. The greatest names are Heaven and Earth.

Heaven receives the Qian Dao, the firm and active way of Yang, gathers Qi (vital energy), and covers what lies below. Earth receives the Kun Dao, the yielding and receptive way of Yin, coalesces into form, and supports what lies above. Heaven and Earth are separated by eighty-four thousand li, so Qi and form cannot naturally mingle. Heaven therefore uses Qian Yang to respond to Kun Yin, sending Yang Qi back into Earth; borne by Yin Qi, Yang Qi rises. Earth uses Kun Yin to respond to Qian Yang, sending Yin Qi back into Heaven; embracing Yang Qi, Yin Qi descends. Yang rises and Yin descends, circulating through the Great Dao. In this way, Heaven and Earth continue their movement for a long time.

The Zhenyuan says: Between Heaven and Earth, the region nearer the upper reaches belongs to Yang. Extending forty-two thousand li downward from above, it is called the “Yang region.” The region nearer the lower reaches belongs to Yin. Extending forty-two thousand li upward from below, it is called the “Yin region.” Once forms and names exist, they inevitably become subject to measures and numbers.

A year is divided into four seasons, eight seasonal nodes, twenty-four solar periods, seventy-two pentads, 360 days, and 4,320 double-hours. Twelve double-hours make a day, five days make a pentad, three pentads make a solar period, three solar periods make a seasonal node, two seasonal nodes make a season, and four seasons make a year. The year begins at the winter solstice. At the winter solstice, Yang Qi within the Earth begins to rise. With each solar period of fifteen days, Yang Qi rises seven thousand li. In three solar periods, or one seasonal node of forty-five days, it rises twenty-one thousand li. In two seasonal nodes, or one season of ninety days, it rises forty-two thousand li and reaches the space between Heaven and Earth. At this point, Yang Qi meets the Yin region, and Yang Qi within Yin is present in equal measure. The weather grows warmer, and it is the spring equinox.

After the spring equinox, Yang Qi continues to rise and enters the Yang region; only then does it continue upward in accordance with its momentum. After another forty-five days comes the Beginning of Summer; forty-five days after that comes the summer solstice. By the summer solstice, Yang Qi has risen a total of eighty-four thousand li and reached Heaven. Now Yang exists within Yang, and the weather is hot. As Yang Qi accumulates to its utmost, it begins to generate Yin Qi: one part Yin sprouts within two parts Yang. At the summer solstice, Yin Qi in Heaven begins to descend. Every fifteen days, it descends seven thousand li; after forty-five days, it has descended twenty-one thousand li, and after ninety days, forty-two thousand li, reaching the space between Heaven and Earth. At this point, Yin Qi meets the Yang region, and Yin Qi within Yang is present in equal measure. The weather grows cooler, and it is the autumn equinox.

After the autumn equinox, Yin Qi continues to descend and enters the Yin region. After another forty-five days comes the Beginning of Winter; forty-five days after that comes the winter solstice. By the winter solstice, Yin Qi has descended a total of eighty-four thousand li and reached the Earth below. Now Yin exists within Yin, and the weather is cold. As Yin Qi accumulates to its utmost, it begins to generate Yang Qi: one part Yang sprouts within two parts Yin. Yang Qi then rises once more, and the cycle continues without ever departing from its pattern.

At the winter solstice, Yang Qi sprouts and moves upward; at the summer solstice, Yin Qi sprouts and moves downward. At the summer solstice, Yang Qi rises to Heaven, and one part Yin Qi follows. At the winter solstice, Yin Qi descends to the Earth below, and one part Yang Qi follows. After the spring equinox, Yang Qi enters the Yang region and leaves the Yin region, while Yin Qi moves downward. After the autumn equinox, Yin Qi enters the Yin region and leaves the Yang region. This is why these points are called the spring and autumn equinoxes.

After the winter solstice, as Yang Qi rises, Yin Qi does not cease descending altogether. The descending Yin Qi is simply the Yin Qi left over within Yang, and it dissipates in the Yang region. Even if it descends to the corresponding point and meets the rising Yang Qi, its own energy has already been exhausted. After the summer solstice, as Yin Qi descends, Yang Qi does not cease rising altogether. The rising Yang Qi is simply the Yang Qi left over within Yin, and it dissipates in the Yin region. Even if it rises to the corresponding point and meets the descending Yin Qi, its own energy has already been exhausted.

The range of Yin and Yang’s rising and descending does not exceed eighty-four thousand li, and their alternating changes do not exceed 360 days. By observing the four kinds of weather—warm, cool, cold, and hot—we can understand Yin and Yang. By observing the eight seasonal nodes that correspond to Yang’s ascent and Yin’s descent, we can understand the workings of Heaven and Earth. By using the patterns of Heaven and Earth to make our deductions, we may grasp the first intimations of the Great Dao. But if we try to measure the Dao of Heaven and Earth using only knowledge handed down by word of mouth, how could calculation alone truly make it clear?

The Dao gives rise to the myriad things. Heaven and Earth are the grandest among them, while human beings are the most perceptive. If one seeks the Dao within oneself, one can bring the human being into accord with Heaven and Earth. The heart is likened to Heaven and the kidneys to Earth; the liver belongs to the Yang position and the lungs to the Yin position. The heart and kidneys are separated by eight inches and four tenths, symbolizing the distance between Heaven and Earth as they cover and support all things. Qi (vital energy) represents Yang, while bodily fluids represent Yin.

The four daily periods of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You correspond respectively to the winter solstice, summer solstice, spring equinox, and autumn equinox of the year. If one day is likened to a year, then the times of day divided according to the Eight Trigrams correspond to the year’s eight seasonal markers.

At Zi hour, Qi arises in the kidneys. By Mao hour, it flows to the liver. The liver belongs to Yang; Qi gradually flourishes, and Yang Qi rises into the Yang position. This is like the spring equinox. At Wu hour, Qi flows to the heart, where it gathers and produces bodily fluids. This is like the summer solstice, when Yang Qi reaches its peak and Yin Qi begins to emerge. At Wu hour, bodily fluids arise in the heart. By You hour, they flow to the lungs. The lungs belong to Yin; bodily fluids gradually flourish, and Yin Qi descends into the Yin position. This is like the autumn equinox. At Zi hour, bodily fluids flow to the kidneys, where they gather and produce Qi. This is like the winter solstice, when Yin Qi reaches its peak and Yang Qi begins to sprout.

This cycle repeats without end, like the movements of the sun and moon. If the body suffers no depletion, one can prolong one’s life.

The True Instructions say: Heaven and Earth each receive a portion from the Great Dao, and through this all things enter the realm between them. Human beings receive their form from their parents, while new forms continually arise within the body; in this way they gradually move farther from the Great Dao. Once the fetus has matured and its Qi is abundant, the six desires and seven emotions begin to consume primordial Yang and disperse true Qi. Although the human body naturally generates Qi and fluids from one another, this alone cannot bring it into accord with Heaven and Earth’s cycles of ascent and descent.

With each exhalation, primordial Qi moves outward; with each inhalation, it moves inward. In this way, people connect with the Qi of Heaven and Earth. But the inhaled Qi cannot be retained: it leaves again with the exhalation, allowing the Qi of one’s own inner palace to be carried away by the Qi of Heaven and Earth. As a result, when Qi disperses, it becomes difficult to produce fluids; when fluids grow scarce, it also becomes difficult to produce Qi.

When Qi is abundant, practice according to the “Mao trigram” method—here referring to the use of breath associated with the Mao hour or position in cultivation: inhale more and exhale less, deliberately keeping the Qi in the abdomen. The Qi rising from below then does not disperse outward, while the Qi inhaled from outside also remains in the body for a time. The two kinds of Qi join and accumulate, transforming into fluids of the five viscera. The text says, “The more one restores to the origin, the greater the benefit,” meaning that the effects of returning to the primordial source gradually increase. Continue cultivating day after day and month after month until signs of efficacy appear; only then may you stop.

The Essentials of the Dao say: To see the “eldest son of the Lord of Yang,” one must inhale more and exhale less. Let the “sons and daughters” within the body contend with one another; when the time is right, seek the true Qi. This describes the method of accumulating Qi to produce fluids and accumulating fluids to produce Qi, so that Qi and fluids are matched and generate one another. With such practice, in no more than a year the effect can reach “one becoming three”; taking one hundred days as a period, signs of efficacy may appear in about ten days. Food is digested smoothly after eating, and illness recedes; the mind becomes clear and vision sharp, while the chest and abdomen feel at ease. Strength increases and fatigue comes less easily. At times, sounds like wind and thunder may be heard in the abdomen. There are many other signs as well.

The commentary explains: “The eldest son of the Lord of Yang” refers to the Qi of Qian, the Yang trigram, rising upward. “Qian seeks Kun” means that Qian, symbolizing Yang, requires the corresponding cooperation of Kun, symbolizing Yin. The “son” in the text is the Qi rising from the kidneys; the “daughter” is the fluid descending from the heart. As Qi and fluid contend with one another above and below, breath retention causes fluid to form and brings the two into harmony. When the time is right, one can obtain what is called “true water”—a technical term for the essence or bodily fluids produced through internal cultivation.

Second: Gathering and Dispersing Water and Fire

The Jinggao says: The so-called Great Dao is lofty and far-reaching, without limit above and without any boundary dividing above from below. When the breath is held, fluids arise within the body. Let Yin and Yang come together and each attain balance; when the time is right, true water—the pure fluids spoken of in cultivation—will naturally be obtained.

The Second: Gathering and Dispersion of Water and Fire

The Jinggao says: The so-called Great Dao is lofty and far-reaching, without limit. Look up toward it, and above it there is still no end; its beginning cannot be seen. Look down upon it, and below it there is likewise no end; its foundation cannot be seen. The Great Dao has no beginning, so its forward edge cannot be seen; it has no end, so its rear edge cannot be seen.

Heaven and Earth arise from the Great Dao, and within them there is an order of high and low. Within Heaven and Earth there is also Yin-Yang, each with its own pattern of beginning and ending. From above to below, by looking up and observing downward, one can investigate their changes. From beginning to end, by calculating their measures, one can understand their principles. From this, one may infer and come to know the Great Dao.

The Zhenyuan says: Observe the positions of Heaven and Earth above and below, and you can understand their relative heights. Examine the sequence in which Yin-Yang ends and begins, and you can understand the order of the Way of Heaven. The changes of Heaven and Earth do not depart from number and principle; the annual cycle concludes at the end of the year. The movements of Yin-Yang each have their proper seasons and are distributed among the Eight Seasonal Nodes, which divide the year into eight major periods.

At the winter solstice, the first Yang begins to arise. By the spring equinox, Yin and Yang are equal. After the spring equinox, Yang gradually flourishes while Yin gradually wanes. At the summer solstice, Yang reaches its peak, and at the same time the first Yin begins to arise. The subsequent changes of ascent and descent then follow the same pattern in a repeating cycle.

The principles governing Heaven and Earth above and below, and the beginnings and endings of Yin-Yang, cannot fully exhaust the Great Dao, but they embody its foundations. To know the Great Dao, one should take Heaven and Earth as one’s model and carefully observe whether the movements of Yin-Yang accord with their proper measure.

Here, the heart and kidneys are used as analogies for Heaven and Earth, while Qi and fluids are used as analogies for Yin and Yang. A single day is also compared to a year. The time of the Gen trigram in the day corresponds to the beginning of spring in the year; the time of the Qian trigram corresponds to the beginning of winter.

The lower region between Heaven and Earth belongs to Yin. Extending upward 42,000 li from the ground, it is called the “Yin position.” At the winter solstice, Yang Qi first arises and ascends, corresponding to the beginning of spring in the year. When Yang Qi has risen 21,000 li into the Yin position, it still cannot overcome Yin Qi. The upper region belongs to Yang. Extending downward 42,000 li from above, it is called the “Yang position.” At the summer solstice, Yin Qi first arises and descends, corresponding to the beginning of winter in the year. When Yin Qi descends to a point 63,000 li below Heaven and 21,000 li above Earth, it has reached its proper position; at this time, Yang Qi has already declined and vanished.

The beginning of spring in the year corresponds to the time of the Gen trigram in the day. At this time, kidney Qi flows down to the bladder and is faint within the body’s fluids, unable to rise easily. The beginning of winter in the year corresponds to the time of the Qian trigram in the day: heart fluids flow downward, about to return to their source and enter the kidneys again. This is when Yin Qi is strong and Yang Qi has declined and vanished. People become prone to illness because Yin and Yang are out of balance, with Yang Qi weak and Yin Qi in excess.

The True Instructions say: Yang Qi begins to rise at the Start of Spring, moving upward from below, and soon comes to occupy half of the Yin Qi. This corresponds to the Gen trigram, when Qi stirs faintly during the hours of Chou and Yin. Yin Qi begins to descend at the Start of Winter, moving downward from above, and soon comes to occupy half of the Yang Qi. This corresponds to the Qian trigram, when Qi gradually dissipates during the hours of Xu and Hai. Such is the pattern by which Heaven and Earth move.

Yet when the Qi of the Gen trigram begins to stir, people do not know where to begin nourishing Qi; when the Qi of the Qian trigram dissipates, they do not know how to gather Qi. Day and night, people deplete their original Yang—the Yang Qi they were born with—through the six desires and seven emotions, all kinds of desires and feelings. Their true Qi cannot become abundant, and as it continually scatters, true fluids, meaning bodily fluids in the context of cultivation, cannot be produced. This is why people cannot endure as long as Heaven and Earth.

Thus, the ancients practiced the Tun hexagram in the morning and the Meng hexagram in the evening. By cultivating these two hexagrams each day, they could preserve their bodies for a long time. Morning practice of the Tun hexagram draws on its meaning: “one firm Yang line has just sprouted, constrained and not yet unfolded.” Applied to oneself, this means nourishing Qi until it is full and allowing it to unfold without letting it dissipate. Evening practice of the Meng hexagram draws on the idea that “the young and unknowing seek instruction in order to understand and leave darkness behind.” This means seeking Yang Qi within Yin. Applied to oneself, it means turning obscurity into clarity and preventing true Qi from scattering.

At sunrise, therefore, one should use the period associated with the Gen trigram to nourish original Qi. Do not let fame and profit disturb the spirit, or likes and dislikes sway the mind. Put on a robe and sit quietly to regulate the breath. Set aside distracting thoughts and calm the emotions, then do a little Daoyin—stretching movements coordinated with the breath. Alternately extend and bend the hands, feet, and limbs three to five times, so that Qi flows in harmony through the limbs. At the same time, protect the rising original Qi within the body and gather it in the heart center. One may also swallow a mouthful or two of fluids, rub the head and face twenty or thirty times, and then exhale the turbid Qi accumulated overnight. Practice this over a long period, and the complexion will become full and fresh, while the skin grows smooth and lustrous. This is called “nourishing original Qi through the Gen trigram.”

At sunset, one should use the period associated with the Qian trigram to gather original Qi. Go indoors and sit quietly, swallow Qi, and draw in the external kidneys—a Daoist Daoyin term for contracting the perineum and related areas. Swallowing Qi draws the heart fire downward; drawing in the external kidneys gathers the bladder Qi within the body. When the Qi above and below join, the fire of the Kidney Qi combines with the fire Qi of two other places. Together they warm and nourish the lower field, the lower Dantian, a cultivation site in the lower abdomen. When there are no fluids, gather Qi to produce them; when fluids are present, refine them into Qi. This is called “gathering fire,” and is also called “Taiyi containing true Qi.”

In the morning, swallowing fluids, massaging the face, and alternately extending and bending the hands and feet is called “dispersing fire,” and is also called “minor form refining.”

The Daoist Essentials says, “The flowers have withered, the leaves have fallen: it is deep autumn. Yang Guifei is too languid to climb the high tower.” These images describe a person whose Qi has weakened, whose Yang Qi is gradually dispersing and can no longer rise. “The ruler and the people joining in harmony” means bringing the Qi of the heart into accord with the Qi of the bladder: the heart belongs to Ruler Fire, while the bladder’s Qi is called People’s Fire. In practicing this method, one takes in the heart’s Qi and gathers the bladder’s Qi so they do not dissipate, then brings them into accord with kidney Qi to draw in the Qi of the Kan trigram—that is, the newly arising Qi “in the sea.” Here, “feast” means swallowing Qi, and “gather” refers to a method of collecting and drawing inward.

Begin this practice at the start of winter and continue until the corresponding effects appear. Do not practice for more than a year. The stated effect is equivalent to tripling a single measure of benefit; with a hundred days as the prescribed period, results should appear after about ten days. The scripture says that practice will give the face a healthy glow and fill out the skin, warm the Dantian, reduce urination, make the limbs light and agile, and refresh the spirit. Long-standing and chronic illnesses will also be dispelled.

Those who value their time and practice consistently can follow the schedule on days designated for “matching Yin and Yang,” with results appearing after about ten days. Alternatively, once this method has produced some effect within the practice of matching Yin and Yang, they can add it in, then incorporate the method of the Gen trigram into their daily practice and perform it briefly. After carrying out the threefold method of the Qian trigram and seeing its effects, they can stop. The “threefold method” refers to the Qian, Gen, and Zhen trigrams.

The commentary explains that the essential foundation is to practice consistently each morning, and that this method is chiefly based on that practice. The following section title, “The Union of the Dragon and Tiger, Part Three,” indicates the subject of the third section. “Dragon and Tiger” is a common symbolic expression in Daoist Neidan.

The Golden Proclamation says: When the Great Origin first divided, the Great Beginning came into being. Within the Great Beginning was the Great Nonbeing; within the Great Nonbeing was the Great Void; within the Great Void was the Great Emptiness; and within the Great Emptiness was the Great Substance. The Great Substance is what we call Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth contain clear and turbid Qi, and are shaped like an egg, in shades of black and yellow. They are merely one thing within the Great Emptiness. When Yang Qi rises to the highest point of Heaven, Yin Qi comes into being. Yin Qi is deep and dark, embracing Yang Qi as it moves downward. When Yin Qi descends to the lowest point of Earth, Yang Qi comes into being. Yang Qi is elusive and hard to see, carrying Yin Qi on its back as it moves upward. As Yin and Yang rise and descend, they seem to accord with the movement of Heaven and Earth, and all things are born from this.

The True Origin says: Heaven is like an overturned basin; when Yang Qi rises there, it can rise no farther. Earth is like a solid stone slab; when Yin Qi reaches it, it can sink no deeper. At the winter solstice, Yang Qi within the Earth begins to rise. By the summer solstice it has risen to Heaven, where Yang Qi reaches its utmost and Yin Qi comes into being. Yin Qi comes into being because Yang Qi arises from within Yin and rises from the Earth, in a process too subtle to discern. Qi contains water, but this water has no form. When it rises to Heaven at the summer solstice, it takes shape as water. This is called Yang reaching its utmost and Yin coming into being.

At the summer solstice, Yin Qi within Heaven begins to descend. By the winter solstice it has descended to Earth, where Yin Qi reaches its utmost and Yang Qi comes into being. Yang Qi comes into being because Yin Qi emerges from within Yang and descends from Heaven, in a process profound and obscure. Water contains Qi, but this Qi has no form. When it descends to Earth at the winter solstice, water gathers and gives rise to Qi. This is called Yin reaching its utmost and Yang coming into being.

Consider the human body by analogy: the space outside the body corresponds to the Great Emptiness; the heart and kidneys correspond to Heaven and Earth; Qi and fluids correspond to Yin and Yang; and the hours of Zi and Wu correspond to the winter and summer solstices. At the hour of Zi (midnight), Yin Qi is deep and dark, and the water contains Qi, though the Qi has no form. This is like water gathering and giving rise to Qi at the winter solstice: Yin reaches its utmost, and Yang comes into being.

The space beyond the body is used as a metaphor for the cosmos, the heart and kidneys for Heaven and Earth, Qi and fluids for Yin and Yang, and the Zi and Wu hours for winter and summer.

The Zi hour corresponds to the Kan trigram (symbolizing water and Yin): Qi is born in the kidneys. The Wu hour corresponds to the Li trigram (symbolizing fire and Yang): Qi flows to the heart. When kidney Qi and heart Qi unite, they give rise to fluid, like the Taiji (the state in which Yin and Yang unite). Fluid is produced because Qi comes from the kidneys and contains formless True Water. The Qi of the Li trigram reaches the heart and meets the heart Qi; the two then unite and produce fluid.

Fluid born in the heart, which is symbolized by the Li trigram, flows to the kidneys and joins with kidney water. Like the Taiji, they then give rise to Qi anew. Qi is produced because the fluid comes from the heart and contains formless True Qi. The fluid of the Kan trigram reaches the kidneys and meets kidney water; the two then unite and produce Qi. This process can be compared to Yang Qi rising and Yin Qi descending: once Yin and Yang reach a state of union, they give rise to one another. The Yin and Yang produced in this way are such that water is concealed within Yang, and Qi within Yin.

The Zhenjue says: “Qi is born in the kidneys, and Qi contains True Water; fluid is born in the heart, and fluid contains True Qi. True Water and True Qi are what are called the True Dragon and True Tiger, terms for the two Yin-Yang energies in Daoist internal alchemy. When Yang Qi reaches its height, Yin and Yang transform into one another. The Yin and Yang produced in this way are such that water is concealed within Yang, and Qi within Yin.”

The True Instructions say: Qi arises within the kidneys, and true Water is contained within Qi. Fluids arise within the heart, and true Qi is contained within the fluids. True Water and true Qi are what are called the true Dragon and true Tiger, symbols of Yin and Yang in Neidan cultivation.

When Yang Qi rises to Heaven and can rise no further, Taiji, the source of Yin-Yang transformation, gives rise to Yin. When Yin Qi descends to Earth and can descend no further, Taiji gives rise to Yang. This is how Heaven and Earth move. Human beings alone cannot move naturally as Heaven and Earth do. The six desires and seven emotions are stirred by external things, causing people to lose their resolve, dissipate their original Yang, and lose their true Qi.

When kidney Qi rises into the heart, corresponding to the state represented by the Li trigram, which symbolizes the heart and Fire, settle the spirit. Inhale through the nose gently and slowly, and exhale later and for longer. Let the breath remain fine, slow, and continuous, as if present and yet absent. When the mouth is full of fluids, do not spit them out or swallow them. In this way, kidney Qi and heart Qi naturally unite, and Taiji gives rise to fluids. Then let the fluids unite with true Water: true Qi cleaves to the fluids, and true Water cleaves to true Qi. Though they were not originally things that could unite, the fluids contain true Qi and Qi contains true Water, so they blend and cling to one another as they descend together. This is called the “mating of Dragon and Tiger,” referring to the union of Yin and Yang Qi in cultivation.

If the timing of the Fire is precise and its increases and decreases are properly regulated, then after three hundred days of nurturing, one can form the “true embryo” and refine the “Great Medicine.” This is the foundation for refining and transforming the body, forging the physical body, paying homage to the Primordial Beginning, and transcending the world.

The Essentials of the Dao says: When the primordial Qi begins to recover, true Yang is about to reach the Palace of Li, which refers to the heart or the southern position of Fire. At this time, gather and contain the true Dragon and true Tiger—respectively, the primordial Yang Qi in the heart and the true Water in the kidneys—so that the saliva in the Jade Pool, meaning the mouth, fills and flows like spring water.

This prevents primordial Qi from leaking outward and true Water from being depleted beyond the body. When Qi disperses, saliva is difficult to produce; when saliva is scarce, there is not enough true Qi. If Qi and Water cannot mingle, how can the Great Medicine be refined?

Within the year, the winter solstice marks the beginning; within the day, midday corresponds to the Li trigram. Some people begin cultivating the Dao only in old age, when their bodily foundation is weak and they feel depleted and lacking in strength. They may then use one year of practice to make up for ten years of loss. This is called “gathering and replenishing to restore the Elixir.” Once their deficiencies have been made good, they should stop this method and proceed to cultivate the method called “Water and Fire in mutual aid,” in which Water and Fire are harmonized. In this way, they can extend their years and reach the state of a “human immortal.” The results of cultivation are too many to recount one by one.

When the replenishment has reached a sufficient degree, sweet saliva will form in the mouth, the mind will naturally become calm, desires will no longer disturb it, and the body will be free of pain. In the dark, the eyes may sometimes spontaneously perceive a divine light, flashing past like a sudden bolt of lightning. Beginning on the day of the winter solstice, cultivate according to this method for three hundred days, and you will bring forth the “embryonic immortal,” the perfected immortal body symbolized in internal alchemy.

The commentary explains: In terms of the seasons and times of day, the hour of the Horse corresponds to the Palace of Li, and the sun is true Yang. In the human body, the heart corresponds to the Palace of Li, and primordial Yang is the “true Dragon”; the Water in the kidneys is the “true Tiger.” The “true Dragon” refers to the Qi in the heart’s fluids; the mouth is called the “Jade Pool,” and saliva is called “spring water.”

Fourth: Refining the Elixir by Fire (section title)

The Jinggao says: Heaven and Earth are the forms through which the Great Dao manifests; Yin-Yang are the principles governing their movement. Cold, heat, warmth, and coolness are the Qi contained within these forms, while clouds, mist, rain, and dew are images in which Qi appears. Earth Qi rises and surges upward to become clouds; when clouds disperse, they turn into rain. Heaven Qi descends and spreads out to become mist; when it condenses, it becomes dew. When Yin Qi accumulates excessively, dew turns into frost and snow. When Yang Qi accumulates excessively, mist transforms into smoke, clouds, and rosy clouds. Yang is hidden within Yin; when Yang Qi cannot descend, Yin and Yang collide and surge against each other, producing thunder. Yin is hidden within Yang; when Yin Qi cannot condense and solidify, hail and sleet are produced. When Yin and Yang fail to harmonize and strike against one another, lightning is produced; when they intermingle in disorder, a rainbow forms.

When pure Yang Qi accumulates, it forms spirit; appearing in the heavens, it is the stars. When pure Yin Qi accumulates, it forms substance; growing upon the Earth, it is soil and stone. The greatest among the stars are the sun and moon; the most precious among soil and stone are gold and jade. The workings of Yin-Yang become visible in tangible things as the sun and moon in the heavens and gold and jade beneath the Earth.

The Zhenyuan says: Without Yin, Yang cannot generate; without Yang, Yin cannot bring things to completion. Yang Qi accumulates to form spirit and appears in the heavens; the greatest among its manifestations are the sun and moon. The sun and moon are true Yang, yet they too must receive true Yin in order to complete one another. Yin Qi accumulates to form substance; what grows firm upon the Earth and is especially precious is gold and jade. Gold and jade are true Yin, and they too must receive true Yang in order to nourish one another.

Practice during the Xu and Hai hours, gathering the medicine with the Li trigram and advancing the fire with the Qian trigram.

This can be described by analogy: True Yang is like the true Qi contained in the heart’s fluids; True Yin is like the true Water within kidney Qi. True Water cannot generate and transform without True Qi, and True Qi cannot come to fruition without True Water. True Water and True Qi harmonize in the region symbolized by the Li trigram, meeting above the heart and below the lungs, like mother and child depending on one another, or like husband and wife loving one another.

From the Li trigram to the Dui trigram, Dui symbolizes Yin Qi gradually growing stronger as Yang Qi weakens, like the sun and moon moving toward the last quarter, or like gold and jade in a time of obscurity. When dawn comes, once the accumulated count is sufficient, brightness appears. Gold and jade congeal into treasures as Yang Qi gradually arises: this is the result of Qi accumulating to fullness and then being nourished by Yang Qi. The sun and moon regain their brightness after the cycle of Yin-Yang has run its course; receiving the Qi of the hun, they then shine forth.

This is like advancing the fire during the Qian trigram stage of cultivation: by continually applying the fire timing so that Yang Qi does not wane, and gradually increasing the number of cycles of cultivation, Yang Qi can continue to grow. Here, “advancing the fire” refers to applying the timing of the fire in cultivation to drive the transformations of Yin-Yang.

The Zhenjue says: At the stage of the Li trigram, which symbolizes fire and the heart, the Dragon and Tiger converge. This is called “gathering the medicine.” When the time of the Qian trigram, which symbolizes pure Yang, arrives, the Qi and fluids are about to return to their original source. They gather above the bladder, below the spleen and stomach, in front of the kidneys, behind the navel, to the left of the liver, to the right of the lungs, to the right of the small intestine, and to the left of the large intestine. This too is called “gathering the medicine.”

At this time, the spleen Qi is vigorous and the lung Qi is full, while the heart Qi declines and the liver Qi is weak. True Qi is meant to come forth and join with Yang Qi. If Yang Qi has already weakened, True Qi has nothing to attach to, so the joining must be gathered at the right moment. In practice, keep awareness settled within the body and let the breath through the nose be fine, long, and gentle. Coordinate a slight contraction of the abdomen with sensations at the navel and kidneys. If you feel too hot, relax a little. Before heat arises, tighten the abdomen and navel; as warmth gradually develops, return to a normal state and let the body open naturally, allowing the Qi mechanism to fill the whole body. This is called “binding the Yang Pass,” or gathering in Yang Qi, and is used to refine and nourish the elixir.

Keep the Qi from rising upward. Let it pass together with “True Water” through the spleen palace, then carry it with the breath to the Life Palace and the Yellow Court, the place where the Qi mechanism gathers within the body in Neidan practice. Through transformation, the Qi and fluids gradually become Jing, pearls, mercury, cinnabar, and gold, and ultimately are called the Golden Elixir. This work should not be taken lightly.

The Essentials of the Dao says: Gathering the medicine—the essence and Qi needed for Neidan (internal alchemy)—depends on the Jade Rabbit, which represents Kidney Water. For these forces to unite, one must rely on the Yellow Matron, the mediating power that harmonizes the heart and kidneys. When they meet in Yongzhou, the place symbolized by the Qian trigram, a song of Yang is played. This method should be practiced alongside the daily gathering of the medicine.

In old age, those who wish to make up for losses and replenish their original Qi may practice by restoring one part for every ten parts lost. This method is called “refining mercury to replenish the Dantian (energy center).” Once the required number of repetitions has been completed, one should remain at the stage of daily practice. Gather the medicine through the Li trigram, refine it through the Qian trigram, and close the Yang Gate, the aperture that retains essence and Qi.

In spring and winter, gather the medicine more and refine it less: devote one part of the practice to the Qian trigram and twice as much to the Li trigram. In autumn and summer, gather the medicine less and refine it more: devote one part to the Li trigram and twice as much to the Qian trigram. Gathering and refining in step with the seasons when Qi is strongest throughout the year makes results easier to attain. This can extend life, allow one to remain in the world for a long time, and make one an earthly immortal. After completing the required repetitions and seeing results, continue the practice with care and restraint.

After one hundred days of gathering the medicine, its potency is sufficient; after two hundred days, the sacred embryo—the inner foundation gradually coalescing through Neidan practice—is stable; after three hundred days, True Qi is generated and the embryo immortal, the perfected immortal body, is complete. Only once the medicine is potent should the number of times one advances the fire be increased; this is called the regulation of the fire. Once the sacred embryo is stable, increase the fire to the number of times prescribed for the Small Circuit of Heaven. Once the embryo is complete and True Qi has been generated, increase the fire to the number of times prescribed for the Circuit of Heaven. This is called the fire regulation of the Circuit of Heaven.

Gathering the medicine brings the Dragon and Tiger—the two inner forces of Yin and Yang—into union. Refining the medicine then applies the regulation of the fire; only then has one entered the Dao. Practitioners should sever ties with the outside world, live in a secluded and quiet place, and focus on inner observation, so that the inner state does not disperse outward and external things do not enter the mind. They should be like a woman nurturing a fetus or a dragon guarding a precious pearl. Even in eating and daily life, they should speak little, like an infant, and remain quiet and cautious, like an unmarried young woman. They must still guard against any loss, and their thoughts must not stray from the Great Dao even for a moment.

(The commentary explains: The “medicine” is the true Qi in the heart; the “rabbit” is the true Water in the kidneys; and the “Yellow Matron” is the bodily fluids in the spleen. Harmonizing these three brings Qi and Water together, after which they are sent into the Yellow Court (an important region within the body in Daoist thought). “Yongzhou” corresponds to the Qian trigram and refers to gathering Yang Qi in the sides and abdomen; this is also called “bridling the Yang Pass.”)

The four methods of the Lesser Vehicle above belong to the methods for becoming an immortal among humans.

The Secretly Transmitted Perfected Yang Immortal’s Complete Method of the Numinous Treasure, Volume One

The Secretly Transmitted Perfected Yang Immortal’s Complete Method of the Numinous Treasure, Volume Two

Written by Perfected Yang Zhongli Quan (courtesy name Yunfang) and transmitted by Perfected Yang Lü Yan (courtesy name Dongbin).

The Middle Vehicle methods for longevity and immortality comprise three gates.

The Fifth Method: Elbow-Behind Flying Golden Essence.

The Golden Proclamation says: The transformations of Yin and Yang as they rise and descend do not extend beyond Heaven and Earth, while the movements of the sun and moon take place outside Heaven and Earth. The sun and moon rise in the east and set in the west, giving rise to day and night; their movement along the north-south axis determines cold and heat. Their cycles of day and night never cease. As the days accumulate, they form a month, called “Po” (the Yin aspect of the lunar phases). A year is formed by accumulating months, during which the pitch standards Lü and Lü alternate in their cycles: Lü arises within Lü, and Lü arises within Lü. The movements of the sun and moon accord with the workings of Heaven and Earth and follow the principles of Qian and Kun. Although all things come into being through the transformations of Yin and Yang, the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth also depend on the movements of the sun and moon.

The Zhenyuan says: The shape of Heaven and Earth is like an egg, with the six directions—above, below, north, south, east, and west—contained within it. The whole is round like a sphere. The Sun and Moon rise and set, moving above Heaven and below Earth; they travel up and down and from east to west, swiftly as a spinning wheel. The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, following the Yang path. The Moon rises in the west and sets in the east, following the Yin path. Thus day and night are distinguished within a single day. After the winter solstice, the point where the Sun rises shifts from south to north; after the summer solstice, it shifts back from north to south. The length of a winter night corresponds to that of a summer day, and the length of a summer night to that of a winter day. In this way, the cold and heat of the year are determined.

The Sun and Moon each have a circumference of eight hundred and forty li. Four chi make one bu, and three hundred and sixty bu make one li. A day is divided into twelve double-hours, each containing eight ke and twenty fen. A month is reckoned as thirty days, making three hundred and sixty double-hours, three thousand ke, and one hundred and eighty thousand fen.

Yang moves through the Qian position and takes nine as its number; Yin moves through the Kun position and takes six as its number. The Moon’s Yang soul arises within its Yin spirit, and this change begins on the first day of the month. Since the numbers nine and six have not yet joined, the Moon’s soul begins to emerge from its Yin spirit only after three days. According to this account, a day and night comprise one hundred ke, or six thousand fen, and the Moon’s soul advances seventy li within its Yin spirit each day. In six days it advances four hundred and twenty li, reaching halfway within the Moon’s Yin spirit. This is called the “upper bow,” when the Moon appears as a semicircle. After another six days, the soul advances a further four hundred and twenty li, bringing the total to eight hundred and forty li. The Moon’s soul is then complete within its Yin spirit, and Yang energy fills the Yin position. This is called the “full Moon.”

Beginning on the sixteenth day, the Moon’s Yin spirit arises within its soul. Over six days it advances four hundred and twenty li, reaching halfway within the Moon’s soul. This is called the “lower bow,” when the Moon again appears as a semicircle. After another six days, the Yin spirit advances a further four hundred and twenty li, bringing the total to eight hundred and forty li; the Moon’s Yin spirit is then complete within its soul. A trace of light remains in the Moon because the number six has not yet fully reached the number nine. Thus, after another three days, the Yin spirit fills the Moon’s palace. This is called the “dark of the Moon,” or the end of the month. After the beginning of the month, the number nine begins to arise within the number six; before the month’s end, the number six begins to arise within the number nine. Before one cycle of numerical change has run its course, the time for the next cycle has already arrived. Days accumulate into months, and months accumulate into years.

If a year is reckoned by months, it passes through the six Lü and six Lü (the twelve pitch standards, six of each, which represent changes in Yin-Yang and musical pitch). Beginning with six, the count reaches completion at the sixth position. Six times six is thirty-six, the completed number of Yin. If a year is reckoned by days, five days make one pentad, and a year contains seventy-two pentads. Seventy-two is produced by multiplying eight by nine. When the count reaches nine doubled, it begins with nine and reaches completion at the sixth position. Six times nine is fifty-four, the completed number of Yang. One six joined with one nine makes fifteen, the number of Qi. The twenty-four solar terms work together with the eight seasonal markers—Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice—to reveal the pattern of Yin and Yang’s rise and decline.

When one six joins with one nine, and four is also brought into use, the changes produce a Yang number of two hundred and sixteen and a Yin number of one hundred and forty-four. Together they total three hundred and sixty, forming the number of the complete celestial circuit.

The scripture uses the changing movements of Heaven and Earth, the sun and the moon, as metaphors for the processes of cultivation within the human body. The rising and descending of Yin and Yang Qi between Heaven and Earth resemble the correspondence of the heart and kidneys and the joining of Qi and fluids. The sun and moon moving between Heaven and Earth are compared to “guiding the Golden Essence behind the elbows,” a Neidan practice for directing the movement of essence and Qi within the body. The sun and moon’s conjunction and their waxing and waning, in turn, serve as metaphors for advancing the fire and regulating its timing during cultivation. Yang Qi rising and Yin Qi descending are likened to the souls of the sun and moon; the sun’s departure and the moon’s arrival resemble the back-and-forth movement of Qi and fluids between the heart and kidneys.

After the winter solstice, the sun rises at the Yi position and sets at the Geng position. Daylight lasts about forty ke, and the sun’s path shifts from south to north. Nine days later, the sun continues to rise in the east and set in the west, while daylight gradually lengthens, increasing by a total of sixty fen by the spring equinox. Around the spring equinox, day and night are equal. Daylight then continues to grow, reaching sixty ke at the summer solstice, when the sun rises at the Jia position and sets at the Xin position. Nine days after the summer solstice, the sun’s path shifts from north to south, and daylight gradually shortens, decreasing by a total of sixty fen by the autumn equinox. Around the autumn equinox, day and night are equal again. Daylight then continues to diminish until the winter solstice, returning to forty ke.

Taking as a model the increase in daylight after the winter solstice and the sun’s northward path, the number used for advancing the fire is “nine.” After the beginning of the lunar month, the moon’s soul first appears on the third day, emerging from its corporeal aspect. On the sixth day, the soul and corporeal aspect are equal; six days later, the moon’s soul is full. The number for this process is “six.”

The summer solstice in the year corresponds to the sixteenth day of the lunar month: by day, the method of the Li trigram is used, corresponding also to the hour of the Horse in the human body. The winter solstice corresponds to the beginning of the lunar month: by day, the method of the Kan trigram is used, corresponding also to the hour of the Rat in the human body. The patterns of Yin and Yang rising and descending between Heaven and Earth, and of the sun and moon’s souls and corporeal aspects coming and going, can all be calculated by number. The sun and moon join in due order, and their movements proceed without error. The heart and kidneys, Qi and fluids, liver and lungs, and souls and corporeal aspects within the human body also each follow their own daily cycles. Should the timing and circulation of the fire in cultivation, then, also wax and wane with the years and months?

The True Instructions say: The Kan trigram, corresponding to the time when Yang Qi first arises, belongs to Yang. Practice should be done at the hour of Zi, around midnight; this is neither the beginning nor the end. When the time of the Gen trigram arrives, when Yang Qi has progressed to this point, Kidney Qi joins with Liver Qi.

Before Kidney Qi and Liver Qi join, sit in a quiet room wearing a robe, clasp your hands firmly (curling the fingers inward to gather the mind and spirit), and sit with your legs crossed. First draw in the abdomen and lower into a crouch. After a while, rise, lift the chest, and tilt the head slightly backward. Then tighten the two gates at the Jiaji point between the shoulder blades, flutter the elbows slightly, and stretch the waist once or twice. Focus your attention on the Weilü point near the coccyx. Imagine a fire igniting there and rising along the back, gathering at the Jiaji gate. Keep the Jiaji gate closed for a time; do not rush to let the Qi pass through. When the warmth is pronounced and the Qi feels abundant, gradually release the gate and allow the Qi to pass.

Next, lie on your back and tilt your head firmly backward to guard the upper gate; do not open it easily. When the warmth feels intense and the Qi abundant, let the Qi gradually rise to the crown of the head, where it nourishes the Niwan “marrow sea,” the Daoist Neidan term for the brain. Practitioners must be able to endure both cold and heat; this is considered a condition for laying the foundations of long life.

Next, follow the method described above to practice the “returning the Elixir” method: lift the chest and stretch the waist, guard the Jiaji gate, and crouch before rising, so that the Qi gathers at the waist. If you do not feel the “fire” arise, sit quietly and turn your awareness inward, gathering the mind and spirit to observe the body within, then repeat the method until you feel the fire arise. Practice from the hour of Chou until the end of the hour of Yin. This method is called “flying the Golden Essence behind the elbows,” also known as “drawing out Lead.” It means bringing forth Kidney Qi and transforming it into Liver Qi.

The human spine has twenty-four vertebrae. The three lowest, counted upward, correspond to the inner kidneys; the three highest, counted downward, are called the Celestial Pillar. Above the Celestial Pillar is the Jade Capital. Between the Jade Capital and the area above the Weilü point—which lies opposite the inner kidneys—are eighteen vertebrae, called the Double Passes: nine above and nine below. Practice continuously for one hundred days, allowing the Qi to pass through these eighteen vertebrae and rise to the Niwan. The practice must be performed when Yang Qi first arises, at the time corresponding to the Kan trigram; this is what is called “flying the Golden Essence behind the elbows.”

Gather the medicine at the time of the Li trigram, advance the Fire at the time of the Qian trigram to refine it, and close the Yang Gate, the passage that controls the loss of Jing and Qi. After practicing in this way for one hundred days, the Golden Essence will fly into the brain and the medicine’s potency will be fully refined. Then bring the three gates together so that the Qi enters the upper chamber, the Niwan, directly. Practice begins at the Kan trigram and ends at the Gen trigram.

After gathering the medicine at the time of the Li trigram, do not let Kidney Qi join with Liver Qi. Instead, let Liver Qi generate Heart Qi on its own. The two Qi are pure Yang; Yin gradually recedes, and their vapor steams through the lungs. The lung fluids descend and envelop the True Qi. The True Qi grows each day and, when it reaches the size of a millet grain, enters the Yellow Court, a term in Daoist Neidan for an essential site of inner cultivation. Only then is there material for refining the internal Elixir. After one hundred uninterrupted days, the medicine’s potency will be fully refined.

When gathering the medicine at the time of the Li trigram, practice at the appointed hour and observe inwardly with greater care. Advance the Fire at the time of the Qian trigram and close the Yang Gate, beginning at the Dui trigram and ending at the Qian trigram. After practicing this way for another one hundred days, the practice of flying the Golden Essence behind the elbows should begin at the Kan trigram and end at the Zhen trigram. Continue gathering the medicine at the time of the Li trigram as before, in combination with practice from the Kun trigram through to the Qian trigram. After three hundred days without error, the Sacred Embryo, a term for the perfected state of the Elixir in Neidan practice, will be firm.

The method for closing the Yang Gate begins at the Kun trigram; sit and practice until the Qian trigram. After another full one hundred days, the Niwan will be filled, and you will be able to return to youth and become unlike ordinary people. Once the medicine has been gathered and the Embryo Immortal, a term for the Elixir Embryo in Neidan practice, has matured, True Qi will arise. It is said to be round like a pellet and red like a tangerine, resting for a long time in the Dantian before eventually making one an immortal on land.

After three hundred days, stop gathering the medicine when practice reaches the Li trigram, and stop closing the Yang Gate when it reaches the Kun trigram. Then turn to refining the Jade Liquid Elixir. Begin practice only after the winter solstice. After three hundred days, the Sacred Embryo will have matured and the True Qi will be abundant: the internal Elixir will be complete, and True Qi will arise with it.

This method of cultivation is intended to reverse the movement of the Five Phases and circulate the Qi between the upper, middle, and lower Dantian. Before beginning formal practice, first harmonize Yin and Yang until Qi and fluid generate one another, waiting for the corresponding signs to appear. Then gather and disperse Water and Fire until the root is secure and Qi flows while fluid pours; again, wait for the signs. Next unite the Dragon and Tiger, two opposing currents of Qi in Neidan practice, refine the Elixir, gather and replenish to return it, and temper Lead and Mercury; here too, proceed only when the signs appear. After reaching a ratio of “ten losses to one replenishment,” bring Qi and fluid to generate one another, guided again by the signs. These practices belong to the Lesser Vehicle and are said to prolong life.

To further replenish and secure the foundations, begin practice in the month containing the winter solstice, on a Jiazi day, and at the hours corresponding to the Kan, Li, and Qian trigrams. On the first hundredth day, practice from Kan to Gen and from Dui to Qian. By the two hundredth day, practice from Kan to Zhen and from Kun to Qian.

Practice in a secluded, quiet room. Keep women away, prevent the sounds of chickens and dogs from entering, and do not let foul odors reach the nose. Avoid the Five Flavors in food, and restrain the seven emotions and six desires. Keep the amount and temperature of food moderate. Whether awake or asleep, remain cautious and avoid wasting Jing and Qi. Without diligent practice, it is difficult to attain the Dao. After practicing in this way for three hundred days, observe whether the corresponding signs have appeared.

The Essentials of the Dao says: The Sun and Moon move together until the time represented by the Returning hexagram. At the hour of Zi (midnight, when Yang energy first arises), squat down and ascend through refinement for several days, opening the passes. Focus your efforts on reaching Yangzhou and joining together. When the Li hexagram arrives, Yin and Yang unite, and the fire of the six palaces fills the Golden Field—the stage of cultivation in which Qi is refined and brought into the lower Dantian.

“Sun and Moon moving together at the Returning hexagram” refers to the moment when one Yang line first appears: within a day, this corresponds to the hour of Zi; within a year, it corresponds to the winter solstice. This means choosing a suitable month, day, and hour. “Squatting and ascending” refers to the cultivation method described earlier. “Several days” means continuing for one hundred days. “Opening the passes” means opening the middle pass first, then the upper pass. “Yangzhou” is a coded term for the heart within the body; in terms of the hours, it corresponds to the hour of Wu, and in terms of the hexagrams, to the Li hexagram. “Joining together” means the union of true Yin and true Yang, hence the phrase “gathering the medicine.” The Qian hexagram corresponds to the six palaces; “fire” refers to Qi. Using the lungs, which belong to Metal, as a metaphor, bringing Qi down to the lower Dantian beneath the kidneys is called “fire filling the Golden Field.” This describes gathering Yang energy according to the method of the Qian hexagram, so that Qi collects in the lower Dantian.

Follow the road through Zhongnan to the foot of the mountain; lift the body and ascend, passing through the three passes again and again. Focus your efforts on reaching Yangzhou and joining together—how could this compare with the Maiden burning the sky?

“Zhongnan” is a hidden expression used by sages, referring to “Middle Son,” that is, the Kan hexagram. “Mountain” refers to the Gen hexagram. “Flying the Golden Essence” is a coded expression for refining and circulating Jing and Qi; only when the circulation reaches the Xun hexagram does it enter the stage of the second hundred days. At the beginning of cultivation, lift the body and ascend, passing through the three passes again and again. The meaning of “reaching Yangzhou and joining together” has already been explained. “Maiden” refers to the Dui hexagram. “The Maiden burning the sky” means gathering Yang energy and continuing until it reaches the Qian hexagram, where the process stops.

Proceed to Yanzhou, then travel on to Xuzhou. Rise and walk, damaging the cart and ox. It is only because of a fondness for the joyful gathering of the Nine Provinces that fire from the southwest enters Yongzhou.

The commentary says: Yan Province corresponds to the Gen trigram, and Xu Province corresponds to the Xun trigram. The Golden Essence (a Neidan term for the refined essence and Qi obtained through cultivation) rises from the place associated with the Gen trigram and moves until it reaches the place associated with the Xun trigram, where it stops. “Rise up and travel, damaging cart and ox” means that the cart and ox are worn down: the cart belongs to Yang, and the ox to Yin. This refers to a current of Qi rising along the spine and flying into the Niwan (a Neidan term for the brain). The Nine Provinces correspond to the heart in the human body and to the hour of Wu at midday. This is the same as the method of gathering the medicine described earlier. The southwest corresponds to the Kun trigram, and Yong Province corresponds to the Qian trigram. Rein in the Yang Qi and guide it from the place associated with the Kun trigram to the place associated with the Qian trigram, where it stops. This is the stage reached after three hundred days of cultivation.

These are the practices for daily cultivation, called the “methods of the Three Origins.” The rise of the Golden Essence into the brain is its return from the lower Dantian to the upper Dantian. Gathering the medicine means guiding it from the lower Dantian to the middle Dantian, where it is refined by heating. Advancing the fire then brings it back from the middle Dantian to the lower Dantian. Together, these are called the “operations of the Three Origins.” This is the middle vehicle of cultivation. Once perfected, it brings one to the state of an earthly immortal. When the corresponding signs appear, one should stop cultivating at this stage.

At first, one will often be startled in sleep and feel one’s heart race. Any illness in the limbs or the six viscera will also heal on its own. In a dark room, with the eyes closed, one will see a round halo of light, like a canopy, surrounding the whole body. The Golden Pass and Jade Lock (Neidan terms for sealing and securing essence and Qi) will close firmly, ending nocturnal emissions and other leakages. Then there will be a sound like thunder, and the Qi between the joints will flow freely. In dreams, one may sometimes feel as if embracing a child and returning, and at other times as if flying freely. Harmful influences from outside will be unable to enter; the mind will grow calm on its own, ending desire. In inward contemplation, one will be clear and alert. By day, one’s spirit will be bright and refined; at night, the Dantian will grow warm naturally.

These are all signs that the medicine has been obtained. Once the signs have truly appeared, continue cultivating with care and restraint, gradually increasing the practice according to the method described earlier. Complete three hundred days, until the embryo immortal (the immortal embryo of Neidan cultivation) is fully formed. Only after it is complete should one practice the methods that follow.

The Return of the Elixir from the Jade Liquid, Part Six

The Jade Book says: True Yin and Yang energies generate and fulfill one another. What appears above is Shen (spirit), formed from the accumulation of Yang energy. When form is contained within Shen and suspended in the heavens, it becomes the sun and moon. What appears below is form, shaped by the accumulation of Yin energy. When Shen energy is contained within form and hidden in the earth, it becomes gold and jade. Hidden in mountains and rivers, gold and jade send their clear, radiant essence upward, where it shines in turn with the sun and moon. When plants and trees receive this energy, they display auspicious signs; when birds and beasts receive it, they become extraordinary kinds.

The True Source says: When Yang energy rises to the heavens, the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) gives rise to Yin energy. Yin energy is insufficient and Yang energy abundant, so Yang energy gathers and generates Shen. When Yin energy descends to the earth, the Taiji gives rise to Yang energy. Yang energy is insufficient and Yin energy abundant, so Yin energy gathers and takes shape. The sun and moon above, and gold and jade below, embody, respectively, the Shen of true Yang and the form of true Yin. Their energies mingle and reflect one another above and below, filling heaven and earth with radiance. This is why gold and jade are precious.

From this we can understand that when the energy of gold and jade gathers in the air, it becomes auspicious clouds and fragrant mists; when it enters the earth, it transforms into sweet springs and numinous fungi. People who receive this energy can become outstanding figures, while birds and beasts undergo extraordinary changes. Though gold and jade take shape through the accumulation of Yin energy, they contain true Yang energy within. They also respond to the Shen of Yang energy represented by the sun and moon. True Yin and true Yang reflect one another above and below, and in the end congeal into treasures.

Here, the essence of gold and jade serves as a metaphor: Yin Qi gathers and takes form, containing true Yang within, like gold and jade. This symbolizes the practitioner gathering the ingredients and nurturing true Qi until they form an immortal embryo—the embryo spoken of in Neidan cultivation.

When the essence of gold and jade enters the earth, it becomes sweet springs and auspicious herbs. This symbolizes jade liquid—the refined Qi and bodily fluids of cultivation—returning to the Dantian. The essence of gold and jade, by gathering true Yang and becoming gold and jade, also symbolizes gathering the ingredients and nurturing true Qi to form an immortal embryo.

When the essence of gold and jade gathers in the air, it becomes auspicious clouds and fragrant mists. This symbolizes refining the body through Qi. When the essence of gold and jade surges toward the heavens, it rises with Yang Qi; when it enters the earth, it descends with Yin Qi. As Yin and Yang rise and fall, the movement of Qi naturally reflects the changes of the four seasons. Practitioners can use this process to return jade liquid to the Dantian and nurture the body through Qi. The movement of Qi waxes and wanes differently in each season, and shifts and changes over the course of a single day as well.

The True Instructions say: Once the method of gathering and replenishing has shown results, choose a month within the year, a day within the month, and a time within the day to practice. Train during three periods each day. After one hundred days, the medicine’s potency is considered sufficient; after two hundred days, the sacred embryo—the inner embryonic body described in Neidan cultivation—is firm; after three hundred days, true Qi begins to arise and the immortal embryo, the perfected body said to result from cultivation, is complete. Practice with care and restraint, advancing your work at the appointed times. Only after three hundred days may you practice the method of returning the Elixir and refining the body.

When using the Gen Trigram to send the Golden Crystal upward into the brain, stop once it reaches the Xun Trigram. This refers to the practice of sending the Golden Crystal upward after three hundred days of cultivation. When the Li Trigram phase ends, stop gathering the medicine; when the Kun Trigram phase ends, stop “binding the Yang Pass,” the practice of collecting and guarding Jing and Qi. Binding the Yang Pass begins in the Dui Trigram phase and continues until the Qian Trigram phase ends. After the Li Trigram phase ends, also add the method of swallowing saliva to refine the body: move the tongue around the palate and the area between the cheeks, first swallow the turbid saliva, then draw the tongue tip back and fill the Jade Pool, the part of the mouth where saliva gathers. When saliva forms, do not rinse the mouth; swallow it directly.

During the three months of spring, Liver Qi is strong and Spleen Qi weak. When swallowing saliva, coordinate the practice with the Li Trigram each day. During the three months of summer, Heart Qi is strong and Lung Qi weak; coordinate the practice with the Xun Trigram each day. At this time, spread the tongue across the upper and lower parts of the mouth, draw in the cheeks, and perform an empty swallow without saliva. During the three months of autumn, Lung Qi is strong and Liver Qi weak; coordinate the practice with the Gen Trigram each day. During the three months of winter, Kidney Qi is strong and Heart Qi weak; coordinate the practice with the Zhen Trigram each day. You may also swallow saliva while sending the Golden Crystal upward.

In the final month of each of the four seasons, Spleen Qi is strong and Kidney Qi weak. The scripture says that Kidney Qi is the root of human life and may weaken in any season. Therefore, for the eighteen days after the end of each season, coordinate swallowing saliva with the Dui Trigram each day, together with the saliva swallowing method described above. Autumn is the sole exception: use only the Dui Trigram when swallowing saliva, and stop the Gen Trigram practice.

When swallowing saliva, first swallow it as described above. If there is no saliva between the teeth and the Jade Pool, spread the tongue across the upper and lower parts of the mouth, close off the Jade Pool, draw in the cheeks, and perform an empty swallow. This empty swallow is in fact swallowing Qi; the scripture says that water is naturally present within Qi. In the first year, swallow Qi thirty-six to forty-nine times. In the second year, do it eighty-one times, then increase to one hundred and eighty-one times; this is considered a sign of efficacy. This is the Returning the Elixir with Jade Liquids method, in which saliva in the mouth is used in cultivation and returned to the Dantian. Continue the practice for no more than three years, and the saliva will nourish the Dantian and bathe the immortal embryo, making true Qi more vigorous.

If you do not practice Returning the Elixir with Jade Liquids, but instead cultivate the Neidan within three hundred days, then as soon as true Qi begins to arise, use the Gen Trigram to send the Golden Crystal upward. It must pass through the three passes and reach the Niwan, a cultivation site in the head; then practice Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquids. The scripture says that at this point, Metal and Water flow down from the crown of the head and return to the Yellow Court, a cultivation site within the abdomen, transforming Metal into the Elixir. This is called the Golden Elixir.

Practice Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquids in a quiet, secluded place, away from wind, sun, and ordinary people. Burn incense, place one palm over the other, and sit cross-legged. First let the body sink, then rise. As soon as you feel fire Qi begin to rise within, sit upright and still, cease scattered thoughts, and focus on inner contemplation, confirming that the Gen Trigram has sent the Golden Crystal into the crown of the head. Then tilt the head back slightly, so the neck feels as though it is filled with fire Qi. Nod forward and bend the neck, drawing the tongue tip back to press against the palate. At this point, clear, cool, sweet, fragrant saliva will form at the palate, seeming to reach upward to the crown of the head and flow downward through the hundred vessels. A wondrous fragrance may seem to arise in the nose, and the tongue may taste something extraordinary. Do not rinse the mouth; swallow the saliva directly and return it to the Yellow Court. This is called Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquids.

This practice may be done in spring, summer, autumn, or winter. After sending the Golden Crystal upward into the brain from behind the elbows, practice in sequence, from the Gen Trigram through the Xun Trigram. In the evening, practice binding the Yang Pass, from the Dui Trigram through the Qian Trigram. Cultivating these methods with care and restraint can lead to refining the body, nourishing life, and living forever, but it cannot bring transcendence.

The Essentials of the Dao says: Only by understanding the fundamental transformations of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) can one grasp how each season—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—has its own proper timing. Drinking a few cups of jade nectar at this moment feels like returning, in a drunken haze, to the Moon Palace—the Dantian (energy center), where the body’s Jing and Qi are refined and cultivated—to roam.

“Understanding the roots of the Five Phases” means grasping how the phases generate and overcome one another, and knowing that each trigram image has its own proper time for use. Only by swallowing jade nectar according to the corresponding method can one experience the distinct timing of the four seasons. “Drinking jade nectar” means swallowing the liquid; “drunkenness” means swallowing a larger amount.

Looking east toward Fusang, the legendary sacred tree of the East, the sky has yet to brighten. Then the breath rises, the body bends forward and back, and the movement continues without pause. Like a galloping horse, it makes several journeys through the inside and outside of the body; in the end, the eldest son reaches only Yangzhou.

“Looking east toward Fusang before dawn” means that the sun has not yet risen to the time-position represented by the Gen trigram. “Rising behind” refers to flying the Golden Essence—that is, causing Jing and Qi to rise during cultivation—while “leaning forward” refers to returning the jade nectar to the Elixir, bringing it back to the Dantian. “Galloping horse” means setting the firing times in motion and refining the body with jade nectar; “roaming the cosmos” means that this cultivated Qi spreads throughout the limbs. “Eldest son” corresponds to the Zhen trigram, and “Yangzhou” to the Li trigram. The meaning is that refining the body with jade nectar begins with Zhen and ends with Li.

After gathering the medicine for three hundred days, the cycle is complete, and fetal breathing—the life force formed through internal cultivation—has reached perfection. At this point, reduce the practice of flying the Golden Essence by one trigram, and continue as before to close the Yang Gate, gathering in the Yang Qi. After stopping the gathering of the medicine, add the method of swallowing, a practice of swallowing saliva. Perform this method according to the four seasons; it is a method for refining the body. Add the timing of the trigrams—the sequence of cultivation arranged according to the trigrams—to body refinement, beginning with the Zhen trigram and ending with the Li trigram. There is no fixed year, month, or date; stop only when signs of efficacy appear.

When the practice takes effect, the body will appear lustrous, and the Qi and spirit will become clear and refined. One will gradually come to dislike strong-smelling and impure foods, feeling that they disturb the abdomen. Worldly desires and attachments will fade of themselves. As the true Qi nears fullness, one will often feel satisfied: eating little, yet able to drink a great deal of wine. The old, ordinary bodily constitution will change, and consciousness will change with it. One will walk swiftly as if flying, see with eyes bright as lacquer, and have skin smooth and delicate as congealed fat. Black hair will grow back, a wrinkled face will smooth out, and even in old age one may retain a childlike appearance for a long time. Looking up and gazing a hundred paces into the distance, one will still make out the finest down on an autumn hair. Old scars and blemishes will fade naturally, and nasal mucus, tears, saliva, and grime will become less apparent.

The sacred Elixir within will develop a flavor, and the numinous fluid will give off fragrance; an unusual aroma will often be present around the mouth and nose. The liquid rinsed from the mouth will be thick as cream and is said to be useful for treating illness. The whole body, meanwhile, will take on a state like white paste. These are all signs that body refinement through the Jade Liquid Return Elixir has been achieved. Once these signs clearly appear, proceed with care and restraint, continuing the work and practicing the subsequent methods according to their procedures and proper seasons.

The Golden Liquid Return Elixir, Seventh

The Golden Proclamation says: Yang Qi accumulates and becomes spirit, while spirit in turn contains bodily form. The One is born from the sun, and the sun is born from the moon. Yin Qi accumulates and becomes form, while form in turn contains spirit. The One is born from metal, and metal is born from jade. What appears and disappears as Yin and Yang wax and wane is the light of the sun and moon. Brightness arises according to number, and number has its source in Qian and Kun, Heaven and Earth. What rises and descends with Yin and Yang is the Qi of metal and jade. Qi is stirred into action by the seasons, whose source is Heaven and Earth.

The True Origin says: Number operates between the sun and moon, and the numbers used are six and nine. ∎

The Zhenyuan says: The sun and moon move according to fixed measures, and the transformations of Yin and Yang are governed by the numbers six and nine. The numbers of Qian and Kun, and the energies of metal and jade, rise in spring and summer and descend in autumn and winter. Their ascent and descent change with the seasons of Heaven and Earth. Metal is born from earth, earth from stone, and jade from stone: this is how formed things take shape below. The golden crow in the sun and the jade rabbit in the moon are images of the sun drawing on the moon’s po—the moon’s Yin essence—to manifest its brightness. This is how formless energy gathers into spirit and appears above.

By analogy, the sun and moon correspond to Qi in the human body: Kidney Qi is likened to the moon, and Heart Qi to the sun. Metal and jade correspond to the body’s fluids: Kidney fluid is likened to metal, and Heart fluid to jade. “Jade liquid” is formed when Kidney Qi rises to the heart and joins with Heart Qi. The two energies meet and pass through the Chonglou, or throat. The mouth is kept closed so the fluids do not escape. When the Jade Pool—the place in the mouth where saliva gathers—is full, the fluids are swallowed. This is called “Jade Liquid Returning to the Elixir.” Causing it to rise is called “Jade Liquid Refining the Form.” This fluid originates in the kidneys but is formed at the heart, just as stone is born from earth and jade from stone.

“Golden liquid” is formed when Kidney Qi and Heart Qi join but do not continue rising; instead, they steam the lungs. The lungs cover the two energies like a canopy. One then draws on the fluid of the lungs and conveys it upward from the Lower Field—the lower Dantian, the cultivation site below the navel—starting at the Tail Gate, a point at the base of the spine. This is called “flying the golden crystal into the brain” and is used to replenish the Muddy Pellet, the upper Dantian in the head. Once it is replenished, the golden liquid flows downward from above and returns to the Lower Field. This is called “Golden Liquid Returning to the Elixir.” After it returns to the Lower Field, it is made to rise again and circulate through the front and back of the body. This is called “Golden Liquid Refining the Form.” This, too, corresponds to the saying that metal is born from earth. The practices of refining the form and flying the golden crystal should be carried out in a quiet, clean room, especially away from wind and sunlight. Burn incense at a distance and pray silently:

“Supreme Saints of the Three Pure Ones, what I pray for is a long life in this world, and the transmission and practice of the Great Dao…”

The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the revered deities of Daoism, I wish to attain long life in this world, to transmit and practice the Great Dao, and to use it to teach and transform the people. One should first cultivate the body, so as to become unafraid of cold and heat, cease eating grains, and transcend the constraints of Yin-Yang change. After reciting the incantation, swallow the saliva.

The True Instructions say: The tailbone point at the back is called the “lower pass”; the point between the shoulder blades is called the “middle pass”; and the area below the back of the head is called the “upper pass.” Begin circulating “Flying Golden Crystal,” a method of internal refinement that guides Jing and Qi upward, to open these Three Passes. The kidneys correspond to Earth and the heart to Heaven. When Jing and Qi rise to the crown of the head, this symbolizes reaching the Nine Heavens. Use “Jade-Liquid Refining the Form”—internal refinement using saliva—to circulate from the heart to the crown of the head and reach the Nine Heavens. Swallow saliva in this way for three hundred days, and the Great Medicine will be refined; the embryo immortal will be complete, and True Qi will arise.

When Jing and Qi stir from the front of the body, follow the established method of “Jade-Liquid Refining the Form.” When they stir from the back, follow the established method of “Flying Golden Crystal.” Guide the practice of Golden Crystal and Jade Liquid according to the signs that appear as the methods circulate. Begin at the area associated with the Kan trigram: let Jing and Qi rise from the back to the crown of the head. Lightly cover both ears with the hands, turn inward to observe the body, and gently swallow saliva according to the method. Then press the tongue against the teeth, close the Jade Pool—the mouth—and wait for saliva to form on the palate. Once it flows down, swallow it. After swallowing, resume the practice and continue until reaching the area associated with the Gen trigram. In spring and winter, swallow once after two ascents; in autumn and summer, swallow once after five ascents. Each time you swallow, do so no more than fifty times in autumn and summer, and no more than one hundred times in spring and winter.

After swallowing, let Jing and Qi rise from the front of the body. Continue until the flow of Qi feels abundant in the head, face, limbs, and fingers; then stop that round. In autumn and summer, swallow once after five ascents. The number of swallows remains no more than fifty in autumn and summer and no more than one hundred in spring and winter. Then let the Qi rise again, continuing to the area associated with the Li trigram.

When Jing and Qi stir from the back in this way and saliva is swallowed, this is called “Golden-Liquid Reverting the Elixir.” After the Elixir has reverted, when Jing and Qi stir from the front of the body, this is called “Golden-Liquid Refining the Form.” Begin refining the form after the Gen trigram and continue until the Li trigram. As the process reaches the Dui trigram, gather in the Yang Pass, the orifice through which Yang Qi is collected in internal cultivation, and continue to the Qian trigram. Then let Jing and Qi rise from the back to the crown of the head, and circulate downward from above. This is called “Golden-Liquid Reverting the Elixir.”

When the Qi of the Golden Elixir rises from the lower body to the upper body along the front, this is called “Golden-Liquid Refining the Form.” When the practice takes effect, “Jade Trees and Golden Flowers” will appear, an image symbolizing attainment in internal refinement. If Golden-Liquid Reverting the Elixir has not yet reached the Lower Origin, the area of the lower abdomen, let the front and back pathways stir at the same time. This is called “Fire Rising to Burn the Body”: Golden-Liquid Reverting the Elixir and Refining the Form proceed together, accompanied by the image of the body burning. In carrying out these practices, be sure to proceed with care and restraint, and work with steady resolve. Do not slacken; use the appearance of signs of efficacy to gauge your progress.

“After rising, keep the ears closed through the night; at any time, drink together the golden fluid. The banquet ends at Qingzhou, then, as the sun sets, listen once more to the Yang song.” This describes a set of practices for cultivating the Golden Elixir through the return of the Golden Fluid. The return of the Golden Fluid is a Neidan term for the process of circulating Qi, refining Jing, and transforming it into Qi.

“After rising, keep the ears closed through the night” means that once the practice begins, one should continue working with focused attention and without slackening, taking the appearance of signs as the measure for this stage. In the specific method, the practitioner uses “flying the Golden Crystal behind the elbows”—a Neidan term for circulating Qi upward—to set the breath in motion and drive Qi through the “Three Passes.” As soon as Qi begins to move, both hands should cover the ears. The ears are called the “gates of the Kidney waves”; covering them is thought to prevent Kidney Qi from dissipating outward and to help it rise into the brain.

“At any time, drink together the golden fluid” means that once one senses Qi has entered the brain, one should follow the previous method: nod, bend the neck, draw back the tip of the tongue, and lightly touch it to the upper palate. If clear, sweet saliva appears in the mouth, with a taste like honey, this is taken as a sign. The Golden Crystal moves from the Gen trigram—one of the Eight Trigrams—to the Zhen trigram, where it stops. “Qingzhou” refers to the Zhen trigram.

In “as the sun sets, listen once more to the Yang song,” “the sun sets” refers to the Dui trigram. “Listen to the Yang song” means to draw the Yang Gate to a close—a Neidan term for the aperture through which Yang Qi moves—and continue the circulation to the Qian trigram. In daily practice, when reaching the Li trigram, there is no need to gather the medicine further. “Gathering the medicine” is a Neidan term for collecting and refining the Jing and Qi needed for cultivation.

“After drinking, let the fire rise through the night; it ascends in front and lifts behind, burning the body. Though this is not bound by any particular year or month, within the sun’s course there is naturally Heaven and Earth.” This means that after drinking the saliva, the fire of cultivation continues to rise, with Qi ascending along the front and lifting along the back, as if the whole body were being refined by fire. Cultivation is not bound to particular dates or months; within the practice itself are the transformations of Yin-Yang and the workings of Heaven and Earth.

This instruction explains “refining the form with Golden Liquor” (cultivating the body through the method of returning the Golden Elixir with Golden Liquor). After drinking the Golden Liquor, the practitioner circulates the fire throughout the night, following the method described earlier. Refining the form at the time of the Gen trigram means kindling the fire. It rises first from the front, then is raised from the back; this is called “flying the Golden Crystal to kindle the fire.”

When refining the form with Jade Liquor, first raise the Golden Crystal into the crown from both front and back. Then perform the return of the Elixir, and once again raise it from the front to refine the form. This differs from the method of refining the form with Golden Liquor. When the Golden Crystal is flown upward to kindle the fire and enter the crown, immediately kindle the fire from the front to refine the form. Kindling the fire at the front and back simultaneously is called “burning the body.” When circulating the fire to perform the return of the Elixir, the fire’s intensity must also be increased or reduced according to the prescribed pattern of the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

This method need not be practiced on any particular year, month, day, or hour. However, one must be cautious and restrained, wholly focused, and live in seclusion, away from the world. Within each day there is a division into Qian and Kun: before noon, burn Qian; after noon, burn Kun. In terms of the body’s front and back, the abdomen belongs to Kun and the back to Qian. Burning Qian before noon means flying the Golden Crystal behind the elbows and kindling the fire from the front to refine the form. Burning Kun after noon means gathering the Yang Gate at the position of the Dui trigram—an inner alchemy term for the aperture that controls the outflow of Yang Qi—and circulating it until it reaches the Qian trigram, where the practice stops.

After the practice of “Returning the Elixir through Jade Liquor” (Yuye huandan), the stage in which Jing and Qi are condensed and refined into the Neidan, has produced clear results in refining the body, practitioners should choose a quiet, secluded place, carefully observe the precepts, burn incense, and perform the method. After carrying out “Returning the Elixir through Golden Liquor” (Jinye huandan), a further refinement of the Neidan, they should continue refining the body and close the Yang Pass. Only after practicing this for more than a year may they perform the method of “Burning the Body.”

“Burning the Body” is a method of refining the body that precedes the Kan trigram. In terms of the body’s front and back, the abdomen belongs to Kun and the back to Qian. When practicing, refine the Qian region of the back before noon and the Kun region of the abdomen after noon, thereby closing the Yang Pass. When refining the back, the firing process moves upward from below, activating both the front and back of the body. In winter and summer alike, the practice takes three days to complete. Five days later, perform the “Already Fulfilled” method (Jiji), a practice for harmonizing Yin and Yang, to prevent excessive firing and keep the Golden Elixir warm and moist. Then perform “Burning the Body” again, allowing the fire energy to rise from the middle of the throat. Once the signs of efficacy appear, stop.

The practitioner’s mind should be clear and lofty, in accord with the Great Void. The hun and shen should not wander outside, so that dreams cease. Yang Jing condenses into bodily form, and the spirit’s palace—the place where Shen is stored—becomes secure. The practitioner no longer fears the cold or heat of the four seasons, and their radiant presence can even transform their appearance. Ordinary people, even when standing before the wealthy and powerful, will sense a rank odor about them, because they remain beings of mortal bone and common flesh.

When the work is complete, the “True Registers of the Three Pure Ones” (Sanqing zhenlu), Daoist talismans and registers, are transmitted in secret. The practitioner can discern the transformations of Yin and Yang and the fortunes and misfortunes of the human world, and can know in advance the affairs of spirits and deities. Amid the bustle of the world, the mind no longer clings to anything. True Qi fills the whole body, so food and drink are no longer needed. An extraordinary Qi shines forth with a golden hue; the skin of an immortal can rival jade and flower stamens in beauty. Wherever the practitioner goes, the local deities come to meet them, and they can summon, dispatch, and command at will. Their True Qi is purely Yang and can even cause the water around them to dry up.

The effects described above are those manifested after Returning the Elixir through Golden Liquor, when Golden Liquor is used to refine the body.

These are the instructions for long life and immortality.

The three gates of the Middle Vehicle described above belong to the methods of the Earth Immortal.

Secretly Transmitted Methods of Perfected Zhengyang: The Effective Methods of the Numinous Treasure, fascicle two

Secretly Transmitted Methods of Perfected Zhengyang: The Effective Methods of the Numinous Treasure, fascicle three

The Golden Proclamation says: When primordial Qi first differentiated, the Great Dao took form and divided into the Two Modes of Yin and Yang. Once the Two Modes had each taken their place, the Great Dao acquired names and divided into the Five Emperors—the divine emperors associated with the five directions and Five Phases. Each Emperor dwells in a different direction and governs that region. Each of the five directions has its own Qi, governed by the Qi of one of the Five Phases.

The sons of the Azure Emperor, Jia and Yi, received the nine Qi of the heavenly, true Wood De; the sons of the Red Emperor, Bing and Ding, received the three Qi of the heavenly, true Fire De; the sons of the White Emperor, Geng and Xin, received the seven Qi of the heavenly, true Metal De; the sons of the Black Emperor, Ren and Gui, received the five Qi of the heavenly, true Water De; and the sons of the Yellow Emperor, Wu and Ji, received the one Qi of the heavenly, true Earth De.

“One” gives rise to True One, and True One comes forth from Earth. Thus, the generation of all things depends on Earth; the generation of the Five Phases has its source in “One.” The Dao of True Origin—the primordial Qi underlying life and the cosmos—also arises through the transformation of a single Qi.

The Jade Book of Registers says: The numbers one, three, five, seven, and nine are the numerical principles through which the Dao becomes manifest. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth are the forms that appear as the Dao transforms. East, West, South, North, and Center are the directions arranged by the Dao. Green, white, red, yellow, and black are the colors and qualities through which the Dao manifests in its dispersal. In the end, numbers return to numberlessness, forms return to formlessness, directions arrive at directionlessness, and qualities return to the absence of qualities.

To explain why the Dao is without number: when there is no distinction, there are no numbers. To explain why the Dao is without image: when no transformation occurs, there are no forms. To explain why the Dao is without direction: when nothing is arranged, there are no directions. To explain why the Dao is without qualities: when nothing takes shape in manifestation, there is no substance. Numberlessness is the source of the Dao, imagelessness its root, directionlessness its reality, and the absence of qualities its mystery.

The True Origin says: Once the source of the Dao has divided, it flows outward from root to branch. Those who understand reality cultivate it by following what is real; as inner reality is cultivated, outer reality naturally responds. Those who understand the mysterious attain it by following what is mysterious; as inner mystery is cultivated, outer mystery naturally responds as well.

Though Heaven and Earth have obtained the Dao’s reality, it has not yet manifested fully, and so they still have directions. Though Heaven and Earth have obtained the Dao’s mystery, it has not yet manifested fully, and so they still have form and substance. Where there is form and substance, there are images to observe; where there are directions, there are numbers to reckon. Among all that lies between Heaven and Earth and among the myriad things, the human being alone is most precious. By observing the forms of Heaven and Earth, people come to know their own substance, nature, and breath, and also come to know water. By reckoning the numbers of Heaven and Earth, they can discern the distances between directions. Once these principles are understood, one knows that the Dao is never far from the human being.

By way of analogy, there are Five Emperors between Heaven and Earth, just as a person has five internal organs. The Azure Emperor corresponds to Jia and Yi Wood: Jia is Yang and Yi is Yin, corresponding to Qi and fluids in the liver. The Black Emperor corresponds to Ren and Gui Water: Ren is Yang and Gui is Yin, corresponding to Qi and fluids in the kidneys. The Yellow Emperor corresponds to Wu and Ji Earth: Wu is Yang and Ji is Yin, corresponding to Qi and fluids in the spleen. The Red Emperor corresponds to Bing and Ding Fire: Bing is Yang and Ding is Yin, corresponding to Qi and fluids in the heart. The White Emperor corresponds to Geng and Xin Metal: Geng is Yang and Xin is Yin, corresponding to Qi and fluids in the lungs. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter each have their own qualities, and the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys each have months when they are in season and flourishing.

The True Instructions say: During the three months of spring, liver Qi flourishes. When liver Qi is strong, the parents’ true Qi—the fundamental primordial energy spoken of in cultivation—moves in accordance with the seasons and gathers in the liver. On Wood days, meaning days whose stem-branch Five Phase is Wood, during the hours of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, which belong to Earth, use Jia and Yi Qi to strengthen Earth Qi, and kindle the Fire at the appointed time to refine and nourish spleen Qi. On other days, during the time of the Dui trigram, which corresponds to Metal Qi, diminish Metal to reduce lung Qi; do not practice at this time. During the time of the Kan trigram, which corresponds to Water Qi, kindle the Fire according to the method to refine and nourish kidney Qi.

During the time of the Zhen trigram, which corresponds to Wood Qi, enter a quiet room to cultivate. Inhale more and exhale less; holding the breath is best, and prolonged breath retention is next best. Count up to one thousand breaths. At this time, follow the method to turn the gaze inward, focus the mind and spirit, and close the eyes. You will then see a green color gradually appear and slowly rise until it enters the Niwan, an inner landscape location above the head. The period from the hour of Yin to the hour of Chen counts as the time of the Zhen trigram. More than one thousand breaths is better. If the breathing gradually becomes rapid and weak, exhale and pause; there is no need to force the breath to continue without interruption.

During the three months of summer, Heart Qi is at its strongest. When Heart Qi is flourishing, the Original Qi inherited from one’s parents moves in accordance with the seasons and gathers in the heart. On Bing and Ding days, days associated with Fire, the Five Phases say that Fire can restrain Metal. At this time, during the period corresponding to the Dui trigram, circulate Fire according to the method to refine Lung Qi. On other days, during the Kan trigram period, diminish Water Qi to deplete Kidney Qi; do not practice then. During the Zhen trigram period, circulate Fire according to the method to refine Liver Qi. During the Li trigram period, enter a quiet chamber and practice and regulate the breath as described earlier. At this time, you will see red gradually appear and rise toward the upper part of the body, entering the Niwan (the head’s site of internal alchemy practice). From the Si hour to the Wei hour, make the practice during the Li trigram period complete. More than a thousand breaths is preferable; the details are as described earlier.

During the three months of autumn, Lung Qi is at its strongest. When Lung Qi is flourishing, the Original Qi inherited from one’s parents moves in accordance with the seasons and gathers in the lungs. On Geng and Xin days, days associated with Metal, the Five Phases say that Metal can restrain Wood. At this time, during the Zhen trigram period, circulate Fire according to the method to refine Liver Qi. On other days, during the Li trigram period, diminish Fire Qi to deplete Heart Qi; do not practice then. During the Xun trigram period, circulate Fire according to the method to refine Spleen Qi. During the Dui trigram period, enter a quiet chamber and practice as described earlier. At this time, you will see white gradually appear and rise toward the upper part of the body, entering the Niwan. From the Shen hour to the Xu hour, make the practice during the Dui trigram period complete.

During the three months of winter, Kidney Qi is at its strongest. When Kidney Qi is flourishing, the Original Qi inherited from one’s parents moves in accordance with the seasons and gathers in the kidneys. On Ren and Gui days, days associated with Water, the Five Phases say that Water can restrain Fire. At this time, during the Li trigram period, circulate Fire according to the method to refine Heart Qi. On other days, during the Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei hours, diminish Earth Qi to deplete Spleen Qi; do not practice then. During the Dui trigram period, circulate Fire according to the method to refine Lung Qi. During the Kan trigram period, enter a quiet chamber and practice as described earlier. At this time, you will see black gradually appear and rise toward the upper part of the body, entering the Niwan. From the Hai hour to the Chou hour, make the practice during the Kan trigram period complete.

When cultivating the liver in spring, regulate the breath a thousand times according to the method and visualize blue Qi emerging. During the last eighteen days of spring, there is no need to continue practicing by the previous method. Instead, use “settling the breath”—bringing the breathing to rest—as the method: sit quietly throughout the day to nourish the spleen and refine and cultivate your own true Qi. Only after this may you kindle the fire to refine the kidneys according to the method described for the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water, the kidneys, and related things, so as to avoid depleting your Qi.

When cultivating the heart in summer, regulate the breath a thousand times and visualize red Qi emerging. During the last eighteen days of summer, there is no need to continue practicing by the previous method. Instead, use settling the breath as the method: sit quietly throughout the day and nourish and refine the Qi as described earlier. Only after this may you kindle the fire according to the method described for the Kan trigram.

When cultivating the lungs in autumn, regulate the breath a thousand times and visualize white Qi emerging. During the last eighteen days of autumn, there is no need to continue practicing by the previous method. Instead, use settling the breath as the method: sit quietly throughout the day and nourish and refine the Qi as described earlier. Only after this may you kindle the fire according to the method described for the Kan trigram.

When cultivating the kidneys in winter, regulate the breath a thousand times and visualize black Qi emerging. During the last eighteen days of winter, there is no need to continue practicing by the previous method. Use settling the breath as the method, then sit quietly throughout the day and nourish and refine the Qi as described earlier. Afterward, kindle the fire according to the method described for the Kan trigram.

When the yellow Qi (the yellow manifestation that appears during internal cultivation) begins to shine, silently visualize in your heart that countless rays of luminous Qi surround your whole body. As you regulate your breathing, do not force yourself to hold your breath or clamp it shut. Let it grow long and fine, almost imperceptible. Do not exert yourself or rush for results; allow the breath to emerge gradually from nothing and settle naturally.

To gather the medicine (the essence and Qi cultivated within the body), hold in your saliva and clench your hands. This gathers the true Qi in your heart so it does not disperse. When entering the quiet chamber, close the door and cultivate alone in a secluded, peaceful room, far from chickens and dogs, women, and other things regarded as impure or disruptive to practice. Leave only a small gap in the window, just enough to make out the objects inside. Keep out wind and sunlight, and avoid sounds coming from either side.

During cultivation, focus on regulating the breath and set aside distracting thoughts and worries. Let body and mind, within and without, become still and settled, allowing nothing to divert your attention. The Yang Shen (the spiritual awareness formed through cultivation) is only beginning to coalesce, and the true Qi is only gradually taking shape, so care for them as cautiously as you would a baby. Until the work is complete, burn incense morning and evening and silently offer prayers to Heaven.

If you cultivate in seclusion in the mountains and forests, when your practice is nearly halfway complete, you are called an Earth Immortal. Kneel, bow your head to the ground, and silently pray to Heaven. If you dwell in a cave by the sea and aspire to accomplish great deeds for all under Heaven and rid the people of great calamities, you are called a Celestial Immortal. You should also kneel and bow your head to the ground. After performing the three bows, sit quietly, let go of thought, and continue this practice.

You must also cultivate step by step according to the methods described earlier, and see the corresponding signs of efficacy at each stage. If you undertake this practice rashly before those signs appear, your efforts may ultimately come to nothing, leaving you only at the stage where the Yin soul (the yin aspect of the soul) departs the body and becomes a Ghost Immortal.

The Essentials of the Dao says: There is no fixed year, month, or day for practicing this method. Each month, practice according to the method described earlier, continuing until signs of efficacy appear; then the Qi cultivated will naturally become manifest. Practice requires careful discipline and perseverance, free from disturbance by outside affairs, with focused effort indoors. The time required may be reckoned as “two pure-Yang years, months, and days”; one may also make use of “two pure-Yang lads.” Practitioners may also form a circle of students and repeatedly discuss and refine their understanding together. With a thousand days of continuous practice, the cultivation of one Qi can be completed. If one portion of effort can yield ten portions of results, effects may become apparent in a hundred days. After five hundred days of practice, Qi will be abundant. One can then proceed, after inwardly observing the Qi—turning awareness inward to perceive its movement—to gather the Yang spirit, the pure-Yang spirit described in cultivation, and unite it with the celestial spirits. Further refinement and nourishment enable one to accord with the Great Dao, transcend the ordinary, and attain sagehood.

When the refinement of Qi begins to show results, the body feels deeply at ease, as though continually rising upward. The light of the Elixir shines through the bones, and the room fills with a wondrous fragrance. Later, in stillness and concentration, looking outward, one may feel that purple clouds fill the field of vision. Looking down from the crown of the head, one may feel golden light enveloping the whole body. There are many such extraordinary signs, too numerous to record one by one.

Inward Observation, Ninth

The Golden Proclamation says: The Great Dao has no fixed form; it abides within Qi. It is vast and boundless, beyond the capacity of anything to contain. The Great Dao itself does nothing, yet moves through all things; it is profound and unfathomable, beyond exhaustion by any fixed principle. When the Dao is discussed in terms of form, distinctions between inner and outer begin to arise. When it is discussed in terms of function, it becomes the basis for observation and understanding. Turn awareness inward without pursuing things outward, and the roots of external things can all be investigated, leaving the mind clear. Observe Shen without clinging to form, and the conditions of the body can all be grasped, allowing Shen to become manifest.

The Zhenyuan says: When the mind observes all things with undivided attention, those things do not thereby seem superfluous. Although all things stir the One Qi, the fundamental vital energy from which they are formed, the One Qi does not thereby seem depleted. When the One Qi returns to the mind, the mind is no longer seized by external things; when the undivided mind sets the One Qi in motion, the Qi is no longer made a servant of various principles. The mind’s source is clear and penetrating: once it observes, it sees through all things, yet no longer clings to them. The movement of Qi is vigorous and strong: every kind of response settles into stillness, and one no longer clings to principles. By not taking any thing to be truly existent, one can return to things as they are in themselves; by not taking any principle to be an absolute principle, one can fully experience the true state of freedom and ease.

A “metaphor” uses an image to explain a principle: an image gives rise to form, and form establishes a name. Once there is a name, one can seek its numerical order; once there is numerical order, one can grasp the principle within it. But the realm of the Dao is lofty and empty, with no concrete thing to serve as its likeness. As a makeshift comparison, one may turn to cultivation: cultivation must proceed in order, following the seasons, for its achievement to unfold step by step. When harmonious Qi gathers without dispersing, the true nature of utmost emptiness becomes tranquil and detached, free of action; spirit and Dao unite, returning to nature.

Upon reaching this state, taking no-mind as one’s mind leaves nothing to say about how to respond to external things; taking no-thing as a thing leaves nothing to say about how to apply principles. The heart is filled with joy, yet one is unaware that one still has a body. Gradually, one enters the Dao of Wuwei (non-action) and arrives in the realm of “Xiyi,” the subtle and obscure state that is difficult to hear, see, or grasp. This is the state in which spirit and Dao unite and return to nature, transcending the ordinary and drawing near to sagehood.

The True Instructions say: This method accords with the Great Dao. It resembles what is commonly called visualization, and is also like the state a Chan monk enters in meditation. First choose a blessed place—a quiet place suitable for cultivation—and set up a still room there. Kneel and bow, burn incense, then sit upright with your legs crossed, your hair loose and your robe draped around you. Make a firm fist by clasping your fingers to gather the spirit, focus the mind, settle your thoughts, and close your eyes. Before noon, raise your body slightly and set the firing process in motion to refine Qi. After noon, draw the body inward slightly and gather the fire to smelt the elixir. You may practice both day and night. Once the spirit is clear and the Qi calm, you will naturally enjoy sitting in stillness.

While sitting, pay no attention to sounds you hear, and do not take visions you see to be real. Images arising from the outer world or within the mind will then fade on their own. If you take them to be real, demonic disturbances will grow stronger and linger. Immediately draw the body inward a little, then stretch the waist. Next, lean the chest back slightly, but do not stretch the waist at the same time. Wait a little, and the visions that appeared before and after will disappear. If you still take them to be real and the disturbances continue to intensify, draw the body inward slightly at once, then stretch the waist, and lean the chest back a little without stretching the waist. Wait briefly for the firing process to rise, then straighten the body upward and remain still. This is called “burning the body.” Once the fire rises, demonic disturbances will naturally disperse beyond the body, and Yin influences will be unable to enter it. Do this two or three times.

Next, visualize a fierce fire blazing throughout the space between Heaven and Earth. In the end, all becomes cool and clear, and nothing remains. But you may then see carriages and horses, singing and dancing, ornate canopies and fine clothes, scenes of wealth and splendor, and crowds rejoicing. People stand in rows as clouds of five colors rise, as if you had ascended to the heavenly realm. There you see tall, emerald-green pavilions and winding courtyards, with jewels, pearls, and gold scattered everywhere, and countless flower gardens, orchards, ponds, and pavilions. In an instant, strange fragrances drift in from all sides, music mingles in the air, and the seats fill with guests as rare delicacies from mountain and sea are served together. People laugh and talk, celebrate an age of peace, and exchange curious treasures.

Even if what you encounter is neither Yin ghosts nor demonic armies, you must not regard these visions as auspicious. Those who cultivate the Dao should renounce worldly affairs and be content with solitude. Some withdraw to rivers and lakes; others hide in remote places. They put aside distracting thoughts and let go of desire, keep their conduct in check at all times, endure hardship over long periods, and live simply and quietly. If, once you think your work is complete and your methods established, you see such scenes of splendor and mistake them for a real heavenly palace simply because they do not resemble Yin demons, you are wrong. In truth, the cultivator has not yet cast off the mortal body. The so-called heavenly palace is merely a vision within the crown of one’s own head. If you become attached to it, take it for a real realm, and stop practicing the methods of transcendence, you will remain at the stage where the Yang spirit has not yet left the body, and the embryo immortal will not be transformed. At most, you may be said to have left the dark and dusty world and become an immortal on land, gaining long life without death. But you will not cast off your physical form, ascend to immortality, return to the Three Islands, or become a human immortal. This is deeply regrettable. Those who practice the Dao should understand that although transcendence is difficult, that is no reason to refuse to pursue it.

The Essentials of the Dao says: The methods are without end, because the methods of old have already vanished and been omitted.

Transcending the World, Chapter Ten

The Golden Edict says: The root of the Dao is “nonbeing.” If it is described as truly existent, it is no longer the Dao. The root of the Dao is emptiness. If it is described as something concrete and real, it is no longer the Dao. Since the Dao has no substance, it cannot be grasped through questions and answers; since it has no image, it cannot be perceived by sight or hearing. To regard the profound and subtle as the Dao is still to be confined by the limits of words and answers; to regard the soundless and formless as the Dao is still to be confined by the limits of sight and hearing. If even “the rarefied and obscure” (soundless and formless) and “the mysterious and subtle” (profound and subtle) cannot fully represent the Dao, then the Dao cannot be clearly known or explained.

The Jade Book says: Everything that comes into being has a beginning, but why do people not know the beginning of the Great Dao? Everything that passes away has an end, but why do people not know the end of the Great Dao? Even though there is always something higher above what is high, people do not know that above the Dao there is no limit. Even though there is always something deeper beneath what is deep, people do not know that beneath the Dao there are no bounds. What is distant, dark, and beyond measure is called the Dao. The myriad things each manifest different levels according to what they receive. The Dao of Wuwei (non-action) cannot be exhaustively explored.

The True Formula says: “Transcending” means going beyond the condition of the mortal body and entering the rank of the sage; “shedding” means casting off the worldly womb-born body and becoming an immortal. “The spirit enters the embryo of Qi” means that the spirit enters a body formed from condensed Qi; “the True Formula of Complete Qi” means that the movement of Qi has reached completion.

Only after the work of each preceding stage has shown its corresponding results should one take up residence in a quiet room and enter the state of “Xiyi”—a subtle stillness beyond the reach of the senses. Through inner observation, the practitioner recognizes the Yang Spirit, the pure Yang spirit spoken of in cultivation, then stirs the inner fire to subdue demonic disturbances and gather the Qi within the body. When true Qi rises to the Celestial Palace, here referring to the palaces of the heavenly realm, and the physical body has become clear and empty, one should choose a secluded place and cultivate according to the method of inner observation.

After completing the three bows, simply rise and stand still. There is no need to climb to a height or sit upright, nor to deliberately contract or stretch the body. Close the eyes and gather the spirit. When stillness reaches its utmost and spirit and Qi turn toward their source, the body may feel as though it is suspended in the air, while spirit and Qi drift freely and seem difficult to control. At this point, observe inwardly in silence, with a clear and alert mind, as if seeing beautiful mountains and rivers, indistinct towers and pavilions, purple Qi and red light interweaving in formations, and the melodious calls of luan birds and colorful phoenixes. Strange sights appear in profusion, as though one were in an immortal realm inside a gourd, or had entered a blessed grotto-heaven, roaming freely and utterly forgetting the burdens of the mundane world.

In this state of true emptiness and stillness, Qi moves on its own; there is no need to make it circulate according to a particular method or time. If one sees blue Qi rising in the east, hears bright music like that of reed pipes, and sees banners, ceremonial escorts, and carriages and horses surrounding one in countless numbers on every side, then before long red Qi appears in the south, white Qi in the west, black Qi in the north, and yellow Qi in the center. The Qi of the five directions gathers into colored clouds. Music resounds, and joy fills the air. Golden boys and jade maidens cluster around the practitioner, who may ride a fire dragon, a black crane, a colorful luan, or a fierce tiger as they soar into the sky. Along the way, towers, palaces, and temples appear in countless numbers, and the spirits and officials are too numerous to describe.

At another place, one sees rows of female musicians and officials standing in orderly ranks, with a ceremonial escort like that accompanying an earthly emperor; sages and worthies are also present. At this point, the practitioner simply rides upward, seeming not to notice those around them. They rise to a gate guarded so strictly and imposing in its authority that none may approach it. Officials and female musicians on either side plead for them to stay, but in the end they still cannot pass through the gate. They then cover their face with the carriage canopy, descend from above, and return to their former dwelling. Repeatedly rising and descending without growing weary is what is called the “method of leaving the shell,” a method of cultivating the departure of consciousness from the physical body.

After long practice has brought the skill to maturity, one can rise directly to the Celestial Palace and descend to the former dwelling, traveling back and forth without obstruction. At first, one may imagine climbing a seven-tiered jeweled pagoda or a three-story red tower, ascending step by step to the very top of the seven tiers. If one reaches the top and still dares not look down, the spirit will be seized by fear and will cling to the physical body, unable to leave it.

Once above the seventh tier, it is fitting to leap out with the eyes closed, in a state between sleep and wakefulness. It then seems that outside the physical body there is another body, shaped like an infant, with clean skin and a radiant appearance. Looking back at the original body, one finds it filthy as a heap of dung and withered like rotten wood, and feelings of revulsion and shame arise. Yet one cannot simply abandon the body and travel far away. The departure of consciousness from the body is not yet practiced, and the so-called “sacred Qi” has not yet congealed. One must reenter the original body and practice leaving and returning repeatedly until the skill is mature; only then can one roam freely.

At first, one travels only a step or two; later, one can go two or three li. With long practice, one becomes so accomplished that one can travel a thousand or ten thousand li as easily as a strong man extending his arm, with body and spirit robust and courage firm. Only then may one leave the mortal shell in a famous mountain or great river and cultivate beyond the give and take of worldly life, no longer among the ranks of ordinary people. If cultivation is complete and one receives a Celestial Book, one may ride a luan or phoenix, or mount a tiger or dragon, and travel from east to west into the Purple Palace, the palace of the immortals. First one pays homage to the Perfected Lord Taiwei, a revered Daoist deity, and then takes up residence on the lower island. To rise into a grotto-heaven, one must still transmit the Dao and accumulate virtue in the human world. Only after receiving a Celestial Book and ascending into a grotto-heaven is one called a Celestial Immortal.

Throughout history, few have achieved this kind of cultivation. Some have hurried toward success before their deeds and cultivation were complete; others, without having gained any results, have done nothing but sit in stillness and vainly seek transcendence. Some have also retained undispersed Yin spirits and, after leaving the body, become ghostly immortals: others cannot see their form; they can come and go, but have no lasting home. They can only enter a womb and take up residence, seizing another person’s body and becoming human immortals once more. Others have not mastered leaving and returning and have no method for traveling back and forth. After leaving the body, they cannot return to it, and their spirit and soul lose their way. The scriptures also classify Buddhist death in meditation and Daoist corpse liberation as cases of this kind.

Therefore, anyone practicing this method must first achieve tangible results and choose a suitable place in which to build a chamber, far from foul and impure things, unpleasant odors, noisy traffic, and the charms of women. These things not only harm true Qi but also repel consciousness. When consciousness leaves the body and returns to it, and can then depart again without returning, both body and spirit have attained wondrous transformation; one lives as long as Heaven and Earth and survives the passage of calamities. If, after entering the body, one leaves again and does not return, it is like a cicada shedding its shell: the spirit has moved into the realm of the sages. In this way one transcends the ordinary and becomes a True Person or an immortal maiden, far from the mundane world and dwelling among the isles of the Three Islands.

What has been described above is the key to transcending the ordinary world and entering the realm of the sages.

The three methods discussed earlier belong to the Great Vehicle (advanced methods of cultivation) and aim at attaining the status of a celestial immortal. The lower volume of The Complete Methods of the Numinous Treasure, a secret transmission of the perfected beings, begins here.