《重阳真人金关玉锁诀》

Someone asked, “What is the wondrous principle of cultivating the Dao?”

The Perfected Chongyang replied, “First, remove the vexations of ignorance—those that arise from not understanding how things work. Second, do not become attached to wine, sensual pleasure, wealth, or the urge to outdo others. This is the way of cultivation.

Within the body and mind, everyone possesses the principles by which Heaven and Earth operate. Heaven and Earth encompass and nourish the myriad things, which fill the space between them. Heaven and Earth are lofty, bright, vast, and boundless, yet the myriad things never obscure them. Those who cultivate should take Heaven and Earth as their model and meet all affairs with the same breadth of heart.

Someone challenged him: ‘Heaven grows dark, Earth quakes, mountains collapse, seas dry up, and the sun and moon wax and wane. People, too, fall ill and encounter the uncertainty of life. How can these things be brought under control?’

The Perfected Chongyang replied, ‘To bring these things under control, one must understand the Supreme One’s method of refining the Five Phases (a Daoist method of cultivation that refines the Five Phases).’”

Question: What is the Five Phases cultivation method?

Answer: First, one must observe the precepts and maintain inner stillness and purity. One should endure humiliation, be generous and forgiving, treat others with compassion, act honestly and do good, refrain from the ten evils, perform acts of kindness, aid living beings, remain loyal to the ruler, and show filial respect to one’s parents and teachers. These are the foundations of cultivation; only then should one practice the true methods.

In cultivation, one must first recognize the “east and west” within the body: Geng, Jia, Mao, and You. Next, one must recognize the “north and south” within the body: Kan, Li, lead, and mercury. These are Daoist terms that explain the changes of Yin-Yang through the inner body.

Geng, Jia, Mao, and You correspond to day and night and to the movement of Qi in the body. Jia and Mao belong to Liver Qi and correspond to the Beginning of Spring and the Spring Equinox; they manifest as saliva in the mouth. Geng and You belong to Lung Qi and correspond to the Beginning of Autumn and the Autumn Equinox; they manifest as fluid in the mouth. Kan and Li correspond to changes between cold and heat. The “lead” within Li refers to Heart Qi in the body and corresponds to the Beginning of Summer and the Summer Solstice; it manifests as blood. The “mercury” within Kan refers to Kidney Qi and corresponds to the Beginning of Winter and the Winter Solstice; it manifests as Jing (essence).

Jing gives rise to the po, or corporeal soul; blood gives rise to the hun, or ethereal soul. Jing concerns one’s nature, while blood concerns one’s life. Only by understanding the principles of nature and life can one be said to have grasped the true method of cultivation. Jing and blood are the foundation of the physical body; true Qi is the foundation of nature and life. Blood can nourish and generate true Qi. When true Qi is abundant and strong, life naturally endures, and Jing and blood gather into a formed substance.

Question: Since all people are human, why do some die earlier and others later?

Answer: Those who die early are sunk in desire and pleasure, and cling to external circumstances. Men thereby deplete their Jing, while women deplete their blood. By day, they are continually troubled by nameless anxieties; at night, they cannot dispel the “Three Corpses and Yin Demons”—Daoist symbols of impure forces within the body that cause illness and wear down body and mind. When men and women live this way, they face death prematurely.

Someone asked, “What kind of person can become immortal?”

The answer was: “Immortality means that a person’s body is clear and free of defilement, that they cherish and nourish the true Qi in the Dantian—the body’s vital energy—and that their essence and blood do not decline. Such a person can become immortal.”

Someone objected: “People today often pursue stillness, and some even stop living with their wives, yet they still fail to attain the Dao. Why is that?”

The answer was: “Though these people appear outwardly still, they have not understood the practice of true stillness. Their bodies may seem calm, but they cannot settle their essence and blood or nourish their vital energy. The body is still, but the mind is not; the person is quiet, but their intentions are unsettled. Have you not heard the Qingjing Jing say: ‘The Dao has clarity and turbidity, movement and stillness. Clarity is the source of turbidity; movement is the foundation of stillness’? The scripture also says, ‘Neither defiled nor pure.’ True stillness means having no tears in the eyes, no pus or mucus in the nose, and no saliva in the mouth; it means not transforming food and drink, and not passing urine or stool. Men must nourish their essence, and women must settle their blood. All harmful influences must be brought back to the proper course, and illness must not arise. Only then is the Dantian clear and still. The ‘stillness’ people speak of today is mostly a name without substance.”

Cultivation requires inner and outer things to correspond. Before discussing the Great Vehicle, one must first explain the Lesser Vehicle. The Heart Sutra says, “One can be small or great.” Before speaking of the past, we speak first of the present: the past is the result of cultivation, while the present is the process of practice. It is also said that even after practice is complete and the fruit fully realized, what is spoken of is still not the truth. Here, what is spoken of first is provisional; only the spiritual nature is true. The physical body, composed of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—is temporary and illusory. One should use this illusory body as the means of cultivation, attaining the real so that the two can resonate and unite. The essential teaching says: The ease and well-being of this present body belong to the Lesser Vehicle, yet they are the foundation for accomplishing the Great Vehicle.

“First arousing the aspiration to practice” belongs to the Lesser Vehicle, while the result of successful cultivation belongs to the Greater Vehicle. The Lesser Vehicle is the root and the Greater Vehicle the branch: they depend on each other, and the branch grows from the root. Practitioners should understand where the human body comes from and what gives rise to nature and life. Both arise through the transformation of Yin-Yang: the father’s essence and the mother’s blood, which together are the body’s foundation.

Some people today practice cultivation but fail to cherish their father’s essence and mother’s blood. They dissipate their true Qi and damage their original Yang—the Yang energy inherent in the human body—and so gradually grow old. Aging brings illness, and severe illness ends in death. Since life has an end, why not find ways to nourish and maintain it? The true Dao is emptiness that contains substance, and substance that contains emptiness. The Jing says, “The great Dao has no form, yet gives birth to Heaven and Earth; the great Dao has no name, yet nurtures the myriad things.” Those born from their true nature are the same.

In ancient times, Lord Lao refined and transformed Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, leaving behind subtle teachings in three levels. Every practice can lessen wrongdoing, and every subtle teaching concerns longevity. The first and highest level is “Immortals Embracing the One”; the second, middle level is “A Prosperous State and a Peaceful People”; the third and lowest level is “A Strong Army and Victory in Battle.”

Someone asked, “What does ‘Immortals Embracing the One’ mean?” “Embracing the One” means holding to the foundation of the human body and of all under Heaven. The One is also the foundation of the myriad things—that is, the Dao. The original One is true Water: Qi arises within Water, and Water is present within Qi. The myriad things are born from the One and nourished by it. “The One gives birth to Two, Two give birth to Three, and Three give birth to the myriad things.” From this unfold the four kinds of wisdom and five kinds of vision; the six faculties are set in motion, the seven Po souls are swept away, the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) are set turning, and the nine kinds of reflection are expounded in the search for the true Dao. In the end, one attains perfect integration through the fruit of freedom from leakage. When the mind is focused, Shen and Qi naturally settle. Keep them constantly in the Dantian (the cultivation site in the lower abdomen), guard the original Qi—the energy at the source of life—and do not let it dissipate. This is the method of “Embracing the One.”

The generation of the myriad things relies on the “three centers,” the “four powers of wisdom,” and the “five eyes.” From these arise the six faculties—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—which sweep away the seven Po souls, a conception of vital spirit set against the Hun soul. The Eight Trigrams are set in motion, and one then cultivates the “true Dao of nine reflections.” Through a state free of leakage, merit is brought to completion and all teachings are integrated. Focused visualization steadies the spirit and intention, keeping them constantly in the Dantian, the inner-cultivation site in the lower abdomen. Embrace and guard the original Qi, the primordial, innate breath, and do not let it dissipate. This is the method of “embracing the One”: single-mindedly guarding the original Qi.

Someone asked, “What does it mean to enrich the state and secure the people?” The formula says: Within the bodies of both men and women lie the “nine rivers and four seas”; in the Dragon Palace’s treasury are stored the seven precious things and eight treasures. Do not let the six thieves—the six inner desires that disturb body and mind and dissipate vital essence and Qi—steal them. This is what it means to enrich the state and secure the people.

Question: What is meant by “strengthening the troops and winning the battle”?

Answer: Few people in the world understand the true way of victory. It is a method commonly used in cultivation, yet it is not easy to grasp.

Some may ask: If this is a teaching of clarity and stillness, why speak of winning a battle?

The answer is that people today do not understand the way of victory, and so cannot properly treat illness and various imbalances. “Winning the battle” means, first, overcoming and dispelling nameless afflictions; second, driving back the Three Corpses and yin demons in nocturnal states. The Three Corpses are spirits within the body that Daoism says obstruct cultivation; yin demons are dark, delusive visions. Third, it means overcoming the many attachments that arise from the myriad teachings. This is the way of victory in cultivation. If one understands the principles of the Three Vehicles—the Lesser, Middle, and Greater Vehicles—one can turn calamities and afflictions into blessings.

Cultivators should make clarity and stillness their foundation. The Greater Vehicle begins with cultivating the Lesser Vehicle. Clarity and turbidity are not wholly separate, nor can movement and stillness be divided from each other: movement can arise within stillness, and even within turbidity there is the potential for clarity. These principles show that cultivating the Greater Vehicle still requires beginning with the foundations.

Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, water and fire, Yin and Yang: together, these embody the true Dao. A scripture says that pure Yang alone cannot give birth, and pure Yin alone cannot foster growth; only when Yin and Yang are harmonized can the myriad things come into being. Yet some people who cultivate the Dao today do not cultivate this true Dao. The Dao is the way of understanding the principles of nature and life, which are connected to a person’s Jing, blood, and Qi. All kinds of illness damage life. Illness does not always mean that the five organs themselves are at fault; rather, it can result from the depletion of the Three Treasures: Jing, Qi, and blood. To live in peace and attain longevity, one must keep the mind clear and still.

Those who have not left home and were unable to cultivate the way of clarity and stillness in their youth may still advance from the Lesser Vehicle to the Middle and Greater Vehicles. Initially, understanding the principles of the teachings and awakening the aspiration for the Dao is the Lesser Vehicle; gaining some realization is the Middle Vehicle; fully understanding the principles is the Greater Vehicle. A scripture uses three cities as a metaphor: the first is the City of Transformation, the second the Silver City, and the third the Golden City. Cultivation is also like a great tree: first it grows roots, and only later do its branches and shoots emerge. One should cultivate clarity and stillness in daily life; this is the fundamental, correct path.

Someone asked, “If the whole body has already become pure and still, but one encounters what is called a ‘day of the heavenly demons,’ how should one respond? And if one encounters the heretical ‘Bo Xun,’ what should one do?”

The reply was: “‘Bo Xun’ refers to states arising from the outer world. All kinds of states may appear. The key is to know when to advance and when to withdraw, and to distinguish the clear from the turbid in the three essentials. If Yin and Yang become entangled, use the method of ‘adding Fire to Water’ to make the turbid Qi recede, so it does not press upon and consume the clear Qi.

“The oral instruction says: ‘If the demon host attacks, quickly prepare three thousand elite soldiers.’ The ‘three thousand well-trained, resolute soldiers’ refers to one’s own Qi. Let the Qi gather continuously without allowing it to dissipate. Count a thousand breaths, store the Qi in the Dantian (the Neidan cultivation site below the navel), and keep it warm rather than letting it grow cold. Then the fetal immortal—a term for an attainment of internal alchemy—will form naturally. This is a wondrous method. If practitioners can do this, they can continue accumulating true merit until their cultivation is complete, attaining peace and long life. Anyone cultivating merit must be prepared and vigilant when danger arises.”

Someone asked, “How should one respond?”

The reply was: “When a person faces danger, the signs of death appear first.”

The questioner asked, “What are the signs of death?”

The oral instruction says: “The pillar of Heaven trembles; trees fall and mountains collapse. The six spirits—the person’s mental and bodily functions—fall into disorder, and nature and life can scarcely be preserved. The spirit grows dazed, Heaven and Earth darken, and the sun and moon lose their radiance. These are the signs of impermanence, or death. The body with outflows, still burdened by afflictions, desires, and imperfections, is like being in hell; the fruit without outflows, in which afflictions have been cut off and purity brought to completion, is like being in heaven. One should rely on this body with outflows to cultivate and realize the fruit without outflows. Those whose cultivation reaches completion will ultimately attain the fruit of the Dao together.”

Someone asked, “If the white ox is about to leave, how can it be restrained?” The instructions reply: “When the white ox is about to depart, tightly close the Mysterious Pass (the gate used in cultivation to gather Jing and Qi and guard the inner point of passage), and firmly secure the Four Gates (the apertures that prevent Jing and Qi from leaking out). Quickly use the method of fishing handed down by the ancients, form the hand seal of the Three Islands (a Daoist hand gesture associated with the ‘Three Islands’), visualize the Yellow River flowing upstream, close the Golden Pass, and draw shut the Jade Lock. As swiftly as a person blinks, the white ox will naturally not leave. This is called the method of ‘the mechanism emerging from the water and ascending to the other shore.’”

The text then says there are ten methods for stabilizing and maintaining nature and life, and lists three: first, “Stabilizing the Golden Pass and Jade Lock”; second, “Stabilizing the Three Islands, restoring life and exchanging death”; and third, “Stabilizing the Nine-Bend Yellow River as it flows upstream.” These are all methods for attaining the perfected fruit of non-leakage and, together, realizing the immortal path.

Once the treasure (the Jing, Qi, and other vital substances to be guarded in cultivation) has been stabilized, do not let the waist and legs become stiff or sluggish, or the eyes grow dim. This is called “Stabilizing the Jade Lock.” The second method is called “Stabilizing the Three Islands, restoring life and exchanging death”; the third is called “Stabilizing the Nine-Bend Yellow River as it flows upstream.” Those who attain the perfected fruit of non-leakage can all realize the immortal path together. Once the treasure has been stabilized, avoid sluggishness in the waist and legs and dimness in the eyes. This, too, is a method for stabilizing and maintaining the Three Treasures (Jing, Qi, and Shen).

Someone asked, “When the Three Treasures of Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) have been gathered and stabilized, where should they be moved and placed?” First, use the method called “Reeds Piercing the Knees.” Once Qi is full, direct it toward the Treasure Furnace Bone, then guide it to the Yongquan points to nourish both feet. After that, practice the method of “Seven Returns to Restore the Elixir.” If Qi becomes stagnant in the waist and legs, practice the “Iron Cart and Black Ox” exercise, then open the “Execution Gate.” If original Qi is already abundant and strong, first practice the method of “Flying the Golden Crystal Behind the Elbows.” If you do not practice this method, do not practice “Piercing the Knees” or “Seven Returns to the Three Islands”; instead, practice “Moving Jing Behind the Elbows to Nourish the Brain” in the hope of attaining long life and immortality.

People nowadays often focus on the upper body while neglecting the lower, like a child building a tower without laying a firm foundation. Qi in the middle of the body must also be made full and stable. Then, in the Kan Palace—the area associated with Kidney Water and the lower Dantian (energy center)—use the sheep cart, deer cart, and great ox cart to carry the treasure up from Mount Jing.

The formula speaks of Mount Jing and Bian He. While gathering firewood on Mount Jing, Bian He saw a phoenix settle on a stone. Realizing the stone contained a treasure, he presented it to the ruler. The ruler grew angry and had both his feet cut off. Here, Bian He symbolizes “knowing,” that is, the mind; the rough stone symbolizes the body; the phoenix symbolizes a form condensed from true Qi; the jade symbolizes the marrow within the bones; and the cutting off of the feet symbolizes failing to use the “Piercing the Knees” method. The formula also says that one who excels at stillness is called “the treasure completed in the lower origin.” At this point, as the sun and moon respond to each other, use the three carts to carry the treasure to the summit of Kunlun, at the crown of the head.

It is lamentable that people today can talk about methods but do not truly practice them; they can recite formulas but do not understand their secrets. In practice, let the heart and spirit take part in the circulation, without making the mind deliberately stir. Many people today have lost their way and fail to cultivate the body. First, the nature of Shen is like a great ox cart: a blue ox pulls it, and the cart carries the treasure. This is called the deer cart. Second, a white ox pulls the cart, which carries the treasure. Third, when warm Qi flows vigorously, it is the sheep cart, pulled by a red ox and likewise carrying the treasure. As the three carts move, they first set out from the tail gate of Mount Jing, at the lower end of the spine near the coccyx; along the way, they enter the axis of the earth, then pass through the Heavenly Gate, a pass along the body’s inner cultivation route.

From Shenshu, an acupuncture point in the lower back, descend through the two passes and enter the legs, reaching what is called the “Cao Creek Ground.” The Jiaji points, located on either side of the spine, mark the two passes. Then guide the Qi mechanism upward through the Upper Garden and the rocky watershed, also called Tiantai Ridge. This stage is also known as “the woman’s transport of the treasure.” Place frankincense in front and continually apply the True Fire, the term for the movement of the Qi mechanism in internal cultivation.

It is said that practicing this method for a year can bring a woman to a state like that of a young boy. During cultivation, visualize two pearls of lead and mercury—symbolic terms in Neidan—and send them toward Penglai. This opens the back of the head, allowing the Heavenly Gate, an opening at the crown, to open of itself and reveal rosy clouds. True Qi enters the Sea of Marrow, where the brain’s marrow resides, and warms it; it is also said to turn white hair black again. This method is called “Flying the Golden Crystal from Behind the Elbow.”

The master said, “People see the one drawing water from the well, but not the one using the rope.” This saying illustrates that some effects of cultivation can be seen while others are hard to perceive. Even in young people, the body’s Spirit Water—a cultivation term for bodily fluids—returns to the Dantian.

Begin the practice at the zi or wu hour. Sit cross-legged and rub your hands together. If you feel the True Qi as though it were being cooked within the body, let it pass through the Heavenly Bridge, here referring to the area of the face, mouth, and nose, and then across the forehead. Next, guide the Qi mechanism with the mind so that it divides and flows between the upper and lower jaws: the Qi of the sun descends to the cheeks, then rises to the teeth. Gather the fluids from the left corner of the mouth to the right. These fluids are also called “mysterious pearl sweet dew.” Stir them with the “Red Dragon,” meaning the tongue, to distribute them evenly, then rinse and swish them in the mouth until they become as white as snowflakes and taste sweet.

The mouth is called the “channel of eight-colored glazed glass,” within which is “water of eight flavors in one.” Eight forms of consciousness can arise from this water. The mouth holds True Qi, which divides into the Eight Trigrams: Gen corresponds to the beginning of spring, Zhen to the spring equinox, Xun to the beginning of summer, Li to the summer solstice, Kun to the beginning of autumn, Dui to the autumn equinox, Qian to the beginning of winter, and Kan to the winter solstice. Each of the Eight Trigrams is further divided into Yin and Yang, and within Yin and Yang there are further divisions of cold and heat.

The mnemonic says: swallowing the fluids belongs to Yin, and circulating the breath afterward belongs to Yang; Yin and Yang, water and fire, must be balanced and coordinated. Divide the clear fluids into three portions, swallowing two or three mouthfuls each time.

One should always preserve some bodily fluids so that the body does not become depleted. Some also say that these fluids should be treasured and never allowed to run dry like a river cut off at its source.

Someone then asked for the key to “Seven Returns,” a term used in Neidan practice. The answer was: swallow the “divine water” in the mouth—that is, bodily fluids—and send it to where Qi gathers. Then guide it in the mind to the lungs, where it transforms into fluids and can help relieve various kinds of cough. It gradually nourishes the Po, a spiritual aspect that contributes to the body’s vital activity. It is also said that swallowing the fluids into the heart can bring clarity and understanding. This is also called “the divine water that washes the heart”: it cleanses the mind and reveals one’s nature. The “Ode on Washing the Heart and Seeing One’s Nature” says, “See the five-petaled flower bloom; step by step, ascend to the Immortal Terrace.” Divine water can also transform into blood.

Swallow the divine water into the liver. Since the liver belongs to Wood, it is symbolically called the “Azure Dragon.” The dragon thrives when it receives water. This method helps nourish the eyes, and Qi transforms into fluids. Next, swallow the divine water into the spleen. The spleen belongs to Earth; when Earth receives water, it can produce the “Yellow Sprout,” a metaphor in Neidan practice for the sprouting of vitality.

The abdomen contains the large and small intestines, which coil through nine bends. One inch and three tenths inward from the navel is a square space, one inch across, called the Dantian—the inner site cultivated in Neidan practice. Its directions correspond to colors: green to the left, white to the right, red to the front, black to the back, and yellow to the center, associated with Wu and Ji. Within the Dantian is a palace called the “Yellow Court,” and inside the palace is a furnace called the “Elixir Furnace.” A golden cauldron sits atop the furnace. True fire is continually added below, while divine water is continually added above. Here, water and fire refer to Kan and Li, symbols of the intermingling of water and fire in Neidan practice.

Water and fire are also divided into sovereign fire, ministerial fire, and people’s fire. Together, the three make the true flavor; they refer respectively to the heart, nature, and intention. If people today cannot understand these three, they will not grasp the first flavor, will fail to comprehend the second, and will be unable to bring the third to fruition as wisdom and attainment of the Dao. Those who understand all three can reach the “Three Clarities and Six Powers,” a Daoist state of insight and spiritual powers.

When advancing the fire, water washes and refines from above, while fire tempers from below. The scripture says that fire emerges below the body and water above it. The upper and lower parts join and close, bringing Heaven and Earth together. Then let the dragon coil around the golden cauldron and the tiger encircle the Dantian: this is the subtlety of cultivation. This method is called “furnace, knife, and measuring scoop washing.” Fire tempers from below, so that fire arises beneath the body and water above; the upper and lower parts join like Heaven and Earth in union, while the dragon coils around the golden cauldron and the tiger encircles the Dantian.

This is called “Lú Dāoguī.” It is said that those who practice this method can enjoy lasting peace and happiness and prolong their lives.

Someone asked, “Since it is called Dāoguī, why do people also speak of ‘one grain of Dāoguī,’ ‘drinking Dāoguī oneself,’ and ‘Iron Separation Dāoguī’?”

The formula says that all three kinds of Dāoguī are treasures, referring to a person’s Jing, Qi, and blood. “One grain of Dāoguī” refers to saliva and other bodily fluids. “Drinking Dāoguī oneself” means swallowing the fluids in the mouth and taking in the breath. “Iron Separation Dāoguī” refers to true Qi, the body’s original vital energy. By practicing without slackening, one can bring all manner of harmful influences back into alignment with the proper way. When hungry during practice, one “eats golden rice”; when thirsty, one “drinks jade nectar.” When feeling cold, one replenishes Fire; when feeling hot, one uses Water. Here, “Fire” means the Qi of true Yang, and “Water” means the Qi of true Yin. This method concerns drawing out, adding, and regulating. “Drawing out” means gathering true Qi from the upper body; “adding” means bringing warm Qi up from below and sending it into the Dantian, the place where Qi gathers during internal cultivation. The formula says that when the kidneys are warm, all illnesses will disappear.

Someone asked, “Why do men and women sometimes suddenly fall ill, or even die?”

The reply was: When men and women become consumed by desire for pleasure and attachment to external circumstances, they continually give rise to nameless troubles during the day. If, in the quiet of night, they still cannot dispel the ‘Three Corpse Yin Ghosts’—Daoist symbols for the baleful influences within the body that obstruct cultivation—they will deplete their own foundations. Men deplete their Jing and Qi; women deplete their blood and Qi. As the Three Treasures of Jing, Qi, and blood are lost, original Yang, the Yang Qi at the root of life, also weakens, making illness and premature death more likely. The scripture uses a house as a metaphor: a person is like a leaky house. If its owner does not make repairs, the palace will collapse and its beams and pillars will be damaged.

Someone objected, “Why do some young children, though quiet and free of desire and without having depleted the Three Treasures, still fall ill and die young?”

The reply was: This may be because the mother’s Qi and blood were depleted, leaving the fetus with insufficient fetal Qi after ten months in the womb. The child may also have been affected by external pathogenic influences such as wind, licentiousness, summer heat, and dampness, or by a failure to observe the necessary precautions in the ‘Four Gatherings.’ For these reasons, children too may fall ill and die young.

Question: Why are some people good-looking while others are not?

Answer: The scripture links a person’s appearance to the vital energy of the parents and to the time of day and month when conception occurs. It says that if the parents’ two vital energies respond to the sun and moon at conception, and this happens “before the hour of Wu and after the hour of Chou,” the child will have a dignified appearance, a long life, and clothes, food, and income. A person with a dignified appearance will also be loved by their parents. If conception occurs “after the hour of Wu and before the hour of Chou,” the child may have an ungainly appearance, or suffer from illness, deafness, loss of speech, or other conditions. Their temperament may also displease others, and they may face hardship, lack food and clothing, and have a short life. The scripture calls this the root of creation and transformation. Here, “the parents’ two vital energies” refers to the vital energy of both parents, while “conception” means becoming pregnant. These claims reflect the scripture’s explanation of childbirth and destiny.

Question: How should one respond when faced with a hostile adversary or demonic obstruction?

Answer: One should remain calm and clear, find a quiet moment amid the bustle, and settle the mind during that moment. When hardship arises, withdraw from it promptly. To steady the mind and spirit, use the method called “filling the mind with images”: quickly gather the attention at the upper Mudball, the upper Dantian in the head, and let the mind and spirit sit peacefully in the Palace of Spirit. Imagine immortal men and women before you playing celestial music, then click the teeth together to gather and contain your thoughts. Next, visualize Mount Kunlun appearing before you, along with oxen, sheep, deer, horses, jade rabbits, and other creatures. Make these images clear and hold them firmly in the mind.

Then visualize a jeweled tree above you, blossoming and bearing fruit. Imagine plucking a fruit and swallowing it. The scripture says that consuming this fruit brings lasting peace and happiness, prolongs life, and leads to longevity. This is the practice of the Orthodox Way; its essential point can be grasped in a single sentence.

The instructions in the section “Great Prison, Guarding the Four Gates” say: Let the Qi of the Sea of Blood and the Gate of Life become settled. Do not recklessly stir the mechanisms of opening and closing; keep Jing and Qi settled. Do not dwell on objects in the outer world, and the spirit and attention will become settled. The loss of essence and blood affects a person’s life and destiny; focused attention is the true master. The teeth are called the “Mysterious Gate.” Keeping the Dantian closed is called the “Lower Mysterious Gate.” Raising “Golden Essence” to the upper part of the body is called the “Golden Gate,” and pressing the teeth tightly together is called the “Jade Lock.” Keeping the six faculties—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—still is called the “Six Crossings,” also known as the “All-Gates.” Drawing Qi downward is called “Bridling the Yang Pass”; lifting the upper jaw is called “Raising the Yang Pass”; the nose is called the “Heavenly Gate”; and the cheeks are called the “Twin Gates.” During practice, open all these gates together. When the spirit is still, the attention does not scatter. Because the mind is naturally elusive and difficult to settle, this is a method of clear and tranquil cultivation.

In any season, if a child’s urine is yellow, the scripture regards this as a sign that the Dantian is depleted and the Lower Origin—the vital Qi stored in the lower part of the body—has lost its true Qi. One should promptly use the method called “Passing Through the Nine Bends,” also known as “Nine Turns Through the Small Intestine.” It is said that this allows true Qi to penetrate the Kidney Hall nine times, so that the urine naturally becomes clear and the whole body finds peace and ease.

Question: What is the method of the Three Vehicles?

Answer: “Nine Turns Through the Small Intestine” allows true Qi to penetrate the Kidney Hall nine times. The urine naturally becomes clear, and the whole body finds peace and ease.

Someone asked, “What are the methods of the three vehicles?”

The answer: The lower vehicle is like a newborn infant; the middle vehicle is like a small child sitting on the ground; the upper vehicle is like a small child who has begun to walk. By understanding all three vehicles, one can transcend the Three Realms: the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm. This means that mind, nature, and intention fully manifest the Three Bodies: the Pure Dharma Body, the Complete Reward Body, and the Samadhi Transformation Body.

Each of the three vehicles manifests different miraculous signs. In the first assembly, the Most High—an honorific title for Daoism’s supreme deity—refined Wood of the Eastern direction, associated with the Heavenly Stems Jia and Yi. This was called the “Assembly of the Empty Altar.” Lao Jun, the Old Lord, wore blue robes and guided three thousand blue-robed Daoist priests. He transmitted thirty-six sections of the Blue Spirit and Yellow Scroll, the Venerable Scripture of Numinous Treasure, along with the Nine-Turn Elixir and the method of passing a yellow sprout through the knee.

In the second assembly, the Buddha Shakyamuni left behind a method for refining Fire of the South, associated with the Heavenly Stems Bing and Ding. Wearing a cassock of blazing fire, he guided three thousand red-clad youths and bhikshu monks. He transmitted twelve sections of the Venerable Mahayana Scriptures, the method of shooting through nine layers of iron drums, and the method of passing a reed sprout through the knee.

The third assembly is the Three Assemblies of the Dragon Flower. At the school in the state of Lu, Confucius refined Metal of the West, associated with the Heavenly Stems Geng and Xin. He guided three thousand lay followers dressed in white and left behind the ten scrolls of the Analects, along with the methods of threading the nine-curved luminous pearl and passing a reed sprout through the knee.

The Three Teachings—Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—are like the three legs of a tripod. Though each is different, in the end they return to one and the same; none departs from the true Dao. To put it another way, they are like three branches growing from the same tree.

Someone asked, “How many ranks of immortals are there within the Great Dao?”

The reply was: According to the Collection on Transmitting the Dao, immortals are divided into five ranks. The first is the ghost immortal: one who observes no precepts, avoids neither alcohol and meat nor killing, and gives no thought to doing good. The second is the earthly immortal: one who regulates and nourishes the true Qi in pursuit of longevity. The third is the sword immortal: one who delights in warfare. The fourth is the spirit immortal: one who attains this state through seated meditation and cultivation. The fifth is the celestial immortal: one who honors teachers and parents, widely practices the “six perfections and myriad practices” (a Buddhist term for many forms of cultivation and virtuous action), and uses every suitable means to aid living beings; who puts an end to the ten evils (the ten kinds of wrongdoing in Buddhism), does not kill, drink alcohol, or eat meat, and commits neither sexual misconduct nor theft; and whose conduct accords with Heaven’s intent and is upright and selfless. Such a person is called a celestial immortal.

The moment one first arouses a good intention is an auspicious place, and the starting point for those who cultivate good practices. The scripture then discusses prohibitions: men and women should keep themselves quiet and restrained in the fifth and sixth lunar months, especially avoiding sexual relations. They should also remain quiet and restrained in the eleventh and twelfth lunar months. Men in particular should avoid intimacy with women during the fifth and sixth months, or they may suffer the “five strains and seven injuries” (a traditional medical term for various forms of exhaustion and bodily harm). The scripture says this harms the man’s life and damages the woman’s Jing, blood, and Qi; severe injury may lead to partial paralysis or red or white vaginal discharge. The depletion of the true Qi of the Five Phases is called “strain,” while damage to the seven treasures is called “injury.” Each illness has its own cause.

Someone asked, “Where do illnesses come from?”

The reply was: Illnesses arise when the seasonal climate is out of balance at the “eight seasonal nodes” (the eight key points in the annual solar calendar).

Someone asked, “What are the eight evils?”

The reply was: When the Yin-Yang movements associated with the Bagua fall out of balance, they produce inauspicious Qi at the eight seasonal nodes, exposing people to harmful influences. Hunger, overeating, exhaustion, wind, cold, heat, dampness, and other conditions are also causes of illness; hunger and similar conditions may themselves be brought on by the inauspicious Qi of the eight seasonal nodes.

Question: What are the “Eight Evils”? The answer is: When the movements of Yin and Yang in the Eight Trigrams become obstructed, they give rise to climatic changes at the eight seasonal nodes. If these changes cause people to be assailed by pernicious influences, these are called the “Eight Evils.” Practicing cultivation is unsuitable when one is hungry or overfull, excessively tired, or exposed to wind, cold, summer heat, or dampness. Hunger can bring on pain; after eating too much, the body feels unwell; excessive exposure to cold can cause worry and distress. Nor should one practice after a long journey on foot and the fatigue it brings, or when the body’s heat and cold are out of balance and one feels as if drunk. Otherwise, this may develop into a serious illness. Cultivate when both mind and body are calm and clear.

During practice, gather the “Jade-Liquid Elixir” on the tongue—that is, saliva in the mouth; gather the “Original-Yang Elixir” in the nose—the primal Qi contained in the breath; and gather the “Golden-Liquid Elixir” in the hall of the kidneys—the Jing and Qi produced through internal refinement. When Jing and marrow are abundant and the bones are strong, the sinews and bones will not slacken even after a hundred years. This is called “Linking the Child and Ringing the Bones.”

The “Twenty-Four Taboos of the Great Elixir” refers to the prohibitions associated with the twenty-four solar terms of the year. Practitioners should report to their master, sincerely seek the secret instructions, and quiet their thoughts. They should also be willing to give up precious possessions. First comes giving one’s body in charity; second, presenting flowers to one’s master; third, preparing food as an offering to the master.

Giving one’s body in charity means being willing to risk one’s life to help a teacher or parent in danger. Presenting flowers to one’s master means that even when a teacher reprimands or scolds you, you should accept it gladly, respond with a smile, and show no anger. Preparing food as an offering means giving the master the best food first. These three acts are called the “Three Offerings.”

An Immortal said, “Only by remaining steadfast can one cultivate the Dao; only with a joyful heart can one form good karmic ties.” If you do not seek a teacher with diligence and sincerity, how could you attain the Dao? Lü Weng (Lü Dongbin) said, “Without a master’s guidance, this matter is difficult to understand.” He also said, “Some people attain understanding on their own without studying; but if they study and then refuse to follow their master, that is called stealing what they have learned—a thief among those who cultivate the Dao.” Concealing the teachings passed down by the ancestral masters and one’s own teacher may shorten one’s life, leaving one no different from an ordinary person. To boast of one’s attainments is to abandon cultivation and fall into affectation. Can such a person attain the Dao?

Those who slight their teachers and neglect the teachings are unfit to be masters. If someone has not yet learned how to cultivate, but makes helping others their first concern and says this is a way to save themselves, can they really attain the Dao through such merit alone? Such a person disrespects the teacher and the teachings, and is unfit to be a master.

Before undertaking spiritual practice, one must first learn to help others. In doing so, one also saves oneself, for practitioners should rely on merit to cultivate the Dao (the Way). Practitioners each recognize a founding ancestor, a lineage patriarch, and a guiding canon: the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) as the ancestor, Śākyamuni Buddha as the patriarch, and Master Kong (Confucius) as the guiding canon—that is, the principles or authority on which practice rests.

Since the Three Teachings—Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—fell silent, all beings, women and men alike, have seemed to suffer in the river of sensual desire, drifting and sinking in a sea of bitterness. They endure all kinds of affliction and are trapped in the cycle of rebirth through the Six Realms. To keep beings from sinking further, the sacred lords of the Three Teachings and the holy mothers of the Three Realms descended to save them. The names of all beings, women and men, were recorded and made clear; a seal of longevity was then used as proof, and each name was checked in turn.

The commentary explains: “one body” refers to a person who has fully received the precepts. Awakening to the Dao in one’s heart and understanding its principles is called “fire.” The Scripture of the Wish-Fulfilling Seal says that when the wish-fulfilling jewel seal—a mark symbolizing the fulfillment of one’s wishes and the manifestation of merit—emerges from the heart, it becomes a name. The “Ten Titles” correspond to ten kinds of good conduct and are also called the titles of the “Able One”: the first is Primordial Cultivation; the second, Turning to Clarity; the third, Penetrating the Three Realms; the fourth, Longevity; the fifth, Light Manifested; the sixth, Intent Communicated; the seventh, Lord of the Whole Body; the eighth, Increase of Blessings and Emoluments; the ninth, Heavenly Primordial Cultivation; and the tenth, the Able One. Add to these the ten titles inherent in one’s own nature, and untainted merit will come naturally to completion.

The Three Teachings adapt their instruction to the circumstances of living beings, yet none departs from the Dao. The ancients said that the greatest matter in the world concerns nature and life. Practitioners face the suffering of birth, aging, illness, and death. Many people today do not understand the true Dao and often cling to emptiness, only to fall into stillness and void. If they cannot even understand what is happening in the present, how can they speak of the past?

It is also said that the Scripture of Bodhidharma teaches: “What happened in the past cannot be called true; what is to come cannot be treated as certain.” The Most High Lord Lao cultivated the Nine-Turn Return Elixir to help people dispel illness and escape the cycle of birth and death. Master Kong taught people benevolence, righteousness, ritual propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. If one fears that these teachings will bring karmic obstacles, one should cultivate this Dao; it, too, can heal illness.

Question: How can illness be treated?

Answer: Letting go of distress is an excellent remedy. “Joy” means keeping a joyful heart at all times; it is the foundation of all medicines. Constant distress, by contrast, is the root of all illness. Remaining calm and tranquil is the first sign of setting out on the Great Dao.

Among people today, why do some practitioners—including monks, Daoist priests, and men and women who observe the Five Precepts—still fall ill and even die when their time comes? Some men and women lack restraint in their sexual relations, depleting the “numinous tortoise” in the Dantian (an energy center)—a Daoist term symbolizing Jing and Qi. Their true Qi, the vital energy within the body, dissipates, and the lower foundation of the body grows weak and cold, gradually giving rise to various illnesses.

The scripture says that after sixty-four days of calm restraint, a man’s Jing and Qi become abundant; after forty-nine days, a woman’s blood and Qi become abundant. But when things reach an extreme, they turn in the opposite direction: stillness turns into turbidity, and quiet turns into agitation. Scattered thoughts and a restless mind can also cause true Qi to escape through the nine apertures—the body’s nine openings. When Qi becomes turbid, a woman’s menstrual flow may increase, while a man may dream at night of the realm of Yin, depleting the body’s “seven jewels and eight treasures,” a metaphor for its precious Jing and Qi. Thus people fall ill.

Question: How can illness caused by Yin spirits be treated?

Answer: By using the “knife and measure” method.

Question: What is the knife and measure?

Answer: The knife and measure is “the One.” It contains water and Qi, can nourish and bring forth all things, and is a treasure of Qi. Thus illness in a person is also connected to the depletion of Qi.

Someone asked, “How should yin ghosts—malignant spirits and apparitions—be subdued?” The answer was, “By using the method of Dao Gui.” They then asked, “What is Dao Gui?” The oral teaching says, “Dao Gui is ‘One.’ It contains water and Qi, and can give life and nourishment to all things. Qi, the vital energy spoken of in Daoism, is like a gui jade tablet and also like a cloud; water is like rain. It can also be said that when Qi issues outward, it is called ‘Dao,’ and when Qi is drawn inward, it is called ‘Gui.’ When this is applied in cultivation and produces various effects, it is called Dao Gui. This is the method of returning to youth.”

A scripture says, “Fire arises in the lower body; water arises in the upper body. When water and fire combine, they become medicine.” The oral teaching says, “Reed shoots pierce the knees; the River Chariot travels up and down.” The reed shoots piercing the knees describe the movement of Qi within the body and the circulation between upper and lower. “Setting up the furnace and stove” refers to the Purple River Chariot, here meaning the inner mechanism that circulates Jing and Qi during cultivation. Transporting Jing and Qi to nourish the brain is called “riding the upper chariot.”

When fire is advanced, water grows warm; when water is advanced, fire turns cool. Running water and fire together keeps the lead cauldron—an alchemical term for a key site of inner cultivation—at a gentle temperature. Qi is received into the cauldron and, once its movement begins, circulates in sequence. As the firing process proceeds, Qi spreads through the hundred vessels, moistening the skin and giving the body a lustrous sheen. This is a method for cultivating body and mind.

Someone asked, “Why do fat people often age prematurely?” The oral teaching replies, “Fat people cultivate only the exterior, not the interior. Their bones lack marrow, and the true Qi in their Dantian has been depleted, so they readily become weak and fall ill. Only by cultivating the inner Way can one live in peace and joy, and nurture the seed of longevity.”

The oral teaching says, “Let the dragon continually coil around the Golden Cauldron, and the tiger encircle the Dantian.” Dragon and tiger here stand for the Yin and Yang Qi within the body. The Zhen trigram, which symbolizes thunder, moves like thunder; the Xun trigram, which symbolizes wind, moves like wind. In cultivation, first hold a large mouthful of saliva, rinse it around the mouth, and swallow it in three portions. Then guide the breath downward three times. This naturally produces sounds like a dragon’s roar and a tiger’s howl, and can also dispel various ailments in the abdomen. The sound heard in the ears is like thunder striking a painted drum. The movement of Qi upward is called “rising”; its movement downward is called “descending.”

The verse says: “Few know the wondrous principle of true emptiness. Sitting upright at Qujiang, the cultivator watches a crow fly by. Thunder shakes the earth and startles ghosts and spirits: this is the moment when Yin and Yang transform and creation unfolds. After Zi and before Wu, adjust the practice as needed; water and fire cook and refine, with dragon and tiger in attendance. The Golden Duke is wine-laden, the Yellow Matron drunk; seize hold of the Royal Duke and ask who he is.”

The meaning is this: few understand the wondrous principle of true emptiness. The cultivator sits upright at Qujiang, quietly watching a crow pass overhead. Thunder shakes the earth and startles ghosts and spirits; this is the moment when Yin and Yang change and the processes of creation unfold. After the Zi hour and before the Wu hour, adjust the practice according to the time. Refine by means of water and fire, accompanied by dragon and tiger. “Golden Duke,” “Yellow Matron,” and “Royal Duke” are all coded terms in Neidan, referring respectively to the corresponding Jing and Qi, Yin and Yang, and guiding force in cultivation.

Someone asked: The Metal Lord refers to Shen (spirit); the Yellow Matron refers to Qi (vital energy); Yang Qi refers to the Infant; Yin Qi refers to the Maiden. The Azure Dragon refers to Liver Qi, the White Tiger to Lung Qi, and Kan and Li to Jing (essence) and blood.

During cultivation, sit as steadily as Mount Tai and stand upright as a pagoda. Guard the four gates—the key points of body and mind—and hold fast to the Mysterious Pass, the place in inner cultivation where Shen is focused and the intention kept steady. Hold saliva in the mouth. First swallow forcefully three times, then guide Qi through the partition of Li, the area between the heart and lungs. Repeat this three times.

In daily walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, restrain speech, close the eyes and remain quietly still, shut out sounds from the world, and turn the gaze inward. Each day, focus on visualizing the Dantian, the place within the body where Qi is refined and Shen is stored. In your mind’s eye, see Qi descend with the exhalation and rise with the inhalation. Let it pass only through the partition of Li; do not allow the Qi or the intention to surge upward to the face and eyes. The six kinds of Qi each gather at the Central Origin, the middle of the body: clear Qi moves to the right, turbid Qi to the left, and each turns nine times. Qi does not leak outward, upward, or downward. It condenses on both sides into the furnace, the inner place where breath is cultivated and refined. This is called “the Dragon coils and the Tiger encircles,” and the breath will then naturally come into harmony.

The method of joining the Infant and the Maiden as husband and wife is to gather Qi above the spleen and establish the furnace. This is called “the Yellow Matron’s match,” and also “the harmonious union of Heaven and Earth” or “the copulation of Kan and Li.” In this method, the body joins while Shen and intention do not. To say that Shen does not join means maintaining stillness and purity, and cultivating repeatedly without disturbance or reckless activity.

Today, many people cultivate outer paths but not the inner path, seeing only the methods that have been openly revealed and passed down. Practitioners face a great way outside, while within there is a true path known to few. Go before the crowd and continue three li farther, and you will encounter three deep ravines, bottomless and impossible to know how to cross. The instructions say that these three ravines refer to the Three Teachings and the Three Vehicles. One must subdue the Three Corpses—the three corpse spirits said in Daoism to dwell within the body—stabilize the Three Treasures of Jing, Qi, and Shen, and transcend the Three Realms. Go another three li, and you will encounter six deep trenches.

We can go no farther. What stage have we reached? The formula says: This is the stage of cultivating the “six perfections and myriad practices” (the many methods of aiding and liberating living beings), purifying the six senses, cutting off the six thieves (the sensory desires that lead people away from their original nature), renouncing the six desires, and laying the six steps of the path.

Proceed another three li, and you will see three birth arches, also called the Precious Purity Arch. The seven forest corpses mean applying methods according to the circumstances. Go another three li, and you will see a garden called the Fruit-Shedding Garden. An old man guards its gate. Those who are destined to enter can pass through even with empty hands.

Proceed another three li, and you will see a great tree with a golden ox tethered to it. Beside the river stands a terrace: men see the Golden Terrace, women see the Phoenix Terrace, immortals see the Fishing Terrace, and in the realm of bliss there is the Thousand-Flower Terrace. When life proves impermanent and its end draws near, what one sees is the Hometown-Viewing Terrace. At the river mouth are three women; the ferry crossing is guarded by demonesses. Everyone boards the boat, and they cross the river.

Go another three li, and you will see a great mountain called Mount Sumeru. If impermanence comes upon you on the mountain’s eastern side, you will see the Hometown-Viewing Terrace. At the river mouth are three women, and the ferry crossing is guarded by demonesses. Everyone boards the boat, and they cross the river.

Go another three li, and you will see a great mountain called Mount Sumeru. On its eastern slope is a blue sheep, the Qi (vital energy) of the Old Lord; on its western slope is a white sheep, the Qi of the Master; and due south is a yellow sheep, the Qi of the Great Awakened Golden Immortal. The three sheep lead everyone into the mountain, which is called the Mountain Where the Three Yangs Gather in the Cauldron.

In the mountain is a city called North City, with four gates, each bearing a plaque: the eastern gate is called the Gate of Opening Light, the western gate the Gate of Long Life, the southern gate the Gate of Golden Light, and the northern gate the Gate of Great Oblivion. These four gates correspond to the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Passing through them, you will see four grottoes: the Grotto of Heavenly Music, the Grotto of White Clouds, the Grotto of the Bamboo Kingdom, and the Grotto of Long Life. Entering the four grottoes, you will then see four temples: the Temple of Purity, the Temple of Mysterious Emptiness, the Bamboo Grove Temple, and a temple whose name is missing a character. In the temples are four arhats meditating in stillness: Anashe, Situoshe, Xutuohuan, and Arhat. They preside over the four temples and symbolize practitioners who have attained the “four fruits.”

Srotāpanna (one who has entered the stream of the holy ones) and Arhat (a holy one who has attained liberation) are masters of the Four Temples and belong to the immortals of the four fruits. Further ahead, one can see the Five Observatories: first, the Observatory of Merit and Fame; second, the Observatory of Medicine; third, the Observatory of Peace and Nourishment; fourth, the Observatory of Suchness; and fifth, the Tuṣita Observatory.

Within the Five Observatories are five palaces: the Palace of the Twins corresponds to the eyes, the Palace of the Great Dragon to the mouth, the Upper White Palace to the nose, the Crystal Palace to the ears, and the Palace of the Scales to the heart. Inside the body there is also a great tower with twelve levels from top to bottom, called the “Twelve-Story Tower.” Its levels include the Central Palace Tower, Moon Palace Tower, Celestial Immortal Tower, Treasure-Gathering Tower, Sacred Well Tower, Dharma Qi Tower, Wondrous Sound Tower, Way-Knowing Tower, Meditation-Crown Tower, Jingyang Tower, Bell-and-Drum Tower, and Two Sages Tower. On the first day of the twelfth month, at the twelfth double-hour, all twelve of these towers are present in the human body. Here, “tower” refers to the twelve meridians and the twelve Earthly Branches.

On the four sides one can also see the Nine Palaces, which are the body’s nine orifices. The Nine Orifice Palaces are the Palace of Wind and Thunder and the Twin Forest Palace in the east; the Purple Tenuity Palace and the Muni Palace in the south; the Sacred Mother Palace and the Huiluo Palace in the west; the Brahma Palace and the Crystal Palace in the north; and the Peace Palace at the center. Together these are called the Nine Palaces, just as the land is divided into nine provinces.

There is also the Subtle Prefecture Origin, comprising ten regions, or ten kingdoms: the Kingdom of Jiao Zu, the Kingdom of Muni, the Kingdom of Blossoming, the Kingdom of Deer Crag, the Kingdom of Golden Color, the Kingdom of Lapis Lazuli, the Kingdom of Śrāvastī, the Kingdom of Southern Chan, the Kingdom of Tianzhu, and the Kingdom of Chongyang. The ten kingdoms correspond to the Ten Grounds, and each ground contains a Mount Tai.

Within the human body are four great seas: bodily fluids are the Eastern Sea, blood the Southern Sea, bone marrow the Western Sea, and Qi the Northern Sea. There are also nine continents, corresponding to the small intestine, and five lakes. The body as a whole is like Lake Dongting; Jing is like the Jade Lake; sweet dew is like ghee; the heart is like the Dark Lake; and the small intestine is like a river or lake. The waning of the sun, moon, and stars symbolizes the gradual decline of blood, Qi, and Jing.

“Three Wasting” is a metaphor for the body declining from its former vigor, like a mountain collapsing, the sea drying up, or the earth splitting apart. During the twelve double-hours of the day, whenever you have time, you should sit quietly; do not let an opportunity pass. When your cultivation has reached perfection, a man can refine his form until it is like that of a boy, and a woman can refine her form until it is like that of a girl. The scripture says that when both body and spirit reach a wondrous state, one can unite with the Dao and return to the Real. This is the cultivation method known as “withdrawing the embryo and exchanging the bones,” and it is also the true formula for reversing Yin-Yang and cultivating the Five Phases.

The Five Phases are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Wood energy is abundant in spring; if the body lacks Wood energy, eye diseases are more likely. Fire energy is abundant in summer; if the body lacks Fire energy, diarrhea or dysentery is more likely. Metal energy is abundant in autumn; if the body lacks Metal energy, coughing is more likely. Water energy is abundant in winter; if the body lacks Water energy, hernias are more likely. The spleen belongs to Earth, whose energy is distributed across all four seasons. Reversing Yin-Yang and its cycles of change refers to the transformation of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases within the body. The Five Phases also restrain one another: Metal restrains Wood, Wood restrains Earth, Earth restrains Water, Water restrains Fire, and Fire restrains Metal. Water and Fire symbolize Yin-Yang. The unity of Yin and Yang is the foundation of the Dao, and is also related to the body’s Jing and blood.

The scripture holds that many human illnesses do not arise from problems in the five organs themselves, but from the depletion of the Jing and blood inherited from one’s parents, which leaves the Dantian (the body’s site of cultivation) weak. Practitioners should gather their spirit promptly and settle their nature.

The Jiuxian Jing says that the Dao is “the One”; if a person can attain the One, all things can be accomplished. In practice, Shen and Qi circulate, with Qi following the movement of the intention. As they turn, what drives and surges forward from the front belongs to Yin. Then the Yin spirit Liujia on the left—the Daoist guardian generals—sets the six manifestations, the eight consciousnesses, and other inner functions in motion, with the Original Spirit governing them. They move through the body’s nine palaces (the bodily palaces described in internal cultivation) and illuminate the ten realms (states or regions in internal cultivation). Next, bring longevity down to its platform, and place the infant and the Maiden (Neidan terms symbolizing Yin and Yang essence and Qi) in the Dantian furnace, where the fire is applied to refine the medicine. Visualize the furnace fire glowing red and the stove blazing with heat, and the elixir can then be formed. Then visualize the Azure Dragon on the left.

Contemplate and set in motion the “six aspects and eight consciousnesses”—Buddhist terms for different levels of cognition and awareness—so that they return to “the One Reality” and circulate within the body through the “nine palaces,” an internal alchemy term for inner regions of the body. Survey realms such as the “ten lands.” Bring the infant and the maiden, terms in internal alchemy often used as metaphors for Yin-Yang essence and vital energy, back to the Dantian. Treat it as a furnace, kindle the fire, and refine the elixir. Visualize the furnace fire glowing red and the hearth blazing hot until the elixir is complete.

Next, visualize the Azure Dragon on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Black Tortoise behind. The great deities of the four directions each hold a long spear or broad sword, guarding the elixir furnace and keeping watch over it. Then take the wondrous medicine. Practise this method over a long period and you will attain longevity; pathogenic influences will dissipate on their own, and true Qi will arise naturally. It will seem as though you have drunk the jade spring of Mount Jing, and its taste will naturally seem sweet.

Next, open the “two lower points” to the kidney chamber. As you exhale, draw in precious Qi and bring it into the mouth. Rinse it around thirty-six times; this is called “snowflakes.” Then swallow it into the Dantian; this is called “snow.” Afterward, join the upper part and close the lower part, so that Heaven and Earth—often used as symbols of Yin and Yang—interact and true Qi becomes abundant. When the spleen and stomach are warm, all illnesses will disappear.

This is like firing pottery in a kiln: when the heat is right, the form takes shape of itself. It is also like a hen sitting on eggs or a woman carrying a child; there is no need to calculate how long it will take. If you feel pain inside the body, that is a sign called “the iron black ox hauling a cart,” indicating that “true One Qi” and “true One nature” have begun to stir. Black signifies Qi descending; pain-bearing Qi is expelled with the stool, while Qi that causes swelling is expelled with the urine.

There is also the “method of lowering the Celestial Pass and Earth Axis.” Look up toward the Yang Pass at the crown of the head and the Mudball Palace, a site in internal alchemy practice within the head. Draw a deep, prolonged breath in through the nose, bringing true Qi into the mouth, then exhale loudly six times. This sets the Celestial Pass and Earth Axis in motion, so they no longer remain inert like dead things. Practised every day, this can keep Yin and Yang harmonized over the long term.

At the winter solstice, Yang first arises; at the summer solstice, Yin first arises. The winter solstice refers to the time after the Zi hour, when Yang is taken at sunrise in the east. The summer solstice refers to the time after the Wu hour, when Yin is taken at sunset. This describes the principle of Yin and Yang’s alternating transformations: Earth Qi rises, rain descends from Heaven, a gust of wind comes every three days, and rain falls twice every ten days. When wind and rain arrive in season, the people live in peace; so too, when Yin and Yang are harmonized within the body, a person feels at ease.

Practicing in this way can help people remain free of illness for long periods. People suffer from many kinds of illnesses, and each illness has a corresponding authentic method of practice to treat it. With practice, the expected results will naturally follow. Methods include “Great Refining of the Ninefold Return Elixir,” “Yellow Sprouts Piercing the Knees,” “Shooting the Nine Layers of Iron Drums,” “The Crown Prince Visits the Four Gates,” “The Golden Whip Points to the Wheel,” “Reed Sprouts Piercing the Knees,” “Xuanyuan Riding Across Fire,” “The Jade Maiden Touches the Body,” “Zhongli Carries a Sword on His Back,” “Lü Weng Fishes at the Gate” or “Lü Weng Goes Fishing,” and the method of “Chen Xiyi’s Great Sleep.” Practitioners of the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—each have methods for treating illness, as well as practices that can transcend life and death.

When practicing these methods, the Dantian (energy center for internal alchemy in the abdomen) nourishes warm, authentic Qi. Frequent nighttime dreams of herding oxen on a mountain, with the oxen red or blue-green, or of immortals, Daoist priests, palaces and temples, broad roads, splendid houses, tall carriages and trees, children, women, or high-ranking officials are said to be signs that the Dantian’s Qi is abundant. Dreams of narrow, desolate paths, brambles, wicked people giving chase, ruined houses, pagodas or tombs, falling trees, or crossing a river are taken to indicate that the Dantian’s Qi is weak and should be replenished.

A verse of instruction says, “Do not reveal the oral instructions to those who should not know them, lest the immortals’ secret essentials be disclosed.” The three kinds of people who should not be taught are the unfilial, those lacking reverence and faith, and those who neither uphold the precepts nor conduct themselves well. Apart from these, anyone—men or women, Buddhist or Daoist clergy, or officials—may receive the scriptures. Peace and ease belong to the Lesser Vehicle, a path focused on personal cultivation and attaining peace. Though it is a Lesser Vehicle teaching, it is the foundation for accomplishing the Great Teaching. The Scripture on Cause and Effect says that there are eight fields of merit, or ways to accumulate virtue; among them, relieving suffering and caring for the sick are the foremost fields of merit.

Saving a life and supporting a person’s nature bring great merit, like burning incense at a temple in the south or presenting offerings in a courtyard in the north. Saving one person’s life is like building a seven-tiered pagoda.

Men and women alike must not pass this method on carelessly once they have received it. Anyone who discloses it without authorization, lightly revealing the immortals’ subtle teachings, will cause their ancestors of nine generations to fall into ruin together. They will be confined forever in Fengdu, the underworld of Daoist legend, and will never again be reborn as human beings. Take care to observe this faithfully: accept it with sincere conviction and put its teachings into practice.