《云笈七签》Vol. 11

Beneath the handle of the Big Dipper, the days when the Earth God is on duty are counted in pairs of two. Burn offerings of paper money in advance so that documents may be presented to the heavens, matters reported, and impure influences cleared away.

Memorial:

On this day, at this hour, in this month and year, I respectfully state my name, province, village, official title, and other identifying details, and humbly make my announcement to the gods of Heaven and Empress, and to the Seven Primordial Lords in the numinous palace of the North Pole—the divine spirits of the Big Dipper. The memorial may be written here to suit the particular matter.

I respectfully submit this petition to the gods. Fearing that I may have offended the North Pole or slighted the luminous deities, I am deeply apprehensive, and therefore make this report with great care. During morning and evening worship, the following incantation may also be silently recited:

I respectfully ask the gods to hear me:

Seven Primordial Lords, divine spirits of the Big Dipper; Yangming, Yinjing, Zhenren, Xuanming, Danyuan, and the other stellar gods of the North Pole; and the numinous spirit of the Celestial Gate: remove my name from the register of the dead and enter it in the register of long life. May all I seek be fulfilled and all I undertake succeed. May I be honored and cherished by all, and ascend to the Purple Court, the palace of Heaven.

Then recite silently:

I respectfully ask the gods to hear me:

Two Revered Emperors, stellar gods of the North Pole: may I soon behold the gods; once I have seen them, may I attain long life, enjoy blessings without end, and live as long as Heaven.

Then recite silently:

I respectfully ask the gods to hear me:

Gods of the Three Terraces, the stars near the Big Dipper, and the gods Xujing, Liuchun, and Qusheng: grant me promotion and distinction, so that I may take my place among the ranks of Heaven’s officials. May my mind and spirit become open and clear, my hearing keen, and may I live as long as Heaven.

Then recite silently:

With utmost sincerity, I pray to the Lords of the Three Terraces, the star deities venerated in Daoism: May my mind be empty, tranquil, and pure. May I receive the protection of Qu Sheng, be promoted, and take my place among the immortal officials of the celestial court. May my heart and spirit be open and bright, my hearing keen and my sight clear; may my three Hun souls endure and my seven Po souls remain at peace.

Then recite the Divine Incantation of the Northern Dipper for Prolonging Life. It can calm the mind and spirit and extend life. The seven revered deities of the Northern Dipper each have a sacred name: Tanlang and Jumen, may you protect my long life; Lucun and Wenqu, may you guard my Hun soul; Lianzhen and Wuqu, may you protect the gate of my life; Pojun and Fubi, may you preserve my long life. May calamities be dispelled and evil forces driven away. May my name be removed from the register of the dead and entered in the register of the living. May I be spared the Three Calamities and freed from the Nine Violent Misfortunes. May the Most Perfect deity seize and bind ghosts and specters, and may all demons retreat. May I cultivate the Dao and seek the Truth, and attain success soon. May the Seven Primordial Star Deities guard me and enable me to ascend to the Purple Court in the heavens.

Before getting out of bed, or before going to sleep, visualize and pay reverence to the deities who calm the spirit and avert misfortune. Recite this incantation once silently, then get out of bed or lie down. The incantation says:

The divine name of the Tanlang Star belongs to the Star of Yangming. May the Jade Emperor, the revered deity, send down blessings, and may tens of millions of divine troops come to support me. The divine name of the Jumen Star belongs to the Star of Yin Essence. Lucun, the Perfected One; Wenqu, the Mysterious Darkness; Lianzhen, the Cinnabar Origin; Wuqu, the divine name of a star. The Star of the North Pole; the divine name of the Pojun Star. The seven revered deities of the Celestial Gate Star, tens of thousands upon tens of thousands, are all at my left and right.

On my left is the Azure Dragon, named Mengzhang; on my right is the White Tiger, named Jianbing; before me is the Vermilion Bird, named Lingguang; behind me is the Black Tortoise, named Zhiming. The divine generals carry talismanic tokens, ceremonial banners, and standards, and bear bells and drums. They encircle me in front, behind, left, and right, guarding me in layer upon layer, tens of millions in number. Swiftly carry out this command in accordance with the statutes!

When rulers and nobles practice this method, all directions will submit, the people will live in prosperity and peace, and they will attain long life and enduring vision.

If rulers and nobles practice this method, the peoples of the four directions will submit to them, the common people will grow prosperous and well-off, and they will attain long life and enduring vision, shining with the same radiance as Heaven. Daoist practitioners who cultivate it can ascend to Heaven, while ordinary people who practice it can extend their lives. It should be kept secret and not passed on carelessly.

Wearing the “True Forms of the Seven Primordial Stars of the Northern Emperor” (an image depicting the true forms of the seven stars of the Northern Dipper) brings abundant blessings and joyful fortune. The seven stars of the Northern Dipper are, respectively: the First, Lord Star of Bright Yang; the Second, Lord Star of Yin Essence; the Third, Lord Star of the Perfected; the Fourth, Lord Star of Dark Mystery; the Fifth, Lord Star of Cinnabar Origin; the Sixth, Lord Star of the Northern Pole; and the Seventh, Lord Star of Heaven’s Gate.

The Method of the Seven Youths Reclining Beneath the Dipper

All who practice the Way of the Sun and Moon should cultivate the wondrous method of the Seven Luminaries (the seven kinds of stellar power symbolized by the seven stars of the Northern Dipper). Each night, after people have settled down to sleep, burn incense in a private room. Lie with your head pointing north, settle your body, quiet your mind and spirit, cast aside distracting thoughts, and focus on envisioning the numinous forms. Then click your teeth twenty-four times.

Next, envision the seven stars in the north shining brightly, and yourself lying at the center of the Northern Dipper, beneath the Canopy (a star formation above the Dipper resembling an umbrella canopy). The light of the Seven Luminaries shines in every direction, enveloping your body. Amid purple radiance, the Seven Luminaries circle around you; within and without, all is dim, and nothing can be seen. After a while, visualize the light of the Seven Luminaries transforming into seven youths, each seemingly standing upon a star.

The seven youths are named Pivot Brightness, Radiant Spirit, Northern Origin, Precious Essence, Cinnabar Infant, Numinous Clarity, and Purple Reflection. The seven youths emit the radiance of the seven treasures, nourishing your body as if feeding it sweet milk. Pivot Brightness emits purple radiance; Radiant Spirit emits the radiance of colored glaze; Precious Essence emits the radiance of silver; Cinnabar Infant emits the radiance of jade essence; Numinous Clarity emits the radiance of precious pearls; and Purple Reflection emits the radiance of coral. Once all seven kinds of precious radiance have entered your body, draw in the breath and swallow forty-nine times, then stop and softly recite the incantation:

The transformations of gathered Golden Essence give rise to the seven numinous spirits within Original Qi. Purple radiance descends in brilliant splendor, while red light shines through with piercing clarity. The light of the Canopy, which protects the body, enters your body as well. Then draw in Qi and swallow continuously forty-nine times. Stop, and softly recite the spell:

The transformations of gathered Golden Essence give rise to the seven numinous spirits within Original Qi. Purple radiance descends in brilliant splendor, while red light shines through with piercing clarity. The Canopy circles and lingers, moving through the Cold Court, the abode of spirits within the body. Precious light flashes; the Seven Luminaries, the seven stellar spirits, coil around you and guard you. Mysterious radiance breathes out the fragrance of orchids, and the scent of lingzhi fills the air. At night, rest in the Spirit Lodge; at dawn, ascend to Jade Clarity, the celestial realm where the revered Daoist deities dwell. The starry Dipper, symbol of the celestial courses, leads the way, while purple radiance guards your body. Ride in a cloud chariot and travel in peace; command a flying carriage and gaze toward the farthest reaches of the eight directions, making the Three Paths one.

Swallow saliva seven more times, then stop. Rise, coat your whole body with millet flour, and lie down. After practicing in this way for seven years, your body will shine with the radiance of the Seven Treasures. A canopy of purple light will appear above your head, covering and protecting your body and enabling you to communicate with the spirits. Seven Jade Maidens will descend, bringing a flying cloud chariot to welcome you and carry you up to the Northern Dipper, the celestial realm where the Pole Star dwells.

This is a mysterious and wondrous Dao, a practice cultivated by the Highest Perfected and not passed on in the world. Anyone whose mysterious name was inscribed before birth and entered in the Azure Register and Jade Texts of the celestial immortals can attain this Dao. Having completed the practice, one may become a High Immortal and a teacher to the assembled immortals. Anyone who carelessly reveals this Dao will go blind and suffer bodily ruin. Seven generations of ancestors will also be punished, enduring the tortures of the Three Paths of Hell—such as knife mountains and consuming fire—and remain unliberated through ten thousand kalpas. Those who practice the Dao should understand the teachings of the Four Extremities, and keep this method carefully concealed and treasured.

These seven youths are the inner masters among the Seven Treasures: the Highest Perfected of the Seven Luminaries, transformed from the inner essence of the Seven Treasures. Know their names, and you can live forever; practice their methods, and you can become an immortal; reveal their names, and you will go blind. If you visualize them morning and evening, they will guard your body. When disaster or danger strikes, click your teeth seven times and call the names of the seven youths; the calamity will then disperse of its own accord.

This Dao is to be known by you alone. How could precious pearls and jade be cast carelessly into the dust? The wise should keep it hidden.

The Supreme One’s Secret Dao of Summoning the Five Celestial Bodies into the Cavern Chamber for Flying Immortality

At midnight, remain quiet and still. You may sit or lie down. Settle your body and calm your mind; slowly regulate your breathing until it is even, and let your spirit grow peaceful. Then gently close your eyes and turn your attention inward.

Practice this visualization every night. When sitting, face the direction of the star you are visualizing; when lying down, point your head in that direction. Imagine the star shining brightly as it suddenly flies toward you and comes to rest at the position of your head.

First, visualize the Great White Star (Venus) in the west. It is white and has seven rays, as though it has appeared in the sky. Imagine it approaching your eyes and gradually contracting into a small circle seven fen in diameter. Then let it enter the “Purple Palace of the Jade Pendant” (Yudang Zique), a visualization point near the space between the eyebrows, where its light fills an area one square cun in size. Visualize the other stars in the same way.

The Purple Palace of the Jade Pendant lies one cun inward from above the eyebrows, in an area about one cun across, on either side of the Hall of Brightness (Mingtang), the inner visualization area between the eyebrows. On yang days, visualize it above the left eyebrow; on yin days, above the right.

Next, visualize the Star of the Year (Mercury) in the north. It is blue-green and has five rays. It is located in the “Mysterious Palace of the Emperor’s Realm at the Center of Heaven” (Tianzhong Dixiang Xuanggong), a visualization point above the forehead: move upward from the bridge of the nose to the hairline, then one cun inward. The area is about one cun across. This point is directly above and opposite the Palace of the Celestial Court, two cun from the eyebrows; the star itself is five fen in diameter.

Then visualize the Year Star (Jupiter) in the east. It is blue-green and has nine rays, and is located at the “Vermilion Terrace of the Cavern Palace” (Dongque Zhutai), a visualization point behind the eyebrow.

Place the star of the North one inch from the lower corner: move straight inward one inch. Its position is square, and it corresponds to the lower corner of the Palace of the Six Directions, the inner palace that corresponds to Heaven and Earth. On Yin days, the star is on the left; on Yang days, it is on the right. The star is nine fen in diameter.

Next, visualize the southern Yinghuo star (Mars, red and three-pointed) in the Jade Tower’s Flower Chamber, the inner palace between the eyebrows. It is five fen between the eyebrows, moving straight inward five fen, and its position is square. On Yang days, the star is on the left; on Yin days, it is on the right. The star is three fen in diameter.

Then visualize the central Zhen star (Saturn, yellow and three-pointed) in the Jade Tower’s Flower Chamber. Its position is likewise five fen between the eyebrows, moving straight inward five fen, and square. On Yang days, the star is on the left; on Yin days, it is on the right. The star is three fen in diameter.

Next, visualize the central Zhen star (Saturn, yellow and four-pointed), slightly toward the southwest. Tilt your head back and imagine seeing this star, then look straight ahead and visualize it in the Golden Coffer’s Yellow Chamber and Long Valley, the inner palace at the philtrum below the nose. From the center of the philtrum, move straight inward two fen. Half of the star is visible outside, as if suspended above; it is four fen in diameter.

After completing the visualization, let each star seem to rest steadily in its corresponding position. Feel the Five Stars radiating light and releasing five-colored vapor that passes through the whole body, making inside and outside transparent. The body should feel gently warmed and moistened, as though the essence and Qi of the stars have entered it.

Then click the teeth five times and swallow the saliva in the mouth twenty-five times. When finished, silently recite the invocation. While swallowing, swallow five times for each star, visualizing the saliva, in the color corresponding to each of the Five Stars, entering the associated organs. Follow the same order as in the earlier visualization of the stars.

In the High and Distant Purple Palace, five deities radiate precious light in every direction, their brilliance reaching straight to the palace gates. As Jing and Qi gather and transform, they become an old man. He wears a white cap, a green mantle, and a deep red skirt. A ringing bell hangs at his right side, and a tiger talisman at his left. He holds the Celestial Dipper in his hand, scatters red stars, and steps upon a flower canopy. He breathes out radiance to refine and nourish his body. He prays: “May the Three Radiances—the celestial lights of the sun, moon, and stars—protect me, so that I may attain the Dao and become perfected. Nourish my hun and restrain my po, so that I may ride the wind, ascend, and become an immortal.” If you have another wish, silently recite it in your heart, then continue, concentrating your visualization for a long time. When finished, swallow saliva three times and click your teeth three times. Then recite once more, “Nourish the hun and restrain the po; ride the wind and fly as an immortal,” and hold the image steadily in your mind for a long time. When finished, swallow saliva three times and click your teeth three times.

Practice in this way for fifteen years, and the Five Elders, exalted deities of the celestial directions, will come to welcome you, and together you will ascend into the Purple Void. Do not interrupt the practice, and do not let your visualization become unfocused. While practicing, avoid stepping on anything filthy and keep away from crowded places. Burn incense regularly and bathe often. If you violate these requirements, your practice will falter; if you observe them, you will ascend and become an immortal.

The Dipper Ascension Method

On each of the Eight Seasonal Nodes, enter a room at midnight and sit upright. Join your hands, regulate your breathing, close your eyes, and turn your attention inward (you may also face north). Then visualize yourself slowly rising and flying into the Northern Dipper’s bowl. First visualize the nine stars of the Northern Dipper in the sky, locating them according to the time of night. Then visualize yourself entering the bowl and sitting with your back to the Star of the Perfected One. Continue visualizing for a long time, until you feel yourself inside the Dipper. Focus your visualization until you feel warmth within your body; this is taken as a sign that the true Qi within you has joined with the stars’ De. Next, visualize the Northern Dipper’s purple light pouring into your whole body, illuminating it inside and out.

Then visualize the names of the Nine Essences and the Three Great Deities, along with the colors of their garments. You may also simply remember their names silently. The Great Deity of the Upper Origin is named Qixi and has the courtesy name Linggang. He wears a Purple Dawn Crown. The text then turns to visualization of this deity and his phoenix feathers.

The Great Deity of the Upper Origin wears a purple shoulder sash and a cinnabar-colored robe patterned with tigers. A jade pendant hangs at his left side, and a golden ornament is fastened at his right waist. He holds a flowing-gold fire bell in both hands. There is no need to summon him. His name is Xuandu, his courtesy name Sukang. A round halo rests above his head; he wears a Fuchen crown, a crimson feather robe, and garments patterned with dragons and tigers.

The Great Deity of the Middle Origin is named Xuandu, courtesy name Sukang. He has a round halo above his head, wears a Fuchen crown and a crimson feather robe, and is dressed in garments patterned with dragons and tigers.

The Great Deity of the Lower Origin is named Kangmeng, courtesy name Liuyu. He wears a green Fuhua crown and a yellow phoenix-feather cape, a dragon robe, and a tiger-patterned belt. He carries a flowing-gold fire bell and holds the rays of the sun in his hand.

In visualization, the deities of the Northern Dipper should appear tall, each about two feet in height. I visualize them this way too. The visualization is right only when it becomes so indistinct that I no longer feel my physical body lying on the bed. The three Great Deities sit facing me. (I visualize myself sitting with my back to the Primordial Star. The Lord of the Upper Origin sits on the left, and the others are arranged in order to the right.) I bow to them twice each. I concentrate until I seem to forget my own form, becoming distant and hard to perceive, and my mind and spirit enter a hazy state. (I visualize the three Great Deities asking me together, “Why have you not come sooner?” I knock my head to the ground and reply, “Because I fear the Six Heavens, the Three Officials, and the demons.” The three Great Deities grow angry together, shake their bells, and exhale; their fiery light shakes the eight directions.)

Next, I visualize the Jade Consort within the Dipper suddenly appearing and breathing purple smoke into my heart. (After a long while, I suddenly see a woman with the appearance of an infant. She sits before the three Great Deities, facing me, and wears the garments described in the invocation. The purple smoke enters my heart directly, and I silently address her:) “Ninefold Essence, Yin Spirit, Jade-Clear Supreme Consort within the Dipper, named Mihua, courtesy name Linqian.” Then I swallow saliva eighty times, click my teeth nine times, raise my left hand and place it over my heart, and quietly recite the invocation:

The supreme Elixir Spirit (the exalted deity of the Elixir) manifests, and wondrous light flashes swiftly. The nine celestial coordinates open the Jade Pivot, its radiance and vital energy spreading clear and bright. The shadowy divine light of Purple Dawn shines forth, and the Seven Luminaries—the sun, moon, and five planets—gleam brilliantly. The paired lights of sun and moon reveal their radiance; Yin and Yang are thereby distinguished, and the seasons proceed in due order. The Cloud Ford, the celestial bridge of vapor leading to heaven, flows back and pours forth; the Eight Seasonal Nodes open the way for vital energy.

The practitioner rises through the Nine Origins, climbs the Celestial Dipper by following the Northern Dipper, and pays homage to the Three Spirits. They ask him, “Why have you been so slow to attain immortality?” He bows his head and replies, “I was once afraid of ghosts and spirits.” The Lord Emperor then displays his awesome majesty, holding the essence of the sun in his mouth. To his left, he shatters the demonic realm of the Six Heavens; to his right, he topples Feng Mountain, the legendary haunt of ghosts and spirits. The Flowing Bell blazes with light, smashing the demons’ heads. He drives out my Seven Po and strengthens my Three Hun. The radiance of the Dipper Lodging withdraws into my body, and the Nine Essences settle in my heart. Purple clouds shine through me, and flying light stretches for ten thousand fathoms.

Then I harmonize my Hun and Po and cultivate the Six Embryos, a teaching in Daoist inner refinement concerning the body’s spirits and the transformation of vital essence and energy. Jing and Qi respond, transforming and surging. The Jade Consort suddenly appears, seated upright in my heart, her gaze lowered and raised in turn. Her name is Secret Splendor, and her courtesy name is Neighboring Grace. She breathes out crimson vapor, bringing ease and unobstructed flow to the Qi in every joint and channel. She wears a brocade cape and a skirt patterned with phoenix light and paired luan birds; at her waist hang tiger-shaped talismans and dragon-patterned jade tablets. She holds the radiance of the moon and wears a purple crown. She leaps through the Great Qi, bringing ease and unobstructed flow to the Qi in every joint and channel. She wears a brocade cape and a skirt patterned with phoenix light and paired luan birds; at her waist hang tiger-shaped talismans and dragon-patterned jade tablets. She holds the radiance of the moon and wears a purple crown. She vaults up to the Great Empyrean, riding radiant Qi and driving clouds.

She records my name in the Register of the Great Simplicity, the celestial roster of immortals, and I am thereby able to ascend and become an immortal. I rise from Mount Kongtong and hang suspended in the jade-like realm of the Great Origin. I reach the Vermilion Chamber above and command the myriad spirits. Once my rank is recorded and my position assigned, I regain the face of an infant. The Northern Emperor’s lightning surges; the Southern Emperor’s flames array themselves like a formation. The Eastern Storehouse opens in radiance, and thunder crashes with a mighty roar. Light streams in the west; the two hands strike together, sounding in harmonious rhythm. The four directions lift me aloft, presenting me to the Jade Perfected. Then, riding the Qi of the Eight Radiances, I wander and feast among the rosy mists of the Nine Heavens.

When the ritual is over, return the hands to their original position, swallow the saliva thirty times, click the teeth nine times, and offer the prayer as before, silently focusing the mind. When finished, rise, face northwest, bow once more, and then open the eyes. Practice this method for forty years, and the Most High will ride the jade wheel to welcome you, enabling you to transcend the void and walk upon empty space, ascend to the Realm of Highest Clarity, and take your place among the Perfected Ones.

After the “Ten Transgressions of Reversing the Form,” click the teeth nine times and offer the prayer as before, silently focusing the mind. When finished, rise, face northwest, bow once more, and then open the eyes. Practice this method for forty…

After a practitioner attains the Dao, the Most High (a revered Daoist deity) welcomes him in a chariot with jade wheels. The chariot carries him beyond the void, where he walks upon empty space and ascends to the Shangqing realm, the immortal world in Daoist belief, taking his place among the Perfected. His appearance returns to that of a baby, and the gods attend his chariot.

Lying beneath the Dipper

Each night before going to sleep, first visualize the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper together with the two Assistant Stars, forming a group of nine stars arranged across the sleeping mat. To do this, stand before the bed facing north, place both hands over your chest, hold your breath, and close your eyes. Visualize the Northern Dipper and the nine stars of the Celestial Lord in the sky slowly descending onto the mat, aligned according to their positions at that time and arranged as shown in the diagram. Then visualize the Celestial Gate, a star in the Northern Dipper, taking the direction indicated by the Dipper’s handle for that month and forming a shape nine feet long and six feet wide. Burn incense outside the true stars. If it is the night of the new moon, also visualize the star called the Morning Canopy descending and arrange it as shown in the diagram.

Next, move downward in the visualization from the Kui Star to the mouth of the Dipper, entering the Kui Star from outside the Venerable Star. Lie on your back and close your eyes. Visualize the stars as a circle of light: the stars themselves are purple, and the star cords—the celestial lines that connect and encircle the stars—are red, winding around them, as though you were walking upon the star chart.

Visualize the crown of your head aligned with the Nine Extremities, so that true Qi enters the Niwan, the upper Dantian in the head, also known as the Niwan Palace. Let the true stars face the crown of your head. Then visualize true Qi turning into purple light that passes through your whole body and enters the Niwan Palace, filling the inside of your head with clear, radiant light.

Set your feet upon the Venerable Star and silently tell yourself that you are about to ascend and become an immortal. Bend your left foot slightly and place it on the Venerable Star. Visualize the Grand Tenuity Jade Emperor, a Daoist deity, within the Venerable Star, and ask him to restrain your three hun souls. Silently tell yourself that you will attain the Dao and become an immortal, with your souls settled in the three palaces.

Then extend your right foot and place it on the Emperor Star, again silently telling yourself that you are about to ascend and become an immortal. Visualize the High-August Jade Emperor, a revered Daoist deity, within the Emperor Star, and ask him to draw in your seven po souls. Silently tell yourself that you will attain the Dao and become an immortal, with your seven souls settled between the navel and the Gate of Life.

Bend your left hand upward and raise it slightly, gripping the Northern Terrace so that the Primordial Star lies above the web of your thumb. Extend your right hand downward and grip the Root of the Jade Pivot, palm facing down, so that the Pivot Star Cord lies above the web of your thumb. Once your body is settled as described, close your eyes, hold your breath, and then visualize and silently recite the names of the nine stars.

The star essence of the first star, Tai, is named Dark Pivot. Pray: “May [name] (give the person’s full two-character name; follow the same rule for other names) become a flying immortal, riding the void and traversing the air.” Visualize this star a little way in front of the toes of both feet.

The star essence of the second star, Yuan, is named Northern Guide, Superior Perfected. Pray: “May [name] become a flying immortal and roam through the Cavern of the Guide.” Visualize this star in the right hand, held in the palm.

The star essence of the third star, Zhen, is named Nine Extremes, Superior Perfected. Pray: “May [name] become a flying immortal and receive the office of governing the Three Mysteries.” Visualize this star above the crown of the head.

The star essence of the fourth star, Niu, is named Jade Root. Pray: “May [name] (the jade name used in Daoist practice) take a place among the flying immortals.” Visualize this star held in the right hand, with the stars arranged in the shape of the Northern Dipper.

The star essence of the fifth star, Gang, is named Heavenly Balance. Pray: “May [name] become a flying immortal and ascend to Highest Clarity.” Visualize this star to the right of Niu.

The star essence of the sixth star, Ji, is named Life Mechanism. Pray: “May [name] become a flying immortal, with their name entered in the Register of Great Tenuity.” Visualize this star to the right of Gang.

The star essence of the seventh star, Guan, is named Dark Yang. Pray: “May [name] become a flying immortal and gain the power to command jade youths.” Visualize this star to the right of Ji, with the stars arranged in the shape of the Northern Dipper. Visualize all these stars above the sleeping mat.

The star essence of the eighth star, Di, is named Highest Jade Emperor. Pray: “May [name] become a flying immortal and be able to enter the hall of the Later Sage.” Visualize this star within the bowl of the Northern Dipper, with the Dipper’s handle joined to Niu and the Dipper pointing toward the sole of the right foot.

The star essence of the ninth star, Zun, is named Lord Emperor of Great Tenuity. Pray: “May [name] become a flying immortal and be able to enter the jade chamber of the cinnabar palace.” Then visualize all nine stars together.

Next, click the teeth twenty-one times and swallow the saliva twenty-one times. Silently pray:

“Nine-star Great Essence, Perfected Lord of the Northern Pole, increase my embryo essence and strengthen my Three Hun souls; on the left draw in the radiance of the sun, on the right seize and…”

Nine Stars, with your essence and Qi, and Lord of the Northern Pole, the deity of the North Star, nourish my embryonic essence and strengthen my Three Hun, the components of the human soul. Draw the radiance of the sun to my left and gather the moon’s fluid to my right. Let the Yellow Radiance appear in the position of Chen, and let the Primordial Void Yellow Perfected appear. Make me ascend as an immortal and rise to the Purple Dawn. The Divine Tiger Jade Talisman, a token that protects the body and suppresses evil, shall guard the Gate of Life without cease. Let all evil spirits submit according to the law, and let me receive form from the Lord of the Dipper. At this moment, visualize all of this within the Cavernous Chamber, the divine room inside the body.

After completing the visualization and silent prayer, wait a little, then visualize the essence and Qi of the Dipper stars suddenly entering the Cavernous Chamber. More specifically, visualize the nine star lords seated on the mat, together with the Dipper’s Guiding Handle, all appearing at once and transforming into tiny forms. They enter the Cavernous Chamber through the Qi Gate, with the Po facing upward and the Dipper’s handle pointing forward. In this way, the star lords seem to appear both on the mat and at the “Rain Place” on the head. In the Cavernous Chamber, to the left of the star Kui sits the soul of Lord Yellow Elder, jade-colored and dressed in a yellow embroidered robe. On the right is your own Po—that is, the second soul, Embryonic Light—whose appearance and clothing resemble your own, seated facing Lord Yellow Elder. In the center is the infant emperor of the Muddy Pellet, dressed in an embroidered robe and seated facing outward.

Visualize the stars’ light shining throughout the whole body, penetrating the five viscera and six bowels, the Three Passes and Hundred Joints—a cultivation term broadly referring to the body’s vital apertures and joints—so that they all glow with a crimson light. Then recite silently:

The Primordial Essence in the Cavernous Chamber, the Red Child, Most High Venerable One, and the Dipper’s radiant canopy, also dressed in embroidered robes, come forth to illuminate the Muddy Pellet. Please refine my bones and blood as an elixir; restrain the Po and subdue the Hun, so that I may ascend as an immortal, ride the clouds, and mount to Chen; and attend the Jade Emperor and the Primordial Lord Taiyi above. When this is done, close your eyes, gather your thoughts, forget your body, and fall peacefully asleep.

Lord Green Lad said: When lying down, visualize the Yin Essence of the Northern Dipper to summon immortal attendants and make the spirits appear. Summoning the Dipper’s Yang Essence within the Cavernous Chamber enables the five viscera to generate and transform themselves; in the end, you will ride the radiance and wander in the Upper Clarity realm.

On the first day of each month, visualize the Hua Chen Purple Canopy only once. That night, let the Chen Canopy remain on the mat; do not divide the star essence and draw it into the Cavernous Chamber. First complete the visualization of the Nine Stars, then visualize the Chen Canopy, and afterward silently invoke the names of the Nine Stars.

When rising in the morning, one should quietly tap the teeth fourteen times, then swallow the saliva in the mouth fourteen times. After practicing for a long time, one may sometimes turn over at night and prepare to get up. In that case, first settle the hands and feet again, visualize the Nine Stars according to the method, then tap the teeth, swallow the saliva, and recite the blessing.

Recite the blessing silently:

“Within the celestial origin of the Northern Dipper are seven youths. The Purple Essence of Highest Clarity is within your body; the Flowering Constellation and Purple Canopy, the Mysterious Palace of Great Simplicity; the numinous Qi of the Later Sage descends into the Cavernous Chamber. Make me a flying immortal, and grant me entry to the Golden Hall of Taiji.”

After reciting, visualize the Nine Stars without giving them distinct forms. Do the same when visualizing the Flower Canopy on the first day of the lunar month, at dusk, and during the hour of Chen. “Rising in the morning” here refers to those who specifically practice this method and have no other reason to get up during the night. If they need to rise at night to attend to something, they should recite the blessing before getting up. If they intend to go back to sleep afterward, it is best to visualize again. One should not rise only once in a night and recite the blessing only once.

Practice this method for eighteen years, and your appearance is certain to regain the freshness of youth. One day, the essence of the stars will transform into nine aged immortals. They will descend together to welcome the practitioner and enable them to ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

◎ Method for Visualizing the Twenty-Four Stars

On the night of each new moon, when Yang energy is just beginning to arise, lie on your back with your eyes closed. In your mind, visualize twenty-four stars, each one inch in size and connected to the others. Then visualize a person within each star, twenty-four in all. They are all naked, like newborn babies.

Next, visualize the twenty-four stars descending from the empty sky and circling your body three times. When they have finished circling, swallow the stars one by one, swallowing twenty-four times in all; with each swallow, feel that you have swallowed one star. Visualize each star traveling directly from your mouth to your navel, which is called the “Palace of Receiving Life.” Then visualize the starlight illuminating the inside of your abdomen and shining through your five organs. Next, the starlight transforms into twenty-four perfected beings, who exhale yellow vapor from their mouths. It fills your abdomen, making your body bright and clear within and without.

After a while, softly recite the incantation: “Twenty-four perfected beings, return to the Yellow Court (the dwelling place of the spirits within the human body), exhaling yellow vapor; twenty-four stars, pour into my Gate of Life (the root of life). The hundred spirits receive numinous energy, making my sinews and bones strong and my hun and po souls peaceful. The five organs receive the talismanic decree; Heaven and Earth overturn one another.” After reciting this, the visualization is called “True Qi entering and guarding the Gate of Life.” The scripture says it can ward off calamities, all ghosts, and illness, and enable one to live forever.

Method of Rushing to the Stars and Ascending Through the Five Planets

After the Lord Li of the Later Sagehood (an immortal in Daoist lore) received the Hidden Book of the Eight Essences on Rushing to the Stars, he practiced its methods. The Celestial Emperor of Taiwei (a revered deity of the heavenly realm) then personally descended to welcome him, and the five planets rode with him in one carriage. Riding the Dark Radiance and the Three Essences, he ascended northward to Jade Clarity, received scriptures as a gift, and became the Emperor Lord of the Golden Portal of Highest Clarity.

The Way of Ascending Through Jupiter

The planet Jupiter has a round, luminous form, like a mirror. It is where the clear radiance of the Eastern Wood essence appears. Within the star are nine gates, each sending out nine sharp rays of light that descend for nine million zhang. A Green Emperor guards each gate, and together they protect the True Lord, the Green Emperor at the center.

At the center is the Supreme True One of Primordial Yang, the Green Emperor Dao Lord. His name is Chenglan and his courtesy name is Qingning. His wife’s name is Baorong and her courtesy name is Feiyun. They dwell within the Wei star and guard the nine gates, setting the green light and its rays in motion to illuminate the perfected beings above and below.

Those who wish to cultivate the method of ascending to the heavens should contemplate Jupiter often. Set your mind in order and gaze at the star. Place your right hand over your heart and salute the star. Cover your eyes with your left hand, hold your breath nine times, knock your teeth together twenty-seven times, and swallow the saliva in your mouth nine times. Keep your eyes closed beneath your palm and silently call upon the names, taboo names, and courtesy names of the True Sovereign of the star and his wife, three times each. Then pray: “May I ride with the True Lord of Primordial Yang, the Green Emperor, and his wife in the Jade Chariot of the Eight Radiances, and ascend to the Supreme Palace.”

When you have finished, close your eyes and meditate, keeping them hidden beneath your palm. Facing the star, softly recite:

“The light and Qi of heaven blend and unite; essence and Qi flow throughout the East. I gaze up at the nine gates and see flying rosy clouds parting the rays. Within the jade-green terrace of Primordial Yang dwells the Green Emperor. Green spiritual light descends, shining across the nine directions. His wife is beautiful in bearing, and her courtesy name is Feiyun. She wears a fine robe of spiritual brocade, a tiger-patterned mantle and skirt, a phoenix tally at her waist, and a splendid crown. She moves in and out of emptiness and roams through the Great Origin. The Green Emperor leads the way, with a thousand spirits following behind. They come to welcome me, enabling me to become a Flying Perfected and ascend to Jade Clarity, the Supreme High Palace.”

After the incantation, the source goes on to describe the wife’s attire and the scene of her journey and welcome: she wears a robe of spiritual brocade, a tiger-patterned mantle and skirt, a phoenix tally at her waist, and a splendid crown. She moves in and out of emptiness and roams through the Great Origin, led by the Green Emperor and accompanied by a thousand spirits. They come to welcome the practitioner, enabling them to become a Flying Perfected and ascend to the Supreme High Palace of Jade Clarity.

After reciting the incantation, lower your hands, close your eyes, and face the stars. Swallow the starlight twenty-seven times. Visualize this star shining with nine rays of light, then draw all the light into your throat. When you have finished, click your teeth together three times.

Practice in this way for fourteen years, and the Great Lord of the Azure Sovereign (Qinghuang Dajun), the supreme perfected deity of the East, will submit a memorial on your behalf from within Jupiter to the Palace of Highest Jade Purity, where the exalted Daoist deities dwell. He will have your name inscribed in the Petal Tablets of Taiwei, the registers of heaven, and entered into the Jade Book, placing you among the Perfected Ones of Highest Clarity who soar aloft.

Jupiter has nine gates, and within each gate dwells an Azure Emperor. Each Azure Emperor governs one gate and serves the central Great Lord, the Azure Sovereign, the supreme perfected deity. The Azure Sovereign is the supreme perfected deity of the East and the divine lord of the original primordial essence. He can enter and leave the Palace of Highest Jade Purity and is a friend to its exalted deities. The Azure Emperors within the gates are known by various titles, including Lord of Azure Numinous Power, Azure Perfected, Azure Essence, and Lord Azure Emperor. All obey the central Azure Sovereign.

Cultivating the secret Way of the Eight Su (a Daoist method of inner cultivation) can summon the Azure Sovereign; cultivating the external methods of the Five Numinous Powers (transmitted methods associated with the Five Numinous Powers) can summon an Azure Spirit to come and transmit a book. Thus, Daoist methods differ in depth, and the deities they summon differ in rank.

When the stars cannot be seen, or on cloudy nights, you may face east in your sleeping chamber, visualize and cultivate, and recite the incantation. The Way of Heaven is subtle and mysterious; its workings are intricate and difficult to fathom. It is not necessary to face the stars when cultivating. When the stars are visible, you may go into the courtyard and sit or stand, as you prefer.

The Way of the Supreme Perfected, also known as the method of ascending through the Eastern Constellation, is not taught to practitioners of the rank of Earthly Immortal.

○ The Method of Flying Up to Mars

The sight of Mars, also called the Yinghuo Star, is like a mysterious mirror. Its vermilion radiance shines upon the southern windows. The star has three gates, and from each gate issue three sharp beams of light that shine downward for three million zhang. Within each gate stands a Red Emperor, charged with guarding the Southern Perfected August Sovereign. At the star’s center dwells the Supreme True Lord of the Red Emperor, Lord of Vermilion Yang and the Cinnabar Flame. His name is Weiting and his courtesy name is Sanrong. His consort is named Huaping, with the courtesy name Xuanluo. They dwell within Mars, guard its three gates, set the red radiance and flying clouds in motion, and protect those who cultivate the Dao under Heaven.

To practice the method of ascending by flight, first visualize the Yinghuo Star. Compose your thoughts and gaze steadily at the star. Press your left hand to your heart and bow toward the star; cover your mouth with your right hand. Then hold your breath three times, click your teeth twenty-seven times, and swallow your saliva nine times. Next, close your eyes and silently call upon the names and courtesy names of the True Emperor of the Yinghuo Star and his consort, three times. Then make this wish: “May I ride together with the Cinnabar Flame Red Emperor and his consort in the Cinnabar Carriage of the Eight Radiances, and ascend to the Jade Purity Palace.” The Cinnabar Carriage of the Eight Radiances is the vehicle ridden by immortals; the Jade Purity Palace is a heavenly palace in Daoist tradition.

After making your wish, face the star and softly recite:

“The mysterious celestial forms turn and shine; their cinnabar-red radiance falls upon the south. Looking up toward the three gates, I see only vermilion clouds and crimson towers. At the center is the Cinnabar Emperor, named Weiting; his consort holds spiritual radiance within and is named Huaping. They wear robes of cloud and frost, bear the Phoenix Splendor and Dragon Bells, wear the Tiger Script at their waists, and bind their heads with flying blue cloth. They enter and leave the mysterious realm, roaming among the five immortal cities. The Red Emperor leads the way before them, and the Six Ding spirits follow behind. The Cinnabar Emperor is named Weiting; his consort holds spiritual radiance within and is named Huaping. They wear robes of cloud and frost, bear the Phoenix Splendor and Dragon Bells, wear the Tiger Script at their waists, and bind their heads with flying blue cloth. They enter and leave the mysterious realm, roaming among the five immortal cities. The Red Emperor leads the way before them, and the Six Ding spirits follow behind. May they come to welcome and guide me, grant me the title of a Perfected One, raise me to the realm of the Mysterious Void, admit me to the Jade Purity Palace, and bestow upon me a golden book.”

When you have finished reciting, lower your hand and uncover your mouth. Keep your eyes closed and continue gazing at the star. Imagine its light as something you can consume, and swallow it twenty-seven times.

Silently recite and visualize all three rays of Mars entering the throat. When you have finished, click your teeth together three times. Continue this practice for fourteen years, and the Supreme True Lord of the Red Emperor within Mars will report to the Supreme Sovereign of the Three Primordial Forces. The Celestial Emperor will inscribe the practitioner’s name on a fine jade register in the Dark Garden and confirm their rank in a book of gold, making them a Perfected Person of Highest Clarity who soars aloft.

Within Mars are three gates, and inside each gate resides a Red Emperor. Each of the three guards one gate, and together they serve the Red Emperor Lord at the center. The Red Emperor is the Supreme True One of the south and a revered deity among the cinnabar officials. He enters and leaves Jade Clarity and is on friendly terms with the Supreme Sovereign of the Three Primordial Forces. The Red Emperor Lords within the star are also called the Lord of the Red Spirit, the Red Spirit, the Red Essence, or the Red Emperor. All are governed by the Supreme True Great Lord, the Red Emperor at the center.

The hidden method of cultivating the Eight White Ones can bring the Red Emperor’s descent; practicing the external methods of the Five Spirits can bring the Red Spirit to impart scriptures. Daoist methods therefore distinguish between the hidden and the transmitted, while scriptures are divided into secret transmissions and public teachings. There are distinctions of rank among the true deities one summons, and a hierarchy in seeking an audience with the spirits.

When no stars are visible, on a cloudy night one may sit facing south in the bedroom and visualize. When stars are visible, one may go into the courtyard and sit or stand. This is the method called “journeying to the southern stars.” It is not transmitted to terrestrial immortals, and revealing it incurs a penalty. Terrestrial immortals have a separate Eight White Ones Scripture, which teaches the absorption of royal Qi and breathing practices. They also have a Nine White Ones Scripture, which teaches how to summon ghosts, command spirits, prepare food offerings to the gods, and inspect souls. Terrestrial immortals travel only among famous mountains, seeking long life and freedom from death.

Appended to the Eight White Ones Scripture are the nine chapters of “The Song of Yang of Quyang, the Celestial Balance”; appended to the Nine White Ones Scripture are the eight chapters of “The Yin Song of the Phoenix’s Breath and the Dragon’s Roar.” These are all texts kept secret by terrestrial immortals. The Supreme One’s method of journeying among the stars through the Eight White Ones described here cultivates the Way of Highest Clarity; it is not the Eight White Ones transmitted by terrestrial immortals. Terrestrial immortals practice whistling and singing in order to await the Way of Highest Clarity as it travels and roams.

The Method of Ascending to the Planet Venus

Venus, the Metal Star, is like a round, polished mirror; the radiance of metal’s essence illuminates the stars of the west. The Supreme Clarity method of cultivating Venus does not belong to the Eightfold Purification method practiced by terrestrial immortals. Terrestrial immortals chant and sing in order to await the Supreme Clarity immortals as they travel abroad.

The Method for Ascending to Venus

Venus is like a round, polished mirror; the radiance of metal’s essence illuminates the stars of the west. Within the star are seven gates, and each gate emits seven sharp rays of light that extend downward for seven million zhang. In each gate dwells a White Emperor. The seven White Emperors guard the gates and, by command, protect the Western Perfected One, the Supreme Emperor Dao Lord. At the center of the star is the Supreme Perfected Dao Lord, the Great Primeval Lesser Yang White Emperor. His name is Liao Ling, and his courtesy name is Zhen Xun. His wife is named Biao Ying, and her courtesy name is Ling En. They dwell within Venus, guard its seven gates, and set the white light and flying essence in motion to shine upon the Perfected Ones of the Upper Origin.

To practice the method for ascending to Venus, first visualize the star appearing. Then settle your mind and gaze at the star. Press your right hand to your chest and bow to it; press your left hand over both nostrils and hold your breath seven times. Next, click your teeth together twenty-seven times, swallow your saliva nine times, and close your eyes. Silently recite three times the names and courtesy names of the True Emperor Lord of Venus and his wife. When you have finished, say: “May I ride with the Lord of the Great Primeval Lesser Yang and his wife in the Eightfold Radiance Plain Chariot, and ascend to the Jade Clarity Palace.”

Then face the star and softly recite the incantation:

Seven breaths shine forth and soar, their radiance illuminating the west. I look up toward the seven gates, where the sharp rays flash from the wondrous palace towers. Pure white light shines in every direction; your illustrious De is exalted among the lineage of Venus. At the center is the Lord of Lesser Yang, titled the White Emperor; his wife, Ling En, dwells in the Jade Chamber. You wear robes of white brocade and carry tinkling bells and tiger-shaped talismans. You wear caps of Dawn-Nourishing cloth and golden ornaments at your waists. You enter and leave the void, walking through the Jade Firmament. The White Emperor leads before you, while the Six Geng follow behind. Come down to welcome me and lead me northward, ascending to the Palace on the Mound. Let my name be entered in Supreme Clarity, so that I may become a Perfected One.

After reciting the incantation, do not cover your nose with your hands. Close your eyes and visualize the stars, swallowing their radiance twenty-seven times. Visualize all seven beams of starlight entering your throat. When you have finished, click your teeth together three times. If you continue this practice for fourteen years, the Dao Lord of the Supreme True White Sovereign of Lesser Yang, within the planet Venus (called the White Star by the ancients), will submit a report on your behalf to the Jade Emperor’s Palace of the Great Thearch. Your name will be entered in the registers of the Golden Towers of Highest Clarity, inscribed on a jade tablet, and you will be granted the rank of “Left True Lord of Highest Clarity,” with authority over Taiji.

Venus has seven gates, each guarded by a White Emperor who serves the White Sovereign Dao Lord at the center. The White Sovereign is the Supreme True One of the West, the revered lord of Great Simplicity. He enters and leaves the realm of Mysterious Clarity and is a friend of the Dao Lord of Primordial Beginning. The White Emperors who guard the gates are sometimes called Lords of White Radiance, White Spirits, White Essences, or Lords of the White Emperors. They all obey the central Great Lord, the White Sovereign Supreme True One. Practicing the esoteric method of the Eight Su, or the external method of the Five Ling, can bring the White Sovereign or the White Spirit, respectively, to descend and transmit a text. The ranks among the divine perfected ones are clearly ordered, and cultivation of the Dao likewise has stages of depth and attainment.

On nights when there are no stars or the sky is overcast, you may visualize while facing west in your sleeping quarters. When stars are visible, you may practice in the courtyard, seated or standing. Daoists observing purification and stillness may also visualize the Five Stars—the true spirits of the stars in the five directions—indoors, cultivating them together according to their respective directions. These are all ways of the Supreme True Ones, methods for journeying toward the stars of the West; they are not transmitted to terrestrial immortals. Practice the Five Stars in sequence each night. In spring, begin by visualizing the stars of the East; in summer, begin with those of the South. You may also begin with the star that governs the season, according to the month. The stars need not be directly in their corresponding directions: simply face toward wherever they actually appear and practice.

During practice, do not let others see you. Keep away from crowds and work in secret. This is the hidden Dao of the Highest One, also known as a “Hidden Text.” Since this Dao is secret and profound, even its title should not be exposed to the gaze of ghosts and spirits, much less casually passed on to people. Do not let the ignorant and unenlightened see it. There are also seven spirits within the human body; if they see it, that too would constitute a disclosure, so you must be especially cautious. To practice the Dao of the Hidden Text while revealing its title will bring punishment from the Three Officials, who govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water, and will also invite calamity. Whenever you are about to consult it, first have those nearby, along with living creatures such as chickens and dogs, withdraw. Then burn incense and bow twice before looking at it.

Method for Flying Up to Mercury

Chenxing (Mercury) shines brightly like a round mirror. It is the manifestation of the essence of Water and may also bring misfortune. Whenever you wish to observe it, first send away those around you, along with chickens, dogs, and other living creatures. Burn incense and bow twice; only then may you look upon it.

Method for Flying Up to Mercury

Chenxing shines brightly like a round mirror, reflecting the vital energy of Water onto the Northern Abyss, the remote and shadowy realm of the north. Within Chenxing are five gates, each sending forth a sharp beam of light that reaches downward for five million zhang. Each gate is guarded by a Black Emperor, five in all. They serve and protect the Supreme Sovereign of the Northern Truth. At the center of the star is the Lord of the Way, the Great Dark Origin, Black Emperor of the Supreme Mystery. His name is Qidan and his courtesy name is Jingyuan. His consort is named Xuanhua, with the courtesy name Long’e. They dwell within Mercury and guard the space between its five gates. They set in motion the wondrous Qi of mysterious light, illuminating the court of the Northern Origin and protecting those who hope to attain the state of a perfected being.

To fly up to Mercury, first visualize the image of the star, steady your thoughts, gaze at it, and place both hands over your heart. Then raise your hands to cover your ears, hold your breath five times, tap your teeth twenty-seven times, and swallow the saliva in your mouth nine times. Next, close your eyes and silently call the names of the True Sovereign of Chenxing and his consort three times. Then make this prayer: “May I ride together with the Lord of the Dark Origin, Black Emperor, and his consort in the Azure Chariot of the Eight Radiances, ascending to the Upper Palace of the Upper Origin in Shangqing.” When you have finished, face the star and softly recite this incantation:

“The Five Qi, wondrous and mysterious, rise on high; radiance spreads throughout the north. I look up to the five gates, where blue palaces flourish and tower aloft. Sharp beams blaze forth, reaching the realm of vision; numinous light shines upon the clouds of auspicious splendor. At the center is the Black Emperor, whose courtesy name is Jingyuan; Long’e, graceful and splendid, joins him in governing the mysterious passes. He wears a blue mantle and a flying skirt of purple brocade, a tiger tally at his waist and a lotus crown upon his head. When he goes forth, he rises above the nine heavens; when he enters, his voice resounds in the Jade Ford. The Black Emperor leads the way before him, and the Six Ren follow behind. They come to welcome me, so that I may ascend to the Purple Chamber, have my name entered in the registers of the Most High, and attain the status of a Jade Perfected One.”

After reciting the incantation, lower your hands and stop covering your ears. Then gently close your eyes, gaze upward toward the stars, and draw in their light twenty-seven times. Visualize all five rays of light entering your throat. When you are finished, click your teeth together three times. If you practice this method continuously for fourteen years, the Perfected Lord Taixuan Shanghuang within the Star of Chen will report to the High Palace, where a jade tablet will be inscribed for you in the Luminous Jade Chamber, your Jade Purity purple script will be established, and you will be granted the rank of “Perfected Lord of Highest Clarity.”

The Star of Chen has five gates, and you must click your teeth together three times at each gate. Practice this method for fourteen years, and the Perfected Lord Taixuan Shanghuang within the Star of Chen will report to the High Palace, where a jade tablet will be inscribed for you, your Jade Purity purple script will be established, and you will be granted the rank of “Perfected Lord of Highest Clarity.” The Star of Chen has five gates, each guarded by a Black Emperor. Each Black Emperor keeps one gate and is subordinate to the Central Dark Emperor. The Dark Emperor is the northern Supreme Perfected and the revered sovereign of the Great Mystery. He enters and leaves the realm of Highest Emptiness and is a friend of the Purple Essence Dao Lord. The Black Emperors who guard the gates are known variously as “Lord of Dark Spirits,” “Dark God,” “Dark Essence,” or “Dark Emperor Lord.” They all take orders from the Central Great Mystery Black Perfected Lord Shanghuang.

Practicing the Eight Hidden Ways can bring down the Northern Emperor; practicing the Five Spirit Outer Method can bring the Black Emperor Lords to bestow texts. Because the spirits differ in rank, Daoist methods likewise differ between the hidden and the manifest. On cloudy nights, or when the stars cannot be seen, you may practice while resting indoors. This is a secret Way of the Highest One, a supreme method for ascending to the Northern Dipper. It is not something that earthbound transcendents, who still walk upon the land, are able to hear.

The celestial realms of Jade Purity, Highest Clarity, Supreme Ultimate Great Clarity, and the Nine Palaces each have their own offices and officials. Their ranks—including dukes, ministers, grand officers, marquises, and earls—are arranged in much the same way, and they govern one another under the authority of the Supreme Sovereign. Their palaces and hierarchies are also broadly similar; what differs is the level of the Daoist rank, and the depth of one’s De and accomplishments.

○ Method for Ascending from Saturn

The Star of Restraint takes the form of a round mirror. It is believed to have transformed from the vital essence of Earth, guarding and sheltering the ecliptic. Within it are four gates, each sending out sharp rays of light that extend downward for four million zhang. Inside each gate dwells a Yellow Emperor. The four emperors guard the gates and together serve the Yellow True Lord of the Star of Restraint.

At the center of the star dwells the Central Yellow True Emperor Dao Lord, whose name is Zang Mu and courtesy name is Kuang Yan. His wife is named Kong Yao, with the courtesy name Fei Xian. The Dao Lord governs the interior of the star, guards and oversees its four gates, and sets the yellow cloud energy in motion, so that it shines brightly over the Central Region of Heaven. He watches over those who cultivate the Dao and attain realization.

Those who wish to ascend and reach Heaven may visualize the Star of Restraint. Set your thoughts in order and gaze upon the star, with both hands resting against your chest. Then raise your left hand to cover the Chamber of the Grotto, the spirit chamber within the head. Next, hold your breath four times, click your teeth twenty-seven times, swallow your saliva nine times, and close your eyes in meditation. In your heart, call upon the names and courtesy names of the Star of Restraint’s True Emperor and his wife three times. Then silently recite: “May I ride together with the Central Supreme Emperor Dao Lord and his wife in the Yellow Chariot of the Eight Radiances, a celestial vehicle, and ascend to the Palace of Highest Clarity.”

After reciting this, face the Star of Restraint and softly chant:

“The energies of the four directions revolve and flow, gathering in the Central Region. I gaze up at the ninefold heavens and look out upon the four gates. Within the Yellow Terrace and Purple Chamber, sharp rays descend; numinous light spreads in abundance, and celestial radiance falls like rain. At the center is the Yellow Emperor, whose courtesy name is Kuang Yan. His wife conceals her Virtue deep within; her courtesy name is Fei Xian. Harmonize the energy of life and guide the mysterious energy to pour into the Original Source. Clad in a neat yellow robe, wearing brocade patterned with dragons and a skirt patterned with tigers, with a golden talisman at the waist and a purple crown upon the head. Entering and leaving the open sky, I shine upon the Golden Gate. The Yellow Emperor leads the way, and six attendants escort the carriage. Come to welcome me and help me ascend through the Gate of Heaven. The Golden Book of the Most High and the Jade Tablets engrave my name; then I may fly through the vast sky and become a Jade Lord, a celestial immortal official.”

After reciting the incantation, lower your hands and stop covering the “chamber of the cave” (the spirit chamber inside the head). Then close your eyes and absorb the radiance of the stars twenty-seven times. Visualize all four rays of light entering your throat. When you are finished, click your teeth together three times. If you practice this regularly for fourteen years, the Central Yellow Supreme Perfected Lord within Saturn will report your cultivation to the Supreme Palace. He will have your name engraved on the blue tablet of the Cloud Terrace and assign your place in the Ninefold Mystery Elixir Writ, making you a Perfected Lord of Shangqing, in fellowship with the Supreme Perfected Ones of the Four Poles.

Within Saturn are four gates, each guarded by a Yellow Emperor. Each governs one gate, and together they serve the Central Yellow Emperor Lord. The Central Yellow Supreme Emperor is the highest sovereign of the Central Pole. He enters and leaves Taiwei, the celestial palace, and is a friend of the Dao Lord of Primordial Beginning. He is also known as the Lord of Yellow Spirit, the Yellow Spirit, Yellow Essence, or the Yellow Emperor Lord. These honorific titles all refer to divine perfected beings who serve the Central Yellow Supreme Perfected Lord.

Practicing the secret Way of the Eight Essences summons the Yellow Perfected Dao Lord to welcome you; practicing the external methods of the Five Spirits summons the Yellow Emperor to transmit scriptures. Even when clouds obscure the stars and they cannot be seen, you may practice in your sleeping chamber by visualizing the five directions. The Perfected Ones say that visualizing the stars indoors is no different from seeing them with your own eyes. So do not stop practicing just because the stars are hidden. This is a Daoist method secretly transmitted by the Supreme One, and an essential key to ascending among the stars.

When swallowing starlight, focus your visualization on the Supreme Sovereign and the Sovereign Lady within the star. See them descend from the heavens riding its light and enter your mouth, then swallow them. Close your eyes and picture their forms as if you could see them. This is the oral formula transmitted by Lord Li.

Devote yourself to cultivating the Supreme One’s Hidden Method, a Daoist practice. Summon and visualize the Supreme Sovereigns among the Five Stars. After five years of practice, you will seem to see their forms; by the seventh year, you will see them clearly and travel with them. By the fourteenth year, the Five Stars will converge and descend together. The practitioner mounts a carriage of dark radiance and dwells amid purple clouds of the Three Essences. The Five Emperors lead the way, with many perfected immortals following behind. The Five Stars also carry the practitioner along with them. Thus the practitioner can ascend to Heaven in broad daylight, attend court at Jade Clarity, the heavenly realm in Daoist belief, receive a celestial book, and become a perfected adept of Highest Clarity.

This is the title and attribution of the section “The Ten Isles” in the chapter “The Ten Isles and Three Islands” in volume 26 of the Seven Slips from a Cloudy Satchel: the section includes a preface and is attributed to a collection by Dongfang Shuo.

Emperor Wu of Han had heard the Queen Mother of the West speak of ten isles in the eight great seas: Zuzhou, Yingzhou, Xuanzhou, Yanzhou, Changzhou, Yuanzhou, Liuzhou, Shengzhou, Fenglinzhou, and Jukuozhou. Few people had ever reached these places. Only then did Emperor Wu realize that Dongfang Shuo was no ordinary man. He invited him into a private chamber and personally asked about the locations of the ten isles and the local produce of each. He then ordered someone to record the answers.

Dongfang Shuo replied, “I am merely someone who studies the ways of the immortals, not someone who has attained the Dao. The realm is now flourishing, and the court is deliberately recruiting Confucian and Mohist scholars to govern the world through literary and moral instruction. Yet it rejects the path of cultivation that transcends the ordinary world and dismisses accounts of the illusory and the strange. So I conceal my life as a cultivator and recluse and come to court; I keep my practices for nourishing life and self-cultivation hidden while serving in the palace. Still, it is because Your Majesty honors the Dao and delights in cultivation that I am willing to come and go at court and admire its rites and ceremony.

“I once traveled with my master’s teacher to many places. I reached the palaces of Zhuling and Fusang, the hills of Ruhai and Mingye, the tomb of Chunyang, the land of Shiqing, and the Moon Palace. I roamed among the Seven Hills and traveled between the Ten Isles; I traversed Chixian, wandered across the Five Sacred Mountains, passed by lakes and marshes, and rested on famous mountains. From my youth until now, I have traveled through the Six Heavens and explored the farthest reaches in all eight directions.

“Yet this is nothing compared with the sons of Lingling and the officials who hear the truth. They can ascend to Heaven and descend to Earth, seeing clearly in every direction: north to the Northern Pole and Gouchen, alongside Huagai; south, flying to Tandan and dwelling in Huoxia; east to the clouds and mists of Tongyang; west, approaching the wilderness of the Cold Caverns. These places lie so far away that neither the sun nor the moon shines on them, and even the Milky Way cannot reach them. Above them there is nothing further; below them there is no end. What I know is truly limited. I am ashamed that I cannot answer Your Majesty’s far-reaching questions.”

Zuzhou

Zuzhou lies near the center of the Eastern Sea. It extends five hundred li in every direction and is seventy thousand li from the western shore. On the island there is a kind of…

The “grass of the dead” resembles young wild rice shoots and grows three or four feet tall. After a person dies, covering the body with this grass is said to bring them back to life at once. Taking it can also grant long life.

Long ago, many people met violent deaths in the parks of Qin Shi Huang. A crow-like bird appeared by the roadside, carrying this grass in its beak. It covered the dead people’s faces with it, and they sat up and came back to life. Officials reported the matter to Qin Shi Huang, who sent an envoy carrying some of the grass to consult Master Guigu of Beiguo.

Master Guigu said, “I once heard that on Zuzhou, in the Eastern Sea, there is a deathless herb that grows in fields of jade. It is also called ‘Spirit-Nourishing Mushroom.’ Its leaves resemble young wild rice shoots, and it grows in clumps. A single plant can bring one person back to life.” Qin Shi Huang asked with a sigh, “Can it be gathered?” He then sent Xu Fu to lead three hundred boys and three hundred girls aboard tower ships and other vessels in search of Zuzhou. They never returned. Xu Fu was a Daoist; his courtesy name was Junfang. He later attained the Dao and became an immortal.

Yingzhou

Yingzhou lies in the Eastern Sea. It measures four thousand li across and lies roughly opposite Kuaiji Commandery, seven hundred thousand li from the western shore. Divine mushrooms and immortal herbs grow on the island, along with jade stones a thousand zhang high. Its springs taste as sweet as wine and are called the “Jade Nectar Spring.” Drinking several sheng of this water will make a person drunk; it is said to grant long life. Many immortals dwell on the island. Its customs resemble those of the Wu region, while its mountains and rivers are much like those of the Central Plains.

Xuanzhou

Xuanzhou lies in the Northern Sea, in the xū-hài direction. It measures seven thousand two hundred li across and is three hundred and sixty thousand li from the southern shore. The island is home to the Great Dark Capital, where Immortal Elders, True Lords, and other long-lived beings dwell. Many immortals live on the island. Its customs resemble those of the Wu region, while its mountains and rivers are much like those of the Central Plains.

Xuanzhou lies in the North Sea, in the direction of Xu and Hai. It extends seven thousand two hundred li in every direction and is three hundred and sixty thousand li from the southern shore. There stands Taixuan City, where the Immortal Lords and True Sirs govern. Xuanzhou has many hills and mountains, and strong winds are common. The wind howls through the mountains amid thunder and lightning. The island faces the northwestern gate of the heavenly realm. Above it are many Taixuan immortal officials, each with a different palace. The region abounds in metals, stones, and purple lingzhi, and is also a place governed by the Three Heavens.

Yanzhou

Yanzhou lies in the South Sea. It extends two thousand li in every direction and is ninety thousand li from the northern shore. The island is home to a wind-born beast that resembles a leopard. It is blue-green and about the size of a civet cat. People catch it in nets, then pile up several cartloads of firewood and set them alight. When the wood has burned away, the beast’s body still does not catch fire. It stands among the ashes, its fur unscorched. Knives and axes cannot cut or pierce it, and blows land as though striking a leather bag. People then repeatedly beat its head with iron implements, thousands of times, before it finally dies. After death, it opens its mouth to the wind and revives in moments. Only when a piece of calamus from a stone is used to plug its nostrils does it die for good. Its brain, mixed with chrysanthemum and taken as a medicine, is said to grant a lifespan of five hundred years after ten jin have been consumed.

Yanzhou also has Huolin Mountain, home to a firelight beast about the size of a mouse, with fur three or four inches long, either red or white. The mountain is about three hundred li across. On dark, moonless nights, the forest often seems to glow. The light actually comes from these beasts and looks like flames. Their fur can be used to weave cloth, which people of the time called “fire-washed cloth.” When the locals wore garments made from it, dirt stains could not be removed even by washing with lye. Only after the cloth had been placed in a fire for about two shichen and then shaken would the dirt fall away, leaving it as white as snow. Many immortals also dwell on Yanzhou.

Changzhou, also known as Qingqiu, lies between the chen and si directions of the South Sea. It extends five thousand li in every direction and is two hundred thousand li from the coast. Its mountains and rivers are abundant, and many great trees grow there, some with trunks two thousand armspans around. The entire island is almost covered in forest, which is why it is also called Qingqiu. There are immortal herbs and spirit medicines, sweet spirit fluids, and jade blossoms. The island also has a Wind Mountain, from which a rumbling sound is often heard. The Purple Palace stands there, where Heavenly Perfected Immortals often reside and wander.

Yuanzhou

Yuanzhou lies in the North Sea. It extends three thousand li in every direction and is one hundred thousand li from the southern shore. The island has the Five Mushrooms and deep ravines whose waters are like honey. Drinking them brings long life, equal to that of Heaven and Earth. Eating the Five Mushrooms also grants immortality. Many immortals live on the island.

Liuzhou

Liuzhou lies in the West Sea. It extends three thousand li in every direction and is one hundred and ninety thousand li from the eastern shore. The island has many mountains and rivers, as well as deposits of stone, including a kind called Kunwu. Smelted into iron and made into a sword, Kunwu shines with the clarity of crystal. It is so sharp that it can cut jade as easily as mud. Many immortals also live on the island.

Shengzhou

Shengzhou lies between the chou and yin directions of the East Sea, seven hundred thousand li from Penglai. It extends two thousand five hundred li in every direction and is two hundred and thirty thousand li from the western shore. Tens of thousands of immortals live there. The climate is mild and pleasant, and mushroomlike herbs grow all year round. There is neither bitter cold nor scorching heat in any season, so all things can grow and flourish in peace. The island also has many mountains and rivers, immortal herbs, and mushroomlike spirit medicines. Its flowing waters taste like malt syrup and milk curds, making it an exceptionally fine place.

Fenglin Island lies in the middle of the Western Sea and extends 1,500 li in every direction. It is surrounded by Weak Water, on which even a swan’s feather cannot float, so no one can cross it. The island is home to tens of thousands of phoenixes and qilin, each gathered in its own kind, as well as mountains and rivers, ponds and marshes, a hundred kinds of divine medicine, and many immortals.

Boiling down phoenix beaks and qilin horns and blending them together produces a glue called “String-Mending Glue,” also known as “Metal-Joining Paste.” It can mend snapped bowstrings and crossbow strings, and bond broken swords and blades. Even if a strongman pulls with all his might on a place repaired with this glue, the object will eventually break somewhere else; the join itself remains intact.

In the third year of the Tianhan era, Emperor Wu of the Han traveled to the North Sea to make offerings at Mount Dan. In the fourth month, envoys from the Western Kingdoms arrived bearing four liang of spirit glue and a robe made from the fur of a Jiguang beast. The emperor accepted the gifts and sent them to be stored in an outer treasury, unaware of the glue’s and robe’s remarkable uses. He assumed that although the Western Kingdoms were far away, their offerings were nothing unusual, and so he kept the envoys at court instead of sending them home at once.

Much later, the emperor went to Hualin Park to hunt tigers, and a crossbow string snapped. The envoys accompanying him presented a small amount of glue and had someone moisten it with saliva before joining the string. The emperor exclaimed, “What a wondrous thing!” He then ordered several warriors to pull on the string together. They tugged for an entire day without loosening the repair; it held just as firmly as an unbroken string. The glue was green, like jade. The Jiguang fur robe was yellow and was said to belong to a kind of divine horse. Put in water for several days, it would not get wet; placed in a fire, it would not scorch. Only then did the emperor understand the value of the two treasures. He rewarded the envoys handsomely before allowing them to leave, and thought all the more fondly of Dongfang Shuo’s foresight.

In the time of King Mu of Zhou, the Western Hu had once presented a Kunwu knife and a Night-Luminous Ever-Full Cup. The knife was one chi long, and the cup held three sheng. The Kunwu knife cut jade as easily as mud; the Ever-Full Cup was fashioned from fine white jade and glowed at night. If it was placed in the courtyard at night, facing the sky, by dawn it would be filled with water. The water tasted sweet and smelled fragrant. It was indeed an object used by immortals. In the time of Qin Shi Huang, the Western Hu presented another jade-cutting knife, but never again offered an Ever-Full Cup.

Things like String-Mending Glue come from Fenglin Island; swords, by contrast, come from Liuzhou…

Juku Island lies in the Western Sea, toward the Shen-Wei direction, and spans three thousand li. To its north, it is 260,000 li from Kunlun, and it lies 240,000 li from the eastern shore. Many immortals, numinous officials, and palaces are found on the island, too numerous to count. It is also home to lions, bixie, chizhi, heavenly deer, and other strange creatures, including beasts with long tusks and those with copper heads and iron brows.

A great mountain stands on the island. It resembles a person and a bird, so it is called Human-Bird Mountain. Many great trees grow there. They resemble maple trees, and their branches and leaves are fragrant, sending their scent hundreds of li away. These trees are called Soul-Returning Trees. At times they make a sound like a herd of bellowing cattle; anyone who hears it is struck with fear and spiritual alarm.

Cut the root of a Soul-Returning Tree and boil it in a jade cauldron to draw out its juice. Then simmer the juice over a low flame until it becomes a paste like black malt sugar, and roll it into pills. This incense is called Essence-Shocking Incense, and is also known as Spirit-Stirring Pills, Life-Restoring Incense, Sandalwood-Stirring Incense, Human-Bird Essence, or Death-Repelling Incense. One substance has six names, and it is a numinous marvel. Its fragrance can travel hundreds of li. It is said that when a dead person lying on the ground smells it, they come back to life and never die again; fumigating a corpse with this incense is even more efficacious.

Later, in the third year of Yanhe, Emperor Wu of Han traveled to Anding. The king of the Western Hu Yuezhi state sent an envoy bearing four liang of incense. Each pill was as large as a sparrow’s egg and black as a mulberry. Emperor Wu judged it to be something unknown in the Central Plains, so he placed it in an outer storehouse. The Yuezhi state also presented a fierce beast resembling a puppy fifty or sixty days old, though larger than a leopard cat, with yellow fur. The envoy carried it in and offered it to the emperor. Seeing that it was thin, with sparse fur and a haggard appearance, Emperor Wu found such a tribute strange.

Someone asked the envoy, “This little creature is something one could play with. Why call it a ferocious beast?” The envoy replied, “One need not be large to command the awe of all other animals. The divine qilin rules over giant elephants; the luan and phoenix are the ancestors of the great roc; and even a hundred-legged creature can be subdued by the xun. None of this depends on size.”

“Our country lies three hundred thousand li from here. We have a longstanding method of divination by observing the heavens: when the east wind blows gently and steadily for a hundred days without pause, and blue clouds rise high into the sky and remain for months, we know that a ruler who esteems Daoist arts will appear in the Central Plains. For this reason, my king looked down on the teachings of the Confucians and Mohists and honored Dao and De; he scorned gold and jade and prized wonders of a spiritual kind. He gathered rare treasures and offered divine incense. He crossed the Forest of Heaven in search of ferocious beasts, traveled by felt-covered cart across the perilous Weak Abyss, and drove fine horses over the flying sands. The journey was long and dangerous, and we have been traveling for thirteen years.”

“Divine incense can protect people from harm by demons and reduce fatal illnesses; ferocious beasts can drive away all kinds of evil spirits and ghosts. These two things truly benefit the cultivation of life and can also assist in governing and stabilizing moral instruction. Did my king really suppose that Your Majesty would fail to understand their true value? It seems our country’s method of divining the winds was mistaken! Looking up at Your Majesty’s heavenly bearing today, it seems you are not, after all, a ruler who possesses the Dao.”

If a ruler is always greedy to feast his eyes, he will become immersed in lascivious beauty. If he speaks too much, he will easily bring disaster upon himself. If he overexerts his body, debauchery and theft will flourish. If he is constantly preoccupied with appearances and pretenses, he will become extravagant. The realm has never been governed well by these four practices.

Emperor Wu of Han, still indignant, asked the envoy again: “How does this fierce beast subdue the other beasts? What does it eat? How strong is it? Where does it live?”

The envoy replied: “Some of these fierce beasts are born in the Kunlun Mountains, others in Xuanpu, Juku, or Tianlu. Their lifespans cannot be measured. They live by inhaling primordial Qi and drinking dew, and they can understand human speech. They are benevolent, compassionate, loyal, and forgiving; this shows their virtue of benevolence. They protect small animals and do not harm creatures as lowly as tigers and leopards; this shows their awe-inspiring power.

“With a single roar, they can make a thousand people fall prostrate and hold their breath, frighten cattle and horses into breaking their tethers, and strip warriors of their strength in an instant; this shows their divine might. They can also summon wind and clouds, breathe out rain and dew, and drive away all kinds of evil spirits. Flood dragons and flying serpents all serve in the stables and enclosures established by the Supreme One, while this beast commands the lions. It is a numinous beast of unfathomable transformation, able to rule over the great birds and beasts. It is the primal king of Juetian and the leader among beasts that drive away evil.

“Even a small amount of numinous incense is a divine substance that can restore life. Those stricken with epidemic disease and on the brink of death need only smell its fragrance to recover. Its fragrance is exceptionally strong, and so it is difficult to disperse.”

Emperor Wu then sent an order to the envoy, commanding him to make the fierce beast roar so that he could hear it with his own ears. The envoy pointed to the beast and ordered it to roar once. The beast licked its lips for a long while, then suddenly let out a roar like thunder from the heavens. Its eyes flashed and gleamed, and its vital essence surged straight into the clouds. Only after a long time did it fall silent.

When Emperor Wu of Han heard this, he immediately fell to the ground, covered his ears, and trembled all over, unable to control himself. The guards and the huben, the palace’s elite warriors, all dropped their weapons and lay face down on the ground. The cattle, horses, dogs, pigs, and other animals inside and outside the palace also broke their reins and ropes and fled in panic. It was a long while before everyone calmed down.

Fearing this strange beast, Emperor Wu sent it to Shanglin Park, the imperial hunting grounds, and ordered a tiger to eat it. When the tiger heard the beast was coming, it curled up, lay on the ground, and pretended to be dead. The beast entered the park and climbed straight onto the tiger’s head, urinating into its mouth. After walking about ten paces, it looked back at the tiger, which promptly shut its eyes. Emperor Wu was angered by the envoy’s disrespectful words and planned to arrest him. The next day, however, both the envoy and the beast had vanished. Emperor Wu sent people out to search everywhere, but no one knew where they had gone.

In the first year of the Houyuan era, several thousand people in Chang’an fell ill, and more than half of them died. Emperor Wu tried burning the divine incense of the Yuezhi, a fragrance said to come from the Yuezhi kingdom and to have wondrous powers. Anyone who had been dead for less than three days came back to life. The fragrance lingered for three months without fading. Only then did Emperor Wu become convinced that it was a divine object, so he secretly put away the remaining incense. Unexpectedly, one day it disappeared as well. When he inspected the sealed box, the seal was just as it had been, but the incense inside was gone. Emperor Wu regretted all the more that he had not treated the envoy well, and placed increasing weight on the words Dongfang Shuo had left behind. He blamed himself for not having made a greater effort when seeking Li Shaojun, and felt ashamed that Wei Shuqing had left him too. He thought that if he had treated the envoy generously, he would surely have received even greater benefits.

Canghai Island lies in the North Sea. It is three thousand li around, and the waters surrounding it extend five thousand li in every direction. The sea is a deep blue green, so the immortals call it “Canghai,” or “Blue Sea.” The island is covered with great mountains made of piled boulders. Among them is a kind of stone called “Stone Elephant.” The island has eight kinds of precious stones, including stone marrow, stone cassia, Flowing Moon, Yellow Seed, and stone gall. There are more than a hundred kinds in all, and they all grow in…

Climb Mount Kunlun and take the elixir, and you can become an immortal. Beyond the mountain lies a circular sea, black as lacquer, called the Sea of Darkness. There is no wind there, yet its great waves rise a hundred zhang high, making it impossible to cross. The Nine Elders and the Nine Heavenly True Kings dwell on the sea. It is said to be the abode of the Supreme Perfected, reachable only by flying immortals.

The Three Islands

Kunlun

Kunlun, also called Mount Kunlun, lies in the Xu direction of the Western Sea and the Hai direction of the Northern Sea. Its domain extends ten thousand li in every direction, and it stands 130,000 li from the coast, surrounded by the Weak Water. To the southeast, Mount Kunlun connects with the Garden of Accumulated Stones; to the northwest, with the Chamber of the Northern Gate; to the northeast, it faces the Well of Great Life; and to the southwest, it opens onto the Valley of Receiving the Abyss. These four great mountains are all ranges that support Kunlun. At the southern end of the Garden of Accumulated Stones stands the Palace of the Queen Mother of the West.

The Queen Mother of the West once told King Mu of Zhou that Mount Kunlun lies 360,000 li from Xianyang and rises 36,000 li above the ground. On the mountain stands a triangular peak, ten thousand li across, shaped like an overturned basin, narrow at the bottom and broad at the top. It is therefore called Kunlun’s Triangle. Its three points face different directions: the point toward the Qian-Chen direction is called the Summit of Langfeng; the point due west, the Hall of the Dark Garden; and the point due east, the Palace of Kunlun.

At one of these points stands the Heavenly City of Yong, built of piled gold, with walls a thousand li long on each side. Five golden platforms and twelve jade towers rise above the walls. In the region of North Gate Mountain and Mount Chengyuan, there are also walled cities, where golden platforms and jade towers shine against one another. They resemble palaces shimmering with flowing light, halls like green jade, houses built of fine jade, and cinnabar chambers in shades of purple and emerald. Auspicious clouds reflect the sunlight, while red clouds radiate nine-colored light. This is the realm governed by the Queen Mother of the West, and revered by the True Officials and immortal beings of the heavens.

Kunlun reaches upward to the Jade Pivot, the hub of the heavens’ movement. Primordial Qi flows through it, and the Five Constant Jade Balances, symbols of the order of Heaven’s Way, regulate the Nine Heavens and harmonize Yin-Yang. All kinds of living beings and rare wonders gather there. Heavenly beings and immortals are so numerous that they cannot all be recorded. Kunlun is the central pivot of Heaven and Earth and the guiding framework for all things.

For this reason, the Supreme One established famous mountains in the five directions to stabilize the geography, and set the Pillar of Heaven in Mincheng to symbolize the heavens’ rotation like a wheel. Many great rivers have water spirits dwelling in their depths. Their underwater abodes are dark and inaccessible, so the water spirits have no fixed dwelling that can be described by its shape, as hills can. These arrangements show how Heaven and Earth each occupy their proper place and all things find their proper order. The sages of ancient times observed the four directions and named them according to the forms of mountains and rivers. Thus the Dark Wind was placed in the far western reaches, and the Queen Mother of the West dwelt in the Kun direction; Kunwu guarded the flowing marshes, and Fusang grew in …

Bijin belongs to the Li position, which represents Yang Fire. When the essence of fire gathers, luminous beasts appear in the Fiery Wilds. The Kan position governs all Yin, so the Immortal Capital was built on an island in the sea. The Gen position corresponds to famous mountains, and Peng Mountain guards the directions of Yin and Chou. The Xun position embodies the Primordial Maiden, who nurtures a giant tree on Changzhou. High winds surge through the place where the dragons dwell, while the wondrous power of spiritual talismans reaches Xiaqiu. These principles are exceedingly subtle and profound; the realm of the hidden spirits is difficult to fathom completely.

Where do the dwellings of reclusive Perfected Ones and the homes of numinous immortals lie within the Six Directions—the four quarters of earth and the heavens above and below? Surely they are not limited to these few places. I have offered only a handful of general examples. My knowledge is limited, and I cannot fully convey the intentions of the Queen Mother of the West and Lady Shangyuan.

Long ago, I heard a realized person say that the numinous mountains and blessed lands on the great hills of the Ten Continents are all hidden grotto-dwellings where Perfected Immortals live, and where divine officials administer their affairs. There are many other regions, with their own mountains and rivers, but I have never seen them with my own eyes.

Beyond the Northern Sea lies another mountain, Zhong Mountain, in the northern direction of the Northern Sea, nineteen thousand li across the Weak Water. The mountain is thirteen thousand li high; its summit stretches seven thousand li across, and its circumference is thirty thousand li. A thousand varieties of Zhi mushrooms and more than forty kinds of divine herbs grow there naturally. The mountain has golden terraces and jade palaces, and is also a dwelling place of Primordial Qi. It is where the Lord of the Heavenly Emperor governs the world.

South of Zhong Mountain lies Pingxie Mountain; to the north is Jiaolong Mountain, to the west Zhicao Mountain, and to the east Dongmu Mountain. These four mountains are offshoots of Zhong Mountain and rise thirty thousand li above it. There are five palace citadels in all. Only by climbing the mountains around it and looking down can one see Zhong Mountain. The surrounding mountains mark the boundaries of the Lord of the Heavenly Emperor’s domain.

There is a road by which immortals come and go. From Pingxie Mountain, travel southeast into a cavern to reach the Palace of the Purple Stone Chamber on the Inner Island of Long Life. The Nine Elders of the Immortal Capital govern there, where tens of thousands of immortal officials gather. This account ends here.

Fangzhang (with an appended account of Fusang)

Fangzhang Island lies at the center of the Eastern Sea, roughly equidistant from the shores in every direction. Each of its sides stretches five thousand li. It is where the Dragon clan gathers, and where palaces of gold, jade, and glazed glass have been built. It is also the seat of the Three Heavens’ Director of Fate, the divine office that governs the lifespans and registers of the celestial realm. When the assembled immortals wish to ascend to Heaven, they travel to and from this island to receive the Supreme Primordial Life Register (a talismanic register of immortal status bestowed by the Supreme One). Tens of thousands of immortals live here. In its fields of jade, where numinous fungi grow, the land is measured in qing and mu and tended like rice paddies. There are also stone springs, above which stands the Palace of the Elder of the Nine Sources. The palace’s master commands the water deities throughout the world, along with the dragons, snakes, giant whales, Yin essences, and other divine beings and strange creatures of the waters.

Fusang lies ten thousand li beyond the eastern shore of the Eastern Sea, with another sea, the Azure Sea, beyond it. Vast and boundless, the Azure Sea is comparable in size to the Eastern Sea. Its waters are neither salty nor bitter, but blue, sweet, fragrant, and delicious. Fusang lies within the Azure Sea and extends ten thousand li in every direction. It is governed by the Supreme Emperor, the King Father of Great Truth. Many trees grow across the land; their leaves all resemble mulberry leaves, and they bear mulberries as well. The tallest trees rise several thousand zhang, and their trunks measure more than three thousand wei around. The trees grow in pairs from a shared root and lean against one another, which is why they are called “Fusang.”

When immortals eat Fusang mulberries, their entire bodies turn golden, and they can fly through the open sky. Though the Fusang trees are enormous, their leaves and mulberries resemble those of the mulberry trees in the Central Plains. The mulberries are scarce and red, however, and the trees bear fruit only once every nine thousand years. Their flavor is exceptionally sweet and fragrant. Purple gold and round jade are found everywhere in the land, as common as tiles and stones in the Central Plains. True Immortal officials can perform countless transformations. Some can divide themselves, becoming more than a hundred bodies, each ten zhang tall.

Pengqiu (the name of the next immortal realm).

Pengqiu is Mount Penglai, situated offshore from the northeastern coast of the Eastern Sea, and stretching five thousand li around. To the north, beyond the Gate of A Men on the northern side of Mount Zhong, lies the place where the Lord of Heaven governs the framework of the Nine Heavens. It is supremely exalted. The region around Mount Penglai is vast and divided into four cities, with a high mountain at its center whose shape resembles Mount Kunlun.

Long ago, after Yu the Great had finished controlling the floods, he crossed the Weak River in a radiant carriage and came to this mountain. At the Gate of A Men on its northern side, he sacrificed to the Lord on High and attributed his achievements in flood control to the Nine Heavens. While touring the Five Sacred Peaks, Yu ordered craftsmen to engrave stones recording each mountain’s distances and height. The inscriptions used tadpole script, an ancient script whose characters resembled tadpoles, and by the Han dynasty people could no longer read them. The measures in zhang and chi and the distances in li that are seen today are records left from Yu’s time. Yu engraved stones not only on the Five Sacred Peaks but also on other famous mountains; the places where these inscriptions stand are all high and prominent. I have seen these records with my own eyes.

The places where the spirits spoken of by the Queen Mother of the West gathered were never visited by Yu. He recorded only the famous mountains of the Central Plain. My late master, Gu Xizi, was a True Official of the Great Supreme, appointed to divine office by Heaven. Long ago, he transmitted to me true-form maps depicting Mount Kunlun, Mount Zhong, Mount Penglai, and the Divine Continent. When I once came to the Han realm, I left these books with an old acquaintance. They are especially precious, surpassing even the true-form maps of the Five Sacred Peaks. In the past, the prescribed interval for transmitting them was the same.

Your Majesty delights in Daoist arts and seeks what is hidden and subtle. With sincere devotion to the Dao, you have therefore received the presence of the Heavenly Worthy, who has transmitted and bestowed precious secret treasures upon you. I, Dongfang Shuo, am but a humble man. How could I begrudge offering what I possess? Yet the hidden matters and secret Daoist methods handed down by practitioners of the arts of calculation cannot be disclosed lightly. One of my masters once said, “When a master’s methods are divulged, all kinds of doubts readily arise; when a master is exposed to the world, the subtle principles are scattered.” So please do not yet make public what I have said.

Emperor Wu of Han was delighted to hear these sublime teachings. The following year, he again received various true-form maps from Dongfang Shuo. He often kept the maps by his side and, on each of the Eight Seasonal Festivals—the eight days marking seasonal transitions and ritual observances—he paid homage to the numinous texts and prayed to be freed from the bonds of the mundane world. Dongfang Shuo was skilled in humor and inwardly clear, so he dared to tease the emperor and hold the nobles in contempt. He would not let people regard him as a teacher or friend, nor did he change in response to their anger or favor. For this very reason, Emperor Wu of Han was unable to grasp the full truth of the Great Dao from him.

The Dao (Way) is originally empty and without form. Through its elusive and subtle transformations, the myriad things and primordial Qi come into being. Once primordial Qi begins to move, it differentiates into various forms. The subtle patterns of the heavens appear, with palaces arrayed across the clear, bright celestial realm; the deep, condensed Qi of the earth opens grottoes within its famous mountains.

The Primordial Sovereign existed before the myriad phenomena of Heaven and Earth. He transformed himself alone, standing apart from all others. The true sovereign who rules all things is profound and still, yet can respond and communicate with them all. Thus, the immortals possess jade slips inscribed with purple writing—precious documents from the immortal realms—to pass on to later generations of practitioners. They also possess cinnabar formulas preserved in jade cases, used to offer salvation to the beings of the world. With sincere and single-minded devotion and diligent practice, one may summon the immortals and draw near to them; if one’s cultivation truly succeeds, one may hope to ascend by dragon or crane.

The regions of the celestial grotto realms each have their own boundaries and differing levels of height. True immortals and numinous officials also have ranks, occupying different positions above and below. The sun, moon, and stars each have their own ruling sovereigns, who are set in their proper places in the heavens; this makes clear the directions in which immortals travel. Accordingly, scriptures were compiled and images drawn so people could learn the signs of these immortal realms, in the hope of glimpsing what is subtle and difficult to know. Practitioners can look upon the texts and images, still their minds for inner contemplation, and fix their attention on what they long for. By composing themselves and bowing outwardly, they can gaze up at the immortal realms without mistaking what they see. For this reason, the book is called Illustrations of the Palaces and Grottoes of Heaven and Earth.

The celestial realms are layered one upon another, each with its own atmosphere. The grottoes in the mountains are lofty and deep, their mists, clouds, and winds drifting far beyond measure. Silk alone cannot fully depict these scenes, so the author set them down in writing and compiled them in two volumes of the Illustrated Classic. The contents recorded in the true scriptures have, for the most part, all been included here; places not mentioned by the immortal officials are, for now, left without detailed explanation.

The Ten Great Grotto-Heavens

The Most High said: “The Ten Great Grotto-Heavens lie within the famous mountains of the earth. They are places governed by groups of immortals appointed by Heaven.”

First: the Grotto of Mount Wangwu.

The area surrounding these mountain caves extends for ten thousand li and is called the “Heaven of Minor Purity and Emptiness.” It lies on the border between Luoyang and Heyang, sixty li from Wangwu County, and is presided over by Lord Wang of Xicheng, an immortal from Daoist legend.

Second: The Cave of Mount Yuyu

The area surrounding it extends for ten thousand li and is called the “Heaven of Great Emptiness and Luminosity.” It is in Huangyan County, Taizhou, thirty li from the county seat, and is presided over by Lord Qingtong.

Third: The Cave of Mount Xicheng

The area surrounding it extends for three thousand li and is called the “Heaven of Supreme Mystery and Complete Reality.” Its exact location is unknown. The Dengzhen Yinjue (Hidden Instructions for Ascending to True Immortality), a Daoist cultivation text, suggests that it may be Mount Taiyi in the Zhongnan Mountains. It is presided over by Lord Wang, the High Minister.

Fourth: The Cave of Mount Xixuan

The area surrounding it extends for three thousand li and is called the “Cavern-Heaven of the Three Origins and Utmost Reality.” It is said to lie somewhere beyond the reach of human footsteps, so no one knows its exact location.

Fifth: The Cave of Mount Qingcheng

The area surrounding it extends for two thousand li and is called the “Cavern-Heaven of the Nine Chambers of the Treasure Immortals.” It is in Qingcheng County, Shuzhou, and is presided over by the Elder of Qingcheng.

Sixth: The Cave of Mount Chicheng

The area surrounding it extends for three hundred li and is called the “Cavern-Heaven of the Jade Terrace in the Highest Clarity.” It is in Tangxing County, Taizhou, and is presided over by the Immortal Earl of Xuanzhou.

Seventh: The Cave of Mount Luofu

The area surrounding it extends for five hundred li and is called the “Cavern-Heaven of Vermilion Brightness and Radiant Reality.” It is in Boluo County, Xunzhou, and is presided over by Master Qingjing.

Eighth: The Cave of Mount Gouqu

The area surrounding it extends for one hundred and fifty li and is called the “Cavern-Heaven of the Golden Altar and Huayang.” It is in Jurong County, Runzhou, and is presided over by the Perfected One of Ziyang.

Ninth: The Cave of Mount Linwu

The area surrounding it extends for four hundred li and is called the “Cavern-Heaven of Spirit-Bearing Seclusion and Emptiness.” It lies at the mouth of Lake Dongting and is presided over by the Perfected One of the Northern Marchmount.

Tenth: The Cave of Mount Kuocang

It extends 300 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of Hidden Mystery and Perfected De (Chengde Yinxuan Dongtian).” It is located in Le’an County, Chuzhou, and is governed by Juanzi, Duke of the Northern Sea.

The Thirty-Six Lesser Cave Heavens

The Most High says: Next come the thirty-six lesser Cave Heavens. They are scattered among the famous mountains, and are also domains governed by the high immortals.

First: The Cave of Mount Huotong

It extends 3,000 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of Huolin.” It is located in Changxi County, Fuzhou, and is governed by the immortal Wang Weixuan.

Second: The Cave of Mount Tai, Eastern Peak

It extends 1,000 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of Pengxuan.” It is located in Qianfeng County, Yanzhou, and is governed by the Young Lord Shantu.

Third: The Cave of Mount Heng, Southern Peak

It extends 700 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of Zhuling.” It is located in Hengshan County, Hengzhou, and is governed by the immortal Shi Changsheng.

Fourth: The Cave of Mount Hua, Western Peak

It extends 300 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of the Assembly of Immortals.” It is located in Huayin County, Huazhou, and is presided over by the Perfected One Huichezi.

Fifth: The Cave of Mount Chang, Northern Peak

It extends 3,000 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of Total Mystery.” It is located in Quyang County, Changshan, Danzhou, and is governed by the Perfected One Zheng Zizhen.

Sixth: The Cave of Mount Song, Central Peak

It extends 3,000 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of Sima.” It is located in Dengfeng County, Dongdu, and is governed by the immortal Zheng Yunshan.

Seventh: The Cave of Mount Emei

It extends 300 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of the Empty Mound.” It is located in Emei County, Jiazhou, and is governed by the Perfected One Tang Lan.

Eighth: The Cave of Mount Lu

It extends 180 li in every direction and is called the “Cave Heaven of Numinous Truth.” It is located in De’an County, Jiangzhou, and is governed by the Perfected One Zhou Zhengshi.

Ninth: The Cave of Mount Siming

It extends 180 li in every direction and is called the “Heaven of Red Mountain and Scarlet Waters.” It is located in Shangyu County, Yuezhou, and is governed by the Perfected One Diao Daolin.

Tenth: The Cave of Mount Kuaiji

Three hundred li in circumference. It is guarded and governed by the Perfected Zhou Zhengshi, in De’an County, Jiangzhou.

Ninth: The Grotto of Mount Siming

One hundred and eighty li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of Cinnabar Mountain and Scarlet Waters.” It lies in Shangyu County, Yuezhou, and is governed by the Perfected Diao Daolin.

Tenth: The Grotto of Mount Kuaiji

Three hundred and fifty li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of the Utmost Mystery and Great Origin.” It lies in Mirror Lake, Shanyin County, Yuezhou, and is governed by the Immortal Guo Hua.

Eleventh: The Grotto of Mount Taibai

Five hundred li in circumference, it is called “Grotto-Heaven of Mysterious Virtue.” It lies in Chang’an County, Jingzhao Prefecture, and connects with Mount Zhongnan. It is governed by the Immortal Zhang Jilian.

Twelfth: The Grotto of the Western Mountain

Three hundred li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of the Celestial Pillar, Precious Pole, and Mystery.” It lies in Nanchang County, Hongzhou, and is governed by the Perfected Tang Gongcheng.

Thirteenth: The Grotto of Mount Xiaowei

Three hundred li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of Mysterious Life-Giving Goodness Above.” It lies in Liling County, Tanzhou, and is governed by the Immortal Hua Qiulin.

Fourteenth: The Grotto of Mount Qian

Eighty li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of the Celestial Pillar and Mysterious Authority.” It lies in Huaining County, Shuzhou, and is governed by the Immortal Jiqiuzi.

Fifteenth: The Grotto of Mount Guigu

Seventy li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of the Mysterious and Honored, Governing the Perfected.” It lies in Guixi County, Xinzhou, and is governed by the Perfected Cui Wenzi.

Sixteenth: The Grotto of Mount Wuyi

The text first lists the Grotto of Mount Wuyi, followed by the words “Ning County, governed by the Immortal Jiqiuzi.” Later, it records: One hundred and twenty li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of True Ascent and Mysterious Transformation.” It lies in Jianyang County, Jianzhou, and is governed by the Perfected Liu Shaogong.

Seventeenth: The Grotto of Mount Yusi

One hundred and twenty li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of the Great Mystery and Dharma Joy.” It lies in Yongxin County, Jizhou, and is overseen by the Perfected Liang Boluan.

Eighteenth: The Grotto of Mount Huagai

Forty li in circumference, it is called “Heaven of Rongcheng and the Great Jade.” It lies in Yongjia County, Wenzhou, and is cultivated and governed by the Immortal Yang Gong.

Nineteenth: The Grotto of Mount Gaizhu

For a circumference of eighty li, it is called the “Heaven of Radiant Treasure Light.” It lies in Huangyan County, Taizhou, and is overseen by the immortal Shangqiuzi.

Twenty-First Grotto-Heaven: Jiao Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of one hundred and eighty li, it is called the “Grotto-Heaven of Mysterious Treasure.” It lies in Puning County, Rongzhou, and is overseen by the immortal Liu Gen.

Twenty-Second Grotto-Heaven: White Stone Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of seventy li, it is called the “Heaven of Elegant Joy and Everlasting Truth.” It lies on the South Sea coast south of Yulinzhou. Another account places it in Hanshan County, Hezhou. This grotto is overseen by the Perfected White.

Twenty-Third Grotto-Heaven: Gou Shen Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of forty li, it is called the “Heaven of the Jade Gate and Precious Gui.” It lies in Beiliu County, Rongzhou, and is overseen by the Perfected Jian.

Twenty-Fourth Grotto-Heaven: Jiuyi Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of three thousand li, it is called the “Heaven of Facing Truth in the Great Void.” It lies in Yantang County, Daozhou, and is overseen by the immortal Yan Zhenqing.

Twenty-Fifth Grotto-Heaven: Dongyang Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of one hundred and fifty li, it is called the “Heaven of Hidden Contemplation in Dongyang.” It lies in Changsha County, Tanzhou, and is overseen by the Perfected Liu.

Twenty-Sixth Grotto-Heaven: Mufu Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of one hundred and eighty li, it is called the “Heaven of Mysterious Truth and the Great Origin.” It lies in Tangnian County, Ezhou, and is overseen by the Perfected Chen.

Twenty-Seventh Grotto-Heaven: Dayou Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of one hundred li, it is called the “Heaven of Dayou’s Marvelous Splendor.” It lies seventy li from Chenzhou and is overseen by the Perfected Yin.

Twenty-Eighth Grotto-Heaven: Jinting Mountain Grotto

For a circumference of three hundred li, it is called the “Heaven of Jinting’s Exalted Mystery.” It lies in Shan County, Yuezhou, and is overseen by the immortal Zhao Xianbo.

Twenty-Ninth Grotto-Heaven: Magu Mountain Grotto

This grotto-heaven has a circumference of 150 li. It is called “Heaven of Cinnabar Rosy Clouds” and lies in Nancheng County, Fuzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Wang.

The twenty-ninth immortal capital mountain grotto has a circumference of 300 li. It is called “Heaven of the Immortal Capital for Praying to the Immortals” and lies in Jinyun County, Chuzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Zhao.

The thirtieth, the Qingtianshan Grotto, has a circumference of 45 li. It is called “Heaven of the Great Crane of Qingtian” and lies in Qingtian County, Chuzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Fu.

The thirty-first, the Zhongshan Grotto, has a circumference of 100 li. It is called “Heaven of the Red Sun and Great Life” and lies in Shangyuan County, Runzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Gong.

The thirty-second, the Liangchangshan Grotto, has a circumference of 30 li. It is called “Grotto-Heaven of Liangchang, Where Life Is Released” and lies in Jurong County, Runzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Li.

The thirty-third, the Zigaishan Grotto, has a circumference of 80 li. It is called “Heaven of Purple Mystery Illuminating the Grotto” and lies in Changyang County, Jingzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Gongyu.

The thirty-fourth, the Tianmushan Grotto, has a circumference of 100 li. It is called “Heaven of the Canopy That Cleanses the Mystery” and lies in Yuhang County, Hangzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Jiang.

The thirty-fifth, the Taoyuanshan Grotto, has a circumference of 70 li. It is called “Heaven of the White Horse’s Mysterious Radiance” and lies in Wuling County, Xuanzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Xie.

The thirty-sixth, the Jinhua Mountain Grotto, has a circumference of 50 li. It is called “Heaven of the Grotto’s Origin at Jinhua” and lies in Jinhua County, Wuzhou, under the governance of Perfected Person Dai.

The Seventy-Two Blessed Lands

The Most High (a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) said: Next come the seventy-two blessed lands, scattered among the famous mountains of the earth. The Lord of Heaven commands Perfected Persons—those who have attained the Dao—to govern these places. Many people have practiced the Dao and attained it there.

The Supreme Lord says: Next are the seventy-two blessed lands, scattered among the great mountains of the earth. The Lord on High commanded realized immortals to oversee these places, and many who cultivated the Dao and attained realization once practiced there.

First, Lung-of-the-Earth Mountain.

It lies within Jurong County, Jiangning Prefecture. In the past, the reclusive Tao (Tao Hongjing) lived there in seclusion to cultivate the Dao. The realized immortal Xie Yun presided over the site.

Second, Cover-Bamboo Mountain.

It lies in Xiandu County, Quzhou, and is presided over by the realized immortal Shi Cun.

Third, Immortal-Cliff Mountain.

It lies fifteen li south of the county seat of Liangcheng, Wenzhou, near Baixi Market. The realized immortal Zhang Zhonghua presides over it.

Fourth, Eastern Immortal Source.

It lies in Huangyan County, Taizhou, and is presided over by the terrestrial immortal Liu Fenglin.

Fifth, Western Immortal Source.

It also lies at Qiaoling in Huangyan County, Taizhou, 120 li from the county seat. It is presided over by the terrestrial immortal Zhang Zhaoqi. Another passage in the original text says that Liu Fenglin also presides over it.

Fifth, Western Immortal Source.

It also lies at Qiaoling in Huangyan County, Taizhou, 120 li from the county seat, and is presided over by the terrestrial immortal Zhang Zhaoqi.

Sixth, Southern Field Mountain.

It lies east of the Eastern Sea and can be reached by boat. The realized immortal Liu presides over it.

Seventh, Jade-Stream Mountain.

It lies in the Eastern Sea, near Penglai Island. Many realized immortals live there, and the terrestrial immortal Xu Mai presides over it.

Eighth, Clear-Island Mountain.

It lies in the western part of the Eastern Sea, adjoining Fusang. The realized immortal Liu Ziguang presides over it.

Ninth, Yumu Grotto.

It lies south of Yusi Mountain and was the place where Attendant Xiao Ziyun lived in seclusion. Even today, on rainy days, people can hear the sound of strings and bamboo flutes; woodcutters often encounter this as well. The terrestrial immortal Chi Luban presides over the grotto.

Tenth, Cinnabar-Cloud Grotto.

It lies in Magu Mountain and was where the realized immortal Cai Jing attained the Dao. Even today, on rainy nights, the sound of bells and stone chimes can often be heard. The realized immortal Cai presides over it.

Eleventh, Lord Mountain.

It lies between Dongting Lake and Qingcao Lake. The terrestrial immortal Hou Sheng presides over it.

Twelfth, Great-If Cliff.

It lies 120 li east of Yongjia County, Wenzhou. The terrestrial immortal Li Fanghui presides over it.

Thirteenth, Jiao Source.

The original text only says that a realized immortal presides over it; it gives neither the specific location nor the immortal’s name.

Dongting Lake and Qingcao Lake (in the area of present-day Dongting Lake) are overseen by the Earthly Immortal Hou Sheng.

Twelfth, Daye Rock

Located 120 li east of Yongjia County in Wenzhou, it is overseen by the Earthly Immortal Li Fanghui.

Thirteenth, Jiaoyuan

Located north of Jianyang County in Jianzhou, this is where Perfected Yin lived in seclusion.

Fourteenth, Lingxu

Located north of Tangxing County in Taizhou, this is where Master Baiyun lived in seclusion.

Fifteenth, Wozhou

Located south of Shan County in Yuezhou, it is overseen by Perfected Fang Ming.

Sixteenth, Tianmu Peak

Located south of Shan County, it is overseen by Perfected Wei Xianren.

Seventeenth, Ruoye Creek

Located south of Kuaiji County in Yuezhou, it is overseen by Perfected Shan Shiyuan.

Eighteenth, Jinting Mountain

Located in Chaoxian County, Luzhou, it is also called Ziwei Mountain and is overseen by the Immortal Ma.

Nineteenth, Qingyuan Mountain

Located in Qingyuan County, Guangzhou, it is overseen by Perfected Yin.

Twentieth, An Mountain

Located north of Jiaozhou, this is where Master Anqi lived in seclusion. It is overseen by Master Anqi.

Twenty-first, Maling Mountain

Located within Chenzhou city, east of the flowing stream, this is where Su Dan lived in seclusion. It is overseen by Perfected Limu.

Twenty-second, Eyang Mountain

Located in Changsha County, Tanzhou, this is where Master Lou Jia lived in seclusion.

Twenty-third, Dongzhen Ruins

Located in Changsha County, Tanzhou, this is a place overseen by Perfected Han Zhong of the Western Peak.

Twenty-fourth, Qingyu Altar

Located at Zhurong Peak on Mount Heng, it is overseen by Lord of the Western Blue Bird.

Twenty-fifth, Guangtian Altar

Located at the source west of Mount Heng, it is overseen by Perfected Feng.

Twenty-sixth, Dongling Source

Located at Zhaoxian Temple on Mount Heng, this is where Master Deng lived in seclusion, specifically to the west of the temple.

Twenty-seventh, Donggong Mountain

At Wulingli in Guanli Township, Jianzhou, Mount Huang is under the care of a princess.

The twenty-eighth is Mount Tao, in Anguo County, Wenzhou, where Master Tao once lived in seclusion.

The twenty-ninth is the Three Sovereigns Well, in Hengyang County, Wenzhou, where the perfected one Bao Cha carried out his cultivation.

The thirtieth is Mount Lanke, in Xin’an County, Quzhou, where Master Wang Zhi lived in seclusion.

The thirty-first is Lexi, east of Jianyang County, Jianzhou. It is said to be where Confucius left his inkstone.

The thirty-second is Mount Longhu, in Guixi County, Xinzhou, under the care of the immortal Zhang Jujun.

The thirty-third is Mount Ling, north of Shangrao County, Xinzhou, where the perfected one Mo carried out his cultivation.

The thirty-fourth is the Spring Source, within Mount Luofu, where the immortal Hua Ziqi carried out his cultivation.

The thirty-fifth is Mount Jinjing, in Qianhua County, Qianzhou, where Qiu Jizi carried out his cultivation.

The thirty-sixth is Mount Hezao, in Xingan County, Jizhou, where the perfected one Guo carried out his cultivation.

The thirty-seventh is Mount Shifeng, in Fengcheng County, Hongzhou, where the perfected one Yin carried out his cultivation.

The thirty-eighth is Mount Xiaoyao, in Nanchang County, Hongzhou, where the perfected one Xu carried out his cultivation.

The thirty-ninth is Dongbaiyuan, east of Xinwu County, Hongzhou, where the immortal Liu carried out his cultivation.

The fortieth is Mount Bachi, in Chuzhou, where Wang Qiao attained the Dao.

The forty-first is Mount Lun, in Dantu County, Runzhou, where the perfected one Zhong carried out his cultivation.

The forty-second is Maogong Altar, in Changzhou County, Suzhou, where the immortal Zhuang practiced the Dao.

The forty-third is Mount Jilong.

In Liyang County, Hezhou, this is a place governed by Perfected Guo.

Forty-four: Mount Tongbai

In Tongbai County, Tangzhou, this is a place governed by Immortal Lord Li.

Forty-five: Mount Pingdu

In Zhongzhou, this is where Perfected Yin ascended to immortality.

Forty-six: Mount Lüluo

In Wuling County, Langzhou, this mountain connects with the region of Taoyuan.

Forty-seven: Mount Huxi

In Pengze County, south of Jiangzhou, this is where Master Wuliu lived in seclusion.

Forty-eight: Mount Zhanglong

North of Liling County, Tanzhou, this is a place governed by Master Zang.

Forty-nine: Mount Baofu

In Lianshan County, Lianzhou, this is a place governed by Perfected Fan.

Fifty: Mount Damian

In Chengdu County, Yizhou, this is a place governed by the immortal Baichengzi.

Fifty-one: Mount Yuanchen

In Duchang County, Jiangzhou, this is a place governed by Perfected Sun Anqisheng.

Fifty-two: Mount Mati

In Poyang County, Raozhou, this is a place governed by Perfected Zizhou.

Fifty-three: Mount De

In Wuling County, Langzhou, this is a place governed by the immortal Zhang Jujun.

Fifty-four: Mount Gaoxi Lanshui

In Lantian County, Yongzhou, this is a place once visited by the Most High (a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity).

Fifty-five: Lanshui

In Lantian County, Xidu, this is a place governed by the earthly immortal Zhang Zhaoqi.

Fifty-six: Yufeng

In Jingzhao County, Xidu, this is a place governed by the immortal Baihu.

Fifty-seven: Mount Tianzhu

In Yuqian County, Hangzhou, this is a place governed by the earthly immortal Wang Boyuan.

Fifty-eighth, Shanggu Mountain, in Shangzhou, where the Four Immortals of Gao lived in seclusion.

Fifty-ninth, Zhanggong Cave, in Yixing County, Changzhou, governed by the perfected being Kang Sang.

Sixtieth, Sima Hui Mountain, north of Mount Tiantai in Taizhou, where the immortal Li Ming cultivated and maintained his abode.

Sixty-first, Changzai Mountain, in Changshan County, Qizhou, governed by the perfected being Mao.

Sixty-second, Zhongtiao Mountain, in the area of Yuxiang County, Hezhong Prefecture, governed by the immortal Zhao.

Sixty-third, Jiaohu Yucheng Cave, in ancient Yaozhou to the west, where Master Shihuang once lived in seclusion.

Sixty-fourth, Mianzhu Mountain, in Mianzhu County, Hanzhou, governed by Lady Qionghua.

Sixty-fifth, the Hu River, in Xiliangzhou, governed by the immortal An.

Sixty-sixth, Gan Mountain, in the south of Qianzhou, governed by the perfected being Ning.

Sixty-seventh, Huang Mountain, in Hanzhou, governed by the immortal An, the Red-Bearded One.

Sixty-sixth, Gan Mountain, in the south of Qianzhou, governed by the perfected being Ning.

Sixty-seventh, Huang Mountain, in Hanzhou, governed by Master An, the Red-Bearded One.

Sixty-eighth, Jincheng Mountain, at the ancient garrison post, also called Shishu, governed by the perfected being Shi.

Sixty-ninth, Yun Mountain, in Wugang County, Shaozhou, governed by the immortal Lu.

Seventieth, Beimang Mountain, in Luoyang County, Dongdu, governed by the perfected being Wei.

Seventy-first, Lu Mountain, in Lianjiang County, Fuzhou, governed by the perfected being Xie.

Seventy-second, East Sea Mountain, twenty-five li east of Haizhou, governed by the perfected being Wang.

Volume Twenty-Eight: The Twenty-Eight Governance Centers

The Twenty-Four Governance Centers (with preface)

According to Records of the Twenty-Four Zhi of Celestial Master Zhang, at noon on the seventh day of the first month in the second year of Han’an, the Most High Lord Lao established the Twenty-Four Zhi, divided into three groups—the upper, middle, and lower—with eight Zhi in each. The Twenty-Four Zhi corresponded to the twenty-four solar terms in the heavens and were aligned with the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. Their implementation and the teaching of the people were entrusted to Celestial Master Zhang Daoling.

Celestial Master Zhang’s personal name was Daoling and his courtesy name was Fuhan. He came from Feng County in the state of Pei. Upright and forthright in temperament, he was well versed in the classical texts, of impeccable conduct, and also understood the methods of cultivating the Dao. In the second year of Yongping, the Han emperor issued an edict appointing him magistrate of Jiangzhou in Ba Commandery. On the tenth day of the third month in the first year of Yanhe, a day marked Xinchou, another edict appointed him Minister of Works and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Ji County. He devoted himself to seeking sacred fungi, studying illustrated texts, and investigating the affairs of immortals. He also gathered medicines for longevity and refined the Golden Liquid Elixir.

In the first year of Han’an, a year marked Dingchou, the court issued an edict transferring him to another post. He declined, resigned from office, and entered the territory of Yizhou. That year, he came to Red Stone City on Quting Mountain in Linqiong County, Shu Commandery, where he cultivated in stillness and devoted himself to seeking the Dao. At midnight on the first day of the fifth month, a great company of carriages and horses descended from the heavens and arrived before Red Stone City. The carriages were adorned with gold, their canopies decorated with feathers, and they were accompanied by countless dragons, tigers, and ghost soldiers.

Five of the visitors, one after another, declared their identities. One said he had been the Keeper of the Archives under the Zhou dynasty, an office traditionally attributed to Laozi. Another said he was the newly manifested Most High Lord Lao. A third identified himself as the Central Yellow Perfected Lord, the Most High August Emperor. A fourth was Zhang Liang, courtesy name Zifang, who had assisted the Han house. The fifth said he was the maternal grandfather of Celestial Master Ziyuan, who had also served the Han house. They judged that Zhang Daoling’s bone structure and endowments accorded with the Great Dao, and that he was worthy to inherit the lineage of Laozi’s loyal ministers. They therefore bestowed a ghost title upon him and commanded that his descendants serve as national preceptors from generation to generation, bringing lasting peace to the people.

Zhang Daoling personally received the Most High’s instructions and took up the duties of acting in accordance with the prescribed laws, governing the Three Heavens, assisting the state, protecting the people, and regulating ghostly Qi. He also became a national preceptor in a hereditary lineage. In keeping with the prescribed laws, he established the Twenty-Four Zhi and nineteen quiet retreats—places where Dao cultivators could live in seclusion and practice. He transmitted the Way of Zhengyi Alliance Authority, the methods and covenant rites of the Zhengyi tradition, suppressed false and deviant practices, and formed covenants with the myriad gods of the world, distributing the agreements to the various regions. All of this followed the Way of Zhengyi.

The “Essential Formula for the Eight Ranks of the Upper Grade, Preserved in the Palm” states that Lord Lao established this essential formula on the seventh day of the seventh month in the first year of the Shanghuang era. The scripture says that Fukuai fashioned the Five Dragons between Heaven and Earth and arranged the mountains. Lord Lao established the various administrative centers to instruct people in the ways of the world. Those who study these formulas must not be greedy or seek too much. Anyone who hopes to attain the immortal Way should pass them on to people who are simple and honest.

First: Yangping Administrative Center

The Yangping Administrative Center lies in Jiulong County, Pengzhou, Shu Commandery, 180 li from Chengdu. To reach it, one enters through the two-forked mountain pass on the Luo River; the water route is forty li. East of the center is Dragon Gate, where, according to legend, the Divine Water keeps watch. Two cypress trees grow above the gate. To the southwest is a great spring whose waters flow east.

Yangping corresponds to the Horn Lodge, one of the seven lodges of the Azure Dragon in the east. The scripture says that a noble person discovered this center, and that its prosperity and transmission had a beginning and an end. The Inheriting Master, successor to the Celestial Master, was the Celestial Master’s son. His name was Heng and his courtesy name was Lingzhen. Learned and wise, with steadfast and lofty aspirations, he secretly cultivated the immortal Way. Emperor Ling of Han summoned him to serve as a Gentleman of the Palace, but he did not answer the summons. At the hour of the Snake on the fifteenth day of the first month in the second year of Guanghe, he ascended to immortality in the mountains. A pair of stone tablets stands before the center’s gate, so the place is also called the “Inheriting Master’s Center.”

The scripture also mentions the wife of an immortal who had been banished to Yangping, but does not record her name. Zhang Shoukui, a local resident of Jiulong, was very wealthy and owned a tea garden near the Gate of Transformation into Immortality at Yangping. That place, too, is called the “Inheriting Master’s Center.”

The wife of the banished immortal of Yangping had no known name. Zhang Shougui, a wealthy resident of Jiulong, owned a tea plantation within Yangping’s Huaxian Residence. Each year, he hired more than a hundred tea pickers, men and women working together. A young man was hired to pick tea there. He said he had no relatives and was clever, quick-witted, diligent, and sincere. Zhang Shougui took pity on him and adopted him as his son. Later, a woman in her twenties, also without relatives, agreed to become the young man’s wife. She was filial, courteous, upright, and cautious, and Zhang Shougui was very fond of her.

One day, mountain floods surged and blocked the markets and roads. The household was also running short of salt and cheese, a kind of dairy food, and Zhang Shougui was very worried. His daughter-in-law said, “These things can be obtained.” She took some money and went outside. After walking a dozen or so steps, she placed the money under a tree and struck the tree with her staff. Then she returned with salt and cheese. From then on, whenever the household lacked something, she had only to strike the tree to fetch it, and nothing was beyond her reach. Her husband knew the same magic.

Once, the daughter-in-law met more than a dozen women from neighboring households at the Bengkou market. She bought a bowl of wine and invited them all to drink. Everyone became drunk, yet the wine in the bowl did not diminish. People near and far heard about this and found it astonishing. Zhang Shougui asked them how they had acquired their magic. The young man replied, “I am an immortal from the Yangping Cavern. Because of a minor offense, I was banished to the human world, but soon I must leave.”

Zhang Shougui asked, “Are the caverns similar in size to cities in the human world?” The young man replied, “Each of the Twenty-Four Transformations—sacred grotto-heavens and blessed lands said to be scattered across various regions—has a great cavern. Some extend a thousand li in every direction, others five hundred or three hundred li. In every cavern, the flying essences of the sun and moon, which move through the grotto-heavens, shine down from above. They are also called the ‘root of hidden spirits,’ and under their light, the caverns resemble the human world. Within them are immortal kings, immortal officials, immortal ministers, and their assistants, with duties divided much as they are in human government. Those who attain the Dao, as well as those who, after accumulating merit, have their spirits transferred and return to life, dwell there and become people of the caverns. Each year, on the great festivals of the Three Origins—the Upper, Middle, and Lower Origins—high-ranking perfected beings from the heavens descend into the grotto-heavens to inspect how well each place is governed.”

On the Great Day of the Origin, the High Perfected Ones in Heaven—the immortals of the highest rank—descend to inspect the various grotto-heavens, examining how well they are governed and how good or evil their conditions are. Human births and deaths, times of prosperity and decline, droughts and floods, and winds and rain are also linked in advance to what occurs within the grotto-heavens. Dragon deities, shrines and temples, and the spirits who receive offerings are all governed by the grotto-palaces. Beyond the Twenty-Four Transformations—the Daoist term for twenty-four centers of religious instruction and governance—places such as Qingcheng, Emei, Yideng, Cimu, Fanyang, and Zhong each have their own grotto-heavens, though they are not counted among the Ten Great Grotto-Heavens or the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto-Heavens. The offices of immortal officials within the grottoes are like the commanderies, counties, towns, and villages of the human world, and cannot all be described in detail. Within ten days, a husband and wife suddenly departed together.

The account above concerns the Yangping Mountain governance center. The mountain has centers such as the Registrar’s Office, the Successor Master’s Office, and the Lineage Master’s Office—Daoist institutions for administration and religious teaching.

The Second: the governance center of Lutang Mountain, located in the northern district within the boundaries of Mianzhu County, Hanzhou, three hundred li from Chengdu. On the mountain are an Immortal Chamber and an Immortal Terrace, where people in ancient times cultivated the Dao and attained immortality. According to legend, in the first year of the Yongshou era, the Supreme Lord Lao once bestowed this governance center on Celestial Master Zhang. Together with the Great Generals of the Four Garrisons and the Year Gods, and the many ghosts of the Sichuan shrines, he broke a stone and made a pact; all the deities followed the Way of the Zhengyi Alliance of Authority, the Daoist lineage of Celestial Master Zhang. The mountain has pines and cypresses and the Immortal Cavern of the Five Dragons. Legend says boats can pass through the cavern, and a torch carried inside will still be burning after three days. This center corresponds to the Horn Mansion, one of the seven mansions of the Azure Dragon in the East. It is called “Long Hair,” and its period of governance lasts eighty years.

The Third: the upper governance center on Crane-Cry Mountain.

The upper sanctuary, a mountain paradise where immortals cultivate and dwell, lies within Linqiong County in Shu Commandery. Its mountain range connects with Mount Qingcheng and Mount Tianguo, and it is two hundred li from Chengdu. Paths wind through the mountains for three hundred li, but ordinary people do not know where they are. This is where Ma Dizi and He Danyang attained the Dao. In front of the sanctuary, three streams converge into a single ribbon of water, where a divine dragon dwells. There are four golden nails, two pieces of stone gold and silver, and three hu of silkworms. Some also say these are under Yin Xi’s care. This sanctuary corresponds to the Di lunar mansion. It was discovered by a commoner, who ruled as king for sixty years. The Shenxian Zhuan says that when Zhang the Celestial Master encountered turmoil in the Central Plains, he entered Shu and studied the Dao at Mount Heming.

Fourth: The Liyuan Mountain Sanctuary

The Liyuan Mountain Sanctuary lies within Jiulong County in Pengzhou and connects with the Lutang Mountain Sanctuary. The two places are eighty li apart and two hundred and fifty li from Chengdu. The mountain contains fruiting pines and divine herbs; taking them can make one an immortal. It also has the “Gate of the Four Dragons Rising as Mounts,” which is under Fan Li’s care. This sanctuary corresponds to the Fang lunar mansion. It was discovered by a commoner, who ruled as king for twenty years.

Fifth: The Gegui Mountain Sanctuary

This administrative center was located within Jiulong County in Pengzhou and connected to Mount Liyuan. It lay 230 li from Chengdu County and 48 li from the Yangping water-control entrance. In ancient times, a worthy person attained the Dao there. Above the center stood Mount Songli, six hundred zhang high. This center corresponded to the Heart Mansion, a constellation. After Daoist practitioners opened up the site, the center flourished there for ninety years.

The Prince of Nankang, Grand Commandant, and Secretariat Director Wei Gao once served as Prefect of Chengdu. He was the son-in-law of Chancellor Zhang. Deep-minded and broad in character, he was unadorned in manner and proud, and kept his distance from worldly people. The Zhang family had produced generations of chancellors and enjoyed great virtue and renown, yet its members looked down on Wei Gao. He was treated coldly, but never realized it.

One day, Wei Gao dreamed that two divine beings said to him, “The administrative centers throughout the realm govern the registers of people’s names. Your name is recorded at Gegui. Your stipend will come from all of Shu, and wealth and high status are soon to be yours. Why do you still linger? Press forward! You will be wealthy and honored in the future; do not forget Gegui.” From then on, Wei Gao aspired to seek rank and a stipend, and discussed it with his wife. She encouraged him too, and gave him several hundred thousand gold coins’ worth of dowry goods to fund his journey.

When Wei Gao reached Qin River, he found the region beset by famine year after year and unrelenting rain. Recommended by a friend, he was appointed military judge in Longzhou. Before long, the emperor traveled to Feng Tian, and the commandery governor fled alongside him. Wei Gao led local troops and auxiliary forces, transporting military provisions and grain and helping to escort the emperor. For his service, he was appointed Defense Commissioner. He then requested an audience at court, and Emperor Dezong of Tang took a great liking to him when they met. After the rebellion was put down and the emperor returned to the capital, Wei Gao was promoted, with the honorary title of Right Servant of the Left and Right Assistants, and appointed Military Commissioner of Fengxiang.

Wei Gao earnestly requested a transfer to the post of Military Commissioner of Xichuan, and the court had him succeed Chancellor Zhang. Wei Gao led his army to take up the post, while Zhang took the road back to court to avoid confronting him. In the years that followed, Shu enjoyed bumper harvests every year and built up ample reserves of gold, silk, and other goods. Nanzhao also submitted to the Tang, asking to become a vassal. Wei Gao’s reputation and authority grew ever greater; taxes and tribute were never in arrears, the court relied heavily on him, and the surrounding non-Han peoples feared and obeyed him.

Wei Gao then asked permission to establish a study hall for Nanzhao, where Nanzhao could send hostages and students to learn the Book of Songs, the Book of Documents, the Rites, and Music. In his day, no one could match Wei Gao’s literary talent. Nanzhao obtained…