《上清北极天心正法》

According to the tradition of the Tianxin zhengfa (Correct Method of the Celestial Heart), after the Most High Lord Lao descended from Crane-Call Mountain, he each day transmitted ritual methods to the Celestial Master (Tianshi) and indicated the books of the North Pole, to be used for driving out evil demons and saving the people. The Tianxin zhengfa that circulated in earlier times consisted of only three talismans: the Great Sage Tiangang Talisman, the Black Killer Talisman, and the Three Lights Talisman. The Three Lights Talisman connects above with the Three Sovereigns, models itself on the Three Realms of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), embodies the De (Virtue/Power) of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, and was transmitted by three ancestral masters; for this reason it is called the “Heart of Heaven.” It is regarded as the foundation of the various Daoist methods and the ancestral method of all rites. Master Xujing said that this method has two seals: one is the seal of the Northern Pole Bureau for Expelling Evil, also known as the “Seal of Dutian, the Capital of Heaven, Which Holds Comprehensive Command over the Ghosts and Spirits of the Three Realms”; the other is the “Seal of the Great Ritual Master of Dutian.” This set of ritual methods is concise rather than elaborate. It was left for extraordinary persons of destined affinity and transmitted in the world.

The Method of Visualization and Transformation When the Ritual Master Enters the Household of the Sick

When the ritual master enters the household of the sick, he treads the “Dinggang Nine” (a ritual pacing method of pacing the Gang and treading the Dipper) and visualizes himself transforming into the Primordial King. From the south the Nine Phoenixes spew true fire, burning the ailing house to ashes; from the Zhen direction (the east) a clear wind blows, making everything pure, after which it transforms into towers and terraces, palace halls, and a golden splendid hall. The people in the house all become celestial immortals, and beneath the towers nine soft-shelled turtles swim and glide.

The towers are shrouded in purple mist, and myriad rays of golden light rise from the Fusang (the divine tree of the east). The surroundings become a great sea, its waves surging so that the directions cannot be distinguished; the flood is boundless, and there is no boat by which to cross. At this moment the ritual master enters within and employs the power of Tiangang.

The ritual master visualizes himself transforming into the Primordial King and commanding the heavenly troops and armored soldiers. Xuanzhong Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity), a guardian divine general, stands in attendance beside him. The Four Saints, the Three Officials, and the assembled generals and officers, together with the deities of the Six Jia and the Six Ding, descend all together. The Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, the Dark Warrior, the qilin, and the phoenix also come following the master. Thunder and lightning sound as one, and the gods enter from the front. By means of the Five Dippers (stellar divine power associated with the cult of the Northern Dipper), the ritual master gathers and protects his own hun and po. The crimson Qi (vital energy) of Tiangang opens the way in front, and above and below an interwoven iron net is spread so as to block off evil spirits.

On every side and in all eight directions stand soldiers and generals, with banners and pennants arrayed as though myriads of troops and horses were present.

Click the teeth to summon Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy), circulate the three Qi—the three primordial vital energies of which Daoism speaks—and recite the incantation; the subduing of ghosts and evil influences will then prove efficacious of itself.

Formula for Transforming into a Vast Sea: Press the Hai position, then press upward along the finger joints to just below Jia, passing in turn through the fourth, third, and second joints. Flick the finger outward and visualize a transformation into a vast sea: its surface stretches far and boundless, with surging waves across a great expanse, and the dwelling is entirely encircled by the ocean on every side.

Formula of the Terrace of the Vacuous Sovereign: The thumb presses the Chou position, moves upward along the joints to the Wu position, and then flicks outward. Visualize the dwelling transformed into the towers and gate-towers of an immortal palace. Advance by the twelve paces of the Ding-wai walk. Take three mouthfuls of water and spit them out three times, while shouting a command three times; close the eyes and visualize yourself dwelling on a tower of twelve stories. The bones and flesh of the whole body become the body of a divine immortal; jade maidens feast and roam upon the towers; below, a giant turtle bears the tower as it comes and goes, and the seawater is deep, vast, and without limit.

Formula of Boat and Oar: The thumb presses the Yin position, turns along the finger positions to the Hai position, and then flicks outward. Visualize that there is no boat upon the great sea, and that ghosts and spirits likewise have no path by which to pass.

Formula for Sending Forth an Iron Barrier Linking Heaven in the Four Directions: Turn the right palm upward and the left palm downward. The nail of the right middle finger presses the root of the left middle finger; the left thumb presses the third finger of the right hand, passes behind the fourth finger of the right hand, and presses exactly at the middle finger. Then press the back of the nail of the left little finger with the five fingers, and bend and straighten the right middle finger. Visualize an iron barrier running through heaven and earth, cutting off baleful spirits so that they have no way to enter.

When the ritual master goes out, visualize riding a black cloud across the sea and transforming the iron barrier so that it opens in front and closes behind. Then stand with both feet together, visualizing the front opening and the rear closing.

Spell for Purifying the Altar

Mighty celestial stalwarts of heaven above and earth below, come and assist my ritual arts, and sweep away the Qi of demons and evil. Foul Qi is swiftly destroyed; demonic and deviant Qi is washed utterly clean. The altar ground is swiftly purified, and the Qi of the Dao (the Way) long abides. Quickly, quickly, carry this out in accordance with the statutes and commands.

With the left hand form the Sha-wen, a Daoist hand mudra; take the Qi of the Gate of Heaven, hold it in the water, and sprinkle the water to purify the altar ground.

Spell for Purifying the Body

Upper Perfected and Mysterious Numina—the true divinities of the upper realm and the mysterious, wondrous spiritual Qi—protect and uphold my body with the power of the Five Dippers. Make Shen and Qi clear, bright, and at ease; wash away defilement; and bring peace to body and mind. Quickly, quickly, carry this out in accordance with the statutes and commands of the Most High.

With the left hand form the Yaksha seal, a Daoist hand seal; press the mudra to take the Qi of the Gate of Heaven, then blow the Qi forth.

Spell for Purifying the Mind

The five Qi (vital energy; five kinds of original vital energy) are pure and numinously wondrous, and the celestial atmosphere of Qian Heaven changes in response. They guard and support the clear, bright Qi, so that evil and impurity disperse and the surroundings grow peaceful. Swiftly, swiftly, obey the statutes and ordinances of the Most High (Taishang, a revered deity of Daoism).

Form the Yaksha seal with the left hand; after forming the finger-formula, blow toward the Gate of Heaven.

Spell for Rectifying the Heart

The five Qi are pure and numinously wondrous, and the celestial atmosphere of Qian Heaven changes in response. They guard and support body and mind, so that the heart and Shen (spirit) do not go astray. Swiftly, swiftly, obey the statutes and ordinances of the Most High.

Form the Heavenly Heart (Tianxin) finger-formula with the left hand, tracing from the third finger to the center of the palm.

Spell for Transforming One’s Form

In obedience to the command of the Three Heavens (the heavens of the Three Pure Ones, Sanqing, as spoken of in Daoism), I change my appearance. The Azure Dragon and the White Tiger guard me at my side, so that evil ghosts withdraw far away and true Qi (original vital energy) quickly arises. Swiftly, swiftly, obey the statutes and ordinances of the Most High.

Form the Heavenly Heart finger-formula with the left hand and the Dipper seal with the right hand, and visualize yourself manifesting in the form of the Celestial Master (Tianshi).

Spell for Concealing the Souls and Entering the Dipper

I receive the Heart-Treasure Seal of the Celestial Master and wear and uphold the method of the Natural, so that I can reach the dark underworld and ascend to the Grotto-Heavens (the cavern abodes where immortals dwell). I perform the Yu Steps (the pacing method of Daoist ritual) and pray that I may ascend to immortality.

The three hun-souls transform into youths: form the Three Terraces finger-formula with the left hand, draw in the Qi of the Three Luminaries, and visualize the stars of the Three Terraces resting on the left shoulder—these are the three hun-souls. The seven po-souls transform into Perfected Persons: form the Northern Dipper finger-formula with the right hand, inhale seven times with the tip of the third finger, and visualize the seven stars resting on the right side—these are the seven po-souls. Let the three hun-souls and seven po-souls accompany me as I perform the Yu Steps, and pray that I may cross the Numinous Pass. Swiftly, swiftly, obey the statutes and ordinances.

Pacing the Huoluo Dipper

After the summer solstice, step first with the right foot; after the winter solstice, step first with the left foot.

On a yang day (Yang of Yin-Yang), recite: “Wondrous and subtle is the Dipper, the twelve double-hours.”

On a yin day, recite: “The sun and moon are bright; the Dipper descends.”

After the summer solstice, step first with the right foot; after the winter solstice, step first with the left foot.

On a yang day, recite: “Wondrous and subtle is the Dipper, the twelve double-hours.”

On a yin day, recite: “The sun and moon are bright; Qian and Kun (of the Bagua, the Eight Trigrams) are paired.”

River Chart Nine-Palaces Dipper for Concealing the Spirit

Wear nine on the head and tread upon one; three on the left and seven on the right; two and four are the two shoulders, six and eight the two feet; five occupies the center and fills the abdomen. A thousand kinds of evil Qi and ten thousand kinds of ghosts and demons will all be subdued and submit. Swiftly, swiftly, obey the statutes and ordinances.

Heavenly Heart Spell for Summoning Generals

The Kui star is on the left and the Gang star on the right, and the numinous spirits of the Six Jia attend. Swiftly summon the orthodox divine generals to descend. The Supreme Sovereign has already issued a decree, which must be obeyed and carried out. Swiftly, swiftly, obey the statutes and ordinances.

Form the Dipper seal with the right hand, blow toward the Gate of Heaven to summon the generals, and apply this as needed.

Instruction on Visualization in Writing Talismans

When writing Fulu (talismans and registers), use the method of visualization and contemplative concentration.

First let the mind and spirit grow calm, with no stray thoughts. Sit upright, determine the directions, and face the position called “Po Shang.” Visualize the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities venerated in Daoism, seated high above the void and receiving the Four Saints together with the host of soldiers and generals. Visualize your own body as possessing the power to drive off evil influences, while the starlight of the Five Dippers conceals your bodily form. First tread the steps of the Gang, then kick a step backward. Visualize yourself as bright, with the three lights of the sun, the moon, and the stars descending; draw them into the mouth, without deviation or idle fancy.

Visualize the fire of the sun descending from the direction of the mao hour, the water of the Great Yin descending from the direction of the you hour, and the Tiangang star descending from the center. Radiance in the three colors purple, white, and red envelops the whole body, causing the host of evils to retreat and scatter. Click the teeth nine times, so that the Four Great Elements, the four basic constituents of the human body, flow freely; the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers)—shine, and one’s own person grows strong. One may then, according to the ritual method, write the Fulu (talismans and registers) as the warrant for performing the rite.

The General Incantation of the Celestial Heart

Amid chaos not yet divided, in depths dark and obscure, written characters and a scene as vast and deep as the sea reflect one another. One then recites and visualizes, in sequence, the light and divine power of each direction and each time: flames blaze forth in brilliant radiance; the Azure Emperor gathers the spirits, the White Emperor dwells in the west, the Red Emperor nourishes primordial Qi (vital energy), the Black Emperor opens the blood vessels, and the Yellow Emperor resides at the center.

The Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) transforms and transforms again, dispersing from the left and changing into ten thousand forms, then returning once more. Wind rises and gathers; numinous Qi appears, and then all returns to stillness. After this resonance, the myriad things communicate with one another. Only the true Dao (the Way) can resonate; if thoughts of perversity and evil dare to arise, they are cleansed away.

By the method one summons the spirits, and the spirits in turn summon primordial Qi, causing it to condense within the spontaneous natural. When the recitation reaches “the middle finger seizes beneath the thumbnail,” perform the corresponding finger mudra. Cause it to circulate throughout heaven and earth. The Celestial Heart issues its command, and all the gods must listen with reverence: cut off baleful Qi, issue orders to Tanlang, and seize and subdue Jidu. Then recite the incantation, bidding the summoned generals to arrive swiftly, and form the mudra beneath the middle finger; in accordance with the edict of Jade Clarity, rapidly summon the myriad spirits.

The Attire and Personal Names of the Generals and Officers of the Tianxin Ritual Department

Zhang Tingzhong, Great General of All Heaven Who Seizes Evil: hair worn loose, dressed in a bright red robe and golden armor, holding a sword and a staff.

Zhu Zizhen, Great General of the Slaying Spirit Who Spans Heaven: hair worn loose, dressed in an azure robe and golden armor, holding cords.

Zhang Tingzhong, Great General Who Storms the Celestial Capital and Seizes Evil, wears his hair unbound, a bright red robe and golden armor, and holds a sword-staff.

Zhu Zizhen, Great General Who Spans Heaven and Slays Spirits, wears his hair unbound, a blue robe and golden armor, and holds ropes.

Su Chengli, Great General Who Charges Heaven and Captures Spirits, wears his hair unbound, a yellow robe and golden armor, and holds a sword.

Zheng Tianying, Divine General of the Golden Heaven Fire Wheel, wears his hair unbound, a black robe and golden armor, and holds a staff.

Zhao Tianzheng, Great General and Golden Sage Who Flies Through the Void, wears his hair unbound, a white robe and golden armor, and holds shackles.

Wang Huoguang, Great General of the Flying Wheel of the Blazing Void, wears his hair unbound, a crimson robe and golden armor, and holds a fire wheel.

Liu Cishen, Great General Who Flies the Empyrean and Destroys Evil, wears his hair unbound, a purple robe and golden armor, and grips a blade.

Hu Zhongyuan, Great General and Holy Spirit of Cinnabar and Azure, wears his hair unbound, a black robe and golden armor, and holds a staff.

Ju Zizhen, Great General Who Pacifies the Spirit and Settles the Soul, wears his hair unbound, a binding robe and golden armor, and holds a sword-staff.

Du Gangzhi, Great General Who Pursues Souls and Restores Souls, wears his hair unbound and a blue robe.

Hu Zhongyuan, Great General and Holy Spirit of Cinnabar and Azure, wears his hair unbound, a black robe and golden armor, and holds a staff.

Ju Zizhen, Great General Who Pacifies the Spirit and Settles the Soul, wears his hair unbound, a binding robe and golden armor, and holds a sword-staff.

Du Gangzhi, Great General Who Pursues Souls and Restores Souls, wears his hair unbound, a blue robe and golden armor, and holds a blade.

Yao Yaozhen, Great General of Proscribed Methods and Spiritual Powers, wears his hair unbound, a green robe and golden armor, and holds a sword-staff.

Xu Tianxin, Great General Who Pursues Goblins and Seizes Demons, wears his hair unbound, a yellow floral robe and golden armor, and holds a blade.

Yuan Tongling, Great General Who Leaps Mountains and Enters the Seas, wears his hair unbound, a blue robe and golden armor, and holds a sword-staff.

The thirteen great generals above all belong to the Northern Court, the northern bureau among the divine offices of Daoism.

The Chancellor’s Office of the Northern Pole Celestial Heart.

The Chancellor’s Office of the Orthodox Methods of the Northern Pole.

The legend of the Seal of the Celestial Heart Orthodox Methods (Tianxin Zhengfa).

A Fulu (talismans and registers) by which the Great Sage of Tiangang issues an edict to expel baleful influences and send ghosts on their way.

According to the Daoist scriptures, the Great Saint of Tiangang, a guardian deity associated with the stars of the Northern Dipper, can avert disasters for the state. When the movements of the sun and moon fall into disorder, when a comet appears in daylight, or when drought, flood, insect plague, locust plague, or epidemic occurs; when vicious gods and ghosts enter the territory and show themselves, or when strange and ugly forms burst into a dwelling, throwing bricks and tiles, raising wind and setting fires, and deluding people—one writes the True Form Talisman of Tiangang. While writing the talisman, one visualizes the star Pojun appearing and, following the method, faces it directly.

The night before, prepare incense, flowers, wine, and fruit as offerings to the Great Saint of Tiangang, and place brush and ink on the writing desk. At dawn, clear away distracting thoughts so that body and mind are pure, and then write the talisman according to the rite. The text next lists six character forms—“Tian,” “Gang,” “Da,” “Sheng,” “Chi,” and “Sha”—for use in writing the talisman.

While writing the talisman, one recites the spell-command of Tiangang and visualizes the true Qi (vital energy)—the primordial energy spoken of in internal refinement—of the Venerable Star of Heaven that regulates the divisions and destroys demons entering the talisman, while at the same time forming the Gangmu, a hand seal used together with the ritual of pacing the Gang and treading the Dipper. The scripture says that this method, used to settle a house and drive out evil, is markedly efficacious.

One may also give the talisman to a person, or spray water upon the talisman—in Daoist ritual, a way of working the method by spraying water—while holding the sword mudra, a ritual seal formed with the fingers, and recite: “Spirits of Heaven, spirits of Earth, the Three and the Five come together. I have received the edict of the Celestial Emperor to investigate and correct evil essences. Merit officers on duty for the day, and the generals and clerks charged with the affair, must not delay: go quickly and return quickly. I wait here to be sent.”

One then sets the Thunder configuration in motion, the procedure of the Thunder Rites operated according to the ritual seals.

Heavenly thunder rumbles in the distance, while earth thunder, yin thunder, and yang thunder put forth their might and shake the four quarters. Dragon and tiger interlace; sun and moon stand arrayed, radiant and bright. The Twelve Gongcao, the Five Thunder Envoys, and the Six Jia and Six Ding—divine generals in Daoism who carry out commands—come forward holding talismanic orders. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

At the first turn, the Six Spirits conceal themselves. From the yin hour to the mao hour, the Twelve Gongcao, the Five Thunder Envoys, and the Six Jia and Six Ding advance bearing talismans. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

At the second turn, the Four Balefuls vanish. At the third turn, Kui and Gang are set in motion. At the fourth turn, thunder-fire rises. At the fifth turn, thunderclaps burst forth. At the sixth turn, mountain ghosts are destroyed. At the seventh turn, every baleful spirit that defies Heaven’s Dao (the Way), does evil, and waylays people on the road is seized and subdued. Any evil spirit that harasses a given person and works mischief upon that person’s body must come beneath my Kui and Gang and the Five Thunders to meet death, and must not act presumptuously. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

One recites the incantation and forms the hand seals to compose the Thunder Configuration, the hand seal used to deploy thunder. In deploying thunder, one stirs from the kidney region with the hand seals, causing the Qi (vital energy) of kidney-water to rise, and then causes the red breath of heart-fire to descend and meet the kidney Qi. The two breaths mingle and surge, transforming into thunder and lightning. In circulating them, one must form the Thunder Configuration with both hands, draw the Qi up to the crown of the head, and then release it through the hand seals. One covers the ears and makes the sound of thunder; flashes the eyes open three times to signify lightning; exhales through the nose to signify wind; breathes out from the mouth to signify clouds; and sprays three mouthfuls of water outward to signify rain.

When the talisman is sent and the seals are issued, the divine generals summoned by the talisman must be sent to carry out the task. The person who receives the talisman serves as a Heavenly Ding Warrior, a soldier-general of the celestial realm, or acts as the Gongcao of the day, the divine clerk charged with transmitting commands. If the rite is for hastening childbirth, the Child-Hastening Lad and the Great Deity Who Supervises Birth provide escort. The person who has received the talisman must not stop along the way.

Ancient version of the Talisman of the Three Luminaries.

When writing the talisman, one first invites the Gongcao of the day. If it is for hastening childbirth, one invites the Child-Hastening Lad and the Great Deity Who Supervises Birth to provide escort; the person who has received the talisman must not stop along the way.

Ancient version of the Talisman of the Three Luminaries.

When writing the talisman, one first faces the Establishing Direction, the auspicious direction fixed for that day, and then turns toward the Breaking Direction, the direction opposite the Establishing Direction, to send forth the officials and issue commands. According to the method, one also paces the Zi-Wu Dipper—the steps traced through the positions of zi, wu, and the rest—so that the whole body prostrates in accordance with the rite. Then, following the ritual method, one invites the Qi into the vermilion ink, so that radiance fills it completely. The incantation says:

When the sun, the solar deity, shines directly and upright, yin ghosts recede. When the spirit of Zhuming, the solar deity, illuminates Taiwei, a starry region of the heavens, the nine dews descend. The three Qi (vital energy)—the three primordial energies between heaven and earth—gather to form the Terrace, and the seven Qi gather to form the Dipper. When the two luminaries, sun and moon, shine together, the moment the Fulu (talismans and registers) arrive, baleful spirits are certain to be pursued and seized. Ink is the divine sword, the brush is spear and halberd, the inkstone is the Dragon Pool, and the water in the inkstone is Dragon Fluid. Drawing a talisman with the brush can cure illness, and every baleful spirit will be destroyed; all must be carried out in accordance with the statutes and ordinances. Next, form the mudra of the Solar Lord: the upper joint of the middle finger of the left hand.

Draw the talisman “Round Radiance, Square Image”: its form is square and regular, with a circular image of the sun within.

Recite the solar incantation, and visualize purple Qi within the sun dividing into nine rays of light; blow them into the talisman while forming the picking mudra.

Recite the lunar incantation, and visualize white Qi within the moon dividing into ten rays of light; blow them into the talisman while forming the picking mudra.

Turn seven times, recite the star names from Kui to Bi, form the Chen mudra, seize the Qi of the Celestial Gang, and infuse it into the talisman.

When the talisman form is complete, recite: “The Great Sage of the Celestial Gang descends and draws the Qi of true orthodoxy into the ghost’s heart.”

“Talisman of the Five Fires and Three Luminaries.”

Incantation for commanding the talisman:

Talisman spirits of heaven, talisman spirits of earth. Gods of the Six Jia and the Six Ding, pray seize and subdue the host of baleful spirits. As soon as the talisman arrives, carry out the command as ordered; every illness can be cured. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Another talisman:

“Talisman of the Five Fires and Three Luminaries.”

After the talisman has been drawn, recite the Gang incantation, then recite the incantation that commands and invites the Celestial Emperor and releases the memorial. According to another account, one recites the “Hun Yueling” incantation: Gods of the Six Jia and the Six Ding, pray seize and subdue the host of baleful spirits. As soon as the talisman arrives, carry out the command as ordered; every illness can be cured. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Another talisman:

“Talisman of the Five Fires and Three Luminaries.”

After the talisman has been drawn, recite the Gang incantation, then recite the incantation that commands and invites the Celestial Emperor and releases the memorial; one may also recite the two incantations “Hun Yue” and “Po,” commanding the dispatched spirit-generals to set forth. Then, within the Thunder Array—the altar or ritual arrangement used when performing Thunder Rites—take Qi and incorporate that Qi into water.

“Great Talisman of the Three Luminaries.”

“Talisman of the True Form of the Black Killer.”

In the performance of ritual methods, what matters most is first to take Qi. Only when the Qi is orthodox is the talisman efficacious; only when the dispatched spirit-generals are upright is the method effective. Without understanding the path by which Qi is taken, there is no way to practice correctly. The methods of the various lineages are many, yet in the past this matter was never explained clearly.

The Correct Method of the Celestial Heart takes the three luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—as its foundation. The numinous writings of the South take Zhuling, the Southern Fire Bureau where spirits dwell as described in Daoism, as their foundation, yet they do not make clear the direction of Zhuling or the corresponding incantations. The numinous writings of the various lineages mostly record only from which direction Qi is to be taken, without explaining the source of that Qi. Those who later studied and transmitted ritual offices therefore made many errors, so that talisman water proved inefficacious, and they blamed the Great Dao (the Way). In truth, this was because they had not received correct transmission—truly a cause for regret. What follows will explain in detail the method of taking Qi; to study this method in depth is precisely what is fitting.

Each day, at the time of ingestion, face the sun. With the eyes slightly open, click the teeth nine times toward the sun, silently recite the invocation in the heart, and call upon the name of the solar hun (yang-soul) and the taboo names of the Five Emperors within the sun. Then join the hands and call upon the solar hun once more. Visualize the Five Emperors seated upright according to the positions of the five directions, with the sun at the center.

Next, visualize the essential Qi of the solar hun coming into manifestation. Face the sun and click the teeth nine times, silently recite the invocation in the heart, and call upon the name of the solar hun and the taboo names of the Five Emperors within the sun; join the hands and call upon the solar hun once more. Visualize the Five Emperors seated upright according to the positions of the five directions, with the sun at the center.

The essential hun of the solar soul refers to the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) within the sun; the red Qi within the sun is the crimson vapor of the sun. “Supreme Sovereign True Lord” (Shanghuang Zhenjun) is the honorific title of the exalted deity. The taboo name is “Jiangjun” (General), and the courtesy name is “Gaoqian.” These names must not be spoken casually and directly; one need only know them within the visualization.

Zhujing (Vermilion Radiance), the Solar Hun

The Green Emperor, “Zhaotao, Green Emperor Yuanchangwu,” has the courtesy name “Zhaotao.” He appears in the form of an infant, wearing a green-jade brocade robe, a blue-green flying-feather skirt, and a kingfisher-green crown of Upholding the Dawn. He comes riding the light from within the sun and stands on the left side of my body.

The Red Emperor, “Lüying, Red Emperor Danlingzhi,” has the courtesy name “Lühongying.” He appears in the form of an infant, wearing a deep-red jade brocade robe, a white flying-feather skirt, and a cinnabar crown of Upholding the Numinous. He comes from the sunlight to my side and stands on my right.

The White Emperor, “Huixia, White Emperor Haoyujiang,” has the courtesy name “Huijinxia.” He appears in the form of an infant, wearing plain-colored garments and a white-jade brocade robe, a white flying-feather skirt, and a crown of Upholding the Numinous. He comes from the sunlight to my side and stands on my right.

He is also called the White Emperor, “Huixia, White Emperor Haoyujiang,” with the courtesy name “Huijinxia.” He appears in the form of an infant, wearing plain-colored garments and a white-jade brocade robe, a white flying-feather skirt, and a crown of Brilliant Numen Upholding Splendor. He comes from the sunlight and stands before me.

Chitong (Cinnabar Lad), the Solar Po

The Black Emperor, “Xuanyan, Black Emperor Chengqinting,” has the courtesy name “Xulüyan.” He appears in the form of an infant, wearing a black-jade brocade robe, a black flying-feather skirt, and a crown of Dark Mountain Upholding the Hibiscus. He comes from the sunlight to a place above my left hand.

The Yellow Emperor, “Anlu-S-di Shouyifu”—the original title and courtesy name contain corrupted character forms. His appearance is as described above. He wears a yellow-jade brocade robe, a yellow flying-feather skirt, and a plain crown of the Fusang tree. He comes from the sunlight to a place above my right hand.

Following this method, after the rite of summoning has ended, close the eyes and quietly visualize that you see the sunlight, both hands held in the firm grasp (wogu) and hanging naturally at your sides. Visualize five-colored roseate Qi (vital energy) emerging within the sun: blue-green on the left, red on the right, white above, black below, and yellow at the center. The five-colored roseate Qi mingle and shine upon one another, gathering together upon your body, flowing from the feet all the way to the crown of the head and then entering through the mouth. Visualize these roseate Qi as first rising out of the sun, the five colors mingled with the sunlight and spread throughout the whole body.

Next, visualize within the roseate radiance red masses of Qi, each the size of a child’s eye, hanging down in strands, several dozen in all. Amid the five-colored roseate light, concentrate and clearly distinguish forty-five of them. These are called “Flying-Root Water-Mothers” (feigen shuimu), and they are the objects of meditative visualization (cunxiang) in this method. Silently recite their name three times in the mind, so that they enter the mouth together with the five-colored Qi. Open the mouth and inhale, feeling the mouth fill with roseate Qi. Facing the sun, swallow the roseate Qi forty-five times; with each inhalation of roseate Qi, at the same time visualize one Flying-Root Water-Mother entering the mouth and being swallowed. In turn, guide the Qi of nine swallowings into the liver, the lungs, the heart, the kidneys, and the spleen, and at the end still visualize the breath pervading the whole body. Visualize light shining forth within and without the body and at the navel, the roseate light penetrating the body through and through; continue for a time, and then conclude.

Then swallow the saliva nine times, click the teeth nine times, and softly recite the incantation:

Red, furnace-fire cinnabar Qi, the essence nurtured within the Mysterious Heaven. By firmness one receives softness; blazing fire unites with the yin florescence. The primordial vision of the sun at dawn is called “Great Brightness.” The nine yang transform together, and the two forms of Yin-Yang arise as one. They cause the hun and po to coalesce and harmonize, gathering the essence of the five Qi. The Five Emperors manifest from within, riding the light and guiding the bodily form. Drawing in the numinous, subtle Qi, one obtains the root of fullness. Within the head the dragon Qi is harmonized; one is clad in vermilion robes and bound with a blue-green sash. Driving the crow-dark Qi, one sets the mysterious Qi circulating, and roseate light shines upon the Upper Clarity (Shangqing). Jade-slip documents are bestowed, and the name is inscribed at the Golden Portal. Ingesting the morning roseate clouds, one unites with the true Dao (the Way) and communes in spirit. One flies up to the Grand Tenuity and ascends to the Purple Court. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

After the incantation is finished, face the sun and bow twice. If the sky is overcast and the sun cannot be seen, one may visualize and carry out the practice in a clean place indoors. A practitioner of pure cultivation who applies himself with diligent effort can enter into resonance with the upper realms; why must one wait until the sun is actually visible before cultivating? Even without seeing the sun, success comes of itself; when one cultivates while the sun is in view, the effect is all the more marvelous.

The Taiwei Numinous Talisman for Ingesting Solar Qi (vital energy) and Opening to Brightness

On the last day of each month (the final day of the lunar month), face east in the early morning and burn incense. Write the talisman in cinnabar on blue-green paper, with the characters fine and closely spaced. The dots and strokes of the talisman should follow the diagram, and the talismans that come afterward are written by the same method. Facing east, swallow this talisman in order to report to the solar hun, the soul of the solar spirit (Shen). Whenever a talisman is ingested, it must not be written out beforehand; it is to be written at the moment of use and swallowed as soon as the writing is finished. When about to write the talisman, hold the breath and take the talisman in the left hand. The incantation says:

“The cinnabar writ of Taiwei is named Opening to Brightness. I summon the upper soul of the sun to come and transform into my bodily form. Solemnly adorned in ordinary times, it takes its origin in the dark mystery. Splendid watery light flies in the courtyard, and the root of the sun contains golden Jing (essence). Purple radiance streams and turns, and is called the Five Numina.”

After the incantation has been recited, ingest the talisman: with the left hand roll it into a pellet, swallow it, and visualize it entering the heart.

The Supreme Method of the Shangqing Division for Swallowing Lunar Radiance, the Stone Mirror, and the Water Mother

It is taken every night. In practice one must click the teeth ten times and silently recite in the heart the name of the lunar po, the essential soul of the moon, together with the titles of the Five Emperor Ladies within the moon, the five goddesses who dwell there. One then visualizes the Five Emperor Ladies situated in the moon, each seated according to one of the five colors, riding beams of light to one’s side and standing to the left and right, before and behind.

The essential Qi of the lunar po is the yellow Qi within the moon. The Spirit Mother of the Supreme Sovereign has the taboo name Yaodaoyou and the style name Wanghuitiao, and she must not be addressed by them casually.

Xuanxiao, the lunar po:

Yinzhu, the fragrant and lovely Lady of the Azure Emperor, whose style name is Fenyan. Her form resembles that of an infant. She wears a splendid azure damask robe, with a flying skirt patterned in emerald dragons and phoenixes draped over her. On her head her hair is dressed in a triangular high cloud coiffure, and the rest hangs down to the waist.

The Lady of the Red Emperor (Chidi), Yiliao Wanxu—the goddess who belongs to the Red Emperor—is named Yiyiliao, with the courtesy name Kuaiyanxu. Her appearance is as described above. She wears a cinnabar-colored cape of medicinal-jade brocade (a shawl-like garment) and a vermilion flying skirt adorned with phoenix patterns. The ornaments on her head are likewise as described above. Beside her stands an emerald-green dragon. She faces toward the left; her hair is dressed in a triangular high bun that rises like a cloud, and the remaining hair falls to her waist.

The Lady of the Red Emperor, Yiliao Wanxu—Yiyiliao, courtesy name Kuaiyanxu—has the appearance described above. She wears a cinnabar-colored cape of medicinal-jade brocade and a vermilion flying skirt adorned with phoenix patterns, and the ornaments on her head are also as described above. She stands on the right and faces toward the left.

The Lady of the White Emperor (Baidi), Linglan Yuhua—the goddess who belongs to the White Emperor—is named Lingsulan, with the courtesy name Yulianhua. She wears a white cape patterned with forest motifs and decorated with dragons of the four directions, and a flying-blossom skirt embroidered with red-feathered luan birds. The ornaments on her head are as described above.

The Lady of the Black Emperor (Heidi), Jieqiao Chunjin—the goddess who belongs to the Black Emperor—is named Jieqiao, with the courtesy name Chunshujin. She wears a cape made of nine-colored numinous brocade of dark jade, and a flying-blossom skirt embroidered with black-feathered dragons. The ornaments on her head are as described above. She stands on the right, her right hand turned toward her face.

The Lady of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi), Qingying Jiongrong—the goddess who belongs to the Yellow Emperor—is named Qingyingjin, with the courtesy name Jiongrong. She wears a brocade cape embroidered with patterns of yellow clouds and mountains, and a skirt embroidered with green-feathered phoenixes. The ornaments on her head are as described above. She stands on the left, her left hand turned toward her face.

Subiao Yuepo (the white emblem and the moon-soul).

Each time one calls upon and recites them, the characters are read two at a time, joined together; when the recitation is finished, one closes the eyes. The Lady of the Yellow Emperor, Qingying Jiongrong, is named Qingyingjin, with the courtesy name Jiongrong. She wears a brocade cape embroidered with patterns of yellow clouds and mountains and a skirt embroidered with green-feathered phoenixes. The ornaments on her head are as described above. She stands on the left, her left hand turned toward her face.

Subiao Yuepo.

After each time you finish reciting two characters joined together, close your eyes, clench your palms, and let your arms hang down naturally. Visualize the five-colored Jing (essence) in the moon flowing forth and spreading through the whole body, from the feet all the way to the crown of the head. Then visualize the five-colored crystalline radiance in the moon entering the mouth all together.

Further visualize that, within the light of this crystalline radiance, there are also many yellow clumps of Qi (vital energy), each about the size of a child’s eye, with several dozen linked together. Visualize fifty crystals within the moon’s five-colored crystalline radiance, called the “Crystals of the Flying Elixir.” Silently recite their name three times in the mind, and let them enter the mouth together with the crystalline radiance. Facing the moon, swallow and take in the crystalline radiance fifty times in all. With each inhalation of Qi, visualize one stream of crystalline radiance and one Flying Yellow entering the mouth together and being swallowed: ten times sent into the liver, ten times into the lungs, ten times into the heart, ten times into the kidneys, and ten times into the spleen.

Then visualize the five viscera and all the limbs and joints, inside and out, growing fully luminous and continuous with the flowing crystalline radiance. Continue in this way for a while. When you finish, swallow saliva ten times more and click the teeth ten times. Then softly recite the incantation:

Yellow Jing and mysterious radiance, primordial Yin and ascending Qi. Scatter congestion and cold Qi, cultivate the Shen (spirit), and regulate the spleen and stomach. The ripples in the void are clear, bright, and fair; standing tall and washed clean, they settle the organ-palaces. The moon’s night is pure and bright, and the Mysterious Palace is exalted. The ladies of the Five Palaces each guard their own stations. Ascending in flight through the Crimson Heaven, infant maidens arrive in succession. The Four Yin join in three unions, and light shines through the four directions. Harmonize the hun and po souls, and set the five kinds of embryonic light in circulation. Riding the rose-colored clouds and driving Jing, soar free toward the east. Above the head, numinous clouds gather, and radiant light shines upon the clear wind. On the left hangs a tiger tally; on the right is tied a dragon insignia. The body is clad in a cloud cape of phoenix plumes and adorned with jade pendants and golden ornaments. The Qian trees (trees of divine wonder) interlock branch with branch and are called the King of Wood. The spirit curtain governs the root, sometimes waning and sometimes shining. Bright Jing and Qi answer one another within, and mysterious water breathes forth fragrance. A jade tablet is bestowed, and the name is inscribed in the Cloud Chamber. Ingesting Jing and Qi from the moon’s radiance, one becomes one with the Perfected. Flying up to Purple Tenuity, one ascends to audience with the Grand Sovereign.

Purple Tenuity Talisman for Ingesting Lunar Radiance and the Mysterious Birth of Supreme Yin

At midnight on the moon’s dark day (the end of the lunar month, when the moon is almost unseen), face east, write the talisman (fu) on yellow paper, and then swallow it, in order to report to the moon’s po. Hold the breath, with the talisman in the right hand.

The incantation is as follows:

The name of the Purple Tenuity Yellow Writ is “Great Mystery” (Taixuan). Lunar-essence water is sprinkled forth to nourish the po and the hun; one proceeds with solemn care at the center of the directions, and the rite begins from the Mysterious Pass (Xuanguan, the aperture indicated in cultivation or in ritual practice). The light of Heaven is concealed and the radiance of the moon is hidden, while the Lady of the Five Numina presides. Flying light divides into nine rays and illuminates the Mud Pill (Niwan, the upper Dantian within the head).

Hold the talisman.

Recite the incantation:

The name of the Purple Tenuity Yellow Writ is “Great Mystery.” Lunar-essence water is sprinkled forth to nourish the po and the hun; one proceeds with solemn care at the center of the directions, and the rite begins from the Mysterious Pass. The light of Heaven is concealed and the radiance of the moon is hidden, while the Lady of the Five Numina presides. Flying light divides into nine rays and illuminates the Mud Pill.

When the incantation has been recited, swallow the talisman as a pellet: roll it up with the right hand and swallow it, visualizing it as it enters the Mud Pill. Those who cultivate the method of the sun and moon for the first time should, at midnight on the last day of the preceding month, first write the Fulu (talismans and registers) and swallow them; only then may they perform the rite. Thereafter, on the night of the last day of every month, the talisman is to be swallowed. First write the sun talisman, recite the incantation, and swallow it; then write the moon talisman and swallow it, writing three talismans in all.

The format for writing talismans

When a talisman is written, it must embody the principle of Yin-Yang. The movement of the brush must accord with the method of the Gang and must also carry the impetus of flying fire. As the brush is set down, gather on the left and draw in on the right, keep the talisman’s aperture hidden, and arrange in proper order the empty and the full, the contrary and the concordant, of the stars of the Dipper. Only then does it become a Fulu and display numinous efficacy. The Record of Cavern Numina says: “To write a talisman without according with the method of the apertures only gives ghosts and spirits cause to laugh. The people of the world are foolish in the extreme, and still they do not understand.”

Every talisman that is sent forth must have a commander to lead it.

When one writes a talisman for another in order to treat illness and cut off malign spirits, first establish a pure and secluded chamber, facing the Gate of Heaven (Tianmen, the direction fixed by the rite). Prepare the Fulu and arrange them neatly there. Then burn incense and transform the spirit (bianshen: through visualization the practitioner enters the state of a divine general or a deity); when the memorial to the deities has been completed, write the Fulu. Visualize the brush transforming into a dragon and the inkstone transforming into a great sea. When treating illness and cutting off malign spirits, first establish a pure and secluded chamber facing the Gate of Heaven; prepare the Fulu and arrange them neatly. After burning incense, transforming the spirit, and presenting the memorial, begin to write the talisman. Visualize the brush as a dragon, the inkstone as a great sea, the ink as an iron mountain, the cinnabar as the hundred medicines, the vessel that holds the cinnabar as a pool of fire, and the paper as an iron plate. When these visualizations are complete, one must also choose a day suited to Yin and Yang. While writing the talisman, the left hand forms the Mao mudra; pass the cinnabar and the brush through the smoke of the incense, and recite “Heming tiandi ri” (“the day of the Celestial Thearch who unites with brightness”) three times. At the same time visualize the perfected immortals of the various heavens and the stellar mansions descending, divine light shining brilliantly over the whole, with commanders and subordinate officers encircling the Fulu. Then recite the general incantation:

When the light of the sun shines down, yin ghosts are to be crushed and subdued. The deity Zhuming (the sun god) appears, and Jiulu and Taiwei (names of stars) descend. The ritual arts I perform cause every kind of evil to decline. Seven currents of Qi (vital energy) gather to form the Northern Dipper, and three currents of Qi gather to form the Star Terrace. The radiance of the two stars shines through the four directions; as soon as the Fulu (talismans and registers) arrives, malign spirits are swiftly brought under control.

The writing brush is a divine sword, the ink is spear and halberd, the inkstone is the Dragon Pool, and cinnabar is the hundred medicines. By the method of the brush one treats illness and writes celestial talismans (Daoist Fulu). Wherever the Fulu reaches, it must be obeyed; all malign spirits are to submit. Carry this out at once, in accordance with the decree of the Lord on High.

After the incantation has been recited, draw in three mouthfuls of the sun’s Qi, infuse them into the paper, brush, cinnabar, and ink, and then, following the fuqiao (the format and structure of the Fulu), draw the talisman.

Discourse on the Sun

In every case, ingesting the true Qi of the sun should be done each day at dawn. If one cannot take it regularly, then……

After the incantation has been recited, draw in three mouthfuls of the sun’s Qi, infuse them into the paper, brush, cinnabar, and ink, and then, following the fuqiao, draw the talisman.

Discourse on the Sun

Ingesting the true Qi (vital energy) of the sun—by visualizing and drawing in the sun’s essential Qi—should be practiced every morning at dawn. If one cannot cultivate every day, the same method may be followed on the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, fifteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, and twenty-first days of each month.

When the sun rises, face it. If there is a solar eclipse, wait until the eclipse has passed, then set out an incense table, burn incense, and perform the rite. After that, look directly at the sun and salute it with both hands pressed to the chest. The sun does not necessarily rise due east; one should face the direction in which it is actually seen at the time. Practice may still be done when the sun has risen to a height of three zhang. If the sun appears late, or if the sky is overcast, one may also practice indoors, though it is best to catch the moment just as the sun rises. In cultivating, greet the sun according to the method already described, and then absorb the true Qi according to the prescribed ritual.

When absorbing solar Qi, determine the sun’s position according to the season and adjust the direction one faces as needed, for the course of Heaven turns to the left. The direction corresponding to each month is reckoned in sequence: the first month lies in the zi direction, the second month in the hai direction, the third month in the xu direction, and the remaining months follow in the same way.

At the start of the absorption, visualize the seven stars of the Northern Dipper, counting them in order up to the seventh, then silently recite the Liujia Sishi (the formula associated with the Liujia spirit-generals and the seasons and times). When the incantation is finished, hold the Dinggang step (a Daoist method of pacing the Dipper) and stand firm, facing the direction of the sun, with the Dinggang step underfoot kept aligned with the first star throughout. Form the mudra of the Solar Lord with the left hand, recite the incantation of the Solar Lord, and visualize turning seven times in sequence.

Next, visualize yourself within a golden world. A stream of crimson Qi, bright as flame and also like a golden basin, radiates light of the five colors and descends before the nose. Draw this Qi into the mouth and swallow it, clicking the teeth nine times at the same time. Silently recite the solar incantation seven times, then inhale through the left nostril and guide the Qi downward. Visualize the solar Qi passing from the throat straight down to the Weilu point (the point near the base of the spine), then ascending along the spine and entering the Niwan Palace (the divine palace in the brain, as spoken of in Daoism) through the crown of the head. From the head it then descends, pervading the five viscera, the six bowels, and the four limbs. Further visualize five-colored radiance shining forth from every pore of the body.

After this, visualize the light gathering in the Lower Dantian (energy center)—the site of Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation below the navel—like a pellet, its radiance steady and unmoving. Then slowly breathe out the turbid Qi. Once the breath is calm and even, absorb and swallow the solar Qi again as before. Repeat this three times, and finally make three sincere bows toward the sun.

When the true Qi (vital energy) of Taiyin (Great Yin) is to be ingested, choose a night of clear weather and bright moonlight. Practice usually begins after the third day of each month, or at the last-quarter moon, when the moon has already brought forth its lunar po (corporeal soul). If one cannot cultivate regularly, one may practice on such lunar days as the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth, sixteenth, eighteenth, twentieth, twenty-second, and twenty-fourth.

One may wait until the moon has just risen, or practice in the evening or at night. On the second and third, begin at sunset; on the hui and shuo days (the end and the beginning of the lunar month) the Qi should likewise be gathered at sunset. If there is a lunar eclipse, wait until it has ended. Set an incense table facing the moon; after burning incense, gaze intently upon the moon, form a hand mudra before the chest, and bow. When the moon has risen about three or four zhang, the Qi may still be ingested; the precise method should be carried out according to the diagram.

To calculate the moon’s position, begin counting from the You position and count backward day by day in the order given in the text; after one full round, continue again from You. At the actual hour of practice, add that hour to the day’s positional count, and the moon’s direction can be known. For example, practice at the Zi hour on the third: counting three days from the You position beginning on the first places the day at Shen; counting on again from You, Xu falls at You, Hai at Xu, and the Zi hour at Hai, so the moon is inferred to lie in the Hai direction.

In practice, face the moon’s direction, form the “Moon Lord mudra” (the hand gesture associated with the moon deity), and visualize yourself in a silvery-white world, with a stream of white Qi like warm, luminous, pure jade, shining like a silver disk, entering straight into the nostrils. After reciting the Moon Lord incantation, inhale through the right nostril by the method already described and lead the Qi into the Dantian (energy center), the site of cultivation in the lower abdomen; then expel the turbid Qi with the sound he, settle the mind and Shen (spirit), and perform three bows.

Treatise on Tiangang

Also called “the Living Luminary Tiangang of Heaven,” and also “the Secret Formula for Entering the Dipper.”

Long ago, while the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan was within Yuecheng, a True Lord descended from the sky and manifested his true form, his body nine

This passage of the scripture (Jing) says that this method is also called the “Living Luminary Tiangang of Heaven,” and is also known as the “Secret Formula for Entering the Dipper.”

Tradition relates that when the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan was at Yuecheng, a Perfected Lord (zhenjun) appeared out of the void and revealed his form: nine chi in height, a star crown upon his head, and his hand resting on a precious sword. He said to the Yellow Emperor, “I transmit to you the method of the Living Luminary Tiangang; master this method, and you will be able to win a great victory.” After the transmission, the Perfected Lord suddenly vanished. Later the Yellow Emperor applied this method and indeed slew Chiyou and inflicted a great defeat upon the armies of the Qiang and the Rong; its numinous efficacy can scarcely be told in full. The Yellow Emperor then enshrined the silver register (yinlu) of the divine immortals—a document recording the names and titles of immortals, their ritual offices, or their ritual arts—in the Sheling Hall of Huayang Palace, and it was later stored at Taiping Abbey. The scripture states that the methods of the Emperor of Qi (vital energy) and the immortals, preserved in that collection, have circulated in the world down to the present day. Jiang Anguo of the Later Han also often used this talisman (fu) to subdue the treacherous and the deviant. If an army came to attack a city, one had only to manifest the ritual image of the “Seven Stars Ascending to the Thearch,” and the enemy forces would withdraw of their own accord.

Later, the Tang general Li Jing encountered a divine being in the city of Luoyang. That divine being arranged to transmit this method at the zi hour of midnight, calling it “the marvel of the Living Luminary Tiangang of the Upper Heaven.” The scripture further says that the arts of Liuren, Dunjia, the Three Transmissions and Four Lessons, and the Three Extraordinary Gates all derive from this method, and that it is therefore a true scripture of the most profound subtlety. That the ancients, once they had obtained this method, could elicit a response and see it confirmed is, upon reflection, not difficult to understand. If one were now to state the essential point of this method in a single phrase, it would be “the orthodox Qi of the Great Sage Tiangang.”

What, then, is Tiangang? The scripture says that Tiangang is the Pojun star within the Northern Dipper, the orthodox Qi of great majestic virtue, situated in the Great Scarlet Heaven. It sends down a radiance of ten thousand zhang, fine as a silk thread; it assists the sun and moon and destroys the myriad evils. When the method is performed, the changes of the sun and moon are easy to discern, but the position of Tiangang is not easy to determine. When one looks up to observe the stars, if the direction indicated by the handle of the Northern Dipper lies before the hai position, it is called Tiangang.

Between master and disciple a method of reckoning by the month and by the hour is commonly transmitted: one takes as the starting point the position of the current month’s monthly establishment (yuejian), places the hai position upon that monthly establishment, and then advances in the order of the twelve earthly branches. If, for example, the monthly establishment is at yin, one begins with hai from the yin position; the hai hour points to yin, the zi hour points to mao, the chou hour points to chen, the yin hour points to si, and so on in sequence. If one wishes to draw a talisman at the wu hour on the fifth day of the fifth month, the monthly establishment of the fifth month being at wu, then by this reckoning the hai hour points to wu, and the wu hour corresponds to the chou position, which is the Ghost Gate. By this the scripture explains the arrangement of Yin-Yang directions, and thus holds that performing the method will not bring on calamity.

There is yet another method: set the monthly general upon the hour in question, and wherever one meets the position occupied by Chen, take that place as the palace in which Tiangang resides. What is spoken of here is the palace where Tiangang is located. For example, if the monthly general stands precisely at Hai, then, reckoned by the leftward course of the Heavenly Dao (the Way), the second month falls at Xu, and so on in the same manner. Suppose one wishes to find where Tiangang is at the Zi hour of the first month: set Hai upon Zi and count to the right; upon meeting Chen, Tiangang is at Si. The palace in which Tiangang resides and the palace that Tiangang establishes are both bound up with presiding over the establishment and with the circulation of Qi (vital energy), yet the two methods each have their own emphasis. When one advances in nourishing cultivation, if one lacks official rank and status, its direction cannot be fixed; when one performs the method, if one lacks Qi—the breath and energy of which Daoism speaks—the method cannot be carried out. Tiangang pervades the Great Void and is nowhere absent among the Three Luminaries (the sun, the moon, and the stars); those who practice must not fail to know this. To cling one-sidedly to facing some particular direction is, one fears, also wrong.

Master Liu says: In every matter of direction, the crux lies in where the heart-mind turns; in every matter of precepts, the crux likewise lies in what the heart-mind upholds. The saying, “Glance left to take the Great Yang, glance right to take the Great Yin,” means holding fast to the Gang position in accordance with the monthly establishment; only a person of pure sincerity can grasp its essential subtlety. Suppose one is aboard a boat and meets with fish and dragons appearing and vanishing in the water, and wind and rain whirling about, so that east, west, south, and north can no longer be distinguished—if one then wishes to face Tiangang and draw Qi, how is the direction to be told? If the heart and Shen (spirit) are unsettled, the ritual art will not respond; when the heart and Shen are settled, the light of Shen appears within stillness, and what is sought is swiftly fulfilled.

When drawing Qi, let the palm of the left hand symbolize Heaven and Earth, and let the twelve lines on the four fingers stand for the twelve palaces. Having clearly distinguished the south one faces, one calculates by the hour while forming the hand-seal, receives the Qi of the sun, and then raises the head to gather it in. One then sees, within the Great Scarlet Heaven (one of the celestial realms of Daoism), Tiangang letting down Qi like fire, which pours into the mouth like a thread of silk, so that inside and outside alike become bright and transparent. If one does not even understand where one’s parents and revered teachers are, how can one attend to distinguishing the four quarters? Thus it is said that direction has no fixed orientation. This method must be firmly remembered, and the steps of performing the method must also be clearly understood.

There is yet another account: for the first half of the month one uses Hai, and for the second half one uses Xu, counting from the position of the monthly establishment until one reaches the Wei hour. For example, at the Wu hour in the first half of the first month, set Hai upon Yin, count upward to You, and upon meeting the Wu hour one finds Tiangang at Xu. This method comes from the Ziwei Qizheng Jing (Scripture of Purple Tenuity and the Seven Governors), and few in the world know of it. What people commonly know is mostly the method of deriving Tiangang by year and month, which differs greatly; they do not understand the formula of the living luminaries (stellar positions that change with the time).

The Dayou Lingyan Ge (Standard of Great Numinous Efficacy) says: Tiangang is the revered master who presides over the great method, and the foremost of all ritual forms. To accord with it is life; to go against it is death. Some set the monthly-general Tiangang upon Xu and Hai, and this is wrong; others set the monthly general upon the hour in question, and this too is incorrect. The ritual officer must recognize the true form of Tiangang, so that in contemplative visualization, invocation, and the drawing of Qi there will be no error. Tiangang has the form of a yin person (a female figure), like a Jade Maiden; details of dress, color, and the like are recorded in the Sanguang Lü (Code of the Three Luminaries). The incantation of the Northern Dipper says: “Numinous, numinous is the Northern Dipper; the star before the Dipper’s handle.” It also says: “Where Tiangang points, day and night it ever turns.” Since Tiangang moves along before the Dipper’s handle, how can it be fixed upon Xu and Hai? Although these teachings are manifested through the patterns of Heaven, people often cannot comprehend the Heavenly Dao. If one cannot recognize the position where Tiangang lies, how is one to practice the method and cultivate?

Yet within the same discussion there are also differing views. Now that these materials have been compiled together, one can see that they issue from a single lineage while their methods differ. From this one can also see that to study alone, without exchange among companions in the Dao, inevitably leaves one’s insight shallow and one’s learning scant. Looked at closely, this set of method-instructions holds several layers of meaning within a few sentences, and is indeed sufficient to point the way for those who cultivate the Dao. Whoever would practice accordingly ought in every case to follow its proper measure.

This method may at times be performed in an inn, on the road, or aboard a ship. When there is not time enough to pace the Gang and tread the Dipper (bugang tadou: simulating the positions of the stars and the Dipper by a prescribed sequence of steps), one faces the direction of the Ding Gang (Dinggang) and carries out the rite. What are called the “mobile luminaries” (huoyao) are stellar luminaries that shift with the hour and with the directions of the earthly branches (dizhi). In performing the method, one first determines the hour, then matches it to the earthly-branch direction, and moves through them one by one according to the order of the deities of the monthly establishment (yuejian). The positions of the Gang revolve in a yearly cycle, coming full circle and beginning again.

If one practices according to one’s intention and recites the words aloud, it is said that one can move mountains and destroy heterodox temples, the effects all lying within the raising of a hand. The scripture (jing) says: “Wherever the Celestial Gang (Tiangang) points, the hundred evils have nowhere to flee.” So long as one carries it out with care, there is no need for concern. In all matters one begins from the direction of the Tiangang. The three directions in front are called “luan,” and the three directions behind are called “yin”; both, it is said, bring good fortune.

The scripture states that if this method had not been transmitted by the sages, later generations would have had no way of learning it; only persons of destined affinity whose conduct is good and virtuous are likely to encounter it. After obtaining this secret instruction, one should treasure it and apply it with caution, and not transmit it lightly. The scripture further warns that one must not disclose it rashly, or else one will diminish one’s span of life and one’s emolument and rank, bring harm upon one’s ancestors, and call down disaster. For those who receive and uphold this method, the essential point lies in sincerity and reverence of mind, and in keeping the secret strictly.

The Tiangang Method of Rescue and Treatment (Tiangang jiuzhi fa)

Whenever one wishes to draw upon the Tiangang, one must first determine the direction to which the Tiangang points for the day, the month, and the hour, and then meet that bearing in order to draw upon it. If, for example, the Tiangang points to the yin position (east-northeast), one paces toward the yin position, turns to face the shen position (west-southwest), and draws upon it there.

In pacing the Gang, one sets out from the “Tan” position (Tanlang, the Greedy Wolf) and proceeds in sequence to the “Po” position (Pojun, the Army Breaker), visualizing the stellar luminaries as resting before one’s feet. One then lifts the Gang star with the sword-finger gesture (jianzhi), raises the head to gaze toward the Tiangang, and opens the mouth to inhale Qi (vital energy). After continuing the pacing, one enters the direction of the mouth of the Dipper (doukou) and applies the method.

When pacing the Gang, one must not cross the Tiangang crosswise. The scripture says that if one cuts across the Tiangang, the configuration of the steps will form a “broken pattern” (duanwen: a pacing route that has been disrupted); this is a practice strictly forbidden in the methods of the Dao. The later passage repeats the instruction: in walking from the “Tan” position to the “Po” position, one is to visualize the stellar luminaries before one’s feet, lift the Gang star with the sword-finger, look up toward the Tiangang and inhale Qi, and then enter the mouth of the Dipper and apply the method.

Whenever one performs bugang tadou—the ritual method of pacing according to the positions of the stars—one must not walk the Tiangang steps crosswise. If the gang pace is trodden sideways, the original lines of the pattern are broken, and this is strictly forbidden in the methods of the Dao (the Way). Should the taboo be violated, one ought to remove the headcloth and kowtow in acknowledgment of the offense.

The days for bugang are seven in a month: the first, the fifth, the ninth, the fifteenth, the twentieth, the twenty-fifth, and the twenty-ninth. If the ritual method is to be carried out, it is best chosen for midday and performed where no one else is present. Others must not be allowed to see it; otherwise the celestial Jing (essence)—the numinous Qi (vital energy) sent down from the heavenly realm—will not descend.

The Method of Gang Qi

With the left hand form the Dipper seal, the hand mudra symbolizing the Northern Dipper, and with the right hand form the sword mudra, the hand formula symbolizing the grasp of a sword, and pace the Sanyuan gang, the gang steps arranged according to the positions of the Three Primordials. Recite the incantation:

“Great Sage of Tiangang, Numinous Lord of the Northern Dipper, I perform the orthodox method and shall bind you. I act upon the decree of the Great Emperor; the Northern Dipper assists me in working the method. Tiangang, seize the Qi of demons and deviance and swiftly send down true Qi. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

Recite again:

“Qian: origin, penetration, benefit, and rectitude. Sun and moon lend might to my hosts. Numinous Qi enters the five viscera and brings peace to the six bowels. The Jade Emperor orders that you be bound. I act upon the decree of the Great Emperor; the Northern Dipper assists me in working the method. Tiangang, seize the Qi of demons and deviance and swiftly send down true Qi. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

Recite again:

“Qian: origin, penetration, benefit, and rectitude. Sun and moon lend might to my hosts. Numinous Qi enters the five viscera and brings peace to the six bowels. By decree of the Jade Emperor, by decree of the Great Sage of Tiangang, by decree of the Perfected Lords of the Four Saints.”

Then recite silently: “Heming, Day of the Celestial Emperor—the Great Sage, the Jade Emperor, commands and seizes.”

The Method of the Direction and Place of Tiangang

According to the double-hour for absorbing Qi in the present month, count forward in sequence and find the position of that double-hour; that direction is the quarter to which Tiangang points. When absorbing Gang Qi, face the direction indicated by Tiangang and visualize the Great Sage of Tiangang standing before you: hair hanging loose, feet spread apart, clad in white silk robes, a hundred zhang in height; the left hand set on the hip, the right hand holding a sword pointed forward, from whose tip issues blue-white Qi intermingled with flame-like crimson breath, fine as a silk thread.

Next visualize Tiangang with a crimson face, turning his head to look back at you, and then begin to absorb the Qi. First recite the incantation, then turn to the left, arch the back, and inhale.

Song of the Living Luminaries

Each month the bearing is advanced to the You position, and Tiangang casts its light aslant upon the rear palace; advanced to the Hai position, the front palace stands directly opposite it; advanced to the Xu position, that is the bearing of Hekui. One turns about to examine the place where one stands, then takes in Qi (vital energy)—the qi spoken of in Daoist cultivation—first reciting the incantation, then turning to the left, arching the back upward, and inhaling.

Song of Huoyao (the Living Luminary)

Each month the bearing is advanced to the You position, and Tiangang casts its light aslant upon the rear palace; advanced to the Hai position, the front palace stands exactly opposite it; advanced to the Xu position, one meets Hekui directly. The double-hour is the third. Following the path, one circles about, with the back toward the water and the face toward Tiangang.

Song of Guidance through Perplexity by the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Xujing, Heir of the Han

When Tiangang is in the west, one faces east. Drawing in the qi of Tiangang from the Dui quarter—the west among the bearings of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams)—one can cause it to return into oneself.

Draw in the qi of Tiangang once, and it is as if clouds and rain descend; draw it in once more, and it is like a crimson radiance of ten thousand zhang.

Breathe upon the brush and take the Qi into the heart; when one performs the dispatch of spirits and generals—the rite, in Daoist ritual arts, of commanding divine generals—divine generals appear.

If one can master the method of Tiangang, it is said that one can cure illness and expel evil, with effect seen at once.

The Opening Procedure

On Yin and Shen days, Tiangang is added at the Zi position; on Mao and You days, one reckons on the fingers to the Yin position; on Chen and Xu days, it lies at the Dragon-Head position; on Si and Hai days, in the Horse palace; on Zi and Wu days, at the Monkey position; on Chou and Wei days, the turn comes in sequence to the Dog palace. What is set out here is the mnemonic for determining the bearing of Tiangang according to the earthly branch of the day.

Mnemonic of the Qi Conditions of Huoyao, Tiangang, and the Monthly General

In the first month, Tiangang is added at the Yin position; calculating onward through each bearing, one may then see Yuanchen—the stellar deity, in Daoist numerological arts, associated with the time of birth and with destiny.

If each month the bearing is advanced to the Xu position, it is said that one may at all times encounter Pojun (the name of a star).

What follows sets out the method of selecting, for a Tiangang day, the chen hour over five days:

In the second month, in which the Spring Equinox falls, one calculates according to the ordinary method; at the two solstices (the Summer Solstice and the Winter Solstice) one shifts to the third position, and at the four Full terms one shifts to the edge position. The method for the third, sixth, and seventh months is the same as for the two solstices; at the Autumn Equinox and at Lesser Snow, one advances to the sixth bearing.

On the day before Rain Water and Great Cold, one takes the chen hour of five days according to the Tiangang day. The second month, in which the Spring Equinox falls, is calculated by the ordinary method; at the two solstices one shifts to the third position, and at the four Full terms one shifts to the edge position; the method for the third, sixth, and seventh months is the same as for the two solstices; at the Autumn Equinox and Lesser Snow one advances to the sixth bearing. On the day before Rain Water and Great Cold, and on the eighth day after Frost’s Descent, the reckoning of the time is in every case without deviation.

On the day of Rain Water (Yushui), at the hai hour, the sequence crosses into Dengming; on the day of the Spring Equinox (Chunfen), at the xu hour, it crosses into Hekui; on the day of Grain Rain (Guyu), at the you hour, it crosses into Congkui; on the day of Grain Buds (Xiaoman), at the chen hour, it crosses into Chuansong; on the day of the Summer Solstice (Xiazhi), at the wei hour, it crosses into Xiaoji; on the day of Major Heat (Dashu), at the wu hour, it crosses into Shengxian; on the day of the End of Heat (Chushu), at the si hour, it crosses into Taiyi; on the day of the Autumn Equinox (Qiufen), at the chen hour, it crosses into Tiangang; on the day of Frost’s Descent (Shuangjiang), at the mao hour, it crosses into Taichong; on the day of Minor Snow (Xiaoxue), at the hai hour, it crosses into Gongcao; on the day of the Winter Solstice (Dongzhi), at the chou hour, it crosses into Daji; and on the day of Major Cold (Dahan), at the zi hour, it crosses into Shenhou.

What is listed here are the corresponding times of transition, through the year, between the solar terms and the twelve double-hours and twelve divine generals. “Cross into” (jiao) means that the sequence of time turns over to the corresponding divine name; Dengming, Hekui, Congkui, and the rest are names used in the traditional arts of calculation and divination (shushu).

General Treatise on the Heavenly Heart and the Three Luminaries (Tianxin Sanguang Zonglun): This sets forth the general principles of the Heavenly Heart (Tianxin) in relation to the Three Luminaries (sanguang)—the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Whenever the luminous Qi (vital energy) of the sun, the moon, and Tiangang (the astral power of the Dipper)—the three subtle forms of Qi spoken of in Daoism—is infused into a talisman, the act is called drawing the “radiance of the Three Luminaries” (Sanguang). The sun moves one degree in twelve double-hours, and in five days it passes through two palaces. Most people who nowadays draw the Qi of the sun and moon calculate on this basis: when the sun and moon reach the lodges Xu and Wei, they face the zi position of the palace of Aquarius to draw Qi; when they reach the lodges Xing and Zhang, they face the wu position of the palace of Leo to draw Qi. The author holds that this practice overlooks other regularities in the motion of the heavenly bodies. The heavens move without cease. The full circuit of the sky comprises 365 degrees, half of which travel below the horizon, and the sun and moon each have their own lodge positions along their courses. Even if one knows longitude, latitude, and the trajectories of the celestial bodies, who can truly make out the difference in degrees between the ecliptic and the equator, or distinguish the pattern by which the sun and moon travel back and forth from north to south?

As for drawing the Qi of Tiangang, some take the xu double-hour (about 7 to 9 p.m.) as the moment of Tiangang, fix the direction according to the double-hour, then add the monthly general to the hour at hand and calculate where the Gang establishment lies, facing that direction to draw Qi and supposing that they have already grasped the mystery. The author compares this to fetching fire: to divide off a candle flame, one would have to take two sticks of kindling, face empty space, and inhale—how could that succeed? Only the sixteen-character spell of the sun and the twenty-four-character spell of Taiyin (the moon) are exceedingly subtle, and must not be lightly divulged. If one then recites in circulation the seven-character spell “Luo Kui, Chi Chi Chi Chi, Liang, Tiao,” one can summon the Qi of Tiangang and bring it into mutual resonance and attraction with the Qi of the Great Void (Taixu), just as a yangsui takes fire from the sun and a fangzhu takes water from the moon. One who understands this method can condense bright aurora within the Qi of harmonious balance; why cling to calendrical calculation and to regulations outside the rite of visualization? Alas, the mystery of the Three Luminaries has in the end not yet been truly mastered.

The scripture further says that the Talisman of the Three Luminaries is the first talisman in the method of swallowing talismans. It can drive out every kind of deviant Qi, gu-poison Qi, and the Qi of maledictory sorcery; treat illnesses of deviance and of toxin; cut off ghost-fetuses, sever corpse-consumption, and eliminate pestilence. For violent pain, the eighteen strange maladies, and cases of mistakenly ingesting poison or gu toxin, it is said that as soon as the talisman arrives, the illness can be cured.

Later students often know only the name of the talisman and not the true names of the Three Luminaries; they do not recognize Tiangang; when reciting the Tiangang spell they omit or mispronounce something; they do not understand the calculation of superimposition; they do not know from where the Qi descends; they have not received transmission of the three talismans; they have not obtained the seal-instructions of the Three Luminaries; they do not know how to keep the secret apertures of the talisman carefully concealed; and they do not know in which double-hour the talisman should be written. If any of these nine points is unclear, the Talisman of the Three Luminaries will not be efficacious. The scripture also says that in practicing the method of the Three Luminaries one ought to receive the Register of the Three Luminaries (Sanguang lu—the credential by which Daoism confers ritual office and transmission) and assume the corresponding office; only then will ghosts and spirits submit in reverence. If the method one practices contradicts the register one has received, one will be mocked by the ghosts and spirits of the local shrines, and the practice will have no effect.

When refining and ingesting the three Qi, each day, as one prepares to take in Qi, one should sit level and settled, not letting stray thoughts disturb the mind and spirit. One may also, every night at the zi double-hour (about 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.), put on a robe and sit quietly, practice wogu (the seated posture of clenching both hands), visualize the divinities, click the teeth, and then swallow the saliva three times. After a short while, visualize in the liver the Qi of the sun, shaped like the sun; in the lungs the Qi of Taiyin, shaped like the moon; and in the heart the Qi of Tiangang, like a pellet the size of an orange. Let the three arrive together at the Palace of the Yellow Court (Huangting gong, the site of the inner bodily landscape in Daoist visualization), merge into one, and then descend to the Dantian (energy center). Next visualize it entering the lower pass, traveling along the spine through the double pass of Jiaji and the middle pass, surging up to the Mudball Palace (Niwan gong, an important site in the inner landscape of the head), then passing from the Bright Hall into the Jade Pool; press the tongue against the upper palate, receive the true Qi and swallow it, visualizing it gathered into the Dantian. The true Qi is shaped like a pellet and colored like a vermilion orange.

Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one should at all times visualize the true Qi in the Dantian as brilliant and radiant. When the visualization is finished, click the teeth three times, swallow saliva three times, then rub alternately with the left and right hands eighty-one times, and afterward retire to sleep. The taking in of Qi may be set for morning, noon, and evening, or once each morning and evening; one may practice both by day and by night. After practice one must seal the “seven households,” that is, the mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. The method is to form the Tianding seal with each hand: first use the left-hand seal to close the mouth, the nose, and the eyes, then use both hands to seal the left and right ears respectively, and finally turn the body and form the Dipper mudra.

The sun, moon, and stars are three extraordinary essences in heaven, corresponding within the human body to Shen (spirit), Qi, and Jing (essence). Refining and ingesting the Three Wonders of heaven serves to replenish the three wonders of one’s own person. After ingesting Qi one should keep the mouth closed, so that the breath through the nose is fine, continuous, and long, entering and leaving so gently that it does not stir a hair. Visualize the Three Luminaries in the lower Dantian, round as a pellet. During this time one must avoid the five pungent plants, the three repugnant foods (meats forbidden by Daoist precepts), and all bloody and filthy things, and must not engage in sexual relations. If one can observe these prohibitions, one may become an earth immortal. Writing talismans and incanting water can govern ghosts and command spirits, causing the myriad deviances to submit and dare not draw near. This Qi is called the root of the myriad methods. If one cultivates for nine years, it is said that, sitting at night in one’s chamber without lighting lamp or candle, one can still see brightness before the eyes; cultivating throughout life, one’s own Qi unites as one with the Three Wonders of heaven and reaches the state of ascent in flight. Cultivation also places weight on burning incense, quiet concentration, and perseverance; when spirit circulates within the body, it should also be joined with daoyin (the nourishing method that coordinates the regulation of breath with bodily movement). The scripture holds that if one applies this set of methods accordingly, the hundred illnesses will not invade.

The lungs resemble a roof, sheltering the five viscera. The throat is called the Chonglou (Layered Tower), the mouth the Yuchi (Jade Pool), the eyebrows the Yutang (Jade Hall), the forehead the Tianting (Celestial Court), the nose the Tianzhu (Celestial Pillar), the crown of the head the Tiangong (Celestial Palace), and the ears a pair of Shimen (Market Gates). These names liken the human body to a palace.

Qi (vital energy) of the kidneys passes to the liver, Qi of the liver to the heart, Qi of the heart to the spleen, and Qi of the spleen to the lungs. Qi from the lower Dantian (energy center) enters the upper Dantian; Qi from the upper Dantian then enters the middle Dantian; and Qi from the middle Dantian returns to the lower Dantian. Setting the three Dantian—the three seas of Qi within the body—in repeated circulation in this way is called the Sanguang Dan (Elixir of the Three Luminaries), also known as the Da Huan Dan (Great Reverted Elixir).

The Diagram of the Five Qi Attending Court at the Origin and the Three Luminaries Refining the Form indicates the divine images by color and direction: the east is blue-green, the west white, the south red, and the north black.

The Diagram of the Three Luminaries Passing the Passes marks the Tianfu Gong (Palace of the Celestial Treasury), where the upper pass is located.

This method is also called the Shuihuo Jiji Benfa (Basic Method of Water and Fire in After Completion), that is, a method of harmonizing the Qi of water and fire. It is to be practiced in the yin or mao hours (about three to seven in the morning). Sitting upright or lying on the back, one follows the formula and sends Qi through the three passes—the critical apertures through which Qi moves in cultivation—then quietly listens to the breathing for a time. Once the rising and descending of the Qi of water and fire are felt, one performs daoyin (guiding and stretching) movements and silently circulates the Qi of the heart so that it rises.

The incantation of the method for commanding Tiangang (the Celestial Dipper) is:

“We respectfully invite the Great Deity of Tiangang to descend swiftly in true numinous power. Above, attend court at the Golden Portal; below, cover Kunlun. Holding a precious sword, seek out and cut away deviant Jing (essence). Circulate Shen (spirit) and Qi, drive out illness, and dispel pain.”

The incantation may also be used to enchant fruit or water in order to treat illness. It must not be lightly disclosed, nor casually transmitted to unsuitable persons.

The general method of using the talisman-water of the Three Luminaries is as follows. If someone is possessed by a malevolent spirit or a demonic being, so that they cannot speak normally and their mind is unclear, recite the Tiangang incantation, draw the Qi of the Gang into the water, take the water into the mouth, and spray it on the patient’s face. At the same time, have the patient ingest a talisman, and burn the Sanguang Sha Gui Fu (Three Luminaries Ghost-Slaying Talisman) into water for the patient to swallow.

If one encounters an epidemic, taking orthodox Qi each day will gradually bring the illness to rest.

For anyone suffering from red eyes or blurred vision, use the spirit-transforming Dipper mudra—a ritual hand gesture in which one forms the mudra while visualizing divine spirits (shen)—or else the Wuwen mudra. Then form the mudra of the Supreme Emperor and bind it into the Dipper seal, drawing in the Qi (vital energy) of the Three Luminaries, the sun, moon, and stars. Blow this Qi onto the brush and write the talisman; then draw in Qi once more and recite an incantation to consecrate the water. Steep the talisman in the water and have the patient wash the eyes with it. At the same time continue to hold the Dipper mudra, face straight ahead, and shout “Ji!” once, issuing the talismanic command and reciting the incantation: “An mo □ li ye □ zha. You are Li Gongzhong—why have you come to my house?” Recite it once with every shout. After the talisman water has been given to the patient to wash the eyes, face the sun, draw in its fiery Qi, and exhale it to carry out the treatment.

For anyone with a severe, unbearable headache, write the Talisman of the Three Luminaries and affix it to the temples.

When a malaria demon is causing trouble, write the Talisman of the Three Luminaries on a cake and have the patient eat it. While writing the talisman, recite: “You creature whose appearance resembles the Black Sorrow Demon, I know your name. Depart at once beyond a thousand li, and do not linger even briefly.” Then draw in the Qi of the Three Luminaries and spray it forth, and have the patient swallow the Talisman of the Three Luminaries.

When a full day has passed in labor and the child has still not been born, and the situation is critical, write the Talisman of the Three Luminaries and have the woman in labor swallow it. Visualize the Great Saints of the Three Luminaries standing before you; then visualize the thunder-and-lightning fire chariot, the officers and soldiers who slay demons, the Great Gods who supervise birth, and the other divine generals jointly overseeing the delivery. Further visualize the person holding the talisman transforming into a talisman clerk and proceeding with the talismanic mandate. Imagine the thunder-and-lightning fire chariot and the Great Gods who supervise birth entering the woman’s mouth together with the talisman, whereupon she gives birth at once.

Whenever ghostly essences (jing) make mischief and bring baleful calamity to harm the living, the Three Luminaries Demon-Slaying Talisman may be affixed to the door. If a ghost attaches itself to a person or to livestock, sprinkle water over which an incantation has been recited.

For sores and boils that have been painful for a long time, the Talisman of the Three Luminaries may be burned to ash and applied to the affected place; the talisman may also be laid over the spot, or swallowed. If a ghost has not yet revealed its form but is secretly working mischief and harming the living, affix the Three Luminaries Demon-Slaying Talisman to the door; if the ghost attaches itself to a person or to livestock, sprinkle water over which an incantation has been recited.

For any sore or boil that has been painful for a long time, the Three Lights Talisman—a Fulu (talismans and registers) that borrows the power of the sun, moon, and stars—may be burned to ash and applied to the affected place. The talisman may also be affixed to the place, or swallowed. When the sore or boil has not yet broken open, one silently recites the Tiangang Incantation seven times, inhales the Qi (vital energy) of Tiangang seven times, and then blows upon the affected place. It is held that the ailment will then disperse or rupture of itself.

When crossing a river or the sea, if a water monster clings to the boat and will not cease its haunting, or if reckless seeking has frightened people, one may write the upright Qi of Tiangang on an iron plate, draw the Three Lights Talisman upon it, and cast it into the water.

For every kind of illness that has long resisted cure, the Three Lights Talisman may be taken. It is swallowed with a medicinal decoction chosen according to the condition. If the illness is thought to come from malign Qi, one adds the Ghost-Slaying Talisman, takes a peach branch seven cun long from the southeast, boils it into a decoction, and uses that decoction to swallow the talisman. One may also recite an incantation to empower water and then drink it, or burn the talisman in a cup and afterward take the ash.

Method of Collecting Gang Water

Gang is the fire that naturally arises within Yin, and it is believed able to dispel every kind of evil haunting. Collecting Gang water means storing this power for later use. On the Duanwu day (the Chongwu day), when a heavy rain falls, one places a vessel below in the Huagai direction—a specific direction related to the bearing of Tiangang—according to the directional formula “first Zi, second Nian, third Mao, fourth You, and fifth returning to Zi,” and catches the rainwater. If it does not rain, one takes well-essence water—water drawn from a well in the early morning—at the hour of Wu and stores it. This is called Gang water.

Another method is to choose a Tiande day (day of Heavenly Virtue), a Yuede day (day of Lunar Virtue), the Chou day of each month, or the so-called day of the Brahman’s descent, and to set a vessel by the directional formula above to catch rainwater. If it does not rain, one takes well-essence water at the hour of Wu and stores it. This too is called Gang water.

There is yet another method. When rain falls on a Tiande day, a Yuede day, the Chou day of a month, or a day of the Brahman’s descent, one catches the rainwater in the Huagai direction. This is called fashui (ritual water), and a sacrifice must first be offered before it is used.

Method of Compounding the Three Lights Elixir

For each steamed cake, first remove the outer crust and the bottom, taking only the middle portion, and do not gather these portions together. Divide it into two halves: leave one half to dry in the air, and soak the other half in water until soft. These two halves symbolize Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang) respectively. Place the two halves together and knead them repeatedly until the mass is thoroughly sticky. When the incantation is recited, the number of repetitions is not fixed; then draw Qi (vital energy) and blow it onto the dough.

Next, visualize the left hand as the sun and the right hand as the moon, and the breath blown from the mouth as Tiangang Qi (the Qi of the movement of the stars, as spoken of in Daoism). Knead the dough into the shape of a cake, turn it over again and again, and write the Talisman of the Three Luminaries all over it—Fulu (talismans and registers) symbolizing the sun, the moon, and the stars—with no limit on the number of times. When the writing is finished, roll it into pellets according to size. For each pellet, visualize that it contains the Qi of the Three Luminaries, and recite the incantation once.

The Geyun says: Following this method, one need only blow upon the steamed cake forty-nine times, and its color will become as red as cinnabar. Even if it is left for a long time, it will not easily fade to white, and the power of its numinous efficacy is especially marked. Roll it further into fine small pellets and have a person swallow them; these are called the “Sun Three-Luminaries Elixir.” If, after the talisman has been written, it is cast into a well, the talisman being thrown in at the fifth watch (before day is about to break), the well water will boil. A trial will show whether it is efficacious.

Visualize the appearance and the manner of dress of the zhenren (the perfected immortals who have attained the Dao (the Way) in Daoism).

When performing the rite of Fu’ai wensui (Subduing Grief and Inquiring into Baleful Influences), one first visualizes in the mind a Northern Dipper (Beidou) above the crown of the head, its mouth turned downward so as to cover the whole body. Under the feet one treads the Dougang (the pace walked according to specific stellar positions), and below, Gangqi—the Qi (vital energy) of the Dipper stride—hangs and spreads. One then visualizes oneself riding upon a Dipper, with one Dipper on the left and one on the right standing guard.

The elbows correspond to the star Tanlang (Greedy Wolf), the shoulders to the star Jumen (Great Gate), and the heart of the chest to the star Lucun (Preserved Emolument); one visualizes the place grasped in the hands as corresponding to the star Wenqu (Literary Melody). The left hand hangs down, and the right side of the waist together with the right hand hangs down; the left side of the waist corresponds to the stars Lianzhen (Incorruptible Rectitude) and Wuqu (Martial Melody), and the space before the feet corresponds to the star Pojun (Army Destroyer). The radiance of the Dougang flashes in crisscrossing beams, and the ritual master stands amid firelight: above, a Dipper covers the body; below, a Dipper bears it up.

One then flies the Dipper with the left hand, flicking it out to the left along the zi–wu direction; with the right hand, along the yin–wu direction, one flicks it out toward the rear. The left side is the Yang Dipper, called Tanlang. One visualizes black starlight rising from beneath the right foot, passing around the left side and ascending straight up to cover the crown, after which red starlight appears from above the crown. The red light rises from the left foot, passes around the right-hand side and ascends straight up to cover the head, and manifests from above the crown. With the right hand one then forms the zi–wu Dipper and flicks it out to the left, and also forms the yin–wu Dipper and flicks it out to the right. The right side is the Yin Dipper, arrayed from the star Kui all the way to the star Biao. Next one forms the chen–xu Dipper to cover the head, and visualizes the Santai stars (three stellar lodges near the Northern Dipper) covering overhead in layer upon layer.

Santai Dipper Incantation

Upper Terrace, Xujing, si—bless and protect me with a life of a thousand years.

Middle Terrace, Liuchun, wu—guard the form of my body.

Lower Terrace, Qusheng, wei—let me come into the presence of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three highest deities revered in Daoism).