《黄帝太一八门逆顺生死诀》

In the Yang Dun arrangement, set out according to the Yang Dun method, one proceeds forward from the starting points Jiazi and Jiawu, paired with Jia, Bing, Xu, Geng, and Ren: Jiazi in the first palace is the Rest Gate (Xiumen); Jiaxu in the third palace is the Injury Gate (Shangmen); Jiashen in the sixth palace is the Open Gate (Kaimen); Jiawu in the eighth palace is the Life Gate (Shengmen); Jiachen in the first palace is the Rest Gate; and Jiayin in the third palace is the position of the earthly branch Yin.

In the Yin Dun arrangement, set out according to the Yin Dun method, one proceeds in reverse from the starting points Jiazi and Jiawu, paired with Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui: Jiazi in the ninth palace is the Scenery Gate (Jǐngmén); Jiaxu in the seventh palace is the Alarm Gate (Jīngmén); Jiashen in the fourth palace is the Block Gate (Dumen); Jiawu in the second palace is the Death Gate (Simen); Jiachen in the ninth palace is the Scenery Gate; and Jiayin in the seventh palace is the Alarm Gate.

The correspondence of the Eight Gates with the solar terms and the palace positions is as follows: the first palace corresponds to the Winter Solstice, the third palace to the Spring Equinox, the sixth palace to the Beginning of Winter, the eighth palace to the Beginning of Spring, the ninth palace to the Summer Solstice, the seventh palace to the Autumn Equinox, the fourth palace to the Beginning of Summer, and the second palace to the Beginning of Autumn.

The order of correspondence listed in the Turtle Method is: the ninth palace with the Summer Solstice, the second palace with the Beginning of Autumn, the seventh palace with the Autumn Equinox, the sixth palace with the Beginning of Winter, the fourth palace with the Beginning of Summer, the third palace with the Spring Equinox, the eighth palace with the Beginning of Spring, and the first palace with the Winter Solstice.

The palace positions listed under “Divine Radiance in Audience with the Perfected, Dispersing Nodules” (Shenjing Chaozhen Sanjie) are the seventh palace at the Autumn Equinox, the fourth palace at the Beginning of Summer, and the second palace at the Beginning of Autumn. The Turtle Method correspondences listed again afterward are the same as before: the ninth palace with the Summer Solstice, the second palace with the Beginning of Autumn, the seventh palace with the Autumn Equinox, the sixth palace with the Beginning of Winter, the fourth palace with the Beginning of Summer, the third palace with the Spring Equinox, the eighth palace with the Beginning of Spring, and the first palace with the Winter Solstice.

The section “Talisman for Protecting the Fetus through Divine Radiance in Audience with the Perfected and Dispersing Nodules” (Shenjing Chaozhen Sanjie Baotai Fu) states that, taking the direction of one’s natal destiny as the standard, one faces east and writes sixty Fulu (talismans and registers) in seal script. These are treated twice with yellow beeswax and then cut into sixty round talisman pieces, with fine cinnabar as the ground. Each morning one faces east and places a talisman piece in the palm.

The incantation says: “Divine emptiness, celestial perfection; royal liquor, primordial ford. The Flower Chamber of Upper Clarity; Yuanshi, the Great Perfected, wondrously enters the Grand Aurora. The cinnabar radiance of the seven dawns; the Northern Capital receives the smoke; I am the Supreme Sovereign. Ward off and cast out the demon host; by the thousands, impurity departs. Malice does not remain; the myriads of demon kings protect life and shear away forms. Quickly, quickly, by the edict of the Upper Radiance of Jade Clarity, seize and hold.”

After the incantation is recited, one blows upon the talisman piece and then places it in the mouth. One next recites: “Swallow the divine water, lead forth the White Tiger, and by the imperial spell Luo disperse the nodules.” One then silently intones the two words “zhen xie.” At the end, a separate item is listed, the “Medicinal Method of Black Seeds and Plain Coins” (Heizi Puqian Yaofa), which records the ingredients: half a liang of realgar, half a liang of orpiment, and half a liang of cinnabar. The original text does not further explain how these substances are prepared or taken.

Grind the medicinal materials listed above into an extremely fine powder, and use the blood of a live rabbit from the twelfth lunar month to form pills, each about the size of a Chinese parasol-tree seed. When using them, take one pill, dissolve it with saliva, and apply it to the palm. Then recite the divine spells of the five directions and cast the coins. Whether ten cash or seven cash come up, either counts as success.

Spell for Respectfully Inviting the Divine Seals of the Five Directions

Respectfully invite the divine seal of the Great Golden-Crowned Sovereign Wheel-King of the East; by the Wood-zha of the Five Phases (wuxing), let the command be given. Respectfully invite the divine seal of the Great Golden-Crowned Sovereign Wheel-King of the South; by the Fire-zha, let the command be given. Respectfully invite the divine seal of the Great Golden-Crowned Sovereign Wheel-King of the West; by the Metal-zha, let the command be given. Respectfully invite the divine seal of the Great Golden-Crowned Sovereign Wheel-King of the North; by the Water-zha, let the command be given. Respectfully invite the divine seal of the Great Golden-Crowned Sovereign Wheel-King of the Center; by the Earth-zha, let the command be given.

Procedure for the Jade Maiden’s Concealment of Form

Anyone who wishes to seek a meeting with a particular person should first bathe, burn incense with a sincere mind, and write out this talisman (fu). Offer one fen of dark ritual cash and seven fen of jujube decoction while facing north, then bow in worship and pray. The spell and talisman to be recited when praying about human affairs are damaged in the original text and cannot be determined.

Of the spell, the discernible portion is “□ ou tuo ni hou.” Recite it seven times and then burn it. Visualize this talisman, imagining one’s own body intact and one’s appearance fully formed. At night, sleep without removing one’s clothes; before sleep, click the teeth, and visualize oneself going all the way to the place one has in mind, meeting that person, being welcomed by them, the two sitting face to face, drinking tea and conversing, and discussing the matter one seeks. Afterward, as the text directs, perform the pacing once or three times, and then go to see that person. Here the original is disordered in many places, and what follows concerning the person seen in the dream cannot be reliably interpreted.

Wording such as “gather the form; the other name is numinous,” together with the concrete details of getting out of bed and pacing, is likewise fragmentary. What can be confirmed is that the text requires one, on getting out of bed, to use this method of pacing and not to look back, and that after the Bugang (pacing the stars) is finished one recites the spell. The whole text introduces words of praise with “the eulogy says,” but the eulogy itself is not found.

The Dao (the Way) of Heaven has eight gates, and on earth there are likewise directions of the wind. The eight gates circulate according to fixed regularities, and their positions come to rest upon the ground. Three gates are auspicious and five are inauspicious; one should choose a direction according to the circumstances. When the hours of going out and coming in differ, the results of affairs differ as well.

Whenever one employs the “Three Marvels” (Sanqi; a designation in the numerological arts used for choosing times and judging good and ill fortune), there are especially fine methods. Once a talisman seal (fu) has been carved, it may be put to use. It is said to exert a wondrous effect, driving off ghosts, specters, and evil, making affairs go as one wishes, and bringing to fulfillment whatever is sought. If one can obtain jujube wood that has been struck by lightning, it may be made into a talisman tablet one cun and two fen square. If such wood cannot be found for the moment, paper may be used instead: dip the brush in cinnabar and write, burn incense, knock the teeth, and then draw the talisman. Wearing it oneself, or giving it to someone going out to conduct business or pursue an undertaking, is in either case regarded as excellent.

The Sun Marvel

If jujube wood struck by lightning cannot be found for the moment, paper may likewise be used instead: dip the brush in cinnabar and write, burn incense, knock the teeth, and then draw the talisman. Wearing it oneself, or giving it to someone going out to conduct business or pursue an undertaking, is in either case regarded as excellent.

The Sun Marvel

The Moon Marvel

The Star Marvel

The Jade Maiden’s Guxu Method

Tradition relates that in the eighth month of the second year of Zhenguan, Li Jing led an army of more than four hundred thousand into battle with the Turks. When night reached the third watch, the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens bestowed on Li Jing the “Guxu Method” (a technique that, on the basis of the stems and branches and of direction, determines where the “gu,” or orphan, and the “xu,” or void, lie, and on that basis chooses the direction of action). In using this method, one must turn one’s back toward the “gu” quarter and attack the “xu” quarter; it is said that even a single woman can hold off ten opponents. The method is reckoned from the sixty jiazi. Legend holds that, whether in marching an army, playing weiqi, facing an enemy, or in games, so long as one keeps the gu at one’s back and strikes the xu, one will be victorious in every encounter and without any error.

The Divine Talisman of the Yellow Emperor

If one meets with a “single” day (the original reads thus; what it specifically refers to is unclear), write a three-star talisman in the palm of the left hand; if it is an even day, write a four-star talisman in the palm of the right hand. Pass the hand through incense smoke; it is said that this can ensure success without the slightest failure.

Whenever one plays chess, gambles, or bets for money, one should take one’s seat according to the direction of that day’s flourishing Qi (vital energy); it is said that in this way one can win.

In the first, fifth, and ninth months, the flourishing Qi is in the south; in the second, sixth, and tenth months, the flourishing Qi is in the east; in the third, seventh, and eleventh months, the flourishing Qi is in the north; in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth months, the flourishing Qi is in the west.

The Guxu Method within the Six Jia Decades

In the Jiaxu decade, the gu positions lie at Shen and You, and the xu positions lie at Yin and Mao. In the Jiazi decade, the gu position lies at Xu. (The text that follows—“this month the flourishing Qi is in the north…”—repeats the earlier material on the directions of flourishing Qi, and the connection of meaning is unclear.)

The Guxu Method within the Six Jia Decades

In the Jiaxu xun (ten-day cycle), the gu (solitary) positions lie in Shen and You, and the xu (empty) positions lie in Yin and Mao. In the Jiazi xun, the gu positions lie in Xu and Hai, and the xu positions lie in Chen and Si. In the Jiashen xun, the gu positions lie in Wu and Wei, and the xu positions lie in Zi and Chou. In the Jiawu xun, the gu positions lie in Chen and Si, and the xu positions lie in Xu and Hai. In the Jiachen xun, the gu positions lie in Yin and Mao, and the xu positions lie in Shen and You. In the Jiayin xun, the gu positions lie in Zi and Chou, and the xu positions lie in Wu and Wei.

The Method of Calculating Gu and Xu by the Day

On a Zi day, Hai is gu and Si is xu; on a Chou day, Zi is gu and Wu is xu; on a Yin day, Chou is gu and Wei is xu; on a Mao day, Yin is gu and Shen is xu; on a Chen day, Mao is gu and You is xu; on a Si day, Chen is gu and Xu is xu; on a Wu day, Si is gu and Hai is xu; on a Wei day, Wu is gu and Zi is xu; on a Shen day, Wei is gu and Chou is xu; on a You day, Shen is gu and Yin is xu; on a Xu day, You is gu and Mao is xu; on a Hai day, Xu is gu and Chen is xu.

Several items in the original are repeated and inconsistent from one place to another. They are arranged here in the order of the twelve earthly branches (dizhi), and only one set is retained for each day.

The Method of Calculating Gu and Xu by Day and Night

At sunrise, the gu positions lie in Zi and Chou, and the xu positions lie in Wu and Wei. At the Wu hour, the gu positions lie in Yin and Mao, and the xu positions lie in Shen and You. At dusk, the gu positions lie in Shen and You, and the xu positions lie in Yin and Mao. At midnight, the gu positions lie in Xu and Hai, and the xu positions lie in Chen and Si.

Another Method of Sacrifice

On the night of a Gengshen day, face north and prepare seven cups of jujube broth, seven portions of gold money, and seven cloud-horses (yunma), and set out incense, lamps, and five kinds of fruit as offerings. Take fifteen kaitong coins (kaitong qian). Place one of them before the incense, put the rest into a small box, and raise the box above the incense. After praying with a sincere heart, cast the coins from the box onto the ground. If a coin shows the character side (zi), bind it with an azure silk ribbon; if it shows the man side (the face of the coin without characters), bind it with a black silk ribbon. Then hold the coins in both hands and silently recite the incantation.

The incantation says: “Heaven is at peace, Earth is at peace. Spirits of gu and xu, comprehend my intention and comply with my wish; spirits, do not leave my side. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances; by decree, summon forth.” The phrase “quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances” (jiji ru lüling) is a common closing formula in Daoist incantations, meaning that the command is to be carried out at once.

The Horn Wood Flood-Dragon (Jiaomujiao), the Neck Metal Dragon (Kangjinlong), the Root Earth Raccoon-Dog (Dituhe), and the Room Sun Hare (Fangritu), bringing their disciples with them, are bound and fixed together. With both hands one raises the coins and silently recites the incantation.

The incantation says:

Heaven be at peace, Earth be at peace, and the orphan and the void (Guxu) likewise return to stillness. The spirits comprehend my intent and comply with my intent; spirits, do not depart from my left or my right. Carry this out at once in accordance with the statutes and ordinances; under orders, seize and take.

Horn Wood Flood-Dragon, Neck Metal Dragon, Root Earth Raccoon-Dog, Room Sun Hare, Heart Moon Fox (Xin), Tail Fire Tiger (Wei 尾), Winnowing-Basket Water Leopard (Ji); Dipper Wood Xiezhi (Dou), Ox Metal Ox (Niu), Girl Earth Bat (Nü), Emptiness Sun Rat (Xu), Rooftop Moon Swallow (Wei 危), Encampment Fire Pig (Shi), Wall Water Yu (Bi); Legs Wood Wolf (Kui), Bond Metal Dog (Lou), Stomach Earth Pheasant (Wei 胃), Hairy-Head Sun Rooster (Mao), Net Moon Crow (Bi), Turtle-Beak Fire Monkey (Zi), Three-Stars Water Ape (Shen); Well Wood Wild-Dog (Jing), Ghost Metal Goat (Gui), Willow Earth River-Deer (Liu), Star Sun Horse (Xing), Extended-Net Moon Deer (Zhang), Wings Fire Snake (Yi), Chariot Water Earthworm (Zhen).

The opening example for calculating the Heavenly Pass (Tianguan) is as follows:

Method of selecting the day and hour for the commencement of the Five Talismans (Wufu)

On a Jia day, set the Five Talismans on the Yin position; on a Ji day, on the Wei position; on a Yi day, on the Mao position; on a Geng day, on the Shen position; on a Bing day, on the Si position; on a Xin day, on the You position; on a Ding day, on the Wu position (午); on a Ren day, on the Hai position; on a Wu day (戊), on the Chen position; on a Gui day, on the Zi position. Cycle around and around in this order.

If one now wishes to open a chart by the Eight Gates Dunjia (Bamen Dunjia), the Rest Gate (Xiumen) shifts one palace every three days.

Note: In a passage in the middle of the original, the names of the lodges contain several places that appear to be corrupt characters or missing characters; the reading above has been collated according to the commonly received names of the Twenty-Eight Lodges. The original “method of selecting the day and hour for the commencement of the Five Talismans” also contains repeated entries; the translation has been arranged according to the complete sequence of the Ten Heavenly Stems.

The Huangdi Taiyi Bamen Nishun Shengsi Jue (The Yellow Emperor’s Taiyi Eight Gates Formula on Direct and Reverse, Life and Death) sets out, in the order of the sixty jiazi, the direction in which the Rest Gate lies on each day. For example, on the days Jiazi, Yichou, and Bingyin, the Rest Gate is in the Kan direction; on the days Dingmao, Wuchen, and Jisi, the Rest Gate is in the Kun direction, and the rest follows in the same way. In the original text, the Rest Gate (Xiumen) is one of the eight gates of Qimen Dunjia; Kan, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Qian, Dui, Gen, and Li are the directional positions of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams).

The latter half of the scripture continues to list the Rest Gate direction corresponding to each day. In several places the wording appears corrupt, missing, or repetitive—for example, after “Renzi, Guichou, Jiayin” it continues with “zi, Xinchou, Renyin,” as well as such writings as “Jimo” (己末) and “Renxu Guihai.” These are retained as in the original and are not supplemented or emended on one’s own authority.

“Jiutian Xuannü Toutian Guan” (The Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens Pierces the Heavenly Pass) is a section title or the name of a mnemonic formula. The “Wufu Qishou Ri Zeshi Fa” (Method of the Five Talismans for Fixing the Starting Day and Selecting the Hour) that follows lists ten sets of stems and branches—Jiayin, Jiwei, Yimao, Gengshen, Bingsi, Xinyou, Dingwu, Renhai, Wuchen, and Guizi—as the basis for determining the starting day and then choosing the hour.

“Rumen Qili” (Precedents for Entering the Gate) is a mnemonic explaining how, when entering a gate, one judges direction according to the heavenly stems and earthly branches. In the formula, heavenly stems and earthly branches are paired with Bagua directions such as Kan, Kun, Qian, Dui, Zhen, Xun, Gen, and Li, so that the gate entered may be inferred by following the formula. Because the wording is terse and some phrases may be corrupt, the specific correspondences should not be expanded or explained on the basis of this passage alone.

“Fayong Chumen Jue” (The Formula for Activation and Going Out the Gate) explains how to choose a direction when going out to attend to affairs: if one wishes to seek wealth and profit, one should proceed toward the “direction of life” (shengfang); for hunting, one should first identify the direction in which the “road of death” (silu) lies. Here “direction of life” and “road of death” are directional terms in the divinatory arts (shushu). At the end there is appended a fragmentary line from the earlier formula, “Above Qian; Ji, Gui, Mao—formerly because of the flow of Dui,” whose meaning is incomplete, so that its specific relationship to the formula for going out cannot be determined.

In the years Jia, Geng, and Wu, one takes the Wu day as the starting point and places it in the Zhen position, one of the directional stations of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). In the years You, Gui, Ding, and Xin, the reckoning is made from the Xun position. In the years Bing, Ren, and Gui, one takes the Wu day as the starting point and places it in the Gen position. In the years Yi and Ji, one begins at cockcrow, occupies the Li position, and continues until the Wei hour.

Mnemonic for Setting Out on Affairs

To seek wealth and profit, one should go toward the direction of the Life Gate (Shengmen). When hunting, first determine the direction of the Death Gate (Simen). For a long journey, one should set out from the direction of the Open Gate (Kaimen). To seize bandits, one may act upon encountering the direction of the Alarm Gate (Jingmen).

The Rest Gate (Xiumen) is best suited to an audience with the ruler. When there is business to attend to, the Obstruction Gate (Dumen) suits escape and concealment. To collect a debt, one should go early in the morning toward the Injury Gate (Shangmen). One who wishes to find wine and food looks to the direction of the Scenery Gate (Jingmen).

The Five Zi Origin Method

The Five Zi Origin Method (Wuzi Yuanfa) was transmitted by Fu’an.

In Jia and Ji years, one begins from Bingyin; in Yi and Geng years, from Wuyin; in Bing and Xin years, from Gengyin; in Ding and Ren years, from Renyin, proceeding onward in sequence; in Wu and Gui years, one begins from Jiayin.

Methods for Warding Off Weapons and Avoiding Harm

The method known as “Immortals Ward Off the Five Weapons: Champion of Martial Might, the Primordial” is not to be transmitted to unsuitable persons.

Liu Zinan received this method from the Daoist Master Yin and used it to avoid disease, epidemic Qi (vital energy), and every kind of illness. Its mnemonic says that in Wu and Gui years the calculation begins from Jiayin.

The pill named “Champion of Martial Might, the Primordial” is said to keep disease, epidemic Qi, the hundred ailments, tigers and wolves, snake venom, blades and other weapons, and bandits—all such dangers—from drawing near the person.

Take two liang of orpiment, two liang of realgar, and two and a half liang of alum stone, and calcine them first. Pare away the outer bark of ghost-arrow. Take one liang of fireflies, chosen for their property of glowing at night; wood may be substituted. Take one liang of white caltrop, one and a half liang of the handle of an iron hammer, and one liang of ash from a griddle. Separately take one and a half liang of the horn of a slaughtered sheep and burn it until charred black.

Grind each of the above ingredients to a fine powder. Add egg yolk and blood from the comb of a red rooster, blend them into pills, and shape the pills into triangles like the tip of an apricot kernel. Wrap them in red cloth, five pills to a packet, and wear the packet on the left arm. Those who serve with the army tie it at the waist; those who remain at home hang it at the main gate. The Jing (scripture) states that in this way one may meet bandits and malevolent affairs, so that weapons come undone of themselves and dangers withdraw and disperse.

It is said that after the Azure Ox Daoist obtained this method, he transmitted it to Huangfu Long, who in turn transmitted it to the emperor of Wei. From that time on, whenever troops were sent forth using this method, it was regarded as efficacious.

The Sole-Victory Elixir of Wind Medicinals

Caowu (wild aconite), wumingyi (pyrolusite), and dandouchi (bland fermented soybean) are used in equal amounts, with two qian of frankincense added. It is said that this formula was transmitted by Huangfu Long to the emperor of Wei; thereafter, whenever it was used in sending out troops, it invariably brought a marvelous response.

Wind-Medicine Peerless Elixir

Caowu, wumingyi, and dandouchi, each in equal parts, with two qian of frankincense and two qian of myrrh.

The above medicinals are ground to a fine powder, blended with rice vinegar, and made into pills the size of firmiana seeds, then coated on the outside with cinnabar and musk. Two pills are taken each time and may be swallowed with tea or wine.

Method of Flying and Swift Travel

On every gengshen day or jiazi day, when the night reaches the third watch, prepare seven sheets of gold paper, one censer of jiangzhen incense, and seven cloud-cranes. Tread the gang steps (pacing according to the ritual walk), face north, and click the teeth thirty-two times. Set out the paper cranes in the form of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper; with the right hand form the sword mudra (a Daoist hand seal), recite the incantation seven times, and blow breath upon seven places on the paper. Only after the paper has finished burning may the subsequent mudra methods be performed.

The incantation is:

“Great Yang, exchange the bones and swiftly bestow them upon my body. The five edicts of Lord Lao can aid the spirits of the earth. Desiring the power to fly and stride, the clouds bear me up without cease. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances.”

After it has been recited seven times, recite in addition the word “she” (seize), draw in the Qi (vital energy) at the mouth of the Dipper, and swallow it. Following the method set out above, the incantation is recited seven times; at this point the scripture has corrupt and missing text, and it then says that one holds the incantation and forms the mudra morning and evening for fourteen days, and at dawn there will be a response. Forming the sword mudra with the right hand, it is claimed, enables one to travel a thousand li in a day.

Divine Swift-Travel Powder Formula

Shellac (zikuang), datura seeds, the tips of the aconite beak (wuhui), banana root, frankincense, and myrrh, each taken in equal parts.

The medicinals are ground to a fine powder, blended with fresh ginger juice, and applied over the region of the spleen; one puts on newly woven rice-straw sandals, and it is claimed that one can walk thirty li. After passing through water, the effect of the medicine is lifted.

Grain-Abstention Elixir Formula

Fritillaria bulb (beimu), the core removed, is ground to a fine powder; aged steamed cakes are likewise ground to a fine powder, the two in equal parts. They are dry-roasted over fire and made into pills the size of firmiana seeds.

The medicine described on the right is taken in doses of thirty pills, swallowed in the early morning with cold water. Hot food is to be avoided, and cold wine as well. If one wishes to lift this restriction, one may drink a cup of hot broth, or wine will also do; after that, one may eat and drink as one pleases. While the medicine is being taken, caowu (kusnezoff monkshood) must be avoided, or the nature of the medicine will turn contrary.

When Heaven Sends Forth the Killing Mechanism, Dragons and Snakes Rise from the Land

When dragons and snakes encounter the yin Qi (vital energy) of autumn and winter, they remain sealed away and do not move; when spring and summer arrive and yang Qi rises and issues forth, they become active. The Dao (the Way) of Heaven manifests a Qi of stern destruction in order to sweep away yin evils, and that is why dragons and snakes emerge from the earth and stir. If a person can overcome yin evils and demonic obstructions with his own true yang—the inner yang Qi—the various Shen (spirits) will be harmonious and compliant, the blood and vessels will flow freely, and the five viscera will generate fluids, so that one’s years are lengthened, one’s life benefited, and lucid clarity preserved.

When Man Sends Forth the Killing Mechanism, Heaven and Earth Are Overturned

Heaven is born of Kan, and Earth is born of Li. Kan symbolizes water, the moon, and mercury; Li symbolizes fire, the sun, and lead. The sage employs the mystery of Kan and Li, so that sun and moon conjoin, lead and mercury hold one another, and dragon and tiger stand opposed. In this way one can cut down and subdue the yin po, bring Jing (essence) and Qi under control, gather in pathogenic Qi, and thereby preserve upright Qi. Hence it is said: “When man sends forth the killing mechanism, Heaven and Earth are overturned.” The Perfected One of Taibai said: “In the art of inverting the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the dragon emerges from within fire; when the Five Phases do not follow their proper course, the tiger is born toward the water.” This is the mystery of the transformations of Heaven and Earth, and also the principle of the reversal of Yin-Yang. The Perfected One has recorded it in concealed form in the texts.

A Formula for Treating Tetanus

Huangjingzi (the fruit of Vitex negundo), stir-fried until done, in any amount.

The above medicinal is ground to a fine powder. Three qian are taken each time, mixed with ash-free wine.

A Formula for Treating Fractures and Bone Injuries

Huangjingzi stir-fried until done, and red mustard seed stir-fried until done, taken in equal amounts.

The above medicinals are ground to a fine powder. Two qian are taken each time, mixed with hot wine; the dregs are applied to the injured place and bound with cloth. It is taken mixed with ash-free wine.

A Formula for Treating Fractures and Bone Injuries

Huangjingzi stir-fried until done, and red mustard seed stir-fried until done, taken in equal amounts.

Grind the medicines into a fine powder. Each time take two qian, mix them with hot wine, and drink the mixture; apply the dregs to the injured place and bandage it. After a while, drink wine until intoxicated, and the pain will stop.

For treating chest oppression, stagnation of Qi (vital energy), and pain that will not cease: Mapibei (so written in the original; it may refer to “Mapibo,” a kind of fungal medicinal), in unlimited quantity, ground into a fine powder. Take the juice that flows naturally from fresh ginger, melt hot oxhide glue, then add the Mapibei powder and mix it into an ointment. Spread the ointment on bark paper, apply it to the affected area, and the pain will stop.

Yutai Dan, for treating heatstroke: raw sulfur and alum (mineral medicinals), the two in equal amounts. Grind the medicines into a fine powder and, using “wuluomian,” drip on water to form pills the size of Chinese parasol-tree seeds. Take ten pills each time, swallowed with warm water; cold water is also acceptable. The meaning of “wuluomian” in the original is unclear.

Xuejie Powder, for treating wounds from knives and axes: one liang of guang jiangzhen powder, stir-fried; two qian of alum, processed by water-flying (a method of grinding the substance fine, stirring it with water, letting it settle, and collecting the powder). Grind the medicines into a fine powder and apply them directly to the wound.

The Taiyin Xuannü Jing (scripture): the “Wanyi Method,” also called the “Secret Covenant of Xuanyuan.” It is said that before opening the scroll to read, one must first burn incense and wash one’s hands; only then may one read.

A formula for treating wounds from knives and axes: one liang of guang jiangzhen powder, stir-fried; two qian of alum, processed by water-flying. Grind the medicines into a fine powder and apply them directly. (Here the original repeats the Xuejie Powder formula and includes characters such as “zhuo”; the wording appears disordered.)

The Huangdi Taiyi Bamen Nishun Shengsi Jue records that this art is also called the “Secret Covenant of Xuanyuan.” Before practice, one must first burn incense and wash the hands, and only then open the scripture (Jing) and read.

The book tells of a man named Zhang Qunzhi who compiled the arts of the Dao (the Way), loved purity and stillness, had cultivated for many years, and continually sought out profound and secret methods. One night at the second watch, while walking alone beneath the moon, he saw five-colored clouds rising in the southwest and gradually drifting up into the sky. Within the clouds, the image of a ceremonial procession faintly took shape. He then saw a woman who called herself “the daughter of the Celestial Ding, Dingchou.” Zhang Qunzhi bowed respectfully. The woman said, “You have long admired the immortal Dao. I know your heart is pure, and so I transmit to you the wondrous method of studying the Dao. You do not have the allotted capacity to become an immortal, but if you keep a fast for a full hundred days and come again, I will transmit the great method to you.”

Zhang Qunzhi fasted for a hundred days. Thereafter, at the second watch of every night, he saw that procession coming from the clouds in the southwest, and he obtained a scroll from within a casket. The book mentions the words “the writing is narrow in form; Jing (essence) is returned by the three carts,” but the meaning of the original is not very clear. The immortal woman said further, “You do not have the allotted capacity to become an immortal, yet if you practice for three years you can still become a ‘stubborn immortal.’ A stubborn immortal can live a thousand years. Perhaps you have the chance to obtain this book only because, in a former life, you had an affinity with the Dao.”

The book sets out three methods of cultivation. Practicing the method of invisibility requires the cultivation of humaneness and virtue. Practicing the “xia method” requires acting with firm resolve and upholding the correct Dao, so that evil does not dare to encroach; it is said to take effect within a year. Practicing the method of “the maiden returning Jing” requires a heart of filial piety and benevolence; it is said that success comes after a full year of practice. All three methods can make a person a “stubborn immortal” with a lifespan of a thousand years. Zhang Qunzhi practiced diligently and transmitted the method to Master Guigu. The transmitted account says that before Master Guigu had practiced for a full three years, he could already transform in countless ways. People of later times, if they have no affinity with the Dao, cannot come to hear of this method.

One who practices the method of invisibility is already considered to have accomplished a kind of “xie method.” In practicing the xie method, one must be loyal and filial, value kindness and righteousness, and must not bully others; one must root out evil and return to the correct Dao.

The scripture then describes a ritual of visualization. The practitioner first prepares a bed in a pure and quiet room and does not allow anyone else to sleep on it. Then, with scented water, one visualizes in the heart and makes offering and announcement to the “Six Ding Jade Maidens” (goddesses in Daoist belief associated with the Six Ding spirits). Thereafter, on designated days and nights, one sits on the bed with eyes closed and visualizes, treating the bed as the ritual seal. The body faces west, and the head is also positioned according to the orientation of the seal.

One then visualizes the six jade maidens entering the various parts of the body in sequence. The Dingmao Jade Maiden stands at the northeast corner, holding a blue-green snakesword. The Dingwei Jade Maiden stands at the southwest corner, holding a yellow-white snakesword. The Dingyou Jade Maiden stands below the ritual seal, at the upper edge on the left, holding a yellow sword in her left hand. After softly reciting one hundred and eighty times, one further visualizes the Dinghai Jade Maiden entering the heart through the nostrils, for the nose is called the “human gate.” Next one visualizes the Dingmao Jade Maiden entering the heart through the left ear, the left ear being called the “wind gate”; the Dingsi Jade Maiden entering through the right ear, the right ear being called the “ghost gate”; the Dingwei Jade Maiden entering the heart through the mouth, the mouth being called the “earth door”; and the Dingchou Jade Maiden entering the heart through both eyes, the eyes being called the “heavenly gate.” When the visualization at each place is complete, one may walk, stand, sit, or lie as one wishes in daily life, but the ritual seal must always be kept on the left hand and must not leave the body.

If one must go to an unclean place, one removes the seal and places it somewhere clean; after leaving, one washes the hands and then puts the seal on again. The scripture says that a person who wears the seal in practice need only recite and visualize the listed contents in three sessions. After wearing the seal, if one dreams of climbing a mountain, entering water, fighting, beheading someone, or sitting or lying together with a woman, there is no need for alarm. The scripture explains these dreams as signs that the jade maidens descend during recitation and visualization.

The Method of Making the Seal

When making the seal, select jujube wood that has been struck by lightning and test it in water; if the wood moves, it is genuine lightning-struck jujube wood. Carve it on a jiazi day. Once carved, recite the incantation one hundred times before the Jade Maiden (the goddess who attends the deities in Daoist ritual), then wear it on your person.

Next, hold the seal in the right hand, pass it through incense smoke, and recite: “This is the seal used by the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens (a Daoist goddess) when she dispatches the Six Ding (Daoist divine generals). It must not be seen by outsiders; exercise the utmost caution.” When performing the method, keep the seal with you at all times. It is said that in this way one may be free from calamity throughout life and may also attract wealth and profit.

When performing the Flying Talisman method (a practice carried out by means of Fulu, talismans and registers), first visualize the deities and wear the seal, and then also ingest the “Talisman of the Eight Clerks.” Whenever Fulu are written, choose a jiazi day or a jiachen day, hold the breath, and complete the writing in a single continuous breath; do not lift the brush before it is finished. A new brush, fine cinnabar, and a clean vessel must be used, and they must not be mixed with other materials. While writing the talisman, visualize the Jade Maiden before the desk and recite the incantation eighteen times; only then may the brush be set to paper. After the talisman is written, cut it out and affix it—one each day, beginning on the jiazi day. Once the “three lesser days” are fulfilled, make the talisman again according to the method and swallow it. The specific seal-script forms of the talismans are listed below.

(One through thirty)

The Method of Making the Sword

In what follows, only the heading “The Method of Making the Sword” and fragmentary wording such as “one” and “eighteen through thirty” are visible; the specific instructions for making it are not fully preserved.

Take fifteen liang of raw iron and place it in a clean spot. Offer six cups of wine, and pray before the Jade Maiden (Yunü, the goddess who attends the deities in Daoist ritual): “Disciple So-and-so, cultivating the method of steadfast sagehood, wishes to protect the body and preserve life, prolong the years and increase longevity, cut off baleful influences and drive away demons, and desires to cast a divine sword. I earnestly request that, on a day of the Six Jia (Liujia, the stem-and-branch spirit-agents of Daoist numerology), the iron be buried for one season and the ritual art be performed, so that all affairs may go as wished. I report this to the deities with due caution.”

Then dig a pit in the east, one chi and three cun deep, pace the gang (tagang, walking in prescribed steps to accompany Daoist ritual), and recite the Six Ding incantation (Liuding zhou). After the iron has been buried for ninety days, take it out. On the morning of a Jiazi day, give it to a craftsman to be cast into a sword, and offer it again before the Jade Maiden. On every Six Ding day, hone the sword with lion’s blood so that it becomes keen as a blade. When one goes to deal with a person who acts unjustly, the sword lengthens by one chi and two cun, symbolizing the twelve months of the year.

The Method of Burying Iron

All who cultivate the Dao (the Way) should first cast a sword and carry with them the seal of the Mysterious Maiden (Xuannü yin, a ritual seal associated with devotion to the Mysterious Maiden), visualizing, reciting incantations, and swallowing Fulu (talismans and registers). It is said that in this way one may come and go freely at night, fly a thousand or ten thousand li, ascend mountains and enter water, and arrive the moment a thought arises. This art is called “Fengxia Guiguzi.”

Regularly take the ashes from the seal and swallow them, reciting the incantation eighteen times. On the night of every Six Ding day, one must lie upon the bed and visualize the transformation of one’s own form. In this way one can enter fire without being burned, enter water without drowning, and remain unharmed by knives and swords. Before each visualization, first swallow thirty Eight Clerk talismans (Bali fu, Fulu for summoning the divine generals of the Eight Clerks). After ten days, if one no longer fears the chaotic and strange things dreamed of at night, the cultivation may be reckoned accomplished.

On the night of the fifteenth, at the hour of zi, lie on the bed and let both hands hang naturally, pinching the second finger joint. Close the eyes and allow the body to be laid bare. First visualize a seal-mark forming on the bed, then visualize your own body as described above. Next visualize a single sword, gradually increasing it to ten, a hundred, and a thousand. From the soles of the feet through the whole body, hair included from top to bottom, everything is covered with bronze swords.

Then rise and sit, pinching the joint below the little finger, and visualize Wood Qi (vital energy) arising in the liver and filling heaven and earth. Rise and sit again, and recite the incantation three hundred and sixty times. Afterward visualize the Wood Qi returning into the liver, and you may then move about as you wish. On the dingmao day among the Six Ding days, visualization and recitation are both required.

At the hour of zi on the dinghai day, visualize a seal-mark forming on the bed, with the hands hanging down and the body laid bare. Pinch the middle joint of the third finger, and visualize Water Qi arising in the kidneys and filling heaven and earth. Then rise and sit, recite the incantation three hundred and sixty times, and visualize the Water Qi gradually returning into the kidneys. After that you may walk or sit quietly as you please. On each of the Six Ding days, carry out the visualization according to the method that pairs the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) with the five viscera. Beginning on this day, perform the rite of release five further times. Each course of visualization practice must last sixty days, with the incantation recited three hundred and sixty times every day. Thereafter, whenever you go out or come in, as soon as the thought arises you may visualize blades and swords in the mouth, eyes, ears, nose, hair, and all the openings of the body, in any number you wish. As soon as you fix your gaze upon them, the blades and swords appear.

Zhang Qun said, “If one practices according to the method of this book, within three years one will of oneself gain something to rely on and aid to draw upon.” This method is not transmitted even between father and son. To learn the art of the sword, one must first use the Six Ding seal and wear it on the person, reciting the incantation at the same time. Concealing the body, changing one’s form, and coming and going may be done only at night. This is called the “ghost-knight’s incantation.”

“The Six Ding incantation, and Dacheng, are to be kept secret.” This means that the Six Ding incantation and the material related to “Dacheng” must be strictly concealed. In the scripture (Jing), cun and cunxiang are the Daoist practice of visualization through concentrated intention. The “Six Ding days” are the six days whose heavenly stem is ding. The concealment of the body, transformation of form, and manifestation of blades and swords described in the original text belong to the ritual arts recorded in the scripture.

The Jiazi decade: The Yin spirit (Shen), one of the Six Ding spirit-generals, is Dingmao, with a rabbit’s head and a human body, clad in armor and dressed in black. It patrols the world and travels throughout the Five Marchmounts, slaying evil demons so that they dare not invade my body. The Jade Maiden, an attendant divinity, is Wenbo, whose style name is Rengao; I now carry out this method. Within the space of a breath, the Six Ding spirit-generals summon wind and thunder. May this spirit-general arrive swiftly, put on armor and black clothing, patrol the world and range over the Five Marchmounts, slay evil demons, and keep them from daring to invade my body. The Jade Maiden Wenbo, style name Rengao: I now carry out this method. With each breath out and breath in of the Six Ding spirit-generals, wind and thunder descend at once. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes—the command-style closing commonly used in Daoist talismanic spells.

The Jiaxu decade: The Yin spirit is Dingchou, with an ox’s head and a human body, dressed in yellow, wearing a sword and holding a tablet. It patrols the human world and slays the ghosts of the Five Pestilences, the spirits that bring plague. The Jade Maiden Wengong, style name Rengui: when evil people see him, they collapse and die. Recited once at night, it can enable a person to attain long life. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes.

The Jiashen decade: The Yin spirit is Dinghai, with a pig’s head and a human body, clad in armor and dressed in vermilion, wearing a sword and holding a tablet. It patrols Heaven and Earth and seizes baleful spirits and evil ghosts. Who dares resist what the Six Ding spirit-generals set out to punish? Wherever the Six Ding spirit-generals arrive, every kind of demon and deviant power is wiped out. Jade Maiden Wentong, style name Renhe, please attach yourself to my body and my life, and keep me safe and secure. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes.

The Jiawu decade: The Yin spirit is Dingyou, with a rooster’s head and a human body, clad in armor and dressed in scarlet, and is able to destroy evil people. I now conceal within my body the Jade Maiden whose style name is Taihua, so that she may exercise her protective power inside me and thereby dissolve official affairs in prefectures and counties elsewhere—disputes or matters involving the authorities. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes.

The Jiachen decade: The Yin spirit is Dingwei, with a sheep’s head and a human body, clad in armor and holding a halberd. It keeps watch at my left and right and, on my behalf, executes deities and destroys temples. Jade Maiden Rengong, style name Shutong, grant that what I seek may be fulfilled. If evil people move against me, let them suffer the harm turned back upon them and let their bodies be slain, and let wind and thunder sweep the demon-sprites away. She keeps watch at my left and right and, on my behalf, executes deities and destroys temples. Jade Maiden Rengong, style name Shutong, grant that what I seek may be fulfilled. If evil people move against me, let them suffer the harm turned back upon them and let their bodies be slain, and let wind and thunder sweep the demon-sprites away. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes.

The yin spirit (Shen) used for the Jia-Yin decade—a group of stem-and-branch days headed by Jia-Yin—is named Ding-Si (the original text writes “丁已”). He has a snake’s head and a human body, wears a purple Hu robe, bears a sword, and holds a register of bamboo slips. He overturns Heaven and Earth on my behalf, and the sheling of the Nine Provinces—divine officers who administer the affairs of local altar gods—all submit to my command. The Jade Maiden (Yunü) Renjing, whose courtesy name is Shuqing, stands in attendance at my left and right. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (jiji ru lüling)!

One then recites a further incantation:

By this method I make my person as secure as Mount Tai. Though the city walls cannot be seen, golden passes seal them shut. A thousand perils and ten thousand evils dare not intrude. The Six Ding—six yin spirits—stand at my left and right, and the Six Jia—six guardian spirits—stand before me and behind me, protecting my body. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

Only after a year of practice can it be accomplished. If one wishes to come and go by day and night, travel ten thousand li, ascend mountains and enter waters, and seek out matters of injustice, arriving the moment a single thought arises, this art is called fengxia (“wind knight”).

Six Jia Yin Talismans (Yinfu)

The six yin talismans are used in the same way; all are ingested on yin days.

Ding-Mao Yin Talisman

Only after a year of practice can it be accomplished. If one wishes to come and go by day and night, travel ten thousand li, ascend mountains and enter waters, and seek out matters of injustice, arriving the moment a single thought arises, this art is called fengxia (“wind knight”).

Six Jia Yin Talismans

The six yin talismans are used in the same way; all are ingested on yin days.

Ding-Mao Yin Talisman; Ding-Chou Yin Talisman; Ding-You Yin Talisman; Ding-Hai Yin Talisman; Ding-Wei Yin Talisman; Ding-Si Yin Talisman.

Secret Spell for Dispatching the Officers from the Scripture of Salvation (Duren Jing)

Tanluo Yusi, Fuhe Sutuo. Great Chong, the extremity of Wood; Yin-Yang join together. It issues from what has form and enters what has no form; from birth to death, even ghosts and spirits can scarcely fathom it, and transformation proceeds of itself. The blended primordial Qi (vital energy) of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) lies stored in the uttermost mystery within the mysterious; it reaches upward to the heavenly realms and downward into the abyss. Recite it once, and grave illness heals of its own accord; refine and nurture the hun and po souls, so that pure yang Qi is made complete. Observe the purificatory fast and rites of worship and recite it ten thousand times, and one may ascend in flight and become an immortal. This supreme secret spell causes blessings to continue without end. It is a spell transmitted within the heart and should be handed on without cease. Tanluo Dongshu, the Eastern Pole of Jade Clarity (Yuqing). The breath exhaled spreads in a dense mist; every kind of primordial Qi descends to protect the body, bringing both physical form and spirit to a state of mystery. Transformations manifest in one’s own person and cause the divine officers to obey and carry out their tasks, taking charge of and responding to every kind of affair. When the incantation has been recited, one begins to summon and dispatch the divine officers—“chuguan” is the technical term for this in Daoist ritual methods.

Essential Instructions for Purifying the Body

The breath streams forth and forms a haze of Qi (vital energy), a mist rising and spreading. The various breaths gather and descend in turn, guarding the self, so that both bodily form and spirit (Shen) reach a wondrous state. The signs of transformation appear in one’s own person; one commands the spirits to obey and to preside over every changing response. When the incantation is finished, one declares that the summoned spirits withdraw to their original places.

Formula for Purifying the Body

With both hands form the Kan mudra, a hand gesture associated with the Kan trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and draw in the breath of the northwest.

Incantation for Purifying Heaven and Earth

Form the Chen mudra, a hand gesture associated with the Chen position, and draw in the Qi of Tiangang, the fierce and majestic vital energy represented by the Northern Dipper.

Method for Restraining Evil

Form the Dipper-seal mudra, a hand seal associated with the Northern Dipper, and draw in the breath of the northwest.

Qian Qing He Tian Di Quan Chi Tong Tian Hui Mu Su Kai Tian Da Di Tong Xian She

This passage is an incantatory formula for summoning or commanding spirits. It seeks to invite the deities to appear, to open the wisdom eye that reaches Heaven, and to seize and subdue malign influences. The original marks no clear phrasing, and the sense of the characters is difficult to determine, so it cannot be explained accurately sentence by sentence.

The formulas listed above should be carried out according to the methods already described. They must be used in secret, must not be lightly disclosed, and must not be transmitted at will, lest one incur the punishment of the Superior Perfected, the true deities of the upper realms.

Incantation for Subduing Tigers, Wolves, and Poisonous Creatures

The Gate of Heaven presses down the Gate of Ghosts, and fierce beasts flee away outside. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances—a set phrase in Daoist incantations meaning that the command takes effect at once.

First form the Dipper seal with the right hand, draw a talisman in the palm of the right hand, and write the name of the tiger, wolf, or poisonous creature, tracing five circuits around the four sides. Press the thumb of the right hand on the Yin position, one of the twelve earthly-branch directions, and recite the incantation seven times in order to subdue every kind of fierce evil and spectral being. Then set the Dipper seal crosswise and draw a talisman in the palm of the left hand.

The incantation says:

When the light of the sun, moon, and stars shines forth, malign influences cannot move without warrant. Within ten thousand li, no fierce or evil creature may stir without warrant.

In performance, press the Yin position and recite the incantation seven times, so as to subdue every kind of fierce evil and spectral being. Set the Dipper seal crosswise and draw a talisman in the palm of the left hand.

The incantation says:

When the light of the sun, moon, and stars shines forth, malign influences cannot move without warrant. Within ten thousand li, no fierce or evil creature may stir without warrant.

Whenever one performs the method, or hopes to accomplish something in a dream, to pay respects to a person of rank, or to seek a matter, one first visualizes oneself transforming into a deity. Holding a sword in the right hand, one stands facing the Gate of Heaven—the portal of the celestial realm in Daoist ritual—and with the sword writes toward Heaven the five characters Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, the Five Phases. One then steps back one pace and stands on the character “Earth” in a T-shaped stance; next one takes five steps and stands on the character “Metal,” gives one sigh, and, facing the character “Water,” recites the incantation seven times.

Heaven-crystal nine, heaven-crystal nine; the earth is vast, and the rivers stretch far. Thunder strikes through the eight directions and commands them to submit; the Divine Mother of Thunder and Lightning appears. The Nine Heavens are clear and bright, and transformation arises of itself; wind and Qi are mixed and turbid, and the Master of Thunder lies deep and heavy. Call upon the bright Jade Maidens; do not draw the divine immortals hither. A thousand numinous officers and ten thousand holy perfected ones, come swiftly before the altar. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances of the Taishang Dijun, the Supreme Lord on High.

In the original phrase “wind □ turbid,” one character is missing; the rendering above follows the surviving text directly.

After the incantation has been recited, write out five talismans (fu). On each talisman the position of the forehead must be marked, and the talismans are then affixed in their respective corresponding places. Prepare the money: set one coin to the north, and place the true section (zhenbu) beneath it. The first talisman is assigned to the Red-Headed Junior General (hongtou xiaojiang); the second through the fifth are completed in sequence. Then write the year, month, day, and hour, together with the lane, the surname, and the personal name, and endorse the document in the usual manner.

Next recite: “This office has fixed upon a certain day and wishes to meet a certain person at a certain place. You are requested to come and attend to the matter. It is now the third watch (san geng); I trouble you to send a dream on my behalf and convey it to that person. Should there be a response, further money will be prepared to reward you.”

For the exchanges that take place within the dream, the lane, the surname, and the personal name must likewise be written out and endorsed in the usual manner, and the entreaty above is to be recited once more. All parties who come and go in the dream should receive the charge and carry it out according to this method. Quickly, quickly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances (ji ji ru lü ling).

Finally, burn the money and spray water outward. The foregoing is the content of the Huangdi Taiyi Bamen Nishun Shengsi Jue (The Yellow Emperor’s Taiyi Eight Gates Instructions on the Adverse and Favorable Courses of Life and Death).

Note: Phrases in the scripture such as “ju jie xing mou” (“set down the lane and the surname of so-and-so”) are most likely blanks left for the practitioner to fill in the lane, surname, and personal name. “Xun shui” means taking water into the mouth and spraying it outward.