《鬼谷子天髓灵文》

Guiguzi (a legendary Daoist figure), Tiansui Lingwen, Volume One

The Master of the Water Curtain Cave, Guiguzi, held the secrets of celestial patterns and the great Dao (the Way). He could fathom the keys to the movements of heaven and earth and understood the root of creation and transformation. Human beings are born with a true nature, yet they are often led astray by appetites and desires and so lose their way. Without grasping the principles of life and death, it is hard to understand the profound and subtle truths. The Daodejing and the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talismans) both illuminate the crucial points of the great Dao, and Zhaoye Neidan (Night-Illuminating Internal Alchemy, a method of neidan practice associated with nighttime cultivation) is likewise the way of the sages.

Ordinary people in the world lose their true nature and do not grasp the truth, so this method has been kept in secrecy. At first it was handed down to Sun Zi and Pang Gong. It is said that later students of the Dao who study this true method can avert calamity, escape danger, and be spared from death. It claims to protect a person from the afflictions that press upon the world, as well as mountain floods, weapons and banditry, gatherings of ghosts, raging spirits and curses, battle in the ranks of war, and the disasters of water, fire, and thieves.

This secret celestial method is called the "Orthodox Formula of the Six Heavens," and is also known as the "Scripture of the Six Spirits," the "Art of Concealing the Form and Hiding the Body," the "Art of Driving Spirits into the Chamber," the "Classic of the Soul's Journey Through the Three Realms," the "Teaching of the Water Curtain's Subtle Mysteries," and the "Treatise on Transcending Life and Death." It contains true formulas and divine talismans (fulu), which are, in order: the Talisman for Concealing the Form and Hiding the Body, the Talisman for Driving Spirits into the Chamber, the Talisman for the Soul's Journey Through the Three Realms, the Talisman for Transcending Life and Death, the Talisman of the Borrowed Four Elements, and the Talisman for Sealing the Form at the Borders of the Celestial Cycle.

A practitioner in the world who wishes to study this true scripture and grasp its teachings must set the heart upright, purify the mind and nature, and strictly observe the rites of incense and fire. One should choose a fitting day and, while the heart is at its most virtuous, prepare incense and lamps with focused sincerity and keep the fast. One then writes the divine talismans in cinnabar and silently recites the divine incantations. The scripture states that if this is carried out for forty-nine consecutive days, the talismans will manifest their efficacy.

If men and women in the world obtain this important celestial scripture and secret method of mine, they must keep and practice it with reverence and single-minded devotion. Anyone who wishes to transmit this method must set up an altar according to ritual, and altars are divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower.

The upper altar is used for transmitting the method of observance. In each of the five directions, hang a length of silk gauze (luo, a woven fabric), each forty-nine feet long. Prepare forty-nine pairs of jade rings, forty-nine mirrors, forty-nine sets of blue-red concentric knots, forty-nine lamps, and forty-nine portions each of paper money, paper horses, and sacrificial food.

For the middle altar, hang in each of the five directions a length of gauze thirty-six feet long. Prepare thirty-six pairs of gold rings, thirty-six mirrors, thirty-six sets of blue-black concentric knots, thirty-six lamps, and thirty-six portions each of paper money, paper horses, and sacrificial food.

For the lower altar, hang in each of the five directions a length of gauze twenty-four feet long. Prepare twenty-four pairs of silver rings, twenty-four mirrors, twenty-four sets of purple-black concentric knots, twenty-four lamps, and twenty-four portions each of paper money, paper horses, and sacrificial food.

These three grades of transmission ritual are used to pass on the formulae secretly stored in the golden casket. Before holding the ceremony, one must choose an auspicious day and hour when fortune is favorable and the years are in harmony, and only then set up the altar and perform the rite, so that the practice of the method will not be in vain.

Talisman for Concealing the Form and Hiding the Body

This talisman is written in cinnabar. Before writing it, devote yourself to bowing toward the Northern Dipper twenty-four times. Then take up the brush, face the Northern Pole, draw in one breath of qi (vital energy) and blow it onto the brush, and only then write the talisman. It is said that after taking this talisman for forty-nine days, the body can come and go without being seen by others. To pass through the midst of a great army, draw the talisman in cinnabar on the chest and on both arms; it is said that one will then come to no harm. One must keep this in mind with full attention and follow it faithfully.

Talisman for Driving the Spirits into the Chamber

Carry this talisman and take it for one hundred days, while secretly reciting the incantation for one hundred days; it is said that the Six Ding spirits will then appear before one's eyes, after which they can be commanded at will. The talisman must be written in cinnabar, with reverent and focused devotion, and must be firmly remembered.

Talisman for Summoning Spirits into the Chamber

Wear this talisman and secretly recite its incantation for a full one hundred days, and the Six Ding spirits (Liuding, the six guardian deities of Daoism) will appear before your eyes, after which you may employ them at will. When writing the talisman, use cinnabar and devote yourself with focused sincerity. With a calm mind, face north and perform twenty-four prostrations. Then take up the brush, draw in the qi (vital energy) of the north and blow it onto the brush tip, and only then write the Fulu (talismans and registers).

Talisman for the Wandering of the Soul through the Three Realms

Wear this talisman for a full one hundred days, and you will be able to act through your spirit-soul and intention. When writing it, use cinnabar, face the Northern Pole (the celestial direction corresponding to north), and perform twenty-four prostrations. Then draw in breath toward the north before writing the talisman, and it will take effect.

Talisman for Transcending Life and Death

Wear this talisman for a full one hundred days, and you will be able to move freely between life and death, and may even borrow the corpse of another person. The method of writing is the same as before: face the Northern Pole and perform twenty-four prostrations. When the prostrations are complete, visualize your own body, and visualize frequently the bodily shell of another, whether a youth or a person of fair and refined appearance, and use that body as your own.

Talisman of Fire Borrowing the Four Great Elements

This talisman is also written in cinnabar. With a calm mind, face the Northern Pole and perform twenty-four prostrations, draw in the qi of the north and blow it onto the brush, and then write the talisman. After wearing it for a full one hundred days, you will feel that the breath exhaled from your mouth is flame, and that your body seems to be burning. Do not be afraid when you see this. Hold the talisman and recite the incantation, and you may pursue the fire wherever you wish.

The talismans and methods that I transmit must not be treated with negligence. One should keep to the prescribed purity and cleanliness, receive and uphold them with a clear mind, and never divulge them lightly. Observe these rules with the utmost care.

Brush Incantation

Heaven is round and earth is square; the six pitch-pipes and the nine chapters (referring to heaven and earth, musical harmony, and the rule of law). Once the divine brush falls, ten thousand ghosts are destroyed. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances; executed by decree.

Qian: originating, penetrating, beneficial, and steadfast (a hexagram judgment from the Zhouyi, often used to express the governing principles of heaven and earth). The sun and moon are as true as I am. The divine water flows through and is taken in; it is not meant to pass through the whole body. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances; executed by decree.

Recite the incantation every day without fail.

The Supreme Venerable Lord (Taishang Laojun), the Supreme Lord of the Dao (Taishang Daojun), the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), the Celestial Venerable of Long Life and Preserved Destiny, the Celestial Venerable Who Guards the Body with the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), the Celestial Venerable Who Extends Years and Increases Allotted Days, and the Sovereign of the Hidden Transformations of the Dharma Body must all remain in their proper places. So must the divine lords who govern the brain, eyes, nose, teeth, ears, tongue, throat, spleen, gallbladder, kidneys, and intestines. The scripture (Jing) also summons the protective spirits: the Azure Dragon on the left, the White Tiger on the right, the Vermilion Bird in front, and the Black Tortoise behind. It calls upon the spirits of the Six Ding and Six Jia, the spirits of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) that govern the lower Dantian (energy center), and the spirits of the three souls: Taiguang, Youjing, and Shuangling. The Three Corpse spirits, Peng Zhi, Peng Ju, and Peng Jiao, must likewise be restrained and forbidden to act rashly.

When these spirits each keep to their proper posts, a person may attain long life. By command of the Supreme Venerable Lord, and in accordance with the statutes and ordinances, let this decree be carried out at once.

Each morning at dawn, silently recite this incantation one hundred and eight times with full concentration before the sacred image. After forty-nine consecutive days, if the body feels suspended in midair like a drifting cloud, do not be alarmed. This is a sign that the practice is about to take effect. Continue reciting every day thereafter, and it is said that clear and mysterious effects will follow. In practice, one should concentrate on applying the "Heavenly Formula" while also working to mobilize Qi (vital energy) and blood.

Mobilizing Qi and blood means circulating the breath through the Nine Palaces and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). Circulate the Qi fifteen times. First press the tip of the tongue against the upper palate and hold the breath in stillness fifteen times, until saliva forms in the mouth. Then click the teeth fifteen times, rinse the mouth with the saliva, and once it is plentiful, swallow it in five parts. After completing this sequence, if sweat emerges from the pores of the whole body, it is regarded as proof of efficacy. If one faintly hears music like the Xiaoshao melodies coming from the crown of the head, it signifies that the work of the "Nine Returns and Seven Reversions" has been accomplished.

The "Seven Reversions" refers to a sensation as if the heart has been stirred. Next, apply the "Fire Wheel" method to send the Qi up to the crown of the head. Practice for five days on the left and five days on the right, advancing the fire once each day by one degree and three parts, in a cycle that repeats and returns to the source, and keep a record of the process.

When practicing the method of "Closing the Form and Concealing Presence," one must make heaven and earth clear and still and keep the six dusts from arising (the six dusts are external sensations that disturb the mind), so that the Shen (spirit) is settled. If the heart's Qi becomes scattered, visualize the heart's fire being sent into the palace and rotating one hundred and eight times, then let the light rotate fifty-four times. If one feels Qi rising from the chest and a breeze passing through the heart, followed by a brief tightness in the chest, this is the response that the method describes.

The "Method of the Solar Golden Elixir for Concealing Presence" is said to extend the body's lifespan to one hundred and twenty years.

After receiving the master's instruction and grasping the secret of longevity, one must still master the proper timing for applying the fire to refine and nourish. First, identify the "Infant" and the "Maiden" (metaphors in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice for the two kinds of Yin-Yang essence-energy), and then refine out the "Yellow Sprout" and the "White Snow" (terms in Neidan practice for the transformations of essence-energy). Gather in what has been refined and take it into the furnace; then draw from the water a radiance like "the light of nine lamps illuminating the Buddha." If this radiance does not diminish, it is transformed into Qi (vital energy), which outsiders can hardly recognize. The practitioner must also understand that this state is untouched by cold or heat, by sun or moon, or by the hours of the day.

Next, nurture within the furnace a "Spirit Embryo" (in Neidan practice, a metaphor for the inner fruit formed by the condensation of essence-energy), which is not born of the essence and blood of one's parents. Cut off the "Three Corpses and Six Thieves" (a Daoist term for the desires and stray thoughts that hinder cultivation), and the Golden Elixir can be achieved. This method must not be disclosed to outsiders.

Humans are born from the Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth, yet they do not know that the generation and transformation of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) all proceed in accordance with the Dao (the Way). Worldly people are often deluded, unable to let go of greed and lust, and so they harm their bodies and invite disaster. Some cultivate goodness yet are slow to receive good rewards, while others commit evil deeds yet have not, for the time being, suffered any consequence. Those who keep the fasts and observe the precepts seem able to rise above the mundane world and enter an extraordinary realm.

Some people study how to nurture body and mind, yet they may not know that arts such as concealing the body, revealing one's form, hiding one's tracks, and erasing traces and shadows can also bring misfortune. This book, which discusses resonance and magical arts, has now been compiled in nine chapters. It is refined through the talismanic methods of the Seven Luminaries (the methods related to the sun, the moon, and the five planets) and is handed down to the world as a means of delivering living beings.

Men and women in the world who wish to practice these talismanic methods must first purify the mind and spirit (Shen), observe all the prohibitions, and undertake fasting and purification before they begin. When the practice reaches the point where the arts become efficacious, the results can be seen before one's eyes again and again. Everyone who receives this method must observe the fast with reverence and recite the incantations; the scripture declares that, if this is done, there will be no failure of response.

This book is an important text among the secret methods of the Sanqing Palace (a Daoist temple dedicated to the Three Pure Ones). The Fulu (talismans and registers) within it are used to aid the world and deliver all beings, so as to prove the wondrous efficacy of its formulas. The scripture urges people to uphold this book and protect it well, and not to pass it carelessly to those who are unsuitable. The talismanic methods, the rules of fasting, and the prohibitions are all compiled within the volume. The book also teaches methods for evading notice and hiding the body, concealing one's tracks, revealing one's form, and erasing traces and shadows; these should be transmitted with caution and never disclosed lightly.

Abstaining from Meat and Pungent Foods

On the days of the Three Yuan, the Five La, the four seasons, the eight festivals, the third and seventh days, the third and eighth days, the fifteenth day, one's birthday, one's natal day, Jiazi days, Gengshen days, and Renshen days, the practitioner of this method must not eat meat or pungent foods. If one eats them, the scripture holds that the arts will not be efficacious.

Abstaining from Sexual Desire

The Three Origins (Sanyuan, the Upper, Middle, and Lower Origin festivals in Daoism), the Five La (five important Daoist sacrificial days), the four seasons, the eight seasonal nodes, the third and seventh days, the third and eighth days, the fifteenth day, one's birthday, one's natal day (the day of birth or a personal commemorative day), the Gengshen day, the Jiazi day, the Renxu day, as well as days of great wind, heavy rain, heavy snow, and severe cold, the Great Yin (a day or weather in which Yin qi is at its most intense), the falling of great stars, great joy, great anger, the La day, and days of hunger or of eating one's fill: all of these are days or circumstances that must be remembered when performing rites. Some of these dates and seasonal periods are listed more than once.

The practitioner must not fail to remember all of the above. If rites are performed at these times, the methods will not prove effective.

Abstaining from Certain Flavors

Beef, dog meat, black fish, and turtle meat, as well as the five pungent vegetables (strong-smelling vegetables), Chinese chives, garlic, scallions, coriander, and leeks, along with pungent, sour, bitter, and salty flavors, are all listed among the forbidden foods.

A practitioner who eats these things will harm the spirit (Shen) and disturb the mind and nature, and will also violate the prohibitions of the method, so great caution is required.

The Water Pseudo-Talisman

This talisman is written in cinnabar and swallowed with flowing water. On the day of the rite, one faces the Beidou (the northern constellation, also meaning the Big Dipper), draws in its breath, recites the incantation, and then writes the talisman. After taking the talisman for forty-nine days, one is said to be able to cross rivers without a boat. After a hundred days, one is said to enter water as though entering a house, and one's clothes will not become wet. After a thousand days, one is said to be able to transform one's body and cross whenever one meets water. This method must not be lightly disclosed.

The Metal Pseudo-Talisman

This talisman is written in cinnabar. Powdered mercury is made into pellets the size of a bullet, and the talisman is then written with cinnabar water and swallowed. After taking it for forty-nine days, one is said to be able to move about at night as though inside a house, with one's clothes remaining dry. After a thousand days, one is said to be able to transform one's body and cross whenever one meets water. This method must not be lightly disclosed.

The Metal Pseudo-Talisman

This talisman is written in cinnabar, with powdered mercury made into pellets, and then written with cinnabar water and swallowed. After taking it for forty-nine days, one is said to dream at night of walking among swords and halberds (ancient weapons), which is a sign of the hun soul. After a hundred days, one is said to be able to see the gleam of swords, after which one must still carry out the rites of deliverance, hold the incantation, and write the talisman.

When one sees iron implements of various kinds, it is said that the iron reveals the true-form person within it, and only then may one borrow that form. When writing this talisman, one must face the Beidou and draw in its breath, then, after holding the incantation, blow the breath onto the brush before drawing the talisman, and keep it secret.

The Fire Pseudo-Talisman

This talisman (fulu) is written in cinnabar. The talisman is dissolved into mercury to make talisman leaves, which are then divided into the "Nine Offspring" and taken with water that has flowed from the south. On the hundredth day of taking it, one must rely on fire to complete the "Punishment" (xing, the fire method required when performing the rite), and respond to it with one's own "True Solar Fire." One's own fire is produced by rubbing both hands together repeatedly until warmth arises in the body. Only once one's own fire has formed may ordinary fire be borrowed to carry out the rite. Tradition holds that the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, practiced this method and rode a fire dragon to attend the Three Realms. When performing the rite, one draws in the qi of the sun, blows it onto the brush, and then writes the talisman with that brush.

Wooden Substitute Talisman

This talisman is taken as a decoction made from the heartwood of sandalwood, and must be combined with one's own cultivation. A spirit pillow is made from jujube wood that has been struck by lightning. In making the pillow, one employs the "square-and-round method" and rides a fire dragon to attend the Three Realms. When performing the rite, one draws in the qi of the sun, blows it onto the brush, and then writes the talisman with that brush.

Wooden Substitute Talisman

This talisman is taken as a decoction made from the heartwood of sandalwood, together with one's own cultivation. A spirit pillow is made from jujube wood that has been struck by lightning. The pillow must measure seven cun and two fen in both length and width, and two cun and five fen in height. In the early morning, one need only visualize one's own body as though it were inside the pillow, and only afterward take the talisman. After forty-nine days of reciting the incantation and practicing, the spirit pillow will transform into a body resembling one's own. After another hundred days of practice, the rite is complete, and throughout this period one must remain single-minded and not turn back. After a thousand days of practice, the spirit pillow will go out and travel in one's place, and the pillow left behind in the room will serve as one's own body.

Suppose someone in the household buries "oneself." When "oneself" returns, everyone is astonished and asks, "How can one who has died come back?" If someone then proposes opening the grave to look, they will find only a single spirit pillow in the coffin. The rite described here has the spirit pillow undergo a death in one's place. To continue the practice, one makes another pillow at that time, which can extend one's lifespan by twelve months. When drawing the talisman, one faces east and, before the sun rises, draws in breath and blows it onto the brush, then touches the brush down twelve times before writing the talisman marks.

Earthen Substitute Talisman

This talisman is written in cinnabar and is taken with half a qian of "spirit earth" and a larger amount of powdered poria (fuling). When drawing the talisman, one faces east and, before the sun rises, draws in breath and blows it onto the brush, then touches the brush down twelve times before writing the talisman marks.

First, write the talisman (fu) in cinnabar. Then take a piece of divine earth about half the size of a coin, add a generous amount of poria (fuling) powder, and knead them into a talisman pill the size of a pellet. After taking this talisman for a full hundred days, the body will become light and swift as wind and clouds, able to climb slopes and cross ravines as though aided by the spirits.

Anyone who wishes to practice talisman methods should follow the left- and right-hand mudra formulas as they were transmitted, holding to them and cultivating with single-minded focus, not letting thoughts of life and death weigh on the mind. If one wishes to leave the world to travel, transform, and deliver others, one must be especially careful when lodging in the fire hut: keep a mirror turned toward the wall, visualize one's body and shadow drawing inward, and then write with ink on the wall of the hut. After a hundred days of practice, one must perform the method alone in a room where no one else is present, allowing no women, chickens, or dogs to see it. If these prohibitions are violated, one may no longer view this talisman. Before writing a talisman, one must face the four directions, draw in their Qi (vital energy), and blow it onto the brush; only then may the brush touch the page.

When writing seal-script Fulu (talismans and registers), recite the "Spell of Lighting the Radiance": "Above, there is the eastward-flowing lighting of radiance; fragrant water enters and is taken, and the ten thousand evils hide the practitioner's traces." Here, too, one must be alone before writing, allowing no women, chickens, or dogs to see, and must not violate the prohibitions; one faces the four directions, draws in their Qi, and blows it onto the brush before writing the talisman.

The Spell of Lighting the Radiance has another version: "Above, there is the eastward-flowing lighting of radiance; fragrant water enters and is taken, and the ten thousand evils hide away. Three, two, but one; to the left the Azure Dragon, to the right the White Tiger stand guard."

The Spell for Blessing the Brush says: "The brush is like a sharp blade, and the cinnabar is like a hundred medicines. Wherever the divine talisman reaches, the ten thousand evils scatter. Swiftly, swiftly, as the statutes and ordinances command; by decree, gather and bind them."

The above are the secret instructions transmitted by the Jade Numinous Great Sovereign of the Heavenly Heart of the Three Caverns (Dongzhen, Dongxuan, Dongshen) and the Perfected Lord Bi Shangqing.

The "Celestial Marrow" (Tianxu) takes Yin-Yang (阴阳) as its fundamental nature, and within it there is good and evil, wisdom and folly. Those who do good receive the protection of the celestial spirits, while those who do evil suffer retribution and are visited by sudden calamity.

From the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan in high antiquity to the many immortals, none failed to practice my method; through it they delivered living beings and widely guided others toward immortality. This celestial art of concealing the body and hiding one's form comprises a certain number of characters, and it is the path to becoming an immortal and the gateway into the profound mysteries of the Dao (the Way). The text is very short. Since ancient times, the perfected lords who attained the Dao have transmitted it orally, from mouth to ear, and never committed it to writing. The book was kept by the Master of the Cavern of Ziwei (a lord of a grotto-heaven in Daoist legend), who later passed it to Lady Wei, who in turn transmitted it to Xie Ziran, and after that it passed to Master Zhang.

After Master Zhang received the scripture, his household filled with talismanic writings (Fulu, talismans and registers), and he practiced and taught the method for three years. One day at noon, he suddenly heard the sound of reed pipes and song, and sure enough, a celestial messenger arrived first to announce a decree. Soon afterward, everyone in the household ascended to heaven in broad daylight. Later, Master Zhang hid the book in the Zhongnan Mountains and concealed its related ritual texts.

If a seeker of the Dao obtains this true instruction, it is no accident; it is because of a bond with cultivation formed in a previous life that one is able to see these words. Those who keep this secret teaching should practice it diligently and devote themselves single-mindedly for one hundred days, guarding the fruits of their practice. It is said that none have failed to find it effective.

The Perfected One Bi Shangqing left and transmitted this scripture (Jing) at that time in order to deliver living beings, free people from the sea of suffering, and serve as a bridge toward the realm of the immortals. All who practice it must do so with sincerity; those who persist in cultivation for one hundred days are said to find it effective and its promises fulfilled.

This method is called the Secret Scripture of the Nine Luminaries Illuminating the Capital, and it contains nine hidden divine talismans, which must not be shown to others carelessly. Each thirty years, it may be transmitted to only one or two people, and it must not be passed lightly to those who are unsuitable. If it is given to someone who should not receive it, the one who transmits it will suffer punishment and fall into hell forever; their ancestors of nine generations will also fall into the Avici Hell to suffer, and for ten thousand kalpas they will scarcely be able to encounter the true scripture. Those in the world who keep this book should uphold it with sincerity; and if someone receives the scripture but does not pass it on to others, the keeper of the scripture will likewise suffer punishment. Be sure to remember this.

Those who cultivate this scripture (Jing) and bring their practice to completion, with their merit and virtue fully achieved, will have their names recorded in the Purple Palace (Zifu, the realm of the immortals in Daoism) and take their place among the Perfected Immortals. If one practices at home, women, chickens, and dogs must not be allowed to see the scripture or the practice; it is said that this would cause the techniques to lose their efficacy and harm one's cultivation.

Cultivators in the world should live in seclusion and conceal their traces. When pressed by soldiers or officials, threatened by bandits and weapons, or entangled with demons and spirits, one may use this method. It may also be applied flexibly when honored guests visit, or when aiding those in danger or healing the sick. So long as one practices with sincerity and waits for the proper moment, one's work will be accomplished and one's conduct fulfilled, earning a place among the celestial officials and increasing one's merit. The details cannot be fully explained here. It is said that anyone who treats this text with disrespect incurs boundless guilt, so it should be kept in secret.

When drawing the talisman, recite: "Heaven is round and earth is square; the Nine-Two Celestial Emblem. Where the divine brush descends, billowing clouds gather the qi (vital energy) of the four directions. I serve the Emperor of the Northern Culmen, Ziwei Dijun (the Daoist deity of the North Star), and act swiftly in accordance with his statutes and decrees."

During daily practice, recite the Spell of the Six Wu Spirits (a Daoist incantation named for the six Wu): "The sun rises in the east, its fiery light blazing. The talisman of the Six Wu Spirits swiftly mounts the cloud script. Riding the clouds, it descends to cut down evil influences and dispel calamity. The heavenly spirits aid me, and ten thousand ghosts scatter. I serve the Emperor of the Northern Culmen, Ziwei Dijun, and act swiftly in accordance with his statutes and decrees."

The final line, "Command the Six Jia Spirits to ride the talisman of the southern red horse," means to summon the Six Jia Spirits (the six divine generals of the jia days in Daoism), who carry out their task by mounting the talismanic order that corresponds to the southern red horse.

On the morning of a Gengshen day, before the sun has risen, write this talisman in cinnabar. Take well water drawn at dawn, and recite the incantation and draw the talisman according to the method described earlier. Tradition holds that a realized one (zhenren) once took this talisman as part of his practice. After three hundred days, he rode a red horse, leading the Six Jia spirit generals (the protective divine commanders of Daoism), and arrived before the Golden Stair Hall. Emperor Wu of Han witnessed the scene and was greatly astonished, and he invited the realized one to drink wine. As the realized one was drinking deeply, a fire suddenly broke out in the northwest. He spat out a mouthful of wine and put out the flames. Emperor Wu wished him to stay, but the realized one refused, mounted his red horse, and rode away, vanishing at once. Anyone who transmits or practices this method in the world must do so with complete focus and sincere reverence. Once the practice is complete and accomplished, it is said to bear fruit within three years.

Talisman for Clear Departure and Dwelling, and the Dispersal of Shadows

Recite the incantation and write the talisman according to the earlier method. After taking the talisman for a full one hundred days, look often into a mirror and recite the incantation for expelling evil at your own reflection. Afterward, it is said, the body can rise up and enter the reflection, becoming invisible to others. Some also say that one can ascend to heaven together with one's entire household. This method must be kept secret.

Talisman for Examining Life, Death, and Fate

Inscribe this talisman in seal script according to the earlier method. It is said to draw the youthful immortal attendants of the Celestial Master (Tianshi) lineage, who come in dreams to deliver urgent news about the matter at hand. Tradition relates that Wang Qiao often practiced this method in the past, and the people of his time did not believe in it. Later, when everyone saw its effects with their own eyes, they began to believe and to practice it. The people of the entire city learned and transmitted the method, and it is said to have been remarkably effective.

Talisman for Drawing the Spirit out of Its Shell

Write and take this talisman for forty-nine days or for one hundred days. During this period, each day, entrust the "shell" of your own bodily form to various objects one by one, letting it cling to them, and then move along with these objects. In this way the form leaves the body, and you can perceive its shape. The scripture calls this method extremely profound and subtle, and says that it is accomplished once one hundred days have been completed.

Talisman for Entering a New Womb and Changing Dwellings

Write this talisman (fulu) by the method given earlier, and take it until the hundredth or three-hundredth day. If you find your appearance ugly or aged, take a corpse you have seen with your own eyes: it must be a man or woman who died recently, around sixty years old. First give a passerby a little money to help keep the body and bury it. Then return to your room and perform the rite by your own means. When it is done, lift the corpse and embrace it. After a while, when the corpse's "new dwelling" shows a response, feed a small amount of glutinous rice porridge into it so that the spirit-soul (shen) becomes clear and settled. Then go home on your own, tend to the corpse in front of it without letting anyone know, and afterward bury it together. If you wish to use this method again, it is said to be effective every time. When practicing it, take special care that no woman sees it. It must be kept strictly secret.

Talisman for Driving the Three Corpses from the Body

Write this talisman by the method given earlier. After taking it for one hundred days, the Three Corpses (sanshi) within the body, which in Daoist teaching are spirits that hinder cultivation and give rise to desires and faults, will leave of their own accord. The mind and spirit will no longer be deluded, and one's conduct will no longer go astray. After the Three Corpses have been expelled, strict secrecy must be kept.

Talisman for Driving the Three Corpses from the Body

Write this talisman by the method given earlier. After taking it for one hundred days, the Three Corpses within the body will leave of their own accord. The mind and spirit will no longer be deluded, and one's conduct will no longer go astray. Once the Three Corpses have been expelled, one can attain the rank of an immortal and reach the Way (Dao) of long life.

Talisman of the Divine Sword for Seizing Enemies

Write this talisman by the method given earlier. When you are preparing to use it, first recite the incantation before the incense burner, then burn the talisman to ashes and swallow them with clean water, continuously for forty-nine days. This practice requires about a year of cultivation and the accumulation of merit. After that, if you encounter someone who bears you enmity, a ghostly apparition, or anyone else with whom you have a grudge, you may use this talisman. Pass the talisman over the incense burner, recite the incantation once more, and, following the earlier incantation, visualize in your mind the place where your enemy is. It is said that wherever the mind reaches, the target will be captured. This method must be transmitted by someone who has already learned and used it. It must not be seen by others during transmission, nor spread about, and it must be kept strictly secret.

Talisman of the Divine Generals of the Six Wu Spewing Clouds

Before writing this talisman, there are separate incantations and ritual steps. When inscribing the talisman, you must choose a day and hour that accord with your own birth year and are auspicious. Screen your sleeping chamber with curtains so that your wife, daughters, or close companions cannot see you, lest a taboo be violated and the rite spoiled. This method must not be publicized and must be kept secret.

Before this talisman is written, a separate set of incantations and ritual steps must first be carried out. When inscribing Fulu (talismans and registers), one must choose a day and hour that are auspicious and that accord with the practitioner's birth-year sign. The practitioner should screen off their bedchamber with curtains so that wife, daughters, and relatives cannot see, lest a taboo be violated and the rite spoiled.

Whenever the preceding method is followed, a clean room should be screened with curtains, sixty lamps lit, and six sets of spirit money and horses (paper money and paper horses used in sacrifice) and six portions of offering food prepared. Once all is arranged, choose a Gengshen day or a Jiazi day to perform the rite and transmit the method of practice. Remember that this is the secret method of the Jade Void Sovereign of the Upper Realm and the Perfected Minister Bi, and it must be kept secret.

The above concerns the "Ghost Mirror" section.

Whenever someone wishes to swallow a talisman or drink talisman water, they must prepare seven sheets of yellow paper money and seven plain horses (white paper horses) seven days in advance, and first present them as offerings in a pavilion chamber. After seven days, when the rite is formally performed, choose a Gengshen day or a "full" day and go before the sun rises. Face east and bow, then burn the paper money, paper horses, and other offerings. Next, place the talisman in water so that its characters or form float together in one place, and drink it along with the water.

The practice of the "Spirit-Regulating Talisman," also called the "Method of the Spirit Flight of the Six Jia of the Three Realms," is said to enable one to know fortune and misfortune, to understand in advance the causes of calamity and blessing, and to obtain the blessings and manifest responses of the spirits. In the rite, the sun is called "my father," the moon "my mother," the five stars "my elder brothers," and Taiyi (a Daoist deity) "my friend."

I respectfully invite Judge Cui of the East Gate, Judge Xu of the North Gate, Judge Li of the West Gate, and Judge Zheng of the South Gate, together with the two divisions of youths who oversee good and evil, the Mighty Ghost King, the Ox-Head jailer, and the Lesser Mighty Ghost King, to descend to the ritual space and help me exercise my powers.

I respectfully invite the Heavenly Jia King, who governs the movement of the stars and the conjunction of sun and moon, to descend to the ritual space and help me exercise my powers.

I respectfully invite the Earthly Jia Divine King, who governs corpses attached beneath the earth and the treasures buried in the Nine Capitals, to descend to the ritual space and help me exercise my powers.

I respectfully invite the Jia Divine King, who governs runaway servants and fugitives, to descend to the ritual space and help me exercise my powers.

I respectfully invoke the Jia Spirit King, who governs calamity stars, malevolent spirits, and the ghosts and demons that torment people, to descend to the ritual space (daochang) and help me perform the rite. I also invoke the Jia Spirit King who governs the deceased to descend to the ritual space, to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Jia Spirit King who governs calamity stars, malevolent spirits, and the ghosts and demons that torment people, to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Spirit King of Penetrating Sight (Tongmu), who can heal diseases of the eye and mediate speech between humans and spirits, to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Spirit King who can search out hidden forms and concealed places, to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite.

I respectfully invoke the Spirit King who knows and carries out the methods of subduing and dispatching spirits, and who is skilled in commanding the Twelve Spirits of Penetration, to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Spirit Kings of the Six Bing, Six Yi, Six Ding, and Six Jia to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Spirit Kings of the Sixty Jiazi (spirits formed from combinations of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, who take turns presiding over the sixty days) to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the spirits of the current year, month, day, and hour, together with the Spirit Kings of the Six Ding and Six Jia, to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I ask the many spirits to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Spirit Kings of the Sixty Jiazi to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the spirits of the current year, month, day, and hour, together with the Spirit Kings of the Six Ding and Six Jia, to descend to the ritual space and help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Azure Emperor of the East and the Spirit King of the Azure Dragon talisman to descend to the ritual space, causing their Qi to enter my body, and to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Red Emperor of the South and the Spirit King of the Vermilion Bird talisman to descend to the ritual space, causing their Qi to enter my body, and to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the White Emperor of the West and the Spirit King of the White Tiger to descend to the ritual space, causing their Qi to enter my body, and to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Black Emperor of the North and the Spirit King of the Dark Warrior (Xuanwu) to descend to the ritual space, causing their Qi to enter my body, and to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

I respectfully invoke the Yellow Emperor of the Center and the Spirit Kings of Gouchen and Tengshe to descend to the ritual space, causing their Qi to enter my body, and to help me cast the rite and increase my ritual power.

The method for making sacrificial offerings to the deities of fortune and causing them to manifest their presence.

The Incantation of Confusion.

Incantations can make the stars fall and the sun sink, split mountains and rend the earth, cut off flowing water and quench fire. They can banish illness and bring peace to all, and can even raise the dead and harden iron.

Heavenly Jia Talisman (a talisman for divining celestial phenomena)

The Heavenly Jia Talisman is a fulu (talismans and registers) that the Master (the teacher who transmits the arts) uses to divine celestial phenomena: stars falling from the sky, eclipses of the sun and moon, and drought and rainfall at the turn of the year. From these the Master judges whether the five grains will grow well and whether the sacrifices of the four seasons are fitting. Once the talisman is applied, it transforms into the voice of a child, who reports in the mind and answers questions about calamities. The Master recites the incantation to send the child away. The incantation is spoken first, then the talisman is used. The scripture repeats its statements on celestial phenomena, drought, the year's harvest, and sacrifices.

Earthly Jia Talisman (a talisman for divining what lies underground)

The Earthly Jia Talisman is used by the Master to detect what lies buried beneath the earth, including hidden corpses, underground springs, treasures, uncanny objects, and buried things that are hard to find. Offering this talisman reveals how deep these things lie. It transforms into a small boy, and if anything lies underground, the boy appears. Once the object is found, the boy no longer shows himself. Beneath the Northern Dipper, one recites the incantation in full and offers the talisman, and the thing sought will appear.

Human Jia Talisman (a talisman for tracing a person's whereabouts)

The Human Jia Talisman is used by the Master to trace the whereabouts of those who have gone missing. If a household's servant or maid has run away or vanished, then after the talisman is offered, it transforms into a boy who leads the way. In the mind, he reports the names and locations he knows. Whether near or far, and in whatever prefecture or county the person may be, he reports each one in turn.

Ghost Jia Talisman (a talisman for detecting malevolent spirits and settling the household)

The Ghost Jia Talisman is used when men, women, young or old in a household are afflicted by malevolent spirits. Such afflictions include derangement, haunting by ghosts, pain or tiger bites, long-standing malaria or miasmic illness, and ominous dreams at night. After the Master offers this talisman, it transforms into a boy who reports in the mind the names of those involved and where they are hiding. Once the spirits have been sent away according to the ritual, the household will be at peace.

Clear Sight Divine Talisman (

Tongmu Talisman (Talisman for Penetrating Sight). On the night of a Xinyou day, at midnight in the hour of Zi, write the talisman (fu) in cinnabar on a piece of silk five inches long, working by lamplight. Use ashes to draw an altar boundary of three concentric tiers. Set out three lamps, two bowls of water, and one sword, then use the ashes from the incense tray to enclose everything within a single boundary line. Place the Tongmu Talisman in the tray, recite the incantation given earlier while barefoot, and make offerings three times. Next, burn the talisman in the lamp flame and stir its ashes into the water. As dawn approaches, in the hour of Yin, present the offering. If the rite is performed in this way, one will be able to see all manner of ghosts and spirits, together with their generals, wealth, and possessions.

Fucang Talisman (Talisman for Binding Thieves). Suppose a household is visited by thieves at night. The family flees in panic and their goods are plundered, and they wish to track down and subdue the thieves. In that case, draw a three-tiered ash boundary and set out three swords, a mirror, a cup of tea, and a cup of pure water. Recite the earlier incantation and make one offering, then say: "Spray the water east, and the trees will snap; spray it south, and fire will flare up and die; spray it west, and even the adamantine will shatter; spray it north, and rivers will run dry; spray it upward, and the pillars of Heaven will break; spray it downward, and the hells will blaze; spray it at the thieves, and they will hurriedly draw back their feet, blocked and unable to move." When the offering is complete, the thieves are said to be held in check by the ghosts and spirits. Within three days they will be caught, and the stolen goods will find their own way to the owner's door.

Zhongmu Divine Talisman (Talisman for Tombs). Suppose a family's tomb has been washed away by floodwater, and the remains are hard to find. Take a piece of silk one inch long and write the tomb talisman on it. At night, when the configuration of the stars is complete, place the talisman on the altar and make offerings. The next morning at sunrise, watch the area above the tomb. It is said that one will see the talismanic document faintly fly into the valley and transform into a youth bound for the underworld, who will come to a place where people dwell, and that place is where the remains lie. If the deceased was a Yang person, the youth will take the form of a Yang person; if a Yin person, a Yin person. By reading the talisman in this way, one can learn the condition of the remains.

The Guiguzi Tiansui Lingwen (Celestial Marrow Numinous Text), Volume Two: The Method of Merging Heaven and Shifting Earth

Anyone who obtains this book and wishes to practice this method must first accumulate good deeds for three consecutive years. After that, observe a fast (zhaijie), bathe in fragrant water, and make twelve "tokens" (xinyin, seals used in the rite) from thunder-struck jujube wood. At the zi hour (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.) on the first day of the first lunar month, set up an altar and spread white thatch on the ground. Prepare twelve portions each of dried venison, fragrant tea, wine, fruit, and lamps and candles. Also prepare "heavenly zhuo," calamus, and "earth wine," which is simply spring water.

Wait quietly beside the altar without speaking. Face the Gate of Heaven (the direction in the rite that leads to the celestial realm) and bow. No one may see or learn of the rite, so lay out the offerings in a silent, deserted place. With hair unbound and a sword in hand, invite the spirits to descend, and silently recite the incantation seven times: "Ti hu gou na, Ya cha Zhenwu, Xian ma sa bo, Tuo yan duo xian, Yi chi yi chi, Wu jin xi xi duo duo."

Go barefoot, bite the tongue, and spray out the blood. Arrange the offerings, unbind the hair, take up the sword, invite the spirits to descend, and again silently recite the incantation seven times.

Go barefoot, bite the tongue, and spray out the blood. Face the Gate of Heaven, raise the tokens, and pass them through the incense smoke. Kneel, holding a knife, and activate the twelve tokens one by one. When all have been activated, cleanse them in incense smoke and place each one beside the offerings. Following the same procedure as before, recite the incantation seven more times.

Go barefoot, bite the tongue, and spray out the blood. Face the Gate of Heaven and, holding the "Token of Heaven" (Tianxinyin) in the left hand, stamp it once at the Gate of Heaven and say: "The Dao (the Way) is swift." A black wind will then rise from the direction of the Gate of Heaven, carrying the sound of weapons and armor. Suddenly a divine being will appear, standing as tall as the sky and planted upon the earth, thrusting a spear at the practitioner. Then dragon and tiger forms will suddenly appear, baring their teeth and clawing as they lunge at the practitioner. At this moment, do not be alarmed. Lower the head and recite the protective mantra, and they will depart of their own accord.

The protective mantra is: "Swiftly descend, auspicious fortune; I now dare to meet it. Whoever opposes me shall die; whoever harms me shall perish. I invoke the orthodox method, and all the high sages descend. Swiftly, swiftly, as the statutes and ordinances command."

Recite the incantation with a sincere heart and devoted intent, then grow still and do not be afraid. After a short while, purple clouds will appear beside the altar. Present wine and incense on the altar, then kneel and bow. As you receive the ritual formula (fajue), sovereigns and Supreme Sages will descend of their own accord and bestow blessings and good fortune. Afterward, perform the salutation with a purified heart and reverent sincerity, and so conclude the offering.

At daybreak, eat and drink the offerings yourself; whatever has been drunk should be sent away with eastward-flowing water, and must not be seen by others. The ritual seal is square, two cun and four fen on each side and six fen thick, and is kept in a brocade pouch. The presentation of wine and incense, the kneeling and bowing, and the receiving of the formula are carried out as described above, and the handling of the offerings at daybreak is the same. The seal must be carried on one's person, never set aside, and never allowed to touch anything impure. Whoever violates these prohibitions transgresses the Twelve Seal-Token Formulas of the Tiansui Lingwen Jing (Scripture of the Celestial Marrow and Numinous Text).

The twelve seal-tokens are: the Heaven Token Seal, the Earth Token Seal, the Human Token Seal, the Dragon Token Seal, the Tiger Token Seal, the Cloud Token Seal, the Wind Token Seal, the Metal Token Seal, the Wood Token Seal, the Water Token Seal, the Fire Token Seal, and the Earth (Soil) Token Seal. When using these seal-tokens, do not mix them or apply them wrongly, and they will accord with the workings of the divine.

One who understands this scripture is said to be able to preserve the physical form, to be freed from rebirth in the Six Realms, and to awaken into the realm of the immortals. In the event of sudden calamity or grave and critical illness, one may burn incense and offer a prayer of averting, reciting the text once; the calamity is said to dissolve at once, turning misfortune into good fortune and dispelling disaster and hardship.

The Heaven Token Seal

Once this seal is activated, it is said to be able to reverse the changes of the heavens and seasons: it can halt the sun, make the moon linger, turn day into night, bring snow in summer and thunder in winter. It also allows one to visit the Palace of the Sun and Moon, and whatever one sets one's mind upon will come to pass.

To use it, pinch the Qian-Hai gesture with the left hand (the fingers formed into the sign representing the directions of Qian and Hai), hold the seal in the right hand, and stamp it once upon the Gate of Heaven. Then stamp it again toward the Gate of Heaven in the direction of Zhen. A celestial maiden will descend and ask what is wanted, and whatever is sought will be granted. If one wishes to visit the Palace of the Sun and Moon, first prepare the Cloud Token Seal (Yunxin Seal), bathe quietly, and lay out a clean mat. Then stamp with the Cloud Token Seal, and clouds will rise and carry one into the sky toward the Moon Palace. Next, stamp with the Heaven Token Seal (Tianxin Seal) to open the Moon Palace, where one can see the moon immortals and immortal youths attending with offerings in hand. When one wishes to return, stamp the seal toward the ground.

If one wishes to turn day into night, place the seal in a basin of water and stamp it toward the sun; the sun will sink and the sky will darken. If one wishes to make the sun stand still, point a bamboo staff straight up at the sun, and the sun will not dare to move. If one wishes to make the sun set, take the seal and stamp it toward the southern corner of the sky; it is said that sn

This seal (here meaning a talismanic seal with magical efficacy) is said to be usable for marching armies, deploying troops, and appointing personnel, ensuring victory in battle with endless transformations. It can also turn plants, trees, metal, and stone into human form, allowing a person to hide their body, assume different shapes, and enter any place at will.

When an army on the march meets a forest, one presses the seal against a tree at the forest's edge, then spits a mouthful of water toward the woods and issues a command. Tradition holds that the entire forest will then turn into soldiers, each holding weapons and wearing armor. To become invisible, one holds seven stalks of clean grass, faces the doorway, and first performs the Seven Stars step (a manner of walking that follows the positions of the Big Dipper). This is said to make everyone's bodies vanish so that they cannot be seen. In moments of danger, one may change form according to the different parts of the seal: the seal's head becomes an old man, its foot a child, its waist a woman, its face a wild beast, and its shoulder a flying bird; its back becomes a forest, and its chest a great rock. Tradition says all of these transformations must be accomplished with water. To enter stone, trees, or earth, one may likewise use the seal to work the rite and pass in and out at will. Spraying water with the seal at various objects is said to make them disappear. When performing the rite, one must stay clean, avoid meat and strong-smelling foods, and carry water at all times.

The Seven Stars Yu Step

In the Later Heaven Bagua (Eight Trigrams; the system of trigrams used to correlate directions and symbols), the Xun position is the "Earth Door," the Kun position is the "Human Gate," the Qian position is the "Heaven Gate," and the Gen position is the "Ghost Path."

Starting from the Earth Door, one steps into the Heaven Gate and then rises upward and out. It is said that ten thousand people will then be unable to see the practitioner. This step is described as a technique indispensable for protecting an army, and it is also called "Returning the Soul to Guard the Medicine." It is a method used by sages.

This seal is also said to subdue dragons and to command strange beings, transforming them into a road leading to the Heaven Gate. The Gen position is the Ghost Path. The rite begins at the Earth Door, enters the Heaven Gate, and then rises upward and out, so that ten thousand people cannot see the practitioner. For this reason it is indispensable for protecting an army, and it is also called "Returning the Soul to Guard the Medicine," a method used by sages.

This seal is also said to subdue dragons.

This seal can subdue dragons, and it can also use other unusual things to transform a person into a dragon, allowing them to ride the clouds and enter the mist. Snakes and other creatures can be transformed as well. Once the seal method is applied, it can make them change and breathe out clouds and mist.

To transform into a dragon, take three feet of white silk and stamp the head and tail of a dragon on it, then write the character for "dragon" in the middle. Spray a mouthful of water upward and command "Transform!" three times, and it is said to become a dragon. After the transformation it can be ridden and driven at will; to make it stop, stamp the seal on the ground. To capture sea beasts, press the seal onto the surface of the water, and the dragon beasts will rise to the surface and obey commands. To turn oneself into a dragon, press the seal over the heart, drink three mouthfuls of water, and say "Transform!" three times; it is said that one will immediately become a dragon, riding the clouds and breathing out mist, flying a thousand li away. The seal may also be used on various objects while spraying water: to turn something into a great snake, write the character for "snake," and to turn it into a dragon, write the character for "dragon." By spraying water and wielding the seal in this way, it is said that things can change at will.

Tiger Token Seal, Treasure for Subduing Tigers

This seal can subdue or kill tigers, and it can also subdue fierce beasts such as tigers, leopards, and wolves, as well as the strange creatures of the mountains. It also comes with a talisman for killing tigers, the character for "dragon," and techniques of spraying water and wielding the seal to transform things.

Tiger Token Seal, Treasure for Subduing Tigers

This seal can subdue or kill tigers, and it can also subdue fierce beasts such as tigers, leopards, and wolves, as well as the strange creatures of the mountains. It also comes with a talisman for killing tigers and the art of sealing off a mountain, the details of which are collected in a full scroll of scripture.

If a fierce tiger in the mountains is eating people, then when calling out for woodcutters, stamp the vermilion seal on silk and affix the silk to a tree in the forest. It is said that the tiger will crouch beneath the tree and not dare to move. To kill a tiger, stamp the seal on an iron plate and bury it beneath a withered tree. To compel a tiger, stamp the seal on a peachwood board, place it in a blue pouch, and wear it on the body; the tiger will then follow of its own accord, approaching as gently as a sheep.

For a long journey along mountain roads, stamp the seal on a large rock. It is said that in this way there will be no tigers or wolves in the surrounding mountains, and the fierce beasts will withdraw a thousand li away. To turn oneself into a tiger, stamp the seal on the back and spray water while performing the rite; it is said that one will immediately become a tiger, appearing with the force of the wind.

Cloud Token Numinous Seal, Treasure for Raising Clouds

This seal can raise cloud vapors and ascend into the air, summoning auspicious clouds of five colors, so that one may ride the clouds up to the heavens, tour the sun, and gaze upon the moon; it can also transform into a tiger, appearing with the force of the wind.

Cloud Token Numinous Seal, Treasure for Raising Clouds

This seal can stir up clouds and allow a person to ride them into the sky, producing auspicious clouds of the five colors, mounting the clouds to ascend to heaven, touring the sun and gazing upon the moon, coming and going freely. One who obtains this seal can travel among the Four Divine Continents (the great continents of the four directions in Daoist legend). If you have mastered this seal method, stamp the seal beneath your feet, and clouds will rise across the whole ground. To travel by cloud, stamp the seal again upon the cloud: one stamp raises the cloud ten zhang, two stamps raise it twenty zhang. To descend, stamp the seal downward from above. To ascend to heaven and view the moon, you must be single-minded, reverent, and observe a fast, bathing in fragrant herbal water. Then stamp the seal on the ground, letting the clouds rise to the moon's side; beforehand, you must first use the "Seal for Opening the Gate of Heaven." If rain falls without ceasing and you wish to produce auspicious clouds of the five colors, write "the Five Directions: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth" on blue cloth in cinnabar, then stamp the seal upon the characters, and the five directions will give rise to auspicious clouds of the five colors.

Wind-Signal Spirit Seal: Treasure for Summoning Wind

This seal can raise a mighty wind from ten thousand li away, and can be used when marching armies, crossing by boat, or making camp to meet an enemy. It can also whip up sand and stones, serving as circumstances require. When darkness is needed to blot out the sky, the seal (formed or applied according to the method) must be performed as the "Wind-Returning Seal," and the five directions will give rise to auspicious clouds of the five colors.

Wind-Signal Spirit Seal: Treasure for Summoning Wind

This seal can raise a mighty wind from ten thousand li away, and can be used when marching armies, crossing by boat, or making camp to meet an enemy. It can also whip up sand and stones, applied according to the specific situation. When facing an enemy, take a jar or bowl and write the three characters "Swiftly Generate Wind" on it in cinnabar. Hurl it toward an open space, then shine the seal upon it, and the wind will come rapidly, even strong enough to topple mountains and snap trees. When crossing water by boat, use the same method to draw upon the force of the wind.

If you wish to darken the sky, apply the seal according to the method above toward the Ghost Gate (a Daoist directional term for the direction associated with ghosts and spirits), and a black wind will rise at once, so that people cannot tell day from night. When you meet a headwind and wish to turn it around, raise the seal to face the wind, write the character "Return" on a bowl, hurl it into the air, and apply the seal again, and the wind will reverse direction.

Metal-Signal Spirit Seal: Treasure for Shattering Swords

This seal is said to render weapons such as swords, spears, lances, and axes unable to harm a person. It is also said to make red-fletched arrows turn back once they reach one's side, without damaging so much as a single hair. In the event of battle, when two armies stand facing one another, stamp the seal seven times in cinnabar on white silk, burn it to ashes while facing the enemy formation, and stir the ashes into a bowl of clean water. Then spray the water toward the enemy ranks. Stamp the seal once each on your own left arm and shoulder, and you will be able to withstand the enemy troops: blades cannot wound you, arrows will snap, and any that reach your side will all turn back.

To test it, take five chickens and cover them with baskets, with one of them secretly carrying a seal beneath its wing. Shoot arrows at the chickens, and the one bearing the seal is said to remain unharmed, which is considered highly efficacious.

Wood Trust Seal for Returning Wooden Treasures (木信印返木宝)

This seal is said to make all kinds of plants and trees grow. It is also said to let a person fly through the air aboard wooden objects, and to command wooden birds and beasts to carry grain and fodder. To ride a wooden plank, stamp the seal on both ends of the plank, spray it with water, and utter the word "Quick!" (疾); the plank will then rise into the air. To make it stop, command it to halt at the place where you wish it to land.

If an army is besieged and short of food, carve a model in the shape of a flying bird from wood and affix the seal to its belly. The bird will then fly to the army's position and carry provisions back and forth; the method of using water is the same as described above. The same method may be applied when building tall halls and great houses. When traveling at night, it is said to make the way as bright as day. This method must not be divulged.

Wood Trust Seal for Returning Wooden Treasures (木信印返木宝)

This seal is said to make all kinds of plants and trees grow. It is also said to let a person fly through the air aboard wooden objects, and to command wooden birds and beasts to carry grain and fodder. To ride a wooden plank, stamp the seal on both ends of the plank, spray it with water, and utter the word "Quick!" (疾); the plank will then rise into the air. To make it stop, command it to halt at the place where you wish it to land.

This seal (a Daoist ritual seal) is said to command the movement of water: it can make river waters rise, summon clouds and bring down rain, dig wells, and change the course of rivers. It can also help a person cross the sea and ride the waves, so that one's affairs turn out as wished.

To raise waves, one must first make an offering to the water spirit. A white mare with her foal is slaughtered, and the sacrifice is held in the north. The seal is then stamped on an iron tablet, which is thrown into the river. Before long, thunder will shake the air and great waves will surge up. When a large river must be crossed, stamp the seal on one's shoes and then proceed as intended. To dig a well or divert a river, stamp the seal on the ground, and the water will well up of its own accord.

The Fire-Token Numinous Seal, the Liyang Treasure

This seal is said to be able to set off a conflagration spanning ten thousand li, reduce withered trees to ash, burn down mountain forests, and consume army camps and fortresses. It can also kindle fires that burn on and on, and even make the sea boil. The fire seal should be used at night. To start a distant fire, stamp the seal on the southern Bing position (the direction corresponding to fire), draw a breath and blow it toward the seal, then direct it toward the place where the fire is to be kindled. Fire will issue from the seal and spread, burning as it goes; to put it out, use the water seal to counter it.

To burn a house or vegetation, stamp the seal on blue-green paper, wrap a round stone figure in the paper, and throw it onto the roof. The building will catch fire, and the flames will be hard to extinguish. To avoid calamity and hide one's body from sight, stamp the seal on a large rock on a mountain, and the rock will at once turn into a mountain of fire.

The Earth-Token Seal, the Changchun Treasure

This seal (a talismanic seal endowed with magical power) can make all kinds of plants, trees, the five grains, vegetables, fruits, and melons grow, and it can also turn earth into gold and stones into jade. Press the seal onto the ground and sow the five grains, then spray one mouthful of water: the seeds will sprout. With two mouthfuls, the crops will grow; with three, the plants will take shape; with four, they will bear fruit; and with five, the fruit will ripen. To grow all kinds of vegetables and trees, one may likewise spray water and apply the seal: each time the seal is pressed and a mouthful of water sprayed, the plant will grow seven feet taller; after seven applications of seal and water, it will reach full growth. Applying the seal by the method described above, one can turn stones into jade and earth into gold; one can also make withered wood put forth shoots and cause trees to blossom in winter; and one can even hide jade beneath the earth. All of these things can be accomplished.

This book is a text secretly transmitted by Heaven, a wondrous method for transcending the mundane world. Those who cultivate immortality and seek the Dao (the Way), if they come to know its contents, can save twelve years of cultivation effort; and in refining gold and compounding medicines, there is nothing that will not succeed. Whoever practices the Tiansui Lingjing (Scripture of the Numinous Marrow of Heaven) must observe fasting and purification with utmost sincerity, abstain from the five pungent vegetables (scallions, garlic, chives, Chinese chives, asafoetida, and other pungent things), eliminate the six harms, accumulate transcendent merit and virtue beyond the world, and carry out the meritorious works of true cultivation. One must not treat the numinous text lightly; if one offends it through defilement, calamity will fall upon oneself. If one transmits it to those of shallow cultivation, the guilt is grave and without end. This is a secret method that would not be passed on even for ten thousand pieces of gold.

Chapter on Governing the State and Pacifying the Realm through the Heavenly Marrow (Tiansui)

This book is said to be able to govern a state and secure the realm. Its fame spreads throughout the world, and it grants its practitioner boundless freedom and powers of transformation: moving in and out of formlessness; scattering beans to make soldiers and scattering grass to make horses; enabling one person to withstand a hundred; summoning wind and clouds; dispelling inauspicious qi (vital energy); turning day into night; and bringing wind and rain to a halt. It can also mend bones and sinews, and command all manner of ghosts and spirits. The practitioner seems to hold all things of heaven and earth before their eyes. For anyone who wishes to leave the mundane world behind and rise above ordinary people, this book is like a stairway to the heavens.

Anyone who wishes to practice these arts must accumulate merit and virtue (De) and deliver living beings from suffering. They must abstain from the five pungent foods (generally meaning strong-flavored foods such as scallions, garlic, chives, rakkyo, and asafoetida), recite the great mantras, revere the spirits, withdraw from the clamor of the secular world, and never divulge heavenly secrets. They must also contemplate its profound principles with care, holding firm in faith and steadfast in purpose. Practiced in this way, the arts will endure in the world for a long time.

Guiguzi (Master of Ghost Valley) says: "Shang jing. A person of lesser capacity who obtains this method will come to hold the authority of the state and command of its armies. Heavenly secrets must not be revealed. This method is called 'Perfected One of Great Purity' (Taiqing Zhenren). In practicing it, concentrate your mind and keep your resolve, and the art will endure in the world." The text then repeats this passage.

Before performing this method, one must first fast and bathe, remaining composed, clean, and sincere in mind. In a quiet, secluded place, on an auspicious day such as the fifth day of the fifth month, the seventh day of the seventh month, or the third day of the third month, set up an ash altar and place the offerings on its left side.

The Ash Altar

The ash altar has three tiers. The outermost tier is square, measuring twenty-four chi on each side; the interior of the third tier is square, measuring twelve chi on each side. The altar should be set beneath the Northern Dipper (Beidou). The banners of the five directions are placed according to east, south, west, north, and center. The offerings are arranged on the altar: seven portions of dried venison, seven cups of wine, seven portions of food, seven portions of fruit, seven lamps, and seven cups of pure water, with incense and flowers presented as well; thatch grass is spread on the ground. In addition, prepare one heart each from a wild fox, an old ape, and a magpie, along with several items whose wording is missing or illegible in the original text.

Place the hearts of these animals at the edge of the altar, pour the wine, and light the incense. Facing the Northern Dipper, with hair unbound, hold a precious sword and recite the incantation. The incantation is as follows:

Respectfully I invite the Great Emperor of the Northern Pole and General Zhenwu to descend and come swiftly to the altar, to help strengthen my divine power. I burn incense at the altar and present fragrant, delicious offerings, performing these rites in the human world by the Emperor's command. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statute and ordinance!

Offer wine and burn incense with devotion. After a short while, you may see purple clouds envelop the altar, and a blue foot may suddenly appear among the offerings. Do not be alarmed. When the offering is finished, place the four heart-shaped sacrificial items on a plate, raise it, and pray toward the front of the altar:

"Fox heart, bright and spirit-clear; ape mind, calm and pure. Uncanny creatures, obey my command. Let the true hun-soul not scatter, and let the spirit po-soul unite with me. Now I give you over to the pestle and mortar, to pound your souls and your essence (Jing) and vital energy (Qi) to pieces. Now that I am about to use you, let every undertaking succeed. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statute and ordinance!"

When the offering is complete, wait for the clouds to disperse, then send the offerings away in eastward-flowing water. Next, pound the four heart-shaped items with the pestle and mortar, and pray:

"Efficacious medicine, I act by the command of Taiqing. When you meet a person, you cause that person to die; when you meet a ghost, you make that ghost tremble with fear. Pounded a thousand times, you gain a thousand kinds of sacred potency; pounded ten thousand times, you gain ten thousand kinds of efficacy. Let true Qi descend at once, and let me ascend. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statute and ordinance!"

Holding the pestle, pound more than a thousand strokes, then add the medicinal ingredients and pound them together.

The ingredients are: half a tael of guijiu (ghost-umbrella), choosing roots that run deep; half a tael of guijian (ghost arrow), choosing old, aged pieces; half a tael of guishan (ghost fan), choosing broken pieces; half a tael of guidouyou (Ghost Postmaster), choosing the downy, velvety kind; half a tael of realgar, choosing good quality; and half a tael of ginseng, choosing pieces whose form is intact.

A separate list of ingredients follows: half a tael of guijiu, choosing roots that run deep; half a tael of guijian, choosing old, aged pieces; half a tael of guishan, choosing broken pieces; half a tael of guidouyou, choosing the downy, velvety kind; half a tael of realgar, choosing good quality; half a tael of ginseng, choosing pieces whose form is intact; half a tael of fushen (poria with root); half a tael of fuling (poria); half a tael of borneol; and half a tael of musk.

Pound the materials described above into a fine powder and sift it. Then refine it with thousand-year-old pine resin into pills, and coat each pill in cinnabar, making them about the size of a small pellet. While they are being made, no chickens, dogs, women, or mourning sons may see or touch them, lest a taboo be violated. The pills are placed in a brocade pouch, and it is said that whoever wears the pouch can fly and transform.

At dawn on a jiazi day, hold one pill in the left hand and recite the incantation once. Then swallow one pill with pure water together with a "Heart-Opening Talisman" (a talisman used to open the apertures of the heart; Fulu). Next, recite: "The talisman water is clear and can bring about transformation. Enter my five viscera and aid my hun and po souls and my Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). Through a thousand years may I not decay, through ten thousand years may I not decline. Now I recite this incantation to change my form. One Golden Elixir, rise at once to the celestial court. Swiftly, swiftly, as the statutes command!" Then swallow another pill with pure water and repeat the incantation. The Heart-Opening Talisman is also burned to ash, mixed into water, and drunk.

This medicine is called the "Shell-Changing Elixir," and also the "Ghost-Seeing Elixir." After the first dose of one pill, it is said that once the practitioner has walked four paces, the five viscera and six bowels will become open and clear, inside and out, and sweating will begin. The practitioner should then bathe in hot water. On the second day, two doses are taken, and the whole body will feel as if every pore were pricked by needles, with heat and pain. On the third day, a large quantity of blood will be expelled. The original text says there is no need for alarm, because this is the "changing of the blood viscera." By the seventh day of taking the elixir, its power reaches the "Niwan Palace" (the Daoist term for the upper Dantian, or energy center, in the head). It is said that the brain marrow is then replaced, and the headache is so intense, as if the skull were being split open, that it becomes unbearable. For this reason one must take the "Pain-Relieving Decoction."

The ingredients of the "Pain-Relieving Decoction" are: ginseng, poria, gypsum, gastrodia (chijian), licorice, aconite, and costus root (muxiang).

Grind each of the ingredients in equal portions into a fine powder. Take two qian mixed in frankincense water, three times a day, and stop once the symptoms have cleared. Be careful not to drink river water. After taking it for a hundred days, one may take other medicines freely. After twenty-seven days, it is said, the whole body will undergo a transformation: the body becomes light and robust, the eyes shine as bright as green peaches, the face glows as red as a lotus, and one can run like a horse. After another three sevens (that is, twenty-one days), it is said, the mind opens up suddenly, so that there is nothing one does not know and no book one cannot understand. At night the eyes can give off light reaching ten feet, and one's sight extends ten li. One can also see the forms of ghosts and spirits, as well as the crow and the hare in the sun and moon (the ancients used the crow and the hare to stand for the sun and the moon respectively), and can foresee future calamities, which divine beings will personally announce. When the hundred days of practice are complete, one can undergo endless transformations, concealing oneself at will whether seated or standing, and use these powers as one's heart desires.

Talisman of Fierce Beasts

Talisman of the Whole Body

When facing disaster or danger, if one wishes to turn oneself into a ghostly spirit a hundred feet tall, one should write out the talisman, swallow it facing the stars, then drink water, while reciting the oral formula "Grow a hundred feet, blue body." It is said that one will then become a blue giant, causing the crowd to be filled with fear.

Talisman of the Old Man

In ancient times, if one wished to become a man of a hundred years, one would swallow a talisman written with fragrant water, and would then turn into a white-haired elder.

Talisman of Heavenly Concealment

If one wishes to become invisible, write out the talisman and swallow it facing the sun, and one will immediately vanish from sight so that others cannot see. Take it once a month.

Talisman of Victory

When fighting enemies, if one wishes to keep spears, swords, and axes from causing harm, write forty-nine talismans, burn them to ashes, and stir the ashes into five to seven bowls of water for the soldiers to drink together. It is said that their bodies will then suffer no injury, the blades and axes will break of their own accord, and their bodies will become as hard as iron and stone.

Talisman of the Divine Soldiers

If one is to lead troops into battle, first prepare an incense burner and a bowl of clean water, plant seven black banners on the north side, and set up a drum. The ritual master (Fashi) dresses in black with hair unbound, and while reciting incantations, draws a talisman (Fulu) with a brush, all the while visualizing the form of Zhenwu (a revered Daoist deity, often depicted as a martial general). Once the talisman is drawn, it is burned to ashes. The master bites their tongue and sprays the blood over the talisman ashes and the water. Then, facing north, the master beats the drum and waves the banners, and the entire army shouts the sacred name aloud. If a wind should rise from the north at this moment, the soldiers in the army will be transformed into spirits ten feet tall, together with the blue-faced, black-clad General of Slaughter, and not even a million troops could withstand them. When encountering a river, do not cross it, for crossing the river will bring disaster.

The incantation says: General Renkui (a divine general associated with the north and the Water phase), lend support to my power and might. A thousand soldiers, bathed in divine strength, instantly become divine troops. Where they meet a mountain, the mountain crumbles; where they meet the sea, the waters run dry. I act by Heaven's mandate and may not delay. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (a fixed formula in Daoist incantations signifying that a command is to be executed at once).

All the talismans, medicines, and divine methods described above must be carried out with focused thought and careful attention, without error. If the talisman is drawn wrongly, the incantation is not recited truly, or the medicinal preparations are not refined, they will not be efficacious.

Anyone whose natal chart contains stars such as Pan'an (Saddle-Mounting), Yima (Post-Horse), or General, and who also holds a position of authority, will, upon reading this book, be able to stabilize the state and govern the realm, establish merit that spreads across the whole world, and even move the heavens and humankind.

The Grass and Bean Method

If one wishes to scatter beans so that they become soldiers, and cut down grass so that it becomes warhorses, one may gallop freely across ten thousand li without worry; use troops according to this method. Perform it on the seventh day of the seventh month. The original text then mentions "people of the fifth month," the meaning of which is unclear; it is preserved here as in the original. Whoever encounters this book will be able to stabilize the state and govern the realm, with merit spreading across the whole world and moving the heavens and humankind.

The Grass and Bean Method

If one wishes to turn beans into soldiers and grass into war horses, so that one can move freely and without hindrance ten thousand li away, one must proceed according to proper procedure.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, or the fifth day of the fifth month, set up an ash altar again following the method described earlier, and place on it an incense tray and pure water. Then place one dou and two sheng of soybeans and a bundle of washed grass at the center of the altar. With hair unbound, recite the incantation: begin on that very night and continue until the fifth watch, when the altar is closed. After this, burn incense and recite the incantation every day in a clean room for forty-nine days. When one is about to dispatch the soldiers, whether walking, standing, or sitting, one may silently recite it once, and the rite is said to take effect.

Pass incense smoke over the grass and beans at the center of the altar while reciting: "The true spirits of the heavenly realm, by command, issue this order to drive forth the grass and the beans; transform them greatly into divine soldiers to march out on my behalf. Summon them swiftly; they must not linger. Obey my divine incantation, and let each reveal its original form. With one spray of divine water, the grass becomes war horses and the beans become soldiers. Carry out this decree with all speed."

Next, first pass incense smoke over the grass and beans, recite the incantation seven times, and then spray the water. The practitioner should also say "She" (摄, "gather") four times toward the grass, and then close the altar.

The "Tianluo Incantation" (天罗咒, Heavenly Net Incantation) must likewise be recited for forty-nine days, one thousand times each day. Each day, one first swallows a "Qiling Talisman" (起灵符, Awakening-Spirit Talisman), and then recites the incantation; the original text says that afterward one may check its efficacy every day.

In the early morning, write a Fulu (符箓, talismans and registers) in cinnabar, burn it to ashes, mix the ashes with clean water, and swallow the mixture while facing the sun. Silently recite the "Heavenly Net Mantra":

Om qu sa fo, om xi sa fo, yi xia fenfen chuchu, chi jia [illegible] ni ye da, zhi tuo luo tuo luo om, du lu du lu yan, wu yi yue tuo, ba tuo ba li, luo ni man cha lu, hum gou na cha.

Before holding the mantra (that is, reciting it repeatedly), one must first fast, bathe, and burn incense. Recite it one thousand times a day for forty-nine consecutive days. Prepare a bundle of straw, about one hundred and twenty stalks, and one sheng and two ge of soybeans.

In a clean, open place where no one is present, scatter the straw. While performing the rite, hold the mantra in your mouth and recite it once, let your hair hang loose, use the "Heavenly Talisman" and spray water, then carve fine lines with a small knife. Spray a mouthful of water over the straw and beans and shout loudly seven times, and the straw and beans will turn into men seven chi tall; if they turn into horses, the horses will be five chi tall. The number of soldiers you need can be increased or decreased at will.

If, after forty-nine days of holding the mantra, you can hear the straw men make sounds, the rite has proven effective. When you send the transformed men out to battle, you must observe the directional prohibitions: do not let them enter a forest to the east, approach metal to the west, or go into the mountains to the north. The scripture calls this the "Method of Five Forms Reversal" (a technique for transforming straw and beans into bodies and then restoring them to their original state). Ordinary practitioners must remember this when using it, or else misfortune may follow; and when you call them, answer them promptly.

When a Jiazi decade arrives (a ten-day period beginning with the day jiazi), summon the Six Jia deities (divine generals of Daoism corresponding to the Six Jia). On your own birth-destiny day, make offerings of silver coins and a small horse, and proceed strictly according to military orders. If you have obtained the upper scroll, then even if you violate various prohibitions or encounter the blood-taint of a woman in childbirth, you will not be hindered. If you have studied divinatory arts such as Liuren and Dunjia, you will understand the rules of forward and reverse movement within them.

To restore the transformed beings to their original forms, first recite the mantra backward once, then recite the Restoration Mantra once more, and they will turn back into straw and beans. The Restoration Mantra is:

Straw and beans, spirit-bright, swiftly return to your original forms. I now recite this incantation: let each return to Taiqing (the Great Purity). Called in haste, arrive in haste; whatever is wished, let it be fulfilled. Swiftly, swiftly, as the statutes and ordinances command!

After the incantation is recited, sprinkle purified water over the troops, and they will vanish from sight. If the soldiers need horses, one may burn incense in a temple of the spirits and borrow horses from the deities. Simply use a hobbling rope to tie a paper horse to the foot, and it can be used just like a real horse. After a night has passed, it must still be fed with grass. Do not let it near foul water, or the spell will fail.

Incantation for Borrowing a Horse

I respectfully petition the efficacious deities: lend me a dragon horse. Its hooves tread upon azure clouds, and within a thousand li it can cross rivers and leap over the dust of the world. Execute swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.

Burn incense in the temple, prepare the paper horse, and bind it firmly with a red bandage. Once mounted, one can travel a thousand li a day without fatigue; when crossing water, untie it first, and bind it again after crossing. When facing the enemy without spears or swords, each person may pick up sand, stones, clods of earth, or bricks and tiles and hurl them at the enemy ranks, declaring that this will harm the enemy and increase one's own strength ten-thousandfold. If there is no grain or fodder, write the "Intestine-Locking Talisman" (Fulu, talisman), burn it to ashes, and drink it mixed with water; it is said to spare one from hunger and thirst, increase one's strength tenfold, and keep one free from hunger for a hundred days.

After the horses have been used, one need only apply an "Intestine-Opening Talisman" in the manner described above, and no harm will result. Those who practice these arts must keep on hand an eye-cleansing medicine, and keep the mind and spirit clear, so that they will naturally grasp the secrets within. When employing them, be meticulous and make no errors.

Intestine-Locking Talisman

Intestine-Opening Talisman

For anyone who wishes to rise above the mundane world and walk the path of the immortals (xian), this book holds the hidden mysteries of the divine immortals and the way to long life. It must not be passed down even between grandfather and grandson or father and son, and it must never be shown to others for a thousand pieces of gold. It is a supremely profound art, a sacred text handed down by the Jade Emperor. When one burns incense and recites its incantations, ghosts and spirits tremble. Whoever transmits it to another will receive boundless blessings. By studying this book, one can comprehend all things in heaven and earth, understand the Five Phases (Wuxing: the workings and transformations of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and grasp the favorable and adverse turnings of Yin-Yang (Yinyang). If it can be passed down for ten thousand generations, it will protect the nation, assist the ruler, bring peace to all under heaven, and keep the world in lasting tranquility. Such principles are usually hard for ordinary people to grasp. One who understands the will of heaven will also be skilled at perceiving the subtle workings of ghosts and spirits.

Once you obtain this book, place it in a brocade bag, make offerings to it regularly, and store it in a cave dwelling or rock grotto deep in a famous mountain, sealed securely. After three to five years of storage, the place will give off a fragrance and reveal an aura of the numinous. Spirit flowers and magical herbs will grow of their own accord, and gold and jade will condense into form. If ghostly apparitions, evil demons, wangliang (mountain and wild-country sprites), fox spirits, or mountain goblins keep haunting you, you need only burn incense and use this book to drive them out. They will flee elsewhere and be smashed to pieces, and none of this ever fails to work.

If someone sincerely wishes to transmit this book, they must observe fasting and do good deeds, remain pure and keep away from lewdness and depravity. They must bow with undivided attention and reverence and swear an oath before the Celestial Worthy (Tianzun). They must also accumulate merit and virtue and help others before the book may be passed on. If it is given to someone of poor aptitude, foolish and mediocre, it will bring calamity upon their ancestors and descendants.

Among all the myriad things of the world, humans are the most spiritually gifted and most honored. The human body is modeled on heaven and earth, formed through the transformations of the Five Phases, and brought together by the union of Yin-Yang and the condensing of essence (Jing) and blood. Thus, a person comes into complete bodily form through the gathering of causes and conditions, and must inevitably pass through birth and death. The Supreme Sage Lord is likewise among the most spiritually gifted and honored beings between heaven and earth, and was also formed through the transformations of the Five Phases, the union of Yin-Yang, and the condensing of essence and blood. Having taken a bodily form to dwell in the world, he too knows that a day of departure will come.

The world is full of foolish people whose learning seems vast but who do not understand the principles of creation and transformation. Some take minerals and metallic drugs, hoping to shed their mortal husks and ascend as immortals. Others practice breath cultivation and circulation of Qi, hoping to prolong their years and remain forever in the world. Others heed heterodox teachings and retreat into the mountains to abstain from food and drink. Yet the methods of the immortals do truly exist, and there are indeed cases of ascension and long life. But those who reach such a state all possess, from previous lives, a spiritual clarity of nature, and they already have a sacred body fit for longevity beyond the dust of the world. They naturally receive subtle oral instructions and obtain the heavenly protection of long life, and so come to understand the transformations of the immortal path and the intentions of the sages. Seen this way, such people are one in ten thousand.

Foolish people do not understand the true principles of the sacred Dao, yet they recklessly imitate the enlightened and presumptuously guess at the sages' intentions. As a result, the white bones left across generations pile up like mountains, and lonely souls roam the fields, becoming hungry ghosts of Mount Beimang (the famed ancient burial ground). They also fail to see that the appointed time of death is right before them, and blindly seek long life and immortality in this world. Cultivation has its limits, and lasting accomplishment requires waiting. People from past to present know only that they are alive and do not understand death. They dwell in the dusty world like those climbing a mountain with eyes shut, and live in it like those wading a river at night. Harboring regret, they study in vain and finally sink into the sea of suffering. For this reason, I should leave this art to the world.

The Method of Examination (dianjian fa) is a technique for assessing an individual's lifespan and destiny. Anyone who wishes to attain the Dao (the Way) of immortality must first understand the allotment of their fate and the length of their life. To remain ignorant of life and death is like a blind person climbing a mountain or crossing a river at night: the situation is perilous and bewildering. If one devotes oneself to cultivation without grasping this, the effort will ultimately be in vain, and one will still sink into the sea of suffering. For this reason, I have left this method in the world.

Those who seek long life must first determine how long their destiny and lifespan will last. Only then can they cultivate the truth, nourish their life, and find a way to escape the registers of the dead. In Daoist terms, this means having one's name struck from the rolls of the underworld and added to the Jade Tablets (yuce, the registers recording the names of immortals and perfected beings) of the heavens, and in the end entering the realm of the immortals and reaching the state of deathlessness.

To prepare this ritual, first observe a fast and ritual bathing for seven days. On the third day of the third month, before the sun rises, go into the mountains carrying a knife and an axe. Cut one hundred and twenty vitex rods, each one foot two inches long, bind them with five-colored thread, wrap and seal them, and hang them in the southeast. They must not be allowed to touch anything impure.

On the fifth day of the fifth month, before sunrise, cut another twelve rods of du vitex, each one foot two inches long. Bind them with five-colored thread in the same way, wrap and seal them, and hang them in the northwest, where they must not be disturbed. On the seventh day of the seventh month, before sunrise, follow the same method to cut thirty vitex rods, each seven inches long, bind them with five-colored thread, and hang them in the northeast. On the ninth day of the ninth month, before sunrise, cut another twelve rods of du vitex, bind them with five-colored thread, wrap and seal them, and hang them in the southwest, again taking care that they are not defiled.

The rods gathered on these four occasions must each be hung in its corresponding direction. They must not be mixed together, and no one may see them. On the night of the first day of the twelfth month, take the rods from all four directions into a clean room and make offerings to them while reciting the incantation. Keep up the offerings throughout the night. During the night, light seven red-flower oil lamps, and prepare twenty-one lamp wicks that have been steamed and sun-dried nine times, using them to light the seven lamps. Prepare seven portions each of incense, flowers, fruit, tea, and pure water.

Beginning on the night of the first day of the twelfth month, make offerings to the rods and burn incense continuously through the night. Each time, recite the incantation seven times, letting the fragrant smoke pass over the rods. The incantation runs roughly as follows: Spirit vitex, military vitex, you are both born of earth and wood. Now I announce this offering to you and ask that you take note of the birth year and fate of a certain person, and make it appear within the spirit vitex. In the tenth month it will appear, and when the appointed time ends it will return to formlessness. Now I proclaim and recite this incantation; you must obey my command and carry it out at once according to the statutes and ordinances.

Here, "birth year and fate" (nianming) refers to a person's date of birth and other registered details of their destiny. Through the selection of auspicious days for cutting the branches, their hanging according to direction, the offering of lamps and incense, and the recitation of incantations, the text assembles a Daoist ritual that uses the vitex rods as its medium.

Beginning on the night of the first day of the twelfth month, make the prescribed offerings and recite the incantation seven times. Do not miss a single night after that. When the thirtieth day of the twelfth month arrives (if that year's month is short, keep vigil on the twenty-ninth instead), wait until the first watch of the fifth night-watch on New Year's Eve. Light seven lamps, eleven in all. Inside the room, where no one can see you, face northwest alone and recite the incantation once. Then kneel and sit, and angle the lamplight southward to illuminate a white jade disc (a white jade bi), or a folding screen.

First take the initial batch of one hundred and twenty twigs of chaste-tree, removing from the count the one that stands for the current year. Hold a single twig before the lamp so that its shadow falls on the wall. Once the shadow appears, set that twig aside and take up the next, doing the same. Continue until you reach the twig representing the year in which your life ends. If that twig casts no shadow, note it down with paper and brush. Next take the second batch of twelve freshly gathered twigs and pass them through incense smoke, praying: "Respectfully I address the Du-chaste-tree: may I be granted a prolonged lifespan." Then cast their shadows as before, and again record the twig of the appointed year if it fails to show a shadow. Do the same with the third batch of thirty twigs and the fourth batch of twelve, offering the same prayer, casting the shadows, and recording where the shadow fails to appear at the final year. At the end, burn the twigs beneath a dou measure, make an offering of them together with the ashes, and send them away with flowing water.

Continue to accumulate merit and practice cultivation. When the year, month, and day of your predetermined lifespan draw to a close, perform the Return-to-Life rite of Guiguzi for averting fate (this rang rite is a ritual for dispelling calamity and resolving misfortune). Your name can then be struck from the register of the dead, and you will live long in the world. Once you no longer keep count of years and months, you can enter the Way of the immortals, enduring as long as Heaven and Earth and lasting as long as mountains and rivers. Since ancient times, accomplished masters have all practiced this method, and it is said to confer longevity and immortality.

To perform the rite of returning to life and averting death, fast and bathe before the year, month, and day when your lifespan is due to end. In a clean chamber, lay out a straw mat two cun thick, with a pillow seven cun thick. Lie with your head to the south, abstaining from food and speech, for seven days, and take the Intestine-Melting Talisman (a Daoist Fulu, or talisman; the original text does not explain its use in detail).

On the day before your lifespan ends, dig into the ground at the burial site chosen in advance, to a depth of two zhang and four chi. Place into the coffin, prepared at the front of the tomb, one sheng and two ge of each of the five grains. On the appointed day, lie down in the coffin with your head to the south and your legs stretched straight. By then, all the necessary Fulu should be prepared. With the five grains placed inside the coffin, at the hour of chen loosen your hair, grip a handful of yellow earth in your right hand, hold a mouthful of rice and water in your mouth, and form a hand seal with your left. After leaving the grave, depart toward the Gate of Ghosts, treading the Seven Stars Steps of Yu (a Daoist ritual walk following a set pattern of steps), and do not look back. In this way, from a thousand li away, your name will be removed from the registers of the underworld and added to the Jade Roll, while the people of the world will believe that you have died.

This is the rite of feigned death and return to life for averting fate. Take care never to divulge what is called the secret of Heaven. It is said that Hou Duweng, a soldier of the Tang dynasty, obtained this method, had his name struck from the underworld registers and entered on the Jade Roll, lived in the world for nine hundred and twenty-seven years, and later ascended in broad daylight riding a vermilion crane. Later immortal scriptures (xianjing) of every kind do not record this technique. The Seven Stars Steps of Yu and the Intestine-Locking Talisman were explained earlier in the volume and are not repeated here. The Dujia divine talisman should be placed at the front right. The earth in your hand and the rice in your mouth should be discarded after you have gone one hundred and twenty paces, and then you will have nothing to fear.

Dujia Talisman (Dujia Fu)

This talisman (fulu) is to be used in the twelfth month, in order to cut off the body's sustenance. Write one talisman in cinnabar, unfold it, place it inside the coffin, and attach it to one's own body. In this way, it is said, others are made unable to see that one has already died there.

The Elixir of Creation and Transformation

This medicine is said to come from a book of marvels, which records arts that communicate with the divine and verify the sacred, so effective as to astonish. The book claims that it can make snow fall in summer and thunder sound in winter, summon clouds and bring rain, conceal one's bodily form, turn white hair black, and prolong life. These are called the subtleties of the art of medicine and the mysteries of heavenly writings, and fools who obtain them are delighted beyond measure.

Yet a lodestone draws an iron needle, amber lifts tiny bits of straw, the "river chariot" (hechē) subdues mercury, the yu'er draws out gold, the yangsui (burning mirror) takes fire from the sun, otter gall separates the liquid in a cup, and crab roe gathers rats to it. Did sages create these marvels? In truth, the properties of substances aid one another, and qi (vital energy) of the same kind responds in resonance; that is how such effects arise.

This formula was recorded by Master Guigu and also incorporates the techniques mentioned above. The text says that efficacious methods of the past were often selected, then refined by burning and smelting, to serve as secret medicinal arts. It gathers the profound chapters of Taiqing (the Great Clarity, the pure celestial realm of Daoist teaching), joins them with the essential instructions transmitted by Mozi, and searches out the hidden workings of the world's medicinal substances. Transmitted in secret, it was compiled as the Tiansui Lingjing (Scripture of the Numinous Marrow of Heaven), for restoring a person's nature and life (xingming).

It is said that when it meets the right person, one pill can bring someone back to life if taken within seven days of death, before the body has decayed. When a person is gravely ill and near death, a single pill is never without effect, and if three pills are placed in the mouth, they revive within moments. Even if the jaws are clenched shut, the medicine can be poured into the mouth and the person saved. If a malevolent ghost is causing trouble, carrying a single pill on one's person will drive it away.

Preparing this medicine requires first observing a fast. When a robust person takes it, it can extend life and keep the complexion from aging; for this reason it is called the "Taiyi Fanhun Dan" (Elixir of the Supreme One for Returning the Soul, said to bring the hun and po souls back).

Ingredients: realgar, orpiment, and cinnabar, twelve parts each.

Place the materials inside green (fresh) bamboo tubes and bury them in the earth. Pack cinnabar into one tube and bury it on the south side; orpiment (yellow arsenic sulfide) and realgar (red arsenic sulfide) are each packed into separate tubes and placed in turn at this spot and at the center. Seal the mouths of the tubes with powdered mica, then cover the tops of the tubes with three cun of soil, and heat them with an ash fire for seven days and seven nights, until the materials turn into a watery, flower-like liquid. If they have not yet dissolved, continue to warm them with the heat of the fire until the desired state is reached.

Next, place the three liquids in a bronze vessel, set it out in the dew at night, and bring it back at sunrise; then lower it to a depth of three chi below the water in a well. Heat the three liquids over fire again for seven days and seven nights, until they become a watery, flower-like liquid; if they have still not dissolved, continue to warm them with the heat of the fire until the desired state is reached. Afterward, again place the three liquids in a bronze vessel, let them gather dew at night, bring them back at sunrise, and lower them once more to three chi below the well water.

Then add five sheng of powdered Tianxiong (aconite, a toxic medicinal substance) to the three liquids, and blend and tend the preparation until it turns red. The text's phrase "one nine, like twelve sheng of carp's eyes" refers to a requirement concerning the preparation or form of the substance, but its precise meaning cannot be determined from this sentence alone. After this, store it in a large golden vessel and let it rest beside the root of an old pine for three years, and then use it as an offering in sacrifice. After the sacrifice, collect and use it according to the secret method described above.

This is for commanding spirits (driving or employing ghosts, spirits, and souls).

To make a paper figure, one must first understand the mechanism of ghosts and spirits. Once a paper figure has been summoned, it can move at will, going in and out of the kitchen and about the household, and it can fetch whatever one wants.

First, find a person who has broken the law and is about to be executed. Prepare wine and food in advance, and ask for their name and the year, month, day, and hour of their birth. If you wish to meet them through the art, bring spirit money and wine and urge them to drink. The condemned person should thank you and pass your intention on to the deceased. You then say: "You have received no kindness from me, yet your numinous clarity has brought you to visit. Since you know my intention, secretly roll a Soul-Gathering Talisman (Fulu) into a pellet, drop it into the wine, and let them drink it." After they have drunk, tell them: "Your fated span is nearly over. After you die, you must return when called." The original text then repeats these steps of giving the talisman, urging the drink, and delivering the instruction.

Once the condemned person understands, go to a high place about fifty paces from the execution ground, from which the place of execution is clearly visible, and hold a mirror. The mirror measures one chi and two cun in circumference. Its face is turned toward the condemned person and inscribed with a Soul-Summoning Talisman. When the execution is about to take place, at the moment the blade falls and life is cut off, recite the incantation:

"I respectfully invite the transgressor of the northern direction. One Qi."

Recite the incantation three times, then take in breath (Qi) and blow it into the mirror. Wrap the mirror in a white silk bag and carry it to a clean, quiet room. That night, make offerings of three cups of fine wine and food. Standing to one side, hold the mirror facing a lamp and recite the incantation:

"Numinous and clear true soul, quickly reveal your original form. I now make offerings to you, wishing to borrow your response to carry out my affairs. Do not let your hun and po souls scatter. I will save you and bring you back to life."

When this is finished, raise the mirror before the lamp, call the condemned person's name, offer wine and food, and draw a portrait of them. Ordinarily the portrait is kept in a dark place and offered to often, with incense and flowers. When it is needed, cut out a paper figure seven cun long and call the deceased by name. They will appear at once and attach themselves to the figure. In use, the paper figure is no different from a real person. If seven more are made, they can be sent out to act.

The Soul-Summoning Talisman and the Soul-Gathering Talisman are said to keep a person's hun and po souls from scattering, and one may drink them repeatedly, up to nine times.

Soul-Summoning Talisman

Soul-Returning Talisman

Take seven insects from the mouths of nestling luan birds (鸾鸟, mythical phoenix-like birds) in their nest, and seven fireflies. On the third day of the third month, catch fourteen tadpoles and dry them in the shade. Crack open a crow's egg, discard the yolk and keep the white, put these ingredients inside, and seal the shell again. Have a hen incubate it until the rooster crows.

Store the finished preparation in a sealed container. When using it, take an amount about the size of a soybean and smear it on the top of the head. It is said that at night a rosy glow a hundred feet high will appear, and by day purple clouds will show. If the medicine is placed beneath a fingernail, whatever the finger points at is said to shine with a light like an arrow. If it is to be used for shooting, mix it with toad blood and smear it on the body; at night it will appear as a single mass of light, and if fire is placed in the mouth, flames will come out with the breath when it is spat out.

Prepare it on a Liujia day (六甲日, a day in the sexagenary day count that carries the character "jia"). If one wishes to burn down a house or anything else, one need only take one daoguei (刀圭, an ancient unit of volume denoting a small amount) of the medicine and write or smear it on the object. It is said that by night it will burst into flames that cannot be put out. If a small pebble is dipped in a little of the medicine and sunk into a well, it is said that fire will arise at the bottom of the well without harming the water.

Causing Radiance to Appear Between the Brows and White Qi to Rise from the Crown of the Head

Whoever wishes to make a radiant glow appear between the brows and white vapor rise from the crown of the head should know that this is said to be a technique devised by the ancient sages, not something ordinary people can master. The substances now used are also said to have absorbed the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual qi (Qi) of heaven and earth. They are held to be numinous things nurtured by heaven and earth, through which transformations can be brought about. For this reason Master Guigu (鬼谷先生) left this method behind and charged that it be kept secret and not transmitted.

The substances listed are as follows: genuine yangqishi (阳起石, actinolite) ten zhu (铢, an ancient unit of weight), mica seven zhu, baiying stone (白英石, white quartz) four zhu, lead frost (铅白霜) one fen (分), and pumice one qian (钱).

Wash all of the above ingredients in warm wine, and pound them into powder on a gengshen day. When the xin day arrives, take one white toad. It has the character for "eight" marked beneath its throat. Remove its entrails and place it in the powder. Then take two sea clams, about the size of freshwater mussels, and grind them together. Seal them with honey, put them into the medicine, and keep them in spring water for seven times seven, or forty-nine, days. When the medicine is done, white vapor will rise from the spring water and gather together. If the full number of days has not yet passed and there is water at the seal, take the vessel out and wipe it dry. Seal it tightly again with wax and set it back, and the medicine will complete itself.

Remove the sea clams and the toad, keeping only the medicine, and store it in a silver box so that no air can get in. If you wish to make a radiant glow appear, take a portion of the medicine about the size of a sesame seed and apply it with saliva between the eyebrows. White light and a radiant glow will appear. Once it has appeared, seal the medicine tightly with wax and store it, and it will complete itself. If you put a portion about the size of a grain of rice into tea or wine, light several feet high will rise from the cup. If you place the medicine on a finger and hold it up to the sunlight, white vapor will rise from the fingertip. Placed on other objects, it can also make them give off light.

Deng Bo Wei (the protective method for walking on water)

Take ten black spiders caught on the fifth day of the fifth month. If they are hard to find on that day, you may ask others ahead of time to catch them in separate places. In the evening of that day, put the spiders into a watertight container and add two ge of pork fat, and the spiders will naturally eat all of the fat. On the seventh day of the seventh month, take seven water striders, which are long-legged insects that live on the water's surface. Put these insects into a jar together with the spiders mentioned above, bury it on the north side of the house, and dry it in the shade for one hundred days. When the medicine is done, store it in a bamboo tube. When a river or stream blocks your way, or in a time of danger, take one daogui (an ancient measure, meaning a small amount of powdered medicine) and apply it beneath your feet, and you will be able to walk on water as though stepping on a great stone. This method is rarely recorded in the scriptures (Jing). The "Sheng Er Wei" (Two Sages' Protective Methods) differ from the "Chang Yan."

Qi Fei Wei (the protective method for opening doors)

At the midnight of a Jian day (the hour from eleven at night to one in the morning), take a piece of wood that grows on a younger brother's tomb. Walk the Yubu (the ritual pace of Daoist ceremony), then cut the wood down. Whittle it facing north to a length of seven cun and three fen, wrap it in cloth of the five colors, and hide it away in secret. When performing the rite, let your hair hang loose and rub the door with your hand, and the door and every kind of lock will open of their own accord.

On the fifth day of the fifth month, take the tongue and teeth of a black dog and dry them in a cool, shaded place. Smear a hundred hands with tiger fat, and have those people carry what has been gathered and set out at the Chen hour. They can enter another person's home without being seen. If you hold a dog's tail in your hand, the dogs will not bark or bite your fingers. Those outside will be unable to rise, and those asleep will not notice. Do not reveal this art to anyone unsuitable; simply record the method and leave it at that.

The Art of Shedding the Shell and Manifesting the Form

One who practices this art first sets up a seat in a quiet room and hangs a large mirror before it. Beginning on a Jiazi day (one of the days of the sexagenary cycle), each day sit in stillness facing the image in the mirror. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, visualize your body as being here, while what appears in the mirror is your true form. At dawn, first take the "Spirit-Dividing Powder" (a preparation made from the ingredients listed in this method), then face the mirror and refine the spirit (Shen). After practicing in this way for forty-nine days, constantly visualize leaving one spirit within the mirror.

Draw a talisman of manifesting form (Fulu) on the surface of the mirror and bury it within the image. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, visualize your body as being here, while what appears in the mirror is your true form. At dawn, first take the Spirit-Dividing Powder, then refine the spirit before the mirror. After forty-nine days of practice, constantly think of leaving one spirit in the mirror. Write a talisman of manifesting form on the mirror's surface, bury the mirror beneath the main gate at a depth of seven chi and seven cun, and cover its contents with an earthenware jar.

When you wish to manifest your form, take a small mirror and write the talisman of manifesting form on its surface. Breathe once upon the mirror and hang it in the room, and you may then go freely to any place, east or west. After you leave the room, a shadow-figure of yourself will remain in it, able to sit, lie, or stand. When the mirror is put away, you too will be drawn back with it. If another person sees this figure, it will merge with its owner into one body.

Spirit-Dividing Powder for Refining the Shell

One shed snakeskin, which must be whole, gathered on the fifth day of the fifth month. Seven cicada shells, which must be whole, gathered on the sixth day of the sixth month. One liang of dragon bone, taken on the seventh day of the seventh month. One liang each of white poria, spirit-poria (fushen), polygala, and ginseng. One qian of frankincense blossom. One bat's heart, washed clean with wine and then baked dry.

The medicinal ingredients listed on the right are ground into a fine powder, and one qian is taken each time. While taking the medicine, one must not blow on it or stir it. By the tenth day, if you feel drowsy and dazed, this is a sign that the medicine is taking effect. Take it for a full forty-nine days and then stop; there is no need to continue. The remaining medicine is buried together with the mirror.

Talisman for Manifesting the Form

Draw this talisman (fu) in cinnabar on the mirror, visualize yourself as already within the mirror, and then breathe upon the talisman. Your own image will naturally appear on it. When writing the talisman, take care not to violate any taboos. You must be wholly sincere and reverent, refining the form within the mirror; only after forty-nine days will it succeed. Without devotion and reverence, accomplishment is difficult.

To visualize yourself dividing into separate bodies, you may follow the methods described earlier for sitting, lying, and standing. When sitting, hang the mirror low against the wall; when lying down, lay the talisman flat; when standing, hang the mirror high. Then visualize your own image.

Altered Appearance

If someone meets with a sudden and unforeseeable calamity and has no time to devise a remedy through cultivation, they must quickly change their appearance and hurriedly evade the disaster. This technique may be used for that purpose.

The ingredients are as follows: one old bamboo hat, one fen of burned "Designation Elixir" (haodan), one hoof-plate of a white horse (burned to ash), sazi flowers (dried in the shade), two liang of old zhanglu root, and one pair of wings (burned to ash).

Grind these six ingredients separately into fine powder. Place half of it in a green gallbladder and hang it at the east gate for seventy days. If the situation is urgent, at night take a portion of the powder about the size of a walnut, mix it with saliva, and smear it on the face; the next day, your wife and children will not recognize you. Then take the loose powder prepared earlier and, at an auspicious time, prepare it facing east. During this time you must not sleep, nor stir the medicine or blow upon it. After you swallow it, your family will not recognize you.

Elixir for Knowing One's Fate

Those who cultivate the Real (xiuzhen) and study the Dao must understand the matter of death; this medicine is said to reveal signs of it. Sometimes, seven days before death, the medicine flows out of the nose, displaying a marvelous and miraculous efficacy.

Cinnabar (zhusha), realgar, frankincense, costus root (qingmuxiang), and benzoin, one qian each; Fushen (a medicinal herb), one and a half qian; polygala (yuanzhi), one qian; Shiwei (the drug name as given in the original; its exact identity is unclear), one qian; cubeb (bichengqie) and ginseng, one qian each; seven lotus seeds with the kernels; and one piece of Taiyi Yuyuliang (a mineral medicine).

These twelve ingredients should be procured according to local custom and carefully cleaned and selected. On a jiazi day, during the chen hour (7 to 9 a.m.), prepare them where no chickens, dogs, or women can see. Face east and keep silent as you pound the ingredients and sift them into a fine powder, then bind it into a single mass with stone honey (hardened sugar). The original text repeats its account of the ingredients and the preparation steps.

Next, silently recite the decree of the Jade Emperor of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, a revered Daoist deity) thirty thousand times, and pound the medicine thirty thousand strokes. Place the medicine in a well to the southeast, suspended one foot above the water. On the wuzi day, form it into pills the size of a chicken's head. After another ten days, on the jiazi day at the jiachen hour, face east and burn incense. Recite the name of your natal star official (the star deity corresponding to one's birth) three hundred times, then swallow one pill with water. While taking the medicine, you must not eat the five pungent foods (scallions, garlic, and the like), drink wine, eat meat, or engage in sexual intercourse.

It is said that seven days before the end of one's lifespan, the medicine will be expelled through the nose, or someone will announce it in a dream. From the time of taking it until the end of one's life, one will suffer no illness, and will die standing or seated. This method must be kept secret.

This book is called the essence of the profound and wondrous classics (jing) of the world, and from antiquity to the present it has enabled people to transcend the ordinary. Worthy rulers who obtained it all regarded it as extremely precious; through it they came to understand the patterns of heaven and attain the supreme Dao. Those who obtain this book do not find it by chance, but through a bond from a previous life. It must not be casually shown to others. Whoever can preserve it will receive boundless blessings, and good fortune and prosperity. The gold and jade of the world do not count as the highest treasure; only with the protection of divine kings can prosperity endure. This book should be kept in secret.

Guiguzi Tiansui Lingwen, Volume Two