《高上月宫太阴元君孝道仙王灵宝净明黄素书》

The first heaven to appear, pure, empty, and supreme, was called the “Heaven of Primordial Azure.” It lay five thousand li from the palaces where the sun and moon dwelled. There, the mysterious workings of the Dao operated beyond measure. Yin and Yang divided, and their transformations appeared plainly, yet they were difficult to discern.

The Dao of Heaven was originally profound and obscure, beyond the reach of names. Later, when the Imperial Star rose from the eastern position of Zhen, this layer of heaven came to be called the “Heaven of Primordial Azure.” At that time, Heaven and Earth had only just opened, and the workings of the Five Phases were not yet complete; people could not see this heaven. Hence it was said to lie five thousand li from the palaces of the sun and moon. The sun is the essence of utmost Yang, and the moon is the essence of utmost Yin; when Yin and Yang unite, they form the Dao. The sun and moon wax and wane in their light, each following its own course. Their wondrous transformations are governed by a power that directs Yin and Yang and cannot be fathomed. Thus, although the division of Yin and Yang is clearly manifest, it remains difficult to discern.

The Supreme Lord took pity on living beings who died young. He therefore summoned the Celestial Worthies of the solar and lunar palaces and taught them the Great Lingbao Method, the Yellow Register Method, the Pure Brightness Method, and the Method for Delivering People, one of each.

When Heaven and Earth join, the myriad things are born and nurtured; when the Yin and Yang energies of men and women mingle, the myriad things multiply. The generation of all things depends on the blending of Yin and Yang energies. Yet when people are injured within by the Seven Essences and afflicted from without by the Six Qi, their Yin and Yang energies fall out of balance, and living beings suffer the hardship of dying young.

The Supreme Lord therefore summoned the Celestial Worthies of the solar and lunar palaces and explained that only the purest primordial Qi of Yin and Yang can bring people back from death, raise those who have fallen, revive the lifeless, enable people to complete their allotted years, and lead them into longevity. The Great Lingbao Method is the foundation of the Dao; the Yellow Register Method is where nature and life find support; the Pure Brightness Method is the root of one’s innate nature; and the Method for Delivering People is the path into the Dao. These methods were transmitted from the Dao in this order.

When this teaching is expounded, many Perfected Ones gather. The Dao Lord, the Princely King, and the Supreme Emperor ascend to the Chamber of the Cavern of the Spirits—the place where one enters the Gate of the Dao and practices its arts. Once the Great Dao descends, it manifests in succession.

When this teaching is expounded, many Perfected Ones gather. The Dao Lord, the Princely King, and the Supreme Emperor ascend to the Chamber of the Cavern of the Spirits, take their seats upon the Jade Platform, and solemnly transmit this book.

When people fall into delusions and illusions, they mistake the false for the true and lose their original nature. By returning to their source, the truth of their nature can endure forever; this is why all the Perfected Ones gather. Among them is a Perfected Lord, namely the Dao Lord, the Princely King, and the Supreme Emperor. “Cavern” is like water flowing freely in every direction, with nowhere it cannot reach; “Spirit” is like fire spreading its flames, with no place beyond its resonance. Ascending to the Chamber of the Cavern of the Spirits, where they sit, symbolizes the boundless transformations of Daoist methods. Taking their seats upon the Jade Platform symbolizes pure Yang essence transforming and condensing into form. They transmit this book solemnly so that people will receive it reverently and practice according to its teachings. How could it be treated lightly?

The characters in this book are each one zhang wide. Yellow and white radiate across the pages, their light streaming down and appearing in the Moon Palace. The book was therefore bestowed upon the deity of the Moon Palace, who was given the honored title “Heavenly Worthy of the Moon Palace, Primordial Yin Lord, King of Immortals of Filial Piety, and Pure Radiance Lingbao.” The Pure Radiance Lingbao method was transmitted to the Sun Palace’s Supreme Emperor of the Sun, the Heavenly Worthy of Pure Radiance Lingbao, Illustrious King of Filial Piety. The yellow and white light on the pages shines together and appears in the Moon Palace; the book was therefore bestowed upon the deity of the Moon Palace, and this became the deity’s honored title.

The Book of Changes says, “The myriad things intermingle, and so they are called patterns.” The forces of Yin and Yang, hardness and softness, intertwine to form patterns, through which the qi and cycles of Heaven and Earth circulate. Thus the characters in the book are each one zhang in both width and length. Yellow corresponds to Earth, and the Spleen governs Earth; white corresponds to Metal, while the Kidneys govern Water. When a person first receives life, the Spleen and Kidneys are the roots of primordial qi and blending qi. The fetus develops within the mother’s body, so the yellow and white characters shine together and appear in the Moon Palace. A person’s innate disposition takes shape and the body is formed, however, through connection with the father’s body. Therefore, the Pure Radiance treasure method belongs to the Sun Palace, which symbolizes the sun.

The contents of both books are subtle and profound, and difficult to understand fully. By practicing the methods they describe, one may repay one’s ruler and parents, refine the Great Medicine, and subdue calamities and demons. Those who see this book can overcome hardship; those who hear of it can be freed from illness; and those who wear it can live long.

The teachings of the Cold Radiance and Yellow Plain Book are refined, its instructions for cultivation concise, and its meaning profound and difficult to grasp. Inner cultivation is the foundation for outward conduct; the human body is a concentrated expression of the patterns by which Heaven and Earth operate. If the mind and spirit, the “Heavenly Ruler” within, remain upright, and this cultivation is put into practice through outward conduct, one can repay one’s ruler and parents through loyalty and filial devotion. Taking lead and mercury and regulating water and fire are terms from Neidan (internal alchemy); through testing and refinement, one can form the Great Medicine. Refining the medicine with fire is a process in which the movement of Qi (vital energy) is reversed. Demons belong to pernicious Qi, and cultivation aims to restore Qi to its proper course. Hardship arises when the movement of Qi becomes obstructed; when Qi flows freely, hardship can be dispelled. Illness stems from an imbalance in the movement of Qi. Hearing of the harmonizing Qi taught in this book can make illness recede. If one can hold and govern the movement of Qi so that it does not dissipate, one can endure as long as Heaven and Earth. Thus it says that those who wear it can live long.

Those who understand its principles can attain the Dao (the Way) and become immortals. The book summarizes the patterns of Yin-Yang transformation and the workings of creation, as well as the principles governing the conjunctions of the sun, moon, and stars. It also discusses the revolutions of the Northern and Southern Dippers, the ordering of the eastern and western directions, the mutual response of climate and Qi, and the changing timing of events, early and late. Without having mastered the precious methods of Jingming (Pure Brightness), the cultivation tradition of the Jingming school, these matters are not easy to understand.

Yin-Yang creation and transformation come about through the resonance and convergence of Qi. The revolutions of the Northern and Southern Dippers unfold in the unseen; the ordering of the eastern and western directions is carried through by the movement of Qi. Developing these principles allows one to connect past and present without end; bringing them together in summary makes it possible to grasp, in an instant, changes that unfold over many years. Unless one investigates the principles of things to their utmost and fully understands one’s nature, who could comprehend this? Thus it says that the mutual response of Qi follows a sequence of times, and that convergence and separation each have their own timing. Without having mastered the precious methods of Jingming, these matters are not easy to understand.

From the “Way of Humanity” chapter of the Yellow Emperor’s Plain Book.

Anyone who practices the Yellow Essence Book (Huangsu Shu) may gather the Qi of the Five Viscera into the primordial Qi, and bring the Yang Qi of the Three Palaces together at the crown of the head. In this way, they may ascend to sagehood, or shed the mortal body and become an immortal. Those who take up the practice with resolve in youth and persist for a thousand days can attain great accomplishment. Practitioners in middle age can also strive to reach this state through a thousand days of cultivation; those who intensify their efforts in old age can still achieve merit. After receiving the teaching, disciples should regard the passage of the sun and moon, and the impossibility of holding on to even a moment, as matters of life and destiny. Nothing is more important for the long term.

At birth, a person’s primordial Qi gathers in the navel, while the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) is distributed among the Five Viscera. These can be governed from three places: the Dantian (the cultivation site in the lower abdomen), the Crimson Palace (the cultivation site in the heart), and the Muddy Pellet (the cultivation site in the head). Cultivation must begin here.

People become absorbed in their cravings and desires, and fail to regulate body and mind properly. As a result, the Qi of the Five Viscera disperses and the primordial Qi gradually declines. The movement of Qi up and down falls out of order, and the Three Palaces become blocked from one another. Over time, the primordial Qi is exhausted and lifespan is shortened. In practicing the Yellow Essence Book, one must gather the Qi of the Five Viscera into the primordial Qi, bringing the Golden Elixir (the condensed state of essence and Qi sought in internal alchemy) to fruition. One must also bring the Yang Qi of the Three Palaces together at the crown of the head, filling the sea of marrow (the place where brain marrow is said in traditional medicine to gather). In this way, one may ascend and become perfected, wielding boundless spiritual powers and transformations to enter the realm of the sages; or one may shed the physical form, undergo corpse liberation (the Daoist transcendence of abandoning the mortal body), leave behind the snares of the world, and ascend to immortality.

Young people have abundant Qi and blood; if they practice steadily, they can attain great accomplishment. Those in middle age have already lost some Qi and blood, but by cultivating in accordance with their condition, they can still strive to reach this state. In old age, Qi and blood have weakened, yet even strenuous cultivation can still bring merit. The practice must continue for a thousand days because number begins with one, takes form in two, and is completed in three. By accumulating over three years and allowing the required time to pass, one can complete the necessary work and thus hope to succeed. Practitioners should understand that time flies like the sun and moon, and even a brief moment passes in an instant; they should therefore apply themselves diligently.

Those who practice the Book of Yellow Essence must begin by cultivating loyalty and filial piety. The loyal and filial are upright and generous in heart, gentle and respectful in temperament. They are not shaken by disputes over right and wrong, nor troubled by lustful or wicked thoughts. They can carry out every kind of good deed and dispel the five grave sins of rebellion. When their minds are single-minded, outside things cannot disturb them; their cultivation then advances naturally, and they ultimately attain its fruits. Thus, those who practice the Book of Yellow Essence should make loyalty and filial piety their foundation.

Moreover, the loyal and filial serve their parents at home and devote themselves to their ruler beyond the household. With no guilt or fear in their hearts, they can reach both the hidden and visible realms. Their names have been entered in the registers, and the merits of their cultivation recorded on the Cinnabar Terrace—a place in Daoist lore where the names and deeds of immortals are kept—and in the Purple Register, a Daoist roster of immortals. If they also cultivate the Dao, they are like fine gold refined by the fire and fine jade shaped by carving: few will fail to become worthy material.

Loyalty and filial piety are principles established through the relationships between ruler and subject, and between parent and child. Both require people to hold fast to their original mind, remain upright and generous, uphold what is clear and bright, and be gentle and respectful. In serving public duties, however, uprightness and generosity should take precedence; in serving one’s parents, gentleness and respect should come first. Uprightness and generosity enable people to distinguish right from wrong, so outside opinions cannot sway their judgment. Gentleness and respect bring steadiness to the mind and nature, making it difficult for depraved thoughts to take hold.

Extending the principles of loyalty and filial piety, one should remain honest and self restrained in matters of wealth, exercise care in speech and action, treat others and handle affairs with generosity, and meet difficulties with patience and forbearance. Restrain yourself through ritual propriety and make your heart sincere through trustworthiness; in this way, all Ten Good Deeds are fulfilled.

Between ruler and subject, there should be a bond of righteousness; do not violate the standards each is bound to uphold. Between parent and child, there should be affection; do not neglect the duties each must fulfill. Between husband and wife, there should be distinction; do not violate the principles that allow them to live together harmoniously. Between young and old, there should be order; do not disregard the rites that govern precedence and rank. Between friends, there should be trust; do not betray the sincerity their relationship requires. In this way, all Five Rebellions—evil deeds that violate the ethical order—can be eliminated.

When the mind is single and clear, as pure as clean water, how could the dust of the outside world disturb it? If one cultivates and studies the Dao in this way, how could one fail to succeed?

The Scripture of Salvation (Duren Jing) says that the heavens record people’s merits and faults, omitting nothing, however small. When the Ten Good Deeds are fulfilled and the Five Rebellions eliminated, one’s name no longer appears in the register of evil, but is entered in the register of good. These matters are recorded in the Purple Registers of the Cinnabar Terrace, the Daoist books of names of immortals and perfected beings. What is there to doubt?

The Book of Rites says, “Jade cannot become a vessel unless it is carved and polished; people cannot understand the Way unless they study.” An ancient book also says, “When metal is placed in the furnace, what it is cast into is entirely determined by the smith.” Once a person’s inner character and cultivation have been set right and made clear, the study of the Dao can be added to them. This is like fine gold and beautiful jade: through tempering, they can become useful vessels; through carving, their excellent qualities can shine forth. What difficulty is there in producing a Ganjiang, the legendary sword, or a Huli, a precious ancient ritual vessel?

Among the disciples today, some hold office at court, while others have left official life and returned to civilian society. Some have both parents still living; some have lost both parents; and some care for only one surviving parent. Whatever their circumstances, they should look back on the past and carefully consider the causes behind them.

Those in public service must reflect on why they became officials. Those who live as ordinary people must also understand why they are ordinary people. Those whose parents are alive should know that they can never fully repay their parents’ kindness, yet should still do all they can to repay it. Those with only one surviving parent should remember the parent who has died and be concerned to serve the living parent with filial devotion. For those whose parents have both died, grief is truly hard to bear. If they look back and recall having disobeyed their parents, they should understand that today’s tears can no longer make amends. It is already too late to care for their parents anew.

Only those who truly understand how to return to the Great Dao and diligently cultivate the Correct Way can achieve something, transcend the registers of the worldly realm, and attain a rank beyond the ordinary. Teach others these principles, and no one will be unwilling to heed them; put them into practice throughout the world, and nowhere will they fail.

Loyalty is reverence and care brought to their utmost. Filial devotion is compliance with one’s parents brought to its utmost. Those who put reverence and compliance into practice, and understand how to return to the Great Dao and diligently cultivate the Correct Way, can achieve something, transcend the registers of the worldly realm, and attain a rank beyond the ordinary. Teach others these principles, and no one will be unwilling to heed them; put them into practice throughout the world, and nowhere will they fail.

Loyalty is the utmost expression of reverence; filial devotion is the utmost expression of obedience. Only when one puts reverence and obedience into practice and never abandons them can one be said to have truly fulfilled them.

Those who serve in office should work diligently day and night in service to their superiors. They should be generous and compassionate, treat others kindly, and comfort those under their authority; in this way, they understand how to be officials. To understand how to be ordinary people, one should follow the seasons, make use of what the land produces, carefully restrain oneself and limit one’s spending, and keep the ruler and one’s parents in one’s thoughts.

One’s body, skin, and hair all come from one’s parents. Yet trying to repay their kindness is like facing the boundless sky: it can never be repaid in full. Filial children treasure time because they know their parents’ kindness cannot be repaid, and so they must show their devotion while they still can. Without a father, whom can one rely on? Without a mother, upon whom can one depend? When away from home, one worries and longs for them; on returning, one may find that one can no longer see them. Even a moment of happiness is soon followed by grief and fear, as one mourns those who have passed away. The Classic of Filial Piety says: “Establish yourself in the world, follow the right path, and let your name endure for later generations, thereby bringing honor to your parents. This is the ultimate achievement of filial devotion.”

Even after one’s parents have died, their kindness remains forever in one’s heart. Yet it can no longer be repaid, and the dead cannot return to life. If one can make progress through cultivating the Dao, transcend the registers of the mortal world, escape the constraints of fate, rise to a status beyond that of ordinary people, and take one’s place among the immortals, what could surpass this as the fulfillment of filial devotion?

For all who cultivate the Yellow Register, the key is integrity and caution. Those who are upright and cautious have no greed and remain steadfast. Without greed, one can remain steadfast; by remaining steadfast, one avoids disgrace. Without anger or impatience, there is no distress; only without distress can one cultivate the Dao. Through cultivation, one naturally becomes generous, composed, and tolerant. Make ease, stillness, open-mindedness, and calmness your guiding principles; hold to them consistently without change, and in the end you will achieve your aim.

Those who are calm and composed, when they encounter gain, consider what is right and proper; therefore, they do not covet it. Those who are cautious do not speak or act rashly, and so are able to maintain their resolve. Greed arises when one is tempted by external things, while steadfastness is established within. If one is constantly entangled with external things, the mind will struggle day and night, making it difficult to hold fast to one’s spirit and settle the heart and mind. Thus, only by first dispelling greed can one become steadfast.

One who hates drunkenness yet forces oneself to drink will eventually become lost in it. One whose heart is damp, yet lives in a low, wet place, will likewise be soaked. Even if such a person wishes to remain steadfast, they will still struggle inwardly every day and find it hard to settle the heart and mind. Thus, dispelling greed makes steadfastness possible; steadfastness, in turn, makes it possible to avoid humiliation. If someone calls three times and receives no reply, they will eventually answer with harsh words. If demands are excessively severe, the other person will inevitably respond with ill intent. Therefore, avoiding humiliation leaves no cause for anger or agitation. When competing interests clash and rub against one another, they give rise to many disputes, and people thereby deplete their Qi of equanimity. So, having no anger or agitation reduces distress. Tranquil detachment and acting through Wuwei (non-action) are the foundation of Dao and De.

All who study the Huangsu Shu should devote themselves to cultivating the heart and nature. The heart and nature function like a mirror or water: when facing all manner of things, they reflect them naturally, without favoring what is beautiful over what is ugly or clinging to forms such as square or round. When it is time to remain, one remains; when it is time to proceed, one proceeds. By following what is natural, one can deeply grasp its subtle workings.

After studying the Huangsu Shu and understanding how to conduct oneself, one must also learn how to maintain one’s resolve. The way to do so is to reflect on where this body came from and where it is going, and to discern the principles at work between its coming and going. In this way, one will naturally attain insight into the divine and ultimately complete the Way of the immortals.

Anyone who studies the Huangsu Shu and has already understood how to advance, withdraw, and make choices in cultivation must persevere with effort. Making the effort itself is not difficult; what is difficult is holding fast to one’s original resolve and not changing. Why is it hard to persevere? There are nine circumstances that can cause people to change course midway. First, pressure to provide food and clothing gives rise to greed. Second, constraints imposed by elders coincide with one worldly affair after another. Third, concern for one’s wife and children is compounded by anxiety over too many other matters. Fourth, entanglement in fame and profit leaves one unable to act freely. Fifth, illness takes hold before cultivation is complete. Sixth, one fails to choose a teacher carefully and hastily puts methods into practice before learning them properly. Seventh, hearing different teachings gives rise to doubt and prevents concentration. Eighth, one’s resolve slackens: one begins diligently, then forgets. Ninth, one’s schedule is disordered, making success impossible. Any of these circumstances may cause a person to change course halfway through. When they arise, one should press forward and avoid pursuing immediate concerns single-mindedly; only then may cultivation reach completion.

Anyone who studies the Huangsu Shu and understands how to persevere without changing must also learn what it takes to succeed in cultivation. Success in cultivation means recognizing Heaven and Earth, the four seasons, the sun and moon, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water); distinguishing Water and Fire; harmonizing the Dragon and Tiger, which in Neidan (internal alchemy) symbolize Yin-Yang Qi; understanding cinnabar and the medicinal substances, terms and symbols used in Neidan cultivation; understanding lead and mercury, symbolic substances in Neidan; mastering extraction and addition, the regulation of Yin-Yang and the increase or decrease of the firing process; and knowing how to turn the River Cart, a method for circulating Qi within the body. Once these things are accomplished, one can also gain an understanding of methods for refining the body, ways of returning to the Origin, enduring trials and demonic obstacles, and verifying the effects of cultivation and attaining realization.

Anyone who studies the Huangsu Shu may know that Heaven and Earth bring all things into being, yet still fail to understand their mysteries. What are the mysteries of Heaven and Earth? They are the process by which parents bring life into being. The dark Qi of Heaven descends, like the father’s vital essence; in response, the Qi of Earth rises, like the mother’s blood giving rise to life. The Qi of Heaven and Earth interact and transform, and so the human body takes shape. Heaven and Earth continue their courses without end, each following its own patterns of movement and stillness. Understand that movement exists within stillness and stillness within movement, and you understand Heaven and Earth.

Those who study the Huangsu Shu know that the year has four seasons, but they may not understand the key to how those seasons change. What is the crucial timing of the four seasons? A person may live to a hundred. From childhood to adulthood comes a period of youth and physical weakness; from adulthood to sixty, the “lower longevity,” one gradually enters old age, until decline sets in. A human life, too, reflects the changing seasons of Heaven and Earth.

Thus, the opportune moments in a person’s life are rare, and even the hours around noon in a single day are worth cherishing. Those who understand the timing of life will apply themselves while young; those who understand how quickly time passes will not waste a moment. A human life can be compared to a year: a year has months, a month has days, and a day has hours. Only by grasping the right moment at each of these levels can one be said to accord with the Great Dao.

Those who study the Huangsu Shu, having learned about the sun and moon, must also understand the patterns of their movement. The Qingjing Jing says, “The Great Dao has no form, yet it gives life to Heaven and Earth; it has no name, yet it sets the sun and moon in motion.” One must keep in mind these two fundamental presences, Heaven and Earth, understand the union of Yin and Yang, and through this grasp the patterns of day and night. Thus, the Hundun Chufen Jing says that when chaos first divided, Heaven was dark and Earth yellow, each taking its proper place. Heaven and Earth are shaped like two bowls joined together, while the space within them—above, below, and in all four directions—is like an egg. The sun and moon rise and set according to a fixed pattern as they pass through their stations, just as the human hun and po souls each undergo their own movements and changes. Therefore, those who cultivate the Way and seek to master the po with the hun must understand the patterns by which the sun and moon rise and disappear.

Those who study the Huangsu Shu, having learned about the Five Phases, must also understand how they relate to one another. The Five Phases generate and overcome one another, and their relationships may be compared to those between parent and child, husband and wife, ruler and subject, and man and woman. The relationships among the body’s five viscera and six bowels can likewise be understood in these terms, for the Five Phases are inherently present within the human body.

Everyone who studies the Huangsu Shu must learn to recognize Water and Fire through the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). How can Water and Fire be distinguished? They may be compared to ruler and minister, or to man and woman; from there, the comparison can be extended to the body’s five viscera and six bowels. All Five Phases are present within the human body.

Those who study the Huangsu Shu must also understand the places of Water and Fire and how they unite. The heart and kidneys are eight cun and four fen apart, symbolizing Water and Fire each occupying its proper place. Their union is symbolized by the joining of the sources of Qi and fluid. The heart produces fluid, which flows downward from the lungs to the heart. Fluid is Yin, like a woman who has a home. The kidneys produce Qi, which moves from the kidneys to the heart. Qi is Yang, like a man who has a household. Some Qi and fluid move from above to below, and some from below to above. The two kinds of Qi unite, and are therefore called “True Fire” and “True Water.”

Those who study the Huangsu Shu must also recognize the union of Dragon and Tiger within Water and Fire. The Dragon refers to the heart, and the Tiger to the kidneys. Kidney Qi is easily dispersed, so the True Tiger is hard to obtain; heart fluid is difficult to gather, so the True Dragon is easily lost. The key lies in understanding the right moment for Qi and fluid to unite. When gathered by the proper method, some emerge from Fire and others arise from Water; within this lies the method of applying reversal.

Even after Dragon and Tiger unite, the principles of the elixir remain difficult to understand. Elixirs are divided into Neidan (internal alchemy) and Waidan (external alchemy). The ingredients of Neidan come from the heart and kidneys and are already present in everyone. Yet only when the sacred embryo—the spiritually transformed embryo described in Neidan practice—has formed does True Qi arise. Within True Qi there is an even subtler Qi, like the Dragon Pearl or bezoar, whose root is formed by “Yellow Sprout,” a Neidan term for the subtle source produced through cultivation. Once Neidan has been refined, the external medicine can be nurtured with each breath. The external medicine refers to cinnabar and silver essence formed by the union of lead and mercury.

Anyone who practices the Book of Yellow Su must, after learning how to “join the Dragon and Tiger”—that is, bring together the two symbolic medicines—and how to identify the ingredients, also understand the terms lead and mercury. The mercury contained in cinnabar is likened to the Yang Dragon; the silver contained in lead is likened to the Yin Tiger. Lead is the mother of silver, and mercury is produced from cinnabar. When lead and mercury are joined and refined, they can form an elixir. Place them in the crucible with the other ingredients, keep the fire gentle and carefully regulated, and the Golden Elixir may be successfully refined.

Anyone who practices the Book of Yellow Su must, after understanding lead and mercury, also master the method of “withdrawal and addition.” “Withdrawal” means reducing; “addition” means replenishing. The principles of adding and reducing are fundamental to the workings of creation and transformation. Only by mastering these principles can one refine the Golden Elixir.

Anyone who practices the Book of Yellow Su must, after understanding lead and mercury, also master the method of “withdrawal and addition.” “Withdrawal” means reducing; “addition” means replenishing. The principles of adding and reducing are fundamental to the workings of creation and transformation. Between Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang rise and descend, giving rise to the “six Qi” (six kinds of vital energy); the sun and moon move in their cycles, giving rise to “nine and six” (the numerical pattern of Yin and Yang waxing and waning). If one does not understand the laws governing Heaven and Earth, true lead will scatter in an instant, so these principles must be kept firmly in mind.

Those who study the Huangsu Shu have already understood the formula for “drawing out and replenishing.” They must also understand how the “River Cart” operates. What is the River Cart? It is divided into the Great River Cart, the Small River Cart, and the Purple River Cart. The term refers to the ceaseless movement of the true Qi of the north: first, it gathers in Yin and Yang and brings them forth; then it brings odd and even numbers into accord.

In internal cultivation, one first gathers the spirit, then gathers and refines the natural medicine. One applies the fire of true Qi to replenish Mercury and draw out Lead. This is the practice of the Small River Cart. When the movement of Qi has passed through the Three Barriers and reached the inner chamber, then circulates front and back, above and below, gathering, replenishing, and refining, the great medicine in the Yellow Court gradually takes shape. This is the Great River Cart. When both the Great and Small River Carts are in motion, cultivation is complete, and neither the body nor Qi is depleted; when body and Qi are in accord with the Dao, this is the Purple River Cart. The three River Carts all use a cart as a metaphor for the movement and application of Qi. Once these practices are mastered, the arts of refining the body and of inner visualization of the Primordial are in one’s own hands.

Those who study the Huangsu Shu, having heard these admonitions, should strive to observe them. Time passes swiftly, and a person’s primordial Qi and bodily form are gradually spent, like a pellet rolling through fire: once it falls into the flames, it will eventually go out. Everyone should begin cultivating as early as possible. In this way, the six relations may live in harmony; one person may ascend, and the entire family may receive its blessings. Those who begin cultivation at the root of the Qi channels will surely reach a path of understanding. The Immortal texts are close at hand, yet time passes easily and primordial Qi and bodily form are depleted. Everyone should cultivate diligently.

Huangsu Shu, Scroll One, of the High and Exalted Lunar Palace, the Supreme Yin Primordial Lord, the Filial Way Immortal King, and the Lingbao Jingming

Explained by Fu Feiqing, Right Canon of Ziwei, Chief Registrar of Shaowei, and Right Teaching Envoy overseeing inspections for the Lingbao Jingming Institute.

The heart and kidneys work together like husband and wife, following a definite pattern. When their fluids intermingle, “lead and mercury” arise. In Neidan (internal alchemy), these terms refer to the blending and transformation of Yin-Yang essence and Qi within the body, a process that can continue without end. Their union and congealing have beginnings and endings, an order of early and late, changes between odd and even, and states of fullness and depletion. Reasoning from the highest principles and examining them through a system of numbers reveals that all these changes are present within the human body.

After Yin and Yang unite, they are distributed above and below, each rising and descending at its appointed time. The heart and kidneys respond to one another and circulate essence and Qi according to a definite pattern. The arrangements of the seasons and numbers arise from nature, and so they are recorded in Daoist scriptures. The heart, kidneys, four seasons, and numerical patterns correspond to one another. By tracing these relationships, one can understand their workings; by investigating them deeply, one can also grasp their mysteries. All these changes take place within the human body.

The kidneys belong to Water, correspond to winter, and are associated with the number one. The heart belongs to Fire, corresponds to summer, and is associated with the number two. The liver belongs to Wood, corresponds to spring, and is associated with the number three. The lungs belong to Metal, correspond to autumn, and are associated with the number four. The spleen belongs to Earth and is associated with the number five. Earth is strongest at the end of each of the four seasons, so the spleen’s Qi also has its corresponding seasonal timing and numerical pattern.

The kidneys correspond to the northern position of Zi. The Zi hour is when Yang Qi first begins to emerge; it is the first Yang, so the kidneys belong to Water. The heart corresponds to the southern position of Wu. The Wu hour is when Yin Qi first begins to emerge; it is the second Yin, so the heart belongs to Fire.

From this, we may infer that the five viscera correspond to the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth. People are born by receiving the pure, upright Qi of Heaven and Earth. If it is properly harmonized, their lifespan can match that of Heaven and Earth. When a person first begins to take shape, Wood takes form through Water; thus “Taiyi” is an honorific name for Water. The original Qi acquired before birth is the mother of all things, while the original Qi acquired after birth is the root of the five viscera. If we observe the fetal sac, it is like splitting open plants before they have grown: everything inside is water. Thus the human form takes shape through Water. Once the body has formed, it possesses the Qi of spirit. The heart then comes into being, followed by the spleen, liver, and lungs. Water has what governs it, Fire what stores it, Wood what gives rise to it, and Metal what brings about its decline; all depend on Earth for their foundation. That is why the spleen is at the center. Water belongs to white, and the spleen to yellow: this is the “Way of Yellow Essence.”

The true form of the lungs.

The true form of the liver.

The true form of the kidneys.

The true form of the heart.

Each of the five viscera has its own spirit; each spirit has a form, and each form has Qi. Qi is the root of spirit, and form is the embodiment of Qi. The spleen’s form is lodged within the other four viscera, which is why people find its workings difficult to understand. To regulate the five viscera, one must first understand the spirit of each. Understanding their spirits can help one attain longevity. There are particular methods for summoning and directing these spirits, and specific techniques for visualizing them. The methods are recorded below:

Begin when the handle of the Dipper points toward the Hai position, and continue until the midpoint of the Chou position. When the celestial degrees reach this point, the bathing function of the kidneys’ Qi operates in the right eye. Use the mind to visualize the corresponding talismanic image, and the spirit can appear: dressed in black, wearing a black cap, and holding a precious sword, it can guard the alchemical furnace and prepare water. To perform this practice, stroke upward with the hand from the sole of the left foot while holding one breath, drawing in the kidneys’ Qi.

From the Dipper’s handle pointing toward the Ox position to the midpoint of the Rabbit position, Heaven’s movement reaches this stage. Liver Qi then moves to the ears. Focus the mind and visualize the talisman, and the spirit will appear, dressed in green, wearing a green crown, and holding an axe. You may have it watch over the alchemical furnace and prepare the charcoal. In practice, press both hands over the ears, hold the breath three times, then gather the Liver Qi.

From the Dipper’s handle pointing toward the Rabbit position to the midpoint of the Snake position, Heaven’s movement reaches this stage. Kidney Qi is strong and moves to the left eye. Focus the mind and visualize the talisman, and the spirit will appear. It is dressed in purple, wears a vermilion crown, and holds a sharp weapon. You may have it watch over the alchemical furnace and add fuel to the fire. In practice, press both hands against the body, then reach down and grasp the right foot. Hold the breath twice, then gather the Kidney Qi.

From the Dipper’s handle pointing toward the Snake position to the midpoint of the Goat position, Heaven’s movement reaches this stage. Heart Qi then moves to the central palace, the area at the body’s center. Focus the mind and visualize the talisman, and the spirit will appear. It is dressed in red, wears a vermilion crown, and holds a sharp weapon. You may have it watch over the alchemical furnace and prepare the charcoal. In practice, open the mouth, draw in breath twice, then swallow.

From the Dipper’s handle pointing toward the Goat position to the midpoint of the Rooster position, this is the position of Great Yin and damp Earth, a time when Yin energy is strong and belongs to Earth. Spleen Qi therefore moves to the Dantian (energy center), the site of cultivation inside the abdomen. Focus the mind and visualize the talisman, and the spirit will appear. It is dressed in yellow, wears a yellow crown, and holds a ruyi scepter. You may have it command the four spirits. In practice, press the abdomen, draw in breath five times, then swallow. Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal all depend on Earth to be born, so take in Qi five times to correspond to Earth’s number.

From the Dipper’s handle pointing toward the Rooster position to the midpoint of the Pig position, Heaven’s movement reaches this stage. Lung Qi then moves to the nose. Focus the mind and visualize the talisman, and the spirit will appear. It is dressed in white, wears a plain crown, and holds a knife. You may have it work the bellows. In practice, press both hands against the bridge of the nose, draw in breath twice through each nostril, then swallow.

From its flourishing to its decline, and from its diminishing to its growth, the life of a being accords with the changes of Heaven and Earth and is reflected in all kinds of things. By observing how all things grow, flourish, contract, and retreat into storage through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, we can understand how the Qi and channels of the four seasons change, along with those of the five organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys).

In spring, the weather is mild and all things sprout and grow. Before branches and leaves have emerged, the body’s Qi and channels unfold and flow freely. In summer, the weather is hot and all things flourish: branches droop, leaves spread out, and the Qi and channels grow abundant and strong. In autumn, the weather turns cool and all things contract; leaves fall in profusion, and the Qi and channels become light and buoyant. In winter, the weather is cold and still, and all things lie hidden, each returning to its roots; the Qi and channels become heavy and deeply concealed.

When pathogenic Qi is strong, the body develops excess patterns, and symptoms tend to appear on the surface. When vital Qi is depleted, the body develops deficiency patterns, and symptoms tend to appear internally. Therefore, those skilled in nourishing life expel pathogenic influences by exhaling and protect vital Qi by inhaling. The movement of vital Qi cannot be separated from the fundamental patterns of the four seasons. The following describes specific methods.

Cross your hands above your head and exert force to the left and right, three times on each side. Cross your hands below and exert force to the left and right, seven times on each side. Bend your wrists, seven times with each hand. Place your hands on your hips and exert force to the left and right, seven times on each side. Then clasp your hands around your neck and use your shoulders to exert force to the left and right, seven times on each side. These methods may be practiced at any time and help harmonize Qi; when Qi is harmonized, Shen (spirit) also becomes settled.

What does the “Way of Yellow and Plainness” mean? “Yellow” refers to Earth, and “plainness” refers to Water. Harmonize Water with Earth, then shape and fire them, and a great vessel can be made. From birth, people already possess the pathways through which the spleen, kidneys, and Ying and Wei Qi—the Qi that circulates within and around the body to nourish and protect it—move. A diagram of the treasured chart is appended below; it should be studied and memorized carefully.

On both sides, Taichong—the important sites where the Qi and blood of the channels circulate—is governed by Qi and protected by blood. This Qi and blood are generated through the interaction of the Qi of the two kidneys. They first pass through the spleen, then meet and enter the liver, where they follow their corresponding pathways.

On both sides, the Taichong Qi (the Qi in the body’s channels) keeps Qi flowing abundantly and blood nourishing the whole body. These effects arise from the union of the Yin Qi of the two lower orifices between the left and right kidneys. Qi first passes through the Spleen, then enters the Liver; from the Liver it goes to the Heart, and from the Heart to the Lungs. From the Lungs, Qi moves downward into the two big toes, then travels back from the toes to the nose. The nose inhales clear Qi, which enters both eyes. The True Qi moving through the eyes reaches the ears. The ears are gateways through which Water Qi enters and exits. They gather the Qi of hearing and send it into the Great Sea; here, “Great Sea” means the mouth, where the Spleen’s breathing and intake also take place.

The pure and correct Qi between Heaven and Earth has its source in Yin-Yang. The proper forms of Yin and Yang differentiate into the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), whose wondrous workings then spread throughout the myriad things. The human body corresponds to Heaven and Earth. Therefore, the Way of Huangsu (the method of regulating Qi described in this scripture) takes its model from the interplay and transformation of Qi. What is meant by interplay and transformation? It is inhalation and exhalation. At times, the method calls for inhaling before exhaling; at other times, exhaling before inhaling. This is the principle of tonification and draining. For example, when Kidney Qi restrains Heart Qi, one should exhale. If one instead inhales, Fire Qi will become congested. When Fire Qi stagnates, smoke arises; when the smoke is scorched, it in turn brings forth flames. This is what is meant here.

The Most High (a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) says: On Earth, it appears as form; in Heaven, it appears as Qi. The subtle relationship between form and Qi is called “root and branch.” The root of the Way of Huangsu lies in the Spleen and Kidneys, while its outward manifestations are in the mouth and ears.

The Most High says: On Earth, it appears as form; in Heaven, it appears as Qi. The subtle relationship between form and Qi is called “root and branch.” The root of the Way of Huangsu lies in the Spleen and Kidneys, while its outward manifestations are in the mouth and ears.

End of Volume One of The Scripture of Huangsu, Pure Brightness, Numinous Treasure, Filial Way, Immortal King, Primordial Lady of Great Yin in the High Lunar Palace.

Volume Two of The Scripture of Huangsu, Pure Brightness, Numinous Treasure, Filial Way, Immortal King, Primordial Lady of Great Yin in the High Lunar Palace.

The human body contains spirits. Spirits function through Qi (breath and vital energy), and Qi has gateways whose opening and closing are governed by pivotal mechanisms. Opening and closing each have their proper time: knowing when to open prevents stagnation and fixation; knowing when to close allows things to flow freely. Only by following these principles can Qi rise and pass through. It is like a flame: when properly tended at night, it gives light. It is also like accumulated water: without restraint, it disperses.

The gateway connects with Heaven; Heaven connects with the apertures; the apertures connect with the channels; the channels connect with the linking passages; and the linking passages connect with the towers. The towers and what the scripture calls “shan” enable the ears to hear keenly, the eyes to see clearly, Qi and breath to flow freely, and bodily fluids to circulate. This is called “illuminating the bright.”

The Highest One says: Qi rises from the Yongquan Gate, an acupuncture point on the sole of the foot, and flows upward in a countercurrent toward the Celestial Palace, an inner cultivation image of the head. The Celestial Palace has a supreme gate, firmly locked and not to be opened lightly. If you wish to open it, you may pay homage at the Cinnabar Steps, a symbol of entry into the realm of Neidan (internal alchemy). Do not imagine that the Celestial Palace is your home: your true home has always been in Lingyanxia, a place amid clouds and rosy mists, symbolizing a lofty immortal realm.

A gentle breeze stirs as you wear splendid robes, with attendants on either side flying like clouds. You leave the Gate of Heaven and enter another Gate of Heaven—which one truly leads to the immortal realm? The Scripture of the Yellow Register can bring one to awakening. Sound the Celestial Drum, struck with the fingers behind the ears and elsewhere in Daoist cultivation, and raise the Celestial Song; drum and song blend in perfect harmony. At the feast of song and dance, obtain true wine, flowing like a spring. Which Gate of Heaven truly leads to the immortal realm? The Scripture of the Yellow Register can bring one to awakening. Sound the Celestial Drum and raise the Celestial Song; drum and song blend in perfect harmony. The true wine obtained at the feast surges like waves of jade. All of this must be deeply contemplated so that its meaning and the essentials of cultivation may be grasped.

The workings of the spirit can nourish the middle. The way to nourish the middle is to swallow Qi; the way to swallow Qi is to swallow saliva; and the principle of swallowing saliva lies in rinsing and refining, through which the mouth is rinsed and the fluids enriched. These fluids are white as cream, sweet as honey, and fragrant as milk. Anyone who swallows Qi can use it to stave off hunger. The method called “eating the Three Ones” involves visualizing the Three Origins—the primordial energies of the upper, middle, and lower regions—and bringing them together as one: gather the upper origin in the brain, the middle origin in the spleen, and the lower origin in the Dantian (energy center) below the abdomen; regulate the middle, nourish and protect the lower, then propel them upward.

The value of the ears and eyes lies in hearing keenly and seeing clearly. Simply trying to hear sounds does not necessarily make one truly perceptive; simply trying to see forms does not necessarily make one truly discerning. One must hear soundlessness and see formless images. Within the soundless and formless, ghosts and spirits are the most hidden and obscure, yet they can still be perceived. What the spirit’s radiance illuminates cannot conceal its traces; what the spirit’s valley receives cannot hide its words. This is the meaning of the passage.

The teaching of “Yellow Essence” is subtle and not easy to understand. Gather and nurture the balanced Qi within the body, as earth stores water and gives it a place to rest. Then use water to nourish Jing. When Jing and Qi are abundant, the spirit becomes vigorous and reaches the ears and eyes, allowing them to function.

Settle the spirit and gather and nurture Jing and Qi; wash the ears and wipe the eyes. Breath rises like clouds from the mountains. The numinous gates—the openings through which Qi enters and leaves the body—open and close, and within them seem to stand ranges of mountains. When the earth’s Qi responds to itself, plants and trees grow. When body and mind are clear and still, they become lucid. When the mind and spirit are lucid, Jing and Qi become abundant, the spirit grows vigorous, and the ears and eyes function properly.

Settle the spirit and gather and nurture Jing and Qi; wash the ears and wipe the eyes. Breath rises like clouds from the mountains. The numinous gates open and close, and within them seem to stand ranges of mountains. When the earth’s Qi responds to itself, plants and trees grow. Stillness brings lucidity, and lucidity allows one to perceive things. When sitting, do not lean; keep your thoughts from straying into error. Let the mind and spirit gather and settle, and let Jing and Qi grow abundant without depletion. Clouds rise among the mountains. Though they seem to have no intention, they have their own destination; sometimes they become rain that nourishes all things, then, when the rain stops, return to the clouds. Keep the face moist, comb the hair regularly, and often rub and wash the hands and feet. Do not sit, stand, or lie down for too long, or sleep excessively.

Study the teachings of the Yellow Essence Book regularly, so that your mind may gradually understand their meaning. Study and recite the Yellow Essence text to make your Qi full and abundant.

It is said that studying and carrying the Yellow Essence text can enable one to attend an audience in the celestial realm. The teaching of Yellow Essence exists within the human body, though people may not perceive it. Without understanding the meaning of Yellow Essence, one cannot yet grasp the Dao of the immortals or enter the deep and mysterious realm.

The Perfected One of Yellow Essence, an honorific Daoist title for an immortal.

Anyone who wishes to cultivate immortality must first understand the true script. The true script is the Brahma Qi (primordial Qi) between Heaven and Earth. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning obtained it and used it to exist before Heaven and Earth; the Dao Lord obtained it and used it to carry out Daoist rites; the Lord Lao obtained it and used it to save the people of the world. If a person’s body lacks the true script of the Yellow Tally, it cannot come into being. These true scripts are the ancestral Qi (root Qi) of the Celestial Treasure, Numinous Treasure, and Divine Treasure. The ancestral Qi congeals into characters, which gather together to form the human body. When the Director of Destinies, the deity who oversees the registers of human life, descends, he unveils the Yellow Tally; only when the Yellow Tally is complete can a person be born. This shows that the foundation of the Yellow Tally lies within the person, not outside them. Without it, one cannot survive; without understanding it, one cannot cultivate the Dao.

The true script described above consists of eighty-one characters. It is the Qi within the spleen and kidneys, and also the Qi of Earth and Water among the Five Phases of Heaven and Earth. With this Qi, a person can grow. If Dao cultivators burn incense and contemplate the true script each day, they can understand the form of the Qi exhaled and inhaled by the spleen and kidneys. From the first character through the eighty-first, as you exhale, contemplate the characters appearing and flowing out; as you inhale, contemplate them entering the body. The Qi-form of each character is three cun long and three cun wide.

The Yellow Tally’s Conjoining of Qi

The conjoined Qi described above measures two zhang, four chi, and three cun in total; it consists entirely of Qi-forms drawn into the body. From the first character through the eighty-first, as you exhale, contemplate the characters appearing and flowing out; as you inhale, contemplate them entering the body. The Qi-form of each character is three cun long and three cun wide.

The Yellow Tally’s Conjoining of Qi

The conjoined Qi described above appears as light in five colors. When you hold your breath, contemplate this Qi: let it remain in the Dantian, then enter the spleen and spread throughout the body without dissipating. When observing this Qi, although it possesses five colors, they all originate from the Yellow Tally.

End of juan two of The Yellow Tally Book of Pure Brightness and Numinous Treasure on Filial Conduct by the Immortal King, the Supreme Lunar Primordial Lord of the Moon Palace.

Juan three of The Yellow Tally Book of Pure Brightness and Numinous Treasure on Filial Conduct by the Immortal King, the Supreme Lunar Primordial Lord of the Moon Palace.

This passage uses the Five Phases, five colors, and the Qi of the body’s five organs to explain how Yin and Yang Qi unite within the body, thereby harmonizing the five organs and giving rise to the six bowels.

“Yellow generates white, white generates blue-green, blue-green generates red, and red generates yellow” describes the generating relationships among the colors yellow, white, blue-green, and red. White also acts together with black Qi, so white Qi is associated with the lungs. This is described as a fixed pattern of the Qi that governs the human body. After Yin and Yang Qi unite, yellow Qi settles at the center and brings them into harmony; white Qi forms the woman, while red Qi forms the man. This illustrates the distinction between female and male Yin-Yang.

The human body first has the kidneys, which belong to Yin. The heart belongs to Fire and corresponds to red, but it must unite with yellow Qi for the flow of Qi to become harmonious. In cultivation, one imagines a “Yellow Matchmaker” (Huangpo), symbolizing the centrally harmonizing Qi of Spleen-Earth, bringing together a man dressed in red and a woman dressed in white. Since the woman must marry through a go-between, she is called “Yellow-White.” Although red Qi seeks union, it cannot unite without white Qi first serving as the intermediary. The role of yellow Qi is to bring about this union. Thus, when the Qi of all five organs throughout the body is joined into one, this is called “Yellow-White Complete.”

“Yellow-White Qi unites” means that yellow and white Qi begin to mediate between one another. The spleen belongs to Earth and corresponds to yellow; the kidneys belong to Water and correspond to black. Red Qi arises between them.

“Red meets white and unites in Qi” describes the union of red and white Qi: the heart and kidneys form a single whole within the body, with Spleen-Earth harmonizing them at the center. From there, Qi also circulates through the liver and lungs, allowing blue-green and white Qi each to follow its proper course. This is called “bringing the five Qi into harmony at the center,” meaning the regulation and circulation of the Qi of the five organs. Once the five Qi have blended, they ascend to the “Five Heavens,” the celestial realms corresponding to the five directions and Five Phases. These are called the source of Original Qi. The source of Original Qi is the sovereign of the many spirits, and the sovereign of the many spirits in turn leads to the palace of the Immortal City. When the five Qi unite in the realm of utmost subtlety, they can generate true Qi.

“Text on bringing the five Qi into harmony at the center” says that change occurs only after the Qi of the five organs has been regulated and brought into circulation. The six bowels then come into being, and their foundation arises from the “True Text”—a Daoist talismanic script symbolizing the Qi of the Dao as it generates and transforms things.

“Ancestor and source of the Original Qi of the six bowels” is the heading that follows. It means the source and origin of the Original Qi of the six bowels.

The five Yang and six Yin represent the total Qi of Yin and Yang. In a person’s body, the true Qi of the five viscera and six bowels circulates up to the crown of the head. Auspicious clouds rising from the crown symbolize the joyful meeting and union of Yin-Yang Qi.

The joyful union of Yin and Yang is the root of primordial Qi.

When Yin-Yang Qi meets joyfully, the two currents mingle and flow downward, giving rise to cloud-like Qi. The Qi above and below joins, beginning at the feet. Stirred by Yin-Yang Qi, the feet move in alternating left-right changes that extend throughout the body.

By continually nourishing this Yin-Yang Qi within the body, one allows the upper and lower parts to connect, and Shen and Qi gradually become harmonized and refined. One can then naturally ascend and attain renown. The Celestial Ear—the keen hearing cultivated in practice—can hear, and the Celestial Eye—the lucid vision cultivated in practice—can perceive clearly. When the ears and eyes are pure and clear, they can discern what is deep and subtle. In this way, the Qi of Heaven and Earth joins and flows freely. One may enter the mysterious realm, pass through the void, pay audience to the True Sages, and take one’s place among those who attend the Origin—the primordial deity.

The essential principle of paying audience to the Origin lies in Qi.

The High Scripture of the Yellow Silk on the Dao of Filial Piety, by the Supreme Moon Palace Supreme Yin Primordial Sovereign, Immortal King, and Numinous Treasure Pure Brightness, juan 3, ends.

The High Scripture of the Yellow Silk on the Dao of Filial Piety, by the Supreme Moon Palace Supreme Yin Primordial Sovereign, Immortal King, and Numinous Treasure Pure Brightness, juan 4

The practice of Yellow Silk—the cultivation path represented by “yellow” and “silk”—begins above all with the ears and eyes. Their signs of efficacy originate in the Yellow Center, the central Earth Qi governed by the spleen, while their root lies in plain Qi, the essence associated with the kidneys. These are precisely the essential natures of the spleen and kidneys. When the spleen and kidneys are balanced, seeing and hearing can discern things clearly. As plain Qi is nourished below and Yellow Qi circulates above, the two meet, and the True Elixir—the Neidan cultivated in practice—begins to form.

Yellow Silk, Section One

Two bright stars appear, separated from one another, while beneath the green mountain rocks they remain hidden for ages. Within them is a Jade Lad named Yaoguang: on the left he binds, on the right he subdues evil. The two appear together.

One need only recognize where life-giving Qi finds support: Fusang, the legendary land where the sun rises, and Goumang, the Eastern Spring deity, born from the Clear Sea. When these two currents unite, shining in turn, one may grasp the essential meaning of the Yellow Silk book.

Yellow Silk, Section Two

The sun is originally formless, as are the moon and the compass. The moon has no light of its own and depends on the sun’s illumination. The Qi of sun and moon joins and cannot be separated; from this, a path of mutual reflection naturally takes shape.

The Resting Book—the book of cultivation mentioned here—can help one grasp its essential meaning.

Yellow Silk, Section Two

The moon is originally formless, as are the moon and the compass. The moon has no light of its own and depends on the sun’s illumination. The Qi of sun and moon joins and cannot be separated; from this, a path of mutual reflection naturally takes shape.

The Resting Book can help one grasp its essential meaning.

This is about the moon itself having neither form nor light. The moon appears because the sun shines upon it. The two vital energies of the sun and moon mingle and unite, inseparable from one another, naturally forming a path on which they reflect and meet.

Do not speak only of the moon hanging high in the sky and illuminating the scene before you. Also speak of how the practitioner can perceive what is subtle and hidden, and foresee minute changes. Fine jade lies concealed in the mountains, causing even the stones to shine; when the spirit is full, one can see things clearly and remain undeluded.

Yellow Talisman, Chapter Three

Why does the moon’s cycle seem to pass so quickly, while the year’s cycle seems so slow? One must discern the principles of fast and slow in the Book of the Yellow Talisman and observe the subtle workings along the path of Yin-Yang change.

By following nature, one understands when to welcome and when to follow. By avoiding entanglement in rigid rules and constraints, one can grasp the opportune moment. Practice through regulating the breath, inner visualization, and focused contemplation, but do not rush to achieve results.

Yellow Talisman, Chapter Four

To understand the key to the Way of the Yellow Talisman, seek the subtle workings in the Book of the Yellow Talisman. When Zi and Wu—the hours of midnight and noon—converge at the proper moment, true Qi, the original vital energy of cultivation, will rise like smoke.

The road before the Twelve Towers is the most perilous, while Mount Kunlun rises high into the clouds. Ask the traveler whether they have recognized this path: profound secrets remain concealed within the Yellow Talisman.

Yellow Talisman, Chapter Five

As the water clock measures the hundred divisions of the day, sit upright and still. Within the abdomen, it is as though the Book of the Yellow Talisman unfolds, with a sun shining in red radiance and the moon’s shadow opposite it, like husband and wife keeping one another company.

Face south and turn your back to the north, and the principle will become clear. The Qi of sun and moon fills one another, with neither diminished. Let them rise or descend and harmonize in the center; as they move, do not let their rhythm fall out of balance.

Yellow Talisman, Chapter Six

If you wish to know what is hidden in the precious cauldron, the True Scripture of the Yellow Talisman says that it contains the hun and po souls. The scripture also contains efficacious talismans, wondrous as spirits, which one may wear when traveling to the north of Mount Kunlun.

North of Mount Kunlun are immortals. The practitioner can harmonize Yin and Yang as they move up and down. As they move, do not let their rhythm fall out of balance.

Yellow Talisman, Chapter Six

If you wish to know what is hidden in the precious cauldron, the True Scripture of the Yellow Talisman says that it contains the hun and po souls. The scripture also contains efficacious talismans, wondrous as spirits, which one may wear when traveling to the north of Mount Kunlun.

North of Mount Kunlun are steps leading to the realm of immortals, from which one can ascend to Yuchen, the pure realm of the immortals described in Daoism. Others cannot know of it. Even after ascending, it does no harm if others remain unaware; should the ignorant learn of it, they may instead let the secrets of Heaven slip out.

Yellow Talisman, Chapter Seven

Within the sun and moon are the images of a crow and a rabbit. Take them and place them in the Golden Cauldron to refine them slowly. Know the proper measure for when to add the fire and when to stop it; then, at the appointed time, sprinkle them with ritual water, the symbolic water used in cultivation.

Fragrance has been thoroughly absorbed, and delicious food is enough to satisfy hunger. This is something foolish people must not be told. The crow represents the male, and the hare the female; as the currents of Qi and destiny move, they join as husband and wife.

Huangsu, Chapter Eight

Foolish people say only that they have seen ghosts and spirits. In truth, what they see are either wicked people or women. They do not know that these images are manifestations of the spirit: when the spirit moves, thoughts respond to it.

The spirit’s resonance is like the response between ruler and minister. Even evil apparitions find it difficult to conceal their traces. This accords in secret with the Huangsu method of penetrating vision, and with the principle of the sun and moon reflecting one another and their light appearing within the Golden Elixir.

Huangsu, Chapter Nine

To know whether a child’s nature and mind are clear, one need only look within a single thought to see ghosts and spirits. When a child’s true Jing and spirit are both flourishing and joined, they can produce a numinous response.

To learn to preserve Jing and Qi as children do, nurture them and do not dissipate them carelessly. The secret of the Huangsu can return a person to their original nature. With deep practice, one can ascend to Yuchen, the immortal realm spoken of in Daoism.

Huangsu, Chapter Ten

Within the Elixir is an Elixir; within lead is lead. The Elixir and lead are originally the roots of the sun and moon. The two luminaries move in opposition, continually joining and returning toward the central field, the Dantian spoken of in internal alchemy.

By reading and contemplating the true Jing, one can understand the principles of nature. Between one inhalation and one exhalation, numinous Qi rises. By what means do accomplished fellow practitioners become immortals? The key is understanding the measured steps of the sun and moon’s movement.

Huangsu, Chapter Eleven

By cultivating the eyes at the proper times, one can make the sun and moon shine brightly; their light arises, free of cloud and shadow. Hold the breath, and sounds will ring in the nose, throat, and ears; afterward, the ears can hear clearly.

The mind and spirit remain calm and undistracted, and even while moving one can listen and discern. Everything heard is no more than news of communication with Heaven and Earth. Whoever can bring the primal framework into a meeting and sharpened union—the joining of Yin and Yang Qi—will naturally keep the hun and po souls from scattering or losing their proper abode.

Huangsu, Chapter Twelve

Those skilled at directing the mind and spirit into the kidneys know that the heart and kidneys are linked by a hidden mechanism. The ears and eyes become clear, though others do not know it; one can also bring ghosts and spirits before judgment in the underworld, the otherworldly government of Daoist belief.

The eight requirements, including loyalty and filial devotion, must all be fulfilled; then this achievement can certainly be realized. The true delight hidden within mystery lies between the eyebrows of the Most High. This practice depends on preserving the spirit between the eyebrows.

The Twelve Talismans of the Huangsu

The twelve talismanic methods above are practiced according to the instructions given earlier. They are the steps to lifting an entire household into flight, the essential techniques for soaring aloft, and the key to the Huangsu.

The Twelve Talismans of the Supreme Moon Palace, the Primordial Yin Sovereign, the Immortal King of Filial Piety, and the Numinous Treasure of Pure Brightness

Practiced according to the method described above, these twelve talismans are steps on the path to raising one’s entire household to immortality. They are also essential instructions for ascending beyond the mortal realm and the key to the Yellow Register.

The fourth scroll of The Yellow Register of the Numinous Treasure of Pure Brightness, the Supreme Moon Palace, the Primordial Yin Sovereign, and the Immortal King of Filial Piety ends here.

The fifth scroll of The Yellow Register of the Numinous Treasure of Pure Brightness, the Supreme Moon Palace, the Primordial Yin Sovereign, and the Immortal King of Filial Piety

The Yellow Register says: “The two eyes open wide and bright, then appear; beneath the green mountain stone, they remain hidden for a long time.” This means that the eyes should not wander about indiscriminately. “Within them is a Jade Lad, named Yaoguang” refers to the pupils. “The left binds, the right strikes, and they move in turn” refers to rotating the eyeballs, seven times in each direction. “The Clear Sea and Fusang” refers to the Qi of the two kidneys rising upward. “The two Qi alternate and reflect one another” refers to their successive shifts at the zi hour.

“The sun is formless; the moon follows its compass” refers to the Qi of the left eye rising to the right kidney. “The moon has no light of its own; the sun comes to shine upon it” refers to the Qi of the right eye rising to the left kidney. These are all methods of cultivating the Dao. “The two Qi alternate and reflect one another” refers to their successive shifts at the zi hour.

“The sun is formless; the moon follows its compass” refers to the Qi of the left eye rising to the right kidney. “The moon has no light of its own; the sun comes to shine upon it” refers to the Qi of the right eye rising to the left kidney. “Naturally, their paths intersect and shine upon each other” means that the two streams of Qi move up and down, regulating the channels through which the breath passes. The phrase “do not speak” should here be read as “you must speak,” meaning that it must be stated. “Standing tall, it illumines the scene within” refers to visualization. “Let us say, for now, that it can see through and discern” refers to visualization reaching its intended effect.

The movement of Qi varies in speed: Yang Qi rises at noon and descends at midnight, while Yin Qi rises at midnight and descends at noon. Yang Qi moves gently, and Yin Qi moves swiftly; the midnight and noon hours set their rhythm. The “Yellow Path” and the “White Path” are the two routes on the left and right. As Yin and Yang Qi move through the body, do not forcefully guide them against their course. If you follow their natural movement, the breath will not become disordered.

The Yellow Path and White Path follow the midnight and noon hours. The White Path is shorter, and the Yellow Path is longer; they move in sequence. The natural Qi rises through the throat and enters the crown of the head, the place called the summit of Mount Kunlun. The original text then repeats its account of the Yellow and White Paths and Qi reaching the crown of the head.

“After a hundred ke, sit upright and steady” means to measure a day and night in a hundred ke and sit in stillness. Set the hours between midnight and noon; Yang Qi first arises at midnight. “Within the belly, lightly don the Yellow Silk” means to draw kidney Qi forth from the spleen and send it upward along the Yellow Path to the heart, where the two streams of Qi join. The sun within the moon and the moon within the sun symbolize the union of Yin and Yang. Facing south with one’s back to the north is the method of practice. The two Qi of Yin and Yang meet and join, and there should be no doubt about this. “Midpoint” refers to noon; “movement” refers to the measure of the breath’s coming and going, and of how much Qi circulates.

To know what is hidden in the precious cauldron, understand that the hun and po described in the Book of Yellow Silk are the roots of Yin and Yang. The “precious talisman” mentioned in the book refers to the true forms of the left and right eyes and the pure Qi of the kidneys. To wear it and travel to Mount Kunlun means that kidney Qi rises and joins with spleen Qi; the union of spleen and kidneys is called the “cauldron.” After the two Qi unite, they turn toward the heart, then rise to the left and right eyes and enter through the crown of the head. North of Mount Kunlun is the “Heavenly Ladder,” which here refers to the tongue. When the tongue touches the upper palate, saliva can flow.

The “crow and rabbit” spoken of within the Sun and Moon—the crow in the Sun and the rabbit in the Moon—represent, respectively, the Yang number three and the Yin number four. Yang numbers are odd; Yin numbers are even. Qi (vital energy) is gathered into the Golden Tripod and slowly warmed and nourished according to the method of numerical correspondences. It is then swallowed and moistened by rinsing with saliva, so that it enters the Dantian palace within the Spleen. Morning and evening, the inner fire is stirred and then moistened with water. Here, “water” means saliva, and “fire” means Qi. The methods can be discerned from the measures and steps of cultivation.

If Jing and Shen come into harmony, one should reduce one’s thoughts and restrain one’s desires. As Shen moves, the mind responds to external things: this is why the eyes can see and the ears can hear. When the mind and Shen interact naturally, it is like a minister paying court to a ruler, who in turn responds. When a person turns the mind and Shen toward the spirits, the spirits respond in the same way. Even evil spirits find it difficult to conceal themselves from such a person, because that person’s Jing and Shen are abundant, and evil Qi cannot invade upright Qi. Restrained by upright Qi, evil Qi settles down. This accords subtly with the Secret of the Yellow Register for Penetrating Vision (Huangsu Dongshi Jue), a cultivation formula for discerning what is hidden.

This is the state described as the radiance of the Sun and Moon within the Golden Elixir, indicating that the practitioner’s Neidan is about to be refined to completion. Such harmony does not come from deliberately performing a particular technique. It arises naturally when one does not lose one’s inherent nature in daily life; it is not a specific method transmitted by a master.

“Child” here refers to someone who does not release Jing; as a result, their Jing and Qi remain abundant. “Not thinking” means reducing distracting thoughts, allowing Shen and Qi to gather and settle. Once Jing and Shen have been cultivated, they must continue to be nourished. The method of nourishment is fetal breathing, a practice of regulating the breath until it becomes long and subtle. Fetal breathing concerns the coming and going of the breath. The scripture also describes gathering in the body by supporting the head with the left hand and the feet with the right. This warns against allowing Jing and Qi to dissipate or be depleted easily—in other words, against indulging in sexual activity.

A person has three Dantian, upper, middle, and lower, all places where Qi moves and gathers. The loss or outflow described here refers to an unstable middle Dantian: Jing and Qi are like water whose flow has been cut off and cannot be retained.

“Within the Elixir there is an Elixir; within lead there is lead” refers to the fluids of the heart and kidneys. The “one” represents the kidneys and the “two” the heart: one is odd and the other even, and they join with each other. The ears are the gateways of the kidneys, while the eyes are the gateways of the heart. When water is used to harmonize fire, an Elixir can form within the water. “An Elixir within the water” refers to the Qi entering and leaving through the breath. The nose belongs to Metal, as do the lungs, so the breath’s coming and going is called the “Golden Elixir.”

What brings the primordial framework into conjunction and links the movements of Qi is the true, upright Qi of the Northern Dipper. The hun and po souls do not scatter aimlessly to the west or east because they hold to the true positions of north and south, using them to set the sun and moon in motion.

“To guide the heart’s Qi into the kidneys” means that the Qi of the heart and kidneys flow into one another. When heart and kidneys are linked, Jing and Qi become abundant, and Shen grows vigorous; the two are joined. When heart and kidneys unite in harmony, the images of the sun and moon naturally shine bright. Opening and clarifying the ears and eyes allows the Qi of heart and kidneys to flow together. Loyalty means not acting recklessly; filial devotion means not losing one’s original nature. To put these principles into practice is to serve one’s ruler and father; to uphold and apply them is to regard the heart as one’s ruler and the kidneys as one’s father.

The essential meaning of the eleven chapters above should be understood through careful reflection. In this way, one’s resolve naturally becomes clear, one’s thoughts become comprehensible, and one’s spirit opens and expands, thereby bringing the immortal Way to completion.

On Practice That Nourishes the Spirit: Text in Brahma Script

The Qi of the Central Yellow gives rise to the true colors and settles each in its proper place, without the slightest deviation. The four kinds of breath converge with one another, guarding and supporting me as I rise into the mysterious realm.

The pure radiance guards the Elixir chamber, shutting it and keeping it within so that it does not scatter recklessly. The wondrous true image is ever present: this is the secret of long life.

The sovereign within the heart’s primordial essence can release a bright, numinous light. Descending to unite with Yellow Essence, it then accords with the position of the center.

The root of the blue and white Qi lies in the calm and settled nature of Yellow Essence. May I now cultivate this precious teaching and thereby set foot on the path to ascending as an immortal.

These four numinous chapters describe how the true spirits of the five organs each dwell in their proper place. Those who practice the Yellow Essence method should first have these words carved, or copy them and place them where they sleep. In this way, they will naturally see the Qi of the five spirits and hear singing as described in the text.

By practicing the methods of the Lingbao Jingming Dao, one may thereby enter the path to ascending to immortality.

The four spirit chapters above establish the proper positions of the true spirits of the five viscera—that is, the spirits who dwell in and correspond to the five viscera. Those who practice the Yellow Register method should first have these texts carved or written down; they may also place them where they sleep. In this way, they will naturally perceive the Qi of the five spirits and hear their singing, as described in the text.

The fifth scroll of the High Supreme Book of the Yellow Register of the Lingbao Jingming Dao, Filial Way of the Primordial Sovereign of Great Yin of the Moon Palace, Immortal King ends here.

The sixth scroll of the High Supreme Book of the Yellow Register of the Lingbao Jingming Dao, Filial Way of the Primordial Sovereign of Great Yin of the Moon Palace, Immortal King.

In practicing the Yellow Register method, the key to nourishing body and mind and restraining desire is to maintain equanimity. Do not indulge in deviant thoughts or sexual desire. Keep the mind upright, and do not act deceitfully. The human Hun always has a clear aspect, while the Po always has a heavy, turbid aspect. When clarity and turbidity mix, the Hun and Po come into conflict. Without proper guidance, the Hun is not set right, and the Po is left unrestrained. Indulging desire and letting the mind wander depletes inner Jing and Qi; eating without restraint and becoming infatuated with beauty damage the body from without. A person’s spirit, blood, and Qi all reside within the body. Even the slightest weeping affects body and mind. These principles must be understood.

Some say, “The path to becoming an immortal is difficult, and immortals may not even exist. Talk of hell is empty speculation, too. We should simply take care of life as it is now; why discuss what happens after death?” This is truly a foolish view. Have you not seen that plants, which have no awareness, and tiny insects can undergo transformation when they encounter cinnamon and scallions, turning into water; when they encounter rats and croton seeds, they become swollen and plump? Without nourishment, no transformation can occur. People who cultivate themselves and take medicines in order to become immortals are following this same principle.

There was also Lord Dong, who recited a four line incantation and could make ginger lose its pungency and salt lose its saltiness. This was a way of using incantations to affect external things. Zesheng could breathe on water to halt its flow or even make it run backward, and could also breathe on fire to put it out. The black Qi he exhaled could likewise restrain things. If people today recite true scriptures in the morning, perform incantations and circulate Qi at night, take medicines according to the prescribed method, and hope for longevity, how could this be impossible? There is also a method for regulating food intake, given below.

The Method of Combing the Hair Early in the Morning

When combing your hair, face east and visualize the fresh vitality of the color green. First, hold your hair with your left hand and take the comb in your right. Imagine yourself surrounded by green clouds, with your hair like strands of green silk. Then recite the incantation:

“Numinous forces disperse from Great Hua; the hair becomes green clouds. I comb my hair now, to preserve long life.”

Comb your hair near where you sleep; do not go far from your sleeping place. The east is where vital energy arises and belongs to Wood in the Five Phases. Wood gives rise to growth and flourishing. A person’s hair is like the branches and leaves of plants, so you should face east and visualize green clouds while combing it.

Method for Dressing

When dressing, face the direction of the month’s monthly building. Recite the incantation:

“Heaven bestows a robe of golden thread; may this golden robe suit the season. Warmth in due measure; may wearing it drive illness away.”

As you dress, imagine five-colored auspicious clouds covering your whole body. The monthly building refers to the direction assigned to that month, traditionally determined by the direction in which the Big Dipper’s handle points. When you rise in the morning to dress, face the direction of the monthly building. Visualizing five-colored clouds signifies the Qi of the Five Phases spreading throughout the body.

Method for Summoning the Body’s Spirits

After waking, comb your hair and dress, then sit quietly for a while. Imagine all the spirits within your body returning to their proper places. Only then go out to wash. Recite the incantation:

“May the three Hun souls and seven Po souls return to their proper palaces; may the spirits of the six viscera and five organs dwell within.

May each guard its place and not be troubled; may no demon or evil spirit gain entry.”

After reciting the incantation to summon the spirits, go out to wash. The scripture holds that during sleep, a person’s spirit and souls disperse. On waking, one should summon them back through visualization and recitation.

Method for Washing the Face and Rinsing the Mouth

In every season, wash your face with water freshly drawn from a well at dawn. Before washing, visualize the Qi of the sun and moon shining together, with the five colors filling your body and mind; then wash your face. Recite the incantation:

“Jade nectar transforms my appearance and substance; it makes the aged young again. May good fortune gather around me always, and make me fairer than a child.”

Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) are the foundations on which all things grow. With them, all things can live; without them, they die. Therefore, visualize the Qi of the sun and moon shining together. (Visualization means cultivating through focused contemplation.) The five colors filling the body signify that this Qi must never leave it.

On the method of taking medicine

Take medicine according to its particular prescription. Some medicines should be taken after food; others require you first to enter stillness (settling body and mind for cultivation) and pray to the spirits. Follow the customary method in each case, keeping it simple and avoiding needless complexity. Do not overstrain your Qi and blood. When taking medicine, recite this incantation:

“Immortal medicine of Penglai, grant me lasting life;

Sun and moon, divine healers, aid me on my way.”

After taking it, you may prolong your life for hundreds or even thousands of years. All malign influences will retreat and scatter like dust and smoke.

All things possess a numinous quality and can nurture the human body. When Jing and Qi gather, Shen follows. Therefore, visualize the divine healers of the sun and moon (deities who govern the sun and moon and protect cultivators). When your spirit joins with theirs, upright Qi will flourish and malign influences will disperse like drifting dust and smoke.

On entering the chamber of stillness

When entering the chamber of stillness to cultivate, you may recite scripture, practice breathing and regulating the Qi, or bow in reverence to the spirits. Follow your usual practice, and visualize the divine healers of the sun and moon. When your spirit joins with theirs, upright Qi will flourish and malign influences will disperse like drifting dust and smoke.

The incantation for calming the spirit when entering the chamber of stillness

When entering the chamber of stillness, whether reciting scripture, regulating the Qi through breathing, or bowing to the spirits, follow your usual practice. But a person’s soul and spirit may come into contact with Yin Qi and be startled. Therefore, first recite an incantation to calm the mind and spirit:

“Officers of fragrance in the Five Viscera, lords who govern this day,

Come with me as I go to pay homage to the perfected.

Guide my spirit and discernment to utmost clarity;

May I be free of fear and sudden alarm.”

Reciting scripture, regulating the Qi through breathing, and bowing to the spirits are all ways of bringing one’s own spirit before the spirits, with Yang Qi meeting Yin Qi. One should therefore first calm one’s spirit, then proceed with the homage.

Method of eating and drinking

The five flavors in one’s food should be balanced, and meals should be taken at regular times; this naturally brings comfort and ease. As for cultivating the body and abstaining from grain, follow the appropriate methods. Do not lightly undertake grain abstention before attaining the Great Medicine, the Golden Elixir. Eat before the hours of Wei and Shen have passed (approximately one to five in the afternoon). After that time, even eating a great deal brings no benefit. While eating, recite this incantation:

“Holy spirits of the Heavenly Kitchen, bestow upon me the nectar of immortality.

Holy spirits of the Heavenly Kitchen, bestow upon me the nectar of immortality.”

Method for regulating the Qi after eating

After a meal, let the body sweat, then rub your face with your hands; your face will become radiant. Next, massage your abdomen with your hands and walk slowly along the corridor, continuing for five to seven li before stopping. Recite the spell:

The pure, true Qi of the heavens gathers within my body. A hundred kinds of evil Qi cannot approach or trouble me.

Wherever I go, ghosts and spirits are struck with fear, demons and apparitions flee, and calamities are dispelled.

How to Use the Toilet

Using the toilet brings one into contact with impure Qi, which may harm one’s spiritual energy. For this reason, shake your clothes with your hands. After reciting the spell above, recite:

I nourish Jing and gather Qi with my Five Viscera (the body’s internal organs) and the Five Grains. I expel the body’s decayed remnants and fear that this may harm my spirit. I understand: this matter is now complete.

When using the toilet, do not do so beneath the sun, moon, or stars, or facing northeast. Impure, decayed Qi conflicts with the spirits, so recite a spell to dispel the impurity and preserve your spirit.

How to Sleep

Whenever you are about to sleep, lie with your head facing east or south. Visualize the two Dipper constellations (the Southern and Northern Dippers) joining together and covering your body. Recite the spell:

The Celestial Dipper spirit and the spirits of the Five Dippers cover my body, so that my Hun and Po souls remain at peace in my dreams.

The east and south are where Yang Qi resides. Daoist practitioners emphasize refining Yin Qi and returning it to Yang Qi. Therefore, when sleeping, your head should face east, as Confucius did, or south, as Guangchengzi did. Also visualize the Southern and Northern Dippers to draw in the righteous Qi of Yin-Yang and protect your inner being.

The Spleen is the ruler of the body’s center, overseeing the balanced and harmonious Qi of the Five Viscera. The Lung is like a general, directing the circulation of the five kinds of Qi through breathing. When breathing stops, the body falls ill; when primordial Qi can no longer be generated, a person dies. Thus the Lung covers the body from above and the Spleen supports it from below. This is the essential principle described in the Book of Yellow Essence.

At the hours of Zi and Wu—the two periods in the traditional division of the day—visualize a child holding a yellow banner and standing within the Spleen or Lung. Then visualize white Qi, like wind, blowing the banner. Hold your breath and contemplate quietly; the many thoughts in your mind will settle.

All five viscera can nourish Jing and Qi. Among them, the Heart is the ruler and governs the whole body, but here special attention is given to the Spleen and Lung. The Heart and Kidneys are paired like husband and wife; the Spleen and Lung are paired like mother and child. The Qi of mother and child nourishes each other, and only afterward does the relation of father and son producing one another arise: thus the Spleen generates the Liver, and the Liver in turn generates the Heart. The Heart is the ruler, reflecting the order between ruler and subject, as well as a succession in which one follows another.

Heaven is above and Earth below, with the Qi of the three Yin and three Yang moving between them. Within the human body, Yin and Yang Qi likewise flow through one another. When Qi is balanced and harmonious, a person is healthy; when it is out of balance, illness follows. When cold and heat contend, illnesses such as malaria arise. When Yang Qi is excessive and Yin Qi intrudes, pestilence may result; when Yang Qi is excessive and Yin Qi is affected by it, epidemic illness may arise. When the Qi of food and drink does not circulate freely, sores and abscesses develop; when Blood and Qi do not circulate freely, illness also appears. All these conditions damage a person’s life.

People know that illness can harm the body, yet do not know that cultivation can extend life. They can see things a thousand miles away, yet fail to notice what is subtle right before them. For example, cover one eye and you cannot see normally; pinch one ear and you cannot hear normally. Hold your breath, and the Qi inside cannot flow out; sneeze, and the Qi outside cannot flow in. In light of this, why should we not be able to harmonize body and mind through visualization and invocation? Only by understanding visualization and invocation can one grasp the fundamental nature of the Way of Jingming.

What is this fundamental nature? The many attachments of the world are not the true foundation. The eyes crave colors, the ears crave sounds, the nose craves fragrances, and the mouth craves flavors. Desire for clothing and wealth, and the delusions of sexual indulgence, also arise from thoughts and are then pursued by the mind. If one can set the mind straight, the desired effects are easier to attain. The cultivation described in the Way of the Immortals likewise addresses the eyes’ craving for beauty, the ears’ craving for sounds, the nose’s craving for fragrances, and the mouth’s craving for flavors. If one can attain this Way, one will understand that the Way of Jingming is more precious than these desires.

What does it mean for what one attains to be superior? Everyone hopes for a long life, and this Way can extend life. Everyone hopes to reach a sacred state, and this Way can bring one to become an immortal. From this we can see that the paths to long life and immortality both depend on right and true contemplation in the heart.

The Dao appears to be without thought or action, yet it can enable people to prolong their lives and attain a sacred state. The path to longevity and becoming an immortal does not leave aside visualization and the practice of bringing the mind back to what is true and correct.

Though the Dao is said to be without thought, this does not mean never thinking. When you think, your thoughts should accord with your true nature. Though the Dao is said to be without action, this does not mean doing nothing at all. When you act, your actions should accord with what is right. To understand “without thought” as having no concerns, like a pig or dog, or “without action” as doing nothing, like wood or stone, is to misunderstand the Dao.

For example, suppose someone is alone in a room and the roof suddenly catches fire, or water begins flooding in. Naturally, they will escape. If they do not, that shows their mind is out of order. Someone with a sound mind will recognize that fire or water could endanger their life and that they should therefore get away. Clearly, following the Dao does not mean remaining unresponsive when something happens.

So it is also a misunderstanding to think that the Daoist teaching of “without thought and without action” conflicts with visualization and invocation. Here, “visualization and invocation” refers to contemplative imagery and rites of invocation in cultivation. When the mind is moved, the spirit gathers, and Qi interacts, sincere intent can reach through. “Moved” means responding upon hearing a sound; “gathers” means becoming single-minded and still; “interacts” means being able to connect through stillness and settledness; and “reaches through” means attaining access through that connection.

All rites performed in silence, including prostrations and submitting formal petitions, can be cultivated in this way. The hun and po souls are thereby settled and undisturbed, and errors are avoided when the petitions are presented. If, at such a time, a young attendant strikes a chime or chants “Stepping into the Void,” a Daoist ritual chant, the practitioner will follow the sound and fly forth; on returning, they will follow the sound back. This is the most subtle and wondrous method. There are many different formulas for the relevant techniques, but alongside mastering their specific details, one must also understand the principles behind them.

Nowadays, the practice of attaining the Dao and understanding the deities usually remains at the level of refining the Yin spirit. Sorcery such as “Yuangang Pacing” is of this kind. Yet Yuangang Pacing also contains methods for refining the Yang spirit. It is especially beneficial to place the intent of the spirit directly within the body, then visualize it moving according to the prescribed steps. But after ten years of refining the Yin spirit, it is not easy to turn to mastering this method.

Methods such as “The Sun and Moon’s Pure Wheels and Paste” originally belong to the Yang practice. In visualization, what matters is becoming thoroughly familiar with the method. If the visualization is not practiced enough, it is easily disrupted by other things. Among those who cultivate the Dao, few can ascend and fly; more shed their physical form and dissolve away. Before shedding the bones, one must be familiar with the relevant procedures, including the Guiding Steps, paying court in the palace halls, and the etiquette for meeting deities. Without this knowledge, one may encounter false traps set by rakshasas and the Hundred Ghosts in the Middle Realm, the domain between the human and celestial worlds. To recognize them, look closely at their eyes: those with square, regular eyes are righteous; those with round eyes are evil ghosts. Once this is clear in the mind, ghosts and spirits will fear you and retreat.

When encountering or hearing of ghosts and spirits, careful discernment is essential. A pure and numinous ghost may impersonate a true immortal, presenting delusion as the right path and truth as error; such beings are especially likely to mislead later students. Only by visualizing and recognizing the signs of uprightness can one distinguish the true from the false. Those with blue-black hair at the temples, a ruddy complexion, and square, regular eyes are true divine beings and perfected high immortals. If any one of these traits is absent, they cannot be considered true immortals. At such times, as long as one keeps right thoughts in mind, demons and spirits will retreat and submit.

End of Scroll Seven.

Scroll Eight, “The Yellow Register Inner Scripture, Part One”:

The divine palace rises high above Mount Kunlun, and below Mount Kunlun are two connected pools of water. The clear and turbid Qi divide into the dark and yellow Qi; these, in turn, establish the forms of the circle and the square.

When Yin Qi and Yang Qi interact and merge, they produce Yin-Yang. The Qi of Yin-Yang then brings the hun and po souls into manifestation within the body. There is a method for gathering and refining them, and the key lies in the mind and spirit’s mastery. Once the practice of intention is familiar, it feels as though fine food is nourishing the body.

The organs need not rely on the five grains for nourishment. With long practice, the body can also remain healthy. The Dragon Chariot and Phoenix Carriage—the conveyances of immortals—enter a circular radiance, while the various diagrams and instructions are placed within the palace.

The Yang Emperor and Yin Maid, divine figures contemplated during cultivation, bow before the honored deity. The Qi of seven times seven brings the spirits into communion. Then they mount the wheel once more and return to their palace. In this way, one can naturally attain the Great Dao and ascend into the void.

The Yellow Court Inner Scripture says:

The wondrous function between husband and wife contains the efficacy of the Primordial Beginning. A single inhalation and exhalation make the breath full. Close the lips and swallow slowly, like clouds and wind. The sweet Qi of seven times seven brings the spirits into communion. Then they mount the wheel once more and return to their palace; naturally, one can attain the Great Dao and ascend into the void.

The Yellow Court Inner Scripture also says:

The wondrous function between husband and wife contains the efficacy of the Primordial Beginning. A single inhalation and exhalation make the breath full. Close the lips and swallow slowly, like clouds and wind. It is sweet as creamy milk and spreads throughout the heart and chest.

The body naturally becomes full and robust, and the spirit grows strong. Then use the “great medicine”—a substance or method that nourishes Jing and Qi during cultivation—to support and regulate the body. When Qi and blood have been replenished, the complexion becomes rosy. Eat no grains; take in only the Qi of clouds and wind.

The five grains are meant to nourish Qi and blood. If one goes seven days without food, an ordinary person would find it hard to endure. A Master who can abstain from grain must have a method. In practice, one should proceed gradually, allowing body and mind to adapt over time.

Foods such as pine nuts, cypress nuts, and sesame have compatible qualities and can nourish the body. Fruits from mountain trees and leftover provisions can also help preserve the central Qi. Practise taking in Qi every day, and the breath will become full. Only then may it be possible to refine the Great Elixir, the attainment sought in Neidan practice.

The Lower Section of the Yellow Court Inner Scripture says:

Ordinary methods cannot refine the Great Elixir. Achieving it requires effort and wisdom. The five organs are not entirely free of impurities; what matters is making the spirit full and guarding Jing and Qi so they are not depleted.

When Jing and Qi are full and the spirit is vigorous, life can be preserved for a long time. The mind and spirit will naturally accord with the divine. All who study should attend carefully to this teaching: the key does not lie in abstaining from food and taking in Qi.

Some believe that fasting and swallowing Qi will bring immortality quickly. Yet, in seeking immortality, careful restraint of desire is of great help. Even if one cannot do this, one may at least extend one’s life; the methods of longevity are enough to help a person live longer.

Wash the fine powder of mountain wood, simmer it in water, and repeatedly refine honey into pills. If you obtain this method, use it to help preserve your Qi. Only then may fasting enable the body to transcend its ordinary condition.

The Upper Section of the Huangsu Waijing

The cassia tree in the garden can guide and harmonize the five flavors. It is an excellent medicine for regulating the five breaths and nourishing essence. It can expel impure fluids and drive away harmful beings such as flood dragons. It is especially wondrous in slowing aging and prolonging life.

After taking it, one seems able to pass through water and fire—a truly marvelous effect. Chew the medicine thoroughly, then swallow the saliva while circulating Qi to guide its effects. It is even more beneficial when the five cloud-breaths combine. Food can then be given up naturally, without feeling hungry.

In this way, one can remain full and steady for a long time, without declining or collapsing. Cypress leaves can also be used to convey the medicine’s power. This is better than merely gathering saliva and sending it into the Flowery Pool, where saliva collects in the mouth. It can also make original essence—the body’s fundamental vital essence—abundant and carry it throughout the limbs.

The Middle Section of the Huangsu Waijing

How can wandering thoughts in the heart be brought to rest? The numinous medicines recorded in Daoist books can indeed help. Chew sesame thoroughly and swallow it slowly. It can moisten the body and eliminate the Three Corpses, the spirits said in Daoism to lie hidden in the body and hinder cultivation.

When the heart gives rise to no wandering thoughts, the Three Corpses will not return. The hun and po souls will also settle naturally and cease scattering in all directions. With prolonged practice, stray thoughts will be cut off, and one will gradually forget one’s concerns. One may also cook fulingtu, a combination of poria and dodder seed, into a paste and take it, or chew wheat gluten to obtain its oily substance.

These methods can calm the spirit and help one swallow saliva into the Flowery Pool. Do not let craving for the flavors of food become the root of harm. Consult the relevant Daoist books for methods of taking medicines to protect and nourish the body. The cultivation of the Great Elixir, the refinement of vital essence through Daoist internal alchemy, also requires these methods as support.

The Lower Section of the Huangsu Waijing

Even without learning to abstain from grains, one may not necessarily ascend to the heavens. Yet when abstaining from grains, cultivating the breath is of the greatest importance. At this time one no longer eats grains such as polished rice or takes in their mixed, animal-like odors; instead, a pure flavor naturally gathers in the Central Court, where the body’s inner Qi converges.

After ten years of practice, the Heavenly Kitchen’s spirit officials will bring delicacies in succession, morning and evening. Moreover, reducing desires helps preserve essence and Qi. For this reason, one should not crave the Three Aversions, the three kinds of meat forbidden in Daoist purification, or the Five Pungent Foods, such as scallions and garlic.

The medicine formula transmitted by the Most High has already been recorded in the scripture above. There is also a sacrificial method that requires animal foods, used to drive away the nine classes of spirits. These nine classes of spirits are shaped like insects.

Mixing animal foods with medicine can dissolve the forms of these spirits. Poria and sesame are two fine medicinal ingredients. Mix them together to make a mild flour dish and take it in the morning, one dose every ten days.

Once the dose has been taken, all nine classes of spirits will disperse.

The Huangsu says: Stopping food intake by itself cannot make a person immortal, but it can help one communicate with the spirits and seek to become an immortal. Becoming an immortal through Daoist cultivation requires accumulating merit, and merit requires perseverance. Thus, taking medicines and refining and nourishing the body are ways to seek longevity, while stopping food intake is undertaken in the hope of ascending to immortality. Both merit and the skills of cultivation must be accumulated; virtue and esoteric arts must go together. Loyalty and filial devotion should be held firmly in the heart, and taking medicines and refining and nourishing the body must accord with virtue. If one cultivates without slackening, one can ascend into the blue heavens. There are indeed methods for becoming an immortal, but the key is not to make the body rise and fly through the air. Only one who ascends holding a cinnabar decree—a decree bestowed by the spirits—can be called a Great Immortal. One who is skilled only at rising and flying can be called merely an “immortal who travels through the air.” Whether one rides a miraculous carriage or relies on an illusory apparition reveals the true measure of one’s cultivation.

The Huangsu also says: The pure and genuine Dao originally comes from the thoughts of the heart; all kinds of misguided views arise from the heart as well. For example, a person might go for years without eating and feel no hunger, or might fall ill and die after seven days without food. It is possible both to go hungry for years without hunger and to die after just seven days. Though one outcome is life and the other death, the principles behind them are connected: the state of being free from hunger and the thought that brings death both have to do with the mind. The experience of being free from hunger and thirst comes from the proper Dao; the use of divine talismans and incantations over water—applying talismans, reciting spells, and performing rites with water—also depends on the mind. When spirit and thought work together, the body naturally becomes full and vital. Thoughts that lead a person toward death arise from misguided views: craving the aromas of the five flavors makes the mouth water, disperses the spirit, and brings on hunger and thirst.

People’s words, actions, and conduct may arise from deluded thoughts or from the true heart, so we must be careful. For example, when making a fist, the hand exerts itself, and naturally begins to sweat. The sweat originally flows from the hand; when the hand is not clenched, there is no sweat on it. If the sweat does not come from the hand, where does it come from? This is how thought and hand respond to one another: a thought arises, the hand exerts itself in response, and sweat naturally appears.

For another example, when we see fragrant, appetizing food, saliva fills the mouth; when we hear of something foul to drink, we feel like vomiting. Salivating and vomiting are both responses to things that are fragrant or foul. Fragrance and foulness are fundamentally different, and salivating and vomiting are distinct responses. These reactions arise from thoughts in the heart-mind and are expressed through the body. Without thinking of fragrance, we would not salivate; without thinking of foulness, we would not vomit. We can see, then, that the feelings stirred by fragrance and foulness are also connected to what the heart-mind imagines. Since we know that thoughts arise from the heart-mind, we must be alert to its delusions. This is what is meant here by “imagination.”

The eighth scroll of the Lingbao Jingming Huangsu Shu of the Filial Dao Immortal King, Primordial Lord of Great Yin in the Lofty Moon Palace concludes.

The ninth scroll of the Lingbao Jingming Huangsu Shu of the Filial Dao Immortal King, Primordial Lord of Great Yin in the Lofty Moon Palace

The Huangsu says: The celestial palaces are within the body, yet they are not the same as the human form. The hells are within the body, too, yet they are not the same as the human form. If we say that the celestial palaces are outside the body, they are not truly outside it; the hells, likewise, are not truly outside the body. If they are neither within the body nor outside it, where are they? All manner of conditions can give rise to thoughts, though thoughts in fact arise from the heart-mind. Once a thought arises, scenes from the outer world enter the heart-mind. It is like being in a sealed room: there is nothing else in the room, and flowers outside cannot be seen from within. But if we carefully recall a flower, its image seems to appear before our eyes. From this we can understand that the celestial palaces and hells enter the heart-mind through deluded thought.

The Huangsu says: The desires between men and women arise from Yin-Yang. Within Yin-Yang...

Huang Su said: Desire between men and women arises from Yin-Yang. As Yin-Yang further differentiates, the distinction between female and male comes into being. A handsome man may not be mutually attracted to an unattractive woman; the same is true of a beautiful woman and an ugly man. Though beauty and ugliness differ, the sexes are the same. Sometimes people are attracted to one another, and sometimes they are not. Desire between men and women, like beauty and ugliness, varies from person to person. People’s judgments of beauty and ugliness are not determined by the difference between the sexes. In the past, a blind man had intercourse with an ugly woman yet thought she was as beautiful as a lovely woman. This shows that the experience of beauty and ugliness, like the distinction between the sexes, cannot be explained solely by outward conditions. The feeling of beauty arises from desire; desire arises from lustful thoughts, which mingle with passion and sensual desire. Their root is delusion. If deluded thoughts can be restrained, the mind may return to what is real. This is “Pure Clarity” (Jingming, purity and lucidity).

Huang Su said: Bodily fluids and thoughts are interconnected: thoughts produce bodily fluids, and bodily fluids also stir thoughts. What brings about this mutual response between thought and bodily fluids? Tears are the same in themselves, yet our bonds with close family run deep. When a loved one dies, we grieve before even seeing the body; when someone distant dies, people often pass by with their noses covered. Tears themselves make no distinction; the difference between closeness and distance lies in the mind. Thus thoughts bring forth bodily fluids, and bodily fluids in turn become tears.

Huang Su said: One can both still the mind and respond to circumstances. Stillness means single-mindedness; response means thought. When the mind is focused on the object of contemplation, this is true concentration. The Qi within the body is inherently formless, while the bones at the crown of the head are tangible and hard. Contemplating the Qi within the body can cause these hard bones to be penetrated. Bone is dense, yet there are cavities within it, and Qi moves along these passages. Qi is inherently formless, yet through contemplation it can pass through. If it were only delusion, how could the bones open? Press the crown of the head with your hand, and it will naturally be affected; but reach out to grasp Qi, and it has no substance. Wherever contemplation makes contact, the bones undergo changes of opening and closing. If Qi can move and exert force, then what solid part of the body could not be penetrated by a single Qi? Through Daoyin (a method of cultivation that guides the body and breath), Qi is generated; Qi transforms into bodily fluids, which nourish the spirit and thereby promote longevity.

The Huangsu says: Heaven lies within the crown of the head, but this does not mean that it is literally located in that part of the body. The lungs contain the “layered towers” (a Daoist inner-cultivation name for the palace within the lungs), but these do not physically exist inside the lungs. The kidneys contain the Mysterious Capital, the spleen the Yellow Court, the heart the Red Hanging, and the liver the Green Capital; none of these literally exists within those organs. If they do not physically occupy any place in the body, where are they? They take shape through the five kinds of reflection and thought.

There is Heaven within Heaven, and Earth within Earth. But what is the true form of Heaven and Earth? Their images, too, appear through thoughts of the mind. The images that the mind reveals can themselves appear whole and real. Thus, when thoughts are upright, the true Heaven and Earth can appear within the mind.

The Huangsu also says: All living beings were originally never born. They arise through attachment, desire, and various bonds of affection, and so Heaven and Hell come into being. The four forms of life—those born from eggs, from the womb, from moisture, and by transformation—all have a connection to sexual desire. One should understand that attachment is the root of the bonds that bind living beings. Deluded thoughts further strengthen craving, and so beings are ensnared in birth and death. Desire arises from attachment, and life continues through clinging to desire. Desires bring about favorable and adverse circumstances; when the heart’s attachments are thwarted, hatred and anger arise. From the creation of evil deeds comes Hell.

Those who understand how to turn away from desire and birth and death, abandon craving and pleasure, shun wrongdoing, and keep wholesome thoughts in mind can enter the realm of Pure Clarity (a pure and lucid state of cultivation). By confirming the Correct Way with a clear mind, one can attain the Dao. Living beings originally develop mistaken views through craving and desire, and then give rise to afflictions. Because of these afflictions, they fall into the cycle of birth and death, and Heaven and Earth appear as though they were a prison.

That is why Fengdu (the underworld in Daoist belief), rakshasas (mythical spirits and demons), and scenes of bodies being devoured come into being. All of these arise from the gathering of deluded thoughts and accumulate through faults and evil deeds. Once one understands and enters the realm of Pure Clarity, and aligns right-mindedness with the Highest Dao, one should first establish a resolve: reach the eight extremities (the farthest reaches in the eight directions) and attain Pure Clarity. This is the true Correct Way and the path that leads to the Great Dao.

Huangsu said: Sincerity and loyalty make the Way and its principles shine forth in the present moment. Being willing to sacrifice one’s life in order to fulfill filial duty is the benevolence of Jingming. Achieving an honorable reputation and remaining upright is Jingming. Seeking neither profit nor fame, but restraining oneself by the law and enduring with equanimity, is Jingming. Not giving way to anger or harboring resentment, but remaining cautious and self-possessed, is Jingming. Acting with respect and care, and treating others generously, is Jingming. Having a broad heart and an open, clear mind, and treating others with generosity, is Jingming. Being glad to share one’s possessions with others, and thus able to accommodate them, is also Jingming. By restraining one’s own ailments and failings, one can set one’s thoughts straight. When thoughts are straight, there is no one who cannot become an immortal. Thus, those clad in armor display an awe-inspiring presence that none dare offend; those who weep give voice to sounds no one can bear to hear; and the ability to see ghosts and spirits during a sacrifice follows the same principle.

Huangsu said: If you regard every thought as delusion, who can be entirely without thought? If you say that having no thoughts is the true Way, then what, exactly, is having thoughts? If you believe that all thoughts are delusions, how do you know they are delusions? What is called “nonbeing” is simply nonbeing; it is not “being.” If you believe that having no thoughts is itself delusion, how do you know it is delusion? What is called “being” is simply being. When you know that “nonbeing” does not truly exist, you understand that “nonbeing,” too, cannot be grasped. To know that even nonbeing cannot be grasped is the method of Jingming. A mirror reflects things, and water is like a mirror; through water, one can understand Jingming.

Huangsu said: When a mirror and water are set before me, they merely reflect me; they are not my true form. That is why one sets up a mirror for observation. When my true appearance, my brows and eyes, are reflected in the water, I can understand that what is called “nonbeing” does not truly exist. Since “nonbeing” cannot be grasped, this is the method of Jingming. A mirror reflects things, and water is like a mirror; through water, one can understand Jingming.

Huangsu said: When a mirror and water are set before me, they merely reflect me; they are not my true form. That is why one sets up a mirror for observation. When my true appearance, my brows and eyes, ears and nose, are reflected in the water, how can I know that this is truly me? You cannot see your own form, so how do you know that it is you? If you pinch your own face with your hand, the image in the mirror and the reflection in the water will also show a face being pinched. If someone else does not pinch their own face, that hand will not appear. Thus, the hand is originally on my body, not on another’s. Because the hand is on my body, I can know that this face is indeed mine. From the hand and the face, I can also recognize the vast world in the four directions, above and below. If I regard all of this as belonging to me, it is not Heaven and Earth themselves; if I believe it belongs to someone else, it becomes only that other person’s realm. Neither is Jingming.

The Huangsu Shu says: The foundation of the Way of Pure Brightness lies in a person’s true nature. The true nature has its own activity, which is rooted in genuine thought. When delusion becomes mixed into thought, a person loses purity and brightness. It is like a mirror clouded by dust: it can no longer reflect things. When external things disturb one’s nature, thought ceases to be genuine, and purity and clarity are lost.

The Huangsu Shu says: Parents embody the Qi of Heaven and Earth; the ruler symbolizes the sun and moon. No one can live in the world before Heaven and Earth, or the sun and moon, come into being. Thus, the foundation of filial piety extends to encompass loyalty as well. The principles of loyalty and filial piety are fulfilled through the Great Dao, enabling a person to transcend the ordinary and enter the realm of immortals. This is the proper order of things. The human body is like a small Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth and one’s parents are like a person’s original Qi. The sun and moon and the ruler are like a person’s heart, kidneys, ears, and eyes. Without these, a person cannot attain long life, so the key is to uphold loyalty and filial piety. If a person possesses what is needed in all eight directions, it is like having pillars to support a building: who could make it collapse?

The Huangsu Shu says: Trustworthiness is like Qi. The flow of Qi throughout the human body is like the four seasons of Heaven; when the breath falls out of balance, illness follows. Irregular changes in cold and heat, rain and cloud, bring disaster. When a person loses trustworthiness, calamities and illness arise as well. Thus, trustworthiness must be cultivated even beyond the Eight Extremities, the farthest reaches in all eight directions. Yang Qi stirs in the Palace of the Yellow Bell, the pitch associated with the winter solstice and the first emergence of Yang; trustworthiness arises there too.

The Huangsu Shu says: The image of Yellow Essence has an inner and an outer aspect. The inner image is pure and bright; the outer image is clear and shining, like a luminous crystal bead that radiates light, and like ice, clean and crystalline. When the ice melts, this image too disperses.

Huangsu said: To understand “Moming” (a state of cultivation in which the mind and spirit become clear, illuminating what lies within and without) is like placing your own name inside a glass bottle: you can see clearly both inside and outside the bottle. The inner scene is clear, and the outer scene is bright and transparent, like a glass bead that gives off light. It is also like ice: pure and transparent, then, as it melts, it disperses without obstruction.

Huangsu said: To understand “Moming” is like placing your own name inside a glass bottle: you can see clearly both inside and outside the bottle.

Huangsu said: In studying the Dao, you must learn broadly; broad learning must also be accompanied by fine and thorough investigation. Once your inquiry is fine and thorough, you will surely understand the underlying order. After understanding that order, the key is to grasp its essentials and simplify what is complex. Once you have grasped the essentials, the principle becomes easy to understand.

Huangsu said: In the end, all the myriad things under Heaven return to the same root, and countless thoughts converge there as well. The root of the Dao lies in returning to unity; there is no other destination. It is like roads leading east, west, south, and north, all eventually meeting at the center; rivers, streams, lakes, and marshes likewise all flow into the sea.

Huangsu said: An upright and sincere nature is true nature; conduct that departs from it is a habit acquired later in life. There are ten such habits: lust, greed, arrogance, anger, deceit, deception, resentment, rigid opinions, wronging others, and contention. These ten habits overlap and wear against one another, obscuring the Dao of pure clarity. Once the mind’s thoughts become improper, one loses one’s true nature. When nature is lost, one’s inherent nature becomes obscured, and the principles of purity and clarity are lost as well, giving rise to all kinds of deluded views.

Huang Su says: The original substance of the Dao is empty, yet it can appear within what is real. What is meant by “empty”? Having nothing to rely on is called empty; having something to rely on is called real. Heaven’s reality lies in its height and distance, Earth’s in its vastness, ghosts and spirits’ in their numinous power, and Huang Su’s in pure brightness. The Dao of pure brightness alone is real; everything else is illusory.

What is meant by “illusory”? You take clever schemes and calculations to be real, but the Dao of pure brightness cannot be grasped through clever schemes and calculations. You take words to be real, but the Dao of pure brightness cannot be grasped through words. You take cunning and pretense to be real, but the Dao of pure brightness cannot be grasped through these either. What can truly be relied upon is the Dao that people follow in the practice of uprightness and truth.

Huang Su says: What is meant by “holding”? It means holding to the One. The One refers to the unchanging root. Because it does not change, transformation can be endless: the One transforms into seven, seven transforms into nine, and nine returns once more to transformation.

Huang Su says: The Dao is not far away; it is between the eyebrows and eyes. The Dao is also within a person, in the heart and breast.

Huang Su transforms from the One into seven, from seven into nine, and nine returns once more to transformation.

Huang Su says: The Dao is not far away; it is between the eyebrows and eyes. The Dao is also within a person, in the heart and breast.

Huang Su says: The Dao prizes grasping the essentials. The essentials lie in simplicity; simplicity must be explained fully, and a full explanation must be clearly ordered. Thus, Huang Su is the guiding principle and standard of the Dao of pure brightness. It is like lifting a garment by its collar, so that its front and lining unfold along with it.

Huang Su says: The methods taught in the three chapters of the Numinous Books have a single guiding principle. The outline transmitted by the Lord on High can be summed up in one sentence, which is enough to encompass all three chapters of the Numinous Books. Continually upholding it brings results equal to those described in the three chapters. It can still scattered thoughts, gather the spirit, concentrate the vital essence, and nurture one’s true nature. This sentence is brief, yet contains the full and detailed essentials.

The mantra is: “Om su luo na su lu su lu suo po he.” Those who have made progress in cultivation should use a string of beads called the “Precept Beads,” moving through them as though turning a rosary, and recite continuously from beginning to end. In this way, the hundred spirits will protect them, and the Five Qi—the five movements of energy within the body—will be brought to rest. Within, they will cut off improper thoughts; outwardly, they will welcome the Dao and true Qi. This is called “Total Mystery.”

Huang Su says: Among the methods for upholding the Dao of pure brightness is a precept that one should carry the counting beads and wheel beads, strings of beads used for recitation, at all times and not put them down without cause. Hold fast to upright thoughts and bring the mind into accord with the Dao. Before looking at the precious seal, first look at the counting beads; the wheel beads…

The Guardians of Pure Brightness, who protect the Pure Brightness tradition, observe a precept: when turning or rolling the beads, do not set them down without cause. Keep the mind upright and let your thoughts return to what is right. Before looking at the Precious Seal, first watch the turning beads. Their unceasing motion is a practice of the Pure Brightness tradition, so they may serve as a reflecting water within the heart, a mirror for observing oneself. When this reflecting water is still, sit quietly and contemplate; the movement and stillness of the beads, too, follow the act of contemplation.

When the reflecting water reveals your own form, a spirit is present within that form. When spirit joins with water, truth is present in the water. If you practice this for a long time, you can see numinous spirits and drive away demons and sprites.

The Flying Spirits of the Primordial Guiding Principle, which move according to the celestial order, require knowledge of the paths of Heaven. Only when the Yang Spirit, cultivated to move beyond the body, knows the way can it pay homage to the Primordial Beginning without losing its way.

The Dipper path is where the Dipper Qi converges. This Qi is strong and firm; if you tread this path for a long time, your body can fly into the void. Keep your thoughts upright, and with a leap of the shoulders, wondrous transformations will arise naturally.

Heaven and Earth reveal what is real through movement; the sun and moon display their light through their courses; the four seasons establish their order through change; and Yin-Yang brings about harmony through its alternating movements. Heaven and Earth can set the killing force in motion. As the sun and moon take turns shining upon the four seasons, the Qi of Yin-Yang also alternates, and all things are thereby reduced to dust.

Good fortune and misfortune serve to punish good and evil. Obstruction and passage, regret and fear, explain when to advance or withdraw, stop or act. Calamity is the consequence of the conduct of noble people and petty people.

Numinous responses arise from the heart. When the heart’s intent is sincere, the spirits respond; without sincerity, one cannot attain such numinous responses.

The sun and moon hang in the sky, and people can find ways to chew and absorb their essence. Yin-Yang is formless, yet people can find ways to breathe in and draw upon its Qi. Ghosts and spirits are exceedingly subtle, yet people can learn their condition by summoning them. This is precisely how sincere intent elicits a response from the spirits.

The Dao has a beginning and an end, but its origin is so remote and boundless that it cannot be exhausted. Because it cannot be exhausted, it continually begins and continually comes to an end.

Volume Ten of the Noble Scripture of the Filial Way of the Moon Palace’s Supreme Yin Primordial Goddess, the Immortal King of the Way of Filial Piety, and the Yellow Silk Book of the Numinous Treasure of Pure Brightness.