《太平御览(道部)》Vol. 3

Part Nine of the Dao Section, Complete

Part Ten of the Dao Section

Nourishing Life (Yangsheng)

When turbid and foul qi (Qi) accumulates excessively, defilement and obstruction become entangled with each other. Good conduct becomes difficult to establish, evil qi invades, and powerful demonic beings come to test the practitioner. Those who seek the Great Dao should observe fasting (zhai) and cunsi (visualization and quiet contemplation), cutting themselves off from the clamor of the mundane world. Strange beings that suddenly appear and vanish all belong to the category of defiling qi. One should choose an auspicious day to fast and wear the Pofu talisman (a talisman for breaking through blockages and expelling foul qi), in order to ascend to Yuqing (Jade Clarity, the realm of Qingwei, or Clear Subtlety, in Daoist cosmology).

The Taiping Jing (Scripture on Great Peace) says that the method of nourishing life is to settle the body and regulate the breath, without letting joy, anger, and other emotions grow excessive. When a person is free from sorrow and vexation, they can attain longevity.

It further says: "One" is the beginning of number and the root of life, the point where the yuanqi (primordial qi, the source-qi from which heaven, earth, and all things arise) first emerges. It is also the governing principle that unifies heaven and earth. Therefore one should hold fast to and visualize the One. Those who wish to nourish their years and attain longevity by preserving the One must harmonize the breath, allow the qi to flow gently outward, and let the mind-spirit (shen) abide with the One. When the breath flows like a spring that never runs dry, what calamity could the body suffer? This is the true treasure, and aging will withdraw of its own accord.

It also says: In the age of the Three Sovereigns, people's qi was pure and clear, and they understood the true principles governing the movement of heaven and earth. For this reason they all studied the true Dao and came to comprehend the impartial principle of heaven and earth. The method of seeking the Dao takes stillness as its foundation. Once the mind-spirit is clear and bright, one can merge with the Dao, dispel ignorance, and attain understanding as bright as daylight. Failing to study the Dao is like being in a dark room and losing one's direction. For this reason, the sages were alarmed by such ignorance.

The Taishang Jing (Most High Scripture) says: Holding fast to the One settles and focuses the source of the mind. Guarding stillness nourishes the spirit and lets one forget the body. Once the breath is settled, one can connect with the Void Dao, and when the work of the Dao is accomplished, the true numinous spirit (zhenling) will descend.

The Scripture of the Three Primes and True Unity (Sanyuan Zhenyi Jing) says that the human body bears the hundred Shen (spirits). The ears are the windows of the Lord Emperor (Dijun, a spirit-lord within the body), and the eyes are the sun and moon of the Supreme One (Taiyi, a revered spirit within the body). The nose is the mound and hill of the Three Primes (Sanyuan, the three sites of primordial qi within the body), and the mouth is the vermilion abyss of the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, the seat of the heart-spirit). The eyebrows are the canopy of the White Primordial (Baiyuan, a spirit within the body), and the hair is the forest essence of the Bright Hall (Mingtang, the spirit chamber of the head). The tongue is the dragon chariot of the Yuanying (a spirit within the body), and the teeth are the gates through which the Stomach Palace (Weigong, the spirit chamber of the stomach) displays its power. The hands are the outer allies of the Gallbladder Shen (Danshen), and the feet are the spiritual passes of the Kidney Primordial (Shenyuan). As for the genitals, they are the pivot by which subtle Jing (essence) circulates within the Hall of Chambers (Dongfang, the inner spirit chamber).

It is also said that Juanzi (Juanzi) transmitted the method of guarding the Three True Ones to Su Lin. Later, Su Lin went to the quiet chamber where Juanzi had lived in seclusion, only to find that Juanzi was no longer there. A single letter addressed to Su Lin had been left on the resting place. The letter read:

"The Five Pecks Three-One (Wudou Sanyi, the secret methods associated with the cultivation of the Three-One) is the hidden method of the Great Emperor. Practice it single-mindedly for twelve years, and the Three-One will appear and transmit this letter to you. The Three-One itself can make a person live forever without decay, how much more so one who holds fast to it? One who can hold fast to the Three-One will have his name inscribed on the jade tablets (the register of immortals), how much more so one who can meet the Three-One face to face? By further contemplating the Inner Chamber (the divine chamber within the body), one may become a Duke of Shangqing (Highest Clarity). By further comprehending the Three Primes (the Upper, Middle, and Lower Primes), one may become a subordinate official of the Five Emperor-Lords. The reason the Golden Gate Emperor-Lord can ride the sunlight and drive the clouds swiftly, traveling through the heavens of the ten directions, is precisely that he has mastered the Way of the Inner Chamber and the True One of the Three Primes."

Those who study in the world all revere the method of Guarding the One (Shouyi). In practice, one should keep the mind plain and the spirit settled, the body and mind unified and sincere so as to respond, so that a hundred distracting thoughts will not arise and a focused sincerity will not scatter. If one continues inner observation (looking inward) for three months, fixing the thought on a single spirit so that the mind does not disperse and the breath stays unified, one will reach a state of harmony and simplicity. Results will come quickly.

Once a person leaves simplicity and genuineness, they become showy, false, and caught up in strife and confusion. For this reason, Guarding the One cannot take effect at once, and the spirits will not respond immediately. This is not because the practitioner fails to wish to contemplate and guard the One, but because the thinking is not concentrated enough and not careful enough. Therefore one must work at it year after year before any achievement is possible.

The method of the Three-One is what opens the Shangqing Zhenshu (Shangqing True Writings), the most lofty and exalted of Daoist methods, the path to the realm of immortals, and the subtle secret that the perfected have transmitted. If you can guard the One, the One will also guard you; if you can see the One, the One will also appear to you. The One must rely on the body to appear, and the body must rely on the One to live.

The precept of guarding the One lies in not being single-minded. If single-mindedness cannot be sustained, sustaining it becomes difficult to advance; if advancement cannot be secured, securing it cannot be constant. Then the Three-One will depart, and the body will become an empty house.

The Scripture of the Five Talismans says: One who understands "guarding the One" (shouyi, holding fast to and concentrating upon the fundamental Dao within body and mind) will have nothing they cannot comprehend, while one who does not understand it will find it difficult to truly understand anything. The "One" is the most honored, a unique title. To seek longevity, one should understand the "Three Ones" (sanyi, the relationship between the spirits dwelling in three places within the body and the One). When contemplating the One makes one hungry, the One nourishes you like grain; when it makes one thirsty, the One sustains you like a draught of water. The One causes Yin and Yang to arise and move, and it drives the changes of cold and heat. It is so vast that heaven, earth, and the four directions cannot enclose it, and so minute that not even a hair can reveal it. If one holds to it calmly and steadily, the One will not depart. Diligent contemplation of the One allows one to communicate with the spirits. Eating little and moderating one's diet helps the One remain. Understanding how to guard the One is not difficult; what is difficult is persevering to the end. Even knowing the true principle, if one does not practice it, one is no different from one who does not know it. Only by continual seeking can one ascend to Yuqing (Yuqing, the wondrous pure realm of immortals in Daoist belief).

The Scripture of the Five Talismans further says: regulating the breath is for the sake of preserving the body.

It also says: those who take Qi (vital energy) as their nourishment often appear youthful in countenance.

The Laozi says: The words of the Dao are subtle and profound, and you are not yet able to discern their meaning. I will summarize their essentials, and you must observe them carefully and not err. First reduce your various desires and do not let your mind indulge. Dwell in a quiet place and keep your spirit concentrated.

The Laozi further says: The words of the Dao are subtle and profound, and you are not yet able to discern their meaning. I will summarize their essentials, and you must observe them carefully and not err. First reduce your various desires and do not let your mind indulge. Dwell in quiet seclusion and cultivate in a pure, clean chamber. Even if there are ten thousand volumes of alchemical scriptures (danshu, Daoist cultivation texts), they are not as valuable as holding to the One. One should restrain stray thoughts and settle the aspirations, quietly nourish the body and tranquilize the spirit, cherish the primordial Qi and preserve the essential blood. Bring all thinking to rest, cultivate through inner viewing (neishi, observing one's own interior and visualizing images within the body), and so unite body and spirit as one. Quieting the mind and contemplating in the hope of realizing the true Dao, one can then respond to many mysteries. Concentrating to accumulate the spirit and not allowing the mind to be disturbed by external things is called "clarity" (qing). Gathering in the spirit and nourishing the breath, remaining serene and unmoved, is called "Dao."

The Laozi further says: One who is skilled at nurturing life will meet no danger when walking on land, and when entering armies, will not be harmed by weapons. A rhinoceros cannot gore them with its horn, a tiger cannot claw them, and weapons cannot pierce them.

Taishang Zhenjing (Perfected Scripture of the Most High) says: "The One has no form. It is not easy to seek and easy to lose once sought. Losing it comes from shallow understanding and from desire blocking the orifices of the heart. One should keep the mind empty, clear, and free of striving, and concentrate on guarding the One (shouyi). When the accumulation of cultivation has not yet reached its peak, one must proceed step by step. One should carefully discern the Three Origins (sanyuan), which are the vital energy or cultivation levels of the upper, middle, and lower regions, and understand the condition, appearance, and names of Shen and Qi, and how they move in and out between existence and non-existence. Settle them within the Three Palaces (the three cultivation sites in the body), and the corpse poisons (shidu), the turbid qi that hinders cultivation, will dissipate on their own. As for the sacred and perfected scriptures of the immortals, they should be transmitted according to each person's circumstances."

Basu Jing (Scripture of the Eight Essences) says: "Everyone who studies the highest Dao should concentrate on settling the Shen, dispel worry, purify the self, understand transformation, correct their thoughts, and make their intentions upright." Only after body and mind are pure can the heart become settled. When the heart is settled, the Dao can be accomplished, and once the Dao is accomplished, the perfected spirit (zhenling) will descend. Guarding the One and holding the Shen (cunyi shoushen) depends on returning body and mind to rectitude. Such rectitude begins with settling the heart. When the heart is settled, understanding becomes clear, and when understanding is clear, one can merge with the Dao.

The Perfected Taiji (Taiji Zhenren) also said: "The ancients cultivated the Dao by first making the Shen profound and still, contemplating the true Dao and guarding the primordial qi. Then they gradually guided people in at the shallow level, returning them to an understanding of the original spirit. Once one knows, one can see. Once one sees, one can follow. Once one follows, one can practice. Once one practices, one can become steadfast. Once steadfast, one can accomplish the work, and having accomplished it, one does not take credit for it."

Is the sage who knows how to live in the world like the bellows between heaven and earth? He does not contend with the myriad things, yet his virtue (De) often returns to him, because he is humble and free of greed. Greed is the root of calamity, and non-being (wu) is the origin of heaven and earth. People often fail to recognize the root and the source. The sage removes desire and returns to emptiness, and in this way cultivates himself.

Taiyi Dongzhen Jing (Scripture of the Great One of the Cavern of Truth) says: "The two ears are called the high windows of the six directions (heaven, earth, and the four quarters)."

It also says: "The navel is called the palace of receiving destiny."

It also says: "The way of nourishing life depends on the ears and eyes. When sight and hearing are scattered, the eye-Shen scatters; when one listens too much, the ear orifices become blocked."

The Inner Biography of Lord Pei (Peijun Neizhuan) says that one who seeks the Dao (the Way) must first keep the eyes clear and the ears sharp. The ears and eyes are the steps by which one searches for the true Dao and the important gateways through which one reaches spirit, so success or failure in cultivation is bound up with them. The Immortal Scripture says that nourishing life (yangsheng) takes not harming the body as its foundation, and this is an important principle.

The Scripture of Supreme Clarity says that all living things cherish their lives. Life is the great virtue (De) between heaven and earth, and no virtue is greater than long life. To preserve life over the long term, one should not regard oneself as too important, nor harm other beings for the sake of oneself. One should not only refrain from harming other beings but also aid them, even to the point of forgetting oneself. One who forgets the self and yet preserves life is one who is skilled at nourishing life. The true Dao can nourish the spirit (Shen), and when the spirit is abundant, one can ascend and transform.

The Scripture of the Three Origins of the Most High says that the way of nourishing life lies in cherishing the original Qi (yuanqi) and preserving the spirit. Do not talk too much or shout too loudly, lest the spirit become fatigued and the original Qi be injured. For this reason, those who have attained success in cultivation often use tuna (regulated breathing, the exhaling of turbid Qi and the inhaling of clear Qi) to harmonize the six fluids (the bodily fluids).

The Scripture of Mysterious Revelation says that the physical form is only the vessel on which life depends, and not the root that keeps life ceaselessly renewing itself. The root that allows life to continue is one that takes simplicity as its substance, Qi as its source, and spirit as its form; this is the place where life finds its rest. To nourish the spirit through non-action (Wuwei), to open out and enter the gate of mystery, to move through the realm of the formless and rest in the boundless, this is how one attains the profound and luminous source of life. The scripture further says that one should cut off thoughts directed at external things and concentrate the mind on the profound truth (xuanzhen, that which is deep and real in the Dao), and only then can life be preserved over the long term.

The Scripture of Wondrous Truth says that one who cultivates the Dao seeks to preserve life, not to seek fame. The breast is clear and unstained, and the mind does not lean toward any one place; the aspiration flows like running water, reaching everywhere, and the heart is still and empty like a deserted city. Only by holding fast to non-action can one become long-lived.

The Precepts of the Assembled Perfected says: A hasty temperament and a violent disposition are great harms to the body and stumbling blocks on the path of seeking the Dao (the Way). When one acts this way, the true Dao recedes; when one corrects the habit, the Dao draws near. In dealing with every matter, one should follow the reason of things and handle them gently and calmly, taking sincerity and purity as the standard. Doing so brings one close to the Dao. Shen (spirit) is the force that moves between Heaven and Earth. To nourish the spirit, cultivate the innate nature, and regulate the breath in accordance with the Way of life, so as to pass through hardship, was the practice by which the sages and Perfected (zhenren) of high antiquity attained clear understanding. Those who cultivate the Dao should practice in this way to protect themselves.

The Scripture of the Great One Lord says: If one constantly practices the method of "the Nine Dawns illuminating the bedchamber and Niwan" (visualizing the light of the nine dawns entering the bedchamber, Niwan, and other parts of the body), one can restrain the hun and po souls and subdue all manner of evil spirits. Practice this purely and quietly, so that the qi of spirits and immortals descends into the chamber. This is what is meant by drawing in the Three Lights and Nine Stars to shine upon the hundred spirits within the body.

The Shangqing Lieji says: Hold the embryonic breathing (taixi), keep the breath still and quiet, and guard the hundred spirits within the body. Swallow the radiance of the sun and moon, swallow the jinye (bodily fluids), and let eating and drinking follow their natural course. In this way the body will surely attain longevity, and one may become a land immortal (dishi xian), one who dwells among people and has attained the Dao to become an immortal.

The Secret Essentials of the Most High Perfected says: Qi (vital energy) is the vessel upon which the shen depends, and it is the root of both clear and turbid qi. When qi abides in its profound and mysterious state, Heaven is clear; when qi dwells in a person, that person can live. The births and deaths, the losses and fullnesses of life, depend largely on how one accords with and regulates the breath.

The Scripture of the Great Cavern Jade says: Ingesting the "mysterious root qi" (the fundamental, subtle essential qi) brightens and clears the interior of the body, allows the shen to penetrate in all eight directions, and makes the body seem bathed in sunlight, with a face as lustrous as jade. Swallowing the fluids of the morning glow and abstaining from grain, the essential secret of the practice lies in the jinli (the golden sweet dew of immortal lore), and its mystery lies in the shuiyu (a named essence used in Daoist cultivation as a metaphor for refined vital substance). This is the practice of inhaling and exhaling the Great Harmony qi of Heaven and Earth's natural order, and of mastering the nine kinds of refined spirit-qi.

Baopuzi says that the key to longevity lies in methods for returning to youth, while extending life and eliminating disease are secondary. If a person does not deplete themselves, then while still vigorous they should know how to nourish the brain with the Huannian Yindan (Yin Elixir of Returning to Youth), a Daoist method of restoring youthfulness, and gather the Qi Yi (Seven Benefits, referring to practices of refinement that benefit life nurturing) in the Changgu (Long Valley). Even without taking medicines, such a person can live one to two hundred years.

There are many things that harm the body. Attempting thought beyond one's ability, or forcing strength beyond one's capacity; deep sorrow and lingering resentment; excessive grief or joy; eagerly pursuing desires and dwelling on anxieties; keeping irregular hours and drinking to intoxication; vomiting, lying down right after a full meal, running and leaping until out of breath, shouting or weeping aloud, and failing to keep the Yin and Yang qi in harmonious union. These injuries accumulate day after day until the body is exhausted and the Way of nurturing life is violated.

Do not listen for too long, do not gaze for too long, and do not sit until you are weary. Add clothing before the cold arrives and remove it before the heat arrives. Do not eat only when you are reduced to the utmost hunger, and do not eat to fullness. Do not drink only when you are at the extreme of thirst, and do not drink too much. Do not overexert yourself, and do not sweat or salivate excessively. When riding in a carriage at speed or galloping on horseback, do not gaze into the distance for long. Do not eat too many raw or cold foods. In winter do not dress too warmly, and in summer do not seek coolness to the point of chilling yourself. When facing severe cold, intense heat, strong winds, or dense fog, do not rashly place yourself in them. The Five Flavors (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty) should also not be taken in excess or in imbalance.

These harms are often not easily noticed in the moment, but over time they wear down one's lifespan. Therefore, those skilled in nurturing life arrange their outings and daily routines in accordance with the Four Seasons so that their habits remain moderate. They know how to move and stretch the sinews and bones, and they also master the methods of rest and recuperation. Through the exhalation and inhalation of breath they ward off illness and evil, and through nourishment and regulation they clear and adjust the Ying qi (nutritive qi) and the Wei qi (stomach qi). Labor and rest are likewise governed by the principles of restraint and proper balance. One restrains anger in order to preserve the Yin qi, and curbs excessive joy in order to protect the Yang qi. Afterward, one first takes herbal medicines to remedy deficiencies, and then takes the Jindan (Golden Elixir, a pill refined by Daoists) in order to attain lasting stability. The principles of longevity are, in broad outline, contained in these points.

If someone wishes only to indulge their whims, believing their understanding to be far-reaching and their knowledge of Heaven's mandate to be sufficient, unwilling to be bound by alternative teachings and not seeking longevity, then how could one possibly explain the Way of nurturing life to them?

According to the Dengzhen Yinjue (Secret Instructions for Ascending to Perfection), Lord Fangzhu Qingtong said: Those who study the Dao (the Way) and practice its methods must also endure hardship, and those who do not cultivate the Dao must endure hardship too. Both kinds of suffering are bitter at the start, but they lead to different ends. Those who cultivate the Dao pass through difficulty and then attain joy, while those who do not only bear toil without end.

From birth to old age, from aging to sickness, and finally to death, a person endures a great deal of suffering. The heart continually accumulates transgressions, and one falls into the cycle of birth and death, where the pain is even harder to describe. How could such a person enjoy a full natural lifespan and grow old in peace? This is the suffering of not cultivating the Dao.

Cultivating the Dao also brings its own hardships. One must keep to purity and stillness, guard the authentic, uphold the profound principles, visualize the spirits (shen), seek out teachers in every direction, and endure hundreds of trials, all while applying oneself single-mindedly without relaxing. These are immense burdens. This suffering of cultivation may last for decades, but on the day one attains the Dao, the earlier toil is at once forgotten. It is like a person who has gone hungry for a hundred days and finally eats a full meal: how could they still feel the hunger they once endured? Only the cultivation of the Dao can bring about this change.

The Youying Zhenren (Perfected Youying) says: Inwardly, taking on the family estate binds a person to it, and outwardly, managing the affairs of the realm and busying oneself with various corvée duties also prevents one from devoting oneself to cultivating the Dao. To harbor a mind for the Dao but never put it into practice is no different from having no such mind. To hold a precious treasure but never use it is no different from having no treasure at all.

The Ziwei Yuanjun (Primordial Lady of the Purple Subtlety) states: Illness mostly arises from an excess of miscellaneous thoughts, and evil intentions appear because the shen (spirit) has become scattered. When thoughts are many, the affairs they involve are many; when affairs are many, the entanglements they bring grow in turn. When the mind drifts without restraint and its confusion never ends, the heart is tormented by myriad worries while the body is driven about by countless tasks, and both form and spirit grow weary. Under such conditions, how could numerous illnesses fail to arise?

Even behind lofty walls and layered gates, one still fears that bandits may come. How much more so when the doors stand open and there is no defense, for then one is inviting the bandits oneself. If wisdom chases after the boundless, it harms human nature (xing). Once evil thoughts arise in the heart, the true nature is also disturbed. When forms enter the eye and sounds enter the ear, and one indulges the mind because of them and dwells on endless imaginings, one in fact only increases craving and desire.

The hun (ethereal soul) is a correct spirit, valuing clarity and sincerity. The po (corporeal soul) is regarded as a demonic ghost, often marked by wild and rebellious disorder. Even when one visualizes the forms of immortals in flight, one should hold the mind with compassion and protection, and when encountering things, respond with all one's effort from that same heart. When the mind is kept in this way, the heart comes into accord with the Dao (the Way).

The Jiuhua Jing (Scripture of the Nine Florescences) states: The eyes are the mirror of the body, and the ears are its windows. When one sees too much, the mirror grows dim; when one hears too much, the windows become blocked. Only by polishing this mirror clean and opening this window can one perceive the subtle workings of all things and detect the faintest sounds.

The face is the courtyard where shen-qi (spirit-qi) manifests, and the hair is the glory of the marrow. When the heart is grieved, the complexion grows haggard; when the marrow is depleted, the hair turns white. These are all signs that the jing (essence) is being consumed within the body and the bodily fluids (jinye) are gradually drying up. Jing is the spirit-qi of the body, and ming (spiritual brightness) is its treasure. When one labors excessively, the qi scatters; when affairs press without rest, the spiritual brightness diminishes. Thus, as strength declines, a person ages day by day until at last entering old age.

The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) says: Wealth and rank are like axes and saws that injure the sinews and bones, and like carts and boats that carry the burden of transgression. They only lead people into error and disgrace, and they become weapons that cut short one's life, so they are not a good thing. Therefore, the eminent masters of antiquity who cultivated the Dao (the Way) saw the calamities that transgression brings and understood in advance that wealth and honor are not worth coveting. They chose to retire to deep forests and famous mountains, keeping far from the road of riches and rank, so that they could gain greater blessings for themselves and preserve a simple, unadulterated nature.

Lord Pei said: Regularly tending to the "Three Passes" is the way to longevity. The mouth is the Heavenly Pass, the hands are the Human Pass, and the feet are the Earthly Pass. When these are properly tended, the five viscera are settled, and when the five viscera are settled, one does not fall ill. One should also visualize the Five Spirits (wushen) within the body, namely the two hands, the two feet, and the head. In these visualizations, the head should appear blue-green, both hands should appear red, and the two feet should usually appear white. In this way, one draws close to becoming an immortal.

Formerly, Xu Jidao was studying immortality in Mount Huming, and he often walked about the market roads. Once he suddenly saw a man wearing a short leather jacket and trousers and leaning on a peach-wood staff. Xu Jidao bowed to him. The man told him, "If you wish to learn the Dao, you should wear a sky-blue headscarf, chant the Dali (Great Calendar), and step upon two whites while turning among two reds." This is coded language describing the Five Spirits, and the "Great Calendar" refers to the Writings of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Wen). This passage concerns the content of the Five Spirits of Taisu, which is recorded in a separate scripture devoted to it.

The Scripture of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi (Huanglao Jing) says: Only one who cultivates the Dao and can abandon external things may speak of life. Life is originally free of depravity; it is only entangled by external things, and over time the mind-will is easily altered. If the mind-will is not drawn away by external things and can hold fast to the Dao, then one can truly treasure life.

The Taishang Taizhen Ke (Regulations of the Most High True Perfected) says: "The One" dwells within the human body and settles in three places. One who can guard the "Three Ones," never forgetting them whether moving or still, will find that the Three Corpses depart of their own accord and the Nine Worms dissipate of their own accord, without the need for medicines or deliberate prohibitions. The essential key to pursuing longevity lies first in guarding the One, and only secondarily in following the instructions of one's teachers. In transmitting ritual offices, one should follow each person's talent and advance them step by step according to merit. Only by accumulating De (virtue) may one occupy an honored position. Afterward, one should also proclaim the wondrous Qi and enlighten and guide later learners.

The Zhen Taishang says: The reason the true person venerates the "One" and is called "true" is that the root lies in the One. What the One accords with is the primordial qi (the originating qi from which all things come into being and transform) and the Creative Process. The transformations and circulation of the One subtly correspond with Heaven and Earth.

Therefore, within the body there are three Ones. The Upper One is the Heavenly Emperor of the body, the Middle One is the Dan Sovereign (Danhuang) of the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, where the spirit resides), and the Lower One is the Lord of Origin (Yuanzhu) of the Yellow Court (Huangting, an important site of inner cultivation in the body). These three Ones are all True Spirits. Together they govern the twenty-four qi within the body and bestow life. Life thereby establishes the One within the body, responding to and uniting with Heaven and Earth.

The Upper One corresponds to the True Spirits of the twenty-four qi in Taiwei (the sacred realm among the star palaces of the heavens). True qi comes and goes in harmony, and through it all things take on their forms. The mysterious spirit-qi blends into a seamless whole, and the Purple Chamber (Zifang, the dwelling of the spirits within the body) is deep and unfathomable.

The Upper One is the ultimate of the Heavenly Emperor, the Middle One is the master of the Dan Sovereign, and the Lower One is the subtlety of the Lord of Origin. The Heavenly Sovereign attains its "ultimate," and so becomes the Supreme Pole (Huangji). The Earthly Sovereign attains its "mastery," and so becomes Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi). The Human Sovereign attains its "subtlety," and so accomplishes the myriad mysteries. The Three Sovereigns awaken to the True Way and hold fast to the One, reaching the ultimate of reality; in the end, they too attain nothing other than the One.

The Jixian lu (Record of Gathering the Immortals) says: Every action of a person, every act of seeing and breathing, every instance of eating and speaking, and every preference and judgment corresponds to its own year, month, day, and hour. Determining each person's allotted limits according to what belongs to them is the constant principle by which things operate. The body has times of decline, the spirit (shen) has a term of dispersal, and life too has its end. While the spirit remains, a person lives; when it departs, only a corpse is left. This is because craving and desire disturb the mind and spirit, so that people cannot let go of their attachment to sounds, colors, and flavors.

Those who cultivate the Dao should be content with moderation and not burdened by desire. They should keep their dispositions calm so that body and mind remain open and unobstructed. Good and evil each bring their corresponding retribution, without the slightest error. The foundation of long life lies in doing good. Human beings are born between Heaven and Earth, and each develops a distinct innate nature. Those whose qi is clear are intelligent and worthy; those whose qi is turbid are fierce and foolish; those whose qi is firm are lofty, upright, brave, and resolute; those whose qi is gentle are loving, benevolent, sincere, and steadfast. The enlightened can restrain their dispositions and thereby prolong their lives, while the benighted indulge their desires and thereby harm their nature.

Nature is the source of life, and lifespan is the foundation of existence. One should cultivate diligently, nourishing the body in order to nourish the nature, and guarding the spirit in order to preserve life. Human life all arises from the spirit: when the spirit is settled, life is sustained, and when the spirit is severed, a person dies. Therefore, accumulated qi becomes essence (jing), and accumulated essence becomes spirit.

The way of the immortals (xiandao) emphasizes inward cultivation. When the inner heart is still and quiet, the Dao will arrive, and those who seek the true practice stillness, settling into a state in which they can merge with the true Dao. The spirit must become responsive through continual accumulation and resonance before it can become spiritually luminous. If one can constantly hold to the One (a method of concentrating and guarding the spirit single-mindedly), one draws near to becoming an immortal and can dwell together with Heaven and Earth in Taiwu (the Great Void, a formless state of emptiness). If one can further penetrate the mysterious and subtle body and realize the unity of the Void, one can dwell together in the realm of stillness. Reaching thorough awakening to this stillness, one is no longer bound by what the eyes see and the ears hear, and merges with the Dao.

The Dao is the most genuine realm of spiritual subtlety and penetration, while technique (shu) is the method of mysterious transformation. The Dao has no form, yet through technique it can aid the world, and humans, who possess spiritual nature, can unite with the Dao through cultivation. The essentials of the Dao lie in deep understanding combined with simple practice, while the secret of technique lies in medicinal substances and qi methods. Those of superior capacity who take up these methods may ascend to become celestial officials; those of middling capacity may journey to Kunlun; and those of lesser capacity may still live long in the human world. Thereupon Taiyi Yuanjun (Lord of the Supreme One, a Daoist deity) transmitted the essential formulas of the Returning Elixir and the Golden Fluid, which then circulated in the world.

It is also said that Mugong Jinmu (Wood Duke and Metal Mother), Daoist divine names representing yang qi and yin qi respectively, are the ancestors of the two qi and the source of yin and yang. They are also the masters of immortals and zhenren (perfected beings) and the root of the generation and transformation of all things. When the two qi condense, they form the zhenren, who unite as one with the Dao. Qi pervades Heaven and Earth, driving the growth of plants and the movement of the myriad things, and it also acts upon the human body. Humans exist among the myriad things, and the myriad things are in turn manifested and extended through qi. The gathering and dispersing of qi has no end.

Human nature comes from Heaven, while life takes form within the person. What enables life to be established is the Tiandao (Way of Heaven), and what sets it in motion is also the Tiandao. Daoxuan Lao says: "When the mind reaches the utmost xujing (emptiness and stillness), the myriad things will naturally return." Here "return" means returning to the Dao, and therefore being able to endure. The key to longevity lies in Heaven preserving the mysterious Dao, Earth upholding the myriad things, and humans nurturing their own qi.

It is further said that when the King of Shang heard that Pengzu (a legendary figure of longevity) was skilled in the arts of nourishing life, he appointed him Grand Master. Pengzu often claimed illness and lived in seclusion, taking no part in government affairs. He took powdered mica and drank a medicinal decoction steeped in deer antler. His appearance often seemed youthful, his temperament was calm and quiet, and he never claimed to possess the Dao. When the King came to seek his instruction, Pengzu would not say much. The King then built splendid halls and a purple pavilion in the inner palace chambers (yeting) and invited Pengzu to reside there.

When the King asked about the methods of extending life and lengthening one's years, Pengzu replied: "If you wish to ascend to heaven and take up a post as an immortal official, you should take the Golden Elixir (jindan) of the Yuanjun Taiyi, the elixir of Taiyi, the Great Unity, from Daoist legend. This is the most sublime method. Next, one should cherish the jing (essence), nurture the shen (spirit), and take herbal medicines, which can prolong life. Beyond that, one may harmonize the yin and yang qi, practice qi circulation and daoyin (guided movements), and stretch the limbs, so that the qi and blood flow freely through all the joints without obstruction, thereby guarding against the invasion of disease. Visualizing the spirits (cunsi), sitting in stillness, and refining the bodily fluids also help one to live long.

"As for the methods of clearing the jing and qi and nourishing the brain and marrow, these are very difficult to practice. They may even be as dangerous as embracing thorns or treading on blades, and they are not suited to Your Majesty. What I know is only shallow technique, and the principles go no further than this, so they are not worth broadly proclaiming. A person living in this world, if he cares for himself properly, can live beyond one hundred years. If he fails to reach that age, it is usually because he has suffered some injury."

"Great intoxication, great joy, great anger, excessive heat or cold, overexertion, and extreme fatigue all harm the body. Happiness, sorrow, fear, shock, agitation, impatience, extravagance, indulgence in desire, excessive hunger or thirst, and overthinking also harm the body. Sitting for long periods, standing for long periods, remaining too long in one place, and walking for long distances are equally harmful. Only when one keeps moderate warmth and coolness, regulates diet, does not indulge in reckless thoughts or actions, and maintains stillness may one speak of cultivating the self. Even one who has already attained longevity must take still greater care; the key is not to injure the body."

"Keeping warm in winter, avoiding excessive heat in summer, and not going against the regulation of the four seasons are meant to keep the body comfortable. Facing beautiful faces and yielding postures without succumbing to desire is meant to keep the spirit settled. Being content with carriages, clothing, and ceremonial display, without craving more, is meant to keep the mind focused. Not being captivated by music and colors is meant to nourish the heart-mind and the shen. These things can in themselves nourish a person, but if one fails to keep proper measure, they become sources of calamity. The sages left warnings because they feared that people of insufficient capacity would sink into these things, grow ever more deeply entangled, and forget to stop in time. Those who cultivate the Dao are often asked to restrain themselves from these things because doing so makes self-discipline easier. Like water and fire, they cause harm when used to excess."

"If a person does not know how to care for the body, and as a result the meridians are damaged, the qi and blood are insufficient, the interior is weakened, and the bone marrow and brain marrow are depleted, then the body will fall ill first and easily be invaded by external pathogens afterward. Wind, cold, drinking alcohol, and desire may also trigger illness. If the body is already full and substantial, how could pathogenic influences easily invade it? Thinking too far ahead and having too many wishes harm a person. Grief and resentment, excessive joy, anger that lingers for a long time, excessive preoccupation with what one loves, and excessive worry about what one fears, as well as disharmony of cold and warmth and imbalance of yin and yang, all harm the body too."

"The union of man and woman is like the mutual generation of heaven and earth. Nourishing the jing and breath can keep body and mind in harmony. Heaven and earth separate and join again through day and night, and through the year yin and yang unite and the four seasons alternate, so that all things grow without end. Heaven and earth each keep to their own course and their own harmony, and only then can all things grow for a long time. If a person cannot model himself on heaven and earth and maintain regularity, and instead reduces his food and clothing, he brings disease upon himself. This is truly foolish."

"Beyond avoiding these harmful things, one should also cultivate the body and regulate daily life. Going further, one may take the yuanhe zhi qi (the Qi of Primordial Harmony), and if the method is correct, evil qi will find it hard to enter. This is the root of nourishing the body. Other methods, such as visualizing the spirits, performing daoyin movements according to the internal organs, and swallowing medicines, number more than one thousand seven hundred. There are also practices of self-examination and repentance at the beginning of each season, and arrangements for sleep and daily routine, which can guide beginners toward goodness and gradually rectify their thoughts and reduce their faults. Yet these methods cannot immediately enable a person to attain the Dao. If the blood vessels are already dried up and the spirit and breath have declined, how can merely holding onto the shen and contemplating the true can make the body firm? It is unlikely to be of benefit. This is because ordinary people who cultivate the Dao pursue only the branches and do not devote themselves to the root."

There is a view that if one does not nourish the spirit within and overexerts oneself outwardly, the Yuanjing (primordial essence, the root vital essence of the body) gradually wears away, and the Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) grow weary and depleted. Even if one diligently recites scriptures and secret formulas day and night, there is no benefit. The Daoist canon is said to comprise 13,000 juan (scrolls), and most of it merely guides beginners at the threshold. Although the King of Shang mastered many important methods and also practiced the longevity techniques of Pengzu, thereby living a long life, he was unable to abstain from excessive desire.

The Jixian Lu (Record of Gathering the Immortals) tells of Nü Fan, a woman who sold wine at a market in Chen. Her wine was excellent, and an immortal passing by her home hid five scrolls of plain writing, texts containing arts of the Dao, inside the wine as he drank. Nü Fan opened the scrolls and found that they described the immortal arts of nourishing one's nature and prolonging life. She secretly copied the key points and practiced them. After three years her appearance had grown noticeably younger. A few years later, the immortal who had concealed the scrolls in the wine returned, smiled, and said, "To steal the arts of the Dao without a teacher is like growing wings but not knowing how to fly." Nü Fan then followed the immortal away, and no one knew where she went.

Another account says that after the Taiyang Nü (Sun Woman) lost her wings, she learned tuna (regulating the breath and guiding the qi), studying under the cavern master Li Xiu. Li Xiu wrote forty chapters titled the Daoyuan (Source of the Dao). To practice its methods, one must understand how to overcome hardness with softness and how to control strength with weakness. One should conduct affairs with the caution of standing at the edge of an abyss or treading on danger, and with the care of driving a galloping horse or riding in a rotten carriage. Even a slight deviation may cause one to lose the essentials. Diligent practice leads to longevity.

Another account tells of the Taiyin Nü (Moon Woman) Lu Jin. Before she had succeeded in learning the Dao, she sold wine by the roadside while secretly seeking her teacher. When a guest passed by, she asked someone to inquire how he calculated age. The guest said only, "Three in the south, five in the north, nine in the east, and the center in the northwest." Lu Jin reported back, "This guest is a great worthy, one who has already attained the Dao. I had only just asked, and already I know that 'five' comes from 'one.'" She then asked the guest about the way of longevity and learned the essentials of bu dao (nourishing and channeling the body's essence) and zheng dan (the method of refining elixirs).

Dao Section, Part Ten (End)

Dao Section, Part Eleven

Ingesting Medicines, Part One

The Taixuan Nü Zhuanhe (Lady Zhuanhe of the Great Mystery) often says: "Once a person in this world loses something, it cannot be regained, and once they die, they cannot be revived. Human life is limited and brief, and only through cultivating the Dao (xiudao) can one prolong it." She therefore purified her mind and sought the Dao, and in the end she learned the methods of cultivation.

The Shennong Jing (Classic of the Divine Farmer) says that superior medicines bring the body to peace and extend life. It also says that taking the Five Fungi (five kinds of lingzhi, immortal herbs), cinnabar (zhusha), azurite (zengqing, a mineral), mica (yunmu), and Taiyi and Yuyu Liang (two mineral medicines) separately can grant longevity. Medium-grade medicines are used to nourish body and mind, and lower-grade medicines are used to treat illness. These are the important teachings of the sages of high antiquity, and they are also the practical methods recorded in the books of the arts of technique (fangshu). Among the immortal medicines, the finest is cinnabar, followed by gold, silver, the various lingzhi, the Five Jades (five kinds of jade stone), the Five Clouds, and pearls. Huangjing and Zhu (atractylodes, a medicinal herb of the Cangzhu or Baizhu type) can be used to stave off hunger. In years of famine, eating them in place of grain is possible, and so they are called "rice substitutes" (mipu), foods that can take the place of cooked rice.

The Siji Mingke (Clear Regulations of the Four Poles) says that the Shangqing Jinye Dan Jing (Scripture of the Golden Liquor Elixir of Highest Clarity), the Jiuding Shentu (Divine Diagrams of the Nine Cauldrons), the Taiyi Jiuzhuan Dadan (Great Elixir of the Nine Transformations of Taiyi), and others together amount to one hundred and forty fascicles.

The Wufu Jing (Classic of the Five Talismans) says that sesame (hu ma) originated in Dayuan, an ancient Western Regions place, and is also called "great victory" (jusheng). By taking sesame continually, one can preserve the body for a long time and endure alongside Heaven and Earth. It is the foremost of the five grains, and when consumed, it enables one to comprehend all things and communicate with the spirits.

It also says that perfected persons (zhenren) hold that Huangjing absorbs the pure and abundant essence (jing) of Heaven and Earth, grows beside mountains, and possesses marvelous transformative power. For this reason it is called "the Wuji lingzhi" (the lingzhi of the Earth phase).

The Yujue Jing (Scripture of Jade Formulas) says that the Five Constant Qi of Primordial Beginning, which are terms connected with the Daoist cosmological concept of qi transformation, regard the "Way of Yang Light" as a grave taboo, and that this is what the methods of the immortals forbid. The best course is to know of this practice and not to engage in it. Even if one has done so, one should not let the qi disperse. This is the essential principle of cultivating immortality and the foundation of prolonging life. Those who wish to extend their years should swallow the Rihua (a practice regarded as ingesting the essence of sunlight). Eating and drinking too much, and often lying down right after meals, leads to illness. Lying down makes the mind-spirit (shen) scattered easily, and once the mind-spirit is scattered, one loses one's original nature. Once one falls ill, medicines then have difficulty taking effect. Those who cultivate the Dao should be careful.

Liu Xiang's Liexian zhuan (Biographies of Immortals) records that Wu Guang lived in the Xia dynasty, enjoyed playing the qin zither, and took cattail root and leek root as food. Peng Zu regularly consumed water cassia and mica. Su Lin, of the Central Peak, styled Zixuan, was originally a native of Wei. In the late years of Duke Ling of Wei, he became a disciple of Qiu Gong and studied fuqi (breath regulation, the practice of nourishing life through the regulation of qi). The book further records that Yin Xi's Guang was also of the Xia dynasty, enjoyed the qin, and ate cattail and leek roots, while Peng Zu regularly ate water cassia and mica. Su Lin, of the Central Peak, styled Zixuan and originally a native of Wei, became a disciple of Qiu Gong in the late years of Duke Ling of Wei to study the method of fuqi. Another figure, Changsha, consumed the fruit of juhsheng (giant victory), which is sesame.

The Liexian zhuan also records that Liu Fenglin was a man of the Zhou dynasty who studied the Dao for many years on Mount Songgao before traveling to Mount Weiyu. He could hold his breath for three days without breathing, and he took only huanglian (coptis root). When he reached the age of one thousand, he could no longer command others.

The same work records that Dong Weibei's place of origin is unknown. In the final years of Emperor Wu of Jin, he was seen in the Baishe district of Luoyang, wearing tattered clothing that could not cover his body. He often swallowed a pebble and went an entire day without eating.

The Inner Biography of Lady Wei of the Southern Marchmount (Nanyue Wei furen neizhuan) records that Lady Wei, named Huacun and styled Xian'an, was a native of Renchen. In the reign of Emperor Cheng of Jin, she attained the Dao after consuming gold dust.

The Inner Biography of Mao Ying, the Perfected of Great Origin (Taiyuan Zhenren Mao Ying neizhuan) records that the Holy Lord of the Golden Gate (Jinque Shengjun) ordered the Taiji Zhenren (Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate) to dispatch Wang Zhong and Bao Qiu, who held the office of Zhengyi Xuanyu Lang (Attendant of Orthodox Unity and the Mysterious Jade).

The envoys presented Mao Ying with four immortal fungi, namely the Swallow Embryo, Flowing Brilliance, Divine Fungus, Long-Leap and Twin-Flight, and Night-Glow Cavern Herb, and instructed him to perform the ritual salutation before consuming them. Mao Ying fastened his seal, donned his robes, set his cap straight, faced north, tied on his talismans (fulu), and grasped the bell. When the rite was complete, the four envoys told him: "To consume the Four-Node Hidden Fungus of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji) is to rank among the Perfected Ministers. To consume the Jade Fungus Swallow Embryo of the Golden Gate is to rank among the Overseers of Fate. To consume the Golden Blossom of Flowing Brilliance from the Eastern Palace is to rank among the Overseers of Emolument. To consume Long-Leap and Twin-Flight is to rank among the Perfected Elders. To consume the Night-Glow Cavern Herb is to serve as chief overseer of the Left and Right Censors. You have now consumed them all, and you will share the lifespan of heaven and earth. You will hold the rank of Supreme Perfected Overseer of Fate and Minister of the Eastern Peak, and govern the immortals of the Wu and Yue regions."

The Inner Biography of the Perfected Zhou (Zhenren Zhoujun Neizhuan) records that Zhou Yishan, the Purple Yang Perfected (Ziyang Zhenren), whose courtesy name was Jitong, was a native of Ruyin. He was the seventh-generation descendant of Zhou Bo, Chancellor under the Han, and his father, Zhou Jun, had served as Internal Secretary of Chenliu. At sixteen, Zhou Yishan lived in the commandery with his father. He was steady in character and did not readily show joy or anger. He liked to sit quietly by himself in a still place and reflect with focused care. Each morning at sunrise he faced east, rinsed his mouth, and practiced fuqi (breath-ingestion, a method of regulating the breath and drawing in qi), following this routine every day.

The Declarations of the Perfected (Zhengao) records that Zhang Zhengli, a man of Mount Heng, received the Rainbow Vista Divine Elixir formula from the Lord of the Western City in the late Han. Because he could not obtain the cinnabar needed to refine the elixir, he went to Guangzhou and became a Daoist. He later attained immortality at Feishi and became a Superior Immortal.

The Declarations of the Perfected also records that Zhang Xuanbin, a native of Dingxiang, was recommended as a Flourishing Talent (xiucai), a designation for selecting men of ability during the Han and Wei periods, in the reign of Emperor Wu of Wei. After returning to his home region, he became a disciple of Ji Gong of Xihe and studied the arts of taking medicinal substances. Later, on Mount Shao, he met the Perfected Fan Ziming and received the Way of Concealed Transformation and Hidden Shadows, a practice of hiding oneself and changing form. He had once lived on Mount Tianzhu, and he has now come to Huayang Inner, where he serves as Elder of Governing Prohibitions (Lijin Bo).

It is said that two cultivators, Zheng Jingshi and Zhang Chonghua, lived in the Qianshan mountains of Lujiang. Early in the Jin dynasty they received oral instructions from the immortal Meng Deran and retreated into the mountains to practice the "Method of Guarding the Five Viscera and Containing the Sun" (shou wu zang han ri fa), which means guarding the five viscera while visualizing and taking in solar essence. They also took sesame (hu ma) and mysterious elixirs (xuan dan).

It is said that Ping Zhongjie was a native of Hedong. When Liu Cong rebelled and the Central Plains fell into turmoil, he crossed the river and entered Mount Cangcang. He possessed true qi in his body, consumed medicinal substances, and later ascended to immortality and departed.

It is said that Zhao Guangxin was a native of Yangcheng. At the end of the Wei dynasty he crossed the river and entered Mount Kexiaobai, where he learned the art of qi-ingestion (fu qi zhi shu) from Li Fa. From the Lord Zuo he also learned "guarding the Dao within the mystery" (shou xuan zhong zhi dao), a method of holding fast to the profound Dao. After many years of this practice, he sometimes came down from the mountain to sell medicines. Later he repeatedly traveled to the capital, bought cinnabar, refined the Jiuhua Elixir, and eventually ascended to immortality and departed.

It is said that Yu Wengsheng was a native of Kuaiji. From the immortal Jie Jun he learned the "method of consuming solar essence" (shi ri jing fa), which involves visualizing and absorbing the essence of the sun. In the Wu dynasty he withdrew to live on Mount Langwu, where he also practiced the Dao of cloud-qi transforming the body (yun qi hui xing zhi dao). After long and devoted cultivation, he ascended to immortality and departed.

Another account states that Yu Wengsheng was a native of Kuaiji. He learned the method of consuming solar essence from the immortal Jie Jun. In the Wu dynasty he lived in seclusion on Mount Langwu and practiced the Dao of cloud-qi transforming the body. After long, focused cultivation, he ascended to immortality and departed.

It is said that Zhu Ruzi entered the Chishui mountains at the end of the Wu dynasty and subsisted on chrysanthemums, trees, and similar things. Later he met Xiguizi and asked to be taught the art of longevity and transcending the mortal world (chang sheng du shi zhi shu). Xiguizi transmitted the essential secrets to him, and he then ascended to immortality and departed.

It is said that Mingxing Wangnü, the Bright Star Princess, dwelt on Mount Hua and consumed jade liquid. On the summit stands a stone tortoise several mu across and about three ren (an ancient unit of length whose exact measure varied across periods) in height. Stone steps beside it allow one to climb onto its back. There is a Jade Maiden Shrine, and in front of it are five stones that the locals call the "Jade Maiden's Hair-Washing Basin." The water in the basin is clear and jade-green. It never overflows however much it rains, and it never diminishes in drought. Within the basin is also a horse belonging to the Jade Maiden.

It is said that three cultivators lived in the mountains of Huayin: Yin Shouzi, Zhang Shisheng, and Li Fanghui, all of whom belonged to the era of Emperor Wu of the Jin dynasty. From the immortal Guan Chengzi they learned the methods of steaming and refining elixirs and of consuming herbs and trees. Guan Chengzi also passed on the method of consuming the Danxia (red-glow) elixir to Zhou Shouling of Sumen.

Legend tells of three seekers of the Way who lived in the mountains of Huayin during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin dynasty: Yin Shouzi (Yin Shouzi), Zhang Shisheng (Zhang Shisheng), and Li Fanghui (Li Fanghui). Yin Shouzi learned from the immortal Guan Chengzi (Guan Chengzi) the methods of steaming and refining elixirs and of ingesting the wood fungus (fushi, ingestion), and he passed on the practice of ingesting danxia (cinnabar mist) to Zhou Shouling (Zhou Shouling), a hermit of Mount Sumen.

Legend also tells that Fan Youchong (Fan Youchong) of Liaoxi often practiced the ingestion of the Three Qi. Each time, he inhaled the Green, White, and Red Qi, each drawn in like a single fine thread. After ten years of this practice, he attained immortality. This was the Taisu Neijing method (Taisu Neijing fa, the Inner Landscape of the Plain Essence), an inner practice cultivated through visualization and inner contemplation (cunsi). Performed once each morning, it was said to gradually improve eyesight. The method is simple, and its effects have been tested.

Legend further relates that Jiang Bozhen (Jiang Bozhen) ingested shinao (stone brain) on Mount Daheng. Stone brain appears as a small speckled stone, varying in color and soft in texture. East of Mount Damao there is also a type of stone brain, round and small, resembling zengqing (a blue-green mineral) in shape, though its color is like that of zhongru (stalactite). Fanyang Zi (Fanyang Zi) had also ingested this substance in the past.

The Biography of Lord Pei (Pei Jun Neizhuan) records that Zhi Ziyuan (Zhi Ziyuan), a Daoist known as the "Buddha-faced Daoist," received the inner techniques of long life from Lord Pei. The text also states that the search for medicinal substances and the practice of inner contemplation (cunsi, the stilling of the mind through visualization and silent recitation) both lead toward the goal of attaining the Way, yet by different paths and from different roots. Medicinal ingestion nourishes the body, and when the body is healthy, the spirit becomes calm. Inner contemplation stills the mind, and when the mind is clear, the body can be preserved. Each method has its own function, and only when they are combined and mutually supportive can they work together to be effective.

The Biographies of Daoist Learning (Daoxue Zhuan) records that Xu Mai (Xu Mai), whose courtesy name was Shuxuan and whose childhood name was Ying, later changed his name to Yuanyou, was a friend of Wang Xizhi (Wang Xizhi) and his son, both of whom had transcended worldly concerns. Wang Xizhi also gave up worldly honors to devote himself to cultivating longevity. Whenever he visited Xu Mai, he often stayed the entire day and forgot to return home. The two exchanged poems and letters, frequently discussing longevity practices such as the ingestion of elixirs.

The same text further records that Huang Guanzi (Huang Guanzi), a Left Attendant of Shangqing (Shangqing, Highest Clarity), studied the Way, ingested the Golden Elixir (jindan), and recited the Dadong Jing (Great Cavern Scripture), and through this attained the Way. Bai Yusheng (Bai Yusheng), a Left Attendant of the Eastern Mansion, possessed the art of boiling and refining minerals. Zhang Shuyin (Zhang Shuyin), Immortal Overseer of the Wende Stone, obtained the Qingjing formula (qingjing fang, a prescription for ingestion using qingjing ore as its material). Li Baozu (Li Baozu), Right Duke of the Taiqing, was a native of Mount Min, and obtained the Qingjing hammering and polishing method (qingjing chuishi fang), a technique for processing and preparing qingjing.

Ge Hong's (Ge Hong) Biographies of Immortals records that Liu Jing (Liu Jing) followed Zhang of Handan (Handan) and learned the method of ingesting the Cloud Pills (yunwan).

Qingyi Lu

Fang Junda was a native of Longxi. He entered Wushu Mountain to take elixirs and nourishing medicines, lived more than a hundred years, and often rode a green ox.

Wei Shuqing was a native of Zhongshan and cultivated himself by consuming mica.

Kong Yuan was a native of Xuchang and regularly took pine resin and poria.

Jiao Xian, courtesy name Xiaoran, was a native of Hedong. He often ate white stones and shared them with others. When cooked, these white stones tasted like taro.

Ling Shouguang was a native of Fufeng. He obtained the formula for the Weiyang Pill only after he had passed seventy. After taking it, he lived more than two hundred years without showing signs of aging.

Fan Miao, who was called the Superior Immortal of the Middle Marquis (the most honored rank among immortals), had the courtesy name Dushi and was originally named Bing. He attained the Way after taking the Rainbow Scene Elixir, and he wrote the Biography of Lady Wei.

Perfected Qingxu Wang Bao, courtesy name Zideng, was a seventh-generation descendant of Wang Ling, Marquis of Anguo of the Former Han. The Lord Immortal of the Principal Dao bestowed upon him Yunbi Yang Water, Chenfei Elixir, and two dou of Danfu. After consuming them, he could see very far, could vanish swiftly whether sitting or standing, and could command the host of spirits.

End of Volume Eleven of the Dao Section.

Volume Twelve of the Dao Section: Middle Part of the Chapter on Ingestion of Elixirs.

The Zhen Gao (Declarations of the Perfected) records that on the night of the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Perfected Qingxu spoke to Xu Yufu, saying: "Wugong Shiru suits his constitution and should be taken without delay, which can make his countenance younger. Mu San can dispel illness; this is pointing out the suitable medicine according to his condition. Next, take □□ together with grain, and do not go against this arrangement."

The Zhen Gao further records that one who clearly understands the method of the Great Cavern may become an Immortal Minister; one who takes the Golden Elixir may become a Grand Master; and one who takes the various sacred fungi may become an Imperial Censor. If one can obtain and take the Hidden Fungus of Supreme Ultimate, one becomes the Left Immortal Duke.

It is further said that human nature is close to the Dao (the Way, the fundamental principle governing all things), and that by cultivating this closeness the true qi (zhenqi) will arrive. The Perfected Zishang said: "Let Xu Yufu bathe many times to wash away the sickness-qi in the body and to dispel accumulated faults and blemishes. This is the ladder to the true realm." In learning the way of nourishing life, one must not weep or shed tears, for the loss of tears, nasal mucus, and saliva would be considerable. For this reason, Perfected Daoists who have attained the Dao often practice tuna (regulating the breath) and yanjin (swallowing the saliva in the mouth) to harmonize the six fluids of the body.

It is further said that in the past, Emperor Cheng of the Han hunted on Mount Zhongnan and saw a naked, hairy man who leapt into the air and could not be caught. The people eventually surrounded him and captured him, and when questioned, he revealed that he was a person from the palace of Qin. He recalled the time of King Ziying of Qin: after the palace was destroyed by fire, he fled in fright into the mountains, where he had no food and was on the verge of starvation. An old man taught him to eat pine needles and pine nuts. Later, a hunter took him back and gave him grain, but he vomited continuously for several days before he settled. He died more than a year later. Had he not been captured by people, he would have become an immortal.

It is further said that Long Shu, courtesy name Bogao, was a native of Jingzhao. During the Eastern Han, he followed the immortal Dao Daolin to study the method of fetal breath (taiqi), a practice of cultivating qi through regulated breathing. He also received a certain technique, and later feigned death by drunkenness and went into seclusion.

It is further said that Dai Meng, a Daoist of Mount Wudang, was originally surnamed Yan, with the personal name Ji and the courtesy name Zhongwei. He lived during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han. In his youth he cultivated the Dao and De (Virtue), declined to take office, and entered Mount Hua, where he consumed herbs such as zhicao (divine fungus), huangjing (Solomon's seal), yunmu (mica), and cinnabar. He received arts from Perfected Qingling Wang Jun and attained the way of longevity. It is further said that Perfected Pei transmitted the Jade Pendant and Golden Tabs Scripture (Yupei Jindi Jing) and the Talisman of the Golden Light of the Stone Essence to Dai Meng.

Some say that one who takes only herbal medicines, without knowing how to circulate qi (xingqi) and guide the body through breathing and movement (daoyin), gains nothing from the medicines and in the end cannot attain the Dao. If a person has a firm will and is attuned to the subtle workings of the Dao, whatever they seek will be attained, and herbal aid is unnecessary. If one understands circulating qi but not the methods of compounding divine elixirs (shendan), one still cannot become an immortal. If one obtains the Golden Liquid Divine Elixir (jinye shendan), the immortals' elixir, no other techniques are needed. If one cultivates the Great Dongzhen Scripture, one need not pursue the Golden Elixir (jindan) at all and can still become an immortal. If a person is born with immortal bones and an immortal register (that is, the endowment that makes cultivation toward immortality possible), and is able to concentrate with single-minded devotion, this is the doing of the Great Dao. Thus, some people become immortals without study, through the Great Dao's natural descent upon them. All others must concentrate on their practice.

It is also said that the younger sister of Lady Jade Flower of the Eastern Sea, Lord Qingtong, once descended to the human world and transmitted to Zhang Weizi (Zhang Weizi) the method of ingesting mist, a practice of cultivation by consuming clouds and vapors.

It is also said that Bo Cheng (Bo Cheng) practiced through the intake of qi, and the filth within his intestines and stomach was entirely eliminated.

The Scripture of the Sanwu Shunxing (Sanwu Shunxing Jing) says that the Perfected Guangping (Guangping Zhenren) had a circular halo above his head and held an ornate banner, and that before the Supreme Emperor he asked about the methods of cultivation.

It is also said that in the grottoed terrace of Mount Luojiang Dahuo there are five-colored hidden fungi (yinzhi), that Mount Huayang has five kinds of luminous night fungi, and that Mount Liangchang has firefly fungi. Their form resembles grass; when growing on the ground they look like fireflies, are the size of beans, bear purple flower-like blossoms, and shine at night. One who eats this fungus will have a clear and luminous mind and will be able to write and calculate at night. One who eats forty-seven pieces will attain longevity.

It is also said that Mount Bao has white fungi and a hidden spring whose water is purple. On Mount Huayang's Leiping there is the Tian Gong Spring, and there is also a spring that flows from jade sand, which is excellent for washing clothes.

It is also said that one who ingests the Essence of the Nine Spirits, Sun and Moon (jiuling riyue hua), the essence of sun and moon as described in Daoist teaching, can receive the descent of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji) household and learn the methods of the Mysterious Perfection (Xuanzhen).

Also, it is said that Lang Zong, courtesy name Zhongsui, was a native of Anqiu County in Beihai Commandery. He held office in his youth and lived at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty. He once served as magistrate of Wu County. He was well versed in Daoist arts (fangshu) and skilled at observing wind and clouds to foretell good and ill fortune. One day a violent gust suddenly swept through his courtyard, and from this he inferred that a great fire would break out in Luoyang and burn down the Changxia Gate. He sent someone to inquire, and the news was later confirmed. When the court heard of this, it summoned him to serve as an Erudite (boshi). Lang Zong, however, regarded being summoned for his divinatory skill as a disgrace. At night he removed his official seal and ribbon, shouldered his book case, and quietly slipped away. He settled at the foot of Mount Hua and attained the Dao by taking hu ma, which means sesame, a substance the ancients believed could nourish the body and aid cultivation. He is said to remain in a cave there to this day.

Also, Fu Lihe was the maternal grandson of Emperor Huan of the Han, Fu Jian'an. For many years he took and refined the Qi of the Five Planets, a cultivated Qi linked to the Five Phases (wuxing) and the stars. Through this practice he attained the Dao and became the master of the Hanzhen Terrace.

The Baopuzi says: My grandfather, when young, served as magistrate of Linkang County. He said that in that county some families had lived long for generations. Later, these families moved away, and their descendants gradually began to die young. When others moved into their former homes, their descendants again lived long, one after another. He suspected that the well water was unusually red, so he dug around the well and unearthed several dozen hu of cinnabar, a vermilion mineral often used in alchemy, that the ancients had buried there. From this we may see what would become of those who take cinnabar!

Zhao Qu of Shangdang suffered from leprosy for many years. None of the treatments worked, and he was about to die. His family carried him onto a cart, took him to a mountain valley, left him some grain, and went away. Zhao Qu lamented his misfortune, grieving and sighing day and night, and wept for a long time. An immortal (xian ren) passing by the mouth of a cave saw his plight and pity and stopped to ask him what was wrong. Sensing that the stranger was no ordinary person, Zhao Qu kowtowed, recounted his circumstances, and begged for compassion. The immortal gave him a bag of medicine and taught him how to take it. After Zhao Qu took the medicine, his illness was cured. His complexion became ruddy and cheerful, and his skin glowed like jade.

The immortal later came to visit him again. Zhao Qu thanked him and asked to be given the prescription. The immortal said, "This is pine resin (songzhi). There is plenty of it in the mountains. If you refine it properly and take it, you can attain longevity." Zhao Qu then returned home, and his family was astonished to see him back and asked how he had been cured. Zhao Qu lived to the age of one hundred and seventy, his teeth and hair still strong. After more than a century among the living, he entered Baogu Mountain to cultivate the Way and departed from the world.

It is further said that whether to seek longevity and leave the world is a matter each person decides according to their own inclination.

After taking the returning elixir and the golden fluid (refined elixirs, jindan), if one wishes to remain in the human world for a while, one should take only half; if one wishes to ascend as an immortal and depart, one should take the whole dose. Of old, Master An of Anqi, Ning Gong of Longmei, Xiu Yanggong, and Yin Changsheng each took only half a dose of the Golden Elixir (Jin Dan). They remained among people, and some did not depart until nearly a thousand years later.

It is further said that the middle section of the Yuqian Jing (Jade Key Scripture) records: "Establishing merit is most important; eliminating faults is secondary. For one who cultivates the Dao, rescuing others from peril is the greatest merit." Only then does one depart from the world.

The Yuqian Jing (Jade Key Scripture), in its middle section, says that establishing merit is most important, and correcting one's faults comes next. Those who cultivate the Dao should regard rescuing people from peril as the greatest merit. To seek immortality, one must take loyalty, filial piety, harmony, humility, benevolence, and trustworthiness as the foundation. If one does not cultivate virtue (De) and pursues only techniques (fangshu), one will ultimately fail to attain longevity. Great evils shorten the ji (life-record units), and minor transgressions shorten the suan (life-count units). If good deeds have not accumulated enough, even taking immortality elixirs will be of no benefit.

Among the books on nourishing life that I have read, none fails to regard the Returning Elixir (huandan) and the Golden Fluid (jinye) as the essentials of practice, for these are probably the highest attainments of the immortal Dao. In the past, Zuo Ci (courtesy name Yuanfang, an immortal of Daoist legend) devoted long years to cultivation on Mount Tianzhu. Later, a divine person transmitted to him the scriptures of the Golden Elixir (jindan). Then came great upheaval at the end of the Han, and he had no time to practice. He fled the turmoil by crossing the river to Jiangdong, intending to devote himself to practicing this Way in a famous mountain and to follow his paternal great-uncle, the Immortal Lord (Xiangong). The Immortal Lord in turn received these scriptures from Yuanfang, namely the Taiqing Danjing (Taiqing Elixir Scripture) in three fascicles, the Jiuding Danjing (Nine Cauldrons Elixir Scripture) in one fascicle, and the Jinye Jing (Golden Fluid Scripture) in one fascicle.

My teacher, Master Zheng, was a disciple of the Immortal Lord and also received these scriptures from my great-uncle. At that time my family was poor and could not afford the medicinal materials needed for alchemy, so I personally served Master Zheng, sweeping and attending to him over a long period. Later, I set up an altar on Mount Maji, and after the oath ceremony I received the transmission and learned together with it the oral formulas that are not written in the books. Jiangdong originally did not have these scriptures; they were brought from Master Zuo's disciples: Zuo Ci passed them to the great-uncle, the Immortal Lord; the Immortal Lord passed them to Master Zheng; and Master Zheng passed them to me. For this reason, other Daoists all know nothing of this content. These methods still require external materials to be refined, in order to strengthen the self.

In addition, there is the Taiqing Divine Elixir (Taiqing shendan), whose method of preparation comes from the Lady Immortal (Yuanjun, a title of an immortal). The Lady Immortal……

The Master Laozi was his teacher. The Taiqing Guanting Jing (Scripture of the Taiqing Observatory) has ten chapters in all. The first seven could not be used to teach others, and since there was no suitable person to transmit the last three, they should be sunk into the Three Springs. These last three chapters deal precisely with the method of refining the elixir. The scripture states: "Those of the highest capacity, upon attaining the Dao (the Way), ascend to become celestial officials; those of middling capacity, upon attaining the Dao, gather on Kunlun; those of the lowest capacity, upon attaining the Dao, can still live long in the world."

At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Yin Jun of Xinye obtained and gathered this Taiqing Danjing (Taiqing Scripture of the Elixir). He was highly talented, wrote poetry, and composed eulogies and prefaces for elixir scriptures, recording his own experiences of following his teacher when he first began to study the Dao, along with what he had come to understand. The elixir method he taught differed from the Nine Transformations method (jiuzhuan dan fa). Additionally, there was a lineage of elixir methods from Mount Min, which, once completed, allowed one to live long in the world. The Daoist priest Zhang He once practiced diligently in a stone chamber on Mount Min and obtained this set of elixir formulas.

The various methods of alchemy differ from one another. Golden Liquid (jinye) is an elixir of immortality, which Taiyi (a deity revered in Daoism) took in order to ascend to immortality.

The scripture further holds that the key to longevity lies in cultivating the Great Medicine (dayao), and that it is not determined by sacrificial rites such as ancestral offerings or jiao (cosmic offering) ceremonies. During the Qin and Han dynasties, large-scale prayers and sacrifices were held, worshipping deities such as Taiyi, the Five Emperors, Chen Bao, and the Eight Spirits, at expenses often amounting to hundreds of millions, yet they brought no real benefit. Moreover, for ordinary people who lack virtue themselves to hope to prolong their lives by casually praying with offerings of three sacrificial animals is a deeply deluded practice.

When refining the great medicine of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) and condensing the essence of the Eight Minerals (eight minerals used by ancient alchemists), it was especially taboo for ordinary people to see or hear the process, for otherwise the immortal medicine would be difficult to complete. Someone has said: "Superior practitioners attain the Way in the army, middling practitioners attain it in the city, and inferior practitioners attain it in the mountains and forests." This means that one who has already completed the immortal medicine but does not yet wish to ascend at once will not be harmed by weapons even amid a battle between three armies, and will suffer no calamity while living in the city. Inferior practitioners have not yet reached this state, and so they must go up into the mountains and forests to cultivate.

Ancient Daoists who refined divine medicines always entered famous mountains. According to the Classic of Entering the Mountains (Rushan Jing), entering the mountains allows one to concentrate the mind and take medicines for cultivation. Taihua, HengHuo, Songshao, Taibai, Zhongnan, Nüfan, Difei, Wangwu, Baodu, Anqiu, Hengtan, Qingcheng, Emei, Leimaitai, Luofu, Yangjia, Huangjin, the Greater and Lesser Tiantai, Gaizhu, Kuocang, and the Four Lookout Mountains are all dwelling places of true deities. The lingzhi (divine fungus) and immortal herbs that grow on these mountains can help people avoid great wars and floods, and they are not used only for refining medicine. If practitioners ascend these mountains, the mountain spirits will surely bring them blessings, and the medicines they refine will certainly succeed. Those who do not go to these mountains may also refine medicine on large islands in the sea.

The author also said: My teacher, Master Zheng, in his eighties, saw hair that had once been streaked with white turn black again after several years. His complexion was rosy and glossy. He could draw a powerful crossbow, walk several hundred li in a day, and drink two dou of wine without becoming drunk. When climbing mountains, his movements were light and nimble, and young people could not keep up with him. His diet was no different from that of ordinary people, and I never saw him abstain from food for long periods or take what are called bigu (grain-avoidance) practices.

I once asked Huang Zhang, a disciple who had followed Master Zheng. Huang Zhang said that Master Zheng often traveled from Yuzhang back to Puzhong, and on the way he repeatedly met with great winds and was also confronted by bandits. On one occasion, Master Zheng divided his dry provisions among the company and stopped eating himself, yet for fifty days he felt no hunger. Those around him could not tell what method he was using, nor did they know the reason behind it.

Master Zheng could write very small characters by lamplight, and his calligraphy was better than that of younger men. He understood music and often played the qin (zither) late at night. When several people sat beside him, he would answer their questions and listen to them while continuing to speak, his voice clear and resonant. At the same time, he could discern the differences in duration among the notes played by the zither players on his left and right, and not the slightest detail escaped his notice.

Later, I became one of Master Zheng's disciples and asked to see the fangshu (formula books, the texts recording methods of cultivation and nourishment). Master Zheng told me, "The essential methods of the Dao (the Way) are no more than what is written on a one-foot-long sheet of white silk. Grasping them is enough to carry one through the calamities of the world."

He then said, "You know a good deal, but your understanding is not yet profound, and your mind is still set on external things, so you cannot devote yourself to study. For this reason, you are not yet able to use these methods to penetrate the great principles. When you have prepared yourself, I will show you the good books." He held off for a long time before I gradually gained access to some of the texts. The writings on short-format white silk had been gathered over many years, and together they amount to about two hundred scrolls of scripture, which could not all be obtained and read at once.

He also said, "The writings on short-format white silk were gathered over many years, and together they amount to about two hundred scrolls of scripture, which could not all be obtained and read at once."

He also said: "Every newly acquired book has something worth taking from it, but one must discern which passages are refined and which coarse, and select those suited to practice. Once the Golden Elixir (Jindan) is completed, such books will no longer be needed. Still, it is sometimes necessary to pass some of their contents on to others, so one should understand their roots and their order. In teaching, one should begin with the shallow matters to encourage those who seek learning, giving them a path by which to advance step by step. Master Zheng would not let anyone copy out his books in full; he always required them first to grasp their essential meaning. Even when he lent a book out for a long time, no one dared to copy so much as a single character in secret."

Master Zheng had originally been a great Confucian scholar, and only in his later years did he come to love the techniques of the Dao (daoshu). He still taught his students the Book of Rites and the Book of Documents, preserving the scholarly tradition of a Confucian. His reputation was great, his bearing clear and luminous, and his conduct upright and strict, so that all who saw him were moved to awe. When people asked him questions, he always received them gently, and so they did not dare to act carelessly or presume upon him. He had more than fifty disciples, yet only I was permitted to receive the Scripture of the Golden Elixir (Jindan zhi Jing), the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang Neiwen), and the Record of the Five Phases from the Pillow (Zhenzhong Wuxing Ji). The others never even saw the titles on the opening pages of these books.

The Record of Gathered Immortals (Jixian Lu) says: "Maoshi is the bright pearl on the high branches of spring. Jusheng is a numinous substance condensed from the dark, mysterious qi of deep autumn. The red jujube is a spirit fungus born when yang qi flourishes. Poria is the embryonic breath of the Crimson Spirit concealed within. The five essences contain smoke and vapor; the three primal qi harmonize the jing and keep it settled. The six qi nourish the hun and po souls and guard the shen spirit."

Lady Taixuan Yunü (Taixuan Yunü) lived in the age of Shaohao. She dwelt on Mount Changsong in the land of Shu, where she cultivated the way of long life. She met a man of the mountains, who transmitted to her the Hidden Writings of the Eight Heavens (Batian Yinwen) and instructed her to practice and uphold them. He told her: "The essential secret of cultivating the Dao is to take wuwei as its root. The Eight Heavens scripture speaks of true wuwei, and once one has practiced it, the Dao will naturally be accomplished. Still, one must refine and take the liquids of langgan and quchen, as well as the cinnabars of the Eight Jades and Nine Flowers. These are numinous things hidden in the treasury of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Once taken, one may ascend to the heavenly court to serve the Lord Emperor and look down upon the transformations of the myriad things." She passed the formula for the Nine Flowers Elixir to a man by the river and refined elixirs there. On the riverbank is a spring of golden sand, said to be a trace she left behind.

According, in the age of Gaoxin, there was an immortal named Zhan Shanggong who often recalled that, long before, he had eaten a white plum at the foot of Huayang Mountain, whose flavor was exceptionally sweet. That memory had not yet faded when, in what seemed an instant, three thousand years had passed.

Tradition holds that Li Tuo cultivated the Way at the foot of Longqiao Peak on Jintang Mountain in Shu. The people of Shu had seen him generation after generation, and by their reckoning he had moved among the human world for more than eight hundred years, so they called him "Li Babai" (Li the Eight-Hundred). It is said that he first came to Guanghan in the reign of King Mu of Zhou and lived on Bingxuan Mountain, where he refined the Jiuhua Elixir (Nine Flowers Elixir). He later left that place and wandered among the Five Sacred Peaks and the Twelve Cavern-Heavens. He then lived on the sea for more than two hundred years, where he met the Lord of Purple Yang (an immortal), from whom he learned the Way of Water Jade (shuǐ yù zhī dào), a Daoist method of cultivation. Afterward Li Tuo returned to Longqiao Peak, cast a golden cauldron, and refined the nine elixirs. Because he studied the Way on this mountain three times, people named it "Three Study Mountain" (Sanxue Shan), and also called it "Bingxian Mountain."

The Wen family of Nanyang says that their ancestors fled into Hu Mountain during the great chaos at the close of the Han. The ancestors were starving and near death until someone taught them to eat a certain wood, after which they no longer suffered hunger. Ten years later, when one of them returned to his home village, his appearance had grown noticeably younger, his body felt so light that he seemed about to fly, and he could walk dangerous paths without fatigue. Even when he walked through ice and snow, he felt no cold at all. This wood is also called "mountain thistle" (shānjì), and is known as "mountain essence" (shānjīng).

No one knows where Xue the Perfected Woman came from. During the wars at the end of the Jin dynasty, many people fled into the mountains to live in seclusion, relying on the consumption of herbs and other plants to avoid the world. Xue the Perfected Woman lived on Mount Heng. She often went out from the Platform for Seeking Perfection, always accompanied by yellow birds, white apes, and white leopards. As to the methods of cultivation she practiced, people did not know.

Yu Jiang was a "hairy woman" who lived on Mount Hua and claimed to be a person of the Qin dynasty. At first she learned to eat pine needles, and so she felt neither hunger nor cold. She lived in a rock cave and moved as lightly as if flying. Today, the place where she lived is called "Hairy Woman Peak" (Máonǚ Fēng).