《灵剑子引导子午记》

Lingjianzi’s Record of Guiding and Drawing at the Zi and Wu Hours

Recorded by Xu Jingyang.

At the zi hour of midnight, the Qi (vital energy) of lesser yang (shaoyang, the yang Qi just beginning to arise) sprouts from within the yin portion, and the body should bend and stretch, turn, and draw.

The Hunyuan Jing (Scripture of Primordial Origin) says: During the three periods of xu, hai, and zi, yin Qi gradually arises and people fall asleep. Once they are asleep, Qi easily stagnates in the joints throughout the body. Those who nurture life may therefore draw the body in while sleeping and, upon waking, should stretch it out, turning and drawing the limbs so that nutritive Qi and protective Qi (the Qi that circulates within the body and guards it) flow freely all through.

Drumming the abdomen to scour the Qi. (Stir the abdomen and expel stagnant Qi from within the body.)

The Taoqi Jue (Formula for Scouring Qi) says: Close the eyes, tilt the face upward, and rest both hands on the chest between the breasts; raise both knees out to the sides and lift the waist and back. Stir the Qi in the Sea of Qi (Qihai) so that it circulates within the body and outward, then gently expel it with a he breath, without letting the ears hear the sound of its release. Stop after nine or eighteen times. Anyone preparing to ingest Qi (fuqi, cultivation practiced by regulating the breath and taking Qi in) should first let the Qi circulate within the body and then breathe it out with he, so as to help digest food that has accumulated. Only when this Qi has been fully expelled does one begin to regulate the breath and ingest Qi.

If, on waking, a practitioner of Qi ingestion finds the tongue dry and rough, this is a sign of heat in the five viscera. One should open the mouth wide and gently breathe out with he several dozen times. When fluids arise in the throat, the heat subsides and the five viscera become clear and cool as well.

Then rise and stand, sit upright and composed, and cross the hands to clasp the back of the neck. Tilt the head backward and lift it, then sway it left and right, so that the neck and the hands draw upon each other. Next, grasp the feet with the hands, hold the breath slightly, and draw in the Qi of Taichong.

There are two Taichong points, lying in the depressions between the bones, about two cun behind the joint at the base of the big toe.

Then draw the body into a posture like drawing a bow, and stretch toward the right side in the same way.

Cross the hands and raise them behind the neck. Tilt the face up and look upward, lifting the head at the same time so that the neck and the arms press against each other, and do this three or four times. This harmonizes Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), keeps the blood vessels open, and prevents pathogenic wind from entering; practiced over a long time, it is said to reduce illness. Afterward, bend and stretch the body and set it moving: reach out in all four directions, extend backward and draw toward both sides, and loosen and shake the joints throughout the body, performing each movement three times.

The Separate Biography of Hua Tuo says: “The human body needs to move, but it must not be overworked. When the body is often active, the Qi transformed from food and drink can circulate through the blood vessels. A door pivot that keeps turning does not decay, and flowing water does not turn foul; the human body is the same.” The art of daoyin transmitted by the Perfected (zhenren) is probably based on this principle. The Yuandao Jing (Scripture of the Primordial Dao) says: “Primordial Qi is hard to gather and easy to lose; the joints are easily blocked and hard to open.” Those who cultivate and nourish life should therefore first practice daoyin (a method of nourishing the body through movement and breathing).

When the breathing has become steady, visualize inwardly the palaces and residences of the divinities within the body.

One inch in from between the eyebrows is called the Mingtang (Bright Hall); three inches deep within is called the Dongfang (Cavern Chamber); three inches farther upward is the Niwan Palace (Muddy Pellet Palace) of the upper Dantian (energy center). The middle Dantian is called the Jianggong (Crimson Palace), and the lower Dantian is called the Qi Palace. Spirit-beings dwell in each of these places, which is why they are called “palaces of Shen (spirit).”

Knocking the teeth: first tap the front teeth lightly, making a softer sound; then tap the large teeth on both sides, making a louder sound. The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) says: “Knocking the teeth is meant to alert the many spirits within the body; if Shen does not scatter, ghostly Qi cannot intrude.”

Pressing the four corners of the eyes: regularly press with the hands the inner corners of the eyes beside the bridge of the nose. While pressing, hold the breath, and stop only after the breath flows freely again, repeating this over and over. The Taishang Sanguan Jing (Most High Scripture of the Three Passes) says that, when daoyin is finished, one should press the four corners of the eyes with the hands, twenty-seven times each—that is, three nines—which can brighten the eyesight. This is a method for nourishing the spirit of the eyes; long practice is said to enable one to see numinous and extraordinary things.

Warming the eyes with the hands: rub the palms together until they are hot, then use the hands to warm the eyes.

Press the palms of both hands together upright and rub them against each other until the palms grow hot and give off a smell like sulfur. Then open the eyes and press the heated palms against them several times. This is one method called "Constant Abiding" (Changju).

The Inner Classic (Neijing) says: habitually press and knead the small hollow behind each eyebrow with both hands, eighteen times each session. If you persist for a year, you will be able to read books at night. This may also be practiced privately at the philtrum (renzhong), and the exact method should not be disclosed to others.

The small hollow behind the eyebrow is called "Upper Origin" (Shangyuan). It is the repository of the Six Conjunctions, governs the transformations of the eyes, harmonizes the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the eyes, keeps the eyeballs clear and the pupils bright, and nourishes the eyes. This is the superior method used in the "Perfected One's rising from sitting," and it is also called the "Perfected One's Constant Abiding." A saying among Daoists holds: "If you wish to read at night, you should practice Constant Abiding." It is said that the Perfected could see in all four directions and reach out to the eight quarters, their gaze illuminating the most distant and hidden places, precisely because their Constant Abiding practice had been refined to full maturity.

The Words of Lady Ziwei (Ziwei furen yu) says: "Look up and harmonize with Heavenly Perfection; bend down and press the Mountain Source." Here "Heavenly Perfection" (Tianzhen) refers to the corners at the space between the two eyebrows, and "Mountain Source" (Shanyuan) refers to the philtrum beneath the nose. The corners of the brows are the essential place for making the gaze penetrating; "Heavenly Perfection" is also the place where spiritual Qi is guided upward.

Irrigating the Central Peak

The Scripture on Dispelling Demons (Xiaomo jing) says: the two sides of the nose should be pressed and kneaded regularly, with no fixed number of times, so as to keep the breath even and harmonious. This is called "Irrigating the Central Peak" (Guangai Zhongyue), and it is said to enable a person to have their name entered in the registers of the emperors.

Bend down and press the Mountain Source.

Lady of Purple Tenuity (Ziwei Furen) said: "Press down on the 'Mountain Source' (Shanyuan), the acupoint beneath the nose at the philtrum. It lies in the small hollow below the nose. In the time of Duke Zhuang of Chu, there was a market overseer named Songlaizi, who often swept the marketplace and would sing: 'The Heavenly Court gives forth twin blossoms; the Mountain Source blocks the Yin-Yang's baleful influences. At dawn I ride the celestial horse, to journey to the home of Taiqing. The True Person has nowhere to hide, and can dispel a hundred evils.' He would sing this song as he begged for food, yet no one in the streets could understand it. That old beggar was the Perfected of the Western Peak, Feng Yanshou, who had also been a court historian under King Xuan of Zhou. He used his hand as the celestial horse and his nose as the Mountain Source.

"Whenever you pass along a dangerous road or between temples and shrines, and feel doubt or unease in your heart, first curl the tongue inward and swallow your saliva once or twice. Then use the index and middle fingers of the left hand to press the base of the philtrum beneath the nostrils, that is, the inner edges on either side of the nasal septum. The area around the septum is called the 'Mountain Source,' and is also known as the 'Ghost Well,' the 'Divine Pool,' or the 'Soul Terrace.' Press the Mountain Source, and the Ghost Well closes its gate; press lightly on the Divine Pool, and the root of malign influences is dispersed; place the fingers on the Soul Terrace, and the Jade Perfected will guard the pass. In this way one can stir the spiritual root within the body, so that celestial beasts come to guard you and the host of spirits and demons are awed and subdued, unable to violate one's Qi (vital energy). This is the natural order of things. The Mountain Source beneath the nose is the vital point by which the whole body resists malign Qi, and it is where righteous Qi and malign Qi meet. For those who cultivate and preserve true Qi, the key to halting all kinds of malign influences lies in applying this method of pressing and gathering for oneself.

Tending the City Walls

The Scripture of Dispelling Demons (Xiaomo Jing) says: "The ears should be pressed regularly, on both left and right sides, pressing them again and again. This makes one's hearing keen and clear." This is called "tending the city walls," and it is also the registering of one's name in the rosters of the heavenly realm.

Striking the Heavenly Drum

One correction to my rendering: in the song, I translated "阴邪" as "the Yin-Yang's baleful influences," which is inaccurate. It should read "the Mountain Source blocks Yin-aligned malign influences" (or simply "malign Yin influences"), since 阴邪 refers to harmful forces of a yin nature rather than to Yin-Yang as a pair.

Heavenly Drum (Tiangu): The Heavenly Drum is the sound heard within the ears. To practice it, press the palms of both hands tightly over the ear openings, then lightly tap the back of the skull with the fingers at Naohu (the acupoint on the occipital region at the back of the head), so that the sound is resonant, full, and continuous without scattering. Do this three times a day, which benefits the lower Dantian (the energy center below the navel, where original Qi is stored and nourished). If the sound is scattered, intermittent, or not resonant enough, it shows that the original Qi has not gathered and should be adjusted.

Rubbing the Spirit Courtyard (Shi Mo Shenting): The Zhen Gao (Declarations of the Perfected) says that the face is the courtyard where the Shen (spirit) dwells, and the hair is the radiance of the brain marrow. When the heart is grieved, the complexion withers; when the marrow diminishes, the hair turns white. The Taisu Dan Jing (Scripture of the Elixir of Great Simplicity) says that the face should be rubbed often with both hands until it is warm, following the contours of the face and reaching both its high and low places. This gives the face a lustrous glow and keeps it free of wrinkles and spots. If one persists for five years, the complexion becomes like that of a young girl. This is what is meant by "mountain and marsh exchanging Qi," meaning that Qi and blood are constantly abundant and never exhausted. It adds that the more diligently one practices, the better, and that it is best never to let the hands leave the face.

Paying Court to the Three Origins (Shangchao Sanyuan): The Zhen Gao says that stroking the hair in the direction of the hand's movement, as in combing, keeps the hair from turning white. Pressing both hands against the forehead is called "the hands paying court to the Three Origins," a method for strengthening the brain marrow and making the hair firm. All sides of the head should be massaged with the hands, combing along the hair, and the more times the better. The Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture) says that the spirits of the head and face take the Niwan (the Muddy Pellet, in the brain, that is, the upper Dantian) as their root. Within the Niwan dwell nine true spirits, each with its own chamber, one square inch in size, all situated within it.

Rubbing the Gate of Life (Xia Mo Shengmen): The Huangting Jing says that when the water of the two kidneys is abundant, it directly faces the Gate of Life. The Gate of Life is the navel. The method is to hold the breath and draw it inward, expand the lower abdomen until it is full, and then rub in a circle around the navel with the hand. One full circuit is called one Zhoutian (celestial cycle).

Drawing Water from the Mountaintop (Shandian Qushui): This practice must be transmitted through oral instruction. The Qihai (Sea of Qi, the Dantian below the navel) is connected to the kidneys and belongs to the Ren-Gui water of the Five Phases. The nature of water is to flow downward and finally return to the sea; it cannot rise by itself and must be joined by Yang Qi. When Yang Qi descends, Yin water responds by rising. Therefore one should expand the lower abdomen until it is full and rub around it with the hand for one Zhoutian, thereby drawing the kidney water upward. This is the meaning of "drawing water from the mountaintop."

This is an oral formula of cultivation. The Sea of Qi (Qihai)—the site in the lower abdomen where primordial Qi (vital energy) is stored—is connected with the kidneys and belongs to Ren-Gui Water, that is, Water among the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). Water by nature moves downward and returns into the sea; it cannot rise by itself and must be joined with Yang Qi. When Yang Qi travels downward, Yin Qi responds by rising. They then turn into cloud and mist, steam into sweet dew, and moisten what has withered, so that the hundred bones and nine orifices of the whole body are all nourished and no place is left unreached. Yanluozi said, “Fire presses upon the clouds of water; the Five Phases mingle in a haze; when they meet and circulate, success is achieved.” This means that the Qi of Fire steams and stirs the Qi of Water, and the Qi of the Five Phases blends dimly and moves together, so that cultivation can succeed. Qixuanzi also said, “Without a movement that goes outward, there is no entering; without descent, there is no ascent.”

Seeking Fire at the Bottom of the Sea

This is an oral formula of cultivation. People who have not received a teacher’s transmission often take the fire of the heart for the fire named in the formula. The fire of the heart belongs to Shen (spirit) and Qi; yet the inner furnace and cauldron—the bodily sites where Jing (essence) and Qi are refined and nurtured—lies below the heart. If one takes the fire of the heart as the fire of cultivation, the fire then stands above the furnace and cauldron. Many scriptures (Jing) and treatises say that fire rises from below; none ever say that fire comes from above.

In the Zhouyi (Book of Changes), the hexagram “Water and Fire Already Completed” (Jiji) has Water above and Fire below: fire rises from beneath the navel, and water is generated within the furnace and cauldron, which is why one speaks of “water above and fire below.” The formula says, “Draw water from the mountain top and raise fire from the bottom of the sea; take mercury from within doubled Yang and take lead from within doubled Yin.” Mercury and lead here are symbolic expressions in Neidan (internal alchemy). Cultivation has its path and also its proper time. When people privately adopt these methods without having received the oral transmission, they are harmed by them instead.

The Song of Tongzhenzi says, “If one knows how to join and continue a rootless tree, one can light the lamp at the bottom of the sea.” An ancient song also says, “The cultivation of the reverted elixir is originally without form; only when primordial fire cooks and refines it do its effects gradually take shape. Trust that the path of the immortals lies close at hand, and one may, in clear light, ascend with flying steps into the blue heavens.”

Nourishing the Tiger and Swallowing Qi

This is an oral formula of cultivation. Perfected Person Yin (Yin Zhenren) said, “If one wishes for long life, one should ingest internal Qi.” The Suwen (Plain Questions) says, “The sage transmits Jing…” The original text then continues, “The path of the immortals lies close at hand, and one may, in clear light, ascend with flying steps into the blue heavens.” Here “swallowing Qi” means swallowing and regulating the Qi within the body during cultivation; “nourishing the tiger” is a symbolic expression in Neidan. The wording of the original is defective at this point, and “nourishing the tiger and swallowing Qi” appears again later.

This oral formula sets out the essentials of fuqi, the practice of nourishing internal Qi (vital energy) through the breath.

Yin Zhenren says that one who seeks long life should ingest internal Qi. The Suwen says that the sages transmit Jing (essence) and Qi, enabling a person to use Shen (spirit) to take in the Qi of Heaven and thereby commune with spiritual illumination. Here the “Qi of Heaven” means internal Qi. The Yinfu Jing says that Heaven and Earth give life to the myriad things and also bring them to an end; the practitioner should take in the Qi of primordial harmony, the calm and pure Qi between Heaven and Earth. In this way one can escape the calamities that Heaven and Earth inflict and is called a Perfected Person.

Thus, when practitioners are hungry they take in the Qi of primordial harmony, and when thirsty they drink the water of the Floral Pool, a Daoist term for the saliva in the mouth. What Laozi calls “filling the belly” means here the nourishing of the Qi within the abdomen. If one has not yet given up grain foods and wishes to practice fuqi, one should eat sparingly so that the abdomen remains open and clear. Fuqi need not be fixed to morning or evening; whenever the abdomen is empty, one may swallow Qi.

An oral formula is needed because fuqi requires one to distinguish internal Qi from external Qi and clear Qi from turbid Qi, and also to be clear about where the Qi should be swallowed. If inner and outer are not distinguished, one may inhale Qi that is unsuitable; if clear and turbid are not distinguished, one cannot master the proper regulation of Qi; if the throat is not distinguished, the Qi cannot be brought into the stomach cavity, that is, the stomach.

“Toulong yanjin” is the title of the next section and refers to a method of swallowing saliva.

The human body is generated from the Prime Spring of the North Pole, the source of true Qi (vital energy) within the body. The Prime Spring is the True One, the Qi of the original source. It rises from the Dantian (energy center) to the two apertures beneath the tongue, called Divine Water—the water of Shen (spirit)—and the Flowery Pool.

The saliva in the mouth is chewed finely until it grows thick; those who nourish life call this “refining Jing (essence) and holding emptiness.” The mouth is then worked and the saliva rinsed until it gathers into the Great Medicine, an important substance in the practice of Neidan (internal alchemy). The saliva must circulate once through the mouth and fill it so fully that even the Red Dragon, meaning the tongue, seems unable to hold it; only then can it be reckoned the precious lead and mercury, the Neidan term for the agents used in refining and nourishment.

One next visualizes in the mind the Spirit Palace, the dwelling of the spirits within the body, exhales gently, and with full concentration swallows the saliva so that a swallowing sound arises in the throat. It thus enters the Dantian, condenses, and forms a shape like a pure white pearl.

The Song of the Purple River Cart says: “On the left is the sun and on the right the moon; the two rise together and unite as one. Coming forth from the Jade Pool, they enter the Golden Chamber, the size of a pellet and yellow as an orange. Within, the taste is sweet as honey. If you obtain it, you must by no means lose it; if you can cultivate it in earnest, the way of the immortals may be achieved.”

The Inner Landscape Scripture (Neijing Jing) also says: “Beneath the tongue the Mysterious Breast, the place where saliva is produced under the tongue, gives rise to ripples…” It further says: “The clear water in the Jade Pool irrigates the Numinous Root, meaning the tongue or the root of the body; if one can cultivate this in earnest, life may long be preserved.”

The Record of Longevity from Red Wall says that the saliva in the human body, unless rinsed and swallowed, cannot nourish the five viscera or cause them to shine with luster.

The hexagram Li uses nine, and the hexagram Kan uses six. (Li and Kan are hexagram names in the Book of Changes; here they explain the transformations of Yin-Yang and the principles of cultivation.)

The Perfected of Great White says: “If the movement of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) can be inverted and transformed, the dragon emerges from fire; if the Five Phases do not proceed in their usual order, the tiger is born in water.” He also says: “Would you know the art of inversion? It is precisely amid mutual conquest that mutual generation arises.” He further says: “If you would know whence the principle of inversion comes, you must begin with Li and Kan and distinguish floating from sinking; only then can primary and secondary be determined.”

In the original, a passage about chewing the saliva and visualizing the Spirit Palace appears more than once. In the quotation from the Inner Landscape Scripture, the wording “涟丁Ｓ衷唬” appears to be corrupt, and the passage has therefore been rendered in abridged form according to what can be made out.

The Zhenren Taibai (Perfected Person) said: “The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) appear to operate according to ordinary principles, yet in cultivation one must understand reversal: the dragon is born from within fire, and the tiger appears toward water. Moreover, if the Five Phases do not run in their usual order, the tiger is also born within water.” He also said: “To understand the art of inversion, one must know that mutual generation can arise even from within mutual conquest.” He further said: “To clarify the cause of inversion, the key lies in Li and Kan (fire and water among the Bagua, the Eight Trigrams); one must also understand floating and sinking, and distinguish host from guest.”

The Song of the Thatched Hall says: “If one wishes to study the Dao (the Way) of longevity, one must first discern the Five Phases. If one does not understand the inversion of the Five Phases, Neidan (internal alchemy)—the returning elixir—will be difficult to accomplish.” Only when one understands the inversion of the Five Phases does one realize that harm may lie hidden within benefit, and that harm can also turn into benefit. Luoluzi said: “One constantly sees good fortune concealed within danger, while good fortune often first passes through danger.” What the Yinfu Jing (scripture/classic) means by “Heaven has five thieves; one who sees them prospers” is the same. Observing the myriad things of heaven and earth, there is nothing that does not operate through change and transformation. Yet one must first recognize the true Five Phases before one can understand the art of inversion.

Cao Zhenren said: “The Five Phases are everywhere; how would a Zhenren begrudge them? If one only grasps the true meaning of the Five Phases, a single drop of water can turn into a stone.” Zheng Zhenren said: “One Yin and one Yang are the Dao; one water and one stone are the elixir.” The song further says: “One must obtain both the metal within lead and the water within stone.” This means that metal can be born from water, and liquid can also arise from stone. Here “lead,” “metal,” “water,” and “stone” are symbolic terms in Neidan cultivation, referring to the substances and transformations in the process of practice.

The scripture says: “Heaven and earth establish their positions, and change operates within them.” At noon the sun reaches the south, and the Yin breath moves within the remaining Yang Qi (vital energy); at this time one should sit in stillness.

“Yanzuo” means sitting quietly and upright: Confucians call it “submerging the Shen (spirit),” and Buddhists call it “seated meditation.” Zuoxuan Zhenren said that if one wishes to cultivate life, one should set aside external affairs and not let them disturb the mind and Shen; then sit calmly and turn inward to observe one’s own thoughts. As soon as one notices a thought arising, eliminate it. The specific method is this: in a clean room, loosen one’s clothing, sit cross-legged and steady, close the eyes, and do not ponder good or evil. In this way primordial Qi recovers of itself, and the person can also settle into calm.

The Perfected Taibai transmitted this teaching to Chonghezi, saying: What is called the “Shenlu” (lodge of Shen, the spirit) is the nose. To settle the original harmonious Qi (vital energy) within the body, one must first regulate the breath in a quiet room, so that the breathing becomes slight and gentle. If the breath is too weak, it may resemble the gate of life; if it is too strong, it is like setting out on the road to death. The key to life and death therefore lies in the breathing. The breath should not be deliberately opened too wide, and it is also difficult to close it off entirely; it is enough to keep it slight and even. If even this slight evenness cannot be achieved, the breathing grows hurried, even to the point of opening the mouth and letting the breath out. Hence the Laozi says: “The breath continues unbroken, as if it were present; when you use it, do not force it too hard.”

Rongchengzi advocated breathing out the old Qi and breathing in the new, while attending to the breath as it enters and leaves through the nose. The Neiguan jing (Scripture of Inner Observation) says that original Qi enters through the nose and pours into the “Niwan” (the inner aperture of the head spoken of in Daoism). The Baoshen jing (Scripture on Preserving the Spirit) says that if one wishes to prolong life, the key lies in nurturing the “marrow gate”; the marrow gate is the “gate of the Mysterious Female” (Xuanpin zhi men, Daoism’s name for the root of life and the place where Qi passes in and out).

The Huangting jing (Yellow Court Scripture) says that the place one inch below the navel is called the “lower Dantian” (energy center, the site in Daoist inner cultivation where Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen are preserved and nourished). The Song of True Lord Liu says: “If you wish to live long without dying and to abide forever in Heaven, you must guard the original Qi in the Dantian.” In sum, when the mind’s thoughts do not chase outward, this is to hold the gate of the Mysterious Female.

Not letting the mind race outward is the first practice of one who cultivates the Dao (the Way). What is called “gathering the gaze and turning the hearing back” means drawing in the eyes and listening within; the essential point is that the breath should not pass heavily in and out of the nose, and that one’s thoughts should not leave the self. The Laozi says: “Even while amid splendid scenery, one can still rest at ease and remain detached.” A gentleman may walk the whole day and still not leave the carriage that carries his baggage. All these words speak of the principle that mind and spirit do not rush outward.

Govern the breath by means of the intent of Shen.

Perfected Yin said: If Shen (spirit) can govern the breath, the breathing in the nose will not fall into disorder. The perfected take Shen as the carriage and Qi (vital energy) as the horse, circulating them all day without losing their proper order. Rising to the Niwan (the upper Dantian, the energy center in the head) and descending to the Mingmen (the place at the waist tied to the root of life), when these two are linked through, this helps to rescue aging and debility.

If, on the exhalation, the intent of Shen is not allowed to preside, the breath is incomplete; if, on the inhalation, the intent of Shen is not allowed to preside, it is the same. If in every breath Shen and Qi can be brought together, never parting like mother and child, they can congeal within the body into the Elixir, reaching a state in which one may seek death and yet cannot obtain it. When the practice is complete, a man’s Guanyuan (the Dantian region below the navel) does not accumulate Jing (essence) and Qi, nor does an infant form below a woman’s navel.

If Shen and Qi each scatter and run their separate ways, and the mind-spirit is drawn by desire, primordial Qi drains downward and is hard to control, and so there is the worry that Jing and Qi will leak away. If in every breath Shen and Qi hold one another, mother and child never separating, then even when body and mind feel some stirring, one can remain constantly free of desire and free of seeking; only this counts as having obtained the art.

Kāśyapa of Xizhu (an ancient name for India), together with Aśvaghoṣa and Nāgārjuna, are said to have preserved their bodily forms and obtained this method, transmitting it secretly in the world. Those who are able to hear of this method are all people who have accumulated merit and virtue over successive lives and who have an affinity with the register of immortals; only thus do they have the chance to encounter it.

An ancient song says: If you wish for long life, learn to gather and subdue the thoughts of the mind, and do not attend to the miscellaneous affairs of past, present, and future; only when entering meditation unite Shen with Qi—why then worry that you cannot reach the realm of the great immortal?

Closing the spirit-cottage to settle the fire-timing: Close off and draw in the mind-spirit so that it becomes settled, in order to master the fire-timing (huohou) of cultivation (the rhythm and the degree of strength with which breath and intention are used).

The Song of Caoyizi says: Before noon, seek out and refine lead and mercury (in Neidan, internal alchemy, names for Yin-Yang Jing and Qi); when the first Yin is newly born, it breaks up the Yang Qi of Qian. Therefore those who cultivate the nourishment of life should, when Yang Qi is in season, ingest what the immortals have transmitted.

The sentence “close the spirit-cottage to settle the fire-timing” appears more than once in the original text.

The Song of the Straw-Clad Master (Caoyizi ge) says: before noon, seek out and refine “lead and mercury” (a term of Neidan, or internal alchemy, referring figuratively to the Yin-Yang Jing, or essence, and Qi, or vital energy, within the body); as soon as yin Qi first arises, the Qian-yang Qi within it must be broken down. Therefore, those who cultivate and nourish life ingest Qi during the hours when yang Qi is vigorous, and after noon they only retain the breath, so as to refine yin.

The Record of Red City (Chicheng ji) says that refining Qi is breath retention. Retain the breath for a thousand days, and the five viscera no longer conjoin, the six bowels no longer transmit, and the hundred vessels no longer circulate, while the passes and orifices in a hundred places stir of their own accord. Shen (spirit) and Qi then come under one’s own control, and every kind of transformation returns to stillness. Heaven and Earth cannot take his body from him, nor can Yin-Yang cause his physical form to decay.

Count from one to ten, then from ten to a hundred, and from a hundred to a thousand. Retaining the breath one hundred and twenty times is called the Lesser Vehicle; one thousand two hundred times, the Middle Vehicle; and twelve thousand times, the Greater Vehicle. Over a day and a night there are thirteen thousand five hundred breaths in all; five hundred and forty accumulated breaths count as a single breath. Cultivated in this way, one is not far from becoming an immortal.

In practice one should remain quiet, give rise to no stray thoughts, and let the mind become clear and lucid. Sit upright, raise the head slightly, close the eyes, and retain the breath. The third section of the right index finger is called the “gate of life and death.” Press counting beads at that place and count silently in the mind. When the breath grows rapid, turn the throat to the right, and do not let the breathing become too hurried; if it is too rapid, exhale a little and then inhale again, and it can be checked. These methods are secret instructions transmitted orally from master to disciple.

Open the “gate of life,” and one can return to a state like that of an infant.

Embryonic breathing (taixi) is a method of cultivation in which one embraces and guards original Qi (vital energy) and calmly maintains the centered alignment of body and mind. While an infant is in the mother’s womb, it receives nourishment and breath through the umbilical cord; after birth, it breathes through the nose and mouth. A perfected person (zhenren, one who has succeeded in cultivation) has no breathing in the ordinary sense within the nose, yet the breath is deep, long, and finely continuous. What the Laozi calls “returning to the infant” refers precisely to embryonic breathing. The Song of Embryonic Breathing says: “Only when the nose and mouth do not breathe does it count as the work of embryonic breathing; although one dwells between heaven and earth, it is as if one were still within the mother’s womb.”

Ordinary people regard the navel as the gate of life, and hold that the breath is shut in and cannot go out from there. When the practitioner has made the region of the navel empty and still and then experiences the breathing, the breath naturally enters and leaves from that place, and it seems as if there were no breathing in the nose. Sitting upright with the legs crossed, the two hands laid one over the other upon the navel, is done so that, after the navel region has been emptied and stilled and one has concentrated on guarding the One, the breath may enter and leave through the navel. The original text is somewhat repetitive in its explanation of this seated posture and of breathing at the navel.

When the sacred embryo (shengtai)—in Neidan (internal alchemy), the state symbolizing the coagulation of Jing (essence) and Qi within the body—has formed inside the body, and the hands are firmly clenched while the mind and Shen (spirit) are concentrated and settled, the greater part of the way of nurturing life and cultivation has already been mastered. From the zi hour to the wu hour one refines Yang; from the wu hour to the you hour one refines Yin. Yang by nature governs movement, and Yin by nature governs stillness and guarding. Yang Qi should not grow overabundant and leak outward, nor should Yin Qi become congested and press down. Only when Yin-Yang is harmonious and Yang Qi is firmly sealed can the spirit come to rest. Understanding these things, however, is not difficult; what is difficult is to persist for a long time and cultivate without interruption. Only when cultivation accords with the Dao (the Way), and both the inner and the outer are able to advance, may one go on to speak of the reverted elixir (huandan; in Neidan cultivation, the process of refining and nourishing Jing and Qi until they coagulate and the elixir is completed).

What the Gushen lun (Treatise on the Valley Spirit) calls “holding the fluids and refining Qi” (retaining and swallowing the saliva, and refining and nourishing the breath)—expelling the old Qi and inhaling the new, so that the breath rises to the niwan (a Neidan term for the head) and then descends to the Dantian (energy center), the abdominal site of Neidan cultivation—is called Neidan. Terms such as the Yang dragon, the Yin tiger, the wood fluid, and the metal essence refer to different symbols, in Neidan cultivation, of the Qi of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); what is formed when the two breaths meet and are cooked and refined is called Waidan (external alchemy). One who cultivates the Dao first completes the Neidan and then refines the outer medicine; only when the inner and the outer correspond may one hope to become an immortal.

Yanluozi said: “When the true opportunity of Waidan arrives, the Golden Elixir (jindan) appears of itself.” A man of Mount Hua said: “If one cultivates only true Qi and does not cultivate the methods of the elixir, in the end a transformation is, for the most part, hard to achieve.” Dingjizi also said: “Although one may be a person of long life, one is not yet an immortal who ascends together with the dwelling; one must still cultivate the great medicine before one can finally become a flying immortal.” An immortal who lifts the dwelling refers to the idea that, after one has cultivated and become an immortal, one’s residence ascends to heaven together with oneself.

First hold the breath. The Mountain Recluse says: “If one cultivates only true Qi (vital energy) and does not cultivate the Dao (the Way) of the elixir, in the end one will for the most part be unable to cope with transformation.” Dingjizi also says: “Although one is already a guest of long life, one has not yet reached the realm in which the whole family ascends to immortality, dwelling and all. One must still refine the Great Medicine before one can truly become a flying immortal.” Here “elixir” refers to the practice of Neidan (internal alchemy); “Great Medicine” is a technical term of Neidan; and “the immortal who uproots the dwelling” means ascending to immortality together with one’s residence and family.

The Guiding Formula

Before each section of movement begins, first hold the breath; when the breath is held to fullness, if one feels urgent or short of breath, gently let it out.

Supporting Upward Once to Regulate the Triple Burner

Lean back and raise the hands in one upward support, so as to regulate the Triple Burner (the Triple Burner is what Chinese medicine calls the upper, middle, and lower three divisions). Stretch both hands upward with full effort, as if holding up the sky, three times on each side.

Left Liver and Right Lung, as if Shooting a Vulture

First extend to the left, then extend to the right, exerting full effort as if drawing a bow to shoot a vulture.

Single Support of the Eastern Liver, Opening the Kidneys to the West

Clench the right hand into a fist and press it against the kidney area at the right side of the waist, while raising the left hand upward with full effort; then change to the other side: clench the left hand into a fist against the kidney area at the left side of the waist, and raise the right hand upward. Do this three times on each side.

Looking Back to Regulate the Five Fatigues and Seven Injuries

Embrace the left elbow with the right hand and turn the head to look back to the left; then embrace the right elbow with the left hand and turn the head to look back to the right. Perform this with full effort three times on each side. This form is intended to regulate the “five fatigues and seven injuries” (a general term for excessive toil and various kinds of bodily injury).

The Swimming Fish Wags Its Tail to Open the Heart

Spread both arms out to the sides and swing them as a fish wags its tail; the more repetitions, the better.

The Hands Grasp Both Feet to Regulate the Waist

Sit upright with both legs extended straight; grasp the soles of the feet with both hands and pull forward with full effort three times, so as to exercise the waist.

Then perform “Sounding the Heavenly Drum” thirty-six times: cover both ears tightly with the hands, click the teeth thirty-six times, and tap the bone behind the ears with the index fingers.