《太上老君中经》

The upper scroll of the Central Scripture of the Most High Lord Lao takes “Immortals” as its theme. It describes methods by which practitioners visualize and keep divine beings in mind, praying for long life.

The first immortal is “Supreme Supreme Taiyi,” described as the source of the Dao and a divine being who existed before Heaven and Earth came into being. He dwells above the Nine Heavens, within Supreme Clarity, and his subtle form is difficult to discern. The scripture says he has a human head and a dark bird’s body, like a rooster. He is clad in five-colored radiance like a phoenix and wears a robe of dark and yellow pearls. He dwells perpetually beneath a canopy in purple clouds, nine feet above the practitioner’s head. When practitioners visualize him, they may report to him: “I, Wang Jia, a junior who respectfully cultivates the Dao, wish to seek long life.”

The second immortal is “Primordial Lord of the Most High, the Limitless,” also known as the “Lord of the Dao.” The scripture describes him as having nine heads, though he can also transform into nine people. He wears a robe of five-colored pearls and a crown of the Nine Virtues. He is the son of Supreme Supreme Taiyi, though the text says this is not fatherhood in the ordinary, worldly sense: he came into being naturally through primordial Qi. The Lord also dwells beneath a canopy in purple clouds, above the practitioner’s head. When visualizing him, practitioners may pray that Heaven and the Most High Lord of the Dao nurture and protect them, that poisonous insects and fierce beasts will prostrate themselves upon seeing them, and that their endeavors will succeed and their wishes be fulfilled.

The scripture also mentions “Heavenly Emperor Great Thearch Yaopo Bao.” He dwells in the land of Supreme Clarity, within the realm of emptiness, among the stellar offices of Gouchen in the Taiwei Enclosure. His name is the deified title of a star. Practitioners should remember him often and never forget him. The scripture further says that a corresponding presence exists within the human body. Practitioners should visualize and hold it in mind between the eyebrows, where it connects with the Muddy Pellet Palace—the place inside the head associated with divine beings and consciousness—and with Heaven. Here, “holding in mind” refers to visualization and inward attention in the Daoist practice of visualization.

The Eastern King Father is the primal Qi of azure Yang and the ancestor of the gods. He wears a robe adorned with pearls in five colors and a three-seamed crown. Above his head rise clouds of five colors known as the Radiant Clouds of Great Clarity. He governs the East and resides on Penglai Mountain. His surname is Wuwei and his courtesy name is Junxian, though some accounts give his courtesy name as Junjie.

There is also an Eastern King Father within the human body. He is at the crown of the head, with Wang Ziqiao on his left and Chisongzi on his right. Another account says that he dwells within the left eye and moves about in the head. His vital essence rises to Heaven and transforms into the sun, which is called Fuxi. He resides in the Eastern Bright Ward of the Great Clarity District.

The Western Queen Mother’s courtesy name is Yanchang. Within the human body, she corresponds to the sun and moon in the eyes: the left eye is the sun, and the right eye is the moon. A young attendant in the eyes has the courtesy name Yingming. The Eastern King Father is in the left eye, the Western Queen Mother in the right, and the young attendant between them, with the two eyes corresponding to one another.

If you wish to cultivate the true Dao, visualize the Eastern King Father and the Western Queen Mother above your head, standing side by side with the young attendant. Also visualize them joining with the vital essence of the sun and moon. Then guide your intent in sequence to the Purple Chamber, Great One, Crimson Palace, Yellow Court, Great Abyss, Dantian (energy center), and the other inner chambers of the body. Circulate Qi five times so that true Qi spreads through the abdomen; then circulate it twelve times so that it spreads throughout the body. When finished, settle at the Vermilion Bird Gate. The Gate refers to the area between the breasts. The Sun Lord of the left breast is named A, and the Sun Lord of the right breast is named Nie Zhong. Below the breasts is a Jade Gate, guarded by the Celestial Dog and Celestial Rooster, who call out by day and by night.

The Queen Mother of the West, a Daoist immortal, is the original Qi of Great Yin. Her surname is Ziran and her courtesy name is Jun Si. In the lower realm, she governs Mount Kunlun and dwells within a nine-tiered golden city, where clouds of five colors rise a myriad feet high. In the upper realm, she governs the Northern Dipper and resides in the Purple Chamber beneath the Flower Canopy, below the Northern Pole Star.

There is also a Queen Mother of the West within the human body. She is in the right eye; her surname is Great Yin, her name is Xuanguang, and her courtesy name is Yanyu. A person must receive the protection of the King Father and Queen Mother for the eyes in order to walk and see, keep the vision clear, and distinguish beauty from ugliness, and good from evil. The gods flow downward, just as a mother cares for her child and the child cares for its mother. When their essence and Qi respond to one another, they can endure for a long time.

The area of the breasts is where the essence and Qi of the myriad spirits gather and the Yin-Yang fluids meet. Beneath the left breast is the sun; beneath the right breast is the moon. These are where the King Father and Queen Mother reside. The King Father and Queen Mother ascend to govern the eyes, move about in the head, then settle beneath the breasts, dwelling in the Crimson Palace and Purple Chamber. All these are forms of Yin-Yang Qi.

The Dao Lord is the “One,” that is, the August Lord of Heaven, the Central Pole of the Northern Dipper, and the Central Star. He dwells above the nine heavens, high beyond measure, in the Great Abyss Purple Chamber Palace. He wears robes of five colors and a crown of the Nine Virtues. Above him is the primordial Qi of Great Clarity, with five-colored clouds shining brightly; he sits beneath a nine-tiered canopy. Laozi and Taihe attend at his side.

The Dao Lord’s surname is Zhi Huang, his personal name is Shang Huangde, and his courtesy name is Han Chang. There is also a Dao Lord within the human body. He lives beneath the canopy in the Purple Chamber Palace, in Pinglegli of Yuanguixiang. His surname is Lingyang and his courtesy name is Ziming. His body is yellow, nine cun tall, and he wears a robe of five-colored pearls and a crown of the Nine Virtues. When visualized, he is three cun tall and sits beneath the canopy in the Purple Chamber Palace.

His wife is the Jade Maiden of Dark Radiance of Great Yin. She wears a robe of dark yellow and five-colored pearls and is nine cun tall. When visualized, she too is three cun tall. She lives in the Palace of Great Simplicity and raises the Perfected One Zidan. Zidan gradually grows until he is as tall as oneself. If practitioners can visualize them and speak with them, the Dao Lord will summon them to come and pay their respects.

The Dao Lord is the “One.” He rides in a carriage made of clouds and pearls, drawn by horses of the Nine Extremes; at times he rides a chariot drawn by six dragons to govern the world. Practitioners should visualize the Dao Lord often and pray on the Eight Seasonal Nodes—the important festivals marking changes of season—on the last and first days of each lunar month, and at dusk and midnight:

“May the heavenly spirit bring honor and flourishing. The Perfected One Wang Jia wishes to attain long life. O One of Great Mystery, please guard the body of so-and-so and the lords of the Five Viscera; may they remain at peace for a long time.”

Sixth Immortal Deity

The Lord Lao is the soul of Heaven and the sovereign of nature. He constantly attends at the Dao Lord’s left. Thus, the nine of us are all lords with nine heads, and I am the foremost, appearing in the form of a king. May the lords of the Five Viscera remain at peace for a long time.

Sixth Immortal Deity

The Old Lord is the soul of Heaven—the spiritual soul of Heaven—and also the sovereign of Nature. He is always in attendance at the Dao Lord’s left. We are nine lords, each with nine heads; I rank first and serve as the Royal Father, while the others have no specific duties. A deity like this also dwells within the human body. He lives in the Small Hut of Golden Tower Village, has the surname Pi, the given name Ziming, and the courtesy name Lanlan. He wears green robes, is nine fen tall, and holds a sprig of auspicious fungus and a green banner. He attends the Dao Lord on his left and follows the immortal Zhong Chengzi. When visualizing him, he is three cun tall and always at your left, facing you. His wife is the Plain-Clothed Maiden, who wears yellow robes and is nine fen tall; in visualization, she too is three cun tall.

Seventh Immortal

Taihe is the po, the yin spirit of Heaven, and also the sovereign of Nature. He is always in attendance at the Dao Lord’s right. A deity like this also dwells within the human body, in Crow Terrace Village. His surname is Jiao, his name is Lixiansheng, and his courtesy name is Weizhi. He is also three cun tall.

Seventh Immortal

Taihe is the po of Heaven and also the sovereign of Nature. He is always in attendance at the Dao Lord’s right. A deity like this also dwells within the human body, in Crow Terrace Village. His surname is Jiaoli Xiansheng, his courtesy name Weiyou. He wears white robes, is nine fen tall, and holds a golden sword and a white millstone. He attends the Dao Lord on his right and follows the immortal Qu Wenzi. When visualizing him, he is three cun tall. Whenever you rise, sit, walk, or stay still, he is always at your right. His wife is the Jade Maiden of the Green Waist. She wears green robes and is nine fen tall; in visualization, she too is three cun tall.

Eighth Immortal

The Lord of the Mudball Palace is the brain spirit. He is born in the brain and is also the source of the kidneys’ root and the heart’s essence. He lives in Penglai, in Canopy Village. He is the Lord of the Mudball Palace, the Old Man of the Southern Pole, and his courtesy name is Yuanxian. He wears robes adorned with five-colored pearls and is nine fen tall. He resides in the brain atop the practitioner’s head and appears before the brain’s gateway. In visualization, he is nine fen tall, though he is also said to be three cun tall. When the practitioner sees him, they may say: “Old Man of the Southern Pole, please grant me, so-and-so, long life. Whether I travel east, west, north, or south, descend into the earth, or ascend to Heaven, may I never die, decay, or lose my way. Please enter my name in the register of the living, so that I may serve the Dao Lord and share the endless lifespan of Heaven and Earth.”

Ninth Immortal

The Southern Pole, the deity associated with the southernmost region, is “One,” the first immortal to appear. He moves freely through east, west, north, and south, and between heaven above and earth below. He never dies or perishes, and is never lost or misled. The cultivator’s name and date of birth are recorded in the celestial registers of immortals. Serving the Dao Lord, a revered Daoist deity, the cultivator will live as long as Heaven and Earth.

The Ninth Immortal

The Southern Pole is “One,” the first immortal to appear, also known as the “Supreme Taiyi.” He is a marquis and king in Heaven, and the Grand Commandant. He governs all manner of calamities and unusual changes, as well as omens of good and ill fortune in a state’s destiny. In Heaven, he corresponds to the Yinghuo star (Mars); on Earth, he governs Mount Huo.

The Southern Pole deity also resides within the human body. He lives in “Changhao Township, Middle Origin Ward of the Crimson Palace.” His surname is Li, his given name Shang, and he is also called Chang, with the courtesy name Zengzi. In Daoist internal alchemy, the Crimson Palace is a chamber associated with the heart. He wears red robes and is nine fen tall. In visualization, he appears three cun tall, seated within the heart. His wife is a Jade Maiden, dressed in white and nine fen tall; in visualization, she too appears three cun tall.

Cultivators often visualize a sacred canopy, shaped like an umbrella, in the heart, with a figure standing beneath it. He wears a tall red crown and a crimson, patterned tunic. His name is “Heavenly Marquis.” He has a jade belt, wears a purple sash, and carries a golden seal. Whoever can see him will be able to perceive in all eight directions and, after a thousand days of cultivation, ascend to immortality.

Cultivators should also visualize the small child in the brain at the prescribed times. Seeing this child is a sign that the practice has taken effect.

The Tenth Immortal

The Sun and Moon are the Lords of the Director of Education and the Director of Works among the officials of the celestial realm. They are responsible for monitoring the offenses of the Son of Heaven and other rulers, and for sending the stars Taibai and Chenxing down to Huayin and Mount Heng to carry out their governance. Within the human body, corresponding spirits are found in the two kidneys: the left kidney is a male spirit dressed in black, and the right kidney is a female spirit dressed in white. Each spirit is nine fen tall, but appears three cun tall when visualized. They are the essence of the Sun and Moon and the root of the Qi of emptiness. They manifest in the eyes: the left eye corresponds to the Lord of the Director of Education, and the right eye to the Lord of the Director of Works.

Each kidney contains three spirits, six in all. On the left is the Director of Destiny; on the right, the Director of Records. The left also holds the Commandant of the Imperial Guards, and the right, the Minister of Justice. They record people’s offenses and submit reports to the August Heaven, the Supreme Lord, and the Most High Dao Lord. Practitioners should regularly visualize these spirits, seeking to have their names removed from the register of the dead and entered in the register of long life.

These spirits belong to the Township of Great Beginning and the Ward of Dark Mystery. Beside the Director of Records are the Six Ding Jade Maidens, Daoist protective goddesses, whose courtesy name is Daoming. They all sit atop a divine tortoise, riding in a black carriage beneath purple clouds, drawn by two carp named Taichengzi. The Dark Mother, also called the Mother of the Dao, dwells at the center. She is the teacher of all the spirits within the body and oversees their generation and nurture. She sits beneath a canopy formed of clouds of five colors, wears pearls of the Taibai Star and the bright Moon upon her head, and radiates light throughout her body.

Practitioners should visualize these spirits on the nights of the eight major seasonal festivals during the year, silently reciting this invocation in their hearts:

Director of Destiny, Director of Records, Six Ding Jade Maidens: please erase my name from the register of the dead and enter it instead in the Jade Register of Long Life.

The Eleventh Immortal

The Central Pole Yellow Elder is a spirit named Lord of the Dipper, who resides in the Abode of the Perfected. His rank is like that of a marquis in heaven, and he governs the palace of the Empress and the Palace of the Plain Maiden, domains associated with feminine and nurturing powers. A corresponding presence also exists within the human body.

The Perfected of the Yellow Court is the father and mother of the Dao, and the source of the Crimson Child—the infant’s form and spirit within the body. He is present within the human body. The Empress is the Jade Maiden of the Dark Light of Great Yin, a goddess symbolizing the Qi of Great Yin. She is the mother of the Dao and resides in the Central Dipper above the spleen. She wears a robe of five-colored pearls and sits beneath a canopy of yellow clouds patterned in black. She is responsible for nurturing the Crimson Child.

One should regularly visualize the sun and moon below the breasts. Within the sun and moon are yellow essence and red-black essence. These enter the Crimson Palace, the inner palace associated with the heart, and then enter the Yellow Court’s Purple Chamber, a palace within the body. These essences fill the Great Granary, the inner palace associated with the spleen and stomach. The Crimson Child is located in the stomach passage, facing due south. Drinking the yellow essence and red Qi, he becomes full. This visualization can eliminate all illnesses and keep every kind of calamity from intruding. If you practice inner visualization regularly, you can become a Perfected. The saying “they emerge from the same source but have different names” is explained in the commentary as meaning that the sun and moon share one origin but have different names.

In the Village of Great Simplicity, in the District of the Central Origin, there is a Central Yellow Perfected named Master Yellow Robe. He governs abstention from grain, can make the mind and spirit clear, and can cause the body to grow suddenly larger or smaller. At dawn, when the rooster crows, and at mealtimes, recite this invocation:

“Master Yellow Robe, Master Yellow Robe, the Perfected of the Yellow Court is right here within me. Please bring me medicinal wine, dried pine, polished rice, millet, and every kind of food and drink. Let them arrive at once.”

After reciting the invocation, close your eyes for a moment, then keep your mouth closed and swallow twenty-one times. You will feel full.

The Twelfth Immortal

“Me” means the child of the Dao, that is, the person cultivating the Dao. A corresponding presence also exists within the human body. The invocation says: “Please bring me medicinal wine, dried pine, polished rice, millet, and every kind of food and drink. Let them arrive at once.” After reciting the invocation, close your eyes for a moment, then keep your mouth closed and swallow twenty-one times. You will feel full.

The Twelfth Immortal

I, Yuanyangzi Dan, am one of the Dao’s inner spirits—the deities within the body of a person who cultivates the Dao. Such spirits also dwell within the human body; I am not the only one. I am now in the Great Granary, the inner landscape name for the stomach, within the stomach passage. Facing south, I sit on a bed of pearls and jade. A canopy of yellow clouds covers me, and I wear a robe of five-colored pearls. My mother is above me to the right, holding and nurturing me; my father is above me to the left, teaching and protecting me. My father is therefore named Lingyang, with the courtesy name Ziming; my mother is named Taiyin, with the courtesy name Xuanguang Yunu. I am Yuanyang, with the courtesy name Zidan.

The Perfected One, whose courtesy name is Zhonghuang, is my teacher. He often teaches me the way of immortals and long life, and regularly attends at my side. He rests and dwells in the Great Granary, guarding me within the spleen together with Huang Shangzi. He provides what the spirits need and oversees the delivery of their sacred kitchen’s food. Therefore, you should often visualize the Perfected One, Zidan, within the stomach passage of the Great Granary, seated facing south, eating yellow essence and red Qi, and drinking sweet spring water.

Yuanyangzi Dan is nine fen tall. When visualizing him, make him as tall as your own body. His parents nurtured him, and so he became an immortal. You should often visualize yourself as a child within the stomach passage, wearing five-colored garments and sitting on a bed of pearls and jade, with yellow clouds and red Qi as your curtains. Eat golden and jade delicacies, consume divine elixirs and sacred plants, and drink sweet spring water. Ride in a carriage of yellow clouds adorned with five-colored pearls and jade, drawn by twelve flying dragons and accompanied by twenty-four white tigers and thirty-six vermilion birds. Visualize this for nine years, and you will be able to ride the clouds beyond the world of dust and pay your respects to the Lord of the Dao. Thirty-six thousand spirits serve as officials in the five directions. They will recommend your clan, so that all its members attain the Dao of immortals and ascend to Heaven in broad daylight.

In each of the four seasons, you should make offerings to my ancestors. On the Hai day in the first lunar month, at cockcrow, make offerings to the outskirts and the ancestral temple. On the Hai day in the second lunar month, make offerings to the soil and grain deities, the Earl of Wind, and the Master of Rain. In the fourth and fifth lunar months, make offerings on a Shen or Mao day; in the seventh and eighth months, on a Si or Wu day; and in the tenth and eleventh months, on a Mao or Xu day. No offerings are made in the months that close the four seasons. Instead, dispel the influence of the earth-breaking spirit and drive away the hidden corpse, a foul entity believed to lurk within the body and obstruct cultivation.

The outskirts are within the brain’s gate at the top of the head; the ancestral temple is in the bone at the back of the crown. The soil deity is at the spleen’s left end, the grain deity at the end of the large intestine, and the Earl of Wind at the Eight Gates. The Eight Gates are the Five Cities and Twelve Towers beside the navel. The Master of Rain is at the end of the small intestine. The cloud Qi of the Four Pools, where the body’s fluids gather, issues from Kunlun; the Weak Water is in the womb. The sacred kitchens that feed the assembled deities are all within the Great Granary. Call the spirits by name, one after another, to summon them, and do not forget.

“Youji” is the Lord of the Northern Dipper, a marquis-king in Heaven who governs and commands twelve thousand spirits and holds authority over the registers recording human lifespans. A spirit like this also dwells within the human body, in the navel. He is called Lord Taiyi, the marquis-king within the body. Call the spirits by name in their proper order to summon them, and do not forget.

“Youji” is the Lord of the Northern Dipper, a marquis-king in Heaven who governs twelve thousand spirits within the human body and holds authority over the registers recording human lifespans. Within the body there is also Lord Taiyi, the spirit who rules over its other spirits. He resides in the navel and is the body’s marquis-king. He is also called the Great General Who Supports Heaven and the Marquis of Special Advancement. He governs the twelve thousand spirits within the body.

Lord Taiyi dwells in Youji Hamlet, Central Pole District. His surname is Wang, his personal name is Yang, and his courtesy name is Lingzi. He wears a three-seamed crown and a deep red robe, and is nine fen tall. In visualization, his form is three cun tall, in proportion to one’s own body. Lord Taiyi has eight envoys, the spirits of the Eight Trigrams. Residing at the center, he directs and inspects all the spirits, checks their registers, and confirms their records, so that none can flee without leave.

The eight envoys report to Lord Taiyi on the eight seasonal markers, the important days that divide the solar year. For this reason, the navel is called the Office of the Great Abyss District. These registers are usually inspected and counted on the autumn equinox. For the practice, fast and bathe, then remain indoors for three days at Rui [Wai]. Each day, call Lord Taiyi three times, making nine calls in all. If you do this regularly, the spirits will be unable to flee without leave; your name will be entered in the registers of the immortals, and in time you will be confirmed as a perfected person.

Lord Taiyi must not report matters casually. An inauspicious report can bring disaster, so only the eight envoys are responsible for reporting. Thus, on the eight seasonal markers, as well as the last day of the lunar month, the new moon, the first and last quarters, and the full moon, follow the scripture’s instructions: press the navel fourteen times with the right hand, stroke the heart twenty-one times with the left, and recite this invocation:

“Celestial Spirit, Festival Splendor, Perfected One, I, so-and-so, wish to attain long life. May the Great Mystery’s True One guard my body and keep the lords and marquises of the Five Viscera at peace.”

Recite the invocation seven times and the accompanying prayer twenty times. At dawn the next day, recite the invocation again, saying:

The Lord of the Great One of the Northern Pole respectfully admonishes the gods: Constantly keep a person’s hun and po settled; do not let them leave a certain person’s body. This is what is called “confining the hun and controlling the po”: restraining them so that they remain peacefully within the body.

On the final day of the twelfth month each year, late at night when all is quiet, face the shrine of the Great One for that month in an empty room and bow twice. Then sit upright, close your eyes, and recite the prayer silently:

“Gods of the five organs, gods of the hun and po, I, so-and-so, pray for long life. Please do not leave my body; remain joined to my form, united as one.” Men and women alike should recite this three times.

On each of the Eight Festival Days, important days in the Daoist calendar, also bow in the room facing the shrine of the deity on duty. Sit upright, close your eyes, and silently recite the same prayer: “Gods of the five organs, gods of the hun and po, I, so-and-so, pray for long life. Please do not leave my body; remain joined to my form, united as one.” Men and women alike should recite this three times.

On each of the Eight Festival Days, bow twice in the room facing the “Pool of the King.” Close your eyes and pray:

“Hongjin, Hongjin! This is a day of the Celestial Festival, when countless hun and po ascend to the heavens. The perfected person can unite the body with the spirits. I, so-and-so, wish for long life. I practice alone in an empty room and am not entered on the register of the dead.” Men and women alike should recite this three times.

On the final day of the twelfth month each year, practice from night until dawn. In the room, face the direction of Yin (northeast) and bow twice, then pray:

“Hongjin, Hongjin! I, so-and-so, receive the favor of the Great Dao and dwell on the mysterious summit of Great Clarity. May the years of my life be restored to what they were last year, and may my hun and po preserve my body.” Men and women alike should recite this three times.

The Fourteenth Immortal

The navel is the hub of human life. It is also called the “Central Pole,” the “Great Abyss,” “Kunlun,” the “Special Pivot,” and the “Five Cities.” Within the Five Cities are five Perfected Ones, who are the Five Emperors of the five directions. Outside the Five Cities are eight divine officials, the gods of the Eight Trigrams; together with Taiyi, the spirit who commands all the gods, they are known as the Nine Ministers. Beyond the Eight Trigrams stand twelve towers, symbolizing the twelve princes and twelve great officials. With the gods of the Three Burners, they make up twenty-seven great officials. The gods of the limbs are the eighty-one Primordial Officers.

The Perfected Ones of the Five Cities report to Heaven once each season. The eight gods report at the Eight Seasonal Nodes—the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice. The twelve great officials report at the end of each month. Practitioners should maintain focused visualization every month without slackening; in this way, they can avoid being judged for their merits and faults. Constantly keeping these gods in mind can bring long life.

On the night of each month’s last day and first day, as well as on the Eight Seasonal Nodes, Taiyi orders the Five Cities to beat their drums and summon the gods, who assess merits and virtues and discuss good and evil. Those recorded in the Register of Life may have their lifespans extended, and the gods will recommend them together. Those absent from the Register of Life will die, and the God of Fate will erase their names from it. Therefore, before going to sleep on the nights of the month’s last and first days and the Eight Seasonal Nodes, practitioners should visualize the Upper Taiyi, Middle Taiyi, Lower Taiyi, the Five Cities, and the Perfected Ones in the twelve towers, and pray:

“Heavenly Emperor, Lord Taiyi! Heavenly Emperor, Lord Taiyi! I respectfully keep the gods in mind and wish to draw near to them. Registrar, God of Fate, and Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, please erase me from the Register of Death and write my name in the Register of Life. All of you should declare that I may attain long life.”

The Fifteenth Immortal

The Perfected Ones of the Five Cities are the gods of the Five Emperors of the five directions. The god of the East is named Gou Xiangqin.

(The text then repeats the preceding prayer and again gives the heading “The Fifteenth Immortal.”)

The True Persons of the Five Cities are the names of the spirits governed by the Five Emperors of the five directions. The spirit of the east is called Goumangzi, titled Master Hongya of the Beginning of Writing; he is the Azure Emperor of the East and Lord of the Eastern Sea. The spirit of the south is called Zhurongzi, titled Chengzi of Red Essence; he is the Red Emperor of the South and Lord of the Southern Sea. The spirit of the west is called Roushouzi, titled the Yellow Elder of Xiali; he is the White Emperor of the West and Lord of the Western Sea. The spirit of the north is called Yuqiangzi, titled Zichang of Dark Mystery; he is the Black Emperor of the North and Lord of the Northern Sea. These are all spirits of the postcelestial realm, belonging to the same kind as the spirits of Heaven and Earth and the human world.

The Earl of Wind, the wind spirit, is called Zha Jun and titled Changyu. The Master of Rain, the rain spirit, is called Feng Xiu and titled Shude. Practitioners of the Dao should continually visualize and remember these spirits, so that together with Lord Siming, who governs human lifespans and registers of life, and Lord Silu, who records merit and fault, they may erase the practitioner’s name from the register of the dead. In this way, one can become a True Person and attain long life. If you do not know of these spirits and visualize them, violent winds and rain, thunder and lightning may seize you and carry you away, causing your death. They may also bury you in deep mountains, cast you into an abyss, expose you to poisonous vapors, or leave you vulnerable to attacks by many ghosts. If you wish to cultivate the Dao, you should honor these spirits. The scripture holds that they have the power to harm people, and so even rulers governing the world must know of them.

The spirit of the center is called Huangchangzi, titled Huangdi Pengzu, the Yellow Emperor of the Center. Together with Zhong Taiyi, the central Taiyi deity, he governs the allotment of human lifespans, cherishes and nurtures the good, helps people complete their cultivation of the Dao, and continually serves the True Person of the Yellow Heaven. The human body also contains a spirit of this kind, who continually serves the True Person. He is called Zidan and was bestowed by a divine spirit. If practitioners of the Dao set their hearts on seeking the Dao and continually think of Zidan, they can live without hunger or thirst, attain immortality, and ultimately become True Persons. They can also summon the Traveling Kitchen, food used by immortals that arrives on its own, and command ghosts and spirits. The spirit associated with the Altars of Soil and Grain, which govern land and crops, and with the Earl of the River, the river spirit, is called Feng Yi and titled Envoy Yuanliang.

The Sixteenth Immortal

The heavenly spirits of the Eight Trigrams descend to roam the human world, guard Taiyi, and serve as envoys in the eight directions. On the eight seasonal observance days, they report above and investigate fortune and misfortune. The spirit of the Qian trigram has the courtesy name Zhongni and is titled Fu.

The Sixteenth Immortal

The Eight Trigrams’ celestial deities travel through the human world to guard Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity, and serve as messengers in the eight directions. They oversee the reporting and verification of the eight seasonal nodes, determining good and ill fortune. The deity of Qian is named Zhongni and titled Fuxi; the deity of Kan is named Da Zengzi; the deity of Gen is named Zhaoguangyu; the deity of Zhen is named Xiao Zengzi; the deity of Xun is named Da Xiahou; the deity of Li is named Wenchang; the deity of Kun is named Yangdi Wang and titled Nüwa; and the deity of Dui is named Yishi. Another account says that the deity of Dui is named Bashi. Practitioners should regularly visualize these deities on the eight seasonal nodes. They all reside in the navel and can help people prolong their lives.

The Seventeenth Immortal

The Dantian is the human body’s foundation, the place where spirit is stored and gathered, and the source of the five Qi—the Qi of the Five Phases. It is the dwelling place of the Red Child, the original spirit within the body. Men store Jing here, while women store their monthly waters, or menstrual blood. The Dantian governs reproduction and is the gateway through which Yin and Yang unite.

The Dantian lies three inches below the navel, attached to the spine, at the roots of the two kidneys. Its center is red, its left side green, its right side yellow, its upper side white, and its lower side black; its extent is four inches in both length and width. Its position three inches below the navel follows the pattern of Heaven, Earth, and humanity: Heaven is one, Earth is two, humanity is three, and time is four; hence it is called four inches. It follows the Five Phases and so has five colors.

The place where the Dantian lies is called “Clear Water Township, Ao Hill Hamlet.” The Dantian is also known as the “Palace of Stored Jing.” The deity within it has the surname Kong, the given name Qiu, and the courtesy name Zhongni; this lineage was passed down and became that of the revered master. Practitioners should regularly focus their spirit and visualize at midnight: red and black Qi rising upward to the Crimson Palace, the spirit palace where the heart is located, and the Canopy, the spirit palace above the chest, each circling to the right. Taiyi enters the Yellow Court, the spirit chamber within the body, fills the Great Granary, the place of the spleen and stomach, and nourishes the Red Child. Then it enters the Great Abyss, deep within the body, and suddenly its whereabouts become unknown. Visualize Taiyi again; its breath returns to the Dantian and rests there. Always keep in mind Taiyi’s mysterious radiance, the Mother of the Dao, and the nurturing of the perfected person, Zidan. This can bring one’s own person into alignment. The final phrase, “your own sign and name,” means that the name spoken of here is the practitioner’s own; do not forget it.

The large and small intestines are called the “Envoys of the Primordial Bridge.” They are responsible for driving out and pursuing evil Qi. The Triple Burner and Guanyuan, a site within the body where Qi functions, are called the “Left Altar and Right Millet Shrine.” They are responsible for capturing treacherous and evil things. The primordial Qi in the upper burner rises into the head, which is like the body’s ancestral temple. The human body corresponds to Heaven and Earth, so one should not offend the myriad things of Heaven and Earth. The spirits of Heaven and Earth can perceive all these things. One must not injure the limbs, either: the spirits know when the body feels pain or itchiness. From this, it is clear that Heaven observes everything and cannot be deceived; Earth bears all things and must not be failed. Cultivate the body and act with care; do not become negligent.

To drive out evil Qi and treat every illness, you may click your teeth twenty-one times and pray: “Left Altar and Right Millet Shrine, Envoys of the Primordial Bridge, drive away and capture calamities; swiftly carry this out in accordance with the statutes and commands.” Then, after every five swallows, sigh once, continuing until you have swallowed Qi thirty times. In a full day and night, swallow Qi three hundred and sixty times. The scripture says that if you persist for thirty days, evil Qi will be eliminated; after sixty days, minor illnesses will be cured; and after one hundred days, serious illnesses will be cured, all the Three Worms—Daoist beings said to cause illness within the body—will die, and the Three Corpses—spirits said to dwell within the body and record a person’s transgressions—will leave. Your face will shine with renewed radiance, and you will be able to commune with the spirits. Pause after every six prayers; twelve prayers make one cycle.

The two kidneys, in the sense used in Chinese medicine to include the organs and their related functions, are also called the “Great Sea” and the “Weak Waters.” Within them is a divine turtle that breathes primordial Qi and sets it in motion, transforming it into wind and rain. Its breath reaches the four limbs, and nothing escapes its knowledge.

Above the divine turtle are nine deities, arranged in three groups of three. On the left is Hanzhong, on the right Fan Li, and in the center Dachengzi. On the left is Lord Situ, on the right Lord Sikong, and in the center is the divine turtle. The turtle breathes primordial Qi, sets it in motion, and transforms it into wind and rain; its breath reaches the four limbs, and it knows all things.

Higher still is the Lord Taiyi, a Daoist deity. On the left is the Jade Maiden of the Azure Waist, on the right the Pure Maiden of White Waters, and in the center the Jade Maiden of Mysterious Radiance. The Jade Maiden of Mysterious Radiance is the mother of the primordial Qi of the Dao. On the left is the Registrar, who keeps records; on the right is the Controller of Destiny, who governs lifespan. The Wind Master, Rain Master, Thunder God, and Lightning God attend and welcome them, while immortals and Jade Maidens guard the gates. This place is therefore called the Palace of the Great Abyss.

Higher still, in the Purple Chamber Palace, are Taiyi, the Mysterious Maiden, and the Red Child. The Mysterious Maiden often wears the radiance of the Great White Star and ornaments her ears with pearls of Great Brightness. Their radiance then illuminates the whole body, prolonging life and granting immortality.

The twentieth immortal.

The stomach is the body’s “Great Granary,” that is, the kitchen of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors in Heaven. The lunar mansions Fang and Xin symbolize the emperor’s palace. All the deities come to the Great Granary for food and drink, so the stomach is called the Great Granary. It is also one of the three celestial paths along which the sun and moon travel.

The stomach is also like a vast sea, with a divine tortoise within it. The Big Dipper’s seven stars rest on the tortoise’s back, directly at its center. The tortoise is yellow and shaped like a golden dish, with the sun and moon shining on either side. For this reason, the area below the navel is regarded as the center of the earth, where the divine tortoise resides. The Big Dipper’s seven stars rest on its back, directly at the center. The tortoise is yellow, like a golden dish, with the sun and moon shining on either side. The area below the navel is also regarded as the center of the earth. There lie the Five Sacred Peaks and the Four Waterways, the four great rivers, whose watercourses and springs are linked to one another. There are also Mount Kunlun, the Weak River, and deep, remote pools and marshes.

As the sun and moon move along their courses, the sun shines on the earth by day, allowing all the deities to receive its light. The human body, too, imitates Heaven and Earth. By day, the sun is at the navel, illuminating the Dantian (the inner area below the navel), and the deities at the navel are thereby brightened. At night, the sun is in the stomach, shining upward into the chest. The deities come and go, play, and talk with one another; this is why people dream. The Way of Heaven does not conceal people’s actions or leave them wholly unaware. It therefore summons the spirits within the body and questions them about good and evil, fortune and misfortune, so that people remain watchful and disciplined.

At night, the moon is at the navel, shining downward on the deities. By day, the moon is in the stomach, shining upward into the chest. The deities move up and down without pause, day and night.

There are twelve deities in the stomach. Among them, the remonstrating ministers Huang Changzi, Huang Tengzi, and Zhong Huangzi assist the Crown Prince. The Jade Maiden Xuanguang fetches Golden Liquid, divine elixirs, mushroom herbs, Jade Liquid, and dried pine, along with other foods and drinks; these can be brought at any time.

If you wish to become an immortal, you should understand the positions of Heaven and Earth, the parents, and the Red Child (an infant, also referring to an inner image contemplated in cultivation). In practicing the Dao, you must know the names of these five deities and make the effort to become familiar with them yourself. Once you understand them, practice accordingly, hold firmly to the practice, and contemplate them often; then you can become an immortal. The scriptures all record these teachings, and you need only grasp them attentively.

Knowing these deities is not enough: you must also obtain the Great One’s divine Golden Elixir and liquid gold, the elixir and numinous liquid spoken of in Daoism, to become an immortal. The deities are inherently deep and mysterious, abiding in emptiness and Wuwei (non-action), following their natural course; this is how they become sages. Such states cannot be imposed or controlled by ordinary people. If you cannot ingest the divine Golden Elixir and liquid gold, you must devote your effort to continual contemplation and arduous cultivation. Thus, becoming an immortal here also includes this kind of diligent practice.

During the day, often contemplate a sun in your navel, radiating red and yellow, with a deep black essence, its light shining brightly within the navel. In your stomach, contemplate a moon whose light bears white, red, and yellow hues, filling the stomach. At dusk, contemplate the sun outside your body entering your stomach, radiating red and yellow, with a deep black essence, illuminating your chest. The moon enters your navel, shining within it with red, yellow, and white hues and an aura of deep black essence. Make this contemplation part of your daily practice, and continue it without interruption for a long time.

Twenty-Two Immortals

Seven spirits dwell in the hair. They are formed from the vital essence of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper and are called Lu Zhi. Six spirits dwell in the eyes, formed from the vital essence of the sun and moon: the spirit of the left eye is called Yingming, and that of the right eye Xuanguang. Three spirits dwell at the crown of the head, named Shuwangfu; three dwell in the brain’s rear chamber, named the Lord of the Muddy Pellet; and three dwell between the eyebrows, named the Lord of Primordial Radiance and Celestial Spirit, the Elder of the Southern Pole.

Four spirits dwell in the ears. They are formed from the vital essence of Yin and Yang and are called Jiaonu. One spirit dwells in the nostrils and the philtrum, named Taiyi, with the courtesy name Tonglu; this spirit is originally a celestial being. Two spirits dwell beside the mouth, guardian spirits who oversee food and drink. One spirit dwells within the mouth: the Lord of Primordial Radiance and Celestial Spirit, the Elder. The four spirits in the ears are again named Jiaonu; the spirit in the nostrils and philtrum is again Taiyi, with the courtesy name Tonglu, originally a celestial being; and the two spirits beside the mouth are again the guardian spirits who oversee food and drink. Another account names one spirit within the mouth as Lord Taiyi, with the courtesy name Danzhu.

Three Great Yin spirits dwell in the chin. Two Jade Maiden Lords dwell along the outer sides of the neck. Two spirits formed from the vital essence of the sun dwell in the hands and are called Hunyin. Two spirits dwell within the neck, with the courtesy name Shangwen. Two spirits dwell across the shoulders and back, formed from the vital essence of Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang; they are called Nüjue. Two tiger-warrior spirits dwell in the chest. Beneath the breasts are the sun and moon, each containing a great spirit called the King Father or Queen Mother. Two spirits dwell beneath the armpits; they are the signs of the hun and po souls. Two Jade Maidens dwell in the lower abdomen. Each of the two inner cavities also has a spirit, a Jade Maiden named Yinyin. Two spirits of Metal and Wood dwell in the shins and are called Sui Kongzi. Two spirits formed from the vital essence of Great Yin dwell in the feet and are called Pillar-Heaven Strongmen.

The text also lists these spirits by name: the spirit in the hair is called Lu Zhi; those in the ears, Jiaonu; those in the eyes, Yingming and Xuanguang; the spirit in the nostrils, Tonglu; and the spirit in the mouth, Danzhu. The spirit in the shoulders and back is called Vermilion Bird, though some accounts call it Nüjue; the spirits in the hands are called Poyin. The Upper Origin spirit, in the upper part of the body, is named Weichengzi; the Middle Origin spirit, in the middle, Zhonghuangzi; and the Lower Origin spirit, below, Mingguangzi, also called Mingguang. The Yin spirit is named Qiongying; the spirits in the two inner cavities are named Yinyin; and the spirits in the knees are named Shugong.

When practitioners wish to sleep, they should close their eyes and, beginning at the head, call the spirits in each part of the body in turn three times, then stop. If a particular part is afflicted by illness or pain, they should call the spirit of that part nine times and ask it to heal them. The scripture says this practice can dispel every illness and ultimately enable one to become an immortal.

There are eight spirits of the lungs, called the Lords of Great Harmony. They dwell in the Palace of Jade Perfection, also known as the Office of the Ministers. Their attendants number three thousand six hundred. They ride in a carriage with a black body adorned with white clouds, drawn by a white tiger; at times they ride a white dragon.

There are nine spirits of the heart, called the Duke Grand Commandant. They dwell in the Crimson Palace and are manifestations of the Primordial Radiance, the Elder of the Southern Pole, of the Great Beginning—the southern deity of longevity. Their attendants number three thousand six hundred. They ride in a carriage with a black body adorned with red clouds, with a vermilion bird as its canopy and a cinnabar serpent as its pole. A vermilion bird draws the carriage; at times they ride a red dragon.

There are seven spirits of the liver, called the Lords of Laozi. They dwell in the Palace of the Bright Hall, also known as the Office of the Orchid Terrace. Their attendants number three thousand six hundred. They ride in a carriage with a black body adorned with azure clouds, drawn by a azure dragon; at times they ride a white deer.

There are five spirits of the gallbladder, called the Lords of the Great One. They dwell in the Palace of the Violet Chamber. He rides in a carriage adorned with clouds of five colors, a dark yellow and purple canopy, and pearls and jade. Six flying dragons draw the carriage, and his attendants number three thousand six hundred.

There are five spirits of the spleen, called the Maidens of Dark Radiance and Jade. They are the mother of Zidan, a spirit in Neidan cultivation. She rides in a carriage adorned with gold, pearls, jade, and clouds, drawn by a phoenix; at times she rides a yellow dragon.

The perfected being Zidan dwells above, within the Stomach Conduit. Yellow clouds form his tent, and pearls and jade form his grove. He eats golden and jade delicacies, drinks sweet spring water and jade elixir, takes the divine elixir of the Great One, and contemplates jade plums and sacred fungi, sustaining his visualization and cultivation over time. After nine years, he can become a perfected being. He rides with a thousand carriages and ten thousand mounted attendants: upward to pay homage to the Most High Lord of the Yellow Way, eastward to pay homage to the King Father, westward to pay homage to the Queen Mother, and southward to pay homage to the Elder Primordial Radiance. Once the perfected being attains the Dao, he joins with Heaven and Earth.

Yuanyang Zidan is myself. Once my Dao was perfected, I departed and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. At times I rode in a carriage adorned with gold, clouds, pearls, and jade, drawn by six flying dragons and driven by horses without limit. My attendants numbered eighteen thousand. The Great Celestial Master sent eighteen thousand people to descend into me; together with the eighteen thousand within my body, they made thirty-six thousand, and so I was able to ascend to Heaven in broad daylight.

There are twelve spirits of the stomach, divine beings formed of the Qi of the Five Origins, who serve as remonstrating counsellors. There are five spirits in the navel, along with eight spirits of the Great One, making thirteen. Together with the stomach spirits, they number twenty-five: the spirits of the Yin-Yang and the Five Phases.

Above the divine tortoise are three spirits: the Dark Maiden, Emptiness, and the Mother of the Dao. There are six spirits of the kidneys, called the Director of the Masses, the Director of Works, the Director of Destiny, the Director of Records, the Director of Retainers, the Commandant, and the Minister of Justice. They ride in a divine tortoise carriage drawn by six carp—or, according to one account, white fish. A canopy of dark and white clouds covers the carriage.

There are three spirits of the Dantian, the foundation of the human being. The three unite to form De, corresponding to the numerical principles of the Dao. The Triple Burner has six spirits: the Left Altar, the Right Millet, the Earl of Wind, the Master of Rain, Thunder, Lightning, and Thunderclap.

The large and small intestines each have one spirit, together called the Envoys of the Primordial Beam. There are two spirits of the Tiger Guards, powerful attendants who keep watch at the gate of the Vermilion Bird Tower. Through cultivation, one prolongs life and ultimately becomes a perfected being, attended beneath the Phoenix Pavilion.

The Dark Valley has five spirits who serve as great general and commander of the army. The genital region has three spirits, called the Supreme Generals, the essence of all the spirits. A man’s courtesy name is Qiongying; a woman’s is Dancheng.

There are eighteen thousand spirits in Heaven and eighteen thousand within the human body, making thirty-six thousand altogether. Together they bear a person’s body aloft to Heaven, and that person becomes an immortal.

The goddess of the East is called the Jade Maiden Qingyao; the goddess of the South, the Jade Maiden Chigui; the goddess of the Center, the Jade Maiden Huangsu; the goddess of the West, the Jade Maiden Baisu; and the goddess of the North, the Jade Maiden Xuanguang. The attendant on the left is called Changyang, and the attendant on the right, Chengyi. These are all titles of Jade Maidens.

The principle for matching the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) is to make the counterpart associated with a given direction its “wife.” For example, Jia and Yi belong to Wood, and Wood overcomes Earth, so Jia is paired with Ji as husband and wife. Thus Jia and Ji, Yi and Geng, Bing and Xin, Ding and Ren, and Wu and Gui are all days when Yin and Yang come together. The liver and gallbladder belong to Wood, so the Wood spirit takes as its wife the Jade Maiden Huangsu, formed from the Qi of Wu and Ji in the Center. The other cases follow the same principle.

When these Jade Maiden spirits arrive, they should be served with reverence and must never be treated as wives. To engage with them as husband and wife will bring death and ultimately prevent one from attaining the Dao. Those resolved to cultivate the Dao must guard against sexual desire, or their lives will be in danger. These Jade Maidens may be sent to fetch jade nectar, the sacred drink of the immortals, or asked to bring the traveling kitchen provisions used for immortal meals.

The Most High Lord Lao said that the Primordial Radiance Great One Lord—the spirit transformed from the Old Man of the South Pole—is the deity Great One. To seek the deity Great One is not to seek one’s own heart spirit, but to seek this celestial deity. He resides within the human heart. Each morning and at midday, as well as on Jiawu and Bingwu days, one may invoke him, saying: “Old Man of the South Pole, Primordial Radiance Great One Lord, I, so-and-so, wish to obtain the Great One divine elixir and the Way of long life.” Then close the eyes and visualize the Child Great One within the heart. He wears a deep red tunic, its color reddish yellow like the sun. Silently count ninety breaths, then end the visualization. The deity within the heart is named “Firm Radiance.” He is the Central Great One, Central Pole Lord, resides in the spleen, and governs the nourishment of the body. When invoking him, one may also visualize this Child Great One and silently count ninety breaths.

Each day at cockcrow, at mealtimes, at sunset and dusk, and on Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei days, one may invoke him, saying: “Central Pole Firm Radiance Great One Lord, I wish to obtain the Yellow Court Way of perfected beings and immortals.” Then close the eyes and silently imagine the spleen and stomach filled with yellow-black Qi, with a yellow figure above the spleen. Silently count fifty breaths, then end the visualization. The deity below the heart is named “Mysterious Valley.” He is the Lord of the North Pole, also called the Mysterious Radiance Dao Mother.

Each night at midnight, and on Jiazi, Bingzi, Wuzi, Gengzi, and Renzi days, one may invoke her, saying: “Lord of the North Pole, Mysterious Valley Dao Mother, I wish to obtain the golden liquid and sweet spring that may be drunk and consumed.” Then close the eyes and visualize a white-black form appearing between the two kidneys. Within it is a divine tortoise, with a Mysterious Maiden above it. To the Maiden’s right is the Director of Destinies; to her left, the Director of Records. Once these figures appear, invoke the Directors of Destinies and Records and the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding. Ask them to remove one’s name from the register of the dead, enter it in the Jade Calendar’s Register of the Living, and grant long life.

Thus, the scripture says that those who know the names of these three deities can restore their allotted lifespan and extend their years. These three deities are the honored divine Lords of the Way between Heaven and Earth. They are the Three Primordial Lords, the source of the human body. One should contemplate them constantly and never forget them. The Three Primordials are honored deities of the celestial realm.

Twenty-Sixth Immortal

Those who wish to cultivate the Dao should first learn the names of the three divine beings. In this way, they can restore their vitality and extend their lives. These three divine beings are the Heavenly, Earthly, and Dao Sovereigns, the Three Primordial Lords; they are also the source of human life. One should keep them in mind and never forget them. The Three Primordials are revered deities in Heaven.

The Twenty-Sixth Immortal

Those who wish to cultivate the Dao should first visualize, in sequence, the divine beings in the different parts of the body. Only when they have seen these beings for themselves will their faith become firmly established. As faith builds, the divine beings will naturally appear. First, visualize the Lord of the Heavenly Numinous (Tianling Jun): his body is blue, his head is white, and he is located between the eyebrows. Visualize him continuously for three days, and his image will become visible.

Next, visualize the Mysterious Throat (Xuanying), the name for the throat area. It is bright vermilion red. Then visualize the throat: its center is pure white like silver, surrounded by twelve layers. Visualize these for three days in all.

Then visualize each part of the body in turn. The lungs are pure white and are called Honghong; visualize them for seven days. The heart is pure red and is called Taowen; visualize it for nine days. The liver is pure blue-green and is called Lanlan; visualize it for three days. The gallbladder is pure blue-green and is called Huhu; visualize it for three days. The spleen is pure yellow and is called Pipi; visualize it for five days. The stomach is pure yellow and is called Riyi Dan; visualize it for five days. The kidneys are pure black and are called Weiwei; visualize them for three days.

Next, visualize Taiyi (the deity in the navel) within the navel. He is red and is called the Jade Numinous Child (Yulingzi); visualize him for three days. Visualize the large intestine as pure white, called Tongtong, also written Dongdong; visualize it for seven days. The small intestine is red and is called Qiqi; visualize it for nine days. The Dantian (the abdominal site used in internal alchemy practice) is red, and within it is a red person called the Hidden Essence; visualize this for three days.

Visualize the Mysterious Zhang Fangzhang, in which someone dwells; visualize it for seven days. Visualize the Golden Jade Seal, firm, whole, and dry; visualize it for three days. Visualize the Mysterious Essence as pure black, moist and lustrous; visualize it for three days.

Next, visualize the spleen-like organs on either side (the source text also has the variant “flanks”). Within each is a Jade Maiden, wearing a deep-red upper garment and a blue-green skirt, standing upright above each side. Visualize them for three days. Visualize a person beneath each foot, pure white in color; visualize them for three days.

Once these visualizations are complete, the initial stage of Dao cultivation is accomplished. At this point, do not leave the quiet chamber. Keep away from worldly affairs and enter a state of stillness and emptiness. First observe purification and moderate your diet, then devote yourself to visualizing according to this method.

Twenty-Seventh: The Immortal

If you resolve to cultivate the Dao and wish to become an immortal who lives forever, you should first rid your body of the “Three Worms” (in Daoist belief, spirits that damage human life and hinder cultivation) and subdue the “Hidden Corpse” (an evil spirit said to lurk within the body and bring about decline). Every day, regulate your breathing and take in Qi according to the prescribed method: over each three-day period, breathe a total of 160 times. After swallowing the breath thirty times, pause; after ninety times, rest once. Do this four times a day.

Each day, at midnight when the rooster crows, recite this invocation:

In the east, blue teeth and purple clouds streaming like rosy mists: swallow the Qi of blue teeth and gather the morning glow. Swallow three times. In the south, vermilion cinnabar, bright and radiant, flowing to and fro: swallow the Qi of vermilion cinnabar and drink the water of the Cinnabar Pool. Swallow three times. In the center, yellow and black, with a high immortal in the Yellow Court: swallow the Qi of yellow and black and drink sweet spring water. Swallow three times. In the west, luminous stone, pure white and numinous, with the nature of gold: swallow the Qi of luminous stone and drink liquid gold. Swallow three times. In the north, dark nourishment, with the Dark Pearl moistening all: swallow the Qi of dark nourishment and drink jade syrup. Swallow three times.

Cultivate in this way for thirty days, and it is said that the Three Worms will die, the Hidden Corpse will leave the body, and the Three Spirits within you (deities corresponding to the human body in Daoist belief) will settle into peace. The Hidden Corpse will then no longer dare return to your body. In this way, you may become an immortal who lives forever, have your name entered in the register of immortals, and ride the clouds up to Heaven.

This concludes Book One of the Scripture of the Central Canon of the Most High Lord Lao.

Twenty-Eighth: The Immortal

On ordinary days that fall on a Jia day, at noon, focus your mind and silently recite: “Dark tortoise of the deep green forest—what is the flowing water like? Fierce fire coils around the whole body; how can the body [another text reads ‘officials’] know? The Dao returns, returning to itself.” Next, visualize the liver as upright and green, moist and shining. The eight immortals above the liver…

Then visualize the gallbladder as green and round, yellow within and green without, clear, moist, and bright. A lobe grows from its side, resting against the liver, with the liver covering it from above. This is the beginning of the practice. When the visualization is complete, call to the spirit of the gallbladder: “Flesh [another text reads ‘skin’] child, blue and bright, be my friend. Stay and serve as my messenger. I wish to obtain and take the divine elixir bestowed by Taiyi, so that I, so-and-so, may live forever. Do not leave my body. Dwell always in the Purple Chamber Palace [the spirit chamber within the body], and unite with the Dao.”

Next, close your eyes and visualize the green-black essence of the sun descending, falling upon your body and entering your nostrils. Then visualize the liver as green-black, joining with the sun’s essence before your eyes and entering your mouth. Swallow twenty-one times, then stop. Visualize the green-black Qi spreading throughout your body for ninety breaths. On the Yi day, visualize the spirit of the gallbladder again and call to it: “Plain Maiden of the Purple Palace of Taiyi [another text reads ‘Purple Chamber’], be my friend. Stay and serve as my messenger. I, so-and-so, wish to obtain and take Taiyi’s Flower Talisman.” On the Jia-Yin and Yi-Mao days, visualize her again.

The Twenty-Ninth Immortal

On a Bing day, during the mid-morning hours (approximately nine to eleven), focus your mind and silently recite: “Vermilion Bird’s cinnabar fluid, the heavenly sea and earthly river: I seek to be free from death and to partake of heavenly harmony [another text reads ‘ultimate harmony’].” Then close your eyes and continue the visualization.

The Twenty-Ninth Immortal

At the hour of Yuzhong (about nine to eleven in the morning) on a Bing day, press your hand against your chest and recite: “Vermilion Bird Cinnabar Fluid, the heavenly sea and earthly river: I pray for immortality and partake of Heaven’s harmony.” Some versions read “Supreme Harmony” instead of “Heaven’s harmony.” Then close your eyes and visualize the heart as bright red like the sun, positioned between the lobes of the lungs. Then stop visualizing.

Next, visualize the sun’s vital essence in three colors—red, yellow, and black—coming before your eyes and entering your mouth. Swallow it twenty-seven times (“three nines” means three times nine). Then visualize this vital essence as red and black, circulating throughout the body for one hundred and eighty breaths.

Next, call the divine names: “Li Shang, Li Shang” (some versions read “Li Chang”), and Zengzi. Ask them to become your friends and stay as your messengers. Then say: “I, [personal name], seek the divine Elixir of Great Unity, which may be taken like gold. May it dwell eternally in the Crimson Palace, the abode of the heart spirit, and unite with me.”

On a Ding day, visualize this deity and call out: “Jade Maiden of the Heavenly Emperor’s Crimson Palace, become my friend and stay as my messenger. I, [personal name], wish to obtain the Heavenly Emperor’s Way of Long Life.” On a Bingwu or Dingsi day, visualize these deities again.

The Thirtieth Immortal

Always, at cockcrow and at sunset on a Wuwu day, press your hand against your chest and recite: #2

May you attain immortality and agelessness, live as long as the Central Sovereign, and ascend to Heaven soon. May someone’s life be prolonged, so that they may remain with the Dao for a long time.

Visualize yellow and black Qi rising from the spleen and reaching the mouth. Then visualize the vital essence of Heaven taking the form of yellow and black Qi, coming before your eyes; inhale it through the mouth and swallow it. Do this three to five times, then stop. Next, visualize the yellow and black Qi circulating throughout the body. Silently count 150 breaths, then stop.

Call upon the spirits within the body and say: “Mysterious Radiance Jade Maiden, nurture the Red Child; Perfected One Zidan, consume primordial Qi and drink from the sweet spring.” Thus it is said that the spirits within the human body have three parents. On the next Ji day, visualize these spirits again and call out: “Perfected One, Jade Maiden of the Yellow Court, I wish to become your friend. Please stay and serve as my messenger. I, so-and-so, wish to attain the Way of the Immortals of the Perfected One and the Yellow Court spirits.” On the days Wuchen, Jiwei, Wuxu, and Jichou, visualize these spirits again.

The Thirty-First Immortal

At the hour of the Monkey on each Geng day, strike your chest and pray, saying:

May the white clouds quickly rise and transform into clouds and mist extending ten thousand li. May the cloud-qi return to my own body and always heed my commands. The immortal mandate revolves without end: when one cycle concludes, another begins.

Then close your eyes and visualize the lungs as white. Next, bring the qi of the two colors, white and black, up to the mouth, and silently recite: “White and black refined qi from Heaven, descend before my eyes and enter my mouth.” Then swallow it, repeating this seven times. Visualize the white and black qi circulating throughout the body, and stop after one hundred and forty breaths.

Next, call upon the spirit within: “Master Weiwei, I wish to become your friend. Please stay and serve me, holding the canopy that protects me, so that the Golden Liquids and Jade Essences—the precious refined qi spoken of in cultivation—remain within my body and do not leak out.” Visualize this spirit accompanying you as you swallow the refined qi, seven times in succession. Then visualize the white and black qi spreading throughout the body, and stop after one hundred and forty breaths. Call again: “Master Weiwei, I wish to become your friend. Please stay and serve me, holding the canopy, so that the Golden Liquids and Jade Essences remain within and do not depart. Serve my Dao Lord and become one with me.”

On a Xin day, visualize your own spirits: “Radiant Yellow Jade Hall, Jade Maiden with the Azure Waist, I wish to become your friends. Please stay and serve me. I, A, wish to obtain Peng Zu’s medicine of long life and immortality and take it.” On a Gengshen day or a Xinyou day, visualize this spirit again.

The Thirty-Second Immortal

Usually, at midnight on a Ren day—a day whose heavenly stem in the sexagenary calendar is Ren—lightly tap your chest and pray, saying:

May you behold the Celestial Mirror, an inner vision in meditative practice, and let its mysterious nourishing Qi enter the Jade Pool, the place in the mouth or body where saliva and other fluids gather. In this way, the body returns from old age to youth, like an infant. The Shen and Qi return to their proper places, and the spirits of the Five Viscera respond in turn.

Close your eyes and visualize the black and white Qi between the two kidneys circulating throughout the body twelve times. Then see it gathering and dispersing, spreading through the limbs. Next, visualize the two kidneys appearing high and clear, shaped like two carp: the right one black, the left one red, positioned on either side of the spine and appearing as an infant. The Shen and Qi return to their proper places, and the spirits of the Five Viscera respond in turn. Once again, close your eyes and visualize the black and white Qi between the kidneys circulating throughout the body twelve times, gathering and dispersing through the limbs. Then visualize the two kidneys appearing high and clear, shaped like two carp, black on the right and red on the left, positioned on either side of the spine and shining with a light that illuminates the whole body.

Then visualize Taiqing Yuanxi, the primordial vital essence of the Taiqing realm, descending from the blue sky to the space before your eyes. Let it enter your mouth and swallow it. Do this nine times, then stop. Next, visualize Taiqing’s Baiyuan, the White Origin, spreading throughout the body before returning to the Dantian, the cultivation site in the lower abdomen. Call out its divine name: “Silu Liuding Yunu, the Six Ding Jade Maidens who govern the registers, please erase someone’s name from the register of the dead, so that So-and-so may live long and ascend to become a Perfected One. May the Twelve Taiyi, the twelve revered deities, all proclaim that this person has been granted life.” Repeat this visualization on the Renzi and Guihai days.

The Thirty-Third Immortal

After visualizing the spirits of the Five Viscera, visualize Xuanli, Yuying, and Jinye, the inner-cultivation energies and essences described in the scripture. Do not forget them. Continue visualizing Xuanli, moistening it and raising it into ordered rows. Separately, visualize Yuying. Within it is a person with a large face, standing upside down, firm and erect, dressed in a child’s clothing. Visualize this figure growing solid and strong, gradually increasing in size and doubling in strength. Then visualize Xuanli, Yuying, and Jinye again; do not forget them. Continue visualizing Xuanli, moistening it and raising it into ordered rows. Separately, visualize Yuying. Within it is a person with a large face, standing upside down, firm and erect, dressed in a child’s clothing. Visualize this figure growing solid and strong, gradually increasing in size and doubling in strength.

Next, visualize Jinye, making it dry and supple, shaped like purple grains holding mercury. Once you have completed these visualizations, repeat them twelve times, letting your spirit settle within them. Harmonious Qi will come of itself, all illnesses will disappear, and your lifespan will match that of Heaven and Earth. Life will have no end, and you will no longer need to worry about when you will die.

Absorbing the Sun’s essence can prolong life and bring immortality. In this way, one can ascend to Heaven and pay homage to the Dao Lord.

The practice is as follows: on the first, second, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth days of each month, at sunrise, let your hair hang loose and face the Sun. Close your eyes and imagine that within your heart is a small child dressed in crimson, with patterns in five colors across his body. He is bright red all over, and both his palms are also bright red. Rub your face with your palms, then rub downward to your heart. Repeat twelve times.

Next, visualize the Sun’s essence in Heaven, red, yellow, and black, descending before your eyes. Then imagine drawing it into your mouth and swallowing it. Rub your face with your palms again, then rub downward to your heart. Repeat twelve times. Visualize the Sun’s essence descending before your eyes, then draw it into your mouth and swallow it nine times. Rub with your hands to send the Sun’s essence into your body. Then press your hands against your heart and pray:

“Jingjun Yuanyang, primordial Yang Qi of the Sun, may you unite with my De and together nourish the small child in the Crimson Palace.”

After a while, visualize the Sun’s essence in your heart descending to the Dantian, the Neidan cultivation site below the navel, and rub with your hands to send it there. Hold the Sun aloft in your heart, and your heart will receive its essence. In this way, you can become an immortal.

Thirty-Five: Immortals

Absorbing the Moon’s essence can nourish the roots of the kidneys, turn white hair black, and cause lost teeth to grow back, ultimately bringing one to become an immortal. At midnight, regularly visualize black and white Qi between the kidneys, circulating throughout the body: upward to the brain’s rear opening and downward to the soles of the feet.

The Way of nature seems easy, but is difficult to put into practice. On the fifteenth day of each month, regularly face the Moon and pray:

“Yuejun Ziguang, noble light of the Moon, may you unite with my De and nourish the small child in my Dantian, causing the breath to flow downward from the brain’s rear opening to the soles of my feet. The Way of nature seems easy, but is difficult to put into practice.”

The essence and Qi represented by the moon join with mine, nourishing the little child in my Dantian (energy center). Close your eyes and imagine the moon’s white and yellow essence and Qi descending before your eyes, then entering your mouth. Swallow it, and repeat twenty-one times. Then massage with your hands, sending this Qi downward until it reaches the Dantian.

The Qi in the Dantian is bright red. Within it is a person nine fen tall: a little child dressed in red. Thus the center of the Dantian is red and its outer region black; the left side is green, the right side yellow, and the top white. The Qi of all Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) is now complete. Visualize the moon residing in the kidneys. Only when the kidneys receive the moon’s essence and Qi can it rise, descend, and circulate.

The red in the Dantian is the essence of the sun—that is, the Qi of heart Fire. The black outer region is the essence of Great Yin—that is, the Qi of kidney Water. The green on the left is the essence of Lesser Yang—that is, the Qi of liver Wood. The yellow on the right is the essence of harmony—that is, the Qi of spleen Earth. The white above, covering and shining like a silver disk, is the essence of Lesser Yin—that is, the Qi of lung Metal. These five people in the Dantian are the princes of the five organs and the spirits of the Five Phases. Only when a person has cultivated the Qi of the Dantian to completion can they be called a True Person.

Compassion is expressed through the essence and Qi of the liver; propriety and proper conduct through those of the heart; clear judgment and intelligence through those of the lungs; calmness and joy through those of the kidneys; loyalty, trustworthiness, sincerity, and kindness through those of the spleen; and eloquence and courage through those of the gallbladder. A slow, mild temperament indicates weak gallbladder Qi; poor eyesight indicates weak liver Qi; timidity indicates weak lung Qi; confusion of mind indicates weak heart Qi; bodily weakness indicates weak kidney Qi; and dullness, mental darkness, or deafness indicates weak spleen Qi. Weakness in the five organs will always show itself in a person.

Worry, grief, and low spirits damage the liver. When the liver is harmed, the eyes grow dim and the hair turns white; one should visualize the kidneys and heart to restore it. Excessive indulgence in pleasure damages the kidneys. When the kidneys are harmed, the lower back aches, the body feels heavy, and the urine and stool contain pus and blood; one should visualize the liver and lungs to restore them. Anger brought on by hardship damages the heart. When the heart is harmed, illness follows and one may even vomit blood; one should visualize the liver and spleen to restore it. Distress and adversity damage the lungs. When the lungs are harmed, thoughts become burdensome; one should visualize the spleen and kidneys to restore them. Overeating and drinking too much alcohol damage the spleen. When the spleen is harmed, one should visualize the heart and lungs to restore it.

Let the five organs nourish one another like mother and child, and illnesses will improve and disappear. Those who seek immortality should avoid harming the five organs. Practitioners of the Dao should understand this principle.

Only by ingesting the essence of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) can one attain long life. The practice is usually performed on the six Wu days, specific dates calculated by the stems and branches, at the corresponding hours and in sequence with the appropriate earthly-branch hours. The Daoist dresses properly indoors, faces north, bows twice, and prays: “August Heaven and the Lord on High, Great Lord of the Dao (a revered Daoist deity), your great-grandson, the humble Wang Jia, cherishes the Great Dao and hopes to attain long life.”

After lying down for the night, visualize in your mind the Qi of the great central star of the Northern Dipper and Taiji. It is deep yellow with a hint of black, and descends before your eyes. Draw it into your mouth and swallow it. Repeat three or five times, then stop. Visualize the yellow-black Qi filling the Great Granary (the stomach), entering the Yellow Court (a site of inner cultivation in the body), and descending to the Dantian (the lower bodily region in Daoist inner cultivation).

Next, visualize a red figure in the Crimson Palace (the inner landscape palace associated with the heart), and five figures in the Purple Chamber Palace, with the Lord Taiyi among them. Laozi and the immortal Zhong Chengzi are on the left; Taihe and Qu Wenzi are on the right. In the Palace of the Bright Hall is the Dark Radiance Jade Maiden. On the left is the Yellow-Robed Master, and on the right the Central Yellow Perfected One. Together they guard the Perfected One, Zidan, a symbolic immortal within the body.

Then visualize downward again, toward the three divine officials in the Jade Hall, and call out: “Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, Record-Keepers, please erase so-and-so’s name from the register of the dead and grant so-and-so long life.”

Once the black Qi has settled, visualize the Perfected One, Zidan, in the stomach passage, and pray:

“Dark Radiance Jade Maiden, please nourish and protect my Perfected One, Zidan, so that I may ingest primordial Qi and drink the sweet fluids. Let the spleen rest upon the center of the Northern Dipper. When the spleen receives the essence of the Dipper’s center, it can become a Perfected One.”

Thirty-Seventh Immortal

The lungs are called the Minister of Works, the liver the Orchid Terrace, the heart the Grand Commandant, the left kidney the Minister of Education, and the right kidney the Minister of Works. The spleen is called the Empress, the Noble Lady, or the Lady; the gallbladder is called the Son of Heaven or the Lord of the Great Dao. The stomach is the Great Granary, as well as the residence of the Crown Prince and the place where I dwell. The large and small intestines are messengers of the Primordial Bridge. The Lower Primordial Qi is the Grand Herald, the Middle Primordial Qi consists of eighty-one Primordial Officers, and the Upper Primordial Black is the messenger of the High Chariot, able to communicate with the Supreme Sovereign.

Thus, the lungs are the Jade Hall Palace; the heart is the Vermilion Palace, with its Vermilion Bird Gate; the kidneys are the secluded gates of the Northern Pole, the dark side gates of the Black Tortoise; and the spleen is the Attendants’ Pavilion of the Hall of Light. The stomach is the Upper Sea, where the sun and moon pause in their courses; the navel is the Lower Sea, where the sun and moon alternately rise and descend until they reach the stomach.

The Great Beginning is the origin of Primordial Qi; it is the Dao, the “One.” The region above the heart belongs to Heaven. The Great Origin is the beginning of the myriad things. It symbolizes mountains, rivers, and the earth, and corresponds to the kidneys. The Great Simplicity is the beginning of the human person. It symbolizes Jing and Qi, and corresponds to the spleen and Earth. The upper part of the human body also has three palaces: the two eyes are the Vermilion Palace, the two ears are the Jade Hall Palace, and the nose and mouth are the Hall of Light. The space between the eyebrows is the Mountain of the Outskirts. If you harmonize the Qi of the Three Primordials to nourish the true child within, you will be able to see with clarity and insight.

Laojun said: “Although there are many methods for cultivating the Dao, it is enough to focus the mind and hold fast to the single thought of the Zidan, the inner Elixir and the source of life. ‘One’ is the Dao. In the Purple Chamber Palace, it refers to the gallbladder. The Zidan is myself, and ‘myself’ means to set oneself upright. This is the heart of the Dao.”

The thirty-eighth immortal.

Daoist practitioners refined mercury, “sand-dissolving” substances, liquids, pearls and jade, and the Eight Minerals into divine elixirs. Swallowing a knife-point measure (an ancient unit, roughly a spoonful) could enable one to ascend to the heavens. By regularly taking Qi (vital energy) as food, one could live forever and become an immortal. By visualizing the deities within the body and taking elixirs, one could become a Perfected Person. After attaining the Dao, Perfected Persons ascended to assist the August Sovereign in governing Heaven and Earth.

The Perfected Person takes as the foundation the undivided state in which water and earth are still blended together. When Heaven and Earth were fused as one, and nothing hidden within them could be distinguished, eighteen thousand years passed before Heaven, Earth, and humanity took shape. The Perfected Person then used earth to create human beings, enabling them to breathe and eat, and arranged attendants and servants so that earth would not be left alone and people would not exist in isolation. Thus, yellow earth is said to be humanity’s origin. The Perfected Person leaves the dusty world and ascends to the Nine Heavens; ordinary people without the Dao descend to the Yellow Springs after death.

The scripture goes on to say: increase the Qi of earth by three sheng. One copy reads “le” instead of “zi.” Another copy reads “without ribs” instead of “without bones and sinews.” The Elder of the Nine Heavens, a revered celestial deity, once said: “Those who eat what Heaven provides must repay Heaven with themselves. In the end, they become Perfected Persons and roam among the immortals. Those who eat what Earth produces must repay Earth with themselves; after death, they become corpse-spirits. Those who eat what people provide must repay people with themselves; in the end, their flesh and bones are cast aside.” Those who wish to cultivate the Dao should not eat birds. Birds are born of Heaven, and killing and eating them repeatedly shortens one’s lifespan. If one eats them as livestock, one slaughters them like a butcher.

One must also avoid eating animals associated with the Six Ding. The Six Ding are divine names, each associated with an animal: Dingmao with the rabbit, Dingchou with the ox, Dinghai with the pig, Dingyou with the chicken, Dingwei with the sheep, and Dingsi with the snake. These are all subject to strict prohibitions, because the animals correspond to the sacred names of the Six Ding deities.

When riding the darkness, taking elixirs, and cultivating in a quiet chamber, do not eat living creatures. The meat of the five domestic animals—horse, ox, sheep, pig, and dog—is also forbidden; only eggs and fish may be eaten. One must also abstain from the Five Pungent Plants, pungent vegetables with strong odors, as well as anything foul-smelling or that has died on its own. Take great care. These foods may still be eaten while taking elixirs, but they must be avoided when riding the darkness.

The Dao is myself—that is, the supremely exalted Lord of the Central Pole. You should practice regularly at sunrise, at noon, during the You hour (approximately five to seven in the evening), and at midnight. Another account sets the times at the Shen and You hours (approximately three to seven in the afternoon).

During practice, visualize in your mind the Great Yellow Star at the center of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Imagine its vital essence descending and settling between your eyebrows, where it appears in true red, yellow, and white, like the sun. Then guide this vital essence with your intention into your mouth and swallow it, sending it into the Crimson Palace, Purple Chamber, and Yellow Court—the names for inner chambers of the body in Daoist cultivation. Swallow it three or five times, then stop. Next, pray: “August Heaven, the Supreme Emperor, and the Most High Lord of the Dao: your descendant, the humble adept [name], wholeheartedly turns toward the Dao and hopes to attain long life.”

The scripture repeats the steps of visualization, guiding the vital energy, and prayer, and says: “This is my Qi; I was born from this Qi.” Repeat the visualization and recitation ten thousand times without pause. In this way, you will attain long life and become a perfected person—one who has attained the Dao and become an immortal. Then a cloud chariot will come to receive you and carry you aloft to the heavenly palace, where you will pay homage to the Supreme Emperor before the Primordial Light of the Old Man of the South Pole.

Laojun said: Sages cultivate “Bright Pearls” by visualizing and absorbing the sun’s vital essence; the worthy cultivate “Water Jade” by visualizing and absorbing the moon’s vital essence. Bright Pearls and Water Jade follow the same methods and principles. Cultivating Bright Pearls means taking in the sun’s essence: the left eye corresponds to the sun. Cultivating Water Jade means taking in the moon’s essence: the right eye corresponds to the moon.

Let your hair hang loose, sit upright, then lie on your back. Close your eyes and keep imagining yellow essence and red energy descending between your eyes, entering your mouth, and being swallowed. Repeat this twenty-seven times. This will clear the spirit and enable you to see in all eight directions. Next, visualize white energy rising from your lungs, passing through your throat into your mouth, and swallow it twenty-one times. This will clear the spirit, give the body a radiant glow, drive away evil influences, summon spirits, and bring a Jade Maiden to attend you. In this way you may attain long life and avoid the hundred ghosts.

Often visualize a small child within your body, dressed in crimson, living at the center of your heart. The center of the heart is where the spirits reside. Sometimes visualize a purple canopy in your heart, with a person standing beneath it, wearing a tall red hat. This will enable you to attain long life and avoid the hundred ghosts. At times, also visualize this person wearing a crimson robe, holding an arrow in the mouth and drawing a crossbow in the hands, with an angry expression. This will ward off calamities of war and enable you to command ghosts and spirits.

Fortieth Immortal

Often visualize purple clouds rising above the crown of your head, shaped like a carriage canopy or like rising fire, with patterns in five colors, stretching upward to meet the sky. Then use intention to spread them broadly until they join the sky, and bring them down together. Visualize yellow energy in the stomach, like an orange, suddenly growing larger and larger until it takes the shape of the sun. Then visualize the primordial energy of red and yellow forming a human figure below the eyes, and let the Dao’s energy spread through the limbs. Next, ascend to a high place and enter the sun. Some versions say “ascend to a terrace.” Then rise further to reach the Crimson Palace, where the heart spirit resides; the Purple Chamber, where the spirits dwell; and Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity.

Offer this prayer:

“Taiyi of the Northern Pole, I respectfully report to the gods: May you always keep my soul and spirit at peace, and prevent them from leaving the body of me, so-and-so.” What is described here is a presence that is natural and formless.

Forty-first Immortal

There are twelve kinds of Ghost Arrows, which can be used to ward off harm from weapons. Regularly visualize twelve numinous fungus stalks in the heart, reaching upward to connect with the lungs. Then use the mind to encircle them; this is called “Ghost Arrows.” If practitioners cultivate this often, weapons such as swords and spears will be unable to harm them, and malign forces will disperse on their own. Use this method to confront enemies from the four directions, casting off deceit and moving as swiftly as a flash of lightning. Whether the threat is weapons, blades and halberds, or gold and silver, the celestial gods will aid those who practice the righteous Way.

The Thunder Lord beats his drum; the Planet Venus shines with light; the White Emperor holds a crossbow; Chiyou makes weapons unable to wound; the Azure Dragon guards the gates; the Spirit of Wuyi stands in the courtyard; Shengshe and the Black Tortoise preside over the expulsion of calamities. The White Hare pounds the medicine, with a toad beside it; the Great One (Taiyi) blends the elixir, and Pengzu guards it for a long time. Swallow a knife-point measure—a tiny dose by ancient standards—and the face will glow, feathers will grow upon the body, and one will be able to pay homage to the Supreme Emperor. This practice enables the Qi of the gods to unite with the practitioner. Cultivate it with care and never slacken.

The Forty-Second Immortal

On the hour of Shen (3–5 p.m.) on a Gengshen day, one of the days in the sexagenary cycle, let the hair hang loose, point the head southwest, lie facing the direction of Shen, stretch out the body, and close the eyes. Visualize the lungs as upright, white, moist, bright, and translucent, with a numinous fungus growing within. Its stalk is as thick as the little finger, hollow and luminous inside, and extends downward to connect with the heart. Blue and red Qi flow up and down within the fungus, rising from the heart and entering the lungs. Continue visualizing until the hour of Shen has ended. The lungs are the body’s heaven, and the heart is the body’s sun. The Qi of the heart rises like the essence of red cinnabar. Before a person is born, life depends on this breath; without it, a person dies. This is called the “Way of Nature,” and it enables a person to commune with the spirits.

Frequently visualize a mass of bright red Qi in the heart, like the sun, with green within and black on the outside. The three together form De (Virtue/Power), corresponding to the laws of the Great Dao. The master said: Each morning, visualize the heart as bright red as the sun. Inside the sun is a person wearing a tall red headdress and a dark red robe. Once you see him, call out: “Heavenly Emperor Taiyi, revered deity of Daoism, please grant longevity to me, so-and-so, and make me a perfected person.”

Forty-Fourth Immortal

The method of returning Jing (essence) in the Crimson Palace, the inner palace corresponding to the heart: Frequently visualize the heart as bright red as the sun. Inside the sun is a person wearing a tall red headdress and a dark red robe. Once you see him, call out: “Heavenly Emperor Taiyi, please grant longevity to me, so-and-so, and make me a perfected person.”

Forty-Fifth Immortal

The Red Man of Primordial Yang, the red deity formed from the Qi of Primordial Yang, is Taiyi. The Lord of the Primordial Yang Way…

On the first and fifteenth days of each month, and on the last day of the lunar month, when the sun has just risen, let your hair hang loose, bind your head, and lie facing the sun. With both hands, rub downward from between the breasts to the pit of the stomach, repeating this nine times, then stop. Silently recite: “Divine head, return the spirit to the Crimson Palace; do not leave my body. Spirit, dwell peacefully in a quiet place and speak with me.” Recite this three times, then stop.

The master said: Rubbing between the breasts each time is done to make the breath flow freely up and down. Then rub the pit of the stomach while visualizing a small child; this is called “emptiness.” Perform the method of returning Jing to the Crimson Palace three times each month. This is a way to attain the path of the immortals.

The Primordial Yang Crimson Person is the Great One (the ruling deity within the body); the Primordial Yang Dao Lord is the Great One who dwells at the center; the Primordial Yang Child Cinnabar is my own self; the Primordial Yang Mysterious Radiance Jade Maiden is the mother deity of the Dao; the Primordial Yang August Person is the King of the Great One; and the Primordial Yang Dantian is the palace that stores Jing. The master said, “‘Primordial’ refers to Qi; ‘Yang’ refers to the sun. You should visualize a sun in your heart, with a Crimson Person inside it, wearing a tall red cap and a deep red robe.”

Next, visualize the Great White Bright Star in the gallbladder, its three beams of light illuminating one another. On the star is a person wearing a deep red robe and a crown of the Nine Virtues. The Dao Lord is in the center; to the left are Laozi and Zhongchengzi, and to the right are Taihe and Quwenzi. Together there are five, symbolizing that they are one and the same.

Then visualize a sun in the true yellow region above the spleen. Inside the sun are three people: the Dao Mother, Mysterious Radiance Jade Maiden, in the center; Huangshangzi to the left; and Zhonghuangzhi to the right. Next, visualize the perfected person Zidan in the stomach passage, seated upon the lungs, which are like pearls and jade. Clouds of golden Qi form a canopy, while a Jade Maiden and a young attendant serve nearby.

Then visualize the Great One in the navel, wearing a multicolored vermilion robe and a three-tiered crimson crown. A green person stands to the left, a white person to the right, a red person in front, and a black person behind. Next, visualize red Qi in the Dantian. Within it are three people: the Crimson Person in the center, a green person to the left, and a yellow person to the right. Red Qi surrounds them; the inner layer is green, the outer layer black, the upper part white, and the middle yellow. After completing the visualization, if you see something in the external world, it means that the Qi of the spirits has come to speak with you.

Forty-Sixth Immortal

Frequently visualize yellow Qi in the spleen rising to the mouth, then swallow it. Do this three or five times, then stop; you will feel full. This method can be used to abstain from food. It can also enable you, whether sitting or standing, to attain “extinction”—a term here referring to the practitioner’s form becoming invisible. The master said, “If, after completing this visualization as usual, you see something in the external world, it means that the Qi of the spirits has come to speak with you.”

Forty-Sixth Immortal

Regularly visualize yellow Qi in the spleen rising into the mouth, then swallow it. Stop after doing this three or five times, and you will feel full. Practicing in this way can ward off grain (allowing you to go without eating the five grains), and you can also suddenly leave this world while sitting.

The Master said: Regularly visualize a sun inside the spleen. Within the sun is a golden box, and inside the box are scrolls. One of the scrolls bears a square seal of yellow jade, three inches wide, inscribed with the words “Might and Joy.” Concentrate on visualizing it, and evil Qi will disperse on its own. If you can see and read the writing on the scroll, your mind’s apertures will open and your eyes will grow bright; you will become an immortal at once.

Forty-Seventh Immortal

Regularly visualize the stomach as pure white, like congealed fat, filled with yellow Qi in the Great Granary (the stomach’s image as an immortal realm). The Qi rises into the mouth; swallow it, and you will feel full.

The Master said: The stomach is the “Great Granary,” where all the gods eat and drink. Within it are a golden cauldron, golden rice, jade maidens, and young attendants who provide and serve them. For this reason, the stomach deity is called “Yellow Robe Child.” Visualize him, and you can summon the Traveling Kitchen (the divine kitchen that provides food on the road).

Forty-Eighth Immortal

The kidneys are the source of Original Qi (the Qi at the root of life). Regularly visualize white Qi between the kidneys, rising to the head and then descending to the soles of the feet and the tips of all ten toes. After circulating it through the whole body twelve times, stop. Your hands and feet will grow warm, enabling you to feel neither hunger nor thirst, to withstand the cold, and to keep from aging, with white hair turning black again. You should practice this visualization regularly.

Forty-Ninth Immortal

On the first and fifteenth days of each month, regularly visualize white vapor rising from between the kidneys, traveling upward to the center of the crown of the head, then downward to the soles of the feet. Visualize a multicolored spirit tortoise, its shell patterned like interwoven knotted cords. Above the tortoise is the Dark-Luminescent Jade Maiden; two divine beings sit facing one another. Before them is Taiyi, and behind them are the Dark Mystery Registrar of Life and the Director of Destiny. Together they deliberate over people’s life and death. Focus on this visualization for thirty breaths, then stop and recite: “Lords Registrar of Life and Director of Destiny, Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, please remove this person from the register of the dead and enter him in the register of long life.” Next, visualize the spirit tortoise breathing, exhaling old Qi and inhaling new Qi, and let your intention guide the practice. The white tortoise’s spirit Qi circulates throughout the body, warming the limbs. One must obtain kidney Qi for the spirit tortoise’s breathing method to bring life forth. Regularly practice this visualization on Jiazi and Renzi days, and you can attain longevity.

Fiftieth Immortal

At noon on a Jiawu day, visualize primordial Qi circulating throughout the body and warming the limbs. One must obtain kidney Qi for the spirit tortoise’s breathing method to bring life forth. Regularly practice this visualization on Jiazi and Renzi days, and you can attain longevity.

Fiftieth Immortal

At noon on a Jiawu day, let your hair hang loose and lie on your back with your head pointing south. Close your eyes. Visualize the center of the Dantian (the place within the body where Qi gathers), three inches below the navel, as yellow, with Qi inside it bright red and as large as a palm. Its outer layer is black, and beyond that is green. Above the navel, white Qi covers the area; this is lung Qi. On the left is green, and on the right is yellow, each about the size of a palm. These three kinds of Qi are the Qi of the liver, spleen, and lungs, respectively. The master said: The red within the Dantian is the Qi of the sun; the black outer layer is the Qi of Great Yin; and the green layer beyond it is the Qi of Lesser Yang. When the three kinds of Qi unite as one and guard one another, one can attain longevity.

The heart belongs to the void, and the kidneys belong to the Origin. The Qi of the void is clear and light, rising to become Heaven; the Qi of the Origin is settled and still, descending to become Earth and entering the Great Abyss, the place of depth and source. Thus, when the Qi of the void moves, it forms the exhalation; when the Qi of the Origin moves, it forms the sound “Om.” The heart is like the sun, the kidneys like the moon, and the spleen like the Northern Dipper. The Qi of the heart descends, and the Qi of the kidneys ascends. The two join as one, circulate through the limbs, and flow without end.

Thus it is said that the heart governs blood and the kidneys govern Qi. When the two join and circulate, this is called the pulse. The pulse is connected to a person’s hun and po, the soul aspects, and is also the form of a person’s life. Once the hun and po depart, a person’s life falls silent. Therefore, when the hundred pulses run dry, the breath ceases; when the breath ceases, the person dies.

For this reason, those who cultivate the Dao must preserve and nourish the spirit, protect the root, and augment the Original Qi. You must practice with all your strength, practice with all your strength, for your allotted lifespan is nearing its end. After attaining the Dao, perfected beings meet only once every eighteen thousand years; Daoist practitioners who attain the Dao meet once every thousand years. Therefore, the Central Scripture was written and left to later generations. The August Sovereign originally kept this book in a golden coffer. When Daoist practitioners obtain it, they must not pass it on, even if someone offers a thousand gold pieces.

Fifty-Second Immortal God

The Three Primordials—the three forces governing the movement and transformation of Heaven and Earth—converge on a Jihai day. The Three Primordials are Taiyi, Taiyin, and Palace Qi. All three begin their cycles from Jihai. Taiyi moves to the left, advancing by one earthly branch position each year; Harmful Qi moves to the right, passing through one of the four seasonal beginnings each year. Taiyin also moves to the right, advancing by one earthly branch position every three years and traversing one direction every nine years; it takes thirty-six years to complete all four directions. In the end, the Three Primordials all converge at the Hai position.

In a year when the Three Primordials converge, floods, droughts, warfare, and famine will all occur together. Yin and Yang Qi become obstructed and intertwined, stirring Heaven and Earth. The Qi of calamity spreads everywhere: moving across the land by day, it damages crops; entering the human body, it brings epidemics; harming grain, it causes food shortages and soaring prices. If you happen to live in such an age, it will be difficult to keep yourselves safe. How could you fail to seize the opportunity to practice the Dao?

In such an age, floods and droughts, locust plagues, and other disasters follow one another. The Five Grains fail, famine and prices rise, war breaks out everywhere, the people fall ill, and roads become impassable. People carry the elderly on their backs and lead the young by the hand as they flee elsewhere. If their parents, spouses, children, or siblings fall ill in an epidemic, they are overcome with grief. Some are even captured and made into slaves, with no idea where their homeland lies. Would it not be too late to begin learning the Dao then? I earnestly warn you: keep the gods in mind and cultivate Neidan, preparing well in advance. When disorder comes, stay clear of danger, retreat into hiding, and withdraw from the world. The Dao can be put openly into practice only when a wise ruler and a well-ordered age appear.

Thus, as Heaven and Earth pass through their cycles, a minor famine occurs every forty-five years, a more severe famine every ninety years, and a great famine every one hundred and eighty years. After three hundred and sixty years, an even greater famine will come. At five hundred years, sages will gather in small numbers; at one thousand years, holy ones will gather in small numbers; and at three thousand six hundred years, a great assembly of holy ones will gather. Every eighteen thousand years, perfected beings will briefly appear to govern; every thirty-six thousand years, supreme immortals will appear to govern. After three million six hundred thousand years, Heaven and Earth will undergo a great reunion.

At that time, primordial Qi will fill the undifferentiated chaos, and the myriad things will not yet have taken distinct forms. People will be unable to tell east from west or north from south. Humans may turn into birds and beasts, and birds and beasts may turn into humans. Perfected beings will dwell above the primordial Qi, while immortals will reside in distant, boundless realms. Those who practice the Dao will be treasured if they withdraw into seclusion.

The Fifty-Third Deity and Immortal

The Celestial Capital, Jingzhao, is located at the left end of Gouchen, a celestial office among the stars. It is titled Lord Ande. Together with the Northern Lord of Tian Taiyi, the deity who oversees the registers of heavenly destinies, it deliberates on and reckons the affairs of the gods, and governs human souls. Human souls converge at the Southern Pole: those whose names appear in the register of long life may extend their years, and the gods will jointly recommend them. Those whose names do not appear in the register will die; the god Siming, who governs human lifespans, will remove them from the rolls, and their souls will then converge at the Northern Pole.

When a person has earned merit through service to humanity, Heaven and Earth, and all things, their descendants will be wealthy, long-lived, distinguished, and prosperous. The person may be enfeoffed as a marquis and, after death, be reborn as a human being. There are three kinds of lack of virtue. The first is cruelty and violence that defy the seasons of Heaven and Earth. The second is cursing others, jealousy and resentment, sexual misconduct and excess, and disrespect toward the spirits of Heaven and Earth. The third is being unfilial and disloyal, stealing and plotting in secret, and framing or killing others. Those who commit these three kinds of offenses will have no descendants.

A person’s destiny is determined three times in life. It is determined again when children are brought together in marriage, when sons marry and daughters are given in marriage; and once more when moving house or arranging a burial. Those given an auspicious destiny will live long, and their descendants will be wealthy. Those given an inauspicious destiny will die, and their descendants will be poor and destitute. Since you live among human beings, how should you conduct yourself toward Heaven and Earth? The spirits deserve reverence and awe. In Heaven, the sun and moon, the Northern Dipper, and the twenty-eight lunar lodges are established, and the Five Planets govern them. The spirits of the Six Jia and Six Ding, among others, oversee affairs in the human world. If you do not know these things, you should certainly be mindful of their power.

There are also evil ghosts and spirits, household ghosts, inauspicious local shrine deities, the local gods of water and earth, Siming, the door and household gods, the well god, Qinghan, Taiyin Shu Du, and others, all of whom may harm people. To drive away evil influences and avoid ghosts, first wear Fulu, talismans and registers, and then take divine medicine. Fulu are tokens of Heaven and Earth; the medicine is a human elixir. It can strengthen one’s Qi and make the body light and robust. Then evil influences and ghosts and spirits will be unable to harm a person, who may thereby become an immortal. Ghosts are messengers of the gods; when they see a talisman that represents Heaven’s will, they will depart.

There are also spirits within the human body. The Yellow Lord Xia Li, courtesy name Dehuang, resides in the Central Pole of Youji Hamlet, Zhongji Township, in the Jingzhao Lodge. He is Taiyi, also known as the Jade Spirit Child. Wearing a five-colored vermilion robe, he commands and inspects the Yellow Spirits. Each year on the day of the autumn equinox, he checks and records the ranks of the gods. On the day before the equinox, the day itself, and the day after, a total of three days, one must remain indoors and not go out. Each day at cockcrow, visualize him. On ordinary days, summon him once and report to him; continue until before noon on the day of the equinox, completing three days.

For the practice, let your hair down, face northwest, and lie on your back with your body extended, where no one can see you. Tell your family beforehand not to make a sound. First observe a purification fast and bathe. On the appointed day, enter a quiet room and calm your mind. Begin with this prayer: “Your descendant, the humble Xiaozhao, so-and-so, loves the Dao and wishes to attain long life. Today is the autumn equinox. The Emperor of Heaven’s envoy, Lord Xia Li, descends and enters my body. Here, may he inspect and review all the gods, so that none can escape or scatter, and all may gather here.”

Then call out to him three times in succession. On the day of the autumn equinox and the day before and after, call out three times each day, nine times over the three days, stopping at noon. Then recite: “Registrar, Six Ding Jade Maidens, please remove so-and-so from the register of the dead and enter me in the jade calendar of long-lived immortals. Hasten, hasten, in accordance with the statutes and commands.” On that day, the Limitless Lord of the Emperor of Heaven will teach the response: “Granted.” Then bow forward, turn your body around, and bow again, giving thanks to the heavenly gods. With this, the practice for the whole body is complete.

Fifty-Four: Immortals

Would you like to know what perfected beings—those who have attained the Dao and risen beyond the ordinary into sagehood—and immortals are like? Immortals wear “cha yi” robes, and feathers grow on their bodies. Perfected beings cast no shadow and wear vermilion robes in five colors. They have no fixed dwelling: in spring they are in the east, in summer in the south, in autumn in the west, and in winter in the north. They also roam above famous mountains such as Kunlun, Penglai, and Daying, and above the Nine Regions; at times, they ascend to court and pay their respects to the Supreme Sovereign. After attaining the Dao, perfected beings can live for eighty million years. They ride in a carriage made of pearls, jade, and clouds, drawn by horses without limit; at times they ride six flying dragons and assist the Supreme Sovereign in governing affairs.

Those of the middle rank among the immortals can rise halfway to the sky, travel on clouds, and cross rivers and seas. Those of the lower rank are, in principle, meant to become immortal through corpse liberation—the transformation of a corpse that frees one from the mortal body. On the last day of each lunar month, they must assemble and pay their respects, without slackening; afterward, they are to become messengers of the spirits. The essentials of cultivation are the same for all; only the rank of their carriages and mounts differs.

The scripture says that at one hundred years of age, the hair turns yellow; at three hundred, raised bulges appear at the sides, and it also says that at three hundred years “all things become ears”; at four hundred, vertical lines appear on the face; at five hundred, the pupils become square; at six hundred, the ribs join together; at seven hundred, the bones become full; at eight hundred, “the young become sinews”; and at nine hundred, the ears grow long. A person who reaches a thousand years can ascend into the heavens, pay respects to the Supreme Sovereign Taiyi, and become an immortal. Perfected beings have double pupils—two pupils in each eye—and can therefore see clearly in all eight directions. Eating zhi mushrooms and taking elixirs can prevent aging. When a person reaches eighteen thousand years of age, they become a child again. Boys have an eight-year cycle of growth and girls a seven-year cycle; from then on, the cycle begins anew.

Fifty-Five: Immortals

Would you like to drive away all kinds of evil influences and ghosts, and see clearly in all eight directions? Eating zhi mushrooms and taking elixirs can prevent aging. When a person reaches eighteen thousand years of age, they become a child again. Boys have an eight-year cycle of growth and girls a seven-year cycle; from then on, the cycle begins anew.

To subdue all kinds of malign spirits, ghosts, monsters, and old things that have become spirits, one may carry talismans and a sharp sword, place them on a porcelain vessel filled with water in a pavilion, and look into the water to see their forms and shadows. If one suddenly encounters something strange while traveling, one may also use the light of the sun and moon to observe its shadow and identify what it is. Write a talisman to suppress evil in cinnabar and place it over water held in a porcelain vessel. When evil ghosts see it, they will retreat of their own accord.

All kinds of malign spirits and monsters—including dragons and snakes, tigers and leopards, domestic animals, foxes, fish, perch, turtles, flying birds, elk, and ancient trees—may become spirits and harass people. When this happens, use talismans and incantations to subdue and destroy them, then consign them to the River Earl, the water deity, and the Shrine Official, the local earth deity. Also summon the talisman envoy who is on duty that day, and have the Six Ding spirits guard the place and keep watch at night. The Left Script is included among the forty-nine perfected beings of the Jiawu Palace in the Eighty-One Scrolls of Mysterious Diagrams. The Seven Mechanisms of the Pearl Embryo and the Pure Vision of the Flower Canopy can also subdue malign spirits.

These four talismans are unsuitable for people who are impure to wear. Instead, one should wear talismans such as Weixi, Jusheng, Left Contract, Right Archer, Taiji, Taiqing, Taixuan, Yang Chapter, Reaching Heaven, Encompassing Primordial Qi, and Great Void. These are talismans of the Great Dao. They may be worn regularly to guard against all kinds of calamity, without any taboo.

The petition submitted in prayer reads: “August Heaven, Supreme Emperor, and the Most High Lord of the Dao, a disciple of low rank, Wang Jia, reveres the Great Dao and wishes to attain long life. May my wishes come as I desire, and may all things be as I will, without need for further words.”

The sealed petition reads: “August Heaven, Supreme Emperor; the Most High Lord of the Dao; the Lords Tianyi and Taiyi; the Lord of the Northern Thousand; the Lords of the Sun and Moon and of Yin-Yang; the Lord of Destiny, who governs lifespan; and the Lord of Records, who governs merits, faults, and registers: a disciple of low rank, Wang Jia, reveres the Great Dao and wishes to attain long life. Only the Lords of Destiny and Records can remove my name from the register of the dead, enter it in the Jade Register of Long Life and the register of immortals, and establish me as a perfected being.” On that day, the disciple so-and-so was appointed an envoy of Taiyi. He twice bowed as he received the commands of the Lord of the Dao of the August Sovereign and the Yellow Gate Child of the Center; he again bowed as he received the contract, sealed the talisman registers, and transmitted them. Before carrying out this rite, one should purify body and mind and absolve one’s offenses. Ordinarily, on the days of removal in the four seasons and on the days of the Eight Nodes, take wine and dried meat to the bank of an east-flowing stream to dispel one’s offenses. A south-flowing stream may also be used.

The Scripture of Immortals’ Mysterious Diagrams says: “Names, talismanic credentials, and the like are recorded in the fifty-five chapters of the Jade Register. They were originally kept in the Golden Coffer, Jade Tablets, and Jade Slips of the August Sovereign, and were securely sealed away. Practitioners who obtain them must be cautious and must not transmit them casually. Do not transmit talismans in exchange for money; transmit them only to a suitable person. Only then may you attain the Dao and become an immortal. I personally consult the two parts, upper and lower, of the Central Scripture from time to time, and I often send the Lord of Destiny to instruct the spirits and ghosts to protect you. Do not alter or omit any of my words without authorization. If even one character is missing, I will know. Be cautious. The talismans and the text that follows should be written in cinnabar exactly as I have instructed; this is my token of authentication.”

If you truly wish to become an immortal, you should first take such elixirs as the Reverted Elixir and Golden Liquor, and practice visualization while guarding the spirit. Then you can become an immortal immediately and take your place among the perfected beings. If you do not take divine elixirs and Golden Liquor, you must endure the hardships of cultivation yourself. You may also be attacked by ghosts of cold, heat, and wind; the Lord of Destiny will not save you, and the spirits of the Dao will be powerless to help.

Practitioners must also dress warmly and eat adequately, maintain emptiness and nonbeing, and follow nature. Even ghosts and spirits cannot keep people from dying. When one’s allotted lifespan comes to an end, one naturally dies. Why is this so? Because one has not firmly guarded the Primordial Spirit. Just as all things, after growing, eventually age, wither, and decay, so it is with human beings. I offer this principle to urge you: strive to seek a worthy teacher. The eighty-one disciples I instructed all became immortals. Ten of them dispersed among the people, practicing and seeking immortality as they traveled through the valleys. I passed through the eras of Qin and Xiang without appearing in the world, and emerged only in the Han dynasty, which corresponded to the age of the Yellow Emperor. To encounter me is a great auspice.

The lower volume of the Taishang Laojun Zhongjing is complete.

Editorial note on textual emendations: At the first location, “he” appears as “he” in the Yunji Qiqian edition. At the second, “ri” was added on the basis of the Yunji Qiqian edition. At the third, the original reading “gan” has been corrected to “fei” on the basis of the Yunji Qiqian edition. At the fourth, “qiang” appears as “kuang” in the Yunji Qiqian edition. At the fifth, “chang” appears as “dang” in the Yunji Qiqian edition. At the sixth, the text was originally missing “ju,” which has been added based on the context. At the seventh, the original reading “yun” has been corrected to “qu” on the basis of the Yunji Qiqian edition. At the eighth, “ju” appears as “qu” in the Yunji Qiqian edition. At the ninth, “qian” appears as “dou” in the Yunji Qiqian edition. The notes for the fourth through sixth locations are repeated in the original.