《三洞珠囊》Vol. 4

Then knock the teeth together thirty-six times and recite the prayer:

After entering the quiet chamber, burn incense and bow toward the four directions. Then sit upright facing due east, the direction where Yang energy rises and the first light of dawn appears. Knock the teeth together thirty-six times and recite:

First wish: May I be born from the natural energy of the Dao, with my body formed from Qi, and may I be in harmony with the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, enjoying forever an inexhaustible source.

Second wish: May I dwell always in jeweled palaces and jade chambers above the heavens. In the morning, may I feast beside the Jade Emperor; in the evening, may I sit with the Dark Mother, a Daoist deity. When thirsty, may I drink from the surging springs of the Wave Well and partake of jade fungus; when hungry, may I eat such immortal delicacies as dragon embryo, jade-rich flesh, and the crimson fruit of the vermilion tree.

Third wish: May ten thousand auspicious signs and seventy-two rays of light appear upon my body. May wondrous hair and bones grow, and may I wear feathered robes, soar through the open sky, and come and go from the imperial palace. May every blessing and celebration arrive, and may my lifespan be measureless.

Fourth wish: May I arise together with “Nonbeing,” and vanish together with “Nonbeing.” After death, may I be born again as an emperor, invested with authority over the heavens in the ten directions and placed in command of all the immortals.

Fifth wish: May all beings, those already born and those not yet born, protect and uphold the sun, moon, and stars, as well as those who follow the Dao. May the ancestors of the Seven Generations, as Daoism calls them, ascend to the Southern Palace, and may every blessing in the world go to those who deserve it. The five wishes from the four directions ultimately converge in the Jade Hall, a palace in the immortal realm.

Then pray: May the ancestors of the Nine Generations, as Daoism calls them, support and protect me. May my Hun, Po, and true Shen dwell forever in my palace. May I communicate above with the celestial immortals, and extend my protection below to the Deep Abyss, a hidden realm beneath the earth. May the five wishes—to Heaven, Earth, Wind, Clouds, and the spirits—become one, securing my place in the registers of immortality. May Heaven send down purple clouds of mist, and Earth guard me with the Five Spirits. May I ride the clouds and soar through the void in a green flying carriage to the Golden Gate and ascend to Jade Clarity, the pure immortal realm revered in Daoism. May blessings extend to my seven generations of ancestors, granting them rebirth. May the five wishes unite, and may I enjoy peace and well-being for a long time.

There are five aspirations of the middle order: to obtain the foundations of the Dao; to accord with the transformations of Yin-Yang; and to attain the realms of Great Space, Great Nonbeing, and Great Mystery. To hold a feast in the Jade Chamber and form a bond with the Heavenly Emperor; to wander through the Gate of Life and ride the wind above the Nine Heavens. May the Primordial Father assign me a place in the registers of immortals, the Mysterious Mother record my allotted years, and Taokang, a Daoist deity, gather my Jing and Qi so that my Dantian, the center where Jing and Qi are refined, may be secure. May my body ascend to the Golden Palace, my name be entered in the Jade Register, my ancestors of seven generations be released, and blessings and good fortune descend.

There are also five aspirations of the lower order: to attain the realms of Great Emptiness, Great Being, the Most High, Great Truth, and the immortals. To roam in body among the mountains of the Five Sacred Peaks, drift through the Nine Heavens, pass in and out through the mountain passes, and escape the Gate of Death; may Heaven and Earth become my parents, and may the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—come to protect me.

There are also five aspirations of the lower order: to attain the realms of Great Emptiness, Great Being, the Most High, Great Truth, and the immortals. To roam in body among the mountains of the Five Sacred Peaks, drift through the Nine Heavens, pass in and out through the mountain passes, and escape the Gate of Death; may Heaven and Earth become my parents, may the sun, moon, and stars protect me, and may the assembled gods guard the numinous apertures of the Nine Sources and bring down the Qi of nature. The five aspirations established in the eight directions, once voiced, gather a response.

The Hidden Instructions of the Dragon’s Flight on a Slip of White Silk says: “On the third day of the third month of the first year of Yuanjing, the Primordial Beginning, a revered Daoist deity, gave instruction at dawn. The Venerable Taizhen suddenly received a response from the Flying Feather Scripture. This scripture shone brilliantly in the Court of Jade Emptiness, and the Scripture of White Feathers and Black Quills was also transmitted.”

The Scripture of the Seventy-Four Transformations of the Highest Clarity says: “The Lord of Destiny, King of Longevity at the Southern Pole, of the Highest Clarity’s Register of the Perfected, was surnamed Wang, named Gaisheng, and styled Yidu. In the first year of Great Emptiness, when the cycle of the years began in the Mengshang month at Luoxi, as the Qi of Vermilion Brightness withdrew, he was born in the land of Donglin Guangchang, in the district of Changle.”

The Scripture of the Seven Turns and Seven Transformations of the Divine Land says: “In the Yuanjing era, when the cycle of the years began in the Mengshang month at Luoxi, as the Qi of Vermilion Brightness withdrew, he was born in the land of Donglin Guangchang, in the district of Changle.”

The Scripture of the Seven Turns and Seven Transformations of the Divine Land says: “In the first year of Yuanjing, one volume of the Precious Scripture of the Highest Clarity was composed and sealed away in a mountain of the Western Regions.”

The Supreme Scripture of the Jade Pendant and Golden Dang says: In the first year of Shangxu, on the first month’s first day, the celestial timing and seasonal node coincided, falling on a Jiazi day. The Primordial Heavenly King and the Great Emperor Lord sensed a blue crow flying toward them. It held a purple book in its beak and delivered it to the two revered deities. Later, on the first day of the third month in the first year of Zhonghuang, at the hour of Gengyin, the celestial virtue and the hour coincided. In the Cold-Spirit Elixir Hall, within the jade terrace’s yellow chamber, the Primordial Heavenly King ordered the Five Immortals to retrieve the Hidden Book of the Great Dao of the Jade Pendant and Golden Dang of the Highest Empyrean, stored in a package of frosted gauze and cloud-patterned brocade, and transmit it to the Supreme Lord of the Great Dao, the High Jade Dawn.

The scripture also says: Long ago, on the first day of the ninth month in the first year of Shangkai, a blue crow carried a golden book inscribed with the secret characters of the Nine Heavens and delivered it to the Queen Mother of the West.

The Inner Text of Hidden Origin says: On the first day of the third month in the first year of Zhonghuang, at the hour of Jiazi, when celestial virtue and the hour coincided, the Lord Azure Lad, the High Minister, observed a quiet purification retreat in the Empty Mountains.

The Scripture of Original Practice says: Hongnatai was born in the year Bingwu, the first year of Zhuling, in the land of Zhuhuo, within the Heavenly Cavern of Dongming Jade Kingdom, under the protection of the Dragon Net of the Vermilion Lad.

The Supreme Scripture of the Golden Chamber for Deliverance from Fate says: On the seventh day of the seventh month in the year Renwu, the first year of Shihuang, the Forbidden Lord, the Perfected One of the Southern Pole who oversees registers of destiny, was in the land of Zhuhuo.

The Supreme Scripture of the Golden Chamber for Deliverance from Fate also says: At noon on the seventh day of the seventh month in the year Renwu, the first year of Shihuang, the Forbidden Lord, the Perfected One of the Southern Pole who oversees registers of destiny, was beneath the jade forest of the Qiongtai Purple Terrace, in the Feng Capital of the Void Cavern, among the Seven Treasures of the Kingdom of the Heavenly King of Boundless Longevity in the Upper Meditation Realm. There he asked the Celestial Worthy for the secret method of extending life and changing one’s allotted years. In the first year of Zhonghuang, he transmitted this method to the Lord of the Upper Origin of the Southern Pole, Master Wanshi, and the Lord of the Golden Gate.

The preface to the Section-by-Section Explanation of Laozi says: On a Jiazi day in the seventh month of the first year of the Numinous Dao of Non-Being, Laozi transmitted to Yin Xi, the Guardian of the Pass, an abridged explanation and illustrated volume of the five thousand characters of the Dao De Jing. After receiving them, Yin Xi attained long life.

The Inner Transmission of Wenshi says: On the twelfth day of the first month in the year Dingmao, the first year of Shanghuang, which was a Bingwu day, Laozi descended to the human world and became a teacher in the Zhou dynasty.

The scripture also says: At noon on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month in the year Guichou, the first year of Wuji, Laozi transmitted the two parts, upper and lower, of the Dao De Jing.

Another account says that Laozi left through the pass on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the winter of the gui-chou year, the first year of Zhou Wuji.

A study of the Essential Records of the Two Teachings shows that “the first year of Shanghuang” was an era name used by the Sovereign of Humanity. It dates to before the Zhou dynasty and is separated from it by seventeen rulers, so it is now difficult to establish the chronology with certainty. Some believe that the Zhou may have borrowed this era name, or that it may have imitated an era name from the celestial realm. Similar examples include the Sovereign of Earth, who is said to have used “the first year of Chiwu,” a name later used as an era title by Sun Quan of Wu; and the Sovereign of Origin, who is said to have used “the first year of Kaihuang,” a name later adopted by the Sui dynasty.

The Scripture of the Numinous Writings says: “By the first year of Shanghuang, the bodies of the men and women in the heavens were still unspoiled, but their thoughts were gradually corrupted, and they were in danger of decline. The teachings of the right path could no longer be preserved. Therefore, I manifested in various lands to bring the minds of living beings to fulfillment.” On this basis, “the first year of Shanghuang” should be an era name of the heavens, rather than one used by the Sovereign of Humanity. Others hold that the Sovereign of Humanity established his era name by imitating one from the celestial realm. The Scripture of the Nine Heavens on the Birth of the Spirits says that “Shanghuang” is the name of a cosmic kalpa, which falls after the Kaihuang kalpa and before the Chiming kalpa. In Daoism, a kalpa is a term for a great cycle of the cosmos.

The Scripture of the Seventy-Four Transformations of Shangqing says that the Lord of Longevity of the Southern Pole was born in the realm of Donglin Guangchang, in the land of Changle.

The scripture also says: “Secure the divine palace in the Nether Office, the court of the underworld; settle and preserve the registers in the Primordial Chart, the record of Heaven’s mandate and the registers of immortals. Yang Qi departs from the land of Beishuo, while Yin Qi gathers in the region of Jinyun. The two Qi of Yin and Yang join, transform, and refine one another, each supporting the other. Then the Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning issues a command at the Southern Pole, and three true spirits inscribe names in Donghua, the immortal realm of the east. Coiling clouds of incense drift along the cliffs of the Purple Heavens. The bonds of death are loosened within the Primordial Womb, the source of life, and the ranks of the high perfected are replenished in Youdu, the underworld.”

It is also said: The Qi of the Primordial Beginning, the Most High and True One of the Upper Origin, condenses into the Golden Image Palace and the Qiongtian Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Baming Township and Dingzhen Ward. This revered deity is called the Elder of the Primordial Beginning, Emperor Above.

It is also said: The Qi of the Upper Origin, the Most High and True One, High and Clear, Primordial and Great Void, condenses into the Golden Tablets Palace and the Great Clarity Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Kaiming Township and Tongzhen Ward. This revered deity is called the King of the Nine Heavens of Lofty Numinous Power.

It is also said: The Qi of the Upper Origin, the Most High and True One, Lofty and Mysterious, Primordial and Purple Void, condenses into the Elixir Numinous Palace and the Opening Clarity Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Sanhe Township and Yuanming Ward. This revered deity is called the Elder of the Nine Heavens of the Jade True One.

It is also said: The Qi of the Upper Origin, the Most High and True One, Lofty Void, Primordial and Cavernous Void, condenses into the Jade Radiance Palace and the Golden Integration Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Shang kai Township and Zhengyuan Ward. This revered deity is called the Elder of the Three Heavens, the August Elder.

It is also said: The Qi of ascending to the Upper Origin, the True One, Lofty Brightness, Primordial Void, condenses into the Qiong Supreme Palace and the Elixir Brightness Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Sansu Township and Yuanzheng Ward. This revered deity is called the Jade Youth of the Three Upper Heavens.

It is also said: The Qi of the Upper Origin, the Most High and True One, Lofty Emperor, Primordial and Sixfold Void, condenses into the Initiating Gold Palace and the Double Guest Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Shanghe Township and Liuhui Ward. This revered deity is called the Elder of the Nine Empyrean Realms, the Jade Treasure.

It is also said: The Qi of the Upper Origin, the Most High and True One, Mysterious Supreme, Primordial Jade Emperor, condenses into the Seven Reflections Palace and the Phoenix Birth Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Shangxu Township and Huaxian Ward. This revered deity is called the True King of Purple Reflections in the Nine Empyrean Realms.

It is also said: The Qi of the Upper Origin, the Most High and True One, Mysterious Void, Primordial Supreme Emperor, condenses into the Primordial Treasure Palace and the Golden Supreme Office in the Jade Clarity Realm. They are located in Lihe Township and Mingguang Ward. This revered deity is called the August Lord of Lofty Void.

These passages come from the Scripture of the Seventy-Four Manifestations of Shangqing. They record the names of the townships and wards where the various palaces and offices are located. There are many other related names, which are not transcribed here one by one.

The Scripture of Seven Transformations in the Divine Realm says: Lord Zichen opened up, in the south, the land of vermilion tombs, great crimson elixirs, utmost heat, and flowing fire. The Lord of the Primordial Origin at the Southern Pole came to request its precious scriptures of the Great Elixir. It also says: Lord Zichen opened up, in the north, the land of ninefold mystery and cold beneath the feathery darkness. The True Consort of the Nine Origins, Jade Dawn of Great Yin, came to receive the treasured chapters of flowing essence and flying radiance.

The Lower Volume of the Registers of Guishan says: Lord Beixuan Gaoshang Konghuang dwells in the Three Sovereigns Hamlet of the Land of Golden Images, within the Office of Vermilion Jade, Purple Jade Palace of Jade Clarity. He turns his true Qi inward and shines it downward, entering the opening of the practitioner’s Jade Gate at the two kidneys. Lord Xihua Konghuang dwells in the Land of the Four Illuminations, within the Office of Eight Terraces, Palace of Primordial Sound in Jade Clarity. He turns his true Qi inward and shines it downward, entering the gate behind the practitioner’s lungs. Lord Dongming Xuhuang dwells in the Hamlet of Grotto Life, within the Office of the Vermilion Bird, Southern Yang Land, Purple Tenuity Palace in Jade Clarity. He turns his true Qi inward and shines it downward, entering the ninefold gate deep within the practitioner’s liver. Lord Zhongshe Konghuang dwells in the Hamlet of Mysterious Spirit and Harmonious Clarity, within the Office of the Phoenix’s Cry, Palace of Golden Numinous Power in Jade Clarity. He turns his true Qi inward and shines it downward, entering the practitioner’s spleen palace. Here, “turning the true inward and shining downward” and “entering the practitioner” are terms used in visualization practice. They refer to contemplating a deity and the illumination of Qi as it enters the corresponding part of the body.

The Register Scripture’s Lower Volume lists many hamlet names; they are not all included here. The third section of the Precepts of the Multitude of Perfected Ones says: In the Valley of Hot Water stands the Hamlet of Jianmu, sixty thousand li from the mountains east of Kuaiji.

The hamlet names listed in the Scripture for Summoning Dragons with the Eight Powers are likewise not all included here. The scripture says: Above lies the foundation of Jade Capital; below, the hamlet of the abyssal grotto-palaces.

The Commentary on the Thirty-Nine Chapters of the Great Grotto Jade Scripture says: Donghua is a region where immortal perfected beings dwell. It lies between the first rays of dawn and is governed by Gaosheng Yubao. “First rays of dawn” means the place where the sun rises. It also says: Xuanzhou has a crossing over Weakwater, which no one but an immortal can cross.

The twentieth chapter of Biographies of Daoist Scholars records: Lady Zhang Yuanfei, whose courtesy name was Jingming, lived in Caipo Village, Qu’a. At the age of eleven, she was already able to maintain long periods of ritual fasting.

The Jing of the Three Heavens’ Orthodox Teachings records a figure called the “Master of the Supreme Sovereign,” who, seen from today’s perspective, seems to be Laozi. Legend has it that he descended into the human world in the “First Year of the Supreme Sovereign” and became a teacher in the Zhou dynasty. This must be the Supreme Sovereign spoken of in later accounts of the celestial realm. This account accords with the first scroll of the Treatise on the Gateways.

The first scroll of the Treatise on the Gateways says that the Upper Origin, Middle Origin, and Lower Origin each have an early, middle, and late period, making nine periods in all. It explains the principles by showing how these periods correspond to one another. The seventh scroll of the Treatise on the Mysterious Gate quotes the sixth scroll of the Cavern Spirit Scripture, which also mentions three early Sovereigns, then three more, and then a further three, saying that they resemble one another. Daoist teachings transmitted in the Liang dynasty are similar. They speak of the “Taiqing Realm”—a celestial domain in Daoist belief—and refer to the “First Year of Taiqing.”

Chapter on the Division of Lands

The first scroll is titled “Chapter on Responding to the Dao and Descending into Birth,” and it too contains an account of division.

The eighth scroll of the Cavern Spirit Scripture says: “Beneath the Heaven of Yeni, the expanse extends for eight hundred and ten thousand li, and the land is shaped like a crescent moon curving inward.”

Volume Two of the Jing of Jade Characters of Inner Sounds says: The Celestial Worthy, together with the Five Elder Emperors (the Heavenly Emperors of the Five Directions) and the Great Sages of the Ten Directions, gathered in the Lodge of Cypress Mounds in the World of Red Radiance. There he expounded the hidden words of the Great Brahma, the immeasurable Cavern Chapters, and the characters of the eight assemblies of the heavenly scriptures. The Celestial Worthy issued his command, and all the heavens reverently obeyed.

Then the four assemblies—the four kinds of beings who had gathered to hear the teaching—rose together and bowed. The Celestial Worthy raised his hand and pointed upward, then lowered it and pointed downward, showing that between above and below, in the farthest reaches and in the deepest hidden places, there is nowhere, great or small, where it does not extend, and nothing that marks its end. The Celestial Worthy raised his hand again as a signal, and the assembly bowed. He said that all beings in the world would receive universal salvation and shine together with renewed radiance. Then the Celestial Worthy snapped his fingers to address the assembly, and everyone heard him.

At that moment, the four assemblies raised their hands together, looked up to heaven, and snapped their fingers. The sun, moon, and stars in the thirty-two heavens at once shone brightly together. Below, the Ninefold Darkness—the shadowy, remote underworld—was illuminated all the way to its boundless depths; nothing remained dark, and every hidden place was revealed. Even the treasures buried beneath the earth came into view. Mountains, rivers, streams, and ravines became level and open. Flowers bloomed and fruit ripened in winter; withered trees grew lush again. Joy and beneficence spread through all things, and every being received blessing. Fish and dragons leapt with delight; birds and beasts sang out, their wondrous songs joining in harmony. No cries of grief remained along the roads. Heaven and earth were still, the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water rested in quiet peace, and the work of examining the registers temporarily ceased. The Five Paths of rebirth no longer arose. Humans and spirits alike lived in peace and well-being, and the sacred Way appeared in an age of peace.

Volume Five of the Jing of the Ten Sections of the Five Thousand Words says: The Perfected One Duoluo spread his teaching in the land of China, called Zhendan in ancient times. Zhendan was also known as Jambudvipa.

Volume Five of the Jing of the Ten Sections of the Five Thousand Words also says: The people of Jambudvipa were fierce, ignorant, and stubborn, and many beings did not believe in the true scriptures. So the Perfected One Duoluo manifested in thirty-six kingdoms and also appeared as the king of the Kingdom of Nai. The king urged him to stay and entrusted him with governing the state. From then on, the king followed the Five Thousand Words and the methods of the Three Caverns wherever he went.

Volume Eight of the Jing of Ascending to the Mystery says: I circulate the Five Qi—the five primal energies that constitute all things in heaven and earth—to the farthest reaches of the eight directions. At times I am called the Most High; at times, the Lord Lao; at times, the Mysterious Ancestor; and at times, the Teacher of the Age.

The Third Fascicle of the Shengxuan Jing says: At times, sages manifest in bodily form and become the state preceptor of a country; at times, they become leaders among Confucian scholars; at times, they preside over rites and laws. In a single day, they can travel throughout the Ten Directions. Thus, sages cannot be judged by ordinary people’s understanding or by their physical forms.

The Ziqing Jingen Jing says: At times, sages manifest in bodily form and become leaders among Confucian scholars; at times, they preside over rites and laws. In a single day, they can travel throughout the Ten Directions. Thus, sages cannot be judged by ordinary people’s understanding or by their physical forms.

The Ziqing Jingen Jing says: Sheng, surnamed Yao and courtesy-named Boyuan, rests his heart in the realm of Bright Clouds and wanders at ease in the land of the Jade Kingdom. He holds the investiture decrees of the Primordial Sovereign, a revered Daoist deity, and his presence descends upon the Nine Regions—the lands of the world.

It also says: The Jade Emperor, the Primordial Sovereign, ascended to the capital of the Immortal City of the Nine Elders and came to the Chamber of Nine Turns. He roamed through boundless reaches and feasted joyfully above the Nine Heavens.

It also says: Lord Jiucheng is the Elder of the Nine Heavens, a revered celestial deity. Riding a flying phoenix and a dark dragon, he wanders above the Whitewater Sandbank and the Empty Mountain.

The Jingen Jing says: The boundless celestial realm of the Jade Kingdom at Dark Mound and the mist-shrouded waterside of the Nine Cities are where the Azure Pivot Emperor, a revered Daoist deity, was born.

This concludes volume eight of the Sandong Zhunang.

Sandong Zhunang, Volume Nine

Compiled by Wang Xuanhe, a Daoist adept of the Tang dynasty.

Chapter on Kalpas (discussing kalpas and the cycles of cosmic ages)

The Shangqing Santian Zhengfa Jing says: Heaven is round, with twelve framework cords; Earth is square, with twelve guiding lines. Heaven’s framework turns on its pivot; the cycle of a year comprises three hundred and sixty days…

The Scripture of the Orthodox Methods of the Three Heavens of Shangqing says: Heaven has twelve governing bonds, and Earth has twelve governing ordinances. Heaven turns its pivotal mechanisms through 360 cycles, which make up one circuit; Earth turns its axles through 330 cycles, which make up one measure. When Heaven has completed 3,600 circuits, Yang Qi surges and churns; when Earth has completed 3,300 measures, Yin Qi encroaches and erodes. Heaven’s Qi reaches the Great Yin, the place of utmost Yin, while Earth’s Qi is exhausted at the Great Yang, the place of utmost Yang. Thus, when Yang Qi surges, a “burst” occurs; when Yin Qi is blocked, an “eclipse” occurs. As Yin and Yang alternate between bursts and eclipses, the Qi of Heaven and Earth turns back against its course. This reversal of the Qi of Heaven and Earth is called a “minor kalpa.”

When a minor kalpa occurs, the myriad Heavenly Emperors change their stations, the Nine Qi—the nine primordial energies that govern the workings of Heaven and Earth—alter their order, and the courses of the sun and moon contract. The land rises from the Nine Springs; the Water Mother, the deity who governs the waters, breaks open the currents of the Five Rivers; great crows gather at the Dragon Gate; and the Five Emperors assemble at the Dark Capital. At this time, wicked and impure people perish, while the good are spared.

When Heaven has completed 9,900 circuits, Yang Qi is eroded; when Earth has completed 9,300 measures, Yin Qi surges. As Yang Qi is eroded, its force is exhausted at the Great Yin; when Earth’s Qi surges, it gathers toward the Great Yang. Thus, when Yang Qi is blocked, an “eclipse” occurs; when Yin Qi surges, a “burst” occurs. When Yin and Yang bring forth eclipses and bursts, Heaven and Earth change their appearance. This is called a “major kalpa.”

When a major kalpa occurs, Heaven and Earth overturn. The seas surge and the rivers burst their banks; people sink beneath the waters, mountain peaks collapse, and even gold and jade melt away. The four quarters of Heaven and Earth sink into darkness and chaos. White bones float across boundless waters, while solitary spirits weep amid the flood waves. The great crow sweeps impurity from the numinous peaks; the Water Mother takes up her duties at the Nine Rivers; the Five Dragons breathe forth their Qi in the Northern Origin; and the Heavenly Horse tightens its reins to drive out demons. The Red Chain subdues spirits at the Chen Gate, while Jupiter slays rulers in the land of the Golden Net. The sun and moon are veiled in the Hall of the Three Hao, and the Five Qi stagnate above the Nine Ridges. The Dragon King stirs auspicious radiance above the Eastern Well, while the River Lord is called to account beneath the Nine Seas. The Sage Lord appears riding upon luminous clouds, and the Five Emperors examine and record all beings according to their good and evil deeds.

At that time, the most wicked people are wiped out, and ghosts, monsters, and demons vanish without a trace. In the remote wilderness of the eight directions and at the four extremities, fewer than one in ten thousand survive. When the kalpa of Heaven and Earth arrives, only the High Ones of the Three Heavens can dispel the calamity. Without the Azure Register and the White Tablet, the registers and credentials bestowed by Daoism upon its practitioners, there is no way to escape the ordeal.

It is also said: The Heavenly Pass lies at the northwest corner of the heavens, opposite the Northern Dipper. The Dipper’s nine stars are the central pivot and ladle of the Heavenly Pass, as well as the canopy of Wangchen. They set in motion the Qi of the nine heavens of Brahma’s practice and the twelve cyclical signs. The Dipper’s handle turns the Heavenly Pass, and all nine heavens move together.

Heaven has gates marking the seasonal divisions of the four seasons, and the nine heavens together have thirty-six such divisions. Each time the Dipper’s handle turns the Heavenly Pass once in a day and a night, it passes through one gate. After thirty-six days and nights, it completes all thirty-six divisions; completing them marks one full circuit of the nine heavens. After three hundred and sixty circuits, the nine heavens complete one cycle. When that cycle is complete, the Qi of the six heavens returns entirely to the uppermost three heavens. Changes in the Way of Heaven and the acceleration of the cycles of fate bring the various seasons together. Three thousand six hundred circuits are called a minor kalpa. At the transition between minor kalpas, the nine Qi are readjusted, the myriad emperors change their stations, the people die, and the spirits and ghosts are extinguished. The pure and beautiful order is restored, and the four quarters of Heaven and Earth return to peace and unity.

Nine thousand nine hundred circuits mark the end of a great kalpa. At its end, the allotment of Qi belonging to the nine heavens is exhausted, and the cycles of the six heavens reach their limit. Once those cycles are exhausted, Qi surges at the place of the Three and Five. All manner of demons and violent forces run rampant, seize the moment to stir up disorder, spread harm, and bring destruction upon the people. These are the results of cycles reaching their limit, of forces rising at the opportune moment and driving change to its final outcome.

The Earthly Pivot lies to the southeast, beneath the Nine Springs, and exhales and draws in through the mouths of the Nine Rivers. The spiritual pivot reaches upward to the place where the source of Heaven is poured and gathered; from the sides, it swallows the depths of the Nine Caverns. The sequence of the twelve double-hours drives the flow of water through the four confluences. As the water circles eastward for a day and a night, Qi fills and gathers at the pivot of the Nine Rivers. After thirty-three days and nights, the Earthly Pivot turns to circle northwestward, opening to the northeast and closing to the southwest. When it opens, the water rises; when it closes, the waters recede. The currents circle through the four confluences, while water from the source of Heaven rushes downward. This is called one turn.

Three hundred and thirty turns make one degree. After one degree, the Water Mother, the spirit who governs the waters, brings about a confluence at the Dragon King’s abode, and the River Marquis, the river god, receives the command of the Three Heavens. Three thousand three hundred turns are called Yin Obstruction; at that time, floods occur. Yin forces erode the land, the waters rise, rivers burst their banks, mountains sink, and the earth is submerged. Nine thousand three hundred turns mark the end of a great kalpa and the point at which the Yin cycle reaches its extreme. Then floods surge up from the Nine Springs, the Water Mother raises waves at the Dragon Gate, mountains and seas merge into one, and the four quarters of Heaven and Earth become a level plain. These are the results of Yin forces overcoming one another and the Earth’s Qi surging.

Another account records that at noon on the seventh day of the seventh month, on a Bingwu day in the first year of the Chijing Kaihuang era, someone ascended to the Moon-Rising Lodge in the City of Linglang and received a talismanic mandate from the Celestial King of Primordial Beginning. The Mysterious Harmony Jade Maiden opened the Golden-Yang Jade Casket, read aloud the oral command, and brought out the registers of the Imperial People.

From the age before Kaihuang, when the “Three Images” became manifest, through the Kaihuang years, countless cycles of calamity passed. Heaven and earth repeatedly came into being and were destroyed, too many times to list. During the Kaihuang era, the Elder of the Nine Heavens calculated the course of Heaven and determined the number of calamities. He recorded the names of those who had attained the Dao on white slips and blue registers—documents symbolizing the celestial registers of names—and entered them in the records of the Imperial People. The age of Tang Yao served as the unit for counting their number; this was called one small kalpa. At each change of a calamity cycle, the number increased or decreased by 240,000. Only those whose names were recorded could be deemed able to withstand the course of Heaven.

Counting forty-six generations after Tang Yao, the small kalpa would converge around the Dinghai years, in the year Jiashen, when the names in the registers would also be settled. At that time, the “Yang Nine and Hundred Six”—a cycle of calamities symbolizing disaster—would appear. The Yin and Yang qi would separate and unite, while fortune and misfortune intermingled. Only those able to pass through it would escape disaster.

Around Jiashen, the beginning of Renchen would also arrive. After nine cycles, in the year Gengzi, signs of fortune and misfortune would become manifest, and the underlying pattern would become clear. Then a red star would appear in the east, and a white comet would stretch across the Moon Gate. Men bent on disorder would form factions, rebels would rise in every direction, and corpses would fill the Yue River region. People would devour one another, and for a thousand li no cooking smoke would rise. Powerful ministers would dominate, while weak rulers would be driven into exile.

After this, the Five Numinous Auspicious Signs would appear, and all regions would return to their source. A ruler succeeding the Dragon Essence would continue the lineage and pacify threats from beyond the four quarters. Those who accorded with Heaven’s mandate would then flourish. In the age of the Dragon and Tiger, only after the calendrical reckoning of “Three Sixes” could Heaven’s mandate be sought. The people would no longer die violent deaths, and the fate of the state would no longer be imperiled.

Counting from Tang Yao, the forty-sixth generation falls in a Dinghai year, the cycle that marks the end of three kalpas. Counting onward to the fifty-fifth Dinghai year, and passing through the Renchen and Guisi years, one reaches the cycle of the great kalpa. When the great kalpa arrives, heaven and earth will overturn; gold and jade will vanish; people will sink, mountains and tombs will collapse, and the Six Directions will sink into dark chaos. The course of heaven and earth will change, beyond the power of human beings to reverse. Only those listed on the white slips and blue registers of the High Three Heavens will be able to rise safely through the air on wings like those of the great wild goose, soar into the clouds, and look down upon the world.

The foregoing was transmitted orally by the Mysterious Harmony Jade Maiden and recorded in the Golden-Yang Jade Casket. It describes the rise and decline, success and ruin of heaven and earth, and the fortunes and misfortunes that befall them.

The Shangqing Scripture of the Eight Radiances and Flying Transformations says: At the end of a great kalpa, the Three Dao Lineages wax and wane, while the two Qi of Yin and Yang may converge or separate. The ordering and transformation of all things each follow a set sequence. In the age of Cheng-Tang, the Yang Nine—a period of calamity in the cosmic cycle—will bring disaster. Before it strikes, baleful Qi will first be cleared away, and “bo sou cai shang zhen” (a phrase in the original whose precise meaning is unclear) will also appear.

The Lord Lao’s Admonitions says: To the west, in the boundless kingdom in the Flowing Sands region, there is a huge stone three hundred zhang high and one thousand five hundred li around. North of it stands a mustard-seed city, with walls forty li on each side and stone platforms twenty zhang high at its four gates. Flying immortals bring one mustard seed every year and place it in the city. At the same time, they brush the stone with their garments, gradually wearing it away until it is level with the ground. When the mustard-seed city is full, the cycles of time and calamity in the world will have completed one round, and the world will enter a new phase.

The second volume of the Scriptural Instructions on the Ritual Forms and Precepts for Lingbao Purification Retreats says: There is a stone as large as Mount Kunlun, and the mustard-seed city is forty li across. Heavenly beings, dressed in light, soft garments, brush one layer of dust from the stone and remove one mustard seed every hundred years. It takes an immeasurably long time to brush away the entire stone and remove all the seeds; this is like the end of a great kalpa. Who can grasp a principle so remote?

The Lingbao Scripture on the Cycles and Measures of Heaven and Earth says: In the natural cycles of Lingbao, there are the Great Yang Nine and Great Bo Six, as well as the Lesser Yang Nine and Lesser Bo Six. A Lesser Yang Nine and Lesser Bo Six last 3,300 years; a Great Yang Nine and Great Bo Six last 9,900 years. Calamities in the timing of Heaven are called “Yang Nine,” while losses in the cycles of Earth are called “Hundred Six.” The Jia Shen year after the Jin clan marks the time when the cosmic cycle turns from adversity to prosperity and a Yang Nine cycle comes to an end. Then the Dao of De will become manifest, wicked people will suddenly run rampant, and a sage ruler will receive the Mandate in the Ren Chen year.

It is also said that only when the “Water Dragon hour” arrived did the Immortal Lord begin to bring forth the “Eighteen Sons of the Bow’s Mouth.” That scripture contains ten sections, and they have not all been copied here.

Laozi as Teacher to Emperors

The Notes and Instructions on the Rites for Transmitting the Scriptures, preserved in The Biography of Laozi in volume eight of the Taiping Collection, says: Laozi was a great sage who had attained the Dao, and a teacher revered by both the hidden and visible realms. He manifested in response to circumstances, appearing in different places and situations as needed. Once his work was complete, he concealed his traces, yet remained forever present and undying.

Laozi dwells where nothing is grasped, yet is present everywhere. Though he does not appear, he still exists in an unseen way; this existence arises from the “Limitless.” The highest realm within the Limitless belongs to the “Great Mystery.” The Great Mystery is where the “Supreme Ancestral and Ultimate Lord” resides. Laozi lives there, manifesting in response throughout the worlds in the ten directions. He expounds the mysteries of being and nonbeing and responds without end, in ways too numerous to recount.

One of Laozi’s manifestations in recent times was his birth at the beginning of the Zhou dynasty. He came into the world with his divine radiance concealed and was born as an ordinary person, thereby showing that people can attain the Dao through practice, and that lowly circumstances do not prevent them from doing so. He traveled through Heaven and Earth, teaching and transforming the Three Realms. He understood both the Dao beyond the world and worldly affairs, and had complete knowledge of both action and Wuwei (non-action).

During King Wen of Zhou’s reign, Laozi served as Keeper of the Archives, responsible for managing the classics. Another account says that he lived among humans for more than two hundred years. In the forty-third year of King Ping of Zhou, the Guichou year, on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month, he expounded the Five Thousand Words to Yin Xi, the Guardian of the Pass.

The Scripture on Transforming the Hu says that Laozi was born after Fuxi and served as a teacher to emperors. He was called “Jiushuangzi,” also known as “Tianyiezi,” and wrote the Scripture of Primordial Yang.

During the time of Shennong, Laozi again appeared as a teacher to emperors. He was called “Dachengzi,” also known as “Guo Chengzi,” and wrote the Scripture of the Primordial Essence of the Great One.

During the time of Zhurong, Laozi appeared once more as a teacher to emperors. He was called “Chuan,” also known as “Tianyiezi,” and wrote the Scripture of Primordial Yang.

During the time of Shennong, Laozi again appeared as a teacher to emperors. He was called “Dachengzi,” also known as “Guo Chengzi,” and wrote the Scripture of the Primordial Essence of the Great One.

When Zhurong lived, he served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Chuanyuzi and was also called Guangshouzi. He wrote the Scripture on Massage and the Circulation of Essence. The three families practiced together, each governing the world through the Dao of Wuwei (non-action). For eighteen thousand years, the world was at peace and the people were simple and untroubled, so no further measures of governance were needed. They followed the natural flow of Qi (vital energy) and did not resort to forceful conquest. When the Qi of the Dao gathered around them, everyone willingly submitted. These were the rulers known as the Three Sovereigns.

When the Yellow Emperor lived, he served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Guangchengzi and wrote the Scripture of the Accomplished Dao.

When Emperor Yu lived, he served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Lütuzi and wrote the Scripture of the Principles of the Dao and the Yellow Court.

When Emperor Yao lived, he served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Wuchengzi and wrote the Scripture of Right Conduct.

When Emperor Shun lived, he served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Yin Shouzi and wrote the Scripture of the Dao and De (Virtue/Power).

The Yellow Emperor was a sage of the highest order, and the undertakings of the emperors were passed down from one to the next. Yet the emperors’ lifespans varied, just as the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) move and transform, overcoming and restraining one another, with the strong and weak each gaining the advantage in turn. These were the rulers known as the Five Emperors.

During the reign of the Xia king, a man served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Lizixu and wrote the Scripture of Primordial Yang, as well as the Scripture of Moral Admonitions.

During the reign of King Tang, a man served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Xizezi and wrote the Scripture of the Origin of the Dao.

During the reign of King Wen, a man served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Xieyizi, also called Chijingzi, and served as Keeper of the Archives, an official responsible for classical texts.

During the reign of King Wu, a man served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Guo Shuzi, also called Xuchengzi, and served as Historian at the Pillar Below, an official responsible for documents and classical texts.

During the reign of King You, a man served as the emperor’s teacher. He was known as Tianlao, also called Laozi. He served as Historian at the Pillar Below and wrote the Scripture of Long Life.

Laozi and Yin Xi also coauthored the Five Thousand Words, which was divided into two parts, an upper and a lower scripture. Later, Laozi and Yin Xi traveled west and wrote the 640,000-character Scripture on the Transformation of the Foreigners by the Buddha. They then returned to the Central Plains with the King of the Hu and wrote the Scripture of Great Peace. Laozi hoped that people in later generations, while living in the human world, would cultivate good conduct and righteousness, honor teachings of De, and thereby support the methods of the Dao and help sustain the fortunes of the state. He cared about the people’s hardships and hoped to help them survive years of famine, so that they might enter the realm of Great Clarity, the tranquil and wondrously elevated realm described in Daoism. These accounts appear in the Suspended River, now called the Dao De Jing. The Preface and Instructions says that Laozi supported the methods of the Dao and the state, cared for the people, and helped them survive years of calamity by practicing righteousness and honoring teachings of De, so that they could enter the realm of Great Clarity. The Suspended River also says, “Laozi served as national preceptor in generation after generation”; this refers to the same matter.

Master Meng Zhizhou says in the General Topics of the Laozi Jing: “One thousand two hundred Laozi.” This is what is meant by “the one thousand two hundred Laozi.” Laozi also had scriptures of his own.

He also says that the title attained by scholars of later generations was “Boyang.” From this we can see that the honorific “Boyang” began to circulate when the Zhou dynasty was flourishing. The title appeared at times and disappeared at others, so it is difficult to establish its history in full.

The Mysterious Record of the Seven Sages of the Jade Emperor says: “The wondrous artisan ceaselessly exercises the power of creation, and his numinous virtue is pure and unstained. He manifests the radiance of dragon patterns in deep waters, and lets the brilliance of rosy clouds shine over the nine heavens. He gives his wondrously elevated form the pure beauty of orchid and jade, and makes golden essence glow in springs clear as fine jade. He places the seven guiding principles in the celestial registers and inscribes clear texts in hidden chapters. He gathers the deep, subtle Qi, setting stagnant cycles in motion again; he collects the Qi of the Five Phases and summons the many perfected beings of the highest rank. This is truly a manifestation of the High God, who bestows teachings and proclaims the Daoist teachings in every direction.”

Chapter on Laozi’s Transformation of the Western Hu

The Scripture of Great Peace says: “Laozi traveled west for more than eighty years. He was born at the time when the Yin and Zhou dynasties were changing places.”

According to the Inner Account of the Lord of the Pass and Perfected Being Without Supreme (Wushang Zhenren Guanling Neizhuan), on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month in the winter of the guichou year, the first year of Zhou Wuji, Laozi prepared to leave through Hangu Pass.

Pass Commandant Yin Xi instructed the gate guards: “If an old man comes from the east, riding in a simple cart drawn by a black ox, do not let him through.” Later, the guard at the pass indeed saw such an old man and asked whether he intended to leave the pass. The old man replied, “My home is east of the pass, but my fields are west of it. I want to go gather firewood. Please let me through.” The guard still refused and reported the matter to Yin Xi.

Yin Xi went out to welcome him in person and paid his respects as a disciple. At first the old man declined and said he intended to leave, but Yin Xi served him with such earnest devotion that Laozi finally agreed to stay.

A man named Xu Jia worked for Laozi as a hired hand, earning one hundred coins a day. Laozi had earlier told him, “When I return from the western sea, from the lands of Great Qin and Anxi, I will pay all your wages at once in gold.” Seeing that Laozi was about to travel far, Xu Jia suspected he would not return and began to fear that he might never receive his wages.

At that time, a beautiful woman heard that Xu Jia would receive a large sum of money. She quietly urged him, “Why not hurry and report him to the authorities to demand your wages? I am willing to marry you.” Xu Jia was moved to act against Laozi and went to the Pass Commandant to file a complaint, demanding payment. The commandant presented his petition to Laozi.

Laozi said, “My household is poor, and I have no servants. When I first hired this man, I told him that when I returned from the western sea, from the lands of Great Qin and Anxi, I would pay all his wages at once in gold. How have I broken my promise, that he should come to accuse me?” The scripture also says that Xu Jia had followed Laozi for more than two hundred years, and under their agreement his wages came to a total of seven million coins.

Laozi said to Jia, “I told you long ago that we had visited Great Qin, Anxi, and other lands beyond the Western Sea. When we returned, we agreed that the gold would be paid back. Why could you not endure the humiliation? Why are you now bringing a lawsuit against me? You have followed me for more than two hundred years. By the measure of your allotted lifespan, you should have died long ago. You have survived only because the Great Mystery Talisman of Long Life (Taixuan Changsheng Fu), a Daoist talisman said to prolong life, has protected you.”

No sooner had he spoken than the Great Mystery Talisman of Long Life flew out of Jia’s mouth and returned to Laozi. The writing on it remained clear and vivid. Jia immediately turned into a heap of white bones. Delighted to see that Jia had died for going against his original intention, Xi wanted to find out whether Laozi could bring the dead back to life. He said, “I am willing to repay Jia’s debt. I will have the money ready now. I beg you to forgive Jia’s past offense and let him live again.”

Laozi took pity on Jia and said, “Very well. I never held any grudge against Jia. He went against his original intention, and so the Way of long life departed from him.” Laozi cast the talisman he had just retrieved onto the bones, and Jia immediately came back to life as before. Xi told Jia everything that had happened, and only then did Jia bow down and confess his offense. Laozi ordered him to repay the debt, then sent him on his way.

On the twelfth day of the first month, a Bingwu day, in the Dingmao year, the first year of the Shanghuang era, Laozi descended into the world and became a teacher of the Zhou court. At that time, the Daoist tradition in Zhou was on the verge of decline. The ruler did not cultivate De, nor could he use moral teaching to guide the people. The customs of the age had become licentious and seemed beyond remedy. So Laozi concealed his identity and set out, saying, “I am going on a long journey!” Xi bowed again and said, “I beg you, sir, to write a book for me explaining the meaning of the Great Dao, so that I may follow it and put it into practice.”

At noon on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month, in the Guichou year, the first year of the Wuji era, Laozi completed the two parts of the Dao De Jing and gave them to Xi. As Laozi prepared to take leave and depart, Xi said, “I would like to accompany you on your journey and see the transformations between Heaven and Earth. May I?”

Laozi said, “My travels know no fixed course. At times I ascend to Heaven; at times I descend into the earth; at times I climb mountains or enter the sea. Sometimes I journey to lands inhabited by foreign peoples such as the Rong, Di, Man, and Mo, or to realms where ghosts and spirits dwell. I also enter places of peril and hardship. I observe the changes throughout the ten directions, traveling back and forth without hindrance. Seated, I can appear; standing, I can vanish. You have only just begun to receive the Dao and cultivate yourself. The various impurities in your body have not yet been fully removed. How could you travel far with me? First recite these two scrolls of scripture ten thousand times. Only when your cultivation of the Dao has borne fruit may you accompany me on distant travels. When your attainment is nearing completion, I will naturally come to meet you. For now, you cannot leave.”

Before departing, Laozi told Xi again, “After one thousand days, go to the Qingyang Inn by the gate of Chengdu. There you will see me.”

Xi followed his instructions and recited the scriptures ten thousand times. After a thousand days, he could fly, enter water, and tread on fire without drowning or being burned. Believing that his cultivation had borne fruit, he went to the Qingyang Inn by the gate of Chengdu to seek Laozi. He searched for many days without finding him. Longing for Laozi day and night, on the ninth day he saw a man come to buy a blue ram and asked, “Why do you come every day to buy this ram?”

The man replied, “There is an honored guest in my household who enjoys keeping blue rams, so he sends me to buy one.” Xi said, “I once had an appointment with that honored guest. We agreed to meet here. Could you pass a message to him for me?” As he spoke, he took out a precious gift and offered it to the man. The man agreed: “Very well. Wait here, and I will be sure to deliver your message.”

Xi added, “Then please tell that honored guest that Guanling Yin Xi is waiting outside.”

The man went and reported Xi’s words. Laozi said, “Let him come in.” He then brushed his robe, rose, and ascended the seat of the naturally formed lotus. He asked Xi, “During the three years since we parted, what have you gained from reciting the scriptures, and where have you fallen short?”

After offering his thanks, Xi (Yin Xi) explained, “I follow the teachings and recite the scriptures so that I may live forever.” Laozi said, “You once hoped to travel far with me. Now that you have cultivated the Dao, you may journey and behold the world beyond the eight directions of the earth.” Xi replied, “At last, the wish I have held for so long has come true. I have no regrets.”

Laozi then had a carriage prepared and took Xi on a far journey between heaven and earth. They changed their appearances and traveled through many lands. Later, they came to a monastery on Mount Shiju in Yanbin State and practiced the Dao there.

While out traveling, the king of Koubin saw them and asked, “Who are these people?” His attendants replied, “They are Daoist adepts.” The king said, “Do Daoist adepts really live in seclusion here?” On a later journey, he encountered them again and asked, “What do you practice that brings blessings?”

Laozi replied, “Through fasting, eating at set times, reciting the scriptures, cultivating the Dao, and practicing its methods, one may attain the utmost truth and transcend life and death. One may also teach and transform others, and direct one’s own movements and comings and goings. In the world below, one may bring stability to a state and prosperity to a household; through rebirth, one may cultivate the Dao, transcend the world, and enter Wuwei (non-action).” The king said, “Well said!”

Another day, the king saw them again while out traveling and asked, “What is most precious in the Daoist teachings?” The adepts replied, “Our Dao prizes following nature and remaining clear and still in Wuwei. It also values fasting, eating at set times, burning incense, and cultivating the Dao. Through such practice, one may be reborn in the heavens or into a ruler’s household. One may also cultivate in accordance with the Dao, transcend the world, and attain these higher forms of practice.”

The king said, “Good! I would like to invite the Daoist adepts to a vegetarian meal and a Daoist ritual. Would that be possible?” An adept asked, “How many would you like to invite?” The king said, “All of them.” The adept replied, “There are many disciples, and it would be difficult to provide for them all.” The king laughed and said, “I rule a great state. What could I want that I cannot obtain? How could I fail to provide for you?” The adept said, “We Daoist adepts are called ‘poor Daoists’ for a reason. If we attach ourselves to the king, we may gain precious treasures, but in the end they all belong to the royal house.”

“Now, I would like to invite the Daoist priests to the royal palace for a meal and ask them to pray for the people’s blessings. Would that be acceptable?” The king replied, “Certainly! I’m only worried that we won’t have anything to serve the Daoist priests.” The Daoist said, “There will be enough offerings. I invite Your Majesty to honor us with your presence.” The king said, “I will come on the agreed date.”

The Daoist then invited the king, his ministers, and the people. He also sent immortal attendants, jade maidens, and flying immortals from the four directions of Heaven to invite men and women everywhere. It took fourteen days to complete all the invitations. The king exclaimed, “If a poor Daoist priest can arrange such a great blessing ceremony, then what could I, the ruler of a great kingdom, possibly lack that would prevent me from providing for them?”

When the agreed date arrived, the king invited the Daoist and his disciples, and a great multitude of Daoist priests gathered. They summoned the holy beings of the heavens and immortals of the nine ranks. More than forty days passed, yet not everyone had arrived. Even afterward, new guests came each day: some from the lands of the Hu people, some from the region known in ancient times as Cang, and others from Wu, Chu, and elsewhere. Some were tall, others short. Half the king’s treasury had already been spent, yet the arrivals showed no sign of stopping.

The king said, “As the Daoist said, there are so many people coming! I am deeply ashamed and troubled that I may leave them without provisions.” Suddenly, he was seized by an evil thought. “I suspect this old man is a demon, not a sage. Quickly, bind the Daoist priests, pile wood in the marketplace, and burn them alive for all the people to see.”

So Laozi, his disciples, and the others were bound. Laozi let them do as they pleased, and they piled the wood in the city marketplace. Laozi said to Xi and the accompanying Perfected Ones, “Simply follow me up onto the pyre. Even if everyone in the kingdom comes to watch, they will never be able to harm us.”

When the people saw this, those with kind hearts blamed the king. “Why invite the Daoist priests so insistently, only to burn them halfway through? How pitiful and lamentable!” The flames soared into the sky, and the people saw Laozi release a light that illuminated all under Heaven. Laozi, Xi, and the Perfected Ones sat amid the smoke and embers, upon lotus flowers, holding and chanting the Daode Jing.

When the fire was burning fiercely, the Old Master was still sitting on the charcoal reciting scripture and had not left. The king asked the messenger, “Is the Old Master dead?” The messenger replied, “The Old Master is still sitting on the charcoal, reciting scripture.” The king then ordered his men to cast the Old Master into the depths. The Old Master followed the king into the depths, but when he fell into the water, he did not drown. The people saw light shining from Laozi’s body, and a divine dragon carried him on its back. The light from the dragon also illuminated the depths. He continued reciting scripture; neither fire nor water could harm him.

The king asked, “Have those Daoist masters all died?” The messenger replied, “After they were thrown into the depths, the Dragon King came out and carried them on his back. Light shone from the Old Master, illuminating the whole country. They are still alive and have not drowned. What else can be done to them?” The king said, “Fire cannot kill them, and water cannot drown them. I truly have no way to deal with them.” He turned to his ministers and said, “Could this Laozi be a sage and Celestial Master from Heaven? I now wish to serve him. What do you think?” The ministers replied, “That is good. We fear only that the Old Master’s disciples may harbor resentment and eventually bring about the ruin of the country. Your Majesty should humbly apologize to him.”

The king then went in person to see the Old Master, explained what had happened before, and apologized. The Old Master said, “Earlier I told Your Majesty that you might not be able to provide for us… Yet instead, Your Majesty burned my teacher and fellow disciples. Is this not to defy the Way of Heaven and act without the Dao? Heaven does not permit Your Majesty to kill the innocent without cause. I was not guilty, and so I was able to pass through these dangers. Heaven is about to destroy Your Majesty’s country; that day will soon come.” The king apologized repeatedly and said he was willing to have everyone throughout the country serve the Master, and would not dare slacken in this duty.

Laozi said, “Your Majesty bore ill will before. Even if you now bow your head a thousand times, it will still be difficult to trust you. I fear you may change your mind later. What can you use to make an oath?” The king said, “I am now willing for all the men and women in the country to remain unmarried for life and shave their beards and hair as a pledge. If I break my oath and change my mind, let my death bear witness. Would that suffice?” Laozi said, “Good.”

At that time, the people chose Yin Xi as their Master, and had the king and all the people of the country serve him. The king was to entrust the affairs of state to the Crown Prince, Yili. Laozi, meanwhile, was to cultivate the Dao, leaving behind home and country to seek the Great Dao and thereby save himself from the world. Laozi agreed.

Since Your Majesty wishes to abandon the kingdom and study the Dao, I will remain at your side as a teacher. My title will be “Buddha-Buddha,” and I will transmit the supreme, true, and perfect Dao. The Dao contains great teachings. If Your Majesty stays in the realm to cultivate the Dao, it is enough to observe the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds—five precepts, such as not killing or stealing, and ten kinds of virtuous conduct—to gain blessings and dispel calamities. You will be reborn continually in the human realm and enjoy honor and wealth. Through this, you may also attain the Dao and transcend the world. Why abandon your family and kingdom?

The king and his ministers bowed before the teacher. Men and women alike took up the Dao’s teachings on the same day. The teacher made three ritual robes for them, taught them to guard and discipline their minds and spirits, and gave them staffs with metal rings to frighten away snakes and insects. He also prescribed begging for food as a practice of restraint. Laozi then composed ninety thousand volumes of scriptures and precepts for them and taught them to recite these that very day.

Laozi said, “The Dao teachings I have given you are now complete. I must soon travel throughout the eight directions.” Then Laozi set off eastward, proclaiming the natural Qi of the Great Dao and explaining three kinds of Dao teaching: first, the Supreme Dao of Limitlessness; second, the Supreme, True, and Perfect Dao; and third, the Way of Great Peace and Pure Simplicity.

The Scripture on Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians says: “I was born during the reign of King You of Zhou and taught the Dao. I observed the true and false conditions of the world and served as the Historian beneath the Pillar, overseeing the classical texts. My surname was Li, my given name Er, and my courtesy name Boyang. Knowing that King You could no longer be taught, I decided to leave, for this declining and disorderly age could not last much longer. As King You was about to lose his kingdom, I disguised myself as an ordinary person and departed in a light cart drawn by a blue ox. Before long, King You was indeed killed by the Rong of the West.

“I then traveled west toward the king of Kapisa and reached Hangu Pass. The pass commandant Yin Xi, who was fond of Daoist arts and inner learning—the study of cultivating the body and mind and seeking the principles of things—understood astronomy above and geography below. He knew in advance that I would travel west and watched the heavens day and night. It was the year guichou, when the Grand Year Star was in that position. On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, the eve of the La sacrifice, I passed through Hangu Pass and continued west.

“Beforehand, the pass commandant Yin Xi instructed the guards: ‘Today an old man will come through the pass in a light cart drawn by a blue ox. When you see him, tell me, and do not let him leave!’ Sure enough, Laozi arrived at the pass in his cart. The guards detained him and would not let him through.

“Laozi said, ‘I am only a poor old man. I live east of the pass, and my fields lie to the west. Tomorrow is the La sacrifice, and I want to go over and gather some firewood. I beg you to let me pass.’ The guard knelt and reported, ‘The pass commandant has ordered that if an old man arrives in a light cart drawn by a blue ox, he is to be detained and not allowed to leave. Please wait here while I report to him.’

“The guard went in at once to deliver the message. Wearing his official seal and sash and holding his tablet, the pass commandant came out to welcome Laozi and received him with due ceremony. Laozi said, ‘I am only a poor old man. I live east of the pass, and my fields lie to the west. Tomorrow is the La sacrifice, and I only want to go and gather some firewood. Why does the pass commandant want to detain me?’”

Holding a tablet in his hands, Yin Xi knelt and said, “My name is Xi. I am from Chengdu in Shu Commandery, and my surname is Yin. Since I was born, I have lived through three thousand sixty-year cycles. I have endured hardships and traveled under the open sky in search of an audience with you. Fortunately, we have met today. Please give me a little of your attention and hear what I have to say.”

Laozi went inside and spoke with Yin Xi for three days and three nights. He then wrote the Five Thousand Characters for him. The host prepared a lavish meal to entertain Laozi. Thinking that he had nothing to offer in return, Laozi gave Yin Xi the two books of the Five Thousand Characters as thanks for welcoming him inside, speaking with him for three days and nights, and showing him such generous hospitality. Then Laozi took his leave and prepared to depart.

Yin Xi asked, “I would like to know your surname and given name.” Laozi opened his mouth and showed him his tongue, saying, “All the teeth in my mouth have fallen out; only my tongue remains.” Yin Xi said, “Lao Dan—Laozi’s title—once had thirty-six teeth, neat and white. Now they have all fallen out, while his tongue alone remains. From this we can see that softness can overcome hardness, and the weak can prevail over the strong.” Laozi wanted Yin Xi to understand the Way of softness and weakness. He never told him his surname or given name, and departed.

Yin Xi said, “I admire the wondrous beauty of the Dao and De, and hope to travel west with you.” Laozi said, “I journey beyond Heaven and Earth, spreading primordial Qi in the eight directions. At times I go to small states; at times I ascend to the heavens or descend into the abyss. I teach and transform living beings as the world requires, and there is nowhere I cannot go. How could you travel with me?” Yin Xi knelt and replied, “Whether entering water or the abyss, going underground or ascending to the heavens—even if it means facing death—I am willing to follow you.”

Laozi said, “Study the two books of the Five Thousand Characters diligently. Three years from now, we will meet at the Qingyang Market in Chengdu. Go there to find me, and you will see me. You cannot travel with me now.” So, in the year Guichou, Laozi took his leave and departed.

From then on, Yin Xi studied the scripture without slackening, day or night. Primordial Qi gradually gathered within him, and his resolve to cultivate the Dao deepened day by day. In this way, he came to understand its true meaning.

In the year when the Grand Year was in the Ding-si cycle, Yin Xi came to the Qingyang Market in Chengdu to look for Laozi. He searched for many days and months without ever finding him, sighing day and night. Later, he noticed someone who often came to buy a blue ram. Suddenly understanding, he went up and asked, “Why do you come every day to buy this blue ram?” The man replied, “A distinguished guest in my household likes to raise blue rams, so he sends me to buy one.”

Yin Xi said, “I once knew that distinguished guest, and we agreed to meet here. Could you let him know I am here? I would give you a precious gift in return.” The man agreed: “All right. Come with me, and I will report to him.” Yin Xi asked him to tell the guest that he was waiting outside. The man did so, and Laozi said, “Let him come in.”

Laozi brushed his sleeve, rose, and mounted the Seat of the Naturally Arisen Lotus—a lotus-shaped throne symbolizing natural generation. Holding a nine-section staff, he saw Yin Xi and said, “Why have you come so late? I have been waiting for you a long time.” Yin Xi bowed twice and said, “I searched for you for many days and months, Master, but did not know where you had gone. At last I am able to pay my respects to you. This is the result of the Dao honoring my wish and bestowing its profound grace.”

The two then spoke together about what had happened during the three years since they parted. Yin Xi bowed low and said, “Since parting from you, Master, I have diligently recited the scriptures you gave me, morning and night, and have not forgotten their contents. When sinister spirits and ghosts saw me, they were naturally transformed and subdued; the myriad spirits also withdrew. From this I came to understand that primordial Qi, the fundamental energy that constitutes heaven, earth, and all things, is vast and boundless.”

Laozi said, “I have been waiting here for you a long time, knowing that your resolve would not waver. Next, I will take you on a distant journey to behold the primordial Qi between heaven and earth and protect your physical form. Would that not be good?”

At this time, in the year Ding-si, Laozi and Xi came together to the West, intending to teach the peoples of the various lands who did not yet know the Dao and its methods. They reached the kingdom of Zhoubin, settled in a mountain cave, and practiced the Daoist arts there for three years.

In the year Geng-shen, the Hu king, ruler of the Western Regions, went out hunting. He saw Laozi repeatedly and asked those around him, “Who is this man?” None of them knew. Laozi replied, “I am an old man who has lived in the mountains for a long time.” The Hu king found this strange. Taking Laozi for a demon and not knowing he was a sage, he resolved to harm him.

Laozi held to an attitude of gentleness, humility, and modesty. He lowered himself and prepared a banquet called the Natural, Limitless Heavenly Kitchen, an immortal’s feast described in the scripture, intending to invite the Hu king and the people of his realm. When the Hu king heard this, he waved his hand and laughed. “This old man depends on our country to live. How can he turn around and invite our people to a feast?” Laozi said, “It is thanks to your noble country that I have been able to live here, and I have been cared for up to this day. Now I wish to return east and hope to repay the king’s kindness in this way. Please set a date, and we shall meet then.”

The Hu king sent envoys to inspect the banquet Laozi had prepared. Laozi had raised canopies of clouds and Qi corresponding to the Five Phases: the western valley was covered by a white canopy, the north by a black one, the east by a blue-green one, the south by a red one, and the center by a yellow one. Laozi invited the Hu king and everyone in the country, from the king himself down to the common people. The king immediately summoned tens of millions of people from thirty-six kingdoms, and they all came to Laozi’s five-colored cloud canopies. They ate and drank for seven days and seven nights. The food and utensils at the feast were laid out in perfect order, and Laozi and his companions showed no sign of fatigue.

After returning to his kingdom, the Hu king wanted to invite Laozi to a feast in turn. Laozi replied, “This is not a feast you can host.” The Hu king said, “My great kingdom has everything. Why can I not invite you? Set a date, and we shall meet then.” On the appointed day, Laozi went with the Daoist masters. Those who came at his invitation included disciples of the four orders, the Four Heavenly Kings, and a million others, all of the same kind.

Only after understanding this did he realize that the visitors were all different foreign peoples, with new ones arriving every day. This continued for more than forty days, and visitors still kept coming. The food in the royal palace was nearly gone. The Hu king was greatly alarmed and said to those around him, “These are all foreign peoples, and the visitors are different every day. They have kept coming for more than forty days, and the palace food is gone. These must be strange, uncanny beings, certainly not ordinary people. What should we do? Kill them!”

His attendants replied, “Very well. We can pile up firewood in the city and burn them. If they survive the fire, we will smash their heads with large stones and then sink them in the sea. We will see whether they can still live.” The Hu king then ordered every household in the country to bring a bundle of firewood and pile it in the marketplace for burning. Laozi and Yin Xi were placed on the pile. The Hu people lit the fire beneath them. It burned for more than forty days. When the wood was gone and the fire had died out, Laozi and Yin Xi were still among the coals, reading the scriptures as before.

The Hu king then sank Laozi and Yin Xi in water, struck their heads with large stones, and cast them into an abyss, but they still would not sink. The Hu king asked in terror, “What should we do now?” Everyone in the country was frightened and uneasy, and wanted to serve Laozi as their teacher.

Laozi said to the Hu king, “I am not the master. The person who was on the woodpile with me and endured the fire is the master. He has now gone among the heavens to request troops and horses, and will soon come to attack your country, because you tried to burn him alive.” In an instant, the ghostly troops and horses of the heavens descended from the sky. Each stood fourteen feet tall; they numbered in the millions and carried iron staffs. They spread throughout the kingdom, arriving in an unbroken stream. They wanted only to kill Jingzi and the Hu king. The Hu king was terrified, and the thirty-six kingdoms were all struck with panic. The Hu king pressed his face to the ground, afraid to look at Laozi.

Laozi then transformed into a mighty giant, his body shining with five-colored light. He stood sixteen feet tall and possessed all seventy-two marks of perfection. His face appeared in the sky amid purple radiance. At times he entered from the left and emerged from the right; at times he rose and then descended. This was called “the two empty bodies of the ten directions.”

The king of the Hu people was terrified. He asked those around him, “Where have you put that old man? He has actually brought the flames in here!” Laozi knew the king was ready to receive instruction and said, “This is no ordinary great man. He may be called a supremely exalted and true person. This true and authentic person cherishes life and abhors killing. He came to your kingdom without offending you. Why, then, did you pile up firewood to burn him? What do you intend to do now?”

The king said, “Please spare my life and save my country. My life and death are entirely in your hands. From this day onward, I swear never again to violate your teachings.” Laozi asked, “What will the king offer as proof?” The king replied, “May every man and woman in my kingdom, young and old alike, remain unmarried for life and devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving the Master until death, so that my sins may be forgiven.”

Laozi then summoned the Hu leaders of thirty-six kingdoms and had them shave their heads and beards before him, abandoning their former appearance. They put on cross-collared robes with the right arm exposed and, calling Heaven and Earth to witness, crossed their hands and joined their palms to show that they dared not break their vows.

Seeing that the Hu people had accepted his instruction, Laozi wrote for them a scripture of 640,000 words, teaching them the supreme and true Dao. He ordered the king to have the whole country observe its precepts: they must not raid birds’ nests or destroy their eggs, nor harm any living thing; they must not rob or steal, or bully the weak; they must not curse or abuse others, or give way to jealousy and quarrels; they must not drink alcohol, eat meat, lie, or spread gossip. They must neither ride in carts nor on horseback, and must not wear shoes; instead, they should use staffs tipped with tin. This would keep them alert as they walked and prevent them from stepping on and injuring insects on the ground.

Laozi also feared that they might later go back on their vows, so he established a three-robe dress code. When wearing the robes, they were to leave the left arm exposed, while the right side remained fastened across the chest. They were to hold the knot of the robe in their right hand, reminding themselves to devote their whole attention to upholding the teachings and not to give free rein to their desires.

“Planting and cultivating” should not mean carving wood into a begging bowl and going out to seek alms. Instead, one should go begging according to the seasons marked by the movements of the sun and moon, asking each household for one sheng. From seven households, one would receive seven sheng; once obtained, the food should be eaten. If one has visited seven households and still received no food, one must punish oneself: go seven days without eating, drinking only water, and take this as a rule of cultivation. The Huahu Jing exists in two versions with different contents. Here, their similarities and differences are brought together, and this passage is copied out.

On the Seasonal Hours

The Taiyi Dijun Dongzhen Xuanyun says: “‘Ascending at dawn in broad daylight’ refers to when the sun is directly overhead; ‘ascending at dawn at cockcrow’ refers to when the rooster has just begun to crow.”

The Mingzhen Jing says that this is what it means for those who attain the Dao and become immortals to ascend in broad daylight. The hours referred to here are all times when vital energy is flourishing.

The Siming Jiehua says: “To die during the day is called ‘upper corpse liberation’”—a way in which a cultivator’s remains or bodily form undergoes a transformation and departs. “To die at midnight is called ‘lower corpse liberation.’ To die as the sky is about to brighten or grow dark is called ‘the subterranean master.’”

The Shengxuan Diyi Jing says that morning, midday, sunset, nightfall, midnight, and cockcrow are the six times for paying respects. When honoring the Celestial Worthies of the Ten Directions—the divine figures who preside over the ten directions of the world—one should begin in the east.

The Yuqing Yinshu says that jiazi days, the jiazi day in the sexagenary calendar, and the days marking the Eight Seasonal Nodes are all times when the celestial deities of the upper realm hold court assemblies and banquets.

The Scripture of the Flying Through the Eight Radiances of Shangqing says: On the day of the Beginning of Spring, the Three Primordial Ladies of the Three Essences, the immortals of Shangqing, travel to the Heavenly Sovereign and Great Emperor’s residence for a banquet. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Primordial Radiance and receive immortal teachings.

On the day of the Spring Equinox, the Heavenly Lord of the Great Tenuity travels to the Exalted Jade Emperor’s residence for a banquet. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Initial Radiance and receive immortal teachings. On the day of the Beginning of Summer, the Three Primordial Perfected Ones, the Highest Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate, travel to the Purple Tenuity Palace for a banquet. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Mysterious Radiance and receive immortal teachings. On the day of the Summer Solstice, the Great Emperor Lord of Fusang travels to the Palace of Great Tenuity for a banquet. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Void Radiance and receive immortal teachings.

On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the White Emperor Lord, the Highest Perfected of the Great Simplicity, travels to the Jade Heaven’s Mysterious Emperor and Exalted Perfected for a banquet. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Primordial Radiance and receive immortal teachings. On the day of the Autumn Equinox, the Red Emperor Lord, the Highest Perfected of the Southern Pole, travels to the Terrace of Langfeng to meet Lady Ninefold Numinous Spirit and feast with her. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Bright Radiance and receive immortal teachings.

On the day of the Beginning of Winter, the August Ancestor, Emperor Lord and Perfected of Shangqing, travels to the Son of the Jade Emperor of the Exalted Nine Heavens for a banquet. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Cavernous Radiance and receive immortal teachings. On the day of the Winter Solstice, the Jade Consort of the Great Empyrean and the Highest Perfected of the Great Void travel to the Palace of the Great Emperor to pay a visit to the Heavenly Lord of the Great Tenuity and feast with him. It is also a day to cultivate the Dao through Pure Radiance and receive immortal teachings.

These passages have been copied elsewhere. See “The Observances of the Eight Seasonal Fast Days,” in the ninth scroll of the Rules of the Dao, where they are explained in detail.

The ninth scroll of the Pearl Sacks of the Three Caverns ends here.

The tenth scroll of the Pearl Sacks of the Three Caverns, compiled by Wang Xuanhe, an itinerant Daoist of Lu Hai in the Tang dynasty.

On Knocking the Teeth and Swallowing Saliva

The Scripture Above, Written in Golden Books and Jade Characters, says: At night, before going to sleep, regularly knock your teeth together silently twenty-one times, then swallow your saliva twenty-one times, while silently reciting this invocation in your heart:

May the vital essence of the Nine Stars and the power of the True Lord of the Northern Pole strengthen my vital essence and embryonic source, and fortify my Three Souls. Let the radiance of the sun come from my left, and let me draw in the moon’s nourishing fluid from my right. May the yellow radiance of the celestial lodges and the yellow, true Qi of Primordial Emptiness enable me to ascend and become an immortal, rising into the purple clouds. May the divine spirit’s jade talisman guard the Gate of Life at all times, subdue and execute every evil spirit according to the law, and grant me the form of the Lord of the Dipper.

When you are about to rise in the morning, silently tap your teeth fourteen times, then swallow the saliva in your mouth fourteen times. Pray silently: “Above the Heavenly Origin dwells a true spirit; within the Northern Dipper are seven youths. The purple vital essence of Highest Clarity resides within your body. The radiant celestial canopy and the Mysterious Palace of Great Simplicity: may the numinous Qi of the Later Sage descend into the Grotto Chamber, enabling me to ascend and become an immortal, and to walk in the Golden Hall of Taiji.”

The Seven Dipper Youths and the purple essence of Highest Clarity reside within your body. The radiant celestial canopy and the Mysterious Palace of Great Simplicity: may the numinous Qi of the Later Sage descend into the Grotto Chamber, enabling me to ascend and become an immortal, and to walk in the Golden Hall of Taiji.

The Five Talismans says: “Bend forward and rinse your mouth, swallowing the fluid of the Five Blossoms, and your complexion will be restored to that of childhood. Raise your face and draw in the vital essence of the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—and you will preserve your body and enjoy lasting peace.”

Tapping the teeth summons the spirits within the body; swallowing saliva harmonizes the true Qi. Swallow the harmonized fluid and let it circulate through the body. To gather and command the spirits, tap your teeth like a drum, following the prescribed sequence. This method is called “Calling the Spirits.”

The fifth scroll of the Book of the Perfected Revelations says: “When walking at night, you should always tap your teeth; there is no fixed number of taps. This can drive away ghosts and evil spirits. Such beings often fear the sound of teeth tapping and therefore dare not attack people. The effect is greater still if you also rinse your mouth, swallow the fluid, and silently recite a prayer.”

The immortal Liu Jing said to Huangfu Long: “When you wake in the morning, before washing, sit upright. Call the saliva in your mouth ‘Jade Spring.’ Rinse your mouth until it is full, then swallow, and tap your teeth fourteen times. This is even better.”

The immortal Liu Jing said to Huangfu Long: “When you wake in the morning, before washing, sit upright. Call the saliva in your mouth ‘Jade Spring.’ Rinse your mouth until it is full, then swallow, and tap your teeth fourteen times. Next, rinse your mouth and swallow the fluid as before, then tap your teeth as before. Tapping the teeth summons the spirits within the body and settles them; it also helps keep the teeth from wearing away. Swallowing saliva is said to make the body lustrous, strong, and healthy-looking, and to drive away the Three Corpse Worms—the Daoist beings said to dwell in the human body and hinder cultivation. This method is called “Refining the Essence.” If you practice it throughout your life, you can become an immortal.

Practitioners of the Dao should strike the “Heavenly Drum” (a sound produced by tapping specific parts of the body) to summon the gods to their aid. To practice correctly and keep harmful influences at bay, they must gather the various gods together to protect them.

Tapping on the left is called the “Heavenly Bell”; tapping on the right, the “Heavenly Chime”; and tapping up and down in opposition at the center, the “Heavenly Drum.” The number of taps may be chosen according to the gods one wishes to invoke and the level of heaven they belong to: thirty-six taps correspond to the thirty-six heavens, thirty-six realms, and thirty-six earths; thirty-two taps correspond to the thirty-two heavens; twenty-seven taps correspond to the “three nines” of the nine heavens; twenty-four taps correspond to the twenty-four gods; twelve taps correspond to the twelve double-hours; nine taps correspond to the nine origins, seven to the seven origins, and three to the three origins. Tap the number appropriate to the kind of god you wish to summon.

If you suddenly encounter something dangerous or inauspicious, strike the Heavenly Bell thirty times. When passing through mountains and forests, strike the Heavenly Chime to drive away baleful spirits and perform the mighty divine blessing. When visualizing, contemplating the Dao, or establishing communion with and summoning the gods, sound the Heavenly Drum.

A blocked throat can unsettle the mind, so swallow saliva to moisten the hundred gods within the body. Then quiet the mind and hold fast to the “Three-One Spirit,” the trinity of gods maintained through Daoist visualization practice. The number of times you swallow saliva should follow the same correspondences given above for sounding the Heavenly Drum.

The fourth chapter of Dengzhen Yinjue says: Take in the Jade Maiden’s fluids—the saliva visualized or swallowed during cultivation—and visualize the sun and moon inside the mouth. The sun is red and the moon yellow. The sun emits nine rays of purple light, and the moon emits ten rays of white light. The rays are straight as bowstrings. After they enter the mouth, swallow the fluids into which they have transformed. This should be practiced regularly and in secret over a long period. Methods of this kind often include instructions to swallow saliva.

The fifth chapter of Zhengao, quoting the Taishu Danjing Jing, says: As part of your daily routine, rub your face with both hands until your palms grow warm. Then massage and wipe thoroughly along the contours of your face, following its rises and hollows, until the skin becomes lustrous and free of wrinkles and spots. First rub your palms together to warm them, then wipe your face and the area around your eyes. Next, rub your hair in the direction it grows, as though combing it. Alternate between your hands, rubbing thoroughly and evenly each time. After five years, your complexion will be like a young girl’s. This massage also helps prevent the hair from turning white and the blood vessels from becoming prominent beneath the skin.

The Dadong Zhenjing Jingjing Anmo Pian says: Before going to bed and after getting up, first regulate your breathing and sit upright. Cross your hands and place them behind your neck. Then tilt your head back and look upward, letting your neck and hands pull against each other. Repeat three or four times. The scripture says this harmonizes Jing and Qi, promotes the smooth circulation of the blood vessels, and prevents pathogenic wind from entering. Practiced over a long period, it can keep you free from illness and death. Afterward, bend and move your body, stretch your hands in all four directions, extend your body backward, and loosen and rotate the joints throughout your body. Perform each movement three times.

Before going to bed and after getting up, you can also use a towel or thick cloth to rub all around your neck and behind your ears until the skin feels warm. The scripture says this prevents pathogenic wind from entering. Practiced consistently over a long period, it can keep you free from illness and death. After rubbing, bend and move your body, stretch your hands in all four directions, extend your body backward, and loosen and rotate the joints throughout your body. Perform each movement three times.

When lying down or getting up, first use a towel or a piece of thick silk to rub all around the neck and behind the ears until the skin feels slightly warm. Then massage the neck in the direction of the hair, as if combing it, using gentle strokes without pressing hard. After a while, rub your hands together, then massage the face and eyes. Practicing this regularly can brighten the eyes, make it harder for harmful influences to intrude, and help prevent the body from accumulating impurities and foul odors. When you are done, swallow your saliva thirty times to nourish the body’s fluids.

The Scripture of the Supreme Numinous Spirit for Dispelling Demons says: If you feel unsettled in body, you can curl the tongue back against the throat, rinse the mouth, and swallow the saliva. Repeat as often as you like. After a while, the discomfort will naturally pass, and you will feel relaxed and at ease.

The Upper Chapter of the Scripture for Dispelling Demons says: The ears, too, can be gently pressed on both sides as often as you like. This helps keep hearing clear. The practice is called “tending the city walls”: it means maintaining the ears as a city wall and having your name entered in the register of immortals kept by the August Heaven.

The scripture also says: The nose can likewise be pressed on both sides as often as you like. This helps steady the breath. The practice is called “irrigating the Central Peak.” “Central Peak” refers to the nose; the phrase means nourishing the nasal passages and having your name entered in the register of immortals kept by the Celestial Emperor.

The massage method in the Upper Scripture of the Supreme One on Gathering and Storing the Blossoms of the Hair says: In ordinary practice, when Qi is flourishing—that is, when the vital energy within the body is moving vigorously—swallow saliva fourteen times. Then press and rub the painful part of the body. Facing the “Sovereign”—here, the deity you venerate—pray: “Mysterious Qi on the left, mysterious Qi on the right; the three spirits unite and become true. Yellow Qi on the left, yellow Qi on the right; the six blossoms reflect one another. Wind-born evil Qi and malignant illnesses lie hidden and retreat to the four directions. Jade liquid flows and nourishes, opening passage above and below; within, water and fire are harmonized; without, misfortune is kept at bay. Long life and ascent as an immortal; the body safe, healthy, and strong.” After the prayer, swallow saliva fourteen times again. The scripture says that regular practice will keep you free from illness; press the painful spot firmly thirty-one times.

The Scripture of the Three-Five Sequence in the Purple Book of Cinnabar Characters says: When sitting in the ordinary way, close your eyes and turn your gaze inward to observe the five viscera, the stomach, and the intestines. With long practice, you will gradually come to see them clearly.

The Scripture of Red Characters on the Stone Ledge says: Frequently cover the mouth and nose with the hands, close the eyes, and breathe gently for a while. Saliva will form in the hands; then use it to massage the face and eyes. Regular practice can make the body fragrant.

The Scripture of Purple Transcendent Radiance: Inner Vision in the Central Direction says: “Often close your eyes and lie down. Relax your body, and let your breathing become fine and steady. Keep a posture like someone asleep, so that others do not notice. Then, in your mind, visualize and listen to sounds from all around in the distance, as though your ears and eyes could attend to what lies ten thousand miles away. With long practice, it is said, you can see things ten thousand miles away; if you cultivate with focused attention, you can see a million miles away. It also says that you will often hear in your ears sounds like gold and jade striking together, as well as the music of strings and bamboo, though others cannot hear them. This is called a subtle method.

The Scripture of the Three Diagrams of the Supreme One’s Heavenly Pass says: “Often press with your hands on the inner corners of your eyes, beside the bridge of your nose, and coordinate the pressure with your breath. Stop when the breath flows freely; after exhaling, begin again. With long practice, it is said, your vision will become clear and penetrating.”

Frequently press the two small points behind the eyebrows with your fingers, nine times each in three rounds, for a total of twenty-seven presses. Then use your palms and fingers to rub both eyes and the upper part of the face. Rotate and rub the ears with your hands thirty times. The rubbing need only be done enough; there is no need to adhere to a set time. When finished, start between the eyebrows and push upward across the forehead to the hairline, repeating this movement nine times in three rounds. Swallow the saliva in your mouth as you wish, without limit. Practiced regularly, this can brighten the eyes; it is said that after a year of practice, one can write at night. You may also practice discreetly in front of others, without explaining exactly what you are doing.

“Lower the eyes and raise the upper part” is the key to caring for the eyes and returning the spirit to its original state. Rotating and rubbing the ears is a method for improving hearing and brightening the ears and eyes. These practices can unblock Qi and blood, help keep the face from wrinkling, clear the gaze, and strengthen Jing and Shen. As people approach old age, signs often appear first in the ears and eyes; the first signs of aging also commonly show at the outer corners of the eyes. When pressing the forehead, visualize the “Red Child,” a symbol of one’s original nature, and imagine the sun and moon shining together, while the Upper Prime—the Daoist realm of celestial spirits above—rejoices. Begin between the eyebrows and press nine times in three rounds; stop when you have finished counting. This is called “filling the spirit.”

The scripture also says that signs of aging often appear first in the ears and eyes, and commonly show at the outer corners of the eyes. While pressing the forehead, visualize the Red Child, the bright sun and moon, and the joy of the Upper Prime. Begin between the eyebrows and press nine times in three rounds, stopping when you have finished counting. This is called “paying homage to the Three Primes with the hands”: a way of saluting with the hands while visualizing the Upper Prime and other divine beings. It is a method of care for strengthening the brain and fortifying the hair.

Next, press and stroke around the head with both hands, drawing them along the hair toward the topknot. The more often you do this, the better. It helps Qi and blood circulate through the head and prevents wind-dampness from lingering there. When you have finished, use your hands to press and rub the four corners around both eyes nine times in two rounds, for a total of eighteen times, until your vision feels bright and clear. This is a method for regulating the spirit of the eyes. With long-term practice, it is said, one can communicate with the myriad divine beings. Practice diligently, keeping your hands as close to your face as possible. Even after attaining the state of a perfected person, continue this practice.

When you wake during the night, tap your teeth nine times, then swallow your saliva nine times. Afterward, rub up and down along both sides of your nose with your hands several dozen times, then quietly recite a prayer:

The Highest One shines in the four directions, and the nine apertures radiate essence and Qi. The ears and eyes are clear and keen, able to communicate with the true Dao and reach the spirits. At the platform in the center of Heaven—the dwelling place of the head’s spirit—breath and Qi circulate in harmony. Spirits such as the Maiden Jiao Yunyi and the Bright-eyed Child Yingming make the eyes perceptive and clear, enabling one to sense things in their finest detail. Preserve and gather the Qi of the Upper Origin—the essence and Qi of the upper body—as it moves through the Nine Palaces. The Five Organs are firmly rooted, and the ears and eyes remain naturally sound. The Heavenly Platform is clean, and its pillars and beams do not collapse. Purify the Seven Po and bring peace to the Three Hun. The Crimson Child, a symbol of the inner spirit or pristine Qi, bears light and remains with me at all times. If anyone dares to obscure my ears and eyes, the Highest One will destroy it with the Flowing Bell. All manner of baleful forces disperse, and whatever is prayed for will surely come to pass. The sun and moon guard the gates, and the Five Stars are held within the heart. The True Sovereign’s invocation is heard with reverence by every voice.

The Zhen’gao says: When combing and arranging the hair, make several passes to set Qi and blood in motion and dispel dampness and wind. Change combs often; there is no need to loosen the hair.

The Taiji Lüjing says: When arranging the hair, face a favorable direction. As you begin to comb, recite softly:

The Niwan, the head’s mysterious spirit chamber, is subtly radiant. It preserves essence and Qi and keeps life enduring. To the left is the Hidden Moon; to the right, the Root of the Sun. May Heaven and Earth, and the four directions, be purified and refined; may all the spirits receive their blessings.

After reciting, swallow the saliva in your mouth three times. Do this regularly, and your hair will not fall out but will continue to grow. Change combs often and make several passes, but do not comb so hard that it hurts. You may also have an attendant comb your hair several times. In this way, Qi, blood, and saliva will not stagnate, and the hair roots will remain strong.

Before going to bed at night, first squeeze your eyes shut and look upward. Then use both thumbs and the heels of your palms to press and rub from the left and right, bringing your hands together at the center of the crown. Do this three times nine—that is, twenty-seven times. Imagine streams of purple, blue, and deep red Qi flowing from your eyes and appearing before you. This is called using inward pressure to draw in the Three Clouds of Plain Qi, infusing and harmonizing the Child—the spirit in the eyes. Then silently recite the incantation:

“The True Lords of the Two Eyes” refers to the deities associated with the two eyes. This prayer praises the spirits within the eyes for their abundant essence and Qi, and for their brightness and acuity. They can clarify the spirit and open the body’s passageways. It also says that the eyes attend to the joints throughout the body, enabling the body’s fluids to rise to the Mudball Palace (the inner palace in the head). In the end, the practitioner ascends to the Jade Palace and becomes a Supreme Perfected (an immortal of high rank).

After reciting this prayer of forty-eight characters, swallow the body’s fluids fifty times, then open your eyes. The practice can be done during the day, whether sitting or rising; it need not be restricted to nighttime, though it is best to choose a time when vital energy is flourishing. With about a year of consistent practice, hearing and sight will become clear. Long-term practice is said to enable one to see great distances, perceive spirits, and hear the faintest sounds. This is described as an advanced practice of the True Immortals, whose benefits extend beyond sharpening sight and hearing.

Those who wish to study the Dao should avoid letting others know what they have heard and practiced. Shan Shiyuan learned a method from Master Meng: before lying down at night, first read the Yellow Court Inner View Scripture (a Daoist classic on visualization and nourishing the spirit), then go to sleep, using it to discipline and cultivate the hun and po souls. Persisting for twenty-one years is said to bring immortality; better still, read it three or four times each night. Lady Jiang of North Mountain said that reciting this scripture can also reduce illness and is a way to longevity. A commentary points out that reading it once each night for twenty-one years would not amount to ten thousand recitations. The “one” in the original text is likely a mistake for “seven” or “eight”; otherwise, it should be understood as meaning three or four readings each night.

When studying the Great Dao or reciting divine scriptures, after every ten or twenty characters, lick the lips once or twice and swallow the body’s fluids. After every fifty or one hundred characters, gently tap the teeth two or three times. This is done to bring the spirit together with the numinous origin, harmonize the blood and Qi, and allow the inner fluids to become abundant and concentrated, so that “Emperor One” (the ruling spirit within the body) can dwell securely in its place. The phrase “the Qi of the center is not forced to stir, and the blood does not escape” means that the movement of Qi need not be forced, and essence and blood will not be depleted.

Those who practice this method should avoid weeping and shedding tears, and should not spit frequently. These actions deplete the body’s fluids, causing the “fire” in the throat and brain to grow weak. For this reason, Perfected Ones and Daoist practitioners often harmonize the six fluids—the body’s six kinds of bodily fluid—through tu na (breath regulation) and swallowing saliva.

On each personal birth day, the day corresponding to one’s birth year, face the appropriate direction, knock the teeth together three times, visualize paying homage, and quietly recite this prayer:

“Taiyi, who guards and protects life, unites the three Qi and returns them to the Real. The upper scene within the womb chamber: the mother belongs to the Dark, the father to the Origin. You gave life to my five viscera and gather in and protect my spirit. The fluids descend to nourish the body and rise to the Mud Ball, the head. At night, refine and nourish the seven Po souls; at dawn, harmonize the three Hun souls. On the right, receive Jade Radiance; on the left, summon Golden Dawn. Enable me to become an immortal and command numinous Qi and divine beings. May I always preserve and nourish my fluids, and fly through the celestial realms in the ten directions.”

When the prayer is finished, make obeisance inwardly toward the four directions and knock the teeth together three times. This is called “The Way of the Most High’s Hidden Court of Birth and the Womb of the Origin.” Practiced regularly, it protects the souls, prolongs life, and may even lead to becoming an immortal.

The Eighth Chapter of the Zhengao records that there once was a man named Bao Zhu, a native of Jibei. He had never studied the Dao or learned any magical arts. In his forties, he suddenly came down with a wind disorder that twisted his mouth and eyes. Wind Qi entered his body, causing his upper and lower teeth to chatter together ceaselessly and loudly, day and night. He lived to the age of 127, then encountered a great flood, fell into the Changshou River, and drowned.

The Northern Emperor repeatedly sent ghost-killing officers and the Day-Patrolling Earth-Calamity messengers to take his life, but the ghosts never dared approach him. When the ghost officials asked why, the Heavenly Executioner replied, “This man always has a way to ward off ordinary methods. He chatters his teeth and beats the Heavenly Drum, thereby rousing the spirits within his body and keeping them from dispersing. Ghostly Qi cannot enter, so the ghosts have no chance to kill him.”

It seems that if Bao Zhu had not tried to cross the river, he might have lived for more than a thousand years. By chance, he encountered bitter cold and walked into the water. His mouth stiffened from the cold, and he could no longer chatter his teeth; that was why he drowned. If a person with a wind disorder whose teeth chatter on their own can still escape death and drive off the ghost-killing spirits, how much more can a Daoist who deliberately chatters the teeth and beats the Heavenly Drum protect the spirits within the body? “Beating the Heavenly Drum” is a Daoist cultivation practice in which the teeth are struck together to make a sound. It is often regarded as a way to rouse the body’s spirits and ward off harmful influences. An immortal formula says that regularly swallowing the saliva in the mouth and chattering the teeth can restore a person’s youth.

The Zidu Yanguang Jing says: “Swallowing saliva can nourish the complexion and the teeth. The highest method for seeking immortality is to let the mysterious radiance—the subtle, wondrous light—illuminate one’s body and spirit regularly in the early morning, before Yin and Yang have separated. In this way, body and spirit will grow young.”

The Scripture of Purple Measure and Blazing Radiance says that swallowing the saliva in the mouth can nourish the teeth. The Highest Method for Seeking Immortality says: Each morning, at the moment when the Yin and Yang energies have not yet separated, let mysterious radiance illuminate body and spirit. As body and spirit descend together and meet above in the Niwan Palace (the inner alchemy palace in the head), saliva will form in the mouth. Swallow it at that moment. Persist for three years, and the face will become lustrous as jade, the body will regain the appearance of youth, the neck will be adorned and the foundations made firm, and the teeth will grow again. Continue this practice, and the Five Elders (deities of the five directions in Daoism) will descend into your chamber. You will rise into a wondrous immortal realm, and your lifespan will equal that of the sun, moon, and stars. This is the Way of immortality; do not teach it to anyone who is not truly cultivating the Way.

At the prescribed time, settle the mind and spirit, and let the spirits of the five organs become calm and peaceful. Then click the teeth together twelve times. Next, visualize the Azure Maiden of the East (the goddess who governs the east) bringing the Qi of Lesser Yang (the east’s generative energy) and the jade nectar of blue lingzhi. Let them irrigate the whole body and flow through the Purple Tenuity Palace (a palace of divine Qi within the body). Pray:

“Eastern azure teeth, drink the essence of dawn; jade nectar and sweet spring water, abundant and nourishing. Saliva flows through the six viscera like a mysterious river; my body grows light and rises, stepping onto clouds high in the sky.”

After the prayer, lick the outer surfaces of the upper teeth nine times with the tongue, then swallow the saliva.

Next, visualize the Vermilion Maiden of the South (the goddess who governs the south) bringing the Qi of the sun (the south’s flourishing Yang energy) and the jade nectar of crimson lingzhi. Let them irrigate the whole body and flow through the Crimson Palace (the palace within the body associated with the heart). Pray:

“Southern vermilion teeth, drink sweet spring water and crimson lingzhi nectar; saliva flows like a river, nourishing the Crimson Palace. The bones are transformed, and spirits arise from this; partake of the Great Void (the formless Qi spoken of in Daoism), and the whole body becomes an immortal body. Ride the clouds through the air and ascend before the Celestial Emperor.”

After the prayer, lick the outer surfaces of the lower teeth eight times with the tongue, then swallow the saliva.

Next, visualize the Maiden of Great Simplicity in the West (the goddess who governs the west) bringing the Qi of Lesser Yin (the west’s contracting energy) and the jade nectar of white lingzhi. Let them irrigate the whole body and flow through the Canopy Palace (a palace of divine Qi within the body). Pray:

“Western white teeth, drink wondrous saliva; jade water rushes forth, and mysterious lingzhi flourishes. Irrigate and nourish my six viscera, calm my hun and po, bring peace to my spirit and balance to my stomach Qi, and record this method of cultivation in the golden registers.”

After the prayer, lick the inner surfaces of the upper teeth six times with the tongue, then swallow the saliva.

Next, visualize the Dark Jade Maiden of the North, a goddess symbolizing the Yin energy of the north. She brings forth Great Yin energy and mysterious fungus and jade water, irrigating the whole body and filling the Granary Palace, the inner palace where the spleen and stomach reside, with breath and saliva. At the same time, recite this invocation:

The black essence of the north nourishes my body. I drink from the flying spring and draw in jade nectar. The spirit palace is bright and at ease, like an elixir, like a numinous fungus. My life span matches Heaven and Earth, enduring without end for tens of millions of years.

After reciting, use the tongue to lick the inner sides of the lower teeth five times, then swallow the saliva in the mouth.

Next, visualize the Yellow Maiden of Pure Essence at the Center, a goddess symbolizing the Earth energy of the center. She brings forth harmonizing energy and the elixir of yellow water and moonlight, irrigating the whole body and filling the Jade Hall Palace, an inner palace, with breath and saliva. At the same time, recite this invocation:

The yellow essence of the center; white stone rises high. When hungry, I eat the elixir of jade nectar; when thirsty, I drink yellow water and moonlight. The five viscera are full, and saliva flows freely like a river. My life span is equal to that of the Three Dawn Deities, and I shall never decline or perish. My body ascends to the Nine Mysteries, the lofty heavens, and travels in a chariot drawn by flying rosy clouds.

After reciting, use the tongue to lick all four sides of the mouth, above and below, inside and out. Then press the tongue backward against Xuanying, the throat, gather the saliva in the mouth twelve times, and swallow it.

The method of swallowing saliva to strengthen the teeth was often practiced by the Yellow Old Lord of the Center and the Perfected One of the Supreme Ultimate. Practice can restore a childlike complexion and give the skin the warmth and sheen of jade, while making the body full and the breath abundant. White hair turns black, the roots of the teeth grow firm, and the teeth neither decay nor fall out. In this way, one can draw down mysterious and wondrous energy, have one’s name entered in the registers of the immortals, and take one’s place in the realm of Pure Emptiness, seated alongside the Celestial Emperor. Those who practice this method should go to the Golden Gate to seek out their own names; those without an affinity for the immortals cannot read the texts in the Jade Pavilion.

The Upper Scroll of Jade Characters in Inner Sounds says: Stir the tongue above, below, and at the center of the mouth until the jade liquid, or saliva, fills it, then swallow in three portions. This can prolong life.

To ingest the Eastern Green Essence—the vital energy of the east, associated with the color green—swallow the Green Essence, then drink the Morning Florescence, the refined energy of dawn. When finished, gently run your tongue along the inside of your upper teeth, then lick your lips three times. Let your mouth fill with Jade Spring, the Daoist term for saliva, and then swallow it.