《天皇至道太清玉册》Vol. 4

Some people took these texts and sold them. They were then printed and circulated, allowing people to learn of them, but also making it easy for them to become obsessed with their contents. In his later years, the Immortal Elder destroyed all these books. Later practitioners should prohibit and put an end to such practices.

According to the records, in the second year of Jingyou during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, Fuqing, a monk from Bozhou, submitted a memorial stating: “Today’s monks do not follow the teachings of the founders of their own tradition. Instead, they turn against and abandon their religion. They all admire the arts of longevity, hoping to ascend to heaven, and so they have turned to studying and transmitting the teachings of Huang-Lao. Though they call it seated meditation, in reality they have no aim of observing the mind or investigating their nature. In secret, they steal the methods of lead and mercury discussed in Daoist bodily alchemy, seeking longevity; in public, they practice arts involving green, yellow, and white substances, coveting money. Their methods of ‘dotting the thatch with Geng’ and ‘drying mercury to shrink goods’ are tricks for counterfeiting gold and silver, deceiving the people, and extorting money. They are no different from thieves. They fear neither Heaven’s retribution, the king’s law, nor divine punishment. How could such conduct belong to those who have left home to practice the Way? Alchemical methods were originally practiced by Daoist priests. Daoists know that the prohibitions in the alchemical scriptures are strict and the laws of Heaven severe, so they dare not act recklessly. Yet some monks secretly steal these teachings, with wicked intent, harming the people and driving many to ruin. This is precisely what earlier Confucian scholars meant when they said, ‘The precious texts of Daoism have all been stolen by the Buddhist clergy.’ These practices should all be prohibited and put to an end.”

The emperor then issued an order: Any Daoist priest who lured monks, sought money, and transmitted Daoist methods, or any monk who disobeyed the ancestral precepts of his own tradition, secretly practiced Daoist arts, forged gold and silver, or performed methods such as dotting the thatch, hooking Geng, drying mercury, or shrinking goods, was to be sent to serve as a border guard on the western frontier of Liao, to defend against the Khitan. It is said that from this time onward, the Way of the Elixir was no longer transmitted to ordinary people.

On Corpse Liberation: The discussion now turns to “corpse liberation,” a Daoist cultivation concept in which a practitioner casts off the mortal body and attains the Way, sometimes by leaving behind a physical corpse.

After death, examine the body’s appearance. If it still looks like a living person, this is called “corpse liberation” (shijie). If the feet have not turned blue and the skin has not wrinkled, that too is corpse liberation. If the eyes still gleam and the person looks no different from the living, this also counts as corpse liberation. If the hair has all fallen out and the body and bones have disappeared, that is corpse liberation as well. As for a corpse that rises and departs in broad daylight, that is already becoming an immortal and does not belong to the usual category of corpse liberation.

The Kingdom of Fangzhu

According to the Declarations of the Perfected (Zhengao), beyond the Eastern Sea lies a kingdom that practices the Buddhist Way, called Fangzhu. Its people regard long life as the Great Dao and deathlessness as happiness. Fangzhu is laid out in a regular square, each side measuring 1,300 li and the four sides together measuring 5,200 li; hence its name, “Fangzhu.” In the kingdom stands a mountain 9,000 zhang high, as well as Ever-Bright Taishan and Night-Moon Heights, two mountain regions each stretching 400 li.

Plants and trees grow abundantly there, flowering and bearing fruit. A deathlessness herb also grows there: its colors are vivid, it never withers, and it stays green for ten thousand years. Whoever eats it will not die. Sweet spring water is also found everywhere, and drinking it brings deathlessness as well. Thus all the people of the kingdom can live forever.

The kingdom of Fangzhu has a Lord of the Blue Emperor, whose palace stands on Donghua Mountain and extends for 200 li in every direction. Within it are the residences of Celestial Immortals and the Highest Perfected, beings of elevated rank. Their buildings are adorned with treasures such as gold and jade. There is also Dark Cold Mountain, where outer palaces stand in rows, their grounds extending 200 li around them. To the east and west of Great Fangzhu lies a Lesser Fangzhu, each 3,000 li from Great Fangzhu. The Lesser Fangzhu are also square, each side measuring 300 li and the circumference 1,200 li. Each has a palace for the Lord of the Blue Emperor, where the Celestial Perfected, those who have attained the Dao, reside. Another account holds that these places have existed since Heaven and Earth were first opened, but their age is so great that no one knows of them.

The mountains produce numinous birds and beasts, though people do not know their names. Great Fangzhu lies southeast of Kuaiji, 70,000 li away. Looking northeast, one can see Tang Valley and the land of Jianmu, 60,000 li from Fangzhu.

The Lesser Fangzhu west of Great Fangzhu has many followers of the Buddhist Way. They have Buddhist pagodas carved from gold and jade, some several hundred feet high, with tiers of lofty pavilions. The people there are exceptionally filial, and all live forever; it is said this is because they eat the deathlessness herb. They consume the essences of the Five Planets and the radiance of the sun and moon: by day they absorb sunlight, and by night the moon’s brightness. They also recite the Xia dynasty’s Gui Cang scripture, by means of which they fly.

On the mountain of the Lesser Fangzhu east of Great Fangzhu are many wondrous numinous treasures, including jade wine and golden nectar. The Lord of the Blue Emperor stores all the precious vessels and objects of the celestial realm there, and many immortals live there too. They eat the deathlessness herb and drink jade wine and golden nectar; their bodies take on the colors of gold and jade, and they often amuse themselves by playing the Nine-Spirit flute. A person who plays the flute can make its sound carry forty li. The Nine-Spirit flute has thirty holes and is two or three chi long. When nine flutes play together, all the beasts dance to the music, while flocks of phoenixes fly in, singing and dancing in response. This is the music of the kingdom of Fangzhu, quite unlike the Buddhist teachings of the Hu people of the Western Regions. The methods of the Hu people of the Western Regions use great Dharma conches and great Dharma drums for music; their music differs, and so do their teachings.

The Nirvana Sutra says, “When birth and death cease, quiescent extinction is happiness.” Buddhism therefore regards life as illusion and death as happiness, whereas the people of Fangzhu regard life as happiness and death as a source of grief. That is why this account calls their teaching the “Buddhist Way,” rather than “Buddhism.” This passage comes from the Declarations of the Perfected (Zhengao).

According to the Wenxian Tongkao, beyond the Eastern Sea stood a floating mountain called Fuhu. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang, the mountain drifted into the sea off eastern Zhejiang. More than three hundred female immortals lived on it. They cultivated the Dao and enjoyed long, happy lives, so people called it “Buddhist teaching,” rather than “Buddhist Daoism.” This account comes from the Zhen’gao.

Another version, also found in the Wenxian Tongkao, says that the more than three hundred female immortals on Fuhu Mountain lived for three or four hundred years, while two of their teachers each lived for a thousand years. Vermilion grass grew on the mountain, and people made it into mats to present to Emperor Wu of Liang. Some said that each stalk contained a red crow. The emperor ordered people to paint images of them, but what they painted were vermilion phoenixes. Ten days later, Fuhu Mountain drifted away again.

The Barbarians Follow the Dao: The Yi and Di peoples—a term used in ancient times for peoples beyond the Central Plains—also revered the Dao.

Korea is said to be the place where King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed Jizi, a worthy man from the final years of the Shang and the beginning of the Zhou, and sent him there to found a state. The people there preserved the ritual and musical institutions of the Central Plains, along with its clothing, implements, medicine, sorcery, divination, and other traditions. The claim that half of the people of the Zhou crossed the Liao River and migrated there refers to this event. Tradition says they brought 5,788 people from the Central Plains. As a result, ritual and musical institutions and a culture of poetry and texts endure there to this day, along with many customs inherited from the Central Plains. The country cannot simply be lumped together with the so-called “lands of the Yi and Di.” Yet the Dao of Heaven is profound and hidden, and is not transmitted in lands that speak foreign tongues; therefore, Daoism did not exist there.

The Daoist Mirror also records that the Silla man Kim Gaki considered his native language crude and its customs marked by the ways of the Yi and Di. He therefore came to the Central Plains to study Chinese and the teachings of Huang-Lao, the Daoist thought represented by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. After studying for twenty-four years, he unexpectedly met an extraordinary person and received the essentials of the numinous secrets of the Heart of Heaven, along with the arts of flight, ascension, and transformation. From then on, he devoted himself to cultivating the Dao and reciting various Daoist scriptures of the immortals, without interruption for nine years. The Celestial Emperor bestowed wondrous methods upon him, and he withdrew to live in the Zhongnan Mountains.

On the fifteenth day of the second month in the eleventh year of the Dazhong era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Kim Gaki submitted a memorial to the court, saying that by decree of the Jade Emperor, a revered Daoist deity, he would be promoted to Gentleman Attendant of the Yingwen Terrace and would ascend to Heaven on the fifteenth day of the second month the following year. The emperor found this extraordinary and sent palace attendants to investigate. On the day of his ascension, tens of thousands of residents gathered to watch. They all heard a divine being speak from the sky:

“The king of Silla is benevolent and generous, and possesses deep virtue. He does not use force to oppress the weak, seize the lands of neighboring states, or scheme to deceive the great empire. He does not obstruct tribute to the Central Plains, prize warfare, or slaughter the people. Kim Gaki is of the royal house of Silla. The Supreme Emperor has issued a decree commanding him to ascend to Heaven in broad daylight and take up the post of Gentleman Attendant of the Yingwen Terrace.

“The lands of Silla, Korea, Tamna, and Baekje, along the shore of the Eastern Sea, are each governed by their own rulers and are under the authority of the Lord Emperor of Donghua, a Daoist deity. Any powerful state that seizes another country’s land and makes it a subordinate commandery, withholds goods originally intended as tribute to the Central Plains and keeps them for itself, or prizes warfare and slaughters the people, will fall after death into the Nine Depths, the furthest reaches of the netherworld, and suffer punishment by blades of wind. They will endure ten thousand kalpas without pardon. Those who seize another country’s territory will see their descendants suffer early deaths and calamities while they live. After death, the offenders themselves will become dogs in the country they invaded, endure the tortures of the knife and chopping block, and repay their debts of sin for a hundred generations. They will also face retribution as the spirits of the mountains and rivers of every country pursue them back and forth; their crimes cannot be excused. Only among the people of Silla will those who have rendered service to the world be able to ascend to the heavenly court.”

As soon as the voice fell silent, the sound of flutes and drums suddenly shook the sky. Phoenixes and immortal cranes danced through the air, banners descended from above, and they welcomed Kim Gaki as he ascended to Heaven.

From this account, we can see that Silla, Korea, Baekje, and Tamna all lie along the shore of the Eastern Sea and receive the clear, numinous Qi of Heaven and Earth; therefore, people in all these lands can cultivate the Dao. The story of Kim Gaki is proof of this.

The Perfected Master Huangfu said: The eight countries along the coast of the Eastern Sea—Goryeo, Tamna, Silla, Baekje, and others—have earthly veins and sea springs connected to the immortal realm of Penglai. Their people can all cultivate and study the Way of the immortals, and those who study the Way can all live long and preserve their vitality. Sadly, they have instead abandoned lands abundant in the Eastern qi of growth and the source of the Way of the immortals. They follow a Western teaching represented by the Metal qi of desolation and extinction, regarding death as joy and life as illusion. Because Metal overcomes Wood in the Five Phases, they have cut themselves off from the true Way of the immortals and cannot live long and preserve their vitality.

Only Kim Gachwi of Silla understood that the Eastern countries all possess immortal qi. They belong to spring and to Water: they are where all things between Heaven and Earth grow and flourish, and the direction from which the sun rises. Thus, their people can all cultivate and study the Way of the immortals. He therefore entered China to seek a teacher and inquire into the Way, and in the end ascended to Heaven in broad daylight, as legend tells of those who cultivate until they become immortals.

The Old Man of Azure Rosy Clouds said: The lands of the Yi and Di—the ancient term for peoples and regions beyond the Central Plain—have thinner blessings. In previous lives, their people did not accumulate sufficient merit through cultivation; their roots of goodness are shallow, and so they cannot be born in the Central Lands. Their languages differ, and it is difficult to express the Way in writing or speech. The methods of the Way can only be passed from mouth to ear and from heart to heart. What matters is that the heart unite with the profound principle and the person accord with the Dao. When languages differ, it is therefore difficult to transmit them.

The religion of the Uyghurs.

According to the scriptures of the Huihe Mosuer Ma Yi religious tradition, known in Chinese translation as The Heavenly Scripture of the Most High Lord Lao’s Journey West to Transform the Hu and Attain the Dao, the text says: Children should be loyal to their ruler and honor their parents. After understanding loyalty and filial piety, they should also understand where their bodies come from: their parents passed these bodies on to them, and thus they became children. Since they have bodies, they should understand the principles of filial piety. In serving the ruler, they should fulfill their duties as subjects and not go against the Way of Heaven.

The “Great Dao” is the root that alone governs the generation and transformation of all things. It is the ruler of Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, the stars, and all beings. Vast and boundless, supreme and unsurpassed, it is the one Dao beyond limit. It embraces all things, and every religious tradition arises from it; thus it is the source of Heaven, Earth, and all things.

Human beings are born from Heaven and live beneath it. They acknowledge only one Heaven, and so their faith is called “worship of Heaven”: they take reverence for Heaven as their religious devotion. A verse says: “There is a presence that existed before Heaven and Earth. Formless and silent, it is the ruler of all phenomena; the Way of Heaven shines forth naturally.”

It follows that when the Most High Lord Lao established his teachings, he could transform people through benevolence and instruct them in the Way of righteousness even in remote lands inhabited by foreign peoples whose languages differed. The scriptures attest to this. Among the Huihe who practiced these teachings, some lived to the age of three hundred; the author presents this as proof of their efficacy. The Uyghurs did not go against the Way of Heaven and followed their teachings: they worshipped Heaven alone and made offerings to no other deities. Every morning and evening, they faced Heaven and called out to pray for blessings. They then received Heaven’s blessing in their hands, stroked their faces with it, and pressed their hands to their chests. This is the Huihe teaching of worshipping Heaven.

“Discussion of the Transformation of the Hu,” composed by Emperor Lizong of Song.

I have examined the Confucian and Daoist classics and found that the Hu people object to passages in them about Laozi transforming the Hu. They say Laozi was born in the time of King Ding of Zhou, while the Buddha was born in the time of King Zhao of Zhou, before Laozi left through the pass. This account differs from what is recorded in Chinese Confucian texts.

I have investigated the matter using the Confucian classics. The Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government records that the Luo River dried up during the reign of King You of Zhou, and that Laozi once lamented this event. These details are all found in historical records. King You was King Ding’s tenth-generation ancestor. If King You lived ten generations before King Ding, why does Laozi’s name appear in records from an even earlier time? I then consulted The Biography of Laozi, compiled by Liu Xiang of the Han dynasty. It records that Laozi served in the Shang dynasty as the keeper of the archives for the Earl of the West. Confucian texts also say that Lao Peng was a worthy minister of the Shang. Huihui scriptures, an old term for Muslim or Central Asian texts, likewise record how Laozi transformed the Hu and became a Daoist immortal. From these accounts, it is clear that Laozi was born in the Shang dynasty.

In those days, a ruler who governed all under Heaven by the Mandate of Heaven was called the “Son of Heaven.” King Wen of Zhou was virtuous and, favored by Heaven, came to possess all under Heaven and became its ruler. His virtue and teachings spread to the four directions, and there was nowhere in the realm that did not submit to him. Thus people from all quarters came to pay court, all receiving the beneficence of the Son of Heaven. Laozi was a subject of the King of Zhou. Having received the Son of Heaven’s transforming influence, he traveled west through the Hangu Pass and spread its teachings among the Qiang, the You, and other peoples. The fact that people from all quarters came to pay court and receive the Son of Heaven’s beneficence was also a result of this teaching. Laozi’s teachings for ordering the world all originated in China. For example, the word “Dao” in phrases such as “cultivating the Dao” and “studying the Dao” was established by Laozi. Since people speak of “cultivating the Dao,” it is certain that this came about through Laozi’s teaching. How could anyone doubt that this was the tradition passed down by Laozi’s disciples? The Doctrine of the Mean says, “Cultivating the Dao is called teaching.” Since it speaks of cultivating the Dao, it means practicing Laozi’s teaching. What is there to doubt?

As for the Buddha’s life, it is also recorded in the Wen Xuan, the literary anthology compiled under Emperor Wu of Liang and the Crown Prince Zhaoming, and the period of the Buddha’s birth can be established from the sources. It says: “Under the two Zhuang rulers of Zhou and Lu, the light of his appearance was beheld; under the two Ming rulers of Han and Jin, his image was engraved and painted.” This means that the Buddha was born during the reigns of King Zhuang of Zhou and Duke Zhuang of Lu, while Buddhism first entered China under Emperor Ming of Han and flourished under Emperor Ming of Jin. The text therefore holds that the Buddha was born in the ninth year of King Zhuang of Zhou and the seventh year of Duke Zhuang of Lu; the Dharma did not enter China until the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, and did not flourish until the reign of Emperor Ming of Jin. Emperor Wu of Liang ordered these matters to be included in Confucian texts as evidence to be passed down to later generations. He regarded this as an account acknowledged by every generation and not to be altered.

Could this not have been arranged by the will of Heaven? From this we can see that the accounts of the birth of China’s sages and of Laozi transforming the Hu are matters the Dao of Heaven cannot erase. Alas, how difficult this is!

The rivalry and mutual exclusion between Daoism and Buddhism began, as far as we can tell, with Wang Fu. He was originally called Wang Sheng. Exceptionally talented, he aroused the envy of Buddhist monks and was once poisoned, though he survived. Wang Sheng then grew his hair long and became a Daoist. He later rose to the position of libationer, a senior office in Daoism. Because he was at odds with Buddhists, he altered an earlier version of the Scripture of Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians, adding false claims in order to attack the Buddhists in turn. He also changed the date of Laozi’s birth to the reign of King Ding of Zhou and that of the Buddha’s birth to the reign of King Zhao of Zhou, claiming that Laozi’s journey west through the pass and his instruction of the barbarians had taken place before then. From that time on, the dispute between the two teachings continued without end. Alas, this conflict has proved so hard to quell!

In my view, the claim that Laozi converted the barbarians is unworthy of belief. To examine the records of Daoism and Buddhism, we should compare them with the Confucian classics. In this way, we can discover who founded each teaching and who received its instruction. Relevant accounts appear in the “Section on the Four Barbarians” in the Geographical Treatise, the “Account of the Western Regions” in the Weilüe, and the “Account of the Western Regions” in the History of the Sui. They are also found in historical works cited in Pei Kai’s memorial to Emperor Huan of the Han and its annotations, in Cui Yuanshan’s Record of Laoxiang, and in the biographies of Huangfu Mi, Ji Kang, and others. The writings of Fan Weizong, the Record of a Journey South through Yunnan, the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong of the Tang, the Memorial on the Deliberations of the Eight Scholars, and eulogies by emperors of successive dynasties contain related accounts as well, as do prefaces by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang and Emperor Guangzong of the Song. All these sources come from Confucian works; there are also accounts in the scriptures of the Huihui, Mosuer, and Ma Yi, among others. The truth of the matter is as clear as the sun and moon and cannot be concealed. It is a view shared by all under Heaven, now and in generations to come. What more can I say?

Buddhist instruction centers on guiding people toward compassion; the teaching of the Yellow Emperor centers on benevolence and righteousness. Laozi’s teaching guides people through the Dao and De, and speaks of loyalty and filial piety. Confucius’s teaching guides people through ritual and music, and teaches the proper human relationships and moral order. At their root, the teachings of all three traditions urge people to do good. Why, then, should people envy and attack one another because they follow different teachings? The people of the Central Plains and those of the borderlands differ, and their customs differ too, but they share the same aspiration to do good.

Before the Han dynasty, the Chinese knew only the teachings of Confucianism and Daoism. Confucians once condemned Yang Zhu and Mo Di as heterodox. In the Song dynasty, some in turn branded the Confucians of Lianxi and Luoyang as proponents of false learning, because they established separate schools and did not follow the path of the former kings. When sages establish a teaching, there must be profound and subtle principles behind it. Even the disciples of Confucius acknowledged that there were principles they could not fully fathom and knowledge they could not completely grasp. If even sages were so limited, how could ordinary people see everything clearly? How can people, out of envy for the strengths of others, slander Heaven, disparage Confucius and Laozi, and treat one another as enemies? This is precisely the road that leads to turmoil. Is it not?

According to the Collected Works of Wu Caolu, in the third year of the Zhizhi era under Emperor Yingzong of the Yuan dynasty, the court commissioned Buddhist scriptures to be copied in gold. When the copying was complete, Yingzong ordered the Left Chancellor of the Secretariat, Susi, to convey his command to Wu Cheng, a Hanlin academician, asking him to write a preface to the scriptures. The command said the preface could mention three purposes for copying them: to perform rites for past emperors, to pray for the emperor’s mandate to endure, and to seek blessings for the people.

Wu Cheng said, “The emperor’s decision to have the scriptures copied for the sake of the state and its people is a good one. But I do not understand the practice of performing rites for the dead and praying for blessings for them in the underworld. The Buddhist teaching of cause and effect has misled many people since ancient times, and all the ignorant in the world are glad to believe it. Since the founding of the dynasty, scriptures have been copied and rites performed for the dead who knows how many times. If these rites have not helped the dead, then the teaching is baseless. If they have helped, that seems to imply that our ancestors were guilty and needed others to deliver them—which would be to slander our ancestors. Such words should not be written down and passed on to later generations.” The Left Chancellor replied, “This is the emperor’s command. Sir, please wait until he returns, then present your views to him in person.”

After Yingzong returned to court, the Censor-in-Chief Liulin was murdered by Tieshi in the imperial camp. Once Yingzong had taken the throne, Wu Cheng wept as he remonstrated with him: “You prayed for blessings, yet soon suffered a deadly calamity, dying at the hands of powerful ministers. The cases of Emperor Wu of Liang and Duke Xiang of Qi were similar. This shows that the practice brings no benefit. If you say that rites are performed for the ancestors so they may be reborn in the Western Pure Land, rather than in the Central Plain, that will surely make us a laughingstock to later generations.”

Yingzong then ordered Daoist priests to perform a longevity Zhaijiao, a Daoist ritual for praying for blessings and a long life. Its liturgy said: “I have received the accumulated virtue of my ancestors and the favor of Heaven. I have inherited the Mandate of Heaven and become ruler of the Chinese lands, governing the four seas. May I share long life and peace with the people, be spared untimely death and calamity, and enable everyone to fulfill the virtue endowed in them by Heaven. The Lord on High cherishes life; may he grant my request.”

The court also held an ancestral offering Zhaijiao, a Daoist ritual to pray for blessings and deliverance for the ancestors. Its liturgy said: “I have heard that it is difficult to obtain a human body, and difficult as well to be born in the Central Plain. My ancestors were born on the northern grasslands and received their mandate from Heaven; I was born in the Central Plain. In the past, emperors performed rites for their ancestors so that they might be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Now I perform rites for my ancestors, hoping that the ancestral spirits in the temple will all ascend to the heavenly palace, and that they will not be reborn in the West.”

Thereafter, the court ordered Daoist priests in every province to pray to Heaven on each festival and on the emperor’s birthday: to pray for the emperor’s longevity, seek blessings for the people, and ask that the ancestors ascend to Heaven. The rites for delivering the dead and the longevity Zhaijiao were to be revised by the Daoist official Hao Chongxiao and distributed throughout the realm. All state-sponsored Zhaijiao ceremonies were to follow these principles.

Secret Instructions for Cultivating the True (Essential Guidance for Cultivating Body and Mind)

When taking medicines, one should not eat garlic, pomegranate seeds, pig liver, or dog’s head meat. It is best to abstain from all of these completely. Daoist priests attending a state-sponsored jiao (a blessing and sacrificial rite held for the nation) in any of the four directions should follow this principle as well.

When taking medicines, one should not eat garlic, pomegranate seeds, pig liver, or dog’s head meat. Daoist priests in particular must not eat pork or dog meat and then have sexual relations. This will render the medicine ineffective; it is also said that eating one jin of meat shortens one’s life by a hundred days. One should be cautious. These instructions are said to have been written and passed down by a disciple of Peng Zu.

When taking divine medicines, do not face north; this is a grave taboo. On Hai and Zi days, two days in the traditional sexagenary calendar, do not spit. Doing so will deplete one’s Jing and Qi, shorten one’s life, and make the medicine as ineffective as earth. This teaching comes from the Traditions of the Immortals.

Those who cultivate the Dao and seek immortality should not have sexual relations with women. It is said that a single encounter will consume a year’s worth of the medicine’s efficacy. Even if one has sexual relations without having taken medicine, it will shorten one’s life by thirty years. This teaching comes from the Oral Instructions of Lord Qing Tong.

Those who cultivate the Dao should not eat blood foods while taking medicine. If they do, they will be unable to eliminate the Three Corpses, spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and hinder cultivation. Only dried meat may be eaten. This teaching appears in Ge Hong’s Inner Chapters.

When a Dao cultivator falls ill, they may close their eyes and turn their attention inward, imagining a flame in the heart burning throughout the whole body and covering it completely, while Jing and Qi appear faintly. In this way, the illness will be cured. If one imagines the flame burning the place that hurts, it is said to be certain to work. This teaching comes from the Traditions of the Immortals.

Those who cultivate the Dao and seek immortality should not look upon the bodies of the dead, for doing so severely harms their spirit and breath. Only when a ruler, teacher, parent, or close companion dies, and it is truly impossible to avoid going, should one attend to pay respects. This teaching comes from the Traditions of the Immortals.

Those who cultivate the Dao and seek immortality should not look upon the bodies of the dead, for doing so severely harms their spirit and breath. Daoist priests withdraw from worldly life to cultivate and do not serve rulers; in this sense, they have no ruler. They cultivate alone and, in this sense, have no friends. Only when parents, teachers, or elders die must they attend the funeral and express profound grief, while taking care not to damage their own lives. To harm oneself by attending a funeral would go against the very purpose of avoiding injury. These words should be kept secret and are therefore taught orally. This teaching comes from the Traditions of the Immortals.

Those who practice the Way of becoming an immortal should observe taboos on the ninth day of the third lunar month, the second day of the sixth month, the sixth day of the ninth month, and the third day of the eleventh month. If you enter a quiet chamber to cultivate on one of these days, you must not see a woman. The scripture says that at such times the six corpses—the impure, disruptive energies within the body that disturb its spirits—can throw the Jing and blood into disorder and cause the three souls to lose their hold. This leads to spiritual decline and the dissipation of original Qi, and over time may even endanger one’s life. Avoiding these days is therefore not merely a way to restrain sexual desire; it also protects the “female palace,” the bodily seat of the spirit associated with women, as described in the scripture.

The scripture says that the female palace lies in the Shen position and the male official in the Yin position; Yin and Shen are in a punishing relation and clash with one another. On these days, the male and female three corpses emerge from the “Vermilion Pupils of the Sun”: the female corpse summons the male, and the male summons the female. They disturb one another, damaging the spirit and shortening life. Even when a person notices nothing, the body has already been harmed. The scripture describes this depletion as the three corpses fighting in the eyes, with blood flowing to the Niwan, the head’s site of cultivation. Thus, even a beloved woman or one’s closest wife should not be approached that day. The former masters attained immortality simply by keeping this taboo, without exception even for their closest kin. Those who practice the Dao must be careful.

When lying on one’s side at night, practitioners should visualize the Big Dipper covering and protecting the whole body. When sitting, they should visualize the sun in the Niwan, the cultivation site within the crown of the head, and the moon at the navel. Before sleep, form the “Two Thunder Mudra,” a Daoist hand gesture; hold the breath and contract the lower body nine times, as if holding back urination or defecation, then go to sleep. If you wake and intend to sleep again, draw up your feet to prevent Jing and Qi from escaping. Be sure to take care.

The days of Jia-yin and Geng-shen are said to be times when corpse-demons cause disturbance and the spirit becomes restless and defiled. On these days, do not share a bed or mat with your spouse.

Those who cultivate in the mountains should speak sparingly and with care, lest the mountain spirits and various uncanny beings test them. When lying down at night, close your eyes and visualize the childlike spirit in your eyes situated within the Niwan; use this inner vision to contemplate the spirits within your body. The scripture says that this practice can bring longevity and ascent to Heaven. Liu Jing once used it to protect himself. This account comes from the Biographies of Immortals.

Whenever you travel through the mountains, wear a cloud hat covered with black silk to shield yourself from wind, sunlight, and blowing dust. In winter, prepare a snow scarf and a deerskin robe, and carry a deerskin pouch beneath your left arm for medicines. Cinnabar is regarded as essential for saving lives and treating others, and must not be left behind. When walking, some carry a Zhenling staff, a ritual staff used by Daoist priests that is said to ward off evil influences. When riding a mule, have a young attendant follow behind carrying the staff. These are marks of a Daoist’s bearing and distinguish it from that of ordinary people.

Daoists who live in the mountains sometimes wear a cloth headwrap, known among the people as a “one-character headwrap.” They wear woven grass shoes and tie a long sash around the waist. These are customary clothes for those who withdraw to the mountains and practice the Daoist arts.

When going into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs, stop one hundred paces from the mountain, walk backward for one hundred paces, and then turn around and climb. It is said that this keeps mountain spirits from troubling you, drives away evil influences, and causes venomous creatures to hide. This account comes from the Traditions of Immortals.

When traveling through the mountains or passing a shrine dedicated to deities, you may visualize within your mouth a Perfected One—a transcendent being with supernatural power—named Elder Red Spirit, attended by two Jade Maidens, one called Hua Zheng and the other She Jing. Elder Red Spirit wears a red gauze robe, while both Jade Maidens are dressed in yellow. Once the vision is clear, rebuke the spirits: “Ghosts and gods in the shrine, come at once! I command all evil beings to appear before Elder Red Spirit and meet their execution. Let every demon and spirit retreat a thousand miles.” This is the so-called “method of the Three Heavens’ Vanguard Envoy for capturing ghosts”: a method of driving away ghosts and evil spirits with the aid of a divine general and attendants visualized in the mind. This account comes from the Sword Manual and the Traditions of Immortals.

Before travelling at night, first silently recite the Scripture of Golden Light and visualize light radiating from your body, enveloping you completely. Then recite the Tianpeng Incantation, click your teeth several times, and press two fingers against the inner sides of your nostrils, just above the philtrum. The scripture says that this will keep evil spirits from disturbing you.

If you see a ghost take visible form, say: “By command of the Celestial Emperor, I govern the gates of the six heavenly palaces of Zhengdu. The first is the Palace of Yin Severed by Zhou; the second, the Palace of Tai Sha Liang Shi Zong; the third, the Palace of Ming Chen Nai Fan Wu Cheng; the fourth, the Palace of Tian Zhao Zui Qi; the fifth, the Palace of Zong Ling Qi Fei; and the sixth, the Palace of Gan Si Lian Wan Lü. Whoever dares to harm me will find that Nüqing’s laws permit no clemency.” Then click your teeth again and recite the Tianpeng Incantation. The scripture says that ghosts will flee far away and demons will not dare approach. Clicking the teeth is a common Daoist ritual practice for visualizing the spirits within and circulating Qi. Nüqing is the name of the deity who, in this passage, governs the laws and decrees.

When Daoist practitioners arrange their hair, eat, or use their shoes, pillows, and bedding, they should not let non-practitioners watch them comb their hair, touch their food, or handle their shoes or bedding. The scripture says that worldly people have corpse-spirits within them, which might use such contact to disturb a practitioner’s spirit and Qi. This is why Daoist priests live in the mountains and keep themselves hidden: to avoid noise and impurity, sever worldly entanglements, and prevent external things from harming their nature and life. This teaching should be kept secret. This passage comes from the Biographies of the Immortals.

Auspicious Days for Morning Cultivation

First Month

First day of the first month: An auspicious day when the heavenly realms gather. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning ascends to the Ninefold Mysterious Heaven, and the Golden Writ of the Supreme Ultimate is presented to the Celestial Emperor. The Supreme Lord Lao descends, while the August Sovereign of Heaven leads the celestial gods and earthly spirits in paying homage to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing). The Star Lords of the Seven Eastern Mansions descend to the world, and the Perfected Xu Laile transmits scripture and teachings to the Perfected Ge Xuan at Mount Shangyu in Kuaiji.

Second day of the first month: The Heaven’s Bureau deity who gathers the remainder descends.

Third day of the first month: The Star Lord of Venus and the Star Lords of the Northern Dipper descend.

Fourth day of the first month: The Festival of the Founding. The Great Dao Lord Yuchen ascends to the Jade Chamber of the Jade Empyrean and surveys the world below.

On the fifth day, the two Perfected Ones Deng Baiyu and Wang Zhongfu ascended together to become immortals.

On the sixth day, the Jade Pivot Assembly is established to pray for peace throughout the month.

The seventh day is called the “Day of the Upper Assembly” and is a suitable day for fasting. The Great Emperor Zhenwu descends. The Four Dipper Emperors descend to the human realm to inspect people’s good deeds. Perfected Gan ascends.

On the eighth day, the Star Lord of the Southern Dipper descends.

On the ninth day, the Three Primordial Lords of Great Simplicity pay court to the True Sage.

On the tenth day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny descends.

On the eleventh day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Relieves Afflictions descends.

On the thirteenth day, the holy ones of the Three Primordials gather.

On the fourteenth day, the Three Officials descend.

The fifteenth day is the Upper Primordial Festival, when the Heavenly Official bestows blessings. The Emperor of Primordial Unity and Highest Virtue and the Emperor of the Western Dipper descend; the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water pay court in the celestial court. The True Lord Who Assists the Sage and Protects Virtue descends. The True Lord Who Blesses the Sage and Directs Destiny and the True Lord of Orthodox Unity and Quiet Response are born. Perfected Zhang Lingyuan of Gold Essence Mountain ascends. During the Upper Primordial Festival, spirit officials, divine beings, and countless troops from the ten directions of the celestial realms, together with the Highest Sages and Perfected Ones of the Most Sublime Way, descend to the human realm to investigate and determine people’s offenses and blessings.

The eighteenth day is when the Three Primordials submit their reports to Heaven.

On the nineteenth day, the Holy Mother of the Northern Yin descends, and the Five Plague Gods spread pestilence among humanity.

On the twentieth day, the Star Lord of the Southern Dipper descends.

On the twenty-first day, the Deputy Marshal Tianyou descends.

On the twenty-second day, the Successor Celestial Master, Perfected Zhang, ascends. The Three Corpse Spirits report people’s offenses and blessings to Heaven. In Daoist belief, the Three Corpse Spirits dwell within the human body, observe people’s good and evil deeds, and report them to Heaven.

On the twenty-fifth day, Marshal Tianpeng descends, and the Star Lord of the Northern Dipper makes a tour.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Star Lord of the Northern Dipper makes a tour, and the True Lord Who Assists the Sage descends.

On the twenty-seventh day, the deities of the North Pole and the Northern Dipper descend.

On the twenty-eighth day, Perfected Xu is born.

On the twenty-ninth day, the divine beings of the Northern Yin descend.

The second month.

The first day marks the Celestial Renewal Festival, also known as the Festival of Central Harmony. The Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode, a protective deity revered in Daoism, descends to the human realm; the Perfected Lord Chongying Taixu is born.

On the twenty-ninth, the Northern Yin descends.

Second Month

The first day marks the Celestial Renewal Festival, also known as the Festival of Central Harmony. The Perfected Lord Yisheng Baode descends; the Perfected Lord Chongying Taixu and the Perfected Lord Chengying Miaoyuan Gu ascend together.

On the second day, the Perfected One Bao Yi meets the Venerable Celestial Worthy of the Three Sovereigns, Great Unity, Who Relieves Suffering, as he descends on Mount Song. The Celestial Court’s Officer of Seized Surplus descends.

On the third day, the North Pole and the Northern Dipper descend.

On the fourth day, the Lords of the Southern Dipper and the Six Offices descend.

On the fifth day, the Marshal of the Celestial Canopy of the North Pole descends.

On the sixth day, the Sovereign Lord Donghua of the Eastern Pole is born. A Jade Pivot assembly is held on this day to pray for peace throughout the month.

On the seventh day, the Perfected Lord Yisheng of the Western Dipper descends, and the Northern Dipper makes its rounds.

The eighth day is the Fragrant Spring Festival. The Great Lord of the Dao, Jade Dawn, ascends to the Jade Empyrean’s Luminous Chamber to survey the world below. The Three Primordial Lords of Great Simplicity pay their respects to the True Dao. Zhenwu and the Southern Dipper descend, and the Celestial Emperor tours the Eastern Well.

On the ninth day, the Eastern Dipper and the Northern Yin descend.

On the tenth day, the Venerable Celestial Worthy Who Grants Longevity and Protects Life descends.

On the eleventh day, the Greatly Compassionate and Merciful Venerable Celestial Worthy universally saves living beings in the Three Realms, freeing them from calamity. The Venerable Celestial Worthy Who Dispels Calamity and Resolves Misfortune descends.

On the twelfth day, the three Perfected Ones Yin Qianzi, Zhang Shisheng, and Li Fanghui ascend together.

On the thirteenth day, the Perfected Lord Ge of the Central Primordial is born.

On the fourteenth day, the Perfected One Lüqiu Fangyuan ascends.

The fifteenth day is the Festival of True Primordial. The Emperor of Primordial Unity and Virtue, the Grand Lord Laozi—one of the highest deities revered in Daoism and master of the Three Teachings—is born. The Western Dipper descends.

On the sixteenth day, the Celestial Court’s Officer of Seized Surplus descends.

On the nineteenth day, Beiyin, the dark realm in the north, descends into the human world.

On the twenty-third day, the True Lord Yisheng Baode, who protects all living beings, descends, and the Lords of the Northern Dipper make their rounds.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Immortal Jin of Silla ascends to become an immortal.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Lords of the Northern Dipper make their rounds, and the Perfected Xu, Pure and Serene, is born.

On the twenty-seventh day, the sacred Lord Baode of the North Pole and Northern Dipper descends, and the Lords of the Northern Dipper make their rounds.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Immortal Jin of Silla ascends to become an immortal.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Lords of the Northern Dipper make their rounds, and the Perfected Xu, Pure and Serene, is born.

On the twenty-seventh day, the North Pole and Northern Dipper descend into the human world.

On the twenty-ninth day, the Holy Mother of Beiyin descends.

On the thirtieth day, the Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Merciful, Greatly Wise Perfected One descends and manifests.

Third Month

On the first day, the Sacred Lords of the Nine Earthly Layers ascend to the Heaven of Polidahe, where they report to the Lords of the Four Heavens the names of the virtuous immortals cultivating the Dao in the nine regions below.

On the second day, the Heavenly Office’s Collector of Surplus descends.

The third day is for dispelling evil influences. Zhenwu, the Perfected Warrior Who Calms Heaven in the North, was born on this day; Ge Xianweng ascended to heaven and became an immortal; and the Celestial Worthy Who Relieves Suffering of Taiyi, the North Pole and Northern Dipper, the Perfected Lord Yisheng, and the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions descend.

On the fifth day, the Lords of the Southern Dipper and Marshal Tianpeng descend.

On the sixth day, the High Minister of Xuanzhou, Lord Su, ascends to heaven and becomes an immortal, while the Celestial Emperor tours the stars of Dongjing. On this day, the Jade Pivot Assembly is established to pray for peace throughout the month.

On the fifth day, the Lords of the Southern Dipper and Marshal Tianpeng descend.

On the sixth day, the High Minister of Xuanzhou, Lord Su, ascends to heaven and becomes an immortal, while the Celestial Emperor tours the stars of Dongjing. On this day, the Jade Pivot Assembly is established, and the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions descend to ensure peace throughout the month.

On the seventh day, the Lord Emperor of the Western Dipper descends, and the Three Primal Lords of Taisu pay homage to the True Dao.

On the eighth day, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning descends to the Upper Palace of Primordial Yang. There, he gathers the Celestial Emperors of the Great Luo and Great Brahma Heavens and expounds the essential teachings of the Numinous Treasure, saving all sentient beings in the three realms and five paths.

On the ninth day, Zhenwu, the Eastern Dipper, Beiyin, and the Water Envoy of Penglai descend.

On the tenth day, the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny descends.

On the eleventh day, the Heavenly Venerable Who Dispels Calamities and Resolves Adversity, a revered deity who oversees the removal of disasters and the relief of hardship, descends to the human realm.

On the fifteenth day, the Heavenly Worthy of the Original Beginning, a revered Daoist deity, travels in the Upper Abode of Original Yang in the Jade Capital. He summons the immortals, perfected beings, and sages of the Three Realms and expounds the wondrous principles of the Great Dao. The Western Dipper, the system of deities associated with the western constellations, also descends to the human realm.

On the sixteenth day, the Heavenly Court Official Who Gathers What Remains, a celestial official in charge of collecting surplus things, descends.

On the eighteenth day, the Supreme Lord Lao, a revered Daoist deity, descends to the human realm. The Primordial Empress of the Great Clarity Palace manifests, and the Empress of the Earth, Sovereign Earthly Deity, the goddess who governs the earth, is born. They gather with the immortals, perfected beings, and sages of the Three Realms to expound the wondrous principles of the Great Dao. The Western Dipper also descends.

On the nineteenth day, the Southern Dipper, the system of deities associated with the southern constellations, the Perfected Lord Yisheng, a divine lord who protects the celestial realm, and the Northern Dipper descend to the human realm in succession.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Heavenly Marshal Tianpeng, a Daoist divine general, descends to the human realm.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Perfected Lord Yisheng and the Northern Dipper travel abroad. The Perfected Being Du Bing attains the Dao and ascends to immortality.

On the twenty-seventh day, the Northern Dipper of the North Pole descends to the human realm.

On the twenty-eighth day, the Lord of the Taiyi Void Moon Star, a stellar deity associated with the Moon’s Tail star, manifests.

On the twenty-ninth day, the Deity of the Northern Yin Realm descends.

Fourth Month

The first day is the Festival of Heavenly Chess. The stellar lords of the seven southern mansions, deities of the southern constellations, descend to the human realm.

On the second day, the Perfected Lord Taiyi of the Void descends.

On the third day, the Northern Dipper of the North Pole and the Perfected Lord Yisheng descend to the human realm.

On the fourth day, Zhenwu, a revered Daoist protector deity, and the Heavenly Worthy Taiyi Who Relieves Suffering, a revered deity who saves departed souls and alleviates hardship, descend. The Heavenly Emperor travels to the Eastern Well, a constellation.

On the fifth day, the Heavenly Marshal Tianpeng descends to the human realm.

On the sixth day, the Three Primordial Ladies of Great Simplicity, goddesses associated with the Three Primordials, pay homage to the True Dao, and the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions, deities who govern thunder in the five directions, descend. A Jade Pivot Assembly, a Zhaijiao ritual associated with Thunder methods, is established on this day to pray for peace throughout the month.

On the seventh day, the Southern Dipper, Northern Dipper, and Western Dipper descend to the human realm. The Perfected Being Xie of Yichun attains the Dao and ascends to immortality.

The eighth day is the “Summer’s Beginning Day.” On this day, the Great Lord of the Dao of Jade Dawn ascends to the Jade Firmament’s Luminous Chamber and gazes down upon the world. The Great Lord Laozi travels west into the land of flowing sands, taking on a form to teach and transform the people of the Hu. The Perfected Yin, Venerable without Equal in the Three Heavens, and the Perfected Ge Xiaoxian were born on this day.

On the ninth day, the deities of the Eastern Dipper and Northern Yin descend to the human world.

On the tenth day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny descends, and the Lords of the Northern Dipper go out on patrol.

On the eleventh day, the Heavenly Worthy of Great Compassion and Mercy delivers beings throughout the Three Realms from suffering. The Heavenly Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Resolves Afflictions also descends on this day.

On the twelfth day, the Great Master of the Mysterious Center descends.

On the thirteenth day, the Lords of the Three Sovereigns descend.

On the fourteenth day, the Perfected Lü, Pure Yang Spirit of the Numinous Treasure of the Purple Pole Grotto-Heaven, is born.

On the fifteenth day, the Perfected Wei, Righteous Yang Spirit of the Eastern Florescence Grotto-Heaven, is born, and the Lord of the Western Dipper descends.

On the sixteenth day, the Heavenly Bureau’s Spirit Who Seizes the Surplus descends.

On the seventeenth day, the Perfected Lord Who Assists the Sage descends.

On the nineteenth day, the deities of Northern Yin descend.

On the twenty-first day, the Spirit of the Heavenly Canopy descends; the Perfected Wei is born, and the Lord of the Western Dipper descends.

On the twenty-second day, the Lords of the Northern Dipper go out on patrol.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Spirit of the Heavenly Canopy descends.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Spirit Who Assists the Sage descends.

On the twenty-seventh day, the deities of the Northern Pole and Northern Dipper descend.

On the twenty-eighth day, the Great Lord Laozi summons the immortals from the Three Realms and the Ten Directions to gather.

On the twenty-ninth day, the Holy Mother of the Northern Pole descends.

Fifth Month

The first day is the Festival of Prolonging Life. On this day, the Great Lord Laozi transmits the Orthodox Teachings of the Three Heavens to the Han Celestial Master; the Heavenly Emperor tours the Eastern Well, and the Perfected Lord of Subtle Dao, Empty and Transcendent, of the Southern Pole descends.

On the second day, the Heavenly Bureau’s Spirit Who Seizes the Surplus descends.

On the third day, the deities of the Northern Pole and Northern Dipper descend.

On the fifth day, the Day of Renewed Life, people pray for long life and the prolonging of life. The Celestial Worthy Taiyi, Savior from Suffering, who delivers the dead from torment and rescues living beings; the Perfected Lord Tianpeng Yisheng; and Zhenwu, the Great Emperor Zhenwu, descend. The Lords of the Northern Dipper travel abroad; the Great God of Sudden Fire is born; and Celestial Master Ye Daoyuan descends.

On the third day, the Lords of the Northern Pole and the Northern Dipper descend.

The fifth day is the Day of Renewed Life. The Celestial Worthy Taiyi, Savior from Suffering; the Perfected Lord Tianpeng Yisheng; and Zhenwu descend. The Lords of the Northern Dipper travel abroad, and the Great God of Sudden Fire is born. Celestial Master Ye Daoyuan subdued the demonic illusions of the Brahmins and rescued the Dragon Nun from danger.

On the sixth day, the Jade Pivot Assembly is held, a Daoist purification ritual for prayer and protection, to safeguard peace throughout the month.

On the ninth day, the Great Lord of the Great Dao of Jade Morning, the Most High, ascends to the Jade Chambers of the King’s Empyrean and surveys the world below. The Lords of the Eastern and Northern Dippers descend.

On the eleventh day, the Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Mercy universally delivers the beings of the Three Realms, freeing them from suffering. The Celestial Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Resolves Misfortune descends.

The twelfth day is the Festival of Tranquil Flesh, and the day when the Perfected and Exalted Sages of Heaven manifest.

On the thirteenth day, the Perfected Lord Yisheng descends, the Lords of the Northern Dipper travel abroad, and the Perfected Lord Chongning manifests.

On the fifteenth day, the Most High Lord Lao manifests at Mount Heming. The Lord of the Southern Pole, the Old Man Star, and the Lord of the Western Dipper descend.

On the sixteenth day, the Three Origins Inspectors, divine beings who patrol and investigate good and evil in the human world, descend.

On the seventeenth day, the Lords of the Northern Dipper descend.

On the nineteenth day, the Perfected Lord Chongning manifests.

On the fifteenth day, the Most High Lord Lao manifests at Mount Heming. The Lord of the Southern Pole, the Old Man Star, and the Lord of the Western Dipper descend.

On the sixteenth day, the Three Origins Inspectors descend.

On the seventeenth day, the Lords of the Northern Dipper descend.

The nineteenth day is when the two Qi of Heaven and Earth join and bring forth the myriad things.

On the twentieth day, the Perfected Lord Yisheng descends, and the Lords of the Northern Dipper travel abroad.

On the twenty-first day, Tianyou, a Daoist guardian deity, descends.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Perfected Lord Taiping ascends to immortality, and Marshal Tianpeng descends.

The twenty-eighth day is the Festival of Heavenly Rest. The Lord of the Upper Origin and the Sacred Mother of the Northern Darkness descend.

Sixth Month

On the first day, the Perfected One of Clear Numinous Radiance descends.

On the second day, the Celestial Bureau’s Collector of Arrears descends, a divine official responsible for recovering outstanding debts and collecting what remains unpaid.

On the third day, the Northern Pole and the Northern Dipper descend to the human world. On the fourth day, the Perfected Lord Yisheng and the Southern Dipper descend, while the Northern Dipper goes on its rounds. On the fifth day, Tianpeng descends. On the sixth day, the Perfected Lord Chongning is born. A Jade Pivot assembly is held on this day to pray for peace throughout the month. On the seventh day, the Western Dipper and Zhenwu descend. On the eighth day, the Perfected Lord Yisheng descends, and the Northern Dipper goes on its rounds. At this point the original text adds the three characters “Peng descends,” meaning that Tianpeng descends.

On the ninth day, the Eastern, Southern, and Northern Yin Dippers, along with the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions, descend. On the tenth day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life and Longevity descends. On the eleventh day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Dispels Calamity and Resolves Misfortune descends. On the thirteenth day, the Perfected Lord Taiyi descends. On the fifteenth day, the Western Dipper descends, and the Perfected One Chongsu ascends to immortality. On the sixteenth day, the Southern Dipper descends, and the Perfected One Pan Zizhen ascends to immortality. On the seventeenth day, the Perfected One Zhao Guangxin ascends. On the nineteenth day, the Northern Yin descends. On the twentieth day, Tianyou descends. On the twenty-second day, the Perfected One Zhang Yuanhua ascends. On the twenty-fourth day, the Southern Dipper descends. On the twenty-fifth day, Tianpeng descends. On the twenty-seventh day, the Northern Dipper descends. On the twenty-eighth day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Saves from Suffering in the Ten Directions descends. On the twenty-ninth day, the Perfected One Tongbai and the Perfected Consort Jiuhua appear, and the Northern Yin descends.

Here, “descend” means that deities come down to the human world, while “go on their rounds” means that they travel on patrol. “Ascend to immortality” and “ascend” refer to Perfected Ones rising to the realm of immortals. A Jade Pivot assembly is a type of Daoist Zhaijiao purification ritual; here, the assembly is held to pray for peace throughout the month.

The first day of the seventh month is the Festival of Primordial Heaven.

The first day of the month is the Festival of Original Nature. The Most High Lord Lao ascends to the Palace of Supreme Ultimate to pay court to the Great Venerable Heavenly Worthy, the Primordial Ancestor. The star lords of the Western Seven Mansions also descend on this day.

On the second day, the Heavenly Bureau’s Surplus-Taking Official descends.

On the third day, the North Pole and the Northern Dipper descend.

On the fifth day, the Marshal Tianpeng descends.

On the sixth day, the Jade Pivot Assembly is held to pray for peace throughout the month.

On the seventh day, Wangzi Qiao, son of King Ling of Zhou, ascends to heaven; the Southern Dipper, Western Dipper, and Perfected Warrior descend. The Lady of the Upper Origin, of the Queen Mother of the West, visits the place where Emperor Wu of Han is staying. The Perfected Lord Who Responds to the Origin and Protects Destiny of the Nine Heavens descends. The Great Immortal Magu descends together with the Perfected Wang Fangping. The Perfected Lord Fiqiu Shao ascends to heaven.

On the ninth day, the Eastern Dipper and the Northern Yin descend.

On the tenth day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Grants Longevity and Protects Life descends.

On the eleventh day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Resolves Misfortune descends.

The fifteenth day is the day when the Earth Official of the Middle Origin pardons sins, and also the Festival of Heavenly Truth and Primordial Qian. On this day, the Perfected Ten Commands rescues his mother in Northern Feng. Those who follow the Dao set up an altar, where Daoist priests perform a Jiao rite, a Daoist ritual of prayer and offerings, to deliver the dead and help them ascend to heaven.

On the sixteenth day, the Immortal Official Zhang Yuanchong ascends to immortality, and the Heavenly Bureau’s Surplus-Taking Official descends.

On the eighteenth day, the Perfected Wei Chuyuan ascends to the altar. Daoist priests perform a Jiao rite to deliver the dead and help them ascend to heaven.

On the sixteenth day, the Immortal Official Zhang Yuanchong ascends to immortality, and the Heavenly Bureau’s Surplus-Taking Official descends.

On the eighteenth day, the Perfected Wei Chuyuan ascends to immortality, and the Great Primordial Mother descends.

On the nineteenth day, the Marshal Tianyou descends.

On the twenty-third day, the Perfected Yu Wengsheng ascends to heaven.

On the twenty-fourth day, the Perfected Yi Sheng descends, and the Northern Dipper goes out on a tour.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Marshal Tianpeng descends.

On the twenty-seventh day, the Celestial Emperor makes a tour of the Eastern Well; the North Pole and the Northern Dipper descend.

On the twenty-eighth day, the Perfected Liu of the Western Luo ascends to immortality.

On the twenty-ninth day, the Heavenly True Emperor receives from the Yellow Emperor the secret methods known as the Diagrams of the Six Kings’ Formulas and the Secret Scripture of the Six Jia, Three Origins, and Evasion Methods for Constructing Formulas, among others.

The eighth month.

On the first day, called “Pursuing Sweetness,” Perfected Yin Taihe ascended to immortality on this day.

On the second day, the Lady of the Three Primordial Ones of Great Simplicity, who governs the Three Primordials, paid court to the perfected immortals. The Heavenly Court official who oversees surplus wealth descended to the human world.

On the third day, the Northern Pole and the Northern Dipper descended to the human world, as did the Perfected Lord Who Assists the Sage, a protective deity revered in Daoism.

“First descent” is the wording given in the original text.

Eighth Month

On the first day, called “Pursuing Sweetness,” Perfected Yin Taihe ascended to immortality on this day.

On the second day, the Lady of the Three Primordial Ones of Great Simplicity paid court to the perfected immortals; the Heavenly Court official who oversees surplus wealth descended to the human world.

On the third day, the Northern Pole and the Northern Dipper descended, as did the Perfected Lord Who Assists the Sage.

On the fifth day, the Heavenly Emperor of Thunder descended, and Perfected Zhu Ruzi ascended to Heaven.

On the seventh day, the Western Dipper, a star deity revered in Daoism, descended.

On the eighth day, the Celestial Worthy Who Relieves Suffering, a revered deity who saves the spirits of the dead and frees them from suffering, descended. The Southern Dipper, also a star deity revered in Daoism, descended as well.

On the ninth day, the Festival of Primordial Fulfillment was held. The Emperor Lord of Verdant Florescence, a revered Daoist deity, descended, as did the Eastern Dipper and the Northern Yin deities, who are revered star deities and gods of the underworld.

On the tenth day, the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny descended.

On the eleventh day, the Celestial Worthy Who Dispels Calamity and Resolves Adversity descended, and the Great Dipper went forth on its travels.

On the thirteenth day, Zhenwu, the northern guardian deity revered in Daoism, descended.

On the fifteenth day, the Perfected Lord of the Jade August Empress Dowager of the Supreme Ultimate, Who Manifested the Dao at Wuyi, descended. The Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan ascended to Heaven riding a dragon. Perfected Lord Xu Zhenjun of Divine Merit and Wondrous Deliverance ascended bodily to Heaven with forty-two others, taking his entire household with him. Perfected Zhang Chen ascended with his entire household as well.

On the sixteenth day, the Heavenly Court official who oversees surplus wealth descended.

On the seventeenth day, the Star Lord of Venus descended, as did the Southern Dipper.

On the eighteenth day, the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas gathered in the east.

On the nineteenth day, the Northern Dipper went forth on its travels, and the Perfected Lord Who Assists the Sage descended. Perfected Tian Shiwen and Celestial Master Shen ascended to immortality.

On the twenty-first day, Tianyou, a revered Daoist deity, descended.

On the twenty-second day, the Southern Dipper descended.

On the twenty-fourth day, Perfected Peng Qianhui ascended bodily to Heaven with his entire household.

On the twenty-fifth day, Tianpeng, a Daoist divine general, descends to the human world.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Old Man of the South Pole, the God of Longevity, appears.

On the twenty-seventh day, the Northern Dipper of the North Pole—the star deity of the northern heavens—descends, as does Yisheng, a protective deity.

On the twenty-eighth day, the Four Heavens offer up Xia Tian, who may return to the Origin.

On the twenty-ninth day, the Northern Yin deity, ruler of the northern underworld, descends.

The Ninth Month

On the first day, the Great Lord of the Dao, the Most High, meets the deities of the Eastern Florescent Azure Emperor’s Palace above the Golden Gates of the Jade Firmament’s Jade Chamber, and reviews and arranges the numinous texts. The star deities of the Southern Dipper descend. The Three Primordial Lords of Great Simplicity come to pay homage to the True Dao.

On the third day, the Lords of the Nine Layers of Earth travel to the Heaven of Bolida to report to the Lord of the Four Heavens on those who cultivate and study the Dao and De in the Nine Earths. The Northern Dipper of the North Pole descends, as does Yisheng.

On the fourth day, the Thunder Deities of the Five Directions descend.

On the sixth day, the Jade Pivot assembly—a purification rite associated with the Celestial Worthy of the Jade Pivot—is held to pray for peace throughout the month.

On the seventh day, the star deities of the Western Dipper descend.

The ninth day is a day for extending longevity. The Great Lord of the Great Dao, the Most High Jade Dawn, ascends to the Jade Chamber of the Jade Firmament and looks down upon the world. The star deities of the Eastern Dipper and the North Pole descend; the Lord Emperor of Eastern Florescence appears, and the Celestial Worthy Who Saves from Suffering, the Most High, descends. Zhenwu ascends to immortality. The Great Master of the Orthodox Unity, Tranquil Response, True Lord, who assisted the Three Heavens in upholding the teaching and aiding the Mystery—the first Celestial Master of the Han dynasty—ascends to immortality together with Perfected Lord Wang of the Jade Bureau, Perfected Lord Zhao, Attendant on the Right, and Perfected Lord Xu, Minister on the Left.

On the eleventh day, the Celestial Worthy of Great Compassion and Mercy descends to save all beings throughout the Three Realms, freeing them from suffering and dispelling calamities.

On the fifteenth day, the star deities of the Western Dipper descend.

On the sixteenth day, the various offices of the Celestial Court register the records of life and death. The Celestial Court’s official in charge of surplus wealth descends.

The nineteenth day is when the Palace of the Sun, the Palace of the Moon, and the two palaces of Yin and Yang connect. The stars of the heavens shine upon their respective palaces according to the divisions established by the Origin of the Primordial Beginning of the Highest Clarity. The Celestial Emperor of the Northern Dipper descends to the human world to record people’s years of life, their registers of life and death, and their good and evil deeds. The Holy Mother of the Northern Yin also descends.

On the twentieth day, the Celestial Emperor tours the Eastern Well.

On the twenty-first day, Tianyou descends to the human realm.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Southern Dipper and Tianpeng descend.

The relevant divine offices record the good and evil deeds of each person’s life. On this day, the Holy Mother of the Northern Yin descends to the human realm.

On the twentieth day, the Celestial Emperor tours Dongjing.

On the twenty-first day, Tianyou descends to the human realm.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Southern Dipper and Tianpeng descend.

On the twenty-seventh day, the Northern Dipper of the North Pole descends.

On the twenty-ninth day, the Holy Mother of the Northern Yin descends to the human realm.

The Tenth Month

The first day is when all things ripen, and is also the birthday of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Sovereign. Perfected Wang Chang appears, the Star Lords of the Seven Northern Mansions descend, and Celestial Master Ma Yuanyue ascends to heaven.

On the third day, the Northern Dipper descends. The Dragon Kings of the water palaces of the Four Seas and Nine Rivers gather to report together on affairs of the waters.

On the fourth day, Perfected Xia Qing, Perfected Gui Qing, Perfected Zhanran, Perfected Penglai, and Perfected Miaoran appear.

On the fifth day, Tianpeng descends to the human realm.

On the sixth day, the offices of the Celestial Court, the spirits of the Five Sacred Mountains, and the emperors of the Five Directions register people’s life, death, and allotted years. The Jade Pivot Assembly is held that day to pray for peace throughout the month.

On the seventh day, the Western Dipper descends.

On the ninth day, the Eastern Dipper and the Northern Yin descend.

On the tenth day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Relieves Suffering, Taiyi; Yisheng; the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life and Prolongs Longevity; and the True King of Jade Clarity of the Divine Empyrean descend, while the Northern Dipper makes a tour.

On the eleventh day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Resolves Adversity descends.

On the thirteenth day, the Southern Dipper descends.

The fifteenth day is the Lower Origin day. Daoist rites may be performed, purification offerings made, and one may cultivate oneself, correct one’s faults, confess transgressions, and pray for blessings. The Water Emperors of the Nine Rivers, the spirits of the Twelve River Sources, and the True King of Jade Clarity of the Divine Empyrean descend to the human realm.

On the eleventh day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Resolves Adversity descends.

On the thirteenth day, the Southern Dipper descends.

The fifteenth day is the Lower Origin day. Daoist rites may be performed, purification offerings made, and one may cultivate oneself, correct one’s faults, confess transgressions, and pray for blessings. The Water Emperors of the Nine Rivers, the spirits of the Twelve River Sources, the Great Spirit of Streams and Valleys, the Divine King of Yang Valley, and the spiritual officials of the water palaces descend together to the human realm to examine and judge people’s transgressions and blessings. The Water Official of the Lower Origin also descends to inspect good and evil deeds, and the Western Dipper descends at the same time.

On the eighteenth day, the Three Heavens submit their registers, and the Celestial Emperor travels through the Eastern Well constellation.

On the nineteenth day, the deity of the Northern Yin descends.

On the twentieth day, the Perfected One Who Communicates with and Transforms through Mysterious Numinous Power descends to the human world.

On the twenty-first day, Tianyou descends, and Zhenwu also descends.

The twenty-fourth day is the Festival of the Descent of the Saints. The Holy Mother, Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life, manifests.

The twenty-fifth day is the Festival of the Heavenly Tally. The Great Emperor of Longevity of the South Pole manifests, and Tianpeng also descends.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Southern Dipper descends, Yisheng descends, and the Northern Dipper travels abroad.

On the twenty-seventh day, the Great Emperor of the Purple Tenuity and Northern Pole descends, and the Northern Dipper also descends.

On the twenty-ninth day, the deity of the Northern Yin descends.

Eleventh Month

On the first day, the Perfected One Wang Hongfan ascends to immortality; the Northern Dipper travels abroad; and the Immortal Elder Ge receives the Golden and Water edict of the Three Heavens from the Great Unity.

On the second day, the deity of the Celestial Bureau who seizes the surplus descends.

On the third day, the Great Dao Lord of Jade Dawn, the Most High, ascends to the Jade Firmament’s jeweled chamber and surveys the world in all directions. The Northern Pole and Southern Dipper descend.

The fifth day is the Festival of Heavenly Response. Immortals descend during the suburban sacrifice, and Tianpeng also descends.

On the sixth day, the Assembly of the Jade Pivot is held to pray for peace throughout the month.

On the seventh day, Zhenwu descends.

On the ninth day, the Eastern and Southern Dippers descend, and the Northern Dipper travels abroad.

On the tenth day, the Heavenly Worthy Who Preserves Life and Protects Destiny descends.

On the eleventh day, the Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Heavenly Worthy universally aids living beings throughout the Three Realms, freeing them from suffering. The Heavenly Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Resolves Misfortune also descends that day.

On the fourteenth day, the Five Emperors descend.

The fifteenth day is a day for praying for blessings. The Celestial Emperor travels through the Eastern Well, and the Western Dipper descends.

On the sixteenth day, the deity of the Celestial Bureau who seizes the surplus descends.

On the seventeenth day, the deity of the Celestial Bureau who seizes the excess descends to inspect and oversee evildoing in the human world. The Northern Dipper also descends.

On the nineteenth day, the Great Masters of the Three Heavens subdued and pacified the spirits and ghosts of the twenty-four grottoes of Shu.

On the twenty-first day, Tianyou, a Daoist divine general, descended.

On the twenty-third day, the six Star Lords of the Southern Dipper registered names in the official records, and the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions descended.

On the twenty-fourth day, the Star Lords of the Southern Dipper descended.

On the twenty-fifth day, the Star Lords of the Northern Dipper made their rounds, and Tianpeng and Yisheng, Daoist guardian generals, descended.

On the twenty-sixth day, the Celestial Worthy of Sublime Attainment and Wondrous Fruition descended and appeared.

On the twenty-seventh day, the Star Lords of the North Pole and the Northern Dipper descended.

On the twenty-eighth day, the Perfected One Yongwu ascended to heaven.

On the twenty-ninth day, the deities of the Northern Yin Realm descended.

Twelfth Month

On the first day, the assembled immortals met at Penglai.

On the third day, the Lord of the Kitchen and Destiny Office, who governs the kitchen and hearth, descended and appeared together with the Perfected One Who Oversees the Jade Capital and Supreme Ultimate and the Lord of the Green Youth of the Eastern Sea. The Heavenly Court’s Office of Surplus Goods also descended.

On the fourth day, the Lords of the Ninefold Earth went to the heavens of the various Polipo regions. They presented the roster of those cultivating Dao and De in the Nine Earths and petitioned for them to become rulers of the Four Heavens.

On the fifth day, Tianpeng descended.

On the sixth day, the Jade Pivot Assembly for Peace was held, praying for safety throughout the month.

On the seventh day, the Star Lord of the Western Dipper descended.

On the ninth day, the Star Lords of the Eastern Dipper, Yisheng, and the Northern Yin Realm descended. On the tenth day, the Celestial Worthy Who Preserves Life and Destiny descended.

On the eleventh day, the Greatly Compassionate Celestial Worthy universally rescued all beings in the Three Realms, freeing them from suffering. The Celestial Worthy Who Dispels Calamities and Relieves Afflictions also descended on this day.

On the seventeenth day, the Left Assistant of the Mysterious Essence of Taiwei and the Lady of Great Unity descended to the Golden Altar of Qugou.

On the eighteenth day, the Supreme Lord Lao, Patriarch of the Three Teachings, descended.

On the eighteenth day, the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), venerated in Daoism as one of its highest deities and honored as the Master of the Three Teachings, manifested under the title Emperor of Primordial Unity and Highest Virtue.

On the nineteenth day, the deity of the Northern Yin Realm descended, accompanied by the Thunder Gods of the Five Directions, who govern the east, south, west, north, and center.

On the twentieth day, the True Lord Yisheng, a Daoist protective deity, descended, while the Lords of the Northern Dipper went forth on their inspection tour.

On the twenty-first day, the Perfected Ones of the various heavens went to pay homage to the Three Pure Ones in their primordial forms; the Five You descended, and the Wondrous True Lord of Empty Clarity of the Southern Pole encountered an immortal.

On the twenty-second day, the Heavenly Venerable of Great Peace and Protection of the Nation descended.

On the twenty-third day, the Envoy Who Inspects the Nine Heavens, the Celestial Officials of the Three Primes who examine and assess conduct, the judges of the Thunder Department in the Five Directions, the numinous officials of the Five Sacred Peaks, and the King of the Underworld of Fengdu all descend to the human realm to investigate and determine the sins and blessings accumulated by people over the past year.

Those who show the utmost filial devotion to their parents and loyalty to their ruler and country are granted three periods of twelve years to their lives, and prosperity for three generations. Those who quietly accumulate merit are granted additional years in proportion to their good deeds, bringing prosperity to their descendants. Anyone who performs a great good deed for another gains one year of life for each deed and brings prosperity to one generation; performing a hundred such deeds brings prosperity to a hundred generations. Those who avert calamities and bring peace to the people gain one year of life for each calamity they avert. An official responsible for administering punishments who saves ten condemned prisoners from death gains one year of life; an ordinary person who saves someone on the verge of death gains one period of twelve years.

Those who betray the Way of Heaven, defy the August Heavenly Lord, slander the divine immortals of the heavens, or destroy the Daoist tradition in the Central Land will be reborn in a remote foreign region as animals. They will no longer be able to be reborn as human beings or to be born in the Central Land.

Descendants who fail to honor their grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and other elders will have three periods of twelve years deducted from their lives by the Thunder Department and will suffer punishment in their bodies. Those who harm one another among their relatives will lose two such periods; those whose close family members live in discord will lose one. Subordinates or servants who defy their masters or deceive their ruler will be severely punished and lose three periods of twelve years. Those who overstep the proper rites and station, or enjoy blessings in excess, will be punished after death by having their coffins opened and their tombs destroyed, and their descendants will die out.

Those who rebel and harm living beings will bring disaster upon their nine clans and nine generations of ancestors. When robbers kill someone, spirits and gods will sever their souls. Their souls will find no peace, and they will suffer retribution for three lifetimes. Those who kill rulers, commanders, or soldiers after they have surrendered will have their lifespans taken away by Heaven, and the gods will destroy their bodies, leaving them with nowhere to go after death. The guilt will also implicate their nine clans, and the retribution will extend for a hundred generations.

An official responsible for administering punishments who causes one person’s death will be sent to the Department of Plague and Malignant Diseases, lose two periods of twelve years, and suffer retribution for one lifetime. If the official causes the deaths of five or more people, they will soon be annihilated; the retribution will last five generations and bring disaster upon three generations of ancestors. An ordinary person who causes one person’s death will be sent to Northern Fengdu, one of the realms of the dead, lose one period of twelve years, and suffer retribution for one lifetime. If the victim has not yet died, the offender will still lose five years of life.

The twenty-fourth day is when the gods of the Three Realms gather. The God of Fate, who oversees human lifespans and keeps their records, attends court in the Celestial Palace, while the god of the North Star descends to the human world.

The twenty-fifth day is when the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Jade Emperor gather together. Tianpeng descends to the human world.

On the twenty-seventh day, the gods of the North Pole and the Northern Dipper descend, as does Zhenwu, a revered Daoist deity. On this day, the Perfected Lord of the Wondrous Dao at the Southern Pole’s Chong Office receives the Daoist teachings from the Perfected Lord of Universal Deliverance.

The twenty-eighth day marks the day when the Supreme Lord Lao subdues thirty-six kinds of heterodox demons and foreign gods. The Lords of the Northern Dipper go out on tour.

The twenty-ninth day is when the High Perfected Ones of the Three Realms tour the world.

On the thirtieth day, the God of Fate descends to the human world.

The Three Assembly Days

The seventh day of the first lunar month is called the “Assembly for Elevation and Reward.” It is the day when the Heavenly Official grants blessings during the Upper Origin Festival. Together with the Earthly Official and the Water Official, he examines people’s sins and merits.

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is called the “Middle Assembly for Celebrating Life.” It is the day when the Earthly Official pardons sins during the Middle Origin Festival. Together with the Heavenly Official and the Water Official, he examines people’s sins and merits.

The fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month is called the “Grand Assembly for Establishing Life.” It is the day when the Water Official dispels calamities during the Lower Origin Festival. Together with the Heavenly Official and the Earthly Official, he examines people’s sins and merits.

On the Three Assembly Days, the Three Officials review people’s merits and faults. The three hun souls, in Daoist teaching, also gather to report people’s good and evil deeds. For this reason, these days are also called the “Days of the Three Souls’ Assembly” and are suitable for burning incense and repenting of one’s faults.

The Three Origin Days

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Upper Origin; the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the Middle Origin; and the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month is the Lower Origin.

On the Three Origin Days, the gods of the twenty-seven offices and the one hundred and twenty bureaus under the authority of the Heavenly, Earthly, and Water Officials first examine people’s sins and merits on the Three Assembly Days. Then, on the Three Origin Days, they report their findings to the Golden Palace, where the Celestial Emperor resides, and calamities or blessings are dispensed accordingly. These days are suitable for practicing the Dao, holding purification rituals, cultivating oneself, and repenting for one’s faults.

The Eight Seasonal Festivals

Beginning of Spring: The Celestial Worthy of Transcendent Sainthood in the Northeast first examines people’s sins and merits on the Three Assembly Days. Then, on the Three Origin Days, he reports his findings to the Golden Palace, where calamities or blessings are dispensed accordingly. This day is suitable for practicing the Dao, holding purification rituals, cultivating oneself, and repenting for one’s faults.

On the day of the Beginning of Spring, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Transcendence and Salvation, who transforms and liberates the immortals, descends together with the Celestial Lord of the Azure Beginning, who represents the original Qi of the azure color.

On the day of the Spring Equinox, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Jade Treasure and Starry Heaven descends in the east together with the Celestial Lord of the Azure Emperor’s Nine Qi.

On the day of the Beginning of Summer, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Nurturing Life and Delivering Destinies descends in the southeast together with the Celestial Lord of the Cinnabar Beginning, who represents the original Qi of the vermilion color.

On the day of the Summer Solstice, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Truth and Myriad Blessings descends in the south together with the Celestial Lord of the Vermilion Emperor’s Three Qi.

On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Great Numinous Emptiness and Sovereignty descends in the southwest together with the Celestial Lord of the Pure Beginning, who represents the original Qi of the white color.

On the day of the Autumn Equinox, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Supreme Subtlety descends in the west together with the Celestial Lord of the White Emperor’s Seven Qi.

On the day of the Beginning of Winter, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Boundless Great Florescence descends in the northwest together with the Celestial Lord of the Mysterious Beginning, who represents the original Qi of the black color.

On the day of the Winter Solstice, the Venerable Celestial Worthy of Mysterious High Jade Purity descends in the north together with the Celestial Lord of the Black Emperor’s Five Qi.

On these days, the Venerable Celestial Worthies and Celestial Lords of the Eight Directions descend together into the human realm to register people’s sins and blessings and examine their good and evil deeds.

The Five La Days

The first day of the first lunar month is called the Heavenly La. On this day, the Five Emperors gather in the eastern Azure Heaven of Nine Qi.

The fifth day of the fifth lunar month is called the Earthly La. On this day, the Five Emperors gather in the southern Cinnabar Heaven of Three Qi.

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is called the Dao and De La. On this day, the Five Emperors gather in the western Pure Heaven of Seven Qi.

The first day of the tenth lunar month is called the People’s Year La. On this day, the Five Emperors gather in the northern Black Heaven of Five Qi.

The eighth day of the eleventh lunar month is called the Lords and Nobles La. On this day, the Five Emperors gather in the Jade Capital of the Mysterious Metropolis above, the palace complex of the celestial realm.

When the Five Emperors gather, the Northern Yin Emperor of Fengdu, who rules the underworld, examines the souls of the dead and investigates the deeds of the living’s ancestors and their present-day descendants.

The days of the Five Emperors’ assembly are when the Northern Yin Emperor of Fengdu, a deity who oversees the examination of the underworld, assesses the souls of the dead. At that time, the good and evil deeds of the living person’s ancestors and descendants are reviewed, and their offenses and blessings are determined accordingly. These days affect the living, so one should hold a Jiao (purification ritual) to offer prayers and make amends. Through ritual services, offerings, the commemoration of the dead, and deliverance from suffering, each may receive blessings. Sacrifices performed on ordinary days, however, should not be treated as offerings for the gods to enjoy.

Three Seasonal Observances

The Heavenly Observance falls on the Jiawu day, the Earthly Observance on the Jiashen day, and the Human Observance on the Jiazi day.

Eight Assemblies

The Heavenly Assembly falls on the Bingwu day, the Earthly Assembly on the Renwu day, the Human Assembly on the Renzi day, the Sun Assembly on the Gengwu day, the Moon Assembly on the Gengshen day, the Stars Assembly on the Xinyou day, the Five Phases Assembly on the Jiachen day, and the Four Seasons Assembly on the Jiaxu day.

The days of the Three Seasonal Observances and Eight Assemblies are suitable for fasting, burning incense, holding Jiao rituals to address prayers to the stars, reciting scriptures, bowing in repentance, and making offerings to ancestral spirits and the souls of the dead. It is said that these practices can prolong life and increase one’s allotment of blessings.

Days for Jiao Rituals to the Stars

In spring, these are the Jiazi and Jisi days; in summer, the Dingchou and Bingchen days; in autumn, the Xinhai and Gengzi days; and in winter, the Guiwei and Renyin days.

The first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, fifteenth, seventeenth, twenty-first, twenty-fifth, and twenty-seventh days of each lunar month are suitable for holding Jiao rituals to address prayers to the stars and the Northern Dipper.

Days for Assessing Merit

On the Jiazi day, Taiyi, a Daoist deity, reviews the merits and faults of the gods. On the Gengshen day, the Three Corpses, spirits said to dwell in the human body and monitor a person’s conduct, report that person’s merits and faults. On one’s natal day, a day corresponding to one’s birth year, month, and day, one’s deeds and merits are assessed.

The fifteenth and twenty-seventh days of each month are also days for assessing merit. They are suitable for holding Jiao rituals to address prayers to the stars and the Northern Dipper.

Days for Assessing Merit

On the Jiazi day, Taiyi reviews the merits and faults of the gods; on the Gengshen day, the Three Corpses report a person’s merits and faults; and on one’s natal day, one’s deeds and merits are assessed.

On days of merit assessment, the Fetal Light soul, one of a person’s three souls, ascends on the Jiazi day; the Bright Spirit soul ascends on the Gengshen day; and the Hidden Essence soul ascends on one’s natal day. They report a person’s good and evil deeds to the higher powers. These are suitable times to receive talismans and registers (Fulu), fast, and submit memorials—documents presenting petitions to the deities—to seek good fortune and blessings.

The Full Moon Day, the fifteenth day of each lunar month, is suitable for paying homage to the deities, repenting of offenses, seeking grace and blessings, and making amends.

Six Fasting Days

The eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, twenty-third, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth days of each lunar month are the Six Fasting Days. During the fast, one does not eat after noon.

Three Short Fasting Days

The eighth, fifteenth, and thirtieth days are the Six Ding fasting days. During the fast, one should not eat or drink after midday.

The Chart of the Mandate of Spring and Autumn records that the Yellow Emperor asked Taiyi about the way to long life. Taiyi replied, “By observing the Six Ding fast, you can attain something.” The Inner Transmission says that the Yellow Emperor vowed to campaign against Chiyou, so he fasted for three days and reported his intentions to the Lord on High. This was the beginning of fasting.

According to the Book of Tang, Zhou Boyangfu once taught this fasting practice to King Tangbinfantuoli. The Ten-Day Fasts require observing ten fasting days each month.

On the first day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy of Boundless Great Florescence, and repent of the wrong of taking the lives of living beings, so as to avoid the retribution of being hung upside down and butchered.

On the eighth day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy of the Mysterious Supreme Jade Empyrean, and repent of acting against reason and showing favoritism, so as to avoid the retribution of golden hammers and iron rods.

On the fourteenth day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy, Supreme Sage Who Transcends to Immortality, and repent of benefiting oneself at others’ expense, so as to avoid the retribution of iron beds and copper pillars.

On the fifteenth day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy, August Sovereign of Jade Treasure, and repent of using one’s power to oppress the weak, so as to avoid the retribution of flying halberds and whirling spears.

On the eighteenth day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy Who Cherishes Life and Transcends Destinies, and repent of betraying one’s conscience, so as to avoid the retribution of having one’s intestines pierced and one’s tongue plowed.

On the twenty-third day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy of Mysterious Truth and Ten Thousand Blessings, and repent of flattering people to their faces while slandering them behind their backs, so as to avoid the retribution of swallowing fire and eating charcoal.

On the twenty-fourth day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy, Sovereign of the Great Numinous Void, and repent of using illusions to deceive others and make them foolish and confused, so as to avoid the retribution of cauldrons of boiling water and furnaces of burning charcoal.

On the twenty-eighth day, recite the name of the Celestial Worthy of the Supreme and Wondrous Ultimate, and repent of deliberately doing evil, so as to avoid the retribution of icy halberds and blades of frost.

Here, “fasting” refers to ritual abstinence and cultivation; “reciting” means chanting a Celestial Worthy’s name, and “repenting” means acknowledging and turning away from wrongdoing. The punishments listed in the text are forms of retribution used in traditional religious writings to warn against wrongdoing and encourage people to cultivate goodness.

On the twenty-ninth day, recite the sacred title True Sovereign, Venerable of the Grotto Spirit (a Daoist deity), and repent for offenses committed by harming benevolence and virtue through mistaken actions, in order to avoid the retribution of being scorched by raging flames until the body is charred.

On the thirtieth day, recite the sacred title Jade Void, Radiant Sovereign, Venerable (a Daoist deity), and repent for offenses connected with grudges and karmic retribution across the Three Realms, in order to avoid the retribution of having the abdomen pierced and the heart obstructed.

Emperor Gaozong said: Che Yin believed that everything the foreign monk said had been translated from Sanskrit. “Venerable” meant Buddha, while “retribution for sins” was the name of a hell. This was why the Ten Purification Days were established.

Purification in the First, Fifth, and Ninth Months

According to Dou Ping’s Tang History: Explanations of Sounds and Words, when explaining Emperor Gaozu of Tang’s policy of not carrying out punishments in the first, fifth, and ninth months, he said that the Celestial Emperor had made a great treasure mirror to observe the Four Great Continents. The mirror moved once each month to inspect people’s good and evil deeds. In the first month it shone on Jambudvipa in the south; in the second, on Purvavideha in the east; in the third, on Uttarakuru in the north; and in the fourth, on Aparagodaniya in the west. In the fifth month it shone on Jambudvipa again. The cycle then continued, so the mirror observed Jambudvipa in the first, fifth, and ninth months. The court therefore reduced punishments and taxes during those months.

Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, the relevant regulations had been recorded in the law. During these three months, the court prohibited punishments and slaughter. Later, when the authorities distributed salaries, they did not provide an allowance for mutton in these months. In fact, this simply continued an old Tang custom. Later generations also came to regard the first, fifth, and ninth months as periods for purification. Some considered this a practice followed only by the profoundly ignorant; anyone with even a little intelligence, they thought, would find it extremely shallow. Since the Song dynasty, Daoists…

Days of the Emperor’s Sha and Monthly Taboo Days

On these days, burning incense is forbidden; anyone who breaks the taboo will have their lifespan shortened. The second and Gengshen days of the first month; the ninth and Xinyou days of the second month; the tenth and Gengxu days of the third month; the eleventh and Guihai days of the fourth month…

Burning incense is forbidden on this day. Those who violate the taboo will have their lifespan shortened. The second day of the first lunar month, the Gengshen day, the ninth day of the second month, the Xinyou day, the tenth day of the third month, the Gengxu day, and the eleventh day of the fourth month, the Guihai day, are also taboo days.

Days Taboo by Heaven

The Bingyin and Dingmao days are taboo days for the Dao Father; the Bingshen and Dingyou days, for the Dao Mother; the Renchen and Renxu days, for the Northern Emperor; and the Wuchen and Wuxu days, for the Southern Emperor. Also taboo are days when one’s fate meets an “extinction of life,” the day of one’s own birth sign’s extinction, the day when Jupiter reaches the position corresponding to one’s year of age, and days when the Six Harms coincide with one’s birth sign. The last three days of each month, the day the month ends, the Year Breaker, and days that clash with the Grand Tai Sui are also taboo.

Laozi’s Day for Plucking White Hairs

The fourth day of the first month, the eighth day of the second, the eleventh day of the third, the sixteenth day of the fourth, the twentieth day of the fifth, the twenty-fourth day of the sixth, the twenty-eighth day of the seventh, the nineteenth day of the eighth, the sixteenth day of the ninth, the thirteenth day of the tenth, the tenth day of the eleventh, and the seventh day of the twelfth month are “Laozi’s Days for Plucking White Hairs”—specific dates assigned to each month.

In the thirty-fifth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty (Dingwei year), on an auspicious day during the Shangyuan festival, Zhang Guoxiang, the Zhengyi lineage’s Celestial Master who inherited the teachings, received an imperial decree to revise and print this work. Zhang’s Daoist honorific title was “Great Perfected One Who, with Sincere Devotion to the Dao, Expounds the Mystery and Broadly Spreads the Teaching.” He also oversaw Daoist affairs throughout the realm.

Numerical Records: the seventh day of the twelfth month.

Chapter on Numerical Records

Astronomy, geography, changes in Yin-Yang, official systems past and present, rites and institutions, rules of conduct, clothing and headwear, music, canonical and historical texts, as well as the arts of the Elixir, medicine, and implements, can all be recorded through numbers. Since these subjects are numerous and cannot all be listed, only one or two topics commonly used in the Daoist tradition are selected here, as knowledge that Daoist practitioners should understand.

The Number One

The Principle of One

Taiji (Supreme Ultimate).

The Great One

The ancients believed that there were four great things between Heaven and Earth, where the ruler dwelt. The ruler was one of them and was called the Most Honored.

The Number Two

The Two Forms

Heaven and Earth.

The Two Luminaries

The Sun and the Moon.

The Two Qi

The knowledge Daoist practitioners should understand includes the following:

The Number One

The Principle of One

Taiji (Supreme Ultimate).

The Great One

Among the four important things in the world, the emperor occupies one place—the most honored of them all.

The Number Two

The Two Principles: Heaven and Earth.

The Two Luminaries: the Sun and the Moon.

The Two Forces: Yin and Yang.

The Two Worthy Ministers of the Shang dynasty: Laozi and Peng Zu.

The Two Elders of the Shang dynasty: Taigong and Boyi.

The Two Parents: father and mother.

The Number Three

The Three Great Beginnings: Taichu, Taisu, and Taishi, referring to three stages in the formation of the universe.

The Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and humanity.

The Three Realms: the heavenly realm, the earthly realm, and the water realm; another account gives them as the upper, middle, and lower realms.

The Three Lights: the Sun, the Moon, and the stars.

The Three Heavens: Qingwei Heaven, Yuyu Heaven, and Taichi Heaven.

The Three Pure Ones and Three Realms: the Jade Clarity Sacred Realm, where the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning resides; the Upper Clarity True Realm, where the Lord of the Dao resides; and the Great Clarity Immortal Realm, where the Lord Lao resides.

The Three Treasures: the Dao, the scriptures, and the master—that is, Daoist teachings, canonical texts, and the line of transmission.

The Ancient Three Sovereigns: the Sovereign of Heaven, the Sovereign of Earth, and the Sovereign of Humanity.

The Three Enclosures: the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, the Supreme Subtlety Enclosure, and the Celestial Market Enclosure, all regions of stars in the heavens.

The Three Terraces: the Upper, Middle, and Lower Terraces, referring to the three celestial terrace stars.

The Three Departments: the Taixuan Capital Department, the Celestial Pivot Department, and the Celestial Mechanism Department, names of administrative offices in the Daoist celestial realm.

The Three Departments of Thunder: Celestial Master Zhang presides over the Capital Department, Immortal Elder Ge over the Mystery Department, and Perfected Lord Xu over the Great Peace Department. Here, “presides over” means to administer or manage.

“The Three Immortals of Fuqiu and the Three Departments of the Shishu”: This entry lists Lord Fuqiu, three immortals, and “the Three Departments of the Shishu,” without further explanation in the original.

The Three Masters: Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, Inheriting Master Zhang Heng, and Lineage Master Zhang Lu. Another account calls the scripture master, register master, and ordination master the Three Masters; they respectively teach the scriptures, manage Daoist registers, and preside over ordination rites.

The Three Forms of Qi: “Qi” is also written “qi.” Beginning Qi is blue, Primordial Qi is white, and Mysterious Qi is black.

The Three Florescences: Golden Florescence, Jade Florescence, and Ninefold Florescence.

The Three Caverns: Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen, the three main classifications of Daoist scriptures.

The Three Ancient Periods

“High Antiquity” refers to the age of Fuxi, the legendary ruler of remote antiquity; “Middle Antiquity” refers to the age of King Wen of Zhou; and “Later Antiquity” refers to the age of Confucius.

The “Three Vehicles” are the Great Vehicle, the Middle Vehicle, and the Lesser Vehicle.

The “Three Sovereigns” are the Great Hao Fuxi, the Flame Emperor Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan.

The “Three Masters” refers to Laozi’s Dao De Jing, Zhuangzi’s Nanhua Jing, and Liezi’s Chongxu Jing.

The phrase “the Three Sovereigns beneath the three stars of the Great Fire” again names the Three Sovereigns: the Great Hao Fuxi, the Flame Emperor Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan.

The “Three Masters” again refers to Laozi’s Dao De Jing, Zhuangzi’s Nanhua Jing, and Liezi’s Chongxu Jing.

The “three stars of the Great Fire” are the central star, the preceding star, and the following star.

The “Three Calendar Primacies” assign the month of Zi as the heavenly beginning of the year, the month of Chou as the earthly beginning, and the month of Yin as the human beginning. These are different ways of setting the first month of the year in ancient calendars.

The “Three Beginnings” are the beginning of the year, the beginning of each month, and the beginning of each day.

The “Three New Moons” are daybreak, cockcrow, and midnight.

The “Three Periods of Heat” are the first, middle, and final periods.

The “Three Altars of the Soil” are the Great Soil Altar, the Royal Soil Altar, and the Bo Soil Altar. All were ancient altars for worshipping the earth deities.

The “Three Festival Days” are the first day of the first lunar month, the third day of the third lunar month, and the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.

The “Three Primal Periods” are the Upper, Middle, and Lower Primordial Periods.

The “Three Assemblies” are the Heavenly Assembly on the seventh day of the first lunar month, the Earthly Assembly on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, and the Water Assembly on the fifteenth day of the tenth lunar month.

The “Three Mao Lords” are Great Mao Lord Mao Ying, Second Mao Lord Mao Gu, and Little Mao Lord Mao Zhong.

The “Talismans and Registers of the Three Mountains” refers to the Shangqing registers originating at Maoshan, the Lingbao registers originating at Gezaoshan, and the Zhengyi registers originating at Longhushan. Talismans and registers are written credentials used in Daoism to transmit ritual offices and carry out rites.

The “Three Divine Mountains” are Penglai, also known as Penghu; Fangzhang, also known as Fanghu; and Yingzhou, also known as Yinghu.

The “Three Islands in the Sea” are Fusang, Penglai, and Kunlun. Legend says they are all places where immortals dwell.

The Three Mountains of Numinous Radiance.

On Mount Emei stands the palace-temple of the Perfected One of Heaven. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, after Li Xiong entered Shu and proclaimed himself emperor, he seized the site and turned it into a temple for the northern peoples.

On Mount Lu stands the official residence of the Great Bright Lord. The monk Huiyuan handed over both the Tianchi Hermitage and the Huxi Shrine, built by Huan Yi, Inspector of Jiangzhou. These sites were later seized and turned into temples for the northern peoples.

On Mount Wutai stands the palace-temple of the Lord of Yanmen in the Purple Mansion. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, Liu Yuan seized the site and turned it into a temple for the northern peoples.

Three Water Prefectures

The Upper Water Prefecture at Mount Madang is called the King Who Blesses the Good and Calms the River; the Middle Water Prefecture at Mount Caishi is called the King Who Upholds Holiness and Pacifies the River; and the Lower Water Prefecture at Mount Jin is called the King Who Shines with Faith and Brings Peace to the River.

Three River Lords

The Lords of the Luo, Yellow, and Huai Rivers.

Three Passes

The mouth is the Heavenly Pass, the feet are the Earthly Pass, and the hands are the Human Pass.

Three Dantian

The upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers). In Daoist cultivation, Dantian refers to places within the body where Qi (vital energy) gathers.

Three Hun Souls

Tai Guang, Shuang Ling, and You Jing. The three Hun souls are one way the Daoist tradition classifies the soul and its counterpart, the Po.

Three Flowers

Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). The Three Flowers are the Jing, Qi, and Shen spoken of in cultivation.

The Daoist Three Vehicles

The vehicle that gathers inner fire and uses the mind’s intent to guide the flow of Qi in order to treat illness is called the “Sun Messenger Vehicle.” When Yin-Yang harmonize and Water and Fire mutually assist one another, producing thunderous sounds in stillness and concentration, this is called the “Sun Thunder Vehicle.” When the mind and spirit are drawn along by external circumstances, taking in outside things and dissipating Qi, a person grows old and falls ill; this is called the “Sun-Breaking Vehicle.”

Three River Vehicles

Gathering and refining the medicinal substances, adding Fire and replenishing Mercury, and drawing out the Qi of Lead is called the “Small River Vehicle.” As the Great Medicine is gradually refined, it is used to replenish above and temper below; this is called the “Great River Vehicle.” Refining the Returning Elixir and tempering the body, until one ultimately unites with the Great Dao and becomes an immortal, is called the “Purple River Vehicle.”

The Medical Three Vehicles

The ox cart, deer cart, and sheep cart. The deer cart refers to a method of moving Qi upward from the tail, passing through areas such as the Niwan and the coccyx. The sheep cart refers to the movement of urine through the small intestine and bladder, and of stool through the large intestine. The source lists the “ox cart” among them but gives no further explanation.

The Middle Corpse, Peng Zhi, is called White Maiden. It harms a person’s five viscera and lives in the abdomen, making the person greedy for food and quick to anger.

The “Human Eye” lives in a person’s head, increasing their desires and making them fond of carriages and horses.

The Middle Corpse, Peng Zhi, is called White Maiden. It harms a person’s five viscera and lives in the abdomen, making the person greedy for food and quick to anger.

The Lower Corpse, Peng Jiao, is called Blood Maiden. It harms a person’s stomach and the root of life, and lives in the feet, making the person lustful and fond of killing.

The Three Paths and Three Evils

The Three Paths refers to three routes leading to evil realms. “Three Evils in a Single Day” refers to three kinds of evil thought that arise in the course of one day:

First is the gate of sexual desire: the Upper Corpse leads a person toward the Heavenly Path realm. Second is the gate of attachment and desire: the Middle Corpse leads a person toward the Human Path realm. Third is the gate of greed: the Lower Corpse leads a person toward the Earthly Path realm.

The Three Lifespans

One account gives the longest lifespan as one hundred years, the middle lifespan as eighty years, and the shortest as sixty years.

Another account gives the longest lifespan as one hundred and twenty years, the middle lifespan as one hundred years, and the shortest as eighty years.

The Three Sacred Fungi

Stone Fungus, Sacred Fungus, and Flesh Fungus. These are wondrous kinds of fungus described in Daoist texts.

The Fourfold Categories

The Four Qi

Heaven, Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. Qi is the vital energy spoken of in Daoism and also the fundamental force that constitutes all things in Heaven and Earth.

The Four Realms

The realms of Heaven, Earth, Water, and Yang.

The Four Great Ones Within the Domain

The Dao is great, Heaven is great, Earth is great, and the sovereign is great. This means that the Dao, Heaven, Earth, and the sovereign are all vast and great.

The Four Images

Greater Yang, Lesser Yang, Greater Yin, and Lesser Yin: the four states through which Yin and Yang wax and wane.

The Four Gratitudes

Heaven and Earth, the sovereign, the teacher and master, and one’s parents: the four sources of kindness for which one should be grateful.

The Four Poles

Donghua, Nanji, Xiling, and Beizhen: names of directional deities or titles for the directions in Daoism.

The Four Supports

Taizhen, Taiping, Taiqing, and Zhengyi: Daoist titles or names of lineages.

The Four Seasons

Spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The Four First Months

The first month of spring, the first month of summer, the first month of autumn, and the first month of winter.

The Four Middle Months

The second month of spring, the second month of summer, the second month of autumn, and the second month of winter.

The Four Last Months

The third month of spring, the third month of summer, the third month of autumn, and the third month of winter.

The Four Seasonal Energies

Spring is called Azure Yang, summer Vermilion Brightness, autumn White Storehouse, and winter Dark Mystery. These are other names for the four seasons.

The Four Heavens

Spring is called the Azure Heaven, summer the Vast Heaven, autumn the Compassionate Heaven, and winter the High Heaven.

The Four Offices

Spring is the season when all things begin to sprout, summer the season when all things grow, autumn the season when all things are harvested, and winter the season when all things are stored away.

Fire for the Four Seasons

In spring, fire is made from elm and willow; in summer, from jujube and apricot; in the final month of summer, from mulberry and zhe trees; in autumn, from oak; and in winter, from locust and sandalwood. These descriptions refer to the tradition of choosing different kinds of wood for making fire according to the season.

The Four Directions

East, west, south, and north.

The Four Intermediate Directions

Southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. The Four Intermediate Directions are the diagonal directions between the four cardinal points.

The Four Remote Regions

Dongkouxia, Queen Mother of the West, the northern and southern regions, and Beihangzhu. These names mark remote lands in the four directions.

The Four Extremities

With Qizhou as the center, the regions at the four extremities are described as follows: to the south lie Dairi and the fire of Tan; farther south, as far as the Dan River, is Chengzhi. To the north, as far as the Pole of the Dipper, lies Kongtong, whose inhabitants are called Wuban. To the east, as far as the place where the sun rises, is Taipingzhelai. To the west, as far as the place where the sun sets, is Tamengmangtaixiang.

The Four Directions

East, west, south, and north.

The Four Intermediate Directions

Southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.

The Four Remote Regions

Dongkouxia, Queen Mother of the West, the northern and southern regions, and Beihangzhu.

The Four Extremities

With Qizhou as the center, Dairi lies to the south. To the north, marked by the Northern Dipper, lies Kongtong, whose inhabitants are called Wuban. To the east, as far as the place where the sun rises, is Taipingzhelai. To the west, as far as the place where the sun sets, is Tamengmangtaixiang.

The Four Limits

To the east, as far as Taiyuan; to the south, as far as Puyan; to the west, as far as the state of Bin; and to the north, as far as Zhuli. The “Four Limits” are the farthest boundaries in the four directions.

The Four Barbarians

The Eastern Yi, Western Rong, Southern Man, and Northern Di were ancient names for peoples in the four directions.

The Four Virtues of Heaven

Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen refer to the four virtues of the Way of Heaven.

The Four Offices of the Celestial Bureaucracy

Siming, Silu, Sifei, and Siwei respectively oversee registers of destiny, records, the discernment of right and wrong, and calamities and danger. The Celestial Bureaucracy is the name for the offices of the heavenly realm.

The Four Offices of the Underworld

Siming, Silu, Sigong, and Sisha respectively oversee registers of destiny, records, merit and fault, and life and death. The Underworld is the name for the government offices of the realm of the dead.

The Four Mountains in the Sea

Mount Penglai lies in the Eastern Sea. Mount Fusang is also in the Eastern Sea. Mount Fangzhang lies in the great sea, as does Mount Canglang.

The Four Dragon Kings of the Seas

The Dragon King of the Eastern Sea is an immortal official of the Eastern Sea’s water palace and resides in the Eastern Sea off Laizhou. The Dragon King of the Southern Sea is an immortal official of the Southern Sea’s water palace and resides in the Southern Sea off Guangnan.

The immortal official of the Western Sea Water Palace resides in the Western Sea, within the prefecture of the river.

The immortal official of the Northern Sea Water Palace resides in the Northern Sea, in Mengzhou.

The Four Source Kings of the Rivers (water deities who govern the four great rivers): the River God Guangyuan King resides in Jianning County; the Yellow River God Lingyuan King resides in Longmen County; the Huai River God Changyuan King resides at Mount Tongbai; and the Ji River God Qingyuan King resides in Jiyuan County.

The Four Divine Beasts: the Azure Dragon Emperor Lord Mengzhang, the White Tiger Emperor Lord Jianbing, the Vermilion Bird Emperor Lord Lingguang, and the Black Tortoise Emperor Lord Zhiming.

The Queen Mother’s Four Attendant Maidens: Dong Shuangcheng, Xu Feiqiong, Wan Linghua, and Duan Anxiang.

The Four Essentials of Nurturing Life: keep worries few to nourish the spirit; keep desires few to nourish essence; avoid overexertion to preserve strength; and speak little to nourish original Qi.

The Four Virtues: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom.

The Four Moral Beginnings: the heart of compassion, the heart of deference, the heart of shame and aversion, and the heart that distinguishes right from wrong.

The Four Plans: plan the day in the morning, the year in spring, one’s life through diligence, and the household through one’s own conduct.

The Four Good Practices for Conducting Oneself: read good books, keep company with good people, speak good words, and do good deeds.

The Five Numbers

The Five Primordials: Great Void, Great Nonbeing, Great Simplicity, Great Substance, and Supreme Ultimate.

The Five Emperors: Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Shun.

The Five Planets: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury.

The Five Spirits: Goumang, Zhurong, Houtu, Rushou, and Xuanming.

The Five Ranks of Conduct: sages, worthies, gentlemen, scholars, and ordinary people.

The Five Ranks of Scholars: xiucai, xuanshi, junshi, zaoshi, and jinshi.

The Five Qi: warmth, freezing, cold, dryness, and dampness.

The Five Colors: blue-green, red, yellow, white, and black.

The Five Cycles

Years, months, days, calendrical calculations, and the constellations—the order in which the stars move—as well as the titles zaoshi and jinshi, names for categories of people selected for office in ancient times.

The Five Qi: warmth, freezing, cold, dryness, and dampness.

The Five Colors: blue-green, red, yellow, white, and black.

The Five Calendrical Measures: years, months, days, calendrical calculations, and the stars.

The Five Directions: east, west, south, north, and center.

The Five Constant Virtues: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.

The Five Tones: gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu—the five notes of traditional Chinese music.

The Five Grains: millet, hemp, beans, wheat, and soybeans.

The Five Kinds of Terrain: hills, mounds, plains, marshy lowlands, and elevated earthen mounds.

The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water): Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

The Five Blessings: long life, wealth, health and peace, love of virtue, and a peaceful death at the end of one’s life.

The Five Sensory Organs: ears, eyes, mouth, nose, and heart.

The Five Orifices: eyes, tongue, mouth, nose, and ears.

The Five Bodily Fluids: the liver corresponds to tears, the heart to sweat, the spleen to saliva, the lungs to nasal mucus, and the kidneys to spittle.

The Qi of the Five Viscera: liver Qi is associated with freezing; heart blood comes next; spleen Qi is associated with warmth; lung Qi with heat; and kidney Qi with cold.

The Functions Governed by the Five Viscera: the heart governs smells and tastes, the liver colors, the spleen flavors, the lungs sounds, and the kidneys bodily fluids.

What the Five Viscera Store: the heart stores Shen (spirit), the liver stores the Hun (ethereal soul), the spleen stores intention, the lungs store the Po (corporeal soul), and the kidneys store will. This is a traditional medical and Daoist health-cultivation view of the relationship between the viscera and mental activity.

The Connections of the Five Viscera: the heart connects with the tongue, the liver with the eyes, the spleen with the mouth, the lungs with the nose, and the kidneys with the ears.

The Responses of the Five Viscera: when the heart is ill, a person tends to speak incoherently; when the liver is ill, to cry out; when the spleen is ill, to sing; when the lungs are ill, to weep; and when the kidneys are ill, to groan.

The Five Qi as the Original Qi of Heaven and Earth: the east receives nine shares of blue-green; the south, three of cinnabar red; the west, seven of white; the north, five of dark black; and the center governs one share of yellow. Here, “Qi” means vital energy. This passage aligns directions, colors, and numbers to describe how the primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth is distributed.

The Five Kalpas and the Five Phases

The Longhan Kalpa corresponds to Wood, the Chiming Kalpa to Fire, the Yihuang Kalpa to Earth, the Yankang Kalpa to Metal, and the Kaihuang Kalpa to Water. The Five Kalpas are names Daoism uses to divide the vast ages of the cosmos; here, each is matched with one of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water).

The Five Palaces

In the east is the Sun-Calyx Pearl Palace; in the west, the Green Jade Palace; in the north, the Azure Radiance Palace; in the south, the Spirit-Congealing Palace; and at the center, the Longevity Palace.

The Five Sacred Peaks

Mount Tai is the Eastern Peak, Mount Hua the Western Peak, Mount Heng the Southern Peak, Mount Heng the Northern Peak, and Mount Song the Central Peak.

The Five Emperors of the Five Directions

The Azure Emperor of the east is named Lingwei Yang; the Red Emperor of the south, Chibiao Nu; the White Emperor of the west, Bai Zhaoju; the Black Emperor of the north, Xie Guangji; and the Yellow Emperor at the center, Han Shuniu.

The Great Deities of the Five Lakes

These are the Water Deity of Qingcao Lake, the Water Deity of Tai Lake, the Water Deity of Danyang Lake, and the Water Deity of Xie Lake.

The Five Patriarchs

Donghua Dijun, Zhongli Quan, Lü Chunyang, Liu Haichan, and Wang Chongyang are the five patriarchs named here.

The Five Kinds of Immortals

First are the Celestial Immortals, second the Earth Immortals, third the Spirit Immortals, fourth the Human Immortals, and fifth the Ghost Immortals. This is Daoism’s classification of immortals.

The Five Ranks of Daoist

The Celestial-Perfect Daoists include figures such as Gaoxuan Huangren; the Spirit-Immortal Daoists include figures such as Du Zhong and Yi Gui; the Mountain-Dwelling Daoists include figures such as Xu You and Chao Fu; the Monastic Daoists include figures such as Song Lun and Peng Chen; and the Householder Daoists include figures such as Huang Qiong and Qian Keng.

The Five Powers

These are loyalty to the ruler and filial respect for one’s parents; rectifying oneself and dealing properly with others and affairs; compassionately aiding all living beings; considering others before oneself in all things; and eating a plain diet while abstaining from meat and pungent foods.

The Five Afflictions, also called the Five Corpse Spirits

First, sexual desire burdens the heart and spirit, afflicting the Gate of the Heart. Second, emotional attachment burdens the spirit, afflicting the Gate of the Spirit. Third, greed burdens the body, afflicting the Gate of the Body. Fourth, the pursuit of worldly splendor burdens Jing and Qi, afflicting the Gate of Jing. Fifth, the burdens of the body afflict the Gate of the Hun.

The Five La Days

The first day of the first lunar month is the Celestial La; the fifth day of the fifth month, the Terrestrial La; the seventh day of the seventh month, the Daoist Virtue La; the first day of the tenth month, the People’s Year La; and the La day in the twelfth month, the Lords’ La. In Daoism, “La day” refers to festivals at the end of the year and on certain other appointed days.

The Five Mushrooms

Longbozhi is shaped like two intertwined dragons coiling around each other; Shenchengzhi is red and shimmers; Yanjuzhi is purple; Yeguangzhi looks like moonlight at night; and Yuzhi is as clear and lustrous as jade.

The Five Zhi

Longbozhi is shaped like two intertwined dragons coiling around each other; Shenchengzhi is red and shimmers; Yanjuzhi is purple; Yeguangzhi looks like moonlight at night; and Yuzhi is as clear and lustrous as jade.

The Sixfold Categories

The Six Directions: Heaven, Earth, east, west, south, and north.

The Six Relations: father, mother, brothers, wife, and children.

The Six Qi: Yin, Yang, wind, rain, gloom, and brightness.

The Six Treasuries: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, and grain.

The Six Offices of the Southern Dipper: Tianshu, Tianji, Silu, Siming, Tianliang, and Tiantong. These are the six stellar deities in the system of star officials associated with the Southern Dipper.

The Six Qi: In spring, one takes in the qi of the morning glow; in autumn, the qi of dimming Yin; in winter, one drinks the qi of Hangxie; and in summer, one takes in the qi of true Yang. Together with the mysterious qi and yellow qi between Heaven and Earth, these make up the Six Qi. This refers to the Daoist cultivation practice of drawing in qi from nature.

The Six Spirits: The spirit of the heart is called Danyuan, that of the liver Longyan, that of the spleen Changzai, that of the lungs Pohua, that of the kidneys Xuanming, and that of the gallbladder Longyao. These names belong to the Daoist teachings on the spirits residing in the internal organs.

“Xì” corresponds to the lungs; “hē” to the heart; “hū” to the liver; “chuī” to the kidneys; and “xī” to the Triple Burner. These are health practices that coordinate different breath sounds with the internal organs. The original text also lists “zhǔyòu,” whose meaning is unclear; from the context, it seems to be a vocal formula corresponding to a particular organ.

The Six Bowels: gallbladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and Triple Burner.

The Six Qi: Greater Yang Cold Water, Greater Yin Damp Earth, Lesser Yang Ministerial Fire, Lesser Yin Sovereign Fire, Yangming Dry Metal, and Jueyin Wind Wood. In Chinese medicine and Daoist texts, these are six categories of qi transformation used to explain climate and changes in Yin-Yang.

The Six Paths: the path of Heaven, the human path, the path of demons, the path of hell, the path of hungry ghosts, and the path of animals. These are the six realms through which beings transmigrate.

The Names of the Six Heavenly Palaces of Fengdu:

Palace of the Heaven of Absolute Yin;

Palace of the Heaven of Great Sha and the Ancestral Heaven of Measured Affairs;

Palace of the Heaven of Bright Stars and the Walled City That Endures Offenses;

Palace of the Heaven of the Revered Radiance of Sinful Qi.

The celestial palace of Songling, the palace of the Feitian, and the palace of the Gan Si Lianwan.

The Six Offices are six types of ritual personnel in Daoist purification ceremonies: the Gaogong, the ritual master who presides over the ceremony; the Dujiang, who expounds the scriptures and assists with the rites; the Jianzhai, who oversees ritual affairs; the Shijing, who attends to the scriptures; the Shixiang, who tends the incense; and the Shideng, who tends the lamps and candles.

The Six Watches are the six two-hour periods Yin, Mao, Si, Wu, Shen, and You.

The Seven Stars are the seven stars of the Northern Dipper: Tanlang, Jumen, Lucun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, Wuqu, and Pojun.

The Seven Perfected are the seven patriarchs of the Quanzhen tradition: Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong, and Sun Buer. The name “Du Datong” in the text is likely a variant or mistaken writing of “Hao Datong.”

The seven strengths of a Daoist priest are mastery of scriptures and methods, teaching and discussion, “Changbai,” writing to meet official requirements, devotional practice, chanting praise, and knowledge of Daoist ritual regulations. The term “Changbai” is retained as it appears in the original.

The Seven Po are Shigou, Fushi, Queyin, Tunzei, Feidu, Chuhui, and Choufei. In Daoist tradition, these are seven soul aspects associated with the human body and its vital functions. The list in the original—“Shiju, Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan…”—repeats names found later and appears to be textually confused; the names given above are those commonly cited for the Seven Po.

The Eight Winds are winds from the eight directions: the Buzhou wind from the northwest, the Guangmo wind from the north, the Mingshu wind from the east, the Qingming wind from the southeast, the Jing wind from the south, also called the Kai wind, the Liang wind from the southwest, the Changhe wind from the west, and the wind from the northeast. The original gives the last as “Zuogu wind” and notes that the northeast wind is also called the Tiao wind.

The Tang Eight Immortals are the Celestial Sovereign Perfected, Guang Chengzi, Master Hongya, Qian Keng, Chisongzi, Yufengzi, Ma Shihuang, and Chijiang Ziyu. The book says they all lived during the time of the Yellow Emperor and later traveled together on Mount Zhongnan during the time of Tang Yao, which is why they were called the “Tang Eight Immortals.” In later times, figures such as Lü Dongbin, who lived under the Tang dynasty’s Li family, also came to be known as the Eight Immortals.

The Eight Lords of Huainan were Su Fei, Li Shang, Zuo Wu, Tian You, and Jin Chang, among others. The original says that the names of the remaining two have not been handed down. Some people mistakenly give their names as “Er Bei.”

Liu An, the King of Huainan in the Han dynasty, was a grandson of Emperor Gaozu of Han and a son of Liu Chang, King of Huainan. He was interested in Confucian learning, esoteric arts, and the transformations of immortals. He wrote the twenty-volume Huainanzi Neishu and also composed the Hongbao Wannian Shu.

Liu An, the King of Huainan during the Han dynasty, was a grandson of Emperor Gaozu of Han and the son of Liu Chang, the King of Huainan. He loved Confucian learning, esoteric arts, and techniques for becoming an immortal and ascending to heaven. He wrote the twenty-volume Inner Books of the Huainanzi, the three-volume Book of Hongbao for Ten Thousand Years, and the five-volume Scripture of the Fire Lotus. These works discussed the principles of the Dao of Heaven and creation, and pursued the way of longevity and enduring vision.

It is said that Liu An refined three hundred yi of gold each year and offered it to the court, so that half the people’s land taxes could be paid on their behalf. The emperor ordered Liu Xiang to obtain the secret alchemical formula and summoned Liu An five times, but Liu An never answered the summons. The emperor grew angry and resolved to use force. Having no choice, Liu An handed the alchemical book to Liu Xiang. Liu Xiang tied it behind his elbow and, at night, knocked at the palace gate to present it, believing that following its instructions would enable him to produce the Golden Elixir. Years passed, but the elixir was still not ready, and the expense was enormous. The truth was that Liu Xiang had not received the oral instructions; all he had were written words on paper. The emperor was therefore enraged and wanted to hold Liu An to account.

Liu An’s ministers Lei Bei and Wu Bei were both close to him. Lei Bei once playfully sparred with the crown prince and accidentally injured his left leg. After Liu An became angry, Lei Bei asked to join a campaign against the Xiongnu to atone for his fault. Liu An refused. Fearing that he would be killed, Lei Bei submitted a memorial accusing Liu An of plotting rebellion. Out of regard for their family ties, the emperor could not bring himself to punish Liu An immediately, and instead confiscated the revenues from two counties of his fief. Wu Bei also incurred Liu An’s anger over a private matter and feared punishment. Later, he too used Lei Bei’s earlier memorial as the basis for accusing Liu An of plotting rebellion. The Commandant of Justice, the official responsible for criminal cases, detained Liu An’s subordinates and tortured them until they confessed. In the end, statements accusing Liu An of rebellion were drawn up.

Sima Qian included an account of Liu An’s suicide in the Basic Annals of Huainan and Hengshan in the Records of the Grand Historian. This book, however, holds that the historical record was written this way to conceal the story of Liu An’s ascension to immortality. The emperor feared that rulers in later generations would all admire the arts of immortality and neglect their imperial duties, so he hid the account of Liu An’s ascent as a warning.

The book also says that the Eight Lords, the immortals said to have assisted Liu An in cultivating the Dao, told him that the persecution by Lei Bei and Wu Bei was Heaven’s will, intended to make him leave the human world. Having attained the Dao, Liu An should not remain among humanity for long. Under the laws of Heaven, ministers who falsely accused their ruler ought to be punished. Liu An therefore used a wooden figure as his substitute and hung a wooden pestle and his robes and headwear from a beam to create the appearance of hanging himself. He then climbed a mountain with the Eight Lords to make offerings, buried the gold underground, and afterward the whole family ascended to heaven in broad daylight.

When the Director of the Imperial Clan arrived, he saw Liu An’s body hanging in the courtyard. Someone, however, told him that Liu An had not truly died: he had gone with his family into the mountains of Huainan, and they had all ascended to heaven. The Director pursued them there, but heard only the cries of parrots from the sky and dogs barking among the clouds. He then returned to court and reported what had happened. The emperor felt sorrowful, and later had Lei Bei and Wu Bei executed. The book cites this as proof that the Eight Lords’ prophecy had indeed come true.

The author concludes that Lei Bei and Wu Bei were Liu An’s ministers and the criminals who falsely accused him. Later generations, unaware of the names of the Eight Lords, mistakenly took Lei Bei and Wu Bei to be two of them. The author wrote this account to set the record straight.

“Eight Vast Reaches” refers to eight regions beyond the Nine Provinces, around the outer limits of Heaven and Earth: the Sea of Sand in the east, the Sunken Marsh in the southeast, the Great Marsh in the south, the Cinnabar Marsh in the southwest, the Spring Marsh in the west, the Sea Marsh in the northwest, the Frontier Marsh in the north, and the Impassable Marsh in the northeast.

“Eight Directions of the World” refers to the framework of the world: the eight directions that mark its boundaries. Each direction has a name: the northeast is called Desolate Earth, the east Mulberry Fields, the southeast Many Peaceful Places, the south Reversed Doors, the southwest Fire Earth, the west Fertile Fields, the northwest Place of Sand, and the north Plumed Isle. The original passage on the “Eight Directions of the World” is repetitive, and the names in its first list do not fully match those in the second.

“Eight Extremities” refers to the farthest reaches of the land, the boundaries in the eight directions. In the northeast stands Mount Square Earth, called the Azure Gate; in the east, Mount Eastern Extremity, called the Gate of Opening Light; in the southeast, Mount Mother of Waves, called the Sun Gate; in the south, Mount Southern Extremity, called the Heat Gate; in the southwest, Mount Bianju, called the White Gate; in the west, Mount Western Extremity, called the Gate of Wenhe; in the northwest, Mount Buzhou, called the Gate of the Dark Capital; and in the north, Mount Northern Extremity, called the Cold Gate. These mountain and gate names mark the farthest reaches in each direction.

“Eight Directions” means east, west, south, and north, as well as southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.

Here, “Nine Numbers” introduces the names of the “Nine Heavens”: Haotian, Yangtian, Chitian, Zhutian, Chengtian, Youtian, Xuantian, Biantian, and Juntian.

The original passage then lists “Yudan” and names for the east, west, south, and north, as well as the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. It goes on to repeat “Nine Numbers,” “Nine Heavens,” and the names of the nine heavens.

Yudantian, Doushuai Tian, Bujiao Tian, Chanshan Tian, Fanfutian, Yingsheng Tian, Xuyan Tian, Gaoxu Tian, and Wuxiang Tian are the names of nine heavenly realms.

“Nine Heavens” refers to nine layers of heaven: Shenxiao, Qingxiao, Bixiao, Danxiao, Jingxiao, Yuxiao, Langxiao, Zixiao, and Taixiao.

The “Nine Palaces and Nine Stars” are Tianpeng, Tiannei, Tianchong, Tianfu, Tianqin, Tianxin, Tianwang, Tianren, and Tianying. These are the names of the Nine Stars in Daoist arts of divination.

The Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper are Tanlang, Jumen, Lucun, Wenqu, Lianzhen, Wuqu, Pojun, Zuofu, and Youbi. The first seven correspond to the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, while Zuofu and Youbi are collectively known as the two Assistant Stars.

The “Nine Spirits” are Tiansheng, Wuying, Xuanzhu, Zhengzhong, Zidan, Huihui, Danyuan, Taiyuan, and Lingtong—the names of nine numinous spirits.

The section on “Nine Qi” describes how the various forms of Qi arise in successive layers and appear in different colors. One account says that Original Qi gives rise to Cang-colored Hunhun Qi; Hunhun Qi gives rise to red Dongdong Qi; and Dongdong Qi gives rise to blue Haohào Qi. Primordial Qi gives rise to green Minmin Qi; Minmin Qi gives rise to yellow Jingjing Qi; and Jingjing Qi gives rise to white Duntun Qi. Mysterious Qi gives rise to Taiyuan and Lingtong. Another passage lists the sequence of the Nine Qi: Original Qi gives rise to Hunhun Qi (Cang); Hunhun Qi gives rise to Dongdong Qi (red); Dongdong Qi gives rise to Haohào Qi (blue); Primordial Qi gives rise to Minmin Qi (green); Min Qi gives rise to Jingjing Qi (yellow); Jing Qi gives rise to Duntun Qi (white); Mysterious Qi gives rise to Rongrong Qi (purple); Rongrong Qi gives rise to Yanyan Qi (jade green); and Yanyan Qi gives rise to Yanyan Qi.

“Moon’s passage along the Nine Paths” means that the moon travels along nine paths: two each for the Azure, Red, White, and Black Paths, making eight in total; the Yellow Path brings the number to nine.

The “Nine Purification Rituals” are nine forms of Daoist purification and supplication rites: Taizhen, Jinlu, Huanglu, Mingzhen, Ziran, Sanyuan, Tutan, Dongshen, and Shenzhou.

The “Ninefold Reversion Elixir” arranges nine stages of refinement by month: the first stage falls in the eleventh month, the second in the twelfth, the third in the first month, the fourth in the third, the fifth in the fourth, the sixth in the fifth, the seventh in the sixth, the eighth in the seventh, and the ninth in the eighth month. “Stage” refers to one cycle of refinement in the elixir-making process.

Another account says that the first stage is the Descending Elixir, the second the Conjoining Elixir, and the third the Yang-Nourishing Elixir.

Internal alchemical practice has different stages: at the fourth turning, one refines the Yin-Nourishing Elixir; at the fifth, the Bone-Transforming Elixir; at the sixth, the Flesh-Transforming Elixir; at the seventh, an Elixir that transforms the five organs and six viscera; at the eighth, the Fire-Nurturing Elixir; and at the ninth, the Ascension Elixir. “Turning” refers to a level or process of cultivation. “Elixir” is a term in Daoist internal alchemy, not an ordinary medicine.

The Nine Cauldrons of the Divine Empyrean refers to nine symbolically significant cauldrons: the Cauldron of the Great Ultimate, Flying Clouds, and Cave of Tribulation; the Cauldron of the Gray-Bearded One for Sacrificing to Heaven and Storing Pure Wine; the Cauldron of the Five Spirits of the Mountains; the Cauldron of the Luminous Essence and Cavernous Abyss; the Cauldron of the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth; the Cauldron of Chaos; the Cauldron of the Floating Light and Grotto-Heaven; the Cauldron of the Spirit Light Shining Brilliantly for Refining the Spirit; and the Cauldron of the Azure Tortoise, Great Serpent, Insects, Fish, and Golden Wheel. Listing these cauldrons’ names expresses the symbolic system found in Daoist cultivation and cosmology.

There are nine difficulties in learning to become an immortal: first, hardship in securing food and clothing; second, obstruction by one’s elders; third, entanglement in family affection and romantic love; fourth, constraint by fame and profit; fifth, the occurrence of calamities and accidents; sixth, breaking the agreements and rules of one’s teacher’s lineage; seventh, conflicting views and opinions about cultivation; eighth, a slackening of resolve; and ninth, the passage of the sun and moon, with time lost to delay.

There are nine troubles in learning the Dao: having resolve but no time; having time but no companion; having a companion but no resolve; having resolve but not finding a teacher; finding a teacher but failing to understand; understanding but not being diligent; being diligent but not following the Daoist methods; following the methods but lacking steadfastness; and being steadfast but unable to persevere.

The “Nine Palaces Derived from the Luoshu” sets out the correspondences between the nine palaces, directions, and colors: One, White, belongs to Kan and is due north; Two, Black, belongs to Kun and is southwest; Three, Blue-Green, belongs to Zhen and is due east; Four, Green, belongs to Xun and is southeast; Five, Yellow, occupies the center; Six, White, belongs to Qian and is northwest; Seven, Red, belongs to Dui and is due west; Eight, White, belongs to Gen and is northeast; and Nine, Purple, belongs to Li and is due south. The Nine Palaces are a traditional divination pattern used to represent directions and numerical sequence, while the Luoshu is a related classical diagram.

The “Great Nine Provinces” lists the names of the provinces: the southeast is called Shenzhou, the due south Cizhou, and the southwest Rongzhou.

The due south is called Cizhou, the southwest Rongzhou, the due west Shizhou, the center Jizhou, the northwest Kuozhou, the due north Xuanzhou, the northeast Bozhou, and the due east Yangzhou.

The Water Emperors of the Nine Rivers are the Water Emperor of the Zhejiang River, the Yangtze River, the Songjiang River, the Wujiang River, the Chu River, the Xiang River, the Xing River, the Han River, and the Nan River. These are the water deities who govern the nine rivers.

The Ten Taiyi Deities are listed as the Taiyi of the Five Blessings, the Taiyi of the Ruler’s Foundation, the Taiyi of the Minister’s Foundation, the Taiyi of the People’s Foundation, the Taiyi of the Nine Qi, the Great Taiyi of Wandering, the Lesser Taiyi of Wandering, the Four Spirit Emperors, the Water Emperor of the Xing River, the Water Emperor of the Han River, and the Water Emperor of the Nan River.

Another source also lists Ten Taiyi Deities: the Taiyi of the Five Blessings, the Taiyi of the Ruler’s Foundation, the Taiyi of the Minister’s Foundation, the Taiyi of the People’s Foundation, the Taiyi of the Nine Qi, the Great Taiyi of Wandering, the Lesser Taiyi of Wandering, the Taiyi of the Four Spirits, the Taiyi of Heaven One, and the Taiyi of Earth One. Taiyi is the name of a deity in Daoism and ancient divination arts; here, different titles for this deity are listed.

The Ten Heavenly Stems are Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui.

The Ten Stem Year Names are the year names corresponding to the Ten Heavenly Stems: Jia is Guān Péng, Yi is Máo Méng, Bing is Róu Zhào, Ding is Qiáng Yǔ, Wu is Zhuó Yōng, Ji is Tú Wéi, Geng is Shàng Zhāng, Xin is Chóng Guāng, Ren is Xuán Yì, and Gui is Zhāo Yáng.

The Ten Stem Month Names are the month names corresponding to the Ten Heavenly Stems: Jia is Bái Bì, Yi is Jú, Bing is Xiū, Ding is Yǔ, Wu is Lì, Ji is Zé, Geng is Zhì, Xin is Sāi, Ren is Zhōng, and Gui is Jí.

The Ten Directions comprise the four cardinal directions, the four intermediate directions, and above and below. The four cardinal directions are east, south, west, and north; the four intermediate directions are northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest. Together with heaven and earth, these make up the Ten Directions.

The Ten Great Grotto-Heavens are ten renowned sacred grotto-heavens and blessed lands in Daoism. This passage lists the Minor Pure Void Grotto-Heaven at Mount Wangwu, the Great Empty Brightness Grotto-Heaven at Mount Weiyu, and the Great Mystery Ultimate Truth Grotto-Heaven at Mount Xicheng.

Mount Xixuan is known as the “Cave-Heaven of the Three Mysterious Extremes of Perfection,” a cave-heaven where perfected immortals dwell in Daoist legend. Mount Qingcheng is known as the “Cave-Heaven of the Nine Terraces of the Treasure Immortal”; Mount Tiantai, as the “Cave-Heaven of the Jade Plain of Highest Clarity”; Mount Luofu, as the “Cave-Heaven of Vermilion Brightness and Radiant Perfection”; Mount Juqu, as the “Cave-Heaven of Golden Flower and Purple Yang”; Mount Linwu, as the “Cave-Heaven of the Left Spirit’s Hidden Presence”; and Mount Kuocang, as the “Cave-Heaven of Hidden Mystery and Divine De.”

There are ten isles in the sea: Yingzhou lies in the Eastern Sea, Xuanzhou in the Northern Sea, Changzhou in the Southern Sea, Liuzhou in the Western Sea, Yuanzhou in the Northern Sea, Shengzhou in the Eastern Sea, Zuzhou in the Eastern Sea, Yanzhou in the Southern Sea, Fenglinzhou in the Western Sea, and Jukuozhou in the Western Sea.

The so-called “Ten Immortals,” in order, are: Earth-Walking Immortal, Flying Immortal, Wandering Immortal, Sky-Roaming Immortal, Heaven-Walking Immortal, Pervading Immortal, Dao-Practicing Immortal, Illumining Immortal, Essence-Practicing Immortal, and Qi-Practicing Immortal. These names distinguish immortals by such modes of movement as walking, flying, wandering, and roaming through the sky, or by the characteristics of their cultivation.

The “Ten Demons” are ten kinds of obstacles that may arise during cultivation: the Demon of the Six Thieves, disturbances caused by the desires of the six senses; the Demon of Wealth; the Demon of Rank; the Demon of the Six Emotions, entanglements of feeling; the Demon of Adversity; the Demon of Weapons; the Demon of Love and Attachment; the Demon of Immortal Music; the Demon of Pride and Extravagance; and the Demon of Poverty and Low Status.

The “Eleven Luminaries” are eleven celestial bodies or astral lights: the Sun, the Great Yin (Moon), Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and, in addition, Purple Qi, Lunar Obscuration, Rahu, and Ketu. The last four are names of astral bodies in traditional astrology.

The “Twelve Year Names” lists the ancient names corresponding to the twelve Earthly Branches: Zi is Kundun, Chou is Chifenruo, Yin is Shetige, Mao is Dan’e, Chen is Zhixu, Si is Dahuangluo, Wu is Dunchang, Wei is Xieqia, Shen is Tuntan, You is Zuoe, Xu is Yanmao, and Hai is Dayuanxian.

Next comes a list of the “Twelve Month Names.”

The first month is called “Zou,” the second “Ru,” the third “Bing,” the fourth “Yu,” the fifth “Gao,” the sixth “Qie,” the seventh “Xiang,” and the eighth “Zhuang.” The names of the twelve months are…