《三洞珠囊》Vol. 2

The vital essence of the moon gathers into a round form. Its radiance is hidden within its body, and its vital essence lies within its image. The radiance is red and the image is yellow; together, these are the souls of the sun and moon. Once you understand this principle, you can absorb the flowing rosy mists through breathing practices.

The method for taking in the sun’s Qi is as follows: at dawn, gather the moon’s essence. At midnight, visualize it within your heart, letting the radiance of the sun and moon shine on your Niwan (an important point in the head), then descend to illuminate the five internal organs. When your whole body, inside and out, is clear and bright, you can preserve life indefinitely.

There is another visualization method: imagine the sun entering your mouth, as if you can taste it. Imagine the moon entering your navel and shining below the Gate of Life (an important area between the waist and abdomen), in the Yin Chamber (a deep, hidden part of the body).

There is also a method of regulating and gathering: close your eyes and click your teeth five times. With the middle finger of your left hand, press and pinch Renzhong, the point beneath the nose, seven times; then use the index finger of your right hand to press and pinch the point between the eyebrows nine times. This is called “bridling the reins and sealing the gates of the hundred spirits through three, five, seven, and nine.” It means closing and restraining the gateways through which the body’s spirits enter and leave by clicking the teeth and pressing the corresponding points on the face.

The Scripture of the Eight Gates of the Mysterious Mother says that among the medicines taken by the Perfected One of Great Simplicity, “Mysterious Clarity of the Cloud Herb” refers to black lettuce-seed oil, also called “Mysterious Clarity”; “Floral Essence of Herb Wine” refers to white honey; “Fivefold Radiance, Sevenfold White Spirit Vegetable” refers to Chinese chives; and “White-Silk Flying Dragon” refers to white quartz. Black lettuce-seed oil and white honey, condensed like snow, are both names of medicines mentioned in the formula.

The scripture also says that “cloud essence” is fragrant and sweet. It can strengthen the body and replenish Jing (essence), calm the five internal organs, protect primordial Qi (vital energy), gather fluids, and nourish the hun and po souls. It is a superior medicine.

“Essence honey” is also called “Mysterious Water and Jade Liquid” and “Flying-Dragon Cloud Essence,” and is known as “the refined, fatty extract of the Five Minerals.” After fifteen years of taking it, the body is said to shine like jade and become clear within and without, bringing long life; it can also command ghosts and spirits. After three years, one is said to be able to read written characters even at night. This medicine is more potent than the Eight-Mineral medicine. If one then takes the Five-Mineral medicine, its power enters the throat and refines and nourishes the five internal organs, causing five-colored flowers to grow above each one.

It is also said that those who regularly consume the refined essence of the sun and moon should often eat bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots are nurtured by the sun’s radiance and are also called “Great Brightness.” They should also eat pine needles. Among trees, the pine is a thing of exceptional excellence. Those who wish to consume the refined essence of the sun and moon should absorb the Qi in such foods, using it to attune to and circulate the vital essences within the body. The Perfected One of the Great Void said: “The pine is the finest among trees. Pines and cypresses are both called excellent trees.”

The Great Cavern Scripture says: The Dao Lord taught methods for nourishing the body: exhale stale Qi and inhale fresh Qi, gather in the vital essences and expel impurities; rinse the mouth with the essence of dawn to welcome the Sun Sovereign, and draw in the bright Qi of night to embrace the Moon Pearl. Gather the radiant glow and absorb the Qi of the clouds above, so that the paired lights of sun and moon move together. Let flying fungi and wondrous blossoms appear, and let the numinous Qi seem to cover the mountain ridges.

It is also said: The Dao Lord breathed in and out the seven hidden Qi, extending kindness through the six measures and placing the eight liberations within the practice. The breath flows far and freely, and the body drifts beyond the netherworld. The mind becomes settled, desires are restrained and kept simple, and one thereby returns to the state of an infant.

It is also said: The Dao Lord lifted his head to wear the sun’s radiance, gathered the fallen Moon Pearls, plucked jade-like fruits from the Crimson Grove, and consumed purple lotuses from the Dark River. He rested in a numinous carriage and took charge of the Tiger Writings, mysterious Daoist talismanic texts.

It is also said: The Qi of the Three Yellows flows gently; crimson fluid renews the vital essences with ease. The Nine Jades release their light, while the things of Langxu undergo boundless transformations. Emerald radiance shines over the water’s edge; the Eight Jades scatter their brilliance, and green nectar flourishes. Quchen ascends upon the clouds; flowing gold and moonlight reflect one another. Dark fluids and jade liquor nourish the body, while the numinous ointment of the Five Lords fills the vital essences. Radiance and sound spread outward, and a single chant elicits responses from all eight directions. Bore is the essence of fire; Yili is ginger like jade. The golden mirror illuminates the hundred meeting points; relics are refined into fragrance. The numinous treasures appear in profusion, and the written characters transform along with them.

A small dose is enough to make the elixir, and after taking it, one’s lifespan cannot be measured. This is the precious medicine of the Primordial Essence of the August Perfected, a secret treasure kept by the Supreme Lord. One may also refine and consume the numinous metal of Five-Cloud Jade Radiance, together with Vermilion Souls, Green Lotuses, Flowery Riches, Emerald Essences, southern-candle plants of a deep green hue, sunken sand, and azurite. Gather the Qi of the Five Mornings at dawn, then take the plain nectar of the Jade Abyss. This too can restore the body from old to new, bringing it back from decline to the state of an infant.

It also says: The water that hangs down is soft. When the Cavern of the Nine Jades (jiulin, stones of the immortal realms) joins with it, jade comes into being. Fire-lang transforms into precious gems; golden liquid flows, and jade of fine quality appears. All this accords with Heaven’s covenant. How could a person’s lifespan then be exhausted?

The fourth chapter of Dengzhen Yinjue says: The Perfected of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) takes the divine water called Rou, formed from the Cloud Sprouts of the Four Extremes. When the Cavern of the Nine Jades joins with it, jade comes into being. Fire-lang transforms into precious gems; golden liquid flows, and jade of fine quality appears. All this accords with Heaven’s covenant. How could one’s lifespan then be exhausted?

The fourth chapter of Dengzhen Yinjue also says: The Perfected of the Taiji takes the immortal elixir described above, formed from the Cloud Sprouts of the Four Extremes; bows toward the light of the Primordial Dawn Qi of the Five Directions—the primordial energy that appears at dawn in the east, south, west, north, and center—and absorbs the essence of the Nine Rosy Clouds. The commentary explains that the Nine Rosy Clouds refer to the primordial energy and luminous essence of the rosy clouds at first light. The sun belongs to Yang, whose number is nine; hence the name “Nine Rosy Clouds.”

The scripture says that this practice makes divine light shine within the body, brings a crimson radiance to the body’s surface, and gives the body a jade-like sheen. The commentary explains: When the body and spirit absorb the light of dawn, thirst can be quenched; absorbing the essence of the rosy clouds can nourish one’s foundation. The organs and divine light shine upon one another, while one’s appearance grows bright with crimson radiance. A jade-like sheen illuminates the whole body, and harmonious Qi makes the body clear and pure. These effects are brought about by the subtle essence of the Five Dawns—the dawn Qi of the five directions—and the Six Liquids.

It also says: Obtaining the jade liquid of the Nine Jades and the flying essence of the Eight Jades enables the Two Lights of Beginning and End to unite and brings one into accord with Heaven and Earth.

It also says: When the mind is empty, still, and free of desire, the body is filled. Guarding the primordial Qi and swallowing saliva is what is called “the True One.”

It also says: Invoke the spirits through the Six Liquids and the Five Qi.

It also says: Regularly swallow red saliva to nourish the Three Palaces, the three abodes of spirit and Qi within the body.

It also says: When the Two Lights unite, one is brought into accord with Heaven and Earth.

It also says: When the mind is empty, still, and free of desire, the body is filled. Guarding the primordial Qi and swallowing saliva is what is called “the True One.”

It also says: Invoke the spirits through the Six Liquids and the Five Qi.

It also says: Regularly swallow red saliva to nourish the Three Palaces within the body.

It is also said that “Cloud Sprouts” are the vital essence of the Five Elders, deities of the five directions and Five Phases, as well as the rosy clouds and luminous vapors of the Taiji, the source before Heaven and Earth were differentiated. Thus, by gathering the essences of the sun and moon’s radiance to harmonize the “Six Fluids,” the six kinds of saliva described in cultivation, one can perceive what is subtle and hidden, commune with the unseen, and cause the myriad spirits to descend. Deep, hidden light and vapor respond to and seek one another; there is no need to call, for they answer of their own accord.

Thus, when a dragon cries out in the abyss, auspicious clouds descend from the sky; when a tiger roars on a numinous mountain, powerful winds rise from every side. The yangsui, an ancient fire-making instrument, draws in sunlight, and crimson flames blaze brightly; the fangzhu, an ancient vessel for collecting dew, draws in Yin energy, and cool, clear water wells up and flows. These responses occur naturally, though people often do not perceive their cause.

How much more so for those who cultivate the Dao: they focus their minds on holding to the mysteries, study the roots of the Great Dao with care, dispel the filth and distracting thoughts within, and allow true Dao Qi to abide in the Three Palaces, the body’s three Dantian or energy centers. They gather the radiant vapors released at the Five Dawn Watches, consume the rosy nectar transformed from the Six Forms, take up rare treasures from the nine heavens, and utter secret words of mystery. In this way, dragon-shaped light and vapor leap and move, while layers of bright radiance unfold. They savor the Three Blossoms, the vital essences, between their white teeth, draw fluids in from their lips, refine the six viscera within, sharpen their hearing and vision, breathe in the primordial Qi of Heaven, and refine their souls and bodies.

The fifth chapter of the Zhen’gao says that the instructions transmitted by Lord Huangshan are these: when nourishing life, cultivating one’s nature, and taking medicines, do not eat garlic or pomegranate seeds. Daoists especially should avoid them and also abstain from sexual relations, or the medicines’ effects will be hindered. It is said that eating one jin will cost a hundred days of one’s lifespan. Shen Xi’s instructions say: when taking divine medicines, do not face north; this is a major taboo. On Hai and Zi days, the Hai and Zi days in the sexagenary cycle, one must not spit, or one will deplete one’s vital essence, shorten one’s life, and render the medicine as ineffective as soil.

The seventh chapter of the Zhen’gao says that during the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han, Zhang Qing’s daughter, whose name was Weizi, regularly consumed mist. She said that mist is the essence of water and fire between mountains and marshes, and the abundant breath of metal and stone. By consuming it over a long period, one can make the body dissolve into emptiness and merge with the clouds. Weizi said she had learned this method from the Jade Consort of Eastern China and Ting Wenqi.

It is also said that the female perfected ones transmitted the method for consuming the Qi of the Five Stars according to ritual, and later attained the Dao and became immortals.

It is also said that the immortal woman Fan Qiulin practiced gathering the radiance of the sun and moon and consumed the essence transformed from the Ninefold Numinous Mirror.

It is also said that cloud qi gathers and takes shape. Wei Ziyun said that he received this set of methods in the Eastern Sea from the Jade Consort of Donghua, Ting Wenqi.

It is also said that female immortals taught rites and methods for consuming the qi of the Five Planets, enabling people to attain the Dao.

While cultivating, the immortal woman Fan Qiulin gathered the radiance of the sun and moon and consumed the essence produced by the Nine Spirits’ Luminous Mirror.

Chen Shijing consumed medicinal substances for the art of ingestion, as well as the essence of Alisma.

When the Perfected One Xuanyi first entered Mount Tiantai, he consumed sesame seeds.

Sima Jisheng consumed the essence of the Luminous Elixir and absorbed the morning light of Fuchen. His face therefore looked like that of a twenty-year-old woman, while his beard was three feet long and black as ink.

Volume Nine of the Zhengao says: “With the left hand, gather the radiance of the sun; with the right, draw in the moon’s root.”

The Inner Instructions of the Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ones of Shangqing says that when practicing the method called “Racing with the Sun and Moon,” one should recite this invocation: “Absorb the vital energy of the Green Essence Sun; drink the cloud-blue sweet dew. Hold a banquet at the farthest reaches of the eight directions; ascend the Terrace of Luminous Truth; sit in the Hall of Xilin; chant the verses of Yuchen.”

Another invocation says: “Essence of the Sun’s Hun, Vermilion Child of the Pearl Radiance, please enable me to travel west to the Gate of the Six Ridges, enter the Jade Palace of Xiechen, and drink the cloud-blue sweet dew. Hold a banquet at the farthest reaches of the eight directions; ascend the Terrace of Luminous Truth; sit in the Hall of Xilin; chant the verses of Yuchen.”

Another invocation says: “Essence of the Sun’s Hun, Vermilion Child of the Pearl Radiance, please enable me to travel west to the Gate of the Six Ridges and enter the Upper Chamber of Eight Luminaries on Xiansu Hill in the Jade Palace of Xiechen. Obtain the Talisman of a Thousand Luminaries; wear the luminous insignia of the shooting stars at night; sit in the Hall of Great Harmony and ascend the Terrace of the Seven Spirits. Drink the moon’s radiant cloud-ointment; consume the yellow wan and purple fluid; recite the exalted scriptures and chant the verses of Yuchen.”

It is also said that there is an elixir called the “Formula for the Supreme One’s Purple Nectar of Eight Luminaries, Four Pistils, and Five Pearls, the Divine Elixir of Crimson Birth.” This elixir has eight names: Flower of Four Pistils, Purple Jade Marrow of Taiwei, Elixir Flower of Five Pearls, Morning Flower of Crimson Birth, Supreme Elixir of Three Flowers, Supreme One’s Flying Gang, and Supreme Elixir of the Nine Mornings. The original text lists only seven names.

“Purple Jade Richness of the Later Sage’s Dao” has several names. It is also called “Elixir of the Five Pearls,” “Dawn Radiance Born of Crimson,” “Upper Elixir of the Three Blossoms,” “Great Upper Flying Hardness,” or “Upper Elixir of the Nine Dawns.”

The Record of the Later Sage Lord says: “Elixir of Yellow Water’s Moonlight” and “Elixir of Jade Essence in Receding Waters” are both blue-reflected liquid of Water Yang. Thus, the Perfected Ones of the Great High could calmly contemplate the seven awakenings and roam in the four directions because they were nourished by the four flying fluids and the imperial elixir of the five pearls.

The scripture also says that after taking this elixir, if one spits saliva onto the ground, it will turn into the light of the sun and moon.

It further says that “the blossoms of Langgan in the Northern Capital” are “the crimson-born grains of the elixir.”

The Scripture on the Seven Stars’ Shifting Courses says: “When thirsty, draw in and drink from the Great Spring of the Good Well and the Jade Fungus; when hungry, take in the jade richness of the dragon embryo and the red child of the crimson tree.” These are all descriptions in Daoist scriptures of numinous fluids, immortal fungi, and wondrous elixirs.

The Scripture of Purple Dips and Flame Radiance says: “True Lord of the Northern Pole, Great Essence of the Nine Sovereigns, please grant me essence and Qi, fill and strengthen my fetal origin, and fortify my three souls; draw in the radiance of the sun from the left, and gather the moon’s fluid from the right.” Here, the speaker prays to the True Lord of the Northern Pole for essence and Qi, and draws in the essences of the sun and moon to nourish body and mind.

The Scripture on Daoist Foundations and Breathing says: When Daoists cultivate themselves, they practice through breathing exercises—regulating the breath—and go ten days in a row without eating. At first, their Jing and Qi grow slightly warm, and their complexion turns sallow. By the twentieth day, they feel dizzy and see spots when moving; their limbs and joints ache, and bowel movements become somewhat difficult. Their urine is reddish-yellow, and they sometimes have diarrhea: at first their stools are loose, then they become dry and hard. By the thirtieth day, they have grown thin and find it very difficult to move. On the fortieth day, their complexion gradually improves and their mind becomes settled. On the fiftieth day, the five viscera—the five categories of internal organs in traditional Chinese medicine—are in harmony, and Jing and Qi are nourished within the body. On the sixtieth day, the body returns to normal and the limbs move freely. On the seventieth day, they grow weary of noise and disputes, and their aspirations become lofty. On the eightieth day, their mind is tranquil and detached; they become confident in and clearly understand the methods of cultivation. On the ninetieth day, their appearance becomes radiant and lustrous, and their voice clear. By the hundredth day, Jing and Qi are abundant, and the effects of cultivation grow increasingly evident. If they persevere in their practice, their lifespan will naturally lengthen. After three years of cultivation, the marks left by moxibustion gradually fade and the complexion becomes radiant. After six years, the marrow is enriched and the brain is full, and they can foresee life and death, success and ruin. After nine years, they can command ghosts and spirits and are called “Realized Beings.” They assist the Supreme Emperor, live as long as Heaven, and shine with the brilliance of the sun. If these teachings are passed on to an unworthy person, the teacher will suffer calamity.

The Upper Scripture on Celestial Patterns records the “Nine Transformations Elixir of Dragon Embryo and Golden Liquor.” Taking this elixir, preserving the body, and abstaining from grains can ward off all kinds of evil influences. The ritual methods of Master Wuhao also speak of “Golden Night in the Purple Court.”

The Lower Scroll of the Scripture of Jade Instructions says: The five Qi of the Primordial Beginning (the five kinds of primordial energy from the time of the Primordial Beginning) regularly gather above the Nine Transformations Elixir of Numinous Treasure and Jade Liquor at cockcrow. Taking this elixir, preserving the body, and abstaining from grains can ward off all kinds of evil influences. The ritual methods of Master Wuhao also speak of “Golden Night in the Purple Court.”

The second scroll of the Jue of the Jade Scripture says: The Five Qi of the Primordial Beginning—the five kinds of primal energy endowed by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning—regularly rise at cockcrow and gather in the Upper Palace of the Mysterious Capital on Lingbao Jade Mountain. As the sun first rises, the light of Primordial Beginning spreads out and illuminates the heavens. The primal energy there is dense and vigorous, its radiance gentle and warm. Its essence and energy are like bright pearls in the moonlight, while its glow resembles purple clouds. The primal energy moves like a wheel: above, it governs the gates of the Nine Heavens; in the middle, it steadies the sacred mountains of the Five Emperors.

The commentary says: Those who study the Dao should take the “Five Buds” as their foundation. At this time, all the sages of the Upper Palace and the great wise Perfected Ones absorb the radiance of Primordial Beginning. They raise their heads and swallow its essence and energy, joining themselves to the Way of Heaven, and so gain limitless benefits. Practitioners in later generations who can abstain from grain, observe long fasts on the Five Sacred Mountains, withdraw from the world, and devote themselves to a realm of purity and stillness can, day after day, take in the rosy light at the sun’s root and absorb the sun’s vital energy. They will soon feel their bodies becoming warm and radiant, their faces glowing with color, and ultimately attain a place among the Jade Emperors.

The Scripture of Guiding and Nurturing the Three Luminaries says: The “Three Luminaries” have many names: Flowing Essence, Nourishing Infant, Dharma Energy, Yang King, Cloud Blossom, Immortal Guide, Nine Transformations, and Settled Light. These names refer to a method of embryonic refinement within the immortal Way of the Three Luminaries.

The second chapter of the Biographies of Daoist Studies records: Xu Mai, whose courtesy name was Shuxuan, was called Ying as a child and later changed his own name. He traveled far to Xin Cheng Dao Mountain, ate wild sesame, and often practiced breathing exercises, once sustaining his breath for more than a thousand counts. In the second year of the Yonghe era of the Jin dynasty, he moved to West Mountain in Lin’an.

The book also says: Yan Xuanzhi of Gaoping and Peng Chu of Langya both followed Xu Mai as students. Xu Mai believed that Yan Xuanzhi could practice breath cultivation to give up grain, while Peng Chu needed medicinal substances to replenish his primal energy. He therefore taught Peng Chu a method of consuming herbs, such as atractylodes, and instructed him to devote himself fully to serving and practicing the Way. After Peng Chu had served him for three years, Xu Mai said, “You have grasped the essentials. You need only practice diligently.” The two devoted themselves to the Dao, their minds still as cold ashes and their bodies like withered remains, then each sought a quiet place for solitary practice. Yan Xuanzhi accordingly went to Yugan and devoted himself to consuming herbs.

The third fascicle also records: Wang Jia, courtesy name Zinian, was from Longxi. He cut into the mountain at the mouth of Dongyang Valley and made a dwelling in a cave. He ate no grains and wore no luxurious clothing. Quiet and detached, he sustained himself by absorbing Qi and kept apart from other people. Yao Chang and the Murong clan once invited him, but he declined both invitations.

The fifth fascicle of the Zhen’gao records: Fan Youzhong was from Liaoxi and served as an Assistant Supervisor of Huayang. He had undergone successive rebirths and changes of form, and had now arrived here. For many years, he had practiced the method of the “Three Qi.” In meditation, he visualized blue, white, and red breaths in his mind, as though they were silk strings descending from the sun in the east and entering his mouth directly. He then drew in the breaths ninety times, stopping when he felt full. After practicing this way for ten years, breaths of the three colors would naturally arise within his body, enabling him to become an immortal. This is the “Taishu Inner Landscape Method” of Lord Gao Yuan, a practice of visualizing the Qi within the body. Practiced each morning with the eyes closed while visualizing the sun, its effects gradually improve.

The Jade Consort of Donghua, Ting Wenqi, of the Eastern Sea, transmitted the “Method of Absorbing Mist” to the female immortal Zhang Weizi of Hanzhentai. Each morning, sit or lie in a quiet bedroom in whatever posture feels natural. First close your eyes and turn your attention inward, as if seeing your own five viscera. When this is complete, exhale through your mouth twenty-four times while concentrating on the visualization: see breaths of five colors surrounding your face, dense and undispersed. Practice this for a long time, and you will be able to ride the clouds and mist on your travels.

It is also said that when practicing the “Way of Guarding the Mysterious and the White,” one may sit or lie down each morning or during the day and freely visualize black Qi in the Mudball Palace (an inner landscape location at the top of the head), white Qi in the heart, and yellow Qi in the navel. The three currents of Qi gather together, covering the whole body like clouds, and then transform into fire. The fire in turn burns through the body, making it transparent inside and out, a seamless whole. Each day, stop practicing when facing south, then perform the breathing exercise 120 times to complete the practice. This method of cultivating the Dao is said to enable one to live forever, escape death, and avoid calamity. One must especially abstain from alcohol, meat, and the Five Pungent Vegetables (strongly scented pungent vegetables such as onions and garlic). One should live apart from others and meditate quietly in a tranquil place. Sexual intercourse is especially forbidden, as it can lead to death.

It is also said that those who study the Dao should simply gather in their breath and nourish their spirit. Hold the breath to its limit, and exhale faintly and slowly. One must not speak or shout loudly, lest the spirit be depleted. Practicing in this way is what it means to nourish life; contrary practices do not count as nourishing life.

The fourth chapter, “Determining Destiny,” of the Declarations of the Perfected (Zhen’gao) says: “Let body and mind aspire to what is lofty; comprehend the wondrous Dao and savor the truth. Absorb the radiance of the sun and moon, and settle the Six Spirits (the spirits that preside within the body) into stillness. Manifest and command the Eight Bright Ones (the eight luminous spirits spoken of in Daoism), and follow the numinous root (the foundation of life and Daoist cultivation). Worry and fatigue must not intrude upon the Mysterious Abode (the inner dwelling place of the mind and spirits), nor grief and longing disturb the Crimson Ford (a passage for spirit and Qi in the Daoist inner landscape).”

The seventh chapter of the Declarations of the Perfected says: “Fan Youchong was from Liaoxi and had received the art of fetal transformation and bodily transfiguration (a Daoist method of changing the body through cultivation). He has now come here and regularly practices absorbing and refining the blue, red, and white Qi; thus he became an immortal.”

It is also said: “Xu Zongdu was from Jinling and once studied the Dao of Qi Restriction (a magical art that uses breath to impose restraints) under Master Fenggu.”

Long Shu, whose courtesy name was Bogao, lived during the Later Han. He followed the immortal Diao Daolin to study the method of absorbing fetal Qi. Later, he made his body vanish and withdrew from the world, living in seclusion at Fangtai and studying under Lord Dinglu.

There was also Liu A’ping, who lived in a cave dwelling on Fang Mountain. He regularly consumed the Qi of the sun and moon and the dawn. His complexion was like jade, and he appeared to be about thirty years old.

The Scripture of Original Practice (Benxing Jing) says: “Long ago, there was Lord Chandinglu.”

There was also Liu A’ping, who lived in a cave dwelling on Fang Mountain. He regularly consumed the Qi of the sun and moon and the dawn. His complexion was like jade, and he appeared to be about thirty years old.

The Scripture of Original Practice says: Long ago, in the world of Chanli, there was a king named Dui. His daughter was called Gua Yin. When she was fourteen, she still could not speak, so the king abandoned her in the empty mountains. With no food, Gua Yin often gazed up at the sun and swallowed its breath, drawing in the essence of the moon. In this way she was naturally able to stay nourished, and her body never weakened.

The Numinous Chapters of the Empty Grotto says: “At dawn, absorb the qi of the five-colored clouds; at dusk, swallow the radiance of the Three Mornings.”

It also says: “Taking in qi can nourish the body; swallowing saliva is like drinking the essence of yellow water. At night, hold the breath and cast off the decaying body, so that one may grow young again and one’s teeth become white once more. The body enters the era of immortality, and one’s name is entered in the registers of the Jade Numinous Capital, the realm of the immortals.”

The Nine Chapters of the Yang Songs of the Eight Pure Ones says: “Seven-treasure jade grains, the Golden Elixir, and numinous mushrooms with purple radiance—gather them with the left hand and pick them up with the right. There are also the strange delicacies of luminous phoenix brains, tiger-spittle cloud jade, and jade frost. Take them once, and the body can soar beyond the Great Void.”

The Hidden Text on Racing with the Sun and Moon, the Two Luminaries says: “Drink the moon’s radiant cloud-ointment and take the essences of yellow jade and purple truth.”

The second volume of the Biographies of Daoist Learning says: “If there are no stone-sugar cakes, stalactites may be used instead. Both are formed from the congealed fluids of stone.” This matter is recorded in the Biography of Xu Mai.

The Declarations of the Perfected says: “King Mu of Zhou traveled north to Mount Kunlun, drank the stone marrow of Mount Jiang, and ate the fruit borne by jade trees.”

The third volume of the Biographies of Daoist Learning says: Yan Ji, whose courtesy name was Zhongwei, lived at the end of the reign of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han. In his youth, he valued Daoist cultivation and did not take up official posts. He first entered Mount Hua Yin, where he took tree bark and rhubarb essence as food, and planted mica, realgar, cinnabar, and mushrooms.

The fourteenth volume of the Biographies of Daoist Learning says: Shuang Xizu, whose courtesy name was Zhongyuan, lived during the Liang dynasty. At first he abstained from grain and grew thin. The wealthy Fan Xin asked him to identify precious medicines and provided servants to help gather herbs. After some time, his body returned to normal. The water buffalo supplied to him by the Fan family had plowed in the mountains for many years.

The twentieth volume records that the female official Xiao Zhen was from Dantu in the Eastern Sea. As a young woman, she left her hometown and went to Yishan to study the Dao, living only on cypress leaves.

The Biographies of the Immortals, Part One records that Chijiang Ziyu lived in the time of the Yellow Emperor. He ate no grains, subsisting only on the flowers of various plants and trees.

Woquan gathered medicinal herbs on Mount Huai. He enjoyed eating pine nuts, and several inches of hair grew on his body. His eyes also became square. He could fly and run faster than a horse.

Mr. Luli obtained the Lingbao Prescriptions from a hermit in the mountains. They contained three methods: Flying Tortoise of the Yi and Luo, Bai Yu’s Correct Mechanism, and Balancing and Pressing Together. It was said that taking these methods could restore one’s youth, enable one to walk five hundred li a day and lift a thousand-jin weight. One would shed one’s skin ten times each year, then finally become an immortal and depart.

The Inner Biography of Lord Wang, the Perfected One of Clear Emptiness records that the Lord of the Immortal Way bestowed two sheng each of Cloud-Bi Yang Water and Morning-Flying Elixir Essence on Lord Wang. After bowing, Lord Wang took them. After nine years, he could see ten thousand li into the distance and walk three thousand li a day. He could also make his body disappear while sitting or standing, and command the spirits.

The Licorice Pills Formula comes from the Biography of Lady Wei of Mount Heng.

The first ingredient is six liang of licorice; the second is three liang of high-grade cinnabar; the third is five liang of rhubarb; the fourth is seven liang of dried rehmannia root; the fifth is ten liang of white atractylodes; the sixth is five liang of schisandra; the seventh is five liang of ginseng; the eighth is four liang of poria; the ninth is three liang of Chinese angelica; the tenth is four liang of asparagus root; the eleventh is two liang of woody fangji; the twelfth is three liang of polyporus; the thirteenth is two liang of asarum; and the fourteenth is two liang of cimi zi.

All fourteen ingredients should be fresh and of the highest quality, not old or stale. First pound each one finely on its own; there is no need to sift them. Then weigh out the prescribed amounts and put them into a mortar. Add the licorice first and pound it one thousand times; then add the cinnabar and pound another thousand times. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time in order, pounding a thousand times after each addition. Pound the fourteen ingredients a total of fourteen thousand times; with the two earlier rounds of a thousand poundings each, the total comes to thirty thousand. Once prepared, form the medicine into pills with honey. Take ten pills after meals, each about the size of a parasol tree seed. You may begin with a smaller amount, or take thirty pills.

The scripture says this medicine can dispel illness from within the body, is non-toxic, and has no contraindications. Its benefits become clear only after a year of use, so do not expect immediate results. It is said that when women take it, their chances of conceiving increase without harm to their health. Long-term use is said to enable one to become an immortal and live forever.

Prepare the medicine in a separate, clean room, and do not let unrelated people come by to watch. Before preparing it, bathe and observe ritual purification and abstinence for three or four days; only then should you begin pounding the ingredients. The scripture claims that this medicine can treat many kinds of illness, but its effects cannot all be listed here. Other scriptures give extensive accounts of methods for taking medicine and practicing breathing exercises, so they are not copied here.

“Section on Grain Abstinence” (a chapter on abstaining from grain, taking medicines, and cultivation), from volume four of The Pearls of the Three Caverns, compiled and revised by Wang Xuanhe, a Daoist adept of the Tang dynasty.

The Daoxue Zhuan records: Chu Boyu, whose courtesy name was Yuanqu, was from Qiantang in Wu Commandery. He lived in seclusion on Mount Huo, refined liquid elixirs, imbibed the Qi of clouds and rosy mists, and went for many years without eating grain.

The Tuna Jing says: Abstaining from grain and ceasing to eat is a method for cultivating the original spirit. During the first day or two of practicing breath cultivation, the Qi of grain has not yet fully disappeared, so the complexion turns yellow. By the third day, the grain Qi recedes and Jing and Qi begin to grow abundant. On the fourth and fifth days, Jing and Qi harmonize with the Yin-Yang Qi. On the sixth day, the spirit settles, hearing and sight become clear, movement feels effortless, and the body grows stronger with each passing day. By the seventh day, one often feels light, as though about to rise aloft. Having drawn near to the utmost Dao, one seems able to commune with the divine both in dreams and while awake. On the eighth day, the spirit roams in all directions and can act through stillness; the mouth becomes naturally sweet, and the will, sinews, and bones grow strong. On the ninth day, the spirit is full, the body—though once weak—becomes robust, and the spirit and Qi grow ever more secure. Without walking, one seems able to reach distant places; without returning, one seems already to have come back from nearby. The complexion also grows increasingly serene. On the tenth day, the gods arrive and the gateways seem to close. Jade Maidens attend at one’s sides; the body rises lightly, like a bird gliding through the clouds. This is called attaining the Dao.

The scripture also says: In cultivating the Dao, the essential thing is to make Jing and Qi firm. The body seems able to reach distant places without moving, and to have returned from nearby without needing to turn back; the complexion grows more serene by the day. On the tenth day, the gods arrive, the gateways close, and Jade Maidens attend at one’s sides. The body rises lightly, like a bird flying among the clouds. This is the state of attaining the Dao.

The scripture further says: The Dao treasures Jing and Qi. To give one’s Jing and Qi to others can enable them to live; to preserve Jing and Qi within oneself can nourish one’s own body. Only when the body has been nourished can one transcend for a long time and become an immortal in the world. “Giving life to others” means that once one’s work is complete, one withdraws after accomplishing it and conceals one’s traces. People in the world consider this extremely difficult. Yet some forget to give, or even waste and deplete their Jing and Qi. When Jing and Qi are depleted and one does not practice diligently, one grows old and ultimately loses one’s life.

The Old Lord said: Jing (essence), the vital substance of life, is like a river flowing through the blood vessels. When Jing is depleted, a person withers and grows old, so it should be cherished. One may regard the body as a state: Shen (spirit), or consciousness, is its ruler; Jing is its minister; and Qi (vital energy), the energy of life’s activity, is its people. Constantly cherishing Jing is an important method of cultivating the Dao.

The Old Lord also said: The Dao is Qi. Cherish Qi and you can attain the Dao; attain the Dao and you can endure. Shen is Jing. Cherish Jing and Shen will become clear; when Shen is clear, life can endure.

He also said: Those who seek the way to long life should regard Jing as a treasure, for people are born from Jing. Since Jing is a treasure, it is called the Dao. If you practice for just one day, you will be full in the morning and hungry by evening. Regulate your cultivation according to the cycle of a month, and you can follow the body’s waxing and waning. Regulate it according to the cycle of a year, and the body will grow lean in summer and full in winter. After a hundred years of practice, you should restrict your intake of grain and eat dates. After a thousand years, you will be a solitary man, no longer joining with women. This is called long life and enduring vision: a lifespan so great it cannot be counted. Cherish Jing, and so it is called the Dao. If you practice for just one day, you will be full in the morning and hungry by evening. Regulate your cultivation according to the cycle of a month, and you can follow the body’s waxing and waning. Regulate it according to the cycle of a year, and the body will grow lean in summer and full in winter. After a hundred years of practice, you should restrict your intake of grain and eat dates. After a thousand years, you will be a solitary man, no longer joining with women. This is called long life and enduring vision: a lifespan so great it cannot be counted. All the passages above come from the Daoji.

The Scripture of Breathing (Tunaxi Jing) also says: It is said that the Eight Immortals once taught that those who eat plants have strength, those who eat meat are fierce, those who eat the five grains are intelligent, and those who nourish themselves on Qi can communicate with the spirits. Sages eat nothing, and therefore do not die.

The Scripture of the Yellow Court (Huangting Jing) also says: Immortals and Daoist practitioners train in taking in Qi not because they were born with supernatural powers, but because they have accumulated Jing and Qi over a long time, making their breathing focused and harmonious. Everyone eats the five grains and foods of every flavor; I alone absorb the harmonious Qi of Yin-Yang, and so can live forever without dying. To give up grain and take Qi as nourishment is the way to long life; to circulate the Qi of Yin-Yang and fill oneself with Jing and Qi is a precious method of cultivation. Cultivating the body in this way may bring a long life. If one merely yearns for the distant way of immortality while believing it cannot exist, one only shows one’s foolishness and lets oneself grow old in vain. Spending a thousand gold pieces on a funeral brings no benefit; grieving and weeping only add regret. It is better to seek long life. I therefore set down these brief teachings on cultivating the Dao. They contain truths of their own, so do not lightly abandon the practice. When cultivation is complete, one may ascend to Great Wu, the immortal realm of Daoist legend.

Chapter 120 of the Scripture of Great Peace (Taiping Jing) says: Those who eat food have a fixed span of life; those who eat no food can communicate with the spirits. Those who nourish themselves on Qi attain spiritual clarity; by neither drinking nor eating, they can abide together with Heaven and Earth.

Chapter 145 says: Someone asked, “What do the people of the upper, middle, and lower classes who attain the Dao and transcend the world each eat?” The reply was: “The first class among those of the highest rank nourish themselves on wind and Qi; the second take the flavors of medicinal substances; the third eat only a little, just enough to keep their intestines and stomach functioning.”

It also says: Heaven is lofty and boundless. If one does not inhale the qi of the wind, how can one move swiftly and travel through the Way of Heaven? Heaven must connect and cooperate with its divine officials—the subordinate spirits of the heavenly realm—and so it inhales the qi of the wind. Next, people must join forces with the earth spirits, bringing the five kinds of soil—the soils of the five directions—into harmony. Then they can climb mountains and enter waters, connecting with the Earth and working together with it. For this reason, they must not eat grains, but should drink water as they travel. A further practice is to restrict one’s food in order to cultivate the Dao. Until cultivation is complete, one’s appearance is only beginning to change and differs little from that of ordinary people. So one should eat less to keep the stomach and intestines clear. This, too, is one way for a Daoist practitioner to attain accomplishment. The Scripture on the Foundations of the Dao (Daoji Jing) also says: “Taking medicines and eating wheat are beneficial.” In the past, a Daoist named Gan Shi circulated Qi and ate wheat, and in the end he transcended the world and attained the Dao of immortality.

It also says: When one becomes one with the Dao, one no longer clings to the supposed distinction between “being” and “nonbeing.” One stays awake day and night, as though the radiance of the sun and moon had merged, and feels neither hunger nor thirst. This is like turtles and dragons, which live by embryonic breathing—a faint, deep mode of breathing like that of a fetus.

It is also said: Those who eat the five grains are called “Grain Immortals.” By persisting in this practice, they can extend their lives and enjoy longevity. Those who abstain from the five grains can ascend on clouds, pass beyond the world, and attain immortality.

The Inner Biography of Perfected Lord Wang of Clear Emptiness also records the words of the Perfected Person of Taiji: “People receive the vital energy of life from the five grains. Embryos are conceived and nurtured, and all things grow, through the subtle essence transformed from grain energy. To merge with the true Dao and bring forth and nurture the myriad things, one must also receive the deep nourishment of the five grains. People lodge their bodies in their parents; since they are born through their parents, they should nourish life by following its source. If they disregard the grain energy on which life first depends and suddenly abandon the food that sustains them, they often exhaust their bodies through obstinacy and damage their lifespan.

“Therefore, follow the source of life and its way of nourishment. Harmonize and cleanse body and mind, allowing Jing and Qi to grow from faint beginnings to abundance and then spread throughout the body. Let nutritive Qi and defensive Qi—the energies that sustain the body’s functions and protect it—be gradually trained in daily life, while the six bowels, including those involved in digestion, slowly transform the essence of grain. Using grain to nourish life is a good way to make use of life; cultivating by following the root, then going beyond dependence on that root, is the subtle method for nurturing the spirit.

“Thus, practitioners draw in the eastern life-giving energy of Nanzhu and welcome the red numinous energy of newly sprouting plants. They harmonize the five bodily fluids and fill and clear the body’s gateways. They bring peace to the three palaces, the parts of the body associated with cultivating spirit and Qi, and make the hun and po souls gentle and settled. They then nourish the body and calm the stomach Qi through practices such as rinsing and drinking the Flowery Spring at dawn, receiving the empty essence of the five directions, tapping the Jade Pool—either by tapping the teeth with the tongue or stirring the saliva in the mouth—and breathing in dark essence. In this way, the lifespan grows with the passing years, and the effects of cultivation and medicines gradually deepen, until one ultimately ascends to the realm of immortals.”

After taking one dose of the medicine, life no longer declines. Five-colored clouds of Qi arise within the body, nourishing the physical form, Shen, and Jing and Qi. Practitioners may eat nine times in a day, keeping the Qi flowing freely through the body’s gateways, or go a whole year without feeling hunger. They can regain the vigor of youth. They may eat whenever food is available, yet remain unharmed if they do not eat. This is called a marvelous prescription of the high immortals and a wondrous method of grain abstinence.

The “Nanzhu” mentioned earlier is a kind of immortal plant. Although it has the form of a tree, it is called an herb, hence the name “Nanzhu herb and tree.” It is also known by such names as monkey medicine, male continuation, Houzhuo, Weina tree, and king of herbs and trees. It grows on Mount Songgao, Mount Shaoshi, Mount Baodu, Mount Jitou, and other mountains. The method for taking it was fully described earlier. This prescription also appears in the tenth chapter of the Hidden Instructions for Ascending to Truehood. The method of taking it described above is broadly the same, with only minor differences.

A Daoist practitioner who undertakes grain abstinence, eating no rice or other grains and taking no purified foods, should not drink alcohol. Alcohol muddles the mind, disturbs and obstructs the Qi channels, impedes the flow of the body’s meridians, and generates heat. It is therefore better to abstain from alcohol and preserve purity.

The Taishang Huangsu Sishisi Fang Jing says: “Daoists who regulate and nourish harmonious Qi, hold the spirits in contemplation, ingest rosy clouds, and cultivate the Way of longevity should be cautious. They must not eat the five pungent foods, and must also avoid harming the body through wine and sex.” Thus the sages of antiquity said: “The five pungent foods are axes that hack at the viscera; wine and sex are coffins that carry people to their deaths.” Only by avoiding the bodily harm caused by the five pungent foods and staying clear of the troubles brought by wine and sex can one set out on the path to longevity and draw closer, step by step, to the way of the immortals.

The Wuliang Biansheng Jing says: “When people eat meat and the five pungent foods—strongly scented vegetables—the spirits no longer dwell within their bodies.”

The Jinshu Zhenji says: “Eating the five pungent foods damages the form required for becoming an immortal.” The five pungent foods are scallions, garlic, Chinese chives, Chinese shallots (a vegetable similar to the Chinese onion), and xingqu (an aromatic pungent plant mentioned in ancient texts). Today, people generally no longer know what xingqu is.

Names of Divine Elixirs and Immortal Medicines

In addition, the “Hidden Mountain Grade,” the twenty-ninth section of “Foods and Ingestibles” in fascicle nine, also lists the names of immortal medicines.

The Scripture of the Jade Classic of the Great Supreme’s Eight Radiances, Four Pistils, Purple Elixir, Five Pearls, and Crimson-Born Divine Elixir records that this divine elixir is compounded from twenty-four ingredients, each with a symbolic name.

The first, “Crimson Mound Vermilion Child,” refers to high-grade cinnabar, the finest product of the Ba-Yue region. The second, “Cinnabar Mountain Sun-Soul,” refers to clear, bright realgar. The third, “Mysterious Terrace Cinnabar Flower,” refers to orpiment. The fourth, “Maiden of Azure Essence,” refers to kongqing, a blue mineral. The fifth, “Fertile Essence of the Numinous Flower,” refers to frankincense. The sixth, “Dark Pearl of the Northern Emperor,” refers to saltpeter. The seventh, “Marquis of Purple Mound,” refers to amethyst. The eighth, “Youth of Eastern Florescence,” refers to green costus root. The ninth, “White Plain Flying Dragon,” refers to white quartz. The tenth, “Divine Vermilion of Luminous Jade,” refers to zhengui; select the kind that can attract and hold tiny objects. The eleventh, “Golden Ram of the Five Essences,” refers to actinolite. The twelfth, “Flying Bloom of Cloud Radiance,” refers to mica of a bright, pure white color. The thirteenth, “Sun-Ointment of Flowing Cinnabar,” refers to lead white. The fourteenth, “Sole Growth at Tinggen,” refers to clove with a pungent taste. The fifteenth, “Marquis of Azure Mound,” refers to mineral pigment stone. The sixteenth, “Divine Bone That Walks Backward,” refers to rong salt. The seventeenth, “White Tiger’s Cast Tooth,” refers to gold-tooth stone. The eighteenth, “Yellow Child of the Nine Numinous Powers,” refers to sulfur. The nineteenth, “Life Left Behind in Empty Land,” refers to dragon bone; the best kind sticks to the tongue when licked. The twentieth, “King Among the Mighty and Cultured,” refers to tiger brain. The twenty-first, “Joining Radiances of Deep Clarity,” refers to pearls found in mussels. The twenty-second, “Dark Feather of Zhangyang,” refers to white aconite. The twenty-third, “Mother Stone Hidden in Green,” refers to magnetite. The twenty-fourth, “Abundant Fat of Zhongshan,” refers to Taiyi’s remaining root; select the yellow part at its center.

Together, these twenty-four ingredients are called the “Divine Elixir of Eight Radiances, Four Pistils, Five Pearls, and Crimson Birth.” The scripture says that taking one liang causes the light of the Nine Mornings to shine from the head and gives the face a lustre like jade. It also enables one to reflect wondrous radiance, see through all things under Heaven, reach the Purple Void, enter and leave Jade Clarity, and rest in the Morning Chamber. “Purple Void,” “Jade Clarity,” and “Morning Chamber” are names for Daoist paradises or sacred dwellings.

The Supreme One’s Highest Formula for Taking in Precious Blossoms and Cloud Fragments says: “Mao shi is a bright pearl of spring; giant sesame is a wondrous medicine that appears in autumn; cinnabar dates are cloud mushrooms born when Yang energy is flourishing; and poria is a fetal spirit hidden in crimson dawn. When these five essences are joined with cloud Qi and nurtured with the three primordial energies, they can harmonize the six Qi, nourish the souls, and protect the spirit. Whoever masters this method may take a place among the celestial immortals. Even the old and frail can regain their youth: their faces will be as young as an infant’s, they will be spared every kind of harm, and their lives will extend for ten thousand years.”

The book also says that the Mysterious Water Cloud-Blossom Elixir, also called Cloud-Mao Vermilion Elixir, should be taken in a dose of five he each day. It can make the body fragrant and the face shine with the youthful radiance of a child. This is a method of cultivation practiced by the immortals.

The Supreme One’s Four-Pacifying Pill nourishes the five viscera with spirit and Qi, steadies the six bones, nourishes the seven orifices, harmonizes the nine gates, refines the three souls, illuminates the two pupils, and protects the whole body, enabling one to live for ten thousand years.

The Three-Spirit Dragon Bone strengthens the six fluids, nourishes the intestines and viscera, restores black hair, and stops the growth of white hair.

The Supreme One’s Calamus Pill-and-Powder Formula guards the body’s center and refines the spirit, enabling one to live long and retain clear eyesight. It also fills and consolidates the bone marrow and replenishes the vital essence in the brain. It is said that prolonged use turns the complexion purple and gives the body the appearance of a young woman. It is also called “Ninefold-Turned Original Essence.” Calamus is also known as Changyang numinous herb.

All the material above comes from the Inner Instructions of the Central Scripture of the Nine Perfected of Shangqing, which serves as the main source here.

The Great Cavern Perfect Scripture records methods such as Ninefold-Turned Frost and Snow, Langya Flower Elixir, Restoring White with Jade Mysterious Water, Golden Liquor and Flowing Essence, Jade Grove Blossoms in Conjunction, and Water of the Sun and Moon. The scripture says that these are cultivation methods by which one can ascend through the air in broad daylight, rise to heaven, and become an immortal.

Some say that the “Golden Elixir of the Immortal Mother” is also called the “Flying Elixir of the Queen Mother of the West That Stops the Years and Halts Aging.” Taking it can bring long life without death and make one’s appearance somewhat younger, like a woman’s.

The Scripture of Purple Measures and Flame Light says that “Flying Elixir, Purple Splendor, Flowing Essence” has many transformations and comes in different colors.

There is also a medicine called “Ointment of Jade Embryo and Fine Liquor.”

The upper scroll of the Scripture of Flying and Soaring on Feathers says that refining golden essence into an ointment and eating a single mouthful can extend one’s life by seventy thousand years.

The Upper Scripture on the Five Viscera That Preserve Life, by the Lord of the Great Ultimate of the Cavern of Truth says that “Cloud Herb, Dark Clarity” refers to black sesame oil, also called “Dark Clarity”; “Flower Liquor Essence” refers to white honey; “Five Lights, Seven White, Spirit Vegetable” refers to Chinese chives, a scallion-like vegetable similar to Chinese shallots; and “White Plain Flying Dragon” refers to white quartz. These terms also appear in the Central Scripture of the Nine Truths.

The Chronicle of the Successive Generations of the Lord of the Way Who Came After the Sages records “Langjie Flower Elixir,” identifying it as the name of a medicine.

The Ten-Catty Formula of Jiangling Vermilion Child says that “Jiangling Vermilion Child” is cinnabar. The Five-Catty Formula of the Sun Soul of Mount Dan says that “Sun Soul of Mount Dan” is white quartz. These terms also appear in the Central Scripture of the Nine Truths.

The Chronicle of the Successive Generations of the Lord of the Way Who Came After the Sages records “Langjie Flower Elixir” and lists a set of medicine names with their corresponding substances:

“Jiangling Vermilion Child,” ten catties, is cinnabar; “Sun Soul of Mount Dan,” five catties, is realgar; “White Plain Flying Dragon,” one catty, is white quartz; “Jade Maiden of Qingyao,” five liang, is malachite; “Lord of Ziling,” five liang, is amethyst; “Flying Splendor of the Emerald City,” five liang, is mineral pigment; “Dark Vermilion of the Northern Thearch,” one catty, is saltpeter; “Yellow Child of the Nine Spirits,” five liang, is sulfur; “Golden Sheep of the Five Essences,” five liang, is tremolite; “Flying Blossom of Cloud Radiance,” five liang, is mica; “Shed Tooth of the White Tiger,” five liang, is gold-bearing stone; “Flowing Cinnabar, White Ointment,” one catty, is lead white; “Divine Bone That Walks Backward,” five liang, is Rong salt; and “Moonlight of the Dark Terrace,” five liang, is orpiment.

These make fourteen flower elixirs in all. According to the scripture, refining one liang is enough to become an immortal.

White blossom is also called “Chapter Refusal” and “Chapter Brightness.” According to the Oral Instructions, one jin of white blossom is lead white. Five liang of the Reversed-Course Divine Bone is, according to the Oral Instructions, rock salt, a mineral salt. Five liang of the Dark Terrace’s Lunar Radiance is, according to the Oral Instructions, orpiment, a mineral containing arsenic.

Together, these medicines are called the Fourteen Flower Elixirs. Refining one liang is said to be enough to make an immortal.

White blossom also has many other names: Chapter Refusal, Chapter Brightness, Chapter Life, Chapter Grass, Chapter Land, Spirit-Communicator, Essence-Communicator, Numinous-Communicator, Royal Daughter, Household Immortal, Household Treasure, Household Zhi, Life-Prolonger, Longevity Grass, Palace Guardian, and House Guardian.

The “Twelve Sections” also go by several names: Night Caller, Night Cry, Essence-Bestower, Yang Brightness, Yin Brightness, Red Kudzu, and Danglu.

There are twenty-four names in all, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms between Heaven and Earth. Taking one seventh of a square-inch dose is said to enable communication with spirits and bring blessings.

The Inner Tradition of Wenshi says: Laozi and the Keeper of the Pass traveled east together and climbed Mount Changyang at the Sun Cave. There they gathered elixir mulberries from the Fusang tree and collected the vermilion blossoms—the red flowers—of Ruolin.

The fourth volume of the Traditions of Daoist Learning records that the medicines collected by Ge Hong grew in Jiaozhi.

The fourteenth volume records that Shuang Xizu, courtesy name Zhongyuan, personally went to Wuling in the fourteenth year of Emperor Wu of Liang’s Tianjian era to search for cinnabar. He distributed the cinnabar and various medicines to public institutions and private individuals; they were worth tens of gold pieces. He used these goods to provide relief to the poor.

Elixir Furnaces and Incense Burners

The fourteenth volume of the Scripture of the Cavern Spirit says that when taking cinnabar and burning incense, one should use five incense burners. The Scripture on Refining the Cloud Root with the Flexible Gold and Jade Furnace Inscribed with the Great Cavern’s True Characters is also found in the Scripture of the Registers of the Three Lords of the Highest Clarity.

The Dengzhen Yinjue does not specify the shape of the incense burner used for burning incense. In ancient times, people commonly used Boshan burners, whose bodies resembled mountain peaks, and three-legged incense burners. The Bawèi Zhaolong Jing also records a Boshan incense burner.

The first scroll of the Taizhen Ke records that on Chongxuan Terrace there was a large incense burner, five feet high, in which incense burned throughout the year without interruption.

The sixth scroll of the Shengxuan Jing says, “A Jade Youth raises up unusual flowers, while a Jade Maiden presents an incense burner.”

The third scroll says, “On the Seven-Treasure Terrace stands a seven-treasure incense burner, burning various wondrous incenses whose fragrance spreads without measure.”

The third scroll of the Haikong Jing records that Haikong Zhizang rose, arranged his robe before his mat, and, holding an incense burner, faced the Celestial Worthy and stood respectfully. He gazed up at the Celestial Worthy with complete attention, never looking elsewhere, and his mind held no other thought.

The Tianwen Shang Jing says, “The sun and moon cast down their radiance; golden furnaces rise high, some situated at the Li Gate, others in the Palace of Destiny.” The Li Gate and the Palace of Destiny are names for directions or palatial positions in the scripture.

The Basu Zhenjing says that immortals understood arts such as flying elixirs and summoning frost, decocting and refining cloud cinnabar, and using water-jade to dissolve gold. They could also make the flames of nine furnaces rise to the clouds. These are terms from Daoist cultivation and the arts of immortality.

The tenth scroll of the Daoxue Zhuan records that Dongxiang Zongchao, courtesy name Yilun, was from Qian’zu in Gaomi. He once performed the Dao at an open-air altar. The text goes on to say that when the incense in the burner had burned away, its fragrance naturally filled and overflowed the space. There was no fire in the burner, yet smoke rose on its own, spreading all around and lingering for a long time.

The fourteenth scroll records that Shuang Xizu, courtesy name Zhongyuan, lived during the Liang dynasty. He loved reading scriptures and was never without a book in his hands. When Linru Marquis Ren Yingzhou Jingtu Yaoqing, he once sent someone to bring an incense burner and set it before Shuang Xizu, then left without saying a word.

Tao Zhenbai (Tao Hongjing’s Daoist name) sealed the Three True Treasures Scripture in a tin case and placed it in a mountain cave. He also offered a magpie-tail incense burner made of pure gold alongside the scripture.

The female Daoist Song Yuxian was from Shanyin in Kuaiji. Though born a woman, she was unwilling to let others decide her path in life. When she was nearing the age of fifteen, her parents prepared to marry her off. She secretly packed Daoist robes and traveled by carriage to her prospective husband’s home. During the Six Rites, the traditional six wedding ceremonies, she changed into a yellow cloth skirt and coarse garments, took up a magpie-tail incense burner, and refused to follow the rites for women. Guests and hosts alike were astonished. Unable to force her, her husband’s family let her return to her parents’ home, and she then entered the Daoist path.

The Scripture of the Great Kalpa Above says: Celestial immortals and jade maidens hold aloft incense tables beneath the vast heavens, presenting jade incense burners and burning Ninefold Harmony incense.

The second chapter of the Nanhua Classic: Discussion on Making All Things Equal says: Nan Guo Ziqi sat leaning against a table, his head raised toward the sky as he breathed softly, his expression as if he had forgotten everything beyond himself.

The sixth chapter of the Nanhua Classic: Discussion on Making All Things Equal says: Forget the sensations of every part of the body, set aside the acuity of ears and eyes, leave the body behind and abandon the mind. To merge with the Great Dao is what is called “sitting in forgetfulness.”

The fourth chapter says: A person with a disabled body is not required to take part in government service. How much less, then, should a person deficient in De be required to do so?

It also says: Do not listen with your ears; do not listen with your mind. Listen with Qi. Qi means keeping oneself empty and still, ready to receive external things. When the mind is empty and still, clarity arises, and good fortune comes to rest there.

The second chapter of the Biographies of Daoist Masters says: Zhang the Celestial Master traveled throughout the Five Sacred Mountains, devoted himself to cultivating the Dao, and accumulated spiritual responses. In the end he attained the true Dao and completed his cultivation, earning the title Celestial Master.

Volume Five quotes the Record of Collected Immortals: Liu Ningzhi, courtesy name Zhi’an and childhood name Changnian, was from Zhijiang in Nan Commandery. He practiced the Dao with devotion and tireless diligence. In the fourteenth year of the Yuanjia era, as he concentrated on cultivation in a quiet room, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his forehead. When he scratched at it, he drew out nine precious pearls. He placed them in clear water, and their radiance lit the entire room. At the time, Prince of Linchuan was stationed in Jiangling and asked to see the pearls, so Liu Ningzhi had someone send him three.

The Scripture of Daoist Traces says that Lord Blue Youth (Qingtong Jun), an immortal sage in Daoist lore, taught: “When concentrating in quiet contemplation, first burn incense nearby.”

The Scripture of the Eight Radiances of Shangqing says: “After a hundred days of quiet cultivation, perfected beings will appear, and immortals will come to your room to speak with you. They will grant you the medicines of the immortals and transmit the Dao of divine perfection—the methods for cultivating oneself into a perfected being.”

The preface to Lord Ge’s Scripture of Five Thousand Words says: “Through concentrated quiet contemplation, one can reach across distant realms and ascend to the celestial world. The Lord of the Dao Most High will then send a perfected being down to transmit to Emperor Wen the profound and subtle meanings of the Scripture of Five Thousand Words.”

It also says: “Quietly contemplate and yearn for the perfected beings, and many wondrous Daoist teachings will respond and come to you, transmitting the Dao of divine perfection.”

The preface to Lord Ge’s Scripture of Five Thousand Words also says: “Through concentrated quiet contemplation, one can reach across distant realms and ascend to the celestial world. The Lord of the Dao Most High will then send a perfected being down to transmit to Emperor Wen the profound and subtle meanings of the Scripture of Five Thousand Words.”

It further says: “Quietly contemplate and yearn for the perfected beings, and many wondrous Daoist teachings will respond and gather around you. Turn your attention inward to observe your own body and image, and your Shen and Qi will endure. When body and mind accord with Dao and De, the myriad spirits will show reverence, calamities will vanish, blessings will extend in every direction, the state will be settled, and the household at peace. Who, after all, can truly understand these principles?”

The “Great Ancestral Teacher” chapter of the Zhuangzi says: “To sit in forgetfulness is to forget the body, set aside the perceptions of the ears and eyes, leave behind form and cleverness, and merge with the all-pervading Dao.” This, too, is what concentrated quiet contemplation means.

The “Equalizing Things” chapter of the Nanhua Treatise says: “Nan Guo Ziqi sat leaning against a table, his expression vacant, as if he had forgotten the companions beside him. When walking, he seemed to drag along withered wood; when sitting, he resembled a heap of ashes.” This, too, describes the state of concentrated quiet contemplation.

The Secret Instructions for Ascending to Perfection says: “Wu sat in a vacant state, as if he had forgotten the companions beside him. When walking, he seemed to drag along withered wood; when sitting, he resembled a heap of ashes.” This, too, describes the state of concentrated quiet contemplation.

The Dengzhen Yinjue records that the Five-Spirits Daoist Zhi Ziyuan devoted himself to cultivation in a quiet chamber. He visualized the Five Stars above his head: Jupiter on the left, Venus on the right, Mars between his knees, and Saturn in his heart. He imagined each star shining with its own light and color. After practicing this for a long time, he continued to hold these visualizations in mind whenever he went out or traveled far, enabling him to ward off all kinds of misfortune. Once the five star spirits had joined with his body, he could ascend to Heaven in broad daylight.

The Pei Jun Neizhuan says that the Buddhist Daoist Zhi Ziyuan once received from Lord Pei a method of inner cultivation for attaining longevity.

It also says: Seeking medicines and practicing visualization can both lead to attaining the Dao, but their methods and underlying principles differ. Taking medicine is intended to preserve the body: when the body is healthy, the spirit is at peace. Visualization is intended to settle the spirit: when the spirit is clear and unhindered, the body can be preserved. These two methods complement each other, but each has its strengths and limitations. If one is concerned that the spirit may dissipate and the body decay, visualization has the advantage. Taking medicine cannot achieve the state in which the body has departed but the spirit remains, so it is relatively less effective in this respect. Even when one focuses on only one method and succeeds in mastering it, one can still reach the Dao. Yet practicing both is better. When medicine and visualization work together, allowing body and spirit to flow through one another, life can continue without end and cultivation can proceed without obstruction. Life is then naturally established—how could death come?

The fifth chapter of the Zhen’gao says: Ordinary people should regularly visualize their own form until it is clear, as though it were right before them. They should also keep the radiance of the sun and moon on their faces, illuminating the whole body. Imagine the sun on the left and the moon on the right, nine inches in front of you. When the visualization is complete, gently tap the teeth three times and quietly recite this prayer:

“Primordial Embryo, Supreme Perfected Ones; Twin Luminaries, Three Mysterious Ones: on the right, subdue the Seven Po; on the left, restrain and gather the Three Hun…”

The original text that follows contains repeated formulaic words; the plain-language interpretation retains them as they appear.

The Primal Womb Supreme Perfected, the Twin Luminaries, and the Three Mysteries—divine beings or perfected immortals in Daoist terminology—subdue the Seven Po, which govern the body’s activities, on the right, and restrain the Three Hun, which govern mental awareness, on the left, so that my spirit and body may endure for a long time. After completing this, tap the teeth twenty-one times and swallow the saliva in the mouth twenty-one times. This is called “the Lord’s method of recording the form and restraining the souls.” It is said to clear the mind, enable one to become an immortal, and grant long life without death. If one does not recite the invocation, one may simply visualize instead.

The seventh chapter of the Zhengao records that the immortal Zhang Weizi was the daughter of Zhang Qing, who lived during the reign of Emperor Zhao of the Han. While concentrating in the quiet of her bedroom, she was moved by the sincerity of her devotion, and Ting Wenqi, the Jade Consort of Donghua from the Eastern Sea, descended and taught her the method of absorbing mist. The text says this was the origin of the practice.

The book also says that Ping Zhongjie, who studied the Dao on Mount Kuocang, was from Hedong. He became a disciple of Lord Song and practiced “the Way of the Mind-Mirror,” a method of visualization in which the inner mind is made clear like a mirror. After forty-five years of practice, he felt, during deep contemplation, that his body had grown young again and that true Qi had arisen within him. The Yellow Elder of the Center sent attendants to welcome him. Riding clouds and a dragon, he ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. He now resides at Canglang Cloud Terrace.

The book further says that Fan Boci, a native of Guiyang, entered Mount Tianmu to practice and consumed sesame. After seventeen years of deep contemplation and cultivation, the Supreme Perfected Immortal, Lord Siming, descended and gave him thirty-six scrolls of scripture. Later, he took the restored elixir, a Daoist alchemical medicine, and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. He is now a Perfected One of Mysterious Unity.

The Record of the Great One’s Golden Truth says: Long ago, a man named Pei practiced cultivation on Mount Kongtong, devoting himself to thoughts of the divine immortals. In the first year, he glimpsed their forms. In the second, the Five Emperors came riding on the sun and appeared beside him. In the third, the Five Emperors spent the whole day talking and laughing with him, playing and making merry. By the fifth year, the Five Emperors and the Lord of the Sun rode with Pei in a flying dragon carriage, traveling east to the Heaven of the Sun’s Grotto, the Fusang Palace on Dongmeng’s Long Mound, and the City of the Eight Extremities. They ascended the Terrace of Bright Truth and sat in the Hall of Xilin, where they bestowed on Pei the Chapter on Waving the Spirit and the talisman of the Nine Domains. They had him eat green essence from the sun and drink the dark spirit of empty blue. From then on, Pei roamed every day with the Five Emperors and the Lord of the Sun. This is what is called the “Way of Pursuing the Sun”: a practice of visualizing the sun’s deity and meeting the divine immortals who dwell within it.

The Scripture of the Seventy-Four Transformations of Shangqing says: If one can concentrate on visualization in a quiet chamber, cast off worldly entanglements, and sincerely contemplate the rosy clouds of the Great Radiance—the celestial glow of the immortals’ realm—the palaces of Shangqing, the upper celestial realm in Daoism, will appear reflected in one’s eyes. By settling the breath and focusing the mind, one lets the spirit grow calm and merge with the vastness of space. In fewer than ten days, one will see the spirits; in fewer than a year, one will ascend to the heavens. The responses accumulated over time will spring forth from within and reveal radiant transformations. One will survey the vast expanse of Heaven and Earth and manifest seventy-four wondrous paths of transformation. The blessings gained from this are beyond measure. These are precious methods of cultivation in the divine scriptures, and the highest immortal ways in the treasured formulas.

The scripture also says: If one can quiet the mind in one’s room and contemplate the countenance of the spirits within nature, one can send Jing and Qi upward to the clear heavens and spread grace throughout the Nine Fords, a name for far-reaching realms. One can summon wondrous visions, allowing the aged and withered to regain their vitality and endure for a long time. Blessings and honor will accrue to one’s subtle cultivation, while good fortune will extend to one’s family and kin. In this way, both the living and the dead can receive blessings, and ancestors may be reborn as fetal immortals, who cultivate to become immortals while still in the womb. This is the subtle work of the Great Dao’s transforming and nurturing power—a truly exalted numinous text.

The Formulas of the Natural Way says: Close your eyes, visualize the Perfected Spirit, and focus your thoughts so that the Ten Elders descend. Then you can ascend to immortality, abide in Wuwei (non-action) for a long time, and keep your appearance beautiful. When thirsty, drink the liquid from the Jade Pool; when hungry, eat the Golden Light Herb. Thus, when Master Chen cultivated the Dao and sought truth, he always took focused visualization as his foundation. To visualize the spirits and enter the realm of contemplation, quieting the mind and concentrating the thoughts must come first.

When observing a long-term fast, eat Golden Light Grass if you feel hungry. When Mr. Chen cultivates the Dao and seeks the truth, he must make focused contemplation his foundation. To preserve the spirit within and enter visualization, quieting the mind comes first.

The Taixuan Jing, Chapter Eight: Commentary and Instructions on the Laozi’s Transmission of Scriptures and Precepts says: “Whether offerings for the fast are plentiful or simple, they may be arranged according to the place and circumstances. The Great Dao is clear, still, and empty; simple, unadorned offerings are best.”

The Dengzhen Yinjue, Chapter Four says: “In the past, Ji Wei observed a long fast for three years, devoting himself with reverence and exhausting his powers of contemplation. Only afterward was he able to consume the essence transformed from the light of the sun and moon, and divine radiance then shone throughout his body.”

The Zhengao, Chapter Five says: “The days of Jia Yin and Geng Shen are when corpse demons—evil, impure influences said to disturb the body and mind and drain one’s life—strive to cause trouble, making the spirit agitated and clouded. On these two days, do not sit at table with your spouse, or speak with or meet them. Purify yourself through fasting, enter your room, face east, and bow sincerely. Preserve the gods in your thoughts and focus your attention on your breathing, hoping to connect with the gods. You may also state your wishes as you see fit. If you do this, the Jade Maiden, a female immortal who serves the gods, will descend and attend you.”

Those who study the Dao should first restrain the hun and po souls and dispel corpse demons. At each month’s end and beginning, as well as on Geng Shen and Jia Yin days, they should purify themselves through fasting, enter a room, bathe to wash away dust and grime, and sit upright. It is better still if they can remain awake through the night. With a vermilion cinnabar brush, mark a spot below the outer corner of the left eye; then, with an orpiment brush, mark a spot below the right nostril. Part of each mark should fall on the grain wrapping. Once the marks are made, click the teeth together three times and quietly recite the invocation, saying:

“Let the radiance of the Upper Scene whirl and entwine; let the cinnabar-yellow vapor disperse like smoke.” This means causing the radiance of the Upper Scene—the essence of light represented in Daoism by the sun, moon, and other celestial bodies—to whirl and entwine, while the cinnabar-yellow vapor spreads like smoke. With this vapor, one draws in and subdues numinous and malign forces, allowing corpse-taint to sink away and dissipate. One then harmonizes the Hun and refines the Po, bringing body and spirit into accord. The prayer asks that one may live forever without dying, be intelligent and perceptive, see clearly into the distance, and enjoy lasting health and good fortune.

After completing the prayer, gently tap the teeth three times above and three times below, then swallow the saliva in the mouth three times. Next, press the area beneath the left eye seven times with the right index finger. Keep the finger in contact throughout, without lifting it, then press both areas beneath the eyes at once. The scripture says these two places are gateways through which the Seven Po and wandering corpses enter and leave, and passages used by the essence of the battle-axe and by thieving malign forces. Taking in the essence of cinnabar-yellow can block the paths used by corpse-spirits, while the fumigation of the sun and moon’s radiance can dispel lustful, disorderly influences. This is called the Supreme Method of the Taiji. It is said that regular practice harmonizes and softens the Hun and Po, disperses corpse-taint, and thereby leads to long life and immortality, unobstructed breathing, and penetrating eyesight. After three years of practice, thoughts of sexual desire will disappear completely.

The Wuliang Jing (Scripture of Infinite Measure) says that observing a strict vegetarian fast throughout the first month and reciting this scripture can free the ancestral dead from bonds and spare them service in the underworld, enabling them to cross over and ascend to the Southern Palace. Observing a strict vegetarian fast and reciting the scripture throughout the seventh month is said to enable the practitioner to become an immortal. The heavens will record the practitioner’s name in the Yellow Register, Daoist records of merit, and remove it from the White Register, the books of life and death, erasing the entry in the register of the dead and recording it in the register of the living. Reciting this scripture at the Eight Seasonal Nodes, the eight calendrical turning points especially significant in Daoism, can make one a Perfected of the Nine Palaces. Reciting it on one’s natal day, the day corresponding to one’s birth, is said to purify the Hun and Shen and preserve the original Qi, free one from suffering, illuminate the body, and bring the protection of the Three Realms, the welcome of the Five Emperors, and the homage of the myriad spirits. When one’s cultivation and merits are complete, one’s name will be entered in the celestial registers, and one will ascend by flight to Shangqing.

The Eighth Scroll of the Zhenggao records: Xin Xuanzi, whose courtesy name was Yanqi, was from Dinggu in Longxi and lived during the reign of Emperor Ming of Han. From a young age, he loved cultivating the Dao. He observed the precepts and practiced with sincere dedication and perseverance. Each day he ate only one vegetarian meal at noon. He trained his body, guarded his Jing and Qi, and kept away from worldly distractions. At times he traveled through the mountains and forests, far from the world of ordinary people. He aspired to follow Zijing—the legendary immortal prince Qiao—to practice on Mount Gou, and also hoped to accompany Lingyang on the mysterious path of cultivation. He therefore changed his name to Xuanzi and chose Yanqi as his own courtesy name. He is also mentioned in the fourth scroll of the Biographies of Daoist Studies.

The Slight Calamities Scripture says: “Those who burn incense and make offerings eat only once each day, at noon.” This refers to the dietary precepts observed in a life of cultivation.

The fourth scroll of the Biographies of Daoist Studies also records: Fan Chai was from Langzhong in Baxi. He had fair skin, fine hair, delicate features, and graceful manners. He did not volunteer to speak of events that had not yet happened, nor did he discuss divination or good and bad fortune. His temperament was calm and tranquil, free of desire; he remained silent throughout the day. He braided scraps of worn cloth into a net and tied it with cord, then draped himself in a straw mat for meager covering. He walked barefoot in every season, yet his feet never cracked. He did not sleep at any time of year.

In the fourteenth year of the Taiyuan era (389 CE), during the Eastern Jin dynasty, Fan Chai came to Jingzhou and lived among the reeds at the end of Fucheng Islet in Zhijiang County, Nanjun. He also had a house, though it offered no protection from wind or frost. He used mulberry branches for a bed, and dried grass stood inside the house. His only possessions were an empty bamboo basket and a clay bottle, which he used to store things and to rest his head against when sleeping. At times he carried his straw mat with him as he went out to beg for food. For ten days at a stretch, he would go without polished rice, fermented wine or sweet wine, rich foods, and fruit, eating only coarse millet and vegetable broth—about one sheng at a time. Afterward, he could go on for more than ten days.

Dongxiang Chaozong, whose courtesy name was Yilun, was from Qiankou in Gaomi. He left secular life while still young, never married, and did not seek an official career. He was earnest and sincere in his conduct, often doing things others found difficult. He ate only once a day, at noon, and subsisted on hemp seeds and wheat. His disciples and attendants all enjoyed vegetables and meat, but no meat or fish ever entered the monastery where he lived. He resided at the Hall of Mysterious Hope. Emperor Wu of Liang promoted the parallel practice of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and issued an edict requiring people to eat vegetarian food. Few observed the edict despite its promulgation, but Yilun followed it faithfully, and all the Daoists in the hall consequently became vegetarians. If anyone secretly broke the rule, he reprimanded and expelled them. Even at rites such as kitchen sacrifices, he used no meat with blood. People near and far praised his austere and pure way of life, calling him a man of singular integrity.

It is also recorded that Fang Qianzhi, whose courtesy name was Daochong, was from Bai County in Zhao Commandery, Jizhou. Through his own cultivation, he sought to aid the people. During periods of fasting and purification, he performed repentance rites six times each day. On each occasion he held the “Ten Directions Repentance,” a rite of bowing and confessing before the sacred beings of the ten directions. Few in the world could join him in this practice, so he often cultivated the Dao alone. Near the end of his life, he stopped fasting for seven days and then died.

It is also recorded that Zhang Min, whose courtesy name was Gaoming, was from Xuancheng. He sent his wife and children away, left home to cultivate the Dao, and maintained a vegetarian diet for many years. He often said that a body of seven feet was like an illusion, and there was no need to take pains to cherish it. He therefore withdrew to a quiet place on Mount Wu and abstained from food and drink for more than twenty days. Evil men and fierce beasts came near his dwelling. His breath grew faint and his life hung by a thread; only after relatives and friends repeatedly urged him to eat did he briefly agree, and his health improved somewhat. In the first year of the Dajian era under Chen, corresponding to 569, he again abstained from food and said, “Nursing this body cannot make a person endure forever, nor does it benefit living beings. I have no intention of remaining in the world for long. In cultivating the Dao and establishing one’s conduct, why must one stay here?” When others urged him to eat again, he refused.

Volume Eighteen records that Shen Faxi, whose courtesy name was Shizhen, was from Wukang in Wuxing and lived on Mount Zue. He vigorously spread Daoism.

Volume Eighteen of The Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns records: Shen Faxi, whose courtesy name was Shizhen, was from Wukang in Wuxing and lived on Mount Zae. The Daoist priest Da Hong regularly gathered Daoists and local residents on the fifteenth day of the first month to hold a community fast, a local purification ritual. They processed around the mountain and kept the lamps alight in succession so that their light would never go out.

The Ritual Code of the Ninety-Two Precepts of the Shangqing Great Cavern says: Those who practice the Way of the Female One, a Daoist method of cultivation, may eat a little in the morning, but should not eat their fill. They may eat more at midday; after noon, they may consume only sweet tree fruits.

The Lower Scroll of Instructions on the Daoist Fasting Precepts and Ritual Deportment of the Lingbao says: When Daoists undertake a prolonged fast, they may drink plain water after noon but must stop eating. In the morning they may drink porridge, and at midday they may eat vegetables.

The Baopuzi says: Hong Yi believed that among those who undertake prolonged fasting, some are nobles and some are Daoists. Their bodies are often frail, and they cannot perform prostrations throughout the day across all six periods. In my view, they may burn incense and make prostrations three times during the day, omitting them at night. If they undertake a fast lasting one day and one night, they may perform the ritual practices across all six periods.

The Upper Scroll of the Taizhen Ritual Code says: Those who study the Dao should take joy in nourishing life, cherish the Daoist teachings, and practice methods of cultivation. They should fast for long periods and eat vegetarian food, continuing until they attain the Dao. This is the foremost practice in cultivation. Alternatively, they may fast for a thousand days, a hundred days, a month, or a single day; they should moderate their diet, eat simple, plain food, and practice methods of absorbing Qi and taking medicines. If circumstances permit, they may also eat foods such as maltose. They may cultivate in secret during the fast; if urgent public or private affairs require attention, they may interrupt it temporarily and resume once those matters are settled. They must not grow lax in body or mind if they are to become true immortals in the end. Those who merely claim to cultivate while actually being perfunctory and lax will only invite further trials.

The ritual manual says: In the course of a year, one should fast during the six months of the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh lunar months. The first, eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, eighteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-eighth, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth days of each month are called the “Ten Direct Fasting Days.” On these days, heavenly deities descend; those who cultivate with focused devotion may receive blessings.

The Lower Section of the Taizhen Code says: “Long-term observance of the fast should be undertaken according to one’s abilities. When cultivating the Great Dao and teaching the scriptures, one may choose an auspicious day to gather people for a fast. One may perform the rites three times a day to deliver deceased ancestors, aid those who are gravely ill or in danger, dispel transgressions, and overcome calamities. One may also perform them six times a day. If one teaches the scriptures three times daily, the teachings may be repeated twice at night, or one may recite scriptures. The details should be arranged according to one’s own abilities.”

It also says: “Anyone who serves as a leader of the religious community, cultivates Daoist methods, and guides others should keep a regular dwelling, dress in accordance with ritual norms, conduct themselves properly in both action and repose, and make their deeds exemplary. Thus the sages uphold the One—the foundation of the Dao—as the standard for all under Heaven. In teaching the people, they also uphold the One, bringing all under Heaven back to the Great Dao. One should return to stillness and emptiness and devote oneself to quietude. If one cannot yet become entirely free of dependence, one should continually work to lessen selfish desires, gradually set aside worldly affairs, and cultivate the three activities of body, speech, and mind.”

Cultivating these three activities takes observance of the fast as its foundation. “Fast” means to become orderly, pure, and still. Observing the fast does not necessarily require performing the rites six times a day and teaching the scriptures three times a day; nor does it require contemplating the spirits, repenting, and making petitions and prayers throughout day and night. If such activities disturb one’s stillness through excess, they may instead cause one to lose the foundation of upholding the One. To attain the One, one must first discipline body, speech, and mind. To discipline the body is to sit upright and respectfully, without rash movement. To discipline speech is to be quiet and speak little, while inwardly understanding and reflecting. To discipline the mind is to bring one’s spirit into accord with the Dao. Through this cultivation, one may become a religious leader and ultimately attain the way of the sages, perfected beings, and immortals.

If one has not yet fully achieved this, one should begin by disciplining body and mind: use morning worship to bring the body into proper order, and avoid killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; use scripture recitation to discipline speech, avoiding falsehood, flowery speech, sowing discord, and abuse; use contemplation of the spirits to gather the mind and free it from greed, resentment, and ignorance. As the ten evils are eliminated, the ten good actions will naturally arise, and one will become aligned with the Dao and its truth. If one cannot do these things, one should not presume to be a teacher, forcibly establish a religious teaching, and use it to solicit offerings.”

The Lower Chapters of the Jade Instructions of the Red Script say: In the Palace Above the Great Mystery, a heavenly palace, the Northern Emperor regularly punishes the people of Heaven on the days of Gengshen. The Three Corpses, spirits believed to dwell within the human body and record and report people’s transgressions, together with the soul spirits, list each person’s offenses and submit them to the Emperor. Therefore, if someone observes fasting and keeps the precepts on this day, and inwardly contemplates the spirits day and night, the Three Corpses cannot ascend to Heaven to report that person’s offenses. The Earth Office, which oversees earthly affairs, will instead submit a report of the person’s good deeds to the Emperor. The Great Unity (Taiyi), a revered Daoist deity, is thereby pleased and records the person’s name on the Left Tally, a document symbolizing the granting of credentials, so that the person may remain among the Seed People: those permitted to endure in the world and continue the Dao lineage.

The perfected and revered deities of the Supreme Palace Above regularly send the Great Unity’s Chief Envoy of the Central Terrace down to the human realm on days of Jiazi. This divine messenger, acting on the Great Unity’s command, travels through Heaven and Earth, inspects the deities, and disperses vulgar spirits and demons. If someone on this day gathers their mind, observes fasting, burns incense, and pays reverence, the Chief Envoy of the Central Terrace will record each of their good deeds and report them to the Three Heavenly Emperors. The Emperors then release the person from the duties of inspecting Heaven and Earth and commanding spirits and ghosts, and enter their name in the Jade Register of heavenly names, so that they may remain a perfected person for a long time.

The Scripture of the Dharma Wheel says: For a long time, observe fasting in a remote mountain valley, unceasingly, day and night. Sustain yourself on cypress seeds and drink clear pool water. Live in a rocky cave, lodging alone and traveling on foot, keeping company with deer, making your home beside the trees, and sitting quietly before wild beasts. Birds cry mournfully; wind and clouds are bleak and cold. For years you wander, while streams freeze and snow covers the courtyard. Though the cold cuts to the bone, you continue to temper a resolute and single-minded will. Though you dwell in the mountains and forests for a long time and endure every hardship, you dare neither grow lax nor seek comfort. After traveling far and earnestly seeking the Dao, you finally move Heaven to respond and receive the favor of the Heavenly Emperor.

The second volume of the Biographies of Daoist Students says: Celestial Master Zhang left home to study the Dao, carrying scriptures on his back as he traveled. He entered a stone chamber on Mount Songgao, where he lived in seclusion and observed fasting for nine years. Afterward, he traveled throughout the Five Sacred Mountains, devoted himself to contemplating the Dao, and accumulated spiritual responses. At last, a true spirit descended and his Daoist work was complete, so he came to be known as the Celestial Master. Many scriptures discuss the practice of prolonged fasting; they are not listed here one by one.

This concludes volume five of the Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns.

Volume six of the Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns.

In the Tang dynasty, Lu Hai, a Daoist cultivator, practiced with care and reflection and developed a deep spiritual attunement. The true spirit descended, and he succeeded in his cultivation. He was honored as a Celestial Master (Tianshi). The scriptures contain many passages on prolonged fasting; they will not all be discussed here.

End of juan five of The Pearls in the Pouch of the Three Caverns.

The Pearls in the Pouch of the Three Caverns, juan six

Compiled and edited by Wang Xuanhe, a Daoist cultivator of Lu Hai in the Tang dynasty.

On Fasting Assemblies

The Taixuan Scripture, juan eight: Annotations and Instructions on Laozi’s Transmission of Scriptures and Precepts says: “When one wishes to transmit the Dao and De scriptures and methods, a fasting rite should, according to the regulations, have thirty-eight participants. If that number cannot be reached, there must be no fewer than six. Of the six, one is the official who oversees the fast and directs the rite. There must also be one master and five ‘protectors.’”

“Protector” has several meanings: something precious, like a treasure; one capable of taking responsibility for instruction; a sign of sincere devotion; proof of virtuous cultivation; and a source of help in passing trials and hardships, ultimately attaining the highest truth of the Dao.

A fasting rite may last nine, seven, five, or three days, but never less than one day. If it lasts only a day, it is called an “assembly,” not a “fast.” Distributing money and making offerings to worthy people is called an “assembly.” Submitting a written petition and asking the Bureau for Oversight of Assemblies to supervise also forms part of an assembly rite. Thus, the Regulations for the Three Assemblies at Xuandu say: “On the eighth day of the fourth month, the heavenly followers gather, and all provide food for those under censure.” The commentary explains that when the heavenly followers are summoned, food must be provided to pardon the offenses of those who have erred during a minor fast. Distributing money and making offerings to worthy people is called an “assembly”; submitting a written petition and asking the Bureau for Oversight of Assemblies to supervise also forms part of an assembly rite. The Regulations for the Three Assemblies at Xuandu further say: “On the eighth day of the fourth month, the heavenly followers gather, and all provide food for those under censure.” The commentary explains that this is meant to pardon the minor offenses of the heavenly followers.

The thirty-eight participants mentioned above are divided into six groups. The first is the “Three Masters,” consisting of three people: one principal master and two assisting masters, who are the ritual masters. The second is the “Five Protectors,” consisting of five people, who are the lecturers. The third is the “Six Clarifiers,” consisting of six people, who oversee the fast. The fourth is the “Seven Witnesses,” consisting of seven people, who attend to the scriptures. The fifth is the “Eight Guides,” consisting of eight people, who attend to the incense. The sixth is the “Nine Completers,” consisting of nine people, who attend to the lamps.

The six ranks and thirty-eight people mentioned above need not all be present. If they cannot be gathered, the number may be adjusted as circumstances allow. These people are all regarded as disciples of divine powers. Those of virtue and ability serve as masters for the Five Protectors and Seven Witnesses. Master and disciples sign their names together, record the document of transmission, and perform the purification retreat according to the rules; the disciples are then granted the precepts and registers. According to the middle volume of the Scripture of the Three Primes, the fifteenth day of the first month is the birthday of the Heavenly Official, the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the birthday of the Earthly Official, and the fifteenth day of the tenth month is the birthday of the Water Official. On these three days, the Three Officials ascend together to Jade Capital Mountain, the celestial mountain of the immortals in Daoist legend, to review the registers of life and death, sin and merit. Purification assemblies should therefore be held on these days.

Relinquishing and Losing the Precepts

The lower volume of the Code of Supreme Truth says: Anyone who has received Daoist scriptures, codes and regulations, precepts, or registers may formally renounce them if circumstances require. They must not abandon their master and leave without notice. Those who leave without informing their master will find it difficult to return later; those who first formally resign and then depart will find it easier to return. Once they have turned toward the Ultimate Dao, they should not leave again.

If someone now truly wishes to depart, they should explain their intention sincerely to their master. The master should try to dissuade them and arrange an appropriate course of action. If that course cannot be carried out and the counsel has no effect, the master should burn incense and report the matter to the Three Treasures—the Daoist objects of reverence: the Dao, the scriptures, and the master. The master should instruct the person to perform three bows and make this vow: “The codes, precepts, and regulations of the scriptures return to emptiness together with my own person; the Three Realms and Six Destinies return to emptiness together with the Great Dao. All teachings are empty; all things are empty.” After reciting this three times, the person should bow three times and then depart. From that point on, they may act according to their own wishes and intentions, but they must not slander the true teaching or disclose secret words. Anyone who violates this will fall into hell for a long time and will have no further chance to enter a good path. If, after leaving, they regret their decision and again seek to receive and uphold the codes and regulations, they must first establish merit, serve to the best of their ability, and make material offerings. They may then receive the teachings again according to the original rite.

The lower volume of the Code of Supreme Truth also says: Anyone who has received precepts and registers but suddenly loses them need only pay half the original amount to have them replaced; there is no need to receive them anew.

The Zhengyi Fawen, Lower Volume, says: Anyone who loses talismans and registers must pay a penalty of five bundles of firewood and three liang of cinnabar, and provide offerings for three worthy adepts. For each lost talisman, the General responsible for the penalty must pay half a bundle of firewood and four liang of cinnabar, and provide offerings for five worthy adepts. For ten lost talismans, the penalty is one bundle of firewood and five liang of cinnabar, with offerings for ten worthy adepts; for seventy-five, ten bundles of firewood and seven liang of cinnabar, with offerings for fifty worthy adepts; and for one hundred and fifty, thirty bundles of firewood and nine liang of cinnabar, with offerings for one hundred worthy adepts. Here, “General” is a title for a divine general associated with talismans and registers. “Feeding the worthy” means providing offerings for worthy adepts. Once the penalty has been paid in full, one may receive the talismans and registers again.

The scripture also says: If the talismans and registers were lost unintentionally, one should state truthfully the year, month, day, and time they were lost, whether it happened at home or elsewhere, and whether the loss was due to pressure from public or private affairs, flooding, fire, theft, or other circumstances. One should truthfully explain where the talismans one wore are now, and that no matter how one searches, they cannot be found. Then one should accept the prescribed penalty, deliver the firewood to the kitchen as an atonement, and afterward receive the talismans and registers again. By doing so, one need not remain anxious and self-reproachful for a long time.

The Taixuan Division, Volume Eight: Notes and Instructions on the Rites and Precepts for Laozi’s Transmission of Scriptures says: After receiving the precepts and scriptures, one should observe purification rites on the last day of each month and around the fifteenth. During the purification, cleanse body and mind, keep the precepts carefully, and recite the scriptures throughout the night to atone for one’s offenses. Afterward, one may receive them again. This practice should always be followed with sincerity.

The Taixuan Division, Volume Eight: Notes and Instructions on the Rites and Precepts for Laozi’s Transmission of Scriptures also says: After receiving the precepts and scriptures, one should observe purification rites at the end and middle of every month. During the purification, cleanse body and mind, keep the precepts carefully, and recite the scriptures throughout the night one hundred or one thousand times; there is no limit to how many times one may recite them. If one can maintain this practice over a long period, one should not reduce the recitation to fewer than nine times. On ordinary days, when observing quiet purification, one may recite the scriptures when going out or returning, and whenever one enters or leaves. Recite whenever it is convenient; recitation need not be confined to purification days. One should also seek instruction from teachers, visit fellow practitioners, and reflect on and put into practice what one has learned. The scriptures need not be recited aloud: it is enough for the heart and mouth to accord with one another. In a crowd, one should remain silent; if one can concentrate on reciting inwardly, one can still reach the highest sages.

The Lower Volume of the Zhengyi Ritual Texts says: Anyone who becomes a Daoist adherent must first receive the protective talisman and the Three Precepts, then the Five Precepts and the Eight Precepts. Only after this may they receive a register—that is, be entered in the register of Daoist deities and gain the corresponding ritual office and authority to summon spirits. If someone has not received the precepts before receiving a register, they may receive them afterward in the proper order. Once received, the precepts must be recited repeatedly, learned thoroughly, kept constantly in mind, and put into practice. They must not be remembered incorrectly; forgetting a precept means violating the rules.

Before receiving a register, one is not qualified to invoke the spirits. After receiving one, one may invoke them whether active or at rest. Those who fail to observe the precepts will receive no response when they call upon the spirits. When someone breaks a precept, the divine officials and troops leave their side and return to the celestial administration. The examining officials, who investigate and punish violations, then hold the person to account, bringing illness, public or private misfortune, hardship, and decline. Their undertakings, too, will be difficult to complete successfully.

The key to attaining merit, leaving darkness for light, doing good and dispelling evil, and driving away calamity through good fortune lies in observing the precepts; then the spirits will protect and assist you. The precepts are set out in separate texts, which should be studied carefully. Some precepts may be unclear; others may be forgotten or remembered incorrectly. Some people knowingly break them, while others violate them under pressure from their elders or out of fear of death. All these are faults that bring corresponding consequences, and are collectively called breaking the precepts. After breaking a precept, one should repent, acknowledge the fault, and reform.

Anyone who violates the precepts will be investigated and questioned. Some people profess faith in the Daoist teachings yet also follow heterodox doctrines, mixing Buddhism and worldly concerns. Their commitment is divided and their minds are unsettled; others waver because of ignorance and confusion. Those who are merely obstructed or confused may still keep to the Dao if they correct themselves after their teacher has instructed them repeatedly. As long as they remain steadfast, their invocations of the spirits will receive a response. But those who fail to repent after three rounds of instruction have turned against the Daoist community.

Defying one’s teacher or elders is, by rule, grounds for having one’s ritual register revoked. Those who turn to Buddhism or worldly pursuits, or who stop serving their teacher and receiving instruction, will not be held to account if they reform. But those who court disputes and lose sight of what matters, though they may claim to follow the Dao, still violate the proper regulations, and the divine officials will not accept them. If they later repent and accumulate merit, they may ask to have their standing restored. If their request is approved, they may advance step by step according to their merit. A separate volume, the Ritual Manual for Purification through Precepts and Register Ordination, is also available for use by the people.

On the Prohibitions Against Accumulating Merit

The Taixuan Capital Repentance says: To repent of one’s faults and establish merit anew, and to request the restoration of one’s former permissions and privileges, one may be promoted according to one’s virtue. There is also a scroll called the Ritual for Purification Precepts and Offering to the Registers, for people to put into practice.

Establishing Merit and Observing Taboos

The Rules of the Lady Azure of the Central Palace in the Taixuan Capital say: Anyone practicing the Shangqing methods, the cultivation practices of the Daoist Shangqing tradition, must not face north or face the direction associated with their birth destiny, then immediately turn around. Doing so offends Yuchen, a revered Daoist deity, and shows irreverence toward the original true beings. After five offenses, one cannot become an immortal. After ten, one will be examined and punished by the Left Office and, after death, fall into the Three Paths of Hell—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. Even after ten thousand kalpas, one will be unable to be reborn as a human.

The text also says: Anyone who seeks to study the higher Dao and receives the rites of the Three Heavens’ Orthodox Teachings and the Four Clarities, and wears the true registers, Daoist talismans, must never leave their head uncovered, go without a head covering, or remove their clothes and expose their body, whether traveling, entering meditation, or lying down at night. Otherwise, they show disrespect to the spirits of the body and bring disgrace upon the true registers, driving away the true spirits and leaving only an empty shell. After three offenses, one cannot become an immortal. After five, one will fall into hell after death and, even after ten thousand kalpas, be unable to be reborn as a human.

The text further says: Anyone who seeks to study the higher Dao and receives the rites of the Three Heavens’ Orthodox Teachings and the Four Poles’ Clarities must not enter unclean places at will, nor weep in grief or attend funerals to mourn the dead. After five offenses, one’s merit will be diminished, one’s cultivation cut short, and one will be unable to become an immortal. After ten, one will fall into hell after death and, even after ten thousand kalpas, be unable to be reborn as a human.

The Scripture of the Forty-Four Directions of the Supreme One’s Yellow Register says: When Daoist practitioners visualize the higher methods or cultivate the practices of Taiyi, they must avoid seeing corpses or bloodstained things. If they encounter them, they should put one zhu of cinnabar into water, then use the water to wash their eyes, rinse their mouths, and wash their hands and feet, while quietly reciting this prayer:

“May I walk the Great Dao above the Three Lights, with Taiyi protecting my body. May the Lord of Destiny and the Five Spirits, Huangning, protect me, so that bloodstains and corpse impurity disperse and sink away, and the channels of my seven apertures flow freely, while the Five Organs give rise to radiant Qi. May I transcend the world and become an immortal, and enjoy auspicious peace for a long time.”

When a Daoist priest teaches students Daoist methods, he must not say the word “death.” Speaking of death can unsettle vital energy, keeping it from remaining in its proper place. Death energy may then take the opportunity to invade, the spirits of the soul may disperse, and baleful energy may grow, bringing harm.

When a Daoist priest teaches students Daoist methods, he must not say the word “death.” Speaking of death can unsettle vital energy, keeping it from remaining in its proper place. Death energy may then invade, and the spirits of the soul may disperse. Baleful energy and wandering corpses—a kind of disease-causing malign energy in Daoist teaching—will then gather there. This is a sign of impending illness and death.

The Scripture of Rules for the True One says: When accumulating merit, do not violate prohibitions. The spirits that govern the different parts of the body should be kept in harmony; they must not restrain or harm one another. If they harm one another, disaster will follow. To avert calamity, do not act on your Birth Year Day or your Annual Fate Day, for these days clash with and harm your own person.

On your Birth Year Day, the day corresponding to your birth year, you may practice the circulation of breath according to the measures of the celestial cycle and refine Qi to nourish the body. Do not casually let this day pass unused. On your Annual Fate Day, the day corresponding to your fortune in the current year, you may circulate and distribute breath to generate life, nourish Shen (spirit), and nurture Jing (essence). Do not casually let this day pass unused either.

Do not use a Day of Severed Fate, for doing so will bring disaster and annihilation. Do not use a Jupiter Day, for doing so will bring official punishment. Do not use a Six Harms Day, for doing so will bring illness and misfortune. Do not use the Dark Moon Day, the final day of the lunar month, for doing so will bring disaster, wasting the body and weakening its breath. Do not use a Year-Breaking Day, which clashes with the Grand Duke Jupiter of that year, for doing so will bring disaster and calamity upon the household.

Rituals should not be performed on the Wuchen and Wuxu days. Xu is the Gate of Heaven, while Chen is the Earth’s Portal; Xu corresponds to the dog, and Chen to the dragon. Xu is also the day governed by the “Central King Spirit.” On that day, the Elder of the Supreme (Taishang Zhangren) goes to the Lord Lao of the Supreme (Taishang Laojun) to check which men and women under Heaven are destined to be born, and registers them in the Jade Almanac, the Daoist roster of the heavenly realm. The Nine Elders go to the Lords of the Nine Elders (Jiulaojun) to check who is destined to die and record them in the Register of the Dead. The Elder of the Dao and De goes to the Lord of the Dao and De to review the merits and virtues of men and women under Heaven, entering those who have merit and virtue in the Left Covenant, the record of their merits. The Elder of the Heavenly Emperor goes to the Lord of the Heavenly Emperor to review those who have committed offenses and enter their names in the Right Covenant, the record of their transgressions. The Elder of the Immortal Capital goes to the Lord of the Immortal Capital to review who is destined to attain the Dao and become immortal, and enters them in the Register of Immortals.

The Celestial Master (Tianshi) returns to the Heavenly Bureau (Tiancao) to inspect and organize the registers, recording good and evil separately. On that day, the Gate of Heaven closes and the Earth’s Portal is sealed. Dragons roam the Five Sacred Peaks, while dogs walk along the river bridges. The Central Yellow Dog Spirit guards the Gate of Heaven, and the Elder of the Central Yellow guards the Earth’s Portal. All affairs in the outside world come to a halt. Therefore, no incense should be burned, no Daoist rites should be performed, and no memorials or petitions should be submitted to the heavenly authorities.

If you recklessly violate these prohibitions on that day, the Great Central Yellow Spirit will seize your souls and escort them to the prison of interrogation to be examined under torture. For sixty days, no memorials or petitions will be able to reach the heavens. Only after the examination is complete will the souls be returned to their bodies. This will bring people hardship, decline and loss, the loss of money and possessions, illness, and disputes.

If you suddenly fall ill on a Wuxu day, or encounter trouble with the authorities, you should steady your mind, sit quietly and reflect on your mistakes, then sincerely repent and pray for help. The scripture says: “I naturally know what is in your hearts, and will suspend your examination and punishment for the time being. Tomorrow, submit a memorial explaining your circumstances and making your plea, and I will issue an edict granting you pardon and forgiveness.”

Some say that those who bear the “Taiyi Method” on their person may resume practicing Daoist methods, submitting memorials, and making petitions after three months when a parent has died; after one month for mourning a close relative under the one-year mourning category; and after one month for mourning a relative under the more solemn “great merit” category.

Those who bear the “Heavenly Perfected Three Ones, True One of the Red Realm Method” on their person must wait one hundred days after a parent’s death, thirty days after a death requiring one year of mourning, and one month after a death requiring great merit mourning. Until the mourning period has ended, they may not practice Daoist methods, submit memorials, or make petitions.

Those who bear the “Yellow Book Covenant and Command” on their person must wait one year after a parent’s death, one hundred days after a death requiring one year of mourning, forty days after a death requiring great merit mourning, one month after a death requiring lesser merit mourning, and one month after a death requiring the lightest mourning. Until the waiting period has ended, they may not practice Daoist methods, submit memorials, or make petitions. Anyone who violates this rule will fall into the “Prison of Level Yin.” The prison is perpetually muddy and slippery, making it impossible to walk. Those subjected to punishment are driven to run through the mire, unable to keep their footing and continually falling. After serving this punishment for three hundred years, they are reborn as human beings, small and gaunt, and held in contempt by others.

Volume Nine of the Zhengao says that the following days are all “Days of the Emperor’s Slaying”: the gengshen day of the first month, xinyou of the second month, gengxu of the third month, guihai of the fourth month, renzi of the fifth month, guichou of the sixth month, jiayin of the seventh month, yimao of the eighth month, jiachen of the ninth month, dingsi of the tenth month, bingwu of the eleventh month, and dingwei of the twelfth month. No petitions should be made on these days, and it is best to undertake no activities at all.

The Jinshu Xianzhi says that those who cultivate the Dao and seek to become immortals should not face north and suddenly turn to gaze up at the sun, moon, and stars. They should not face north while combing their hair or putting on and taking off clothes, nor should they spit or curse in that direction. “Wangpo” here refers to the earthly branch beneath Jupiter, while “wang” means the place where royal Qi resides. Do not become angry with the sun, moon, or stars; do not carry out punishments on 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—and do not give way to anger or resentment on the first day of the month, the new moon.

In addition, do not gather and eat the tender shoots of herbs on the third day of the third month; do not cut grass or fell trees on the eighth day of the fourth month; do not shed blood on the fifth day of the fifth month; do not dig the earth on the sixth day of the sixth month; do not dwell on evil thoughts on the seventh day of the seventh month; do not buy shoes or other items worn on the feet on the fourth day of the eighth month; do not lay out bedding on the ninth day of the ninth month; do not punish others on the fifth day of the tenth month; do not neglect to bathe on the eleventh day of the eleventh month; and do not neglect to fast, burn incense, and recite the names of immortals on the third day of the twelfth month. The scripture says that these prohibitions are matters strictly forbidden by Heaven and the human world. The Three Officials, divine officers who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, inspect and record them, and violating them counts as a grave offense. At times, this may cause a person’s three Hun and seven Po—the soul components described in Daoist teaching—to scatter and fall into disorder, or lead the fetal spirits to abhor them. They may also happen to violate a taboo when the Three Officials are displeased and imposing punishment. As a result, evil dreams disturb the mind, demons and spirits seize the opportunity to enter, and the vital energies of the night offend the divine perfected beings; troubles then multiply and take hold. There are many prohibitions, but people may not know their reasons. Those who observe these precepts have the qualifications to become immortals; those who disregard Heaven’s prohibitions will suffer harm.

The Huang Shun Qingwen Shangjing says: Those who receive Laozi’s scriptures and teachings should not take part in popular rites performed to curry favor with the world.

It also says: If those who have received the teachings have visited or passed through a household where a child has recently been born or someone has recently died, or have encountered a corpse or coffin on the road, then after returning home they should first bathe in fragrant water—bathing water infused with aromatic substances—and only then burn incense.

Practitioners who do not enter a room where a woman is giving birth, come into contact with a corpse, or associate with such places may continue their morning and evening worship as usual, without restrictions on the date. If there is no way to keep these places separate within the household, they must wait forty-five days before resuming worship.

The Lower Volume of the Zhengyi Ritual Text says: “To believe in Daoist teachings while also following heterodox doctrines is to lack single-mindedness. To harbor two intentions, remain ignorant and confused, and hesitate indecisively is to betray the Dao and defy one’s master. According to the precepts, one’s allotted years should be reduced.”

The Scripture of the Forty-Four Methods of the Supreme One’s Yellow Register says: “All who cultivate the Great One (a revered Daoist deity and the related methods of cultivation), practice the higher methods, or cultivate the way of visualizing deities through inner contemplation must be vigilant and avoid seeing corpses or bloodstained things. Seeing a single corpse means suspending cultivation for one year and forfeiting one year’s merit in practice. This is the precept of the Emperor One: it calls to account past transgressions and guards against future offenses. Seeing three corpses in a single year requires suspending cultivation for three years and forfeiting three years’ merit. If the total number of corpses seen exceeds twenty-four, one may no longer cultivate the Great One in pursuit of immortality.”

It is also said: Those who practice the higher Daoist methods, as well as those who cultivate the methods of “Female Unity” and “Great Unity,” believe that the qi of the body’s Three Souls and Five Spirits constantly clings to the headcloth and clothing, while the essence of the Seven Po souls and Nine numinous beings resides beneath the shoes. For this reason, Daoist priests and students of the Dao do not share a sleeping mat with others. They do not lend their clothes or implements to anyone. They must keep their shoes from contact with mud, filth, or excrement, and must not let outsiders handle them freely, lest the Three Souls be disturbed.

It is also said: When visualizing and cultivating the Great Unity method, anyone who wishes to bow in prayer must never knock their head on the ground. Such prostrations would shake the Nine Heavens, disturb the true spirits of the celestial realm, and throw the divine officials into disarray. They would also overturn the Mudball Palace, the spirit dwelling in the head, causing the Celestial Emperor to wail in the Earth Palace and Great Unity to weep in the Central Field, the inner divine palace in the abdomen. Repeated prostration makes visualization ineffective: the Three Perfected depart from their abodes, the Seven Spirits scatter and sink into obscurity, and disaster befalls the body’s Mysterious Abode, where the spirits reside. This is the foremost prohibition in cultivating Great Unity and the Five Spirits. Those who possess the Dao therefore bow inwardly in thought and circulate their essence and Qi to connect with the spirits and carry out their intentions; they do not use outward gestures to petition them.

It is also said: Those who practice the Great Unity method and the Way of the Perfected Ones must not kneel or bow. Such acts of obeisance are also forbidden by the Sovereign Lords and the Five Spirits. To focus the mind, pay respects, and make prayers, one need only bow inwardly; the body need not bend.

The Ritual Text on the Ninety-Two Precepts of the Great Cavern of Shangqing, a Shangqing Daoist text on precepts and liturgy, states: Those who practice the method of Female Unity must not grieve or weep. Even a single hour of grief and tears can make the Five Spirits wail in the Upper Palace and Great Unity weep in the Central Field. The spirit’s Qi is damaged, essence and Qi disperse, and the numinous Perfected depart from the body, leaving only an empty shell standing alone. How could anyone then expect to attain immortality?

It further says: One must not see a corpse with one’s own eyes. Seeing one even once prevents a year of cultivation, and all the progress made in the preceding year is lost. If one sees three corpses within a year, one cannot cultivate for three years, and three years’ worth of progress is lost. After seeing a total of twenty-four corpses, one loses the Dao’s methods. The account in the earlier Taisu is largely the same, with only slight differences.

It further says: One must not speak of death, nor say in anger that one wishes to die. Saying such things forty times makes it impossible to become a Perfected One. The scripture regards this as the sin of abandoning life; after three years, the body will perish.

It further says: One must not wear brightly colored clothes in five hues. Wearing sumptuous clothing causes the true spirit to leave the body, gives rise to lustful thoughts, and throws the mind and spirit into disorder. The Three Corpses—the Daoist inner spirits also regarded as hindrances to cultivation—then secretly flee, and the Red Child, a symbol of the pure Original Spirit within the human body, also flies away, leaving the Mysterious Chamber, the place of stillness within the cultivator’s body and mind, forever. In the end, the body is destroyed, and both life and reputation are lost. If one wears plain blue hemp clothing, one can recite the Cavernal Chapters, Daoist scriptures, throughout the day; nothing one seeks will remain unattained, and one can ride the clouds and dragons, roaming freely in the realm of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate).

The Lingbao Precepts: Thirty-Six Inner Rules for Immortals also says: Those who cultivate the Mysterious Work should wear cloth garments and straw sandals, and must not wear luxurious clothing. To violate this precept is to lose the Dao.

It further says: One must not speak of perverse and filthy matters of the secular world. Violating this precept three times means losing the Dao.

It further says: One may bow to one’s grandparents and parents if they follow the same method of cultivation. If their methods differ, one must not bow to them. The same applies to relatives from one’s uncles onward; one must not bow to them. Violating this precept leads to the loss of one’s life.

It further says: One must not attend or take a seat at celebratory gatherings held by one’s parents.

It further says: Although one’s parents, siblings, and spouse are family by blood, and even if the bonds are deep, one must not sit with them on the same bed or eat with them at the same table. Because their methods of cultivation differ, they are all regarded as bearing corpse impurity. Violating this precept means losing the Dao.

It further says: Husband and wife must not sleep in the same room. If one harbors improper thoughts, one will lose the Dao for a long time.

The scripture says: Those who have not formed an alliance must not sleep in the same room. Those who do not share the same aspirations and have not entered into a covenant must not sit on the same bed, eat from the same dish, or wear the same garment.

The Lingbao Regulations on Mourning Attire say: During the one-year mourning period for one’s grandparents, one must not go in person to the coffin. One should mourn in another room and accept no condolences for five days. The same rules apply to mourning for uncles and brothers, with a mourning period of nine months.

The Lingbao Regulations on Mourning Attire also say: When the mourning period has ended and the observances are complete, one must bathe and resume one’s usual head covering and clothing. One must not wear the secular garments of mourning. Those who violate this rule will lose the Dao, and their offense will be graver than those listed above. If one’s own parents have died, mourning may continue for one hundred days. After that, one should resume one’s usual head covering and coarse clothing. Inwardly, one should still observe mourning for three years, but should hold no further funeral rites or wear mourning clothes. These are the regulations of the Lingbao teachings. Those who withdraw to a famous mountain to cultivate the Dao should cease mourning and weeping altogether, and completely abandon these rites.

The fifteenth article of the Laws for Establishing Oneself and Practicing the Dao at Xuandu says: Those who hold offices among the immortal officials and possess Lingbao registers—documents recording a Daoist’s identity and duties—must not perform mourning rites or weep at will.

It also says: One should show respect to one’s parents, ruler, and officials, as well as to high-ranking officials holding salaries of two thousand shi (a Han-dynasty rank for senior officials such as commandery governors), regional inspectors, and the Three Excellencies. However, one must not immediately kneel and bow before them.

The twentieth article of the Laws for Entering the Precinct says: After attending a funeral, one must wait a full month before entering a precinct—the place where Daoists perform Zhaijiao rites and cultivate the Dao. After mourning and weeping, one must wait three days before entering. One must not enter while still unclean. Nor may one enter until at least one hundred days have passed in a three-year mourning period. These rules are meant to prevent grief or ritual impurity from offending the spirits.

One must not enter a precinct on Wuchen or Wuxu days. On these taboo days, one must neither enter a precinct nor summon the ritual officials and troops—the divine functionaries and generals who carry out commands in Daoist ceremonies. One must also not enter a precinct on Bingyin, Dingmao, Bingshen, Dingyou, Wushen, or Wuxu days. Those who cultivate the Dao and perform its rites but violate these taboos will have their lifespan reduced.

A Destruction Day is used to eliminate calamities, while a Establishment Day is used to build merit. Do not choose a day that clashes with or harms your own zodiac sign. The commentary says, “Do not use a day that punishes, clashes with, or harms your own sign.” If you are submitting a memorial to the gods, do not choose an Establishment Day, Destruction Day, or Closure Day.

Article Thirteen of the Regulations for Submitting Memorials says that the earthly branches have the following mutual punishments: Yin punishes Si, Xu punishes Wei, Zi punishes Mao, Shen punishes Yin, Mao punishes Zi, Si punishes Shen, Chou punishes Xu, and Wei punishes Chou.

Article Twenty of the Regulations for Submitting Memorials also says that when observing purification in a ritual center—the place where Daoist priests perform purification rites and conduct religious affairs—one must not bring in wine, meat, or impure food and drink, lest these disturb the Great Purity, the primordial Qi in its pure and harmonious state. Violators are fined forty-five points of purity. The commentary says that after minor impurity one must observe purification for three days; after severe impurity, for seven days. Only then may the prohibition be lifted. The scripture then cites Article Eleven of the Regulations for the Establishment of Retreats and Monasteries in the Three Caverns to explain that a common household’s ritual space is called a “retreat,” while a master’s ritual space is called a “ritual center.” According to the regulations, a retreat should be established in a place of Heavenly Virtue. Heavenly Virtue refers to the directions associated with Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding. A retreat should be eighteen feet long and sixteen feet wide. All who wear or use immortal talismans and registers must set them up in a retreat or ritual center.

Article Twenty of the Regulations for Submitting Memorials further says that one must not violate the taboo against speaking the names of the Three Masters, or the names of the Three Masters’ forebears across four generations. Violators are fined seven counts. This taboo must also be observed when entering a ritual center. The commentary says that the Three Masters refers to the Celestial Master, the Lineage Master, and others. “The master’s four generations” means the master’s great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and the master himself; the names recorded in household registers are all to be avoided.

Observing the Eight Precepts and Purification

Your servant Lu Xiujing, presenting his full titles, respectfully submits:

We respectfully address the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the Limitless Great Dao, and all the responsive and efficacious gods. There are now virtuous men and women who wish to observe the Eight Precepts and maintain pure fasting for one day and one night, in order to discipline and examine their own body and mind, and to dispel the sins and afflictions produced by the three actions of body, speech, and mind.

The twelfth chapter of the Dongshen Scripture says: The most important thing in purification is to bring body and mind into order and purity. When body and mind are ordered and pure, confusion and corruption can be avoided. There are many causes of corruption, but they can generally be grouped into eight kinds.

First, do not kill living beings to sustain yourself. Second, do not indulge in lust and take it for pleasure. Third, do not steal other people’s property to support yourself. Fourth, do not tell lies and then boast about them. Fifth, do not drink alcohol and give yourself over to excess. Sixth, do not sleep with others on a high, spacious bed. Seventh, do not pursue the use of perfumed oils to adorn yourself. Eighth, do not become absorbed in singing and dancing or make yourself a performer.

If good men and good women today can refrain from these eight things, the eight kinds of transgression will have no chance to arise, and the Eight Precepts will be established naturally. By upholding them for a long time without fail, one can prolong life and preserve one’s life force, while the spirit’s powers become unhindered. Thus, by receiving and upholding the Eight Precepts during the purification fast, keeping the true Dao in mind, and practicing the Dao, one can reach the limitless. The efficacy one seeks will soon appear, and things will turn out as hoped. Now that the precept-taking ceremony has ended, everyone should bow once more, rise, uphold the precepts, and withdraw.

The End of Volume Six of The Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns

The Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns, Volume Seven

Compiled and edited by Wang Xuanhe, a Daoist cultivator of the Tang dynasty.

The Twenty-Four Administrative Centers

The sixteenth chapter of the Code of the Mysterious Capital says: “Administrative centers” are places to which one’s nature and life, hun and po souls, and spirits belong.

The Illustrated Record of the Famous Mountains of the Five Peaks states:

Yangping Center belongs to Metal and corresponds to the Horn Star; Lutang Center belongs to Metal and corresponds to the Neck Star; Heming Center belongs to Wood and corresponds to the Root Star; Liyuan Center belongs to Earth and corresponds to the Chamber Star; Gegui Center belongs to Fire and corresponds to the Heart Star; Gengchu Center belongs to Fire and corresponds to the Tail Star; Qinzhong Center belongs to Water and corresponds to the Winnowing Basket Star; and Zhendu Center belongs to Metal and corresponds to the Dipper Star.

The eight centers listed above belong to the Upper Centers.

Changli governance center corresponds to the Earth Ox star; Lishang governance center to the Fire Maiden star; Yongquan governance center to the Wood Void star; Choujing governance center to the Fire Danger star; Beiping governance center to the Metal Chamber star; Benzhu governance center to the Wood Wall star; Mengqin governance center to the Fire Legs star; and Pinggai governance center to the Earth Mound star.

These eight governance centers belong to the middle tier. In this context, a governance center refers to a Daoist administrative seat, parish, or ritual site.

Yuntai governance center corresponds to the Fire Stomach star; Jinkou governance center to the Wood Pleiades star; Houcheng governance center to the Earth Net star; Gongmu governance center to the Metal Beak star; Pinggang governance center to the Water Three Stars; Zhubu governance center to the Metal Well star; Yuju governance center to the Water Ghost star; and Beiwang governance center to the Earth Willow star.

These eight governance centers belong to the lower tier.

All twenty-four governance centers above were established by the Most High Lord Lao in the first year of the Han’an era of the Later Han dynasty (142 CE).

Ganghu governance center corresponds to the Water Star star; Baishi governance center to the Metal Extended Net star; Zhongmao governance center to the Water Wings star; and Jushan governance center to the Earth Chariot star. The Map states that these four governance centers lie northeast of the capital.

These four centers were added later by Celestial Master Zhang to supplement the preceding twenty-four, making twenty-eight in all, corresponding to the twenty-eight mansions of the heavens, the divisions of the sky used in ancient Chinese astronomy.

Pinggong governance center belongs to Water and is paired with Yongquan; Gongmu belongs to Earth and is paired with Choujing; Tiantai belongs to Earth and is paired with Benzhu; Laixiang belongs to Metal and is paired with Changli; Zunling belongs to Metal and is paired with Yuntai; Daiyuan also belongs to Metal and is paired with Yuntai; Lili belongs to Fire and is paired with Lishang; and Liyuan belongs to Metal and is paired with Changli.

These are eight additional governance centers established by the Celestial Master to correspond to the eight grades. Distributed across the four seas, they protect the state and guide the people.

The first category, the separate governance centers, comprises four:

First is Jushan, second Zhongmao, third Baishi, and fourth Ganghu.

These four centers are called “separate governance centers” externally and “supplementary governance centers” internally. The supplementary centers complete the set of twenty-eight; the separate centers are further divided into three groups of three each.

The second category, the itinerant governance centers, comprises eight.

The first is the Jiyang Seat, the second the Pingdu Seat; the rest are called supplementary seats, serving to complete the count. There are twenty-eight supplementary seats in all, further divided into three groups of eight.

The second category is the Traveling Seats, comprising eight places: first, the Jiyang Seat; second, the Pingdu Seat; third, the Hefeng Seat; fourth, the Cimu Seat; fifth, the Huangjin Seat; sixth, the Taihua Seat; seventh, the Qingcheng Seat—written as “Qingcheng Mountain” in the Jing of Jade Talismans (Yufu Jing); and eighth, the Emei Seat. These eight are collectively called the Traveling Seats.

The third category is the Paired Seats, comprising eight places: first, the Daiyuan Seat; second, the Zunling Seat; third, the Laixiang Seat; fourth, the Tiantai Seat; fifth, the Gongmu Seat; sixth, the Pinggong Seat; seventh, the Lili Seat; and eighth, the Liyuan Seat. These eight are collectively called the Paired Seats.

The fourth category is the Principal Seats, comprising twenty-four places, divided into three groups of eight.

The eight Lower-Grade Seats are: first, the Beimang Seat; second, the Yuju Seat; third, the Zhubu Seat; fourth, the Pinggang Seat; fifth, the Gongmu Seat; sixth, the Houcheng Seat; seventh, the Jinkou Seat; and eighth, the Yuntai Seat.

The eight Middle-Grade Seats are: first, the Pinggai Seat; second, the Mengqin Seat; third, the Benzhu Seat; fourth, the Choujing Seat; fifth, the Beiping Seat; sixth, the Yongquan Seat; seventh, the Lishang Seat; and eighth, the Changli Seat.

The eight Upper-Grade Seats are: first, the Zhendo Seat; second, the Qinzhong Seat; third, the Gengchu Seat; fourth, the Gegui Seat; fifth, the Liyuan Seat; sixth, the Heming Seat; seventh, the Ludang Seat; and eighth, the Yangping Seat.

Each of the twenty-eight lunar mansions has a corresponding “administrative center” (zhi)—a Daoist center or system of cultivation associated with that mansion—and the centers are divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. The key to this system of stellar cultivation lies in the names of the upper centers given throughout the text and in how they correspond to the lower centers and to a person’s birth hour. The “Inner Center,” “Great Center,” and “Orthodox Center” mentioned in the general account are said to have been established by the Supreme Dao Lord of the Mysterious Ancestor (Wushang Xuanlao Taishang Dadaojun) on the seventh day of the seventh month of the first year of the Shanghuang era.

The first mansion, Horn, has “Limitless” as its upper center, meaning emptiness without form; its lower center is at Yangping Mountain.

The second mansion, Neck, has “Limitless” as its upper center, meaning emptiness and naturalness; its lower center is at Lutang Mountain.

The third mansion, Root, has “Limitless” as its upper center, meaning the mysterious subtlety of emptiness and Wuwei (non-action); its lower center is at Huming Mountain. These three centers—Horn, Neck, and Root—govern people born in the hour of Chen.

The fourth mansion, Room, has “Empty Brightness” as its upper center; its lower center is at Liyuan Mountain.

The fifth mansion, Heart, has “Cavernous Brightness” as its upper center; its lower center is at Gegui Mountain. These two centers—Room and Heart—govern people born in the hour of Mao.

The sixth mansion, Tail, has “Three Ones” as its upper center; its lower center is at Gengchu Mountain.

The seventh mansion, Winnowing Basket, has “Three Origins” as its upper center; its lower center is at Qinzhong Mountain. These two centers—Tail and Winnowing Basket—govern people born in the hour of Yin.

The eighth mansion, Dipper, has “Three Fives” as its upper center; its lower center is at Zhenduo Mountain. It governs people born in the hour of Chou.

These eight mansions belong to the upper grade of the Supreme Centers.

The ninth mansion, Ox, has “Nine Heavens” as its upper center; its lower center is at Changli Mountain.

The tenth mansion, Girl, has “Five Cities” as its upper center; its lower center is at Lishang Mountain. Together with the Dipper and Ox centers mentioned earlier, these three centers govern people born in the hour of Chou.

The eleventh mansion, Emptiness, has “Original Spirit” as its upper center; its lower center is at Yongquan Mountain.

The twelfth mansion, Danger, has “Cinnabar Field” as its upper center; its lower center is at Chougeng Mountain. These two centers—Emptiness and Danger—govern people born in the hour of Zi.

The thirteenth mansion, Encampment, has “Constant Radiance” as its upper center; its lower center is at Beiping Mountain.

The Fourteenth Lunar Lodge, Bi (Wall): The upper administrative seat is called Golden Beam, and the lower one is called Mount Benzhu. These two seats govern people born in the Year of the Pig.

The Fifteenth Lunar Lodge, Kui: The upper administrative seat is called Six Offices, and the lower one is called Mount Mengqin.

The Sixteenth Lunar Lodge, Lou: The upper administrative seat is called One Lord, and the lower one is called Mount Pinggai. This seat governs people born in the Year of the Dog.

The eight grades of the middle section listed above are governed by the Mysterious Elder.

The Seventeenth Lunar Lodge, Wei: The upper administrative seat is called Five Dragons, and the lower one is called Mount Yuntai. Together with the three seats mentioned earlier, these govern people born in the Year of the Dog.

The Eighteenth Lunar Lodge, Mao: The upper administrative seat is called Following Heaven, and the lower one is called Mount Jinkou.

The Nineteenth Lunar Lodge, Bi: The upper administrative seat is called Six Dings, and the lower one is called Mount Houcheng. This seat governs people born in the Year of the Rooster.

The Twentieth Lunar Lodge, Zi: The upper administrative seat is called Twelve, and the lower one is Mount Heqian. Together, this group governs people born in the Year of the Dog.

The Eighteenth Lunar Lodge, Mao: The upper administrative seat is called Following Heaven, and the lower one is called Mount Jinkou.

The Nineteenth Lunar Lodge, Bi: The upper administrative seat is called Six Dings, and the lower one is called Mount Houcheng. This seat governs people born in the Year of the Rooster.

The Twentieth Lunar Lodge, Zi: The upper administrative seat is called Twelve, and the lower one is called Mount Gongmu.

The Twenty-First Lunar Lodge, Shen: The upper administrative seat is called Returning the Body, and the lower one is called Mount Pinggang. This seat governs people born in the Year of the Monkey.

The Twenty-Second Lunar Lodge, Jing: The upper administrative seat is called Seizing the Spirit, and the lower one is called Mount Chief Registrar.

The Twenty-Third Lunar Lodge, Gui: The upper administrative seat is called Formless, and the lower one is called Mount Yuju. The Yuju referred to here is not a mountain.

The Twenty-Fourth Lunar Lodge, Liu: The upper administrative seat is called Gathering the Origin, and the lower one is called Mount Beimang. These two seats govern people born in the Year of the Goat.

The eight grades of the lower section listed above are governed by the Most High.

On the seventh day of the first month of the second year of Han’an, at the hour of the Horse, the Most High divided the twenty-four administrative seats corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms into upper, middle, and lower sections of eight grades each, and entrusted them to the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling.

The Twenty-Fifth Lunar Lodge, Xing: The upper administrative seat is called Separating Forms, and the lower one is called Mount Ganghu.

The Twenty-Sixth Lunar Lodge, Zhang: The upper administrative seat is called Preserving Qi, and the lower one is called Mount Baishi. This seat governs people born in the Year of the Horse.

The Twenty-Seventh Lunar Lodge, Yi: The upper administrative seat is called Five Kings, and the lower one is called Mount Zhongmao.

The Twenty-Eighth Lunar Lodge, Zhen: The upper administrative seat is called Golden Hall, and the lower one is called Mount Ju. These two seats govern people born in the Year of the Snake.

The Celestial Master Zhang established the upper administrative center at Zhang Lodge, where Qi was preserved, and the lower center at White Stone Mountain. These two centers were overseen by people born in the Year of the Horse.

The twenty-seventh lodge is the Wing Lodge. Its upper center was established at Five Kings, and its lower center at Zhongmao Mountain.

The twenty-eighth lodge is the Chariot Lodge. Its upper center was established at Golden Hall, and its lower center at Ju Mountain. These two centers were overseen by people born in the Year of the Snake.

On the seventh day of the first month of the first year of the Jian’an era, the Celestial Master established four more lower centers, collectively called the “Supplementary Centers.” Together with the earlier twenty-four centers, they corresponded to the twenty-eight lodges. Here, “center” refers to an administrative site established by the Celestial Master’s tradition: it served as a place for managing the religious community and conducting its teachings, and was also linked to belief in the lodges.

The lodge centers were established in accordance with celestial signs. In each cycle of the calendar, the Way of Heaven establishes religious teachings. In every kalpa—a great cosmic cycle—someone is appointed to become a Celestial Master. Each such master expounds the teachings, aids the people, and guides them toward deliverance, until the world reaches a state of Great Peace. When the Lord of Great Peace appears, related official posts will also be added, and each person’s rank among the gods will be raised according to their abilities and virtue.

The Diagram of the Celestial Master Zhang’s Twenty-Four Centers also says: The Most High—a title for Daoism’s supreme deity—established the twenty-four centers at noon on the seventh day of the first month of the second year of the Han’an era. They were divided into eight upper, eight middle, and eight lower centers, all places where great gods dwell.

The Record of the Twenty-Four Governance Centers of Celestial Master Zhang states that on the seventh day of the first month of the second year of Han’an, at noon, the Most High Lord Lao descended and established the “Twenty-Four Governance Centers”—the twenty-four early Daoist districts or administrative centers. They were divided into upper, middle, and lower groups, with eight centers in each, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms and coordinated with the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. The Most High entrusted them to Celestial Master Zhang Daoling and charged him with carrying out the teachings.

Celestial Master Zhang’s given name was Daoling and his courtesy name was Fuhan. He was from Feng County in the state of Pei. Upright and principled, he was well versed in the scriptures, exemplary in conduct, and disciplined in his Daoist cultivation. In the second year of Yongping, the Han emperor issued an edict appointing him magistrate of Jiangzhou in Ba Commandery. On the tenth day of the third month of the first year of Yuanhe, a day marked Xinchou, another edict appointed him Minister of Works and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Ji County. He once consulted illustrated records of numinous plants to seek out immortals and find medicines that could prolong life and grant immortality for the state.

On the day marked Dingchou in the first year of Han’an, the court issued an edict appointing him to carry out the Most High’s command. He then resigned his post and entered the territory of Yizhou. That year, he reached Red Stone Fortress on Quting Mountain in Linqiong County, Shu Commandery, where he devoted himself to quiet cultivation and lived in peaceful contentment. At midnight on the first day of the fifth month, a vast procession of carriages and horses arrived before the fortress. Golden carriages and ornate canopies led the way, accompanied by an uncountable host of dragon and tiger spirit soldiers.

Among them were five figures who introduced themselves in turn: one as the Keeper of the Archives of the Zhou dynasty, a title traditionally said to have been held by Laozi; one as the newly manifested Most High Lord Lao; one as the Most High August Emperor, the Central Yellow Perfected Lord; one as Zhang Liang of the Han dynasty, courtesy name Zifang; and one as the maternal grandfather of Master Ziyuan, who had assisted the Han. They said that Zhang Daoling’s bone structure was in harmony with the Dao and that he should inherit the charge entrusted to the descendants of veteran elders and loyal ministers. They therefore bestowed on him a spirit name, to be passed down to his descendants, who would serve as commanders of the state from generation to generation, without end.

Afterward, Daoling personally received from the Most High the method of pacing the Dipper and the accompanying proclamations. Pacing the Dipper is a Daoist ritual practice in which prescribed steps imitate the movements of the stars in the heavens. He was charged with governing the Three Heavens, supporting the state, safeguarding its fortunes, nurturing living beings, and suppressing the baleful influence of ghosts and spirits. His office as State Preceptor was to pass down through the generations.

Following the prescribed numbers, he established the Twenty-Four Governance Centers and nineteen Quiet Retreats—places for Daoist cultivation and secluded living—and transmitted the Way of Zhengyi Mengwei, the lineage and teachings of early Celestial Master Daoism. By command, he subdued heterodox and deceptive forces, formed covenant alliances with the myriad spirits of the world through talismans, and together with them upheld the Way of Zhengyi.

After putting the ghostly forces in order, he was recommended for the post of State Preceptor. In accordance with the prescribed numbers and rules, he established the twenty-four zhi (administrative and cultivation centers of the Zhengyi tradition) and nineteen jinglu (quiet dwellings where Daoist practitioners could live in seclusion and cultivate the Way). He taught the Way of Zhengyi’s Alliance and Authority, with its ritual arts and oath-bound traditions, eradicated evil and falsehood, and divided talismans with the gods throughout the realm, entering into covenants with them.