《云笈七签》Vol. 40

Later he was appointed Biejia, a subordinate official to the provincial governor, and he too understood the way of the immortals (xiandao). He took huangjing, a herb widely used in Daoist longevity practice, for many years. After more than twenty years his body had grown light and his face shone with color. He often fasted and sat in meditation with Jun in a quiet chamber.

In the first ten days of the first month, Jun bathed, observed a purification fast, and cultivated the practice in the quiet chamber. In the third month, an immortal suddenly appeared in the courtyard riding a white deer. Seven jade youths and seven jade maidens followed him, descending from the sky, though no one else could see them. Jun bowed low and asked the immortal for instruction. The immortal said, "I am Chisongzi (Red Pine Master), a Perfected of the Southern Marchmount, a legendary immortal. I hear that you are fond of Daoist arts (daoshu), so I have come especially to visit you. What do you practice?"

Jun knelt upright and described the one hundred and twenty cultivation methods he followed. Chisongzi replied, "Diligently visualize the Five Numinous Spirits (wuling), the deities contemplated in Daoist meditation. I will transmit to you the true Dao at another time." Having said this, the immortal suddenly vanished.

Thereupon Jun asked to resign his post, claiming he was gravely ill and wished to go to Taishang (the Most High, a Daoist honorific for the supreme deity) to seek a divine mandate. He then abandoned his office and his home and withdrew into famous mountains to seek the mysterious Dao. The Biejia Liu Anzhi also followed him.

When you were forty-five, the emperor summoned you repeatedly to take office, but you never answered the call. As he kept pressing, you traveled north to Mount Yangyu (Yangyu Shan) to escape the entanglements of the human world. You then entered the stone-chamber cave on the north side of the mountain, where you devoted yourself to contemplation and the study of Daoist arts, pursuing them very deeply. Because you could not remain in the mountains for long, you sometimes returned to the human world.

Later, you left with Yunzi and climbed Mount Taihua (Taihua Shan), entering the Xuanshi stone chamber in the Western Cavern (Xi Dong), where you lived for twenty-two years. Suddenly, five elderly men wearing headcloths came to visit. You bowed to them and asked them to transmit their marvelous Dao (Dao) methods. The old men then brought out divine fungi (shen zhi), legendary miraculous herbs in the Daoist tradition, and gave them to you. They also transmitted to you several scriptures and registers (lu shu), texts that record the names of spirits, talismanic script, and related methods.

The first old man wore a blue headcloth, a blue robe, and carried a blue staff. He bore the talisman of "Tongguang Yangxia," and he was the great spirit of the eastern planet Suixing (Jupiter). He gave you the Qinghua fungus (qinghua zhi) and presented a blue book, the "Ziwei Shiqing Daojing" (Scripture of the Purple Tenuity and Azure Beginning of the Dao).

The second old man wore a gray-green headcloth, a gray-green robe, and carried a gray-green staff. He bore the talisman of "Guzhen Xiaofeng," and he was the great spirit of the northern planet Chenxing (Mercury). He gave you the Canghua fungus (canghua zhi) and transmitted four scrolls, the "Cangyuan Shanglu Beidou Zhongming Sixuan Jing" (Scripture of the Northern Dipper's Four Revolving Destinies from the Supreme Registers of the Azure Origin).

The third old man wore a white headcloth, a white robe, and carried a white staff. He bore the talisman of "Haoling Fuxi," and he was the great spirit of the western planet Taibai (Venus). He gave you the Baihua fungus (baihua zhi) and transmitted three scrolls, the "Taisu Yulu Baoxuan Zhenjing" (Precious Mysterious Perfect Scripture of the Jade Registers of the Primordial Simplicity).

The fourth old man wore a red headcloth, a red robe, and carried a red staff. He bore the talisman of "Siming Zhubi," and he was the great spirit of the southern planet Yinghuo (Mars). He gave you the Danhua fungus (danhua zhi) and transmitted two scrolls, the "Longtai Taihe Dan Jing" (Scripture of the Dragon Embryo and the Great Harmony Elixir).

The fifth old man wore a yellow headcloth, a yellow robe, and carried a yellow staff. He bore the talisman of "Zhongyuan Ba Wei Yumen," and he was the great spirit of the central planet Zhenxing (Saturn). He gave you the Huanghua fungus (huanghua zhi) and transmitted eight scrolls, the "Siqi Shangshu Taiyuan Huangshu" (Yellow Book of the Four Qi and the Supreme Pivot of the Great Origin).

These five old men were all essences of the Five Planets (wuxing zhi jing), that is, great celestial spirits transformed from the five planets.

After you bow again and take the divine fungus (the numinous lingzhi), you recite the sacred scripture. Within ten days you will be able to see scenes ten thousand li away and travel a thousand li each day. You can also conceal your form and reveal it again at will, command ghosts and spirits, and so roam the world.

You journey east to Qingqiu, where you meet Lord Guxi Zi of the Azure Emperor. He teaches you the Qingjing Riri (Azure Essence Sun-Water) and the method of taking the Blue Fungus as food. You return to Mount Tai, where you meet the Lord of Destiny (Siming Jun) and receive the Shanghuang Jinlu (Golden Record of the Supreme Sovereign). Afterward you travel west to the bank of White Water at the edge of the Flowing Sands, where you meet the True Man Taisu. He rides a dragon-drawn cloud chariot, wears a purple dawn kerchief, has a canopy of purple feathers, and holds a seven-colored tally. About two hundred divine youths and jade maidens attend him. On the empty mountain amid the white-water sandbars, they tour the Golden City, striking jade bells and waving splendid banners. You see them from afar atop the empty mountain, yet no matter how you try, you cannot reach them.

So you throw yourself into the deep water, drift across the White Water, brave the surging waves, and cross the sandy shore. The way is steep and treacherous, and you nearly drown, but at last you climb the empty mountain and see the True Man Taisu. You bow to him, pressing your forehead to the ground, and beg to be taught the essentials of cultivating the Dao. Smiling, the True Man Taisu says, "How perilous and difficult it was! Only today are you truly ready to receive the transmission." He then orally teaches you the Fu Erjing Feihua Shang Ben Riyue zhi Fa (Method of Ingesting the Essences of the Two Lights and Soaring Upward to the Sun and Moon), and he gives you the Taishang Yinshu (Esoteric Writings of the Most High). He tells you, "With these, you will be sufficient to attain perfection." You then remain on the empty mountain, practicing the Method of Drawing the Sun through the Two Lights and reciting the Yinshu.

After eleven years of cultivation, Taisu Zhenren (Perfected Lord of Great Simplicity) told him, "Your Dao-practice has been completed." He was then sent for with auspicious clouds and a dragon carriage, the procession magnificent, with feathered parasols and precious objects arrayed upon the vehicle. They escorted him to the Palace of Great Simplicity (Taisu Gong) to pay his respects to the Three Primal Lords of the Upper Clarity (Shangqing Sanyuan Jun), venerable deities of the Upper Clarity immortal realm. When he arrived, he did not even know where he was.

The Three Primal Lords resided in the Palace of Great Simplicity, attended by more than a thousand Jade Maidens and Jade Youths in immortal service. The palace was built of gold, and its beds and couches were made of blue jade. He came before the Golden Gate (jin que, the golden gateway of the immortal palace), bowed twice, and performed the full kowtow. The Three Primal Lords bestowed upon him a jade seal and a Golden True Token (jin zhen, a credential symbolizing his immortal office and status), and assigned twenty-four Jade Maidens and thirty-two Jade Youths to serve him.

He then rode a cloud-borne palanquin northward to the Palace of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji Gong) to pay his respects to the Four Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate. The Four Perfected granted him the Divine Tiger Talisman Tally and the Flowing-Gold Fire Bell (talismanic tokens and ritual implements used in Daoist liturgical practice). He then came to the Palace of Subtle Brilliance (Taiwei Gong), where, receiving immortal scriptures and investiture, he became Qingling Zhenren (Perfected Lord of Clear Numinosity), charged with governing the Palace of Clear Numinosity (Qingling Gong). Clad in the Three-Brilliance Treasure Robe, he rode the Flying Dragon Carriage, grasping a blue banner and a jade battle-axe, holding the Seven-Colored Tallies of authority, and made his circuit through the Nine Palaces of Upper Clarity.

Xixuan Shan (Western Mystery Mountain) is another name for Geyan Shan. Three connected mountains make up the range: Xixuan Shan to the west, Yujuegen Shan to the east, and Geyan Shan in the middle. Each mountain holds a palace, and together they are called the "Three Palaces." Xixuan Shan houses the Qingling Palace, Geyan Shan the Ziyang Palace, and Yujuegen Shan the Jizhen Palace. The three peaks stretch in an unbroken chain across thirteen thousand li and rise two thousand seven hundred li high. Beneath them lie caverns (dongting) that run underground and link to the Kunlun Palace on Xuanzhou (the Mysterious Continent).

Beneath Xixuan Shan is a grotto-terrace (dongtai) a thousand li across, surrounded by nine layers of golden walls. Inside are jade halls, orchid chambers, and palaces to the east and west, home to four hundred and twenty perfected beings (zhenren). The trees on the mountain glow crimson and jade-green, and among the grasses grow magic fungi (zhiying). The birds and beasts include the qilin and the phoenix. Xixuan Shan lies seventy thousand li from Kunlun. Between the two stands Gaohui Shan, whose caves shine as brightly as the sun. Geyan Shan, Xixuan Shan, and Yujuegen Shan all lie within this region.

A Daoist practitioner named Zhi Ziyuan studied under Master Jiang, training in entering a quiet chamber for contemplation (rushi jingsi), visualizing the Five Numinous Lights (wuling shenguang), and practicing ingesting qi (fuqi). Cunxiang (visualization) means calling up deities or light-images in the mind while seated in stillness, while fuqi means circulating qi through methods such as regulating the breath. Zhi Ziyuan often sat alone in a quiet chamber at midnight, seated upright and facing east with eyes closed, silently reciting an incantation:

"Boundless white spirit of the void, Master of the Lesser Yang, return the nine qi to the liver so my soul may be at peace. The Supreme Emperor's jade register has inscribed my name in the Great Clarity."

After the recitation, they held the breath for nine breaths, swallowed saliva (yanjinye) nine times, and knocked the teeth (kouchi) nine times. Then they turned to the south, closed their eyes, and recited:

"Crimson clouds in the red court, above which dwell the lofty perfected. The three qi return to the heart, which becomes my cinnabar origin. The green characters of the Grand Tenuity..."

After writing one's name, hold the breath for three breaths, swallow the saliva three times, and click the teeth three times. Then face west, close the eyes, and silently recite:

"The Pure Origin Cavern of Emptiness (Sùyuán Dòngxū) is the dwelling of the spirits of Heavenly Perfection. Seven Qi (qì) guard the lungs and dwell together with the Shen (shén). Written in golden characters on white jade, these are the immortal writings of the Nine Emperors. May they enable me to ascend and become an immortal, for my name has already been removed from the register of the dead."

When the recitation is finished, hold the breath for seven breaths, swallow the saliva seven times, and click the teeth seven times. Next, face the direction corresponding to the year of one's birth, close the eyes, and silently recite:

"The Yellow Origin Central Emperor is the spirit who governs my life-star. One Qi serves the spleen and allows me to rest."

Then swallow the saliva seven times and click the teeth seven times. Again facing the same direction, recite silently:

"The Yellow Origin Central Emperor is the spirit who governs my life-star. One Qi serves the spleen and allows me to attain perfection. Upon the mysterious talismans of Lord Lao, my name has already been inscribed, placing me among the immortals. May I live without aging, with my lifespan enduring as long as Heaven and Earth."

When this recitation is finished, hold the breath for one breath, swallow the saliva once, and click the teeth once. Next, face north, close the eyes, and silently recite:

"The Mysterious Origin Northern Pole is the pivot of the Most High (Tàishàng). Five Qi protect the kidneys, and the tortoise form interlocks and responds to the jade ornaments. The names of the spirits are written on jade tablets, so that my lifespan equals that of Heaven and Earth. I command the Six Jiǎ Spirit Generals and summon the Eight Majestic Spirits."

When this recitation is finished, hold the breath for five breaths, swallow the saliva five times, and click the teeth five times. After the Qi of all five directions has been visualized, swallow the saliva nine times, face north, bow twice, and silently recite:

Respectfully report to the Four Perfected Lords of the Supreme Taiji (Taishang Taiji Si Zhenjun), revered deities of Daoism, and request that they summon and manifest the Five Spirits of the Five Directions (the numinous spirits corresponding to each direction), so that one may see them and converse with them. Once the report is complete, concentrate fully on visualization (cunxiang). This method first visualizes the Five Spirits, then practices fu qi (breath-regulation, the art of guided breathing and stretching) while silently reciting the incantation. It is similar to the method of visualizing in a courtyard. This approach is direct and simple, and it makes it easier to quiet the mind in practice. The method that Pei Jun later re-transmitted was also this one.

When offering prayers in a quiet chamber (jingshi), one should likewise first visualize the Five Spirits as complete within the body, and only then practice fu qi. The courtyard practice that Pei Jun later re-transmitted involves many steps and is difficult to carry out. In its ability to bring about spiritual communion, it is also less swift than the quiet-chamber practice. The essential secrets transmitted later should be kept confidential and not taught carelessly. The courtyard practice was meant to encourage beginners so that they would not grow slack. Strictly speaking, the practice in the quiet chamber is the true essential key.

Zhi Ziyuan received the fifth formula from Master Jiang. On the days of the eight seasonal nodes (bajie), practitioners should visualize and recount the number of faults they have committed since they first established themselves in life, sincerely report their circumstances, and pray that the Heavenly Sovereign and all the perfected (zhuzhen, celestial deities) pardon them and wash away their transgressions. In this way, they may ultimately reform and turn toward goodness, seeking longevity and transcendence.

On the day of the Autumnal Equinox, the qi of heaven and earth is clear, harmonious, level, and well ordered. The assembled perfected and immortals hear and adjudicate legal cases on this day. The earthly inspecting officials, along with the immortal officials who govern each region, also report and memorialize the merits and faults of local Daoist priests, and they examine those among the common people whose guilt involves matters of life and death. The Record of the Perfected on Immortal Taboos (Xianji Zhenji) states: "To ascend to heaven, one must be cautious on the Autumnal Equinox, for faults, whether great or small, will all be reported. Seeking immortality while burdened with transgressions makes transcendence very difficult, and so those who study the Dao are anxious about this." This is an important admonition from Master Zhongyang of Zhuhuo Danling.

At the Autumnal Equinox, the climate is mild and accords with the principles of heaven and earth. The vigor of fiery qi is suppressed by the tendency of the myriad things to wither, and the dark water…

Xuan Water (referring to the mysterious water-qi) contains the jinye (bodily fluids) and gestates within the storehouses formed by Metal-qi. The light of the Great Yang circulates and transforms into the qi of the Lesser Yang, which gathers and nourishes Heaven and Earth. Thus yin and yang, firmness and softness, are fixed; the orders of the two qi-phenomena are harmonized; luminous circulation appears; and the Yin-Yang Three Primes become distinct. The Eight Seasonal Nodes (the eight solar-term points that mark the calendar) are the days that signal the seasons, and they are also important steps on the path of cultivating the Dao.

On the noon of each of these days, the Supreme Sovereign Great Emperor ascends to the Guanghan Shangqing Numinous Abode, the Gate of Great Void, the Cinnabar City Purple Terrace, and the Jade Tower of Brocade Clouds. The assembled Perfected gather at the Observatory of Taiwei. Those of the upper realm report to the True Sovereigns of the Nine Heavens; those of the middle realm consult the Three Venerable Lords of Supreme Purity, the Perfected of the Northern Pole, and the Great Spirits of the Eight Seas; and those of the lower realm summon the Immortals who have attained the Dao from among the Five Sacred Peaks, together with many numinous lords. They convene together in the Hall of Yangliao to deliberate and decide the transgressions and blessings of the people of the world, to record the diligence or laxity of those who study the Dao and seek immortality, and to assess the punishments due to those who violate prohibitions, as well as the conditions of good and evil conduct and matters concerning life and death.

Each record is arranged according to its governing office and region, sorted by its origin and individual items, and then handed to the Siming (Director of Destinies, the office overseeing human lifespan and life registers) for verification, and entered into the Imperial Register (the celestial ledger of merit and demerit). Even the most minute offenses and blessings are inscribed in the registers of the Cinnabar City, and no concealed wrongdoing or subtle hidden virtue escapes the notice of Heaven.

On that night, at around midnight, one should walk to the center of the courtyard, face north, remove one's headscarf, and bow twice. Then, kneeling, one should report to the Supreme Heavenly Emperor of the Northern Pole, Grand Sovereign (Taishang Beiji Tiandi Taidijun, a revered deity of the Daoist pantheon). Next, one should silently and carefully recount in the heart the various transgressions committed since the age of reason, petition for forgiveness, and declare that from now on one will repent, turn toward goodness, and correct one's conduct. The account must be sincere and credible, and with a wholehearted, utterly genuine heart one should vow before heaven and earth never again to commit evil. As for what exactly to say, one may express it according to one's own feelings.

After this, one should pray that the Supreme Emperor (Taishang Huangdi, a revered deity of the Daoist pantheon) strike away one's offenses, and that the petition be delivered to the Three Officials (Sanguan), the deities in Daoism who govern affairs of heaven, earth, and water. One's name should be entered in the register of immortals and recorded on the jade tablet (yuzha, the Daoist term for the immortal registry), so that one may attain long life and enduring vision and penetrate the true Dao. Then one should knock the teeth together four times, bow again, and return to a quiet chamber to reflect deeply and reproach oneself. While there, one should visualize the deities of the Three Primes (sanyuan) and send one's petition up to the Supreme One. Such petitions should be made three times, after which one is registered in the immortal records and one's offenses are erased.

The "Three Primes, Niwan, Jianggong, and the Three Deities of the Dantian" mentioned here refer to the Three Primal Deities (sanyuan shen) within the body. Visualizing these deities carrying one's petition up to the Heavenly Honored One is meant to seek pardon and assistance. Once one has made the confession, the petition will certainly rise to the heavenly court.

The three confessions should be carried out at the autumn equinox. At that time the register of the living (shengji, the ledger recording the names of the living) will be fixed, and the names of the dead will be removed. This method comes from the Jingming Qingtu (Azure Charts of the Scripture of Destiny) and is known as a secret method of long life.

Ordinary people, though they believe in Daoist methods, still live among the world and often have many faults, and their transgressions are not of a single kind. It is therefore to be feared that the autumn equinox confession should not be undertaken lightly. Only those who enter the mountain forests, withdraw from worldly affairs, dwell in quiet solitude, and do no harm to any living thing may practice it. Once one has declared the vow to repent and turn toward goodness, one must guard it with care, never again commit evil, and keep far from the path of death. If one commits another grave transgression, heaven and earth will not come to one's aid; one's own death is the proof, and it cannot be made good through further confession. Seek the Dao by this method and seek nothing else. Nourishing life and cultivating the Dao are like the blending of water and fire: gain its benefit and one may ascend to heaven in broad daylight, but violate the precepts and one sinks into the Nine Springs below.

This day is especially distinct among the "Seven Festivals," for it is what Zhao Boxuan called the "gate of life and death." The Sanjiu Suyu (Plain Words of the Three Nines) says: "On the day of the autumnal division, the honored and the humble all assemble; this is the day that determines life and death." The ancients called the autumnal equinox the "day of autumnal division" because, it was said, the perfected beings and spirits of the nine heavens and eight earths, along with the Supreme August Sovereign (a revered Daoist deity), gather on this day. They convene for three days and three nights to jointly decide the fates of all people. Many spirits take part in these deliberations, and the revered deities all come together.

On each of the Eight Nodes (bajie), the perfected beings and spirits of heaven and earth, together with the Supreme August Sovereign, also gather for three days and three nights to jointly decide the fates of all people. The perfected officials of heaven and earth arrive at the appointed times, remaining for three days and nights in total around the festival before each returns to the region under its jurisdiction. This is the oral instruction transmitted by Zhi Gong. There is also a related account, belonging to the rules of the "Seven Festivals," in addition to this.

The Houye Shentong Jin'gen Jing (Scripture of the Divine Youth Jin'gen Who Observes the Night) says: "The days of the Eight Nodes are the important moments when seekers of immortality gather. The multitude of perfected beings of the Mandate should all come together. On the day before a festival, the myriad spirits arrive at the celestial court; at noon on the festival day, the revered deities all enter the court to pay their respects; and on the day after the festival, transgressions and merits are judged separately. Only after three days and three nights are the affairs of heaven complete. You must act with caution and strive to accumulate merit, so that your name may have the chance to rise into the ranks of the perfected immortals and be entered in the Taiji register of immortals. My words are not spoken idly, and those who know must keep them strictly secret. Quickly repent and make amends, keep caution and guard them well, and do not divulge them lightly."

This was also the admonition Zhi Gong gave, which he then passed on to Lord Pei. The Perfected Taisu further taught Lord Pei two things: that one who becomes a perfected being must keep the matter deeply hidden, must promptly repent and make amends, and must guard the secret with care. These words, too, were told to Lord Pei by Zhi Gong.

Taoist Master Taisu transmitted two methods of cultivation to Master Pei. The first is the method of the Perfected Person. At dawn, just as the sun rises, one faces the sun, gently closes the eyes, and holds the breath ten times. Next, one visualizes and swallows the sunlight ten times. During the visualization, the sunlight should be imagined as rosy clouds of dawn, entering the mouth and then being swallowed.

Once this is complete, one visualizes the Five Lords of the Emperors emerging from the sunlight and coming to one's side in sequence: the Azure Lord on the left, the Vermilion Lord on the right, the White Lord behind, the Black Lord on the left hand, and the Yellow Lord on the right hand. When all five Emperors have assembled, one visualizes a chariot drawn by nine dragons, adorned with the yangsui (an ancient device for kindling fire from the sun) and crimson clouds (deep red vapors), coming forth from the sunlight to stand before oneself. One then visualizes oneself riding in this chariot together with the Five Lords, flying into the sun itself.

Master Pei practiced in a solitary mountain and concentrated fully on the visualization. In the first year, the images he contemplated appeared faintly. In the second year, the Five Emperors, riding on solar forms, manifested at his side. In the third year, the Emperors conversed and laughed with him throughout the day. By the fifth year, the Sun Lord of the Five Emperors and Master Pei together rode a flying-dragon chariot eastward to the Heaven of the Sun's Cavern, the Long Mound of Donglan, the Palace of the Great Mulberry, and the City of the Eight Extremes. They ascended the Terrace of Brilliant Perfection and sat in the Hall of Xilin. The Five Emperors transmitted to Master Pei the chapter of the Huishen (Scattering the Spirits) and the talisman of the Jiuyou (Nine Possessions). He partook of the Qingjing Solar Terrace and drank the Yunbi Xuanfu (Dark Jade Essence of the Clouds). Thereafter, he journeyed daily with the Sun Lord and the Five Emperors. This is what is called the Way of Pursuing the Sun.

Within the sun there are also five Lords of the Emperors, one of whom is called the Sun Lord. The middle section of the Taishang Yinshu (Esoteric Writings of the Most High) says: "If you wish to become a Perfected Person, you should visualize the Sun Lord mounted on a dragon and accompanied by a phoenix, riding the clouds of heaven eastward to travel through Xilin, and ultimately entering the Gate of the Celestial Sovereign. Simply concentrate your thoughts with single-minded devotion, and you will obtain the essential Way without needing tedious practice. Your name will be entered into the Numinous Realm of Shangqing, you will become a Perfected Official, and you will govern the Yuyi Wen (Text of the Dark Ritual Standard)."

The second practice is the method by which a true person (zhenren) ascends to immortality. Each morning and evening, gaze at the moon, then close your eyes and hold your breath nine times. Next, visualize swallowing the moon into the "Dimen" (the "Gate of the Emperor," a body orifice referred to in cultivation practice). If you concentrate on this visualization, you will obtain the essential secrets of the Way without great effort. Your name will be entered among the "Shangqing Ling" (the Lingering of Highest Clarity), you will join the ranks of the true officials (zhenguan), and you will then hold the Yuyi Wen (a Daoist scripture or cultivation text).

In practice, gaze at the moon each morning and evening, close your eyes, hold your breath, and repeat this nine times. Then visualize swallowing the moonlight nine times. Clearly picture the moonlight entering your mouth, and then swallow it. Once this is complete, visualize the Lady of the Azure Emperor (Qingdi Furen, the goddess corresponding to the Azure Emperor of the East) riding on the moonlight and coming to stand at your left side. Next, visualize the Lady of the Red Emperor (Chidi Furen) emerging from the moonlight and standing on your right. Then visualize the Lady of the White Emperor arriving behind you, the Lady of the Black Emperor arriving above your left hand, and the Lady of the Yellow Emperor arriving above your right hand.

Once all five Emperor's Ladies have assembled, visualize a carriage called the "Liuling Feiyun" (Flowing Bells and Flying Clouds), drawn by ten dragons, riding on the moonlight to come before you. Then visualize the five ladies boarding the carriage together and speeding off toward the moon.

Lord Pei practiced quiet cultivation in an empty mountain, focusing his mind on the Dao. After one year of practice, he seemed to see the figure of an immortal in the moon. In the second year, five ladies arrived beside him together, riding on moon-shaped chariots, and in the third year they began to converse and keep him company with laughter. By the fifth year of practice, the Five Emperors' Moon Ladies (the five goddesses associated with the moon) rode with him on a flying-dragon chariot westward to the Gate of the Six Ridges, the Hill of the Eight Connections, and the Palace of Xiechen. They then reached the City of the Eight Scenes, ascended the Terrace of the Seven Spirits, and took their seats in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The Moon Ladies transmitted to Lord Pei the "Chapter of the Flowing Stars and Night Light" (a scriptural chapter of the Daoist canon) and the "Talisman of the Ten Brilliances" (a Daoist talisman, fulu). Lord Pei partook of the "Huang Wan Zi Jin Yin" (a precious immortal's food, as the immortals describe it) and drank the "Yuehua Yungao" (an immortal's beverage named for the essence of moonlight and clouds). From then on, he traveled each night with the five ladies, and this is what is known as "the Way of Running to the Moon."

There are also Five Emperors' Ladies within the moon. The Outer Scripture speaks of the "Lord of the Sun and Lady of the Moon," but mentions this only briefly. The middle section of the Taishang Yinshu (Supreme Hidden Writings), however, states that one who wishes to ascend to heaven should visualize the Moon Lady (the lunar goddess held in focused contemplation during cultivation), drive ten flying dragons, ride the "Liu Ling" (a flowing-bell vehicle), travel west to the Six Ridges, and then enter the Hall of the Emperor. With concentrated visualization, one can see her; afterward one audiences with the Celestial Emperor and holds the Jielin Chapter.

By day, Lord Pei faces the sun and concentrates his visualization on the five imperial lords within it. At night, he faces the moon and focuses on the five ladies within it. After five years of practice, the spirits of the sun and moon will descend together and carry him on a flying dragon through the vast, remote heavens of Supreme Mystery. At the beginning of cultivation, the Five Spirits will appear in visible forms, bestow scriptures, and grant him a numinous fungus.

Once his cultivation is complete, the five imperial lords of the sun and the five ladies of the moon will drive his carriage and guide him. Riding on clouds, he will travel to Great Cinnabar in the heavens, pay audience to the Three Primordials—the exalted celestial deities of Daoism—and bow before the Golden Palace, the celestial court. He will then receive such tokens of the heavens as a jade seal and Golden Truth, command the spirits, and direct jade maidens and jade youths. He will also pay reverence to the Four Perfected Ones and receive scriptures, thereby becoming a Perfected One. Wearing the divine tiger talisman, he will subdue Yan Liutian; receiving the flowing-gold bell, he will summon and dispatch the many essences; and holding the blue-feathered staff, he will make his rounds through the Nine Palaces. All this is achieved through the subtle power of sincere, focused visualization, which secretly resonates with the heart of Heaven. The spirits therefore descend to protect and aid the practitioner, enabling him to ascend to the celestial court.

A Daoist need only practice in this way; there is no need to become an immortal first. In a closed room, or when the sun and moon cannot be seen, it is enough to visualize them inwardly; one need not actually see them. Practicing while looking at the sun and moon is best. With concentrated visualization and an undivided mind, one can communicate with all things: this is the essential key to the method.

“Eyes half closed” means keeping the eyes nearly shut, so that one can just faintly see the light and shadow of the sun and moon.

Cultivation must be carried out in secret, without letting others know. Even if you share a room with many people, as long as your mind is focused on cultivation, those around you will not notice. This applies to every matter, not just this one. The key to attaining long life and preserving vitality lies in the mind. The so-called Three Dantians—the body’s three sites of cultivation—are separated by no more than three inches. Thus the transformations of the dragon and the cicada’s metamorphosis can both follow the same principle. The Jing of the Eight Su says: “To become an immortal, begin by cultivating within the mind; when the mind and intent are sincere, you can become an immortal. To seek the Dao, search within: when the mind is still and tranquil, the Dao will come. To seek honor and glory, pursue them outwardly: speak up, and distinction may follow. To seek wealth is to stir the mind; when the mind is calm, wealth can gather.” Still the mind or set it in motion: though the methods differ, their aims are connected. The key is knowing when to use each method and how to apply it.

Perfected Person Taishu said: “Those who truly understand the Dao also have many things they do not know. If you wish to ride the radiance and ascend, soar through the clouds into the sky, unite with the vital essences of the sun and moon, roam beyond the Nine Heavens, feed on clouds and rosy mists, and drink the mysterious Qi, breathing the Qi of Great Harmony—the pure, balanced Qi—you must practice this wondrous method. It is also easy to master, and its effects come quickly. Many Perfected Ones who have attained the Dao do not know this method. When they see me traveling on clouds, accompanied by the sun and moon, the Five Emperors—the emperors of the five directions—and the Five Ladies, they respect and draw near to me, coming to ask for instruction. Yet I have not passed this method on to them.” The Inner Vision in the Central Direction says: “If you wish to walk through the air often, visualize the sun and moon; if you wish to ascend to cool, lofty heights, visualize the Five Planets.” Practice in secrecy inside a hidden chamber, without leaving the courtyard: this is the cultivation method being described.

Those who practice this Way, whether they guard the Way or seek immortality and study the Dao, can put this method into practice so long as they cultivate with wholehearted devotion. Once their practice is complete, they can become Immortals who ascend to Heaven. One need not first become a perfected person to cultivate this Way, but one must practice alone. If you have the innate qualities and disposition for cultivating the Dao, and can practice diligently in secret, you should strictly observe the precepts and act with caution. You must not teach or divulge this freely. That is why I have imparted these teachings to you.

The Secret Instructions of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi say: “If you obtain the Yuyi and Jielin—Daoist secret texts associated with the sun and moon—you can become a Perfected One of Shangqing. If you obtain the Great Cavern True Scripture, you can soar through the realm of Shangqing. Without these three scriptures, you cannot behold the Three Primordial Lords, the revered deities of Shangqing. The essentials of cultivating the Dao are all contained here; Immortals should be even more diligent.” Among the middle-ranking Immortals, few know this Daoist method. It is passed on only through oral instructions. Those who understand it, whether wise or foolish, can ride the clouds to Heaven and command ghosts and spirits. The assembled Immortals swore an oath never to reveal it freely; anyone who divulged it would suffer the destruction of their entire family. These oral instructions are what is called the Secret Instructions of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi.

Pei Jun was ordered to remain in an empty mountain, where he devoted himself to contemplation and to cultivating the two practices of visualization and discipline. Over five years, he beheld the essences of the sun and moon and the Ladies of the Five Emperors, goddesses associated with the celestial emperors of the five directions. He studied talismanic texts such as the Hidden Book, the Ninefold Existence, and the Ten Illuminations. After eleven years of cumulative practice, the Perfected One of Taisu came to tell him, “You have completed your cultivation and become a Perfected One.” The Perfected One then bestowed on him a dragon carriage and a feathered canopy, and arranged for him to travel alongside the roaming essences of the sun and moon and the Five Emperors.

Pei Jun arrived at the Palace of Taisu, paid his respects to the Three Primordial Lords of Shangqing, and received the jade seal and golden tokens of truth, emblems of his investiture as an Immortal. He was also assigned twenty-four jade maidens and thirty-two jade attendants. He traveled north through the Palace of Taiji and the Palace of Taiwei, and was eventually ranked among the Perfected Ones of Clear Numinosity.

The Perfected One of Taisu said: “You visualize the essence of the sun and the Lords of the Five Emperors, and recite aloud the Text of the Supreme One’s Yuyi. You must also…”

Only after completing this method of cultivation can one see the sovereign within the sun. Without cultivating in this way, one merely exhausts oneself with worry and distress. The Perfected One of Great Simplicity said: “You should visualize the Five Emperors and the Lady of the Moon’s Essence, divine beings associated with the moon, while holding in your mouth the Supreme Scripture for Binding the Luminous Essence (Taishang Jielin Zhang), a secret text for Daoist cultivation. Only after completing this practice can you see the lady within the moon; otherwise, you will only grieve in vain.”

These two instructions are the essential methods that the Perfected One of Great Simplicity transmitted to the Great Emperor. The Hidden Book of the Supreme says that one should hold the secret text in one’s hand while visualizing. The Emperor says it should be held in the mouth. The Perfected One of Great Simplicity taught Lord Pei to use both methods at once: keep one text in the mouth while holding the other in the hand.

The Taishang Yinshu says: The path of cultivation does not depend on whether a person is dull or clever; it is simply that this scripture has not circulated in the world. When True Officials—divine officials of the celestial realm—transmit esoteric arts, they must first establish an oath before passing them on. Only when the tokens of authorization for cultivating the Golden Elixir are complete is the path of cultivation considered complete; this path may be proclaimed only after a covenant has been made on blue silk.

Those who receive the scriptures and methods and cultivate according to them may take their place among the Perfected. They will then ride the rosy clouds of the Bu Jing Yun Yan, drive a feathered banner and a jade chariot, roam through the nine heavens, travel to the Palace of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and pay their respects to the High Emperor, Lord Shangyuan.

Lord Pei had previously received in secret two scriptures, the Taishang Yuyi Wen and the Taishang Jielin Zhang. Only after fasting and cultivating did he become able to contemplate and retain the essence of the sun and moon through visualization. Only those entered in the registers of immortals, with names recorded in the immortal bone registers, may see these two books. Those who see the scriptures can become immortals; those who cultivate according to them can become Perfected.

The Yuyi Jing, the Jielin Jing, and the Dadong Zhenjing are all scriptures held in secret by the Four Perfected of Taiji and treasured by the Celestial Emperor of Shangqing. These books are kept in a grotto terrace beneath Western Mystery Mountain, inscribed on jade tablets in golden characters. The Dadong Zhenjing is also found in the Clear Void Grotto on Mount Wangwu. Although the titles of the Yuyi and Jielin scriptures are also found there, they are not preserved in full. Only the High Terrace of the Great Mystery Palace and the Northern Chamber of the Penglai Prefecture have complete versions of the scriptures engraved on their golden pillars and jade walls.

Cultivators must focus their minds and work at the practice day and night. It takes eleven years to complete. This is broadly the same length of time required to cultivate the Dong scriptures, the advanced scriptures of Shangqing Daoism.

These two essays are the foundation of the Dong Jing, and are like a garden within the Su Ling Jing. Yu Yi and Jie Lin are chapters concerned with the sun and moon and their hidden meanings. Immortals whose cultivation is generally at a lower level have never even heard their titles or essential teachings. Those who master their methods can make rapid progress without undergoing trials; grasping their key principles makes cultivation even more effective, surpassing the subtle methods of the Da Dong.

Anyone not listed in the registers of immortals must not hear this book. After hearing or seeing it, anyone who dares to disclose it privately to even one person will lose ten attendants of the Perfected Immortals—officials, Jade Maidens, and Jade Youths—and bring down the calamity of heavenly fire. If the book is disclosed to two or more people, one will be unable to attain the immortal Way. Under the precepts governing the disclosure of the Dong Jing, penalties vary according to the severity of the offense. The number of spirits who attend the Perfected Ones is reduced, and the punishment is ten times harsher than for disclosing the Da Dong. On earth, those with immortal bones who are destined to cultivate the Way may serve as masters if they possess this book. Men are called “Supervising Spirit Grand Masters,” and women, “Illustrious Clarity Grand Masters”; men are designated “Left,” women “Right.”

The Su Zou Dan Fu says: “How wondrous, Yu Yi; how profound, the practice of Jie Lin. Unless one is a High Perfected, one cannot see them; unless one is a High Immortal, one cannot hear of them. Through them, one can summon the spirits of the sun and moon’s Five Essences, ride a dragon through the sky, tread upon auspicious clouds, and ultimately ascend through Heaven’s Gate together with the Five Emperors.”

Anyone who possesses or hears this book must be cautious and never speak of it recklessly. Those who wish to leave the world and cultivate the Way must first make a solemn golden vow before the teachings can be transmitted. They should be given only to disciples sincerely seeking the Way, and the chapter titles must not be revealed. The Jade Youths will report the matter above: disclosing this book will bring a heavenly tribunal and make one unable to become immortal for the rest of one’s life. Once the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens depart, they will never return; the written text will surely be lost, and one will also suffer punishment from the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water. Be ever cautious: careless words bring guilt.

In a cave on the north side of Mount Emei, there is a stone chamber. These words are carved on its doorpost: “The Yuyi (a Daoist scripture associated with the essence of the sun) draws in the sun’s essence; the Jielin (a Daoist scripture associated with the moon spirit) summons the moon spirit. After attaining the Dao, one enters the Upper Palace and is given the rank of a True Master of the Great Official.” The passage contains twenty characters in all. Even lesser immortals who read it do not understand its meaning. Many of the texts transmitted by immortals are ones they themselves have never seen.

Practices such as the Golden Liquids and the Nine Elixirs are only minor, relatively shallow arts; none can enable a person to ascend to the Upper Clarity. If someone reveals the contents of the Great Cavern Scripture of Perfect Truth, the penalty under the Regulations of the Mysterious Realm (Daoist precepts) is the loss of twelve years of life, as well as one Jade Boy and one Jade Maiden (boy and girl attendants serving the perfected immortals). Reveal it three times, and the offender will die and can never again become an immortal.

The penalty is more severe for revealing the Most High’s Writ of the Yuyi or Chapter of the Jielin: ten Jade Boys and ten Jade Maidens will be taken away. Heavenly fire will destroy the house, and the scriptures will vanish in the flames and return to Heaven. A second disclosure brings bodily punishment; after death, the offender cannot be reborn, and despite studying the Dao, will never become an immortal. Revealing the contents of scriptures or speaking recklessly about their titles and chapters also incurs punishment from the Three Offices, the divine authorities that govern the affairs of Heaven, Earth, and Water.

When the time has come for a master to depart this life, or when they are about to enter the shadowed realm and withdraw from sight through transformation, they should transmit the scriptures to a suitable person. If there is no suitable recipient, they should take the scriptures with them. The recipient must bind the scriptures in blue-gold threads and swear before Heaven and Earth not to disclose them. Only after making this oath may the recipient take possession of the scriptures. The master must also report the matter to the authorities above as circumstances require, stating the date of transmission. Failure to follow these rules counts as unauthorized disclosure.

The Great Cavern Perfected Scripture is a precious secret text of the Central Lord Huang-Lao. Only those who have attained the highest state and possess a “Jade Name” (that is, whose names have been entered in the registers of the immortals) may see its table of contents. Even among the perfected immortals, some have never heard of this scripture. At first, it was decreed that it could be transmitted only once every hundred years. Even those qualified to teach it were forbidden to reveal its chapter titles casually.

The Supreme One’s two scriptures, Yu Yi and Jie Lin, describe methods of cultivating with the refined Qi of the sun and moon, ascending to them, reaching through the radiance of heaven, and rising into the sky. The cultivator rides a cloud chariot with feathers for its canopy, commands dragons, and ascends to the Purple Court of the August Heaven, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor. The Great Cavern Perfected Scripture also describes the way to approach and pay homage to the deities, summon them, and become a Perfected Person: riding clouds and dragons, soaring through the mysterious void, dressed in a feathered robe embroidered with designs, wearing golden perfection and jade radiance, wandering freely amid the Great Rosy Clouds, and ascending to the Nine Heavens.

These two books contain the Celestial Emperor’s secret methods of cultivation, which are extraordinarily subtle. The Perfected Person Taishu still concealed their chapter titles, mentioning only two matters in general terms. This shows how carefully these methods were kept secret. How, then, could ordinary people be told the specific order of their chapters? Those who are fortunate enough to encounter and obtain these scriptures may still practice their methods, provided they are wholly sincere and devoted to the Dao. They contain further specific essentials, which will not be explained here one by one.

The titles of the Perfected Scriptures received by Lord Pei are listed below:

The Five Songs of the Secret Formula of Zhi Ziyuan’s Spirit were transmitted secretly by Master Jiang for use in a hidden chamber within a secluded room in the Buddhist stupa south of Xianyang.

The Lord of the Azure Emperor transmitted one scroll of the Scripture of the Primordial Azure Way of the Violet Tenuity.

The Lord of the Cang Emperor transmitted four scrolls of the Central-Life Scripture of the Four Revolutions of the Northern Dipper, from the Upper Register of Cangyuan.

The Lord of the White Emperor transmitted three scrolls of the Scripture of the Profound Treasure of the Jade Register of Great Simplicity.

The Red Emperor transmitted two scrolls of the Dragon Embryo Great Harmony Elixir Scripture. The Yellow Emperor transmitted eight scrolls of the Four Qi Pivot of the Supreme Origin Yellow Book. The Azure Emperor transmitted the talisman “Penetrating Light and Sunlit Rosy Clouds”; the Blue-Green Emperor transmitted the talisman “Hidden Truth and Phoenix Flute”; the White Emperor transmitted the talisman “Bright Spirit and Support of Hope”; the Red Emperor transmitted the talisman “Four Luminaries, Vermilion and Jade Green”; and the Yellow Emperor transmitted the talisman “Eight Directions of the Central Origin, Jade Gate.” These ten scriptures and Fulu (talismans and registers) were transmitted in a stone chamber of the Dongxuan Cavern, west of Mount Taihua.

Gu Xizi received Azure Essence Sun Water and Azure Flower Zhi from the Azure Emperor, then traveled east to Qingqiu to consume them. Lord Siming transmitted the Supreme Sovereign’s Golden Register on Mount Tai.

Perfected One Taisu transmitted the Supreme One’s Yuyi Text, the Supreme One’s Jielin Text, and the Supreme One’s Hidden Writings on a secluded mountain at the sandbar of White Water. The Three Primordial Lords of Shangqing transmitted the Jade Seal of Golden Truth beneath the Golden Tower of Taisu Palace.

Four Perfected Ones transmitted the Spirit Tiger Talisman and Flowing Gold Fire Bells in Taiji Palace. The Five Emperors of the Sun transmitted the chapter “Waving the Spirit,” the talisman “Nine Domains,” and Azure Essence Sun Malt and Cloud Jade Dark Essence. The Five Imperial Ladies of the Moon transmitted the chapter “Streaming Stars and Luminous Night,” the “Ten Luminaries” talismans, the Spirit Tiger Talisman, and the Flowing Gold Fire Bells. The transmission accounts listed earlier are repeated later in the text.

The Five Emperor Ladies in the moon transmitted the Flowing Stars and Night Radiance Chapter and the Talismans of the Ten Luminaries, as well as Yellow Jade and Purple Ford sweets and Moonlight Cloud Paste. These are the various scriptures and talismans and registers that Pei Jun received.

Pei Jun passed on to Zhi Ziyuan the Method for Taking Poria, which he had received from Master Jiang of Jiao Mountain. Take five jin of poria, prepare it carefully, remove the outer skin, and pound it into a fine powder. Soak it in three dou of white honey. Put the honey and medicine into a bronze vessel; if the vessel can withstand heat, an unglazed white ceramic vessel may also be used. Place it in a large pot and add water until it reaches about halfway up the vessel. Heat the pot over a low flame, bringing the water to a boil to cook the medicine. Turn the mixture several times as it cooks so that it blends evenly. After a while, when the honey has boiled away and the medicine has thickened, remove it and pound it thirty thousand times in an iron mortar, until it can be formed into pills. Take thirty pills at a time, each about the size of a parasol tree seed.

The scripture says that after one hundred days of taking it, all kinds of illness will be dispelled; after two hundred days, one will be able to write at night. After two years, one can command ghosts and spirits; after four years, a Jade Maiden will attend and protect one. After ten years, one will see by night as if by daylight, be able to vanish and appear at will, and live forever without growing old. After one year, no harm can injure the body and illness will no longer trouble it. One’s complexion will return to the freshness of an infant’s, the skin will become full and smooth, white hair will turn black, and the eyes will shine.

Before preparing the medicine, observe a three-day purification fast. Cook it in a secluded place, where no women, chickens, or dogs can see it, and keep it from contact with anything impure. Five jin of poria and three dou of white honey make one batch. Cover the cooking vessel with a wooden lid; do not leave it open. Turn the mixture while it cooks, and open the vessel only after it is done. Use fine firewood or charcoal for fuel, not unsuitable mixed wood. Watch the cooking attentively, keeping track of the heat and the amount of medicine. Once prepared, first form the medicine into pills, then store them in a sealed container. It is said they can be kept for a thousand years without spoiling.

Pei Jun transmitted Zhi Ziyuan’s “Method for Taking Sesame” to Master Jiang. Master Jiang had passed it on to Lord Zhi in Golden Turtle Ancestor Mountain.

Take three dou of plump sesame seeds, either yellow or black. Winnow them carefully to remove impurities. Roast them over a low flame until highly fragrant and completely dry, then pound them finely into an even, smooth powder, leaving no coarse grains. Take three dou of white honey, soak the sesame powder in it, and stir well before placing it in a vessel. Set the vessel in water inside a cauldron and heat it; prepare it in the same way as the previously described “Poria Method.” When the water has boiled away and the mixture is ready to be pounded, remove it and pound it thirty thousand times. Shape it into pills the size of tong tree seeds. Take thirty pills each morning. After finishing one batch, it is said that the intestines will become like sinew; one will no longer feel cold or heat, one’s face will regain its youthful appearance, and one will be able to command the many spirits.

Master Jiang took only these two formulas. Tradition says that he ascended to immortality through the air, could reach distant places in a single breath, and could come and go unhindered. Riding among a host of dragons, he attended court with the True Immortals of the heavens and took his place among the ranks of the immortals. When preparing the sesame formula, one must still winnow the seeds repeatedly until they are pure.

These two formulas differ somewhat from the recipe books circulating among ordinary people. The formulas secretly transmitted by Pei Jun are said to have been tried and proven effective. The scripture says that when the body is not yet depleted and one is still young, one should take poria; after the age of thirty, one should take sesame. Master Jiang said these two formulas were vital secrets for attaining long life and becoming an immortal. The Baoxuan Jing says: “Poria suits the young, and sesame suits the old. Observe purification and take them at dawn. The sweet dew and essence of plants is honey; the essence of fire is poria; the treasure of water is sesame. Blend them into one, and return the vital essence to its treasure.” Here, “the sweet liquor and rich essence of plants” refers to honey, “the essence of fire” to poria, and “the treasure of water” to sesame. Pei Jun used the formula when he was young, and therefore took poria. Though the two formulas differ, both are said to be wondrous prescriptions that can grant long life, deathlessness, and immortality. Those with ample means may also…

Combine poria (called “fire essence” in Daoist books) and sesame (called “water treasure” in Daoist books), double the amount of honey, and simmer them together. Then pound the mixture and take it. When he was young, Lord Pei took the poria preparation. The two formulas are alike in nature, and both are regarded as wondrous prescriptions said to grant long life, freedom from death, and attainment of the Dao and immortality. Those with ample means may also double the amounts of both ingredients, simmer them with honey, and pound the mixture into pills for taking. This is even better and suitable for both young and old. Poria and sesame need not be prepared separately.

Master Jiang once taught the two formulas to Lord Zhi separately, at different places, rather than transmitting them both at once. Thus the poria formula was passed down at Jiao Mountain, while the sesame formula was transmitted by Biezu. The origins of secret Daoist teachings are difficult to trace in full. Later, Lord Zhi passed on to Lord Pei all the secrets contained in his bag of scriptures and ritual texts, revealing every hidden path of the mysterious and profound Daoist arts. It was as though he had foreseen the celestial register of immortals; surely he already knew that Lord Pei would become an immortal adept!

This passage appears in “Inner Biography of Lord Wang, the Perfected One of Pure Emptiness,” in volume 106, “Biographies, Part Four,” of the Seven Slips from a Cloudy Satchel. It was written by his disciple, Lady Wei Huacun of Mount Heng.

The Perfected One of Pure Emptiness, Lord Wang, was named Bao and styled Zideng. He was from Xiangping in Fanyang and was the seventh-generation descendant of the Marquis of An’guo. Lord Wang was born on the twenty-seventh day of the ninth month in the third year of the Jianzhao era under Emperor Yuan of Han. His family had deep roots and had been distinguished for generations.

Lord Wang’s father was named Kai. He was renowned in his home region for his noble character and was once recommended as a man of outstanding talent. He successively served as Gentleman of Discussion, Grandee of the Central Rampart, Governor of Shangdang, Attendant of the Yellow Gate, Palace Attendant, General of the Left, and Governor of Yanmen. Wang Kai was upright and dared to speak frankly to the court. He was also skilled at offering strategies for governing the state. He devoted himself to his duties and to governing the people, ruled through ritual propriety, and reduced punishments and taxes. The people respected him without needing to be strictly constrained. The Son of Heaven considered him worthy and promoted him to Senior of the Hall, appointing him as tutor to the Crown Prince and having him teach the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Documents, the Analects, the Rites, and the Changes. Kind and broad-minded, he guided his students patiently. He explained the subtle points of the classics so that scholars could follow their teachings, and clarified their central meanings, establishing standards for rulers of later generations. He was later promoted to Grandee of Splendid Happiness and given the posthumous title Marquis Wen.

Lord Wang’s mother was a granddaughter of Sima Qian. She was virtuous and circumspect, quiet and learned, and possessed the conduct befitting a model mother. The Wang family had an upright lineage and produced many talented people. Its excellent foundations endured from generation to generation, and its virtue and abilities shone brightly. Thus, loyalty and filial piety were handed down from the ancestors, while the virtue of guiding others was made manifest through Wang Kai’s literary virtue. The family was distinguished for generations and produced exceptional talents; Lord Wang was one of them.

Lord Wang received the wondrous Qi of the Six Harmonies and was born with an excellent nature. Like the finest peaks of mountains, he possessed an outstanding presence, and he also inherited the noble endowment revealed by a numinous talisman. His virtue in guiding others was made manifest through his father’s literary virtue, and he carried on the family tradition of producing generations of outstanding talent.

You were endowed with the wondrous Qi of the Six Harmonies, a subtle energy that brings things into balance and union. Your natural gifts were exceptional, containing the graceful spirit of mountains and the noble endowment of a sacred talisman. Your radiance shone upon the Three Mornings, the three celestial dawns spoken of in Daoism. Lofty and transcendent, you far surpassed the subtle winds of the mysterious realm. In your youth, you studied the Five Classics and also explored the various masters and schools. You investigated astronomy and the stars, understood the changes of Yin-Yang, and ranged widely even into such subjects as wind, qi, and musical modes.

Your father arranged your marriage to the daughter of Chancellor Kong Guang. Though you had married and thereby upheld human relations, you remained serene and true, pure in virtue and clear in conduct. You followed your own path, devoted to preserving your original nature, with no attachment to family life. You were as lofty as layered auspicious clouds and as vast as a boat adrift on the boundless sea. Your spirit dwelled above all things, and your bearing rose straight into the heavens. Like a wild goose flying toward Denglin, you spread your wings in the eastern garden. You meant to fold away your phoenix feathers and hide amid the southern wind, concealing your dragon radiance and sinking into a deep, hidden source.

Yet, like a luminous pearl hidden beneath the waters, your brilliance could not remain concealed. Your name spread throughout Juepu, and your reputation reached the capital and the Central Plain. Officials at every level repeatedly summoned you. One night, you sighed with feeling: “The dust and turmoil of the human world are so distracting. People compete over gain and loss, contending with one another for advantage, as short-sighted as the yuanchu bird looking down on an old swallow!” You then resolved to take leave of your family and enter Mount Hua to cultivate the Way.

For nine years on Mount Hua, you endured every hardship. Your utmost sincerity moved Heaven; your spirit illuminated hidden realms; body and mind joined with the unseen numinous presence. With all your heart, you sought the Way of utmost truth.

One night, near midnight, you resolved to take leave of your family and enter Mount Hua to cultivate the Way. For nine years on Mount Hua, you endured every hardship. Your utmost sincerity moved Heaven; your spirit illuminated hidden realms; body and mind joined with the unseen numinous presence. With all your heart, you sought the Way of utmost truth!

One night at midnight, voices of people and horses, along with the sounds of flutes and drums, suddenly rang out among the mountain forests and lakes. In moments, the sounds drew closer to the mountain. Looking up, you saw a thousand horsemen and ten thousand carriages arriving through the air. A divine being rode in a three-hued cloud chariot, carried by clouds of three colors. He held a tiger tally, the token for commanding troops, while a red battle axe cleared the way. He also carried a tally and held a banner. Qu Chen, a divine being, cast a deep shadow, and brocade banners veiled the sky.

The divine being halted his chariot and said, “I am the Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate, Xi Liang Ziwen. I have heard that you love the Dao arts and have labored in cultivation among the mountains and forests, yet have not grasped their true essentials. This is truly a pity. You earnestly seek long life, and your aspiration is indeed admirable!”

You hurried to the chariot, bowed your head, and introduced yourself: “Bao Yi is an ordinary person, dull and mediocre. My body is tainted by worldly influences; I indulge in agitation and disturb my nature. Yet from childhood I have loved nurturing life and seeking the Dao, though I do not know how to attain it.”

The Perfected said, “Without a master’s guidance, one who studies the Dao will find it difficult to understand the teachings on their own. I, a Perfected of the Supreme Ultimate, oversee the affairs of the immortals and am responsible for examining those who study the Dao and selecting the truly worthy. Your name has already been entered in the immortal registers of Shangqing and Donghua. You are listed among the Pure Void and hold a place in Xiaoyou. In time, you will surely oversee precious scriptures and take up the duties assigned by the Heavenly King. You need only devote yourself to the Four Visions, diligently pursue the highest Dao, and you will naturally attain success.”

Later, he withdrew into seclusion in the mountains of Yangluo, where the Lady of the Southern Pole and the Perfected One of the Western City both descended to meet him. The Lady of the Southern Pole pointed to the Perfected One of the Western City and said to him, “You should become the teacher of Wang Zideng. Wang Zideng is also an excellent disciple.”

Much later, the Perfected One of the Western City sighed deeply and said to him, “The study of the Dao truly cannot be rushed, and you cannot expect to attain longevity at once. You must study the profound arts of the Dao and settle your heart in the Mysterious Origin—the source of the Dao. Only then can you gradually rise to the realm of Great Mystery and ascend, level by level, beyond the lofty heavens.

“Though the Dao has no physical form, it truly exists. Though its mysterious principles are deep and hard to fathom, in truth they are plain and clear. You should diligently seek the formless Dao to perceive its real presence; you should observe a wide range of mysterious principles to fully understand their vast simplicity. Grasp the Dao’s real presence, and life will have a foundation. Grasp its mystery, and life span can be preserved.

“Though your desire for longevity is sincere, you have yet to see its limits. Though you diligently admire the Great Dao, you have yet to find the way in. This is like searching for a bird’s nest amid surging waves, or looking for fish in deep water by following a towering tree.

“Thus your mind and spirit have grown weary from practicing daoyin—health-preserving methods such as regulating the breath and stretching the body—and the Vermilion Palace, where the spirit resides, has consequently declined. Your lungs have been damaged by regulating the breath, and the radiance of the spirit has faded. Your liver has been exhausted by the strain of looking, and the essence of the Hun soul has dissipated. Your spleen has been drained by forcibly guarding the spirit, leaving the Dantian, the place within the body where essence and Qi are cultivated, obstructed. Your kidneys have been worn out by the strain of circulating Qi through the meridians, and the body’s fluids have lost their moisture. Your gallbladder has become overly rigid and sharp from eager striving, leaving your limbs restless and unsettled.

“The five viscera have harmed one another, and the six bowels have fallen out of their normal state. The Triple Burner, which regulates fluids and the flow of Qi within the body, is obstructed and cannot discharge freely. The eight gates, the body’s openings through which Qi enters and exits, are blocked, and the flow of Qi cannot continue. You can only keep your body going with coarse food, while relying on medicines and talismans to shore up your inner state. This may delay aging, but it still cannot help you escape the time of inevitable death. Even if you lived ten thousand years, what would there be to treasure in that?”

That very day, the Perfected of the Western Citadel transmitted thirty-one scrolls of scriptures to Wang Zideng, including the Precious Writ of the Most High, the Hidden Book of the Eight Su, the True Scripture of the Great Cavern, the Eight Paths of the Numinous Writ, Purple Measure, Flaming Radiance, Stone Essence, Jade Horse, Divine Perfected Ones, Tiger Script, High Immortals, and Feathered Mystery. Only after they had made a covenant and sworn an oath according to the prescribed rules did he hand the scriptures over to him. Then the Perfected of the Western Citadel took Wang Zideng with him, and in an instant they arrived at a place surrounded on all sides by the sea, where enormous waves towered a thousand zhang high. On the islands in the sea stood palaces and pavilions in great profusion; red-lacquered terraces and rooms like fine jade were too numerous to count.

The Perfected of the Western Citadel said, “This is the residence of the Immortal Capital. The Most High Elder lives here.” He then led Wang Zideng into the Palace of Purple Cassia. Wang Zideng saw the Most High Elder wearing a feathered robe of flowing rosy clouds and a lotus crown. Divine radiance hung at his waist, and he held a fire bell in his hand. Hundreds of attendants stood by him, while dragons and tigers guarded both sides of the steps. After exchanging courtesies, the Most High Elder and the Perfected of the Western Citadel sat down hand in hand. Wang Zideng stood respectfully at their side.

The Most High Elder asked, “Is that Wang Zideng? He met a good teacher while studying the Dao, and it seems he will achieve something.” The Perfected of the Western Citadel smiled and invited Wang Zideng to pay his respects to the Most High Elder. After he had bowed, the Most High Elder had him sit facing north.

The Most High Elder laid out a banquet. With a breath, rare immortal delicacies filled the table: countless kinds of numinous dishes, and vessels brimming with immortal wine. Sandalwood was lit, sending up curling smoke, while subtle, mysterious fragrances drifted through the air. Then a grand celestial performance began. At the Seven Lights, a golden ao—an instrument used in immortal music—was struck, and the sound of Kongtong rang out, its clear, piercing notes reaching the Heavenly Mound. Dragons leapt among the cloud cliffs, and flying phoenixes cried aloud. Giant whales surged between the mountains, their waves reaching the sky. Clouds rose into the heavens, and fresh breezes swept across the vast land. The Immortal Spirits of the Nine Perfected Ones sang, chanting the Way of Emptiness. The Jade Florescence Immortal led the singing, while the Queen Mother of the West bent low in dance. The immortals waved their sleeves, and the myriad spirits approached in measured steps. Feathered youths clapped to the rhythm as auspicious clouds swirled without dispersing.

At that moment, the Most High Elder summoned twenty-nine Perfected Ones, all of them Great Perfected Lords of Mystery Isle. The foremost among them called himself the Lord of the Immortal Way. Pointing to Wang Zideng, he said to the Perfected of the Western Citadel, “Will this traveler from afar become your guest, and a friend to the Chief Minister? Look at this young man: his mind and spirit are clear and profound; his vital energy is settled and his form tranquil. The light of the Perfected Dawn shines of itself without dazzling, and the Six Radiances gleam. Could he be an extraordinary Perfected One, or perhaps the worthy ruler of Mount Xiaoyou? But who, in truth, is he?”

The Perfected of the Western Citadel smiled and replied, “Why are the Lord’s words so inelegant, and his questions so fussy and shallow? Allow me to explain the essential principle in broad terms.”

The sage opened the undivided source of the primordial chaos, causing it to divide into myriad forms; he also opened the vast storehouse, spreading within it all the countless things of creation. Thus the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—were established, and people looked up at the heavens and devised instruments for measuring celestial phenomena. They marked out regions and modeled the Five Marches, the ancient system for distinguishing lands by their distance from the center, on the divisions of the earth. They made clepsydras to distinguish day from night and established the four seasons to order the years. They used five positions to determine the directions and mountains and rivers to distinguish rugged from level ground. People also built city walls so they could live in safety, made weapons for self-defense, and devised banners, carriages, and garments and headwear so that they might…

All things depend on the nine grains—the nine kinds of grain—to nourish themselves. This class of things appears in Heaven as subtle signs and on Earth as tangible forms: the sun and moon differ in brightness and darkness; cold and heat bring the energies of growth and decline; thunder has its seasons of arising and ceasing; and wind and rain follow patterns of activity and rest. The various breaths drift above, while the many vital essences spread below. The patterns of flourishing and decline, the fortunes of order and disorder, innate qualities of wisdom and folly, the natures of good and evil, temperaments of firmness and gentleness, the length of life, rank and status, signs of good and ill fortune, and the times of hardship or advancement all become manifest through this. Human nature originates in Heaven, while destiny is shaped by people themselves. Thus Heaven and Earth establish the myriad things, and the Dao sets them in motion. The nature that people receive accords with spirit and blends into unity, flowing and moving in ways that are difficult to distinguish in detail.

Then the Lord of the Immortal Way ordered his attendants Fan Yunhua, Zhao Junzhu, Wang Baotai, and others to open the jade-adorned book chest and consult the Daoist texts. They took out the two scrolls of the Perfect Scripture of the Eight Spirits and Dragon Writings from the Hidden Books of the Highest Clarity, and bestowed them upon Zi Deng. The lord also granted him two sheng of Cloud-Jade Yang Water and Morning-Flying Elixir Paste, an elixir described in Daoist teachings. After bowing, the lord took it.

The Perfected One then accompanied the lord back to the Western City. After nine years of Daoist cultivation, the lord completed his work and was granted a Flying Whirlwind chariot. He traveled east across the Qiming Sea and ascended Mount Guang…

The perfected one then brought him back to Western City. After nine years of cultivation, he finally attained the Dao and was granted a flying chariot. He traveled east across the Qiming Sea, climbed Guang Sang Mountain, entered the Court of First Radiance, and paid his respects to the Great Emperor. He performed the kowtow and bowed twice. The Great Emperor bestowed on him the Nine Writings of the Dragon’s Radiance and the Purple Phoenix’s Vermilion Script and the Eight Paths of the Jade Register of the Upper Clarity Spirit Map.

He then traveled south, crossing the Bohai Sea and the Dan Sea, and climbed Changli Mountain to pay his respects to the Lady of Purple Origin at the Southern Pole, also known as the Primordial Lord of the Southern Pole. She bestowed on him the Green Script of the Ninefold Return to Mystery and the Great Elixir. Next, he paid his respects to the Red Terrace Lad and the Duke of the Flower Canopy, and received the Frosted Water of the Five Clouds’ Night-Luminescent Cloudstone. The Lady of the Southern Pole said, “How could I break the promise I made long ago?” The perfected one kowtowed in thanks and then took his leave.

Next, he traveled west, crossing the great sea of Yuqiu and the Ford Where Feathers Sink. He climbed Linong Mountain and paid his respects to the Lady of the Purple Canopy at Dawn and the Dao Lord of the Three Sovereigns, Jingzhen. He received the Jade Way’s Green Characters: The Hidden Scripture of Returning Radiance and Great Truth.

He then journeyed north, crossing the Mysterious Sea of Diaorou and the Upper River of the Dragon’s Drink, until he reached the Gourd Ford. He climbed Guangye Mountain to pay his respects to the Jade Lord of the Great Dao, the Most High and Void Emperor. At that time, the Jade Lord was out on a tour: he rode upon the morning light of the sun and moon, with purple radiance as his carriage. Clouds gathered densely around him, and radiant scenes from the eight directions shone upon one another. The flying immortals in his retinue numbered in the tens of millions, beyond counting. The perfected one bowed twice by the roadside. Someone called out, “I hear you are going to pay your respects to the Upper Clarity Jade Dawn Emperor and the Mysterious Clarity Lord of the Six Subtlety. The two sovereigns will bestow on you the Golden Writ of the Treasure Cavern, Flying Through the Clouds and Transcending Mystery and the Hidden Scripture of the Supreme Ultimate, as well as the Dragon-Brilliance Pearl, crimson silk, and cloud fungus.” After bowing in thanks, the perfected one drank what had been bestowed. At once, his whole body shone golden, a halo appeared above his head, and the Seven Luminaries—the seven celestial lights—radiated brilliance. Their flowing colors illuminated his entire body.

Afterward, the perfected one climbed the Wilds of Langfeng and the Palace of Xuanpu, where he paid his respects to the Jade Emperor of the Central Sovereign and received the Jade Scripture of Unbinding the Form, Evading Change, and Flowing Radiance. He crossed Yuejue and the Ruoshui River, then traveled west to the Turtle Terrace to pay his respects to the Lady of Ninefold Numinous Power, the Great Truth of Upper Clarity. After withdrawing, he fasted for three months and received the Jade Writings of the Three Blossoms’ Treasure Radiance, the Upper Register of Numinous Radiance, and the Plain Scripture of the Seven Dawn Stars. He then fasted for three years, crossed the vast river, and climbed White-Void Yushan Mountain. Around the mountain there were thirty thousand…

The next day, the Perfected One went to the Purple-Clear Palace of Jade Splendor and Primordial Simplicity, the dwelling of the immortals. This was where the Supreme Dao Lord of Primordial Simplicity’s Three Origins governed. Within the palace stood the Palace of Vermilion Spirits and White Jade. Its radiance shimmered and soared, while purple clouds shone above it. Seven-colored lights interwove and gathered high among the clouds. The scene was wondrous and magnificent, beyond words. Immortal youths and jade maidens stood in attendance on either side, and the Heavenly Venerables were too numerous to count.

When the Perfected One arrived, he knocked his head to the ground and bowed twice, then waited a long time beneath the jade palace. The Supreme Dao Lord of Primordial Simplicity’s Three Origins then sent Xilin Zao, a messenger dressed in embroidered robes, to bestow on him the Golden Truth, Jade Radiance, Flowing Gold and Fire Bells, Unfolding and Scattering, Seven Origins, Eight Visions, Flying Dawn. The Lord also sent the Lady Guo Linggai, the Pure and True Lady of the Left, and Zhong Feiji, the Jade Radiance of the Right Yang, bearing a divine tally and jade seal, to confer them upon the Perfected One. He was invested as the Perfected One of Primordial Simplicity and Pure Emptiness, and given authority over the King of the Lesser You Heavens, the Three Origins and Four Offices, and the Right Protector, the Exalted Lord. He was also charged with governing the grotto-heaven of Mount Wangwu. The Lord bestowed upon him three hundred jade youths and three hundred jade maidens, and placed him in charge of such texts as the Jade Registers of Highest Clarity, the Treasured Mysteries of Primordial Simplicity, the Supreme Ultimate’s Highest Teachings, the Numinous Writings of the Nine Heavens, the Secret Books of the Six Directions, and the Wondrous Scriptures of Mountains and Seas.

The Perfected One also commanded the Three Treasures of Bright Radiance within the grotto-heaven. He could ride the tiger banners and dragon chariots, the golden canopies and jade wheels, and the flying carriages of the Eight Visions. He entered and left Highest Clarity, went to Primordial Simplicity to receive his duties, and dwelt and rested in the Supreme Ultimate. Later, he returned to Western City, observed purification for three months, and received the immortal books, becoming the Perfected One of Primordial Simplicity and Pure Emptiness.

◎ Inner Account of Lord Zhou, the Perfected One of Purple Yang

The Perfected One of Ziyang, whose surname was Zhou, was named Yishan and courtesy name Jitong. He was from Ruyin and a seventh-generation descendant of Zhou Bo, the Han dynasty chancellor. His family was distinguished, with officials in every generation. His grandfather, Zhou Xuan, served as governor of Qingzhou in the first year of Yuanfeng; his father, Zhou Mi, was magistrate of Fanyang County. Yishan was born during this period.

Later, Zhou Mi served in several posts and rose to become governor of Chenliu. When Yishan was sixteen, he went with his father to live in the commandery and began studying the Classic of Filial Piety, the Analects, and the Book of Changes. He was grave and steady, spoke and laughed little, and did not let joy or anger show on his face. He liked to stay alone in quiet places and had little interest in making friends or seeking fame. His thoughts were subtle and focused, and his reflections and actions often resonated within him.

Before sunrise, he would often stand facing due east, rinse his mouth and swallow the saliva, then practice the method of taking in Qi—a breathing practice for regulating the breath and drawing in vital energy—several hundred times. He would then bow twice toward the sun. He did this every day for many years. His father found it strange and asked what he was doing. Kneeling, Yishan replied, “In my heart, I cherish the sun’s long, radiant light, so I bow to it.”

On the morning of each new moon, he would often visit the marketplace and the remote lanes of the countryside. When he encountered people who were poor and hungry, he would take off his clothes and give them away. Sometimes he climbed a famous mountain and sighed with feeling; at other times he entered a stone chamber, rejoicing and laughing by himself.

When the great Confucian scholars and renowned figures of Chenliu heard that his virtue was outstanding and his temperament quiet and refined, they all came to visit. He often declined to receive them, saying that he was ill.

At times, he would enter a stone chamber and laugh to himself with delight. In those days, learned and distinguished men from Chenliu heard of his outstanding virtue and calm, gentle nature, and came to visit. He always claimed to be ill and refused to receive guests.

Cai Xian, a Han-dynasty Attendant at the Palace and a reclusive scholar of Chenliu, also knew something of the Daoist arts. Hearing of this man’s exceptional character, he went to visit him several times, but each time the man pleaded illness and avoided meeting him. His father was astonished and angrily reproached him, urging and pressuring him to go out and receive the guest. Unable to refuse any longer, he finally went to meet Cai Xian.

Cai Xian spoke at length about refined and elegant principles, then turned to the ways of the immortals and arts of transformation. The man remained silent and composed, gathering his mind and quieting his heart. He merely nodded in agreement and did not utter a word.

That year there was a great drought. The price of rice rose to a thousand coins per dou, and people who had starved to death were often seen by the roadside. You therefore gave away your entire household fortune to relieve those in hardship, doing good in secret so that no one knew of your compassionate generosity. You regarded all things as though they were young children. This was an act of accumulating good De and extending benevolence to everyone.

Later, you met Huang Tai of Chenliu. He said to you, “I have heard that you delight in Daoist arts, secretly practice good De on a broad scale, and earnestly seek subtle truths. Your sincerity moved me, so I have come especially to visit you. I am Xu Lin, an immortal of Mount Zhong, styled Zixuan. I was originally from the State of Wei and was born in the final years of Duke Ling of Wei. In my youth I was devoted to the Dao and De. I once studied under Master Cen and received Daoist methods for refining and nourishing the body and dispelling calamities. Later, I also met Lord Qiu, who taught me the methods of taking in Qi and restoring Shen and guarding the hun-soul. After practicing these methods, I found they truly worked and benefited me greatly.

“From a young age, you understood how to restore Yang, preventing your Jing, Qi, and marrow fluids from being depleted. You also knew how to practice daoyin, take in Qi, absorb the sun and moon’s luminous essence, and swallow saliva. So you no longer needed Neidan methods to nourish the embryo’s primal energy. However, the three worms within you have not yet been removed, and the Three Corpses have not been destroyed. You have therefore not yet mastered the essentials of daoyin and taking in Qi. You can first take small pills made to control worms and kill the grain worms within your body.

“The three worms have three names: the first is called Qinggu, the second Baigu, and the third Xueshi. Together they are known as the Three Worms. When they remain inside the body, they make people restless and oppressed in the chest, with thoughts that do not flow freely or hold steady on one thing. A little hunger feels severe; they become easily saddened and anxious, and find it hard to concentrate their energy and resolve. Even if they abstain from food, their bodies remain heavy and sluggish, their spirits flag, and their chests feel oppressed. Their dreams are unreal, their thoughts confused and disordered, and they cannot rid themselves of base, worldly notions. All this is caused by the Three Worms remaining in the body and stirring up the Five Viscera. The method for killing the worms is as follows:”

Five liang of monkshood, seven sheng of hemp seeds, six liang of rehmannia, seven liang of zhu (the name of a medicinal herb here), seven cun of the root of the larger Cornus plant, four liang of cinnamon, and five liang of cloud fungus blossoms: seven ingredients in all. First, boil the roots of sweet flag to make a concentrated wine. The liquid should be clear and full-bodied, about one dou and a half. Roughly chop the seven ingredients and soak them in the wine in a container; they may also be finely chopped before soaking. After three nights, remove them and dry them in the sun. Soak them again in the original wine for three nights, then remove and sun-dry them. Repeat this process until the wine is used up, then dry the herbs. Pound them in an iron mortar, pass them through a fine sieve to make a powder, and mix it with white honey to form pills.

Take the pills each morning facing east. Begin with two pills, each about the size of a red bean, then gradually increase the dose by one pill each time, up to more than ten. This medicine is said to treat tightness and hardness in the abdomen, Qi surging upward, and obstruction in the chest and heart. It is also said to nourish the skin, make the body light and nimble, and lend the complexion a healthy glow. After finishing one batch, mix another with white honey and make pills, taking them as described above. The scripture says that after one batch has been consumed, the worms will die; once they are dead, the Three Corpses—the spirits said in Daoism to dwell within the body and wait for a chance to harm a person—will wither and then fall away on their own. The medicine may also be made and taken repeatedly; use need not be limited to one batch.

Next, prepare Four Guardian Pills, adding one liang each of blue-green mineral and yellow essence, to cut off grain and other staple foods. If one practices Daoyin, exercises that guide the limbs and regulate the breath, and Fqi, a cultivation method centered on regulating the breath and taking in Qi, but has not mastered their methods, one may first take some herbal medicines, such as sesame, poria, zhu, cinnamon, asparagus root, coptis, rehmannia, rhubarb, peach tree roots, or peach tree bark. Any one of these may be chosen.

The scripture concludes that even if one takes these medicines and obtains results, without mastering the way of the Nine-Transformation Spirit Elixir and Golden Liquids, one cannot ascend to immortality. These methods can still prolong life and ward off death.

After practicing these methods in sequence and taking the life-nourishing elixirs for five years, your body will become radiant. You will be able to see inside yourself and behold the five viscera. At that point, ask the immortals to teach you the essentials of ascending to immortality.

The immortal said, “Medicines come in different kinds, and immortals have different ranks. Some ride clouds and dragons, ascend to Heaven in broad daylight, befriend the Perfected of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and are appointed rulers of the immortal palaces. Others serve in offices such as Lord Dingyuan, Lord Taisheng, the Central Yellow Grand Physician, the Elder of the Nine Qi, and Lord Xiandu. These are all high-ranking immortals. Some serve as immortal ministers and grandees, holding rank just below them.

Some immortals roam the Five Sacred Peaks or travel to the realm of Great Clarity, commanding ghosts and spirits; these are middle-ranking immortals. Others are appointed lords of a mountain and govern its ghosts and spirits. Still others fly back and forth through the realm of Lesser Being and gather at the Palace of Clear Emptiness. These belong to a lower tier of middle-ranking immortals.

Those who can live forever without eating grain and cast no shadow when standing in sunlight are lower-ranking immortals. Those who attain immortality by shijie (liberation from the corpse, in which the spirit departs and the body is left behind) in broad daylight—undergoing death and becoming immortal only after entering the realm of Great Yin—belong to a lower tier of these immortals.

I received the secret essentials from Juanzi, so I am only a middle-ranking immortal. Your name is already inscribed in the Upper Golden Book, and you are destined to become a Perfected One. The Dao methods I practice are not suited to someone like you, who is destined to become a Perfected One. Now I will transmit to you the Method for Guarding the Three Ones (a practice for maintaining the Three Ones within the body), along with two hundred items from the Book of Spiritual Wonders of Lesser Being. I will also give you stone mushrooms, vermilion branches, and several kinds of zhi fungus to take. With this, my transmission of the Dao methods is complete. You may continue your journey to seek out another master.”

The man again bowed to thank him for the instruction. After withdrawing, he took divine fungus, a kind of miraculous lingzhi believed to grant long life. Five years later, he could see a thousand li away and walk five hundred li in a day. He then traveled among famous mountains in search of immortals.

He heard that Master Luan of Mount Meng could recite the Dragon Radiance Scripture (Longjun Jing), so he went to seek him out, but instead encountered Master Yanmen. Master Yanmen transmitted to him the Dragon Radiance Scripture and the Secret Writings of the Three Sovereigns, said to record the way of the Three Sovereigns. Later, on Mount Wangwu, he met Master Zhaotuo and received sixteen sections of the Illustrated Treatise on Lingzhi and the Secret Talismans of the Five Phases, talismans transmitted in secret and corresponding to the Five Phases. He also met Master Huang, who gave him such texts as the Divine Prescriptions on Yellow Silk, the Five Emperors and Six Jia, and the Left and Right Numinous Flight, along with forty-four oral formulas.

Afterward, he climbed Mount Banzhong and met Lord Shangwei, who transmitted the registers bestowed by Great Simplicity, the Left Yi, Blended Cavern of Eastern Obscurity, and the precepts of the Right Yu, Plain Text for Subduing and Slaying. Next, he climbed Mount Songgao and, inside the gate of the Tai Shi cavern, met the Central Yellow Lord Lao and the immortals gathered there. He repeatedly kowtowed and paid his respects, asking to live forever and escape the mortal world.

The Yellow Lord Lao asked him, “When you visualize and contemplate the Cavern Chamber, a site for inner cultivation within the body, have you seen Lord Baiyuan?” He replied, “When I contemplated the Cavern Chamber, I did indeed see Lord Baiyuan.” The Yellow Lord Lao said, “Your Dao practice is not yet sufficient, for you have not seen Lord Wuying. Continue your travels for now and receive the various essential instructions. Later, I will transmit the Scripture of the Highest Truth. Seeing Lord Baiyuan can bring you only the way of a lower immortal, with a lifespan of three thousand years. Only upon seeing Lord Wuying do you reach the state of a perfected person, with a lifespan of ten thousand years.”

You bow once more, receive his instruction, and depart to travel among the famous mountains and great marshes of the land. Heading west, you climb White Emptiness Mountain and meet Master Shaye Bo, from whom you receive the Supreme Scripture of Great Clarity. You then climb Mount Emei and enter the Empty Cavern Golden Palace, an immortal abode in Daoist legend. There you meet Master Ning and receive the eight endowments and ten instructions of the Hidden Writings of the Great Elixir. Next, you climb Mount Min, meet Master Yin, and receive the Nine Vermilion Class Talismans. On Mount Qi, you meet Zang Yanfu and receive the Verses and Instructions on the Plain Silk of Sorrow and Joy.

You then climb Mount Liang, meet Cheng of Huainan, and receive the Three Diagrams of the Heavenly Pass. On Mount Niushou, you meet Zhang Zifang and receive the True Scripture of Great Clarity. On Mount Jiuyi, you meet Li Boyang and receive the Hidden Scripture of the Li Family. Later, while traveling on Mount Zhong, you meet Gaoqiuzi and Nan Zicheng and receive the Three Diagrams of the Heavenly Pass. You climb Mount Niushou again, meet Zhang Zifang, and receive the True Scripture of Great Clarity; then you climb Mount Jiuyi, meet Li Boyang, and receive the Hidden Scripture of the Li Family. Returning once more to Mount Zhong, you meet Gaoqiuzi and receive the twenty-seven chapters of Formulas for the Golden Elixir.

Next, you climb Mount Heming, meet Lord Yang’an, and receive the Scripture of the Golden Liquid Elixir and the Diagram of the Nine Tripod Divine Elixirs. On Mount Meng, you meet Master Qingjing and receive the Transmission of the Yellow Silk. You climb Mount Luhun, descend into a cave chamber by the Yi River, and meet Li Zier, from whom you receive the Eight Arts of Concealing Oneself in the Earth. On Mount Rong, you meet Zhao Boxuan and receive the Sayings on the Three Primordial Elements. On Mount Yangluo, you meet Lord Youyang and receive the Azure Essentials and Purple Writings, along with instructions on the method of “the three and five moving in proper sequence.” On Mount Huo, you meet Lord Siming and receive the Azure Diagram of the Mandate of Life and the Register of the People of the Supreme Sovereign.

You then climb Bird Mountain, meet Master Mo Di, and receive the Central Scripture of the Diagram of Purple Measures and Flaming Radiance for Inner Vision. On Mount Yaoming, you meet the Divine Youth, Marquis of the Night, attendant to the Great Emperor, and receive the Scripture of the Golden Root. Afterward, you climb a mountain and meet Master Mo Di again, receiving the Central Scripture of the Diagram of Purple Measures and Flaming Radiance for Inner Vision. You also climb Mount Yaoming again, meet the Divine Youth, Marquis of the Night, and receive the Scripture of the Golden Root. Then you climb Mount Weiyu and meet Sima Jizhu, from whom you receive arts for working with the essence of stone and golden light, concealing one’s form, and transforming the body.

Next, you climb Mount Dating, meet Liu Zixian, and receive seven divine arts of transformation. At the great tree of Jianmu in Duguang, a tree from legend, you meet Gu Xizi and receive the methods of yellow Qi and the Great Void, as well as essential instructions on the three paths of Yang essence. On Mount Tongbai, you meet Wang Qiao and receive the Plain Memorial of Cinnabar Talismans. On Mount Taihua, you meet Red Pine Master of the Southern Marchmount and receive the Writings of the Perfect Lord of the Upper Origin. On Mount Taiming, you meet the Lord of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital and receive the Four Perfect Methods of Yellow Water and Moonlight.

You then climb Mount Heli, meet the August One, and receive the True Scripture of the Eight Plain Writings and the Hidden Writings of the Most High. On Mount Jing, you meet Master Huangtai Wanbi and receive the Central Scripture of the Nine Perfections. You climb Mount Xuanlong Yushan, meet ten Jade Youths and the Elder of the Nine Qi, and receive white feathers and a purple canopy, together with methods for cultivating through the ingestion of Yellow Water and Moonlight.

Finally, you arrive at the Mulberry Grove and climb Mount Fuguang, where you meet the Youthful Lord of Azure Perfection and receive the Secret Characters of the Golden Book. Then you travel south to Vermilion Fire and climb Mount Danling. There you meet Gong Zhongyang and receive the True Record of Immortal Prohibitions. In this account, “receiving” means accepting scriptures, talismanic diagrams, or cultivation instructions from an immortal or transmitter.

He then traveled west and climbed Empty Mountain. After meeting Lord Wuying, he withdrew to the inner chamber. Lord Wuying stood on the left, Lord Baiyuan on the right, and Lord Huanglao in the center.

Lord Wuying wore a damask robe adorned with gold essence and red-and-green jade. Its red radiance shone like the morning clouds, lighting up the sky. At his waist hung the seal of the Most High’s numinous Qi, and he wore the tablet of the Nine Emperors for dispelling evil. On his head was a crown of emerald and purple numinous energy. Lord Wuying was the grandfather of the Scarlet Child of the Great Mystery’s Elixir Spirit in the Upper Origin. On his left, he was linked to the energy of the Azure Palace, which could infuse the myriad spirits. He had emerged from emptiness before Heaven and Earth took shape.

Lord Baiyuan wore layered robes woven from cinnabar jade and brocade cloud gauze. Red showed through their white radiance, which rose high into the clouds and illuminated the spirits; the energy of the Dark and Yellow permeated emptiness. At his waist hung the seal of the Most High’s numinous essence, and he wore the tablet of the Dark Origin for subduing demons. On his head was a black crown that summons dragons. Lord Baiyuan was the father of the Scarlet Child of the Jade Chamber and Cloud Court in the Upper Origin. On his right, he was linked to the Chamber of Bright Azure, where he presided over the affairs of morning movement and generation.

Lord Huanglao dwelt in the center and was the teacher of the Four True Kings of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Above, he reached the Nine Heavens; in the middle, he roamed Kunlun. The Yellow Gate lay outside, and the Purple Door within. He dwelt in the inner chamber together with Lords Wuying and Baiyuan. The chamber was three inches across, and within it the full majesty of all three divine lords was present.

If practitioners focus their minds on inward visualization, they may see these deities and thereby become perfected beings. Seeing Lord Baiyuan could make one a lower perfected being, with a lifespan of three thousand years. Seeing Lord Wuying could make one a middle perfected being, with a lifespan of ten thousand years. Seeing Lord Huanglao could make one a higher perfected being, enduring as long as Heaven and entering the ranks of the Golden Terrace. Since you have already arrived there, you should bow twice before Lord Huanglao and ask him to transmit the essential teachings of the higher perfected ones.

Lord Huanglao said, “You may turn your attention back and observe your inner chamber.” The lord then closed his eyes and looked within. After a long while, he indeed saw two divine beings in the chamber: Lords Wuying and Baiyuan, dressed and appearing just as they had on Empty Mountain.

Lord Huanglao smiled and said, “How subtle and profound! This is the result of your focused visualization and sincere contemplation. This is the Way of ascending to Heaven in broad daylight. When you return to Chang Mountain, I will transmit to you the Dao methods of the higher perfected ones.”

This Perfected One returned to his residence at Changshan, observed ritual fasting, quieted his mind, and devoted himself to contemplating the Dao. He continued his practice for more than ninety years. Afterward, Lord Baiyuan, Lord Wuying, and Lord Huanglao transmitted to him the thirty-nine chapters of the Scripture of Great Cavern Truth.

Twenty-one jade boys and twenty-one jade maidens attended him, burning incense day and night. He continued his studies for eleven years, then at last rode clouds and drove a dragon up to heaven in broad daylight, making his way to the Palace of Great Tenuity. There he received the celestial books and was invested with the title Perfected One of Purple Yang. He wore a yellow banner and tally, carried the Eight Awe-inspiring Strategies and a bell of flowing gold, and dressed in garments of naturalness. He ate jade nectar and drank golden liquid, and governed the Golden Terrace and Bronze City on Mount Geyan, known as the Palace of Purple Yang.

There were eight Perfected Ones in the Palace of Purple Yang, and he occupied the right-hand seat. It is said that he ascended Mount Kunlun three times a day and paid his respects to the Lord Emperor of Great Tenuity each morning. He also made Mount Bozhong a secondary palace of the Palace of Purple Yang, known as the Hidden Palace of Dongting. A cavern in Mount Bozhong could be followed underground to reach the Clear Void, Lesser Heaven of Mount Wangwu, and also had a hidden passage to Langfeng.

Biography of the Perfected One Ma Mingsheng

Ma Mingsheng was from Linzi in the state of Qi. His original surname was He, and his courtesy name was Junbao. In his youth, he served as a county clerk.

Ma Mingsheng was from Linzi in the state of Qi. His original surname was He, and his courtesy name was Junbao. In his youth, he served as a minor county official responsible for pursuing bandits, and was once stabbed by one. The Lady Taizhen, a female immortal in Daoist legend, happened to be traveling to Mount Tai when she saw his wounds and took pity on him.

By then, Junbao was close to death. After a long while, he suddenly saw a girl of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in fine clothes and strikingly beautiful, come to his side. She asked, “How did you get so badly wounded that you lost so much blood?” Junbao told her the truth. The Lady said, “You were stabbed by a heavy blade. It injured your lungs and damaged your five organs. Your blood has stagnated inside you, and your breath has surged beyond your intestines. This is a grave, life-threatening wound; you can no longer be saved. What can be done?”

Junbao knew she was an immortal, so he kowtowed and begged her to heal him. The Lady took a pill, about the size of a bean, from a small tube tucked behind her elbow and gave it to him to swallow. Junbao recovered at once: the bleeding stopped, the wound closed, and the pain disappeared. He bowed to the Lady again and again, then knelt and said, “My family has little wealth, not enough to repay you. I do not know how I could return this kindness. I can only offer my service and do my utmost to repay you for saving my life.”

The Lady said, “If you truly wish to repay me, that is a kind thought. Would you be willing to come with me?” Junbao then changed his name, calling himself Ma Mingsheng, and went with the Lady to serve her.

Someone entered a stone chamber in the sheer cliffs of Mount Daizong in the east—the sacred Mount Tai. The chamber hung perilously above and below, surrounded by deep, hidden layers of rock, more than a thousand zhang above the ground. Inside stood a golden bed and a jade table, with precious and wondrous objects on display. It was a place that ordinary people could scarcely reach.

At first, Mingsheng wanted only to learn techniques for treating metal wounds—injuries caused by swords and other weapons. After seeing the immortals come and go, he realized that a path to long life and immortality truly existed. From then on, he attended to them morning and evening, cleaning and sweeping without ever growing lax. The Lady—here, a female immortal among practitioners—also tested him by conjuring illusions of ghosts, monsters, wolves, and tigers. Mingsheng remained clear-minded and composed, never afraid. She then sent him out to lodge elsewhere. While he was resting alone, she arranged for beautiful women to come and tempt him, hoping to stir his desires. But Mingsheng’s resolve was firm and his mind calm; he harbored no improper thoughts.

The Lady would sometimes leave and return after five or ten days; at other times, she would be gone for twenty days or a month. While she was away, immortal guests often came and went, riding dragons and driving phoenixes. Some came to pay their respects, and the chamber was filled all day with true immortals seated inside. When guests arrived, the Lady often sent Mingsheng to wait in an outer room. At times, she instead had him prepare an exquisite meal at once. The dishes and fruits were extraordinary; fragrant wines and unusual drinks appeared without warning, beyond the reach of familiar names. Sometimes the Lady invited Mingsheng to sit and share food and drink with the immortals.

Mingsheng also heard the sounds of zithers and lutes in the air, accompanied by melodies of exquisite beauty. At times the Lady played herself: a single string could produce five different tones at once, its sound soaring and piercing, carrying for several miles. Flocks of birds gathered in the mountain caves near the stone chamber, circling overhead; no one could drive them away. This was the music of celestial beings, naturally lofty and clear, its sound reaching for miles.

Several miles away, flocks of birds gathered around the mountain cave and stone chamber, circling and wheeling through the air. No one could drive them off. This was probably the wondrous music that naturally appeared when the Celestial Beings rejoiced.

The Lady often shared the same stone chamber with Mingsheng, though they slept on separate beds. In their secluded, quiet dwelling, only the two of them were ever present. Sometimes the Lady went out without saying where she was going. Mingsheng would see a white dragon arrive to meet her. She would then put on a robe embroidered with cloud patterns and ride away on the dragon. The robe was adorned with luminous pearls, and jade pendants hung from its seams. On her head she wore a golden, radiant crown of supreme mystery. No attendants could be seen when she departed. When she returned, the white dragon would leave on its own, and no one knew where it went.

A jade bed in the stone chamber was spread with purple brocade quilts, and vermilion gauze curtains hung around it. Inside the curtains were clothes and objects for appreciation, along with rare gold and jade and all kinds of precious treasures unknown in the human world. Mingsheng could not identify them all by name. There were two scrolls of plain silk, titled Scripture of the Supreme One of the Nine Heavens (Jiutian Taishang Daojing), concerning the Dao of the Supreme One of the Nine Heavens. Mingsheng never dared to unroll them and read their contents. His duties were limited to providing supplies, sweeping and cleaning, and guarding the stone chamber. He did not dare sneak a look at the rare clothes and objects inside the curtains, much less ask about them.

Five years passed in this way. He grew ever more diligent and cautious, never letting up. The lady said to him with a sigh, “You are truly someone who can be taught. One day, you will surely attain the Dao. Though you were once an ordinary person, you have never behaved frivolously or disrespectfully. You revere and admire the numinous Qi, and you have never given up your practice. Given that, even if you wanted to seek death, how could you possibly die?”

The lady then told him her name and origins. “My name is Wanluo, and my courtesy name is Bosui. I serve the Perfected One of Great Truth at the Dark Capital. I have a son who holds the post of Director of Judicial Affairs in the Supreme Office of the Three Heavens. He is responsible for overseeing and inspecting the affairs of the Celestial Bureaucracy, and his rank is equivalent to that of a ministerial aide in the human world. When he was young, he repeatedly abandoned his duties to seek amusement and pleasure, neglecting his official work. His supervising officials therefore impeached him and demoted him to administer affairs at the Eastern Peak. He was struck from the register of immortals under the True King and reassigned to command the army of spirits and ghosts. This post changes hands every five hundred years. So I came to visit him and urge him to practice and fulfill his duties from now on, making amends for his past faults.

“I have stayed in the human world for a long time. Now I am under orders from the sovereign and have also been summoned by the Great One, so I can no longer remain. Seeing how devoted and careful you are, I have told you these things because I want to teach you methods for long life and extended years. But the cultivation method I received, the ‘Embryonic Body of Great Harmony and Naturalness,’ may be transmitted only to Perfected Ones of the Three Heavens. It cannot be taught to beginners, and was never something you were meant to hear. Even if you happened to hear it, you might not be able to use it to cultivate yourself. Master Anqi understands the methods of the Golden Liquid Elixir, the practice of refining and cultivating the inner elixir of Golden Liquid. His secret methods can be practiced at once. They belong to the Way of the Nine Lords and the Great One, and enable a person to ascend to heaven in broad daylight. Master Anqi will come tomorrow, and I will entrust you to him. Follow him for a time, and you will surely learn the arts.”

The next day, Master Anqi arrived. He rode a Zhaolin, wore crimson robes and a far-traveling crown, and carried jade pendants, with a tiger-headed pouch tied at his waist. He looked about twenty years old, with fair features and a dignified, orderly bearing. Six or seven immortals followed behind him, each carrying a tally and serving as his guard. When he saw the lady, he bowed respectfully and addressed himself as “your subordinate.” After a while, the company laid out wine, fruit, and food, and feasted for most of the day. The lady said to Mingsheng, “I can no longer stay. Go with this master, and do not worry about me. I, too, will always…”

At that time, Mingsheng respectfully bowed to the man and addressed him as “your humble subordinate.” Before long, he had prepared wine, fruit, and dishes, and hosted him at a banquet for most of the day. The lady said to Mingsheng, “I can no longer stay here. Go with this gentleman, and do not worry about me. I will come to see you from time to time.” Then she gave Mingsheng two five-character poems, so they could remember one another through verse. In tears, Mingsheng took his leave and followed the gentleman to study the Way of the Nine Elixirs, a Daoist method of cultivation and attaining immortality.

First poem

For now, I leave Yong City and drive toward the region of Mount Dai. Raising my eyes to the Taiqing Gate, the celestial palace of Daoist lore, I see lofty towers and pavilions rising amid the clouds. True Immortals pass through the empty sky, their forms appearing everywhere. Cultivate the body and preserve your innate nature; between each bow and lift of the head, absorb the Qi of Great Harmony, the primordial energy that brings Heaven and Earth into balance.

In the morning, pay court to the King of the Nine Heavens; at dusk, return to the palaces of the Western Florescence. When Jing and Qi circulate, one can ascend to the heavens. Through breathing and regulating the breath, cultivate the Green Sprout, a Neidan term for the essence that arises within the body. The true spiritual elixir is not made from metals and stones. When the wind rises, it seems to play a song of its own. Rising and descending, I soar beyond the clouds, clad in feathered robes, drifting freely.

The Five Sacred Peaks are not my home; the Mysterious Capital is where I dwell. I look down upon those who chase fame and profit, deluded like frogs and toads. They hurry about, casting glances through the filth of the mortal world, while their troubles become entangled with one another. If you have not yet grasped the wondrous intent, why keep turning it over in your mind? Calamity often comes from revealing the Dao’s methods; guard their secrets carefully, and blessings will grow.

Second poem

Long ago, we lived together in Kunling Palace and spoke of the Way to prolong life. Though the Golden Liquor, an elixir of Daoist alchemy, can grant longevity, it is not as good as attaining the immortal realm of Great Harmony. I climbed to the Terrace of Dark Spirits and quietly contemplated and recited tales of the Immortals. Suddenly, I met the King of Fusang and a True Immortal from the City of the Nine Immortals. He rode in a carriage drawn by a purple horned dragon, his face radiant and handsome.

He guided me onto the long road in search of eternal life and invited me to the realm of nature. He taught me the art of flight like the great bird and gave me the “Jade Embryo Chapter.” A jade-like elixir gathered the subtle Qi, which the Plain Maiden explained to me. I bent down to drink the essence of the Luminous Phoenix, then rose into the air to the Third Heaven. The Cloud Net will lay out the road ahead for you; you can also return for a time to wander among the Five Sacred Peaks. How far away can the Mysterious Capital be? It lies at the foot of Mount Penglai.

Those who transmit the Dao’s teachings and cherish one another can become Immortal companions and join the ranks of the Celestial Beings. If you turn against or alter the instructions you have received, calamity is certain to follow; this can happen even to the wise. Guard the secret methods carefully, and you can enjoy lasting peace. Reveal them, and your body will suffer harm.

Mingsheng followed Master Anqi, a legendary immortal, carrying a book chest as he traveled west to Mount Nüji, north to Yuanqiu, and south to Qinlu. He also withdrew into seclusion at Mount Qingcheng and Mount Jiuyi, wandering throughout the land. For twenty years, he endured every hardship. Master Anqi said, “You truly have the makings of an immortal. Why are you so respectful and diligent? Even I cannot surpass you.” He then passed on to him the recipe for the Grand Clarity Golden Liquid Divine Elixir, a method for refining the Golden Elixir, and told him, “If you do not yet wish to ascend to Heaven, take half a dose first.”

Master Anqi parted from Mingsheng and left. Mingsheng then entered Mount Huayin and, following the recipe, refined the Golden Elixir. After taking half a dose, he became an immortal, yet looked no different from an ordinary person; no one could tell he was not mortal. During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, only Grand Tutor Hu Guang knew that Mingsheng had attained the Dao. Hu Guang once visited him to ask about the fate of the state and matters of great importance. At first, Mingsheng did not answer. Later, he told Hu Guang what he wished to know, and everything he said came to pass. In time, people wondered that his appearance never grew old. He therefore took the other half-dose of the Golden Elixir and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. Before departing, he wrote three poems for posterity. This was in the third year of the Guanghe era of the Han dynasty.

First Poem

How can the harmony of Great Peace endure forever? Human life, in the end, cannot go on without limit. It fades like morning dew dried by the sun; in the blink of an eye, it seems to vanish as soon as one wakes. Though people understand that life continues from generation to generation, they damage it because they cannot quietly guard their Shen.

I will go in search of the perfected immortals, clearing my mind and spirit and drawing in the essence of Heaven and Earth. I will wander through Kunling Palace and roam freely in Xuandu, the fabled realm of immortals. Juanzi, a legendary immortal, will lead me on my travels, and Tai Zhen, a divine title, will come to visit. Each day I will attend the Queen Mother, and at dusk return to the ridge of Zhongyue. I will look up to pluck blossoms like fine jade, then bend down to drink the clear spring from the Linlang Well. A thousand years will be no more than a moment; ten thousand years will pass like a flash of lightning.

Second Poem

The natural world follows enduring, unchanging patterns, while human life is exceedingly fragile. The years flash past like a startled bowstring, and time slips away like a swift arrow. Even radiant beauty, fair as jade, will in the end become dust. Trees and flowers cannot preserve the brilliance of autumn forever; how could green leaves stay fresh all year round? Knowing that all flourishing things must eventually decline, we mourn their fading and grieve at the harsh frost. Where there is life, there is death; where there is prosperity, there is decline. The perfected person who has attained the Dao roams freely through deep and wondrous realms, unbound by external things. Their spirit soars through the purple heavens, while their body dwells among mountains and waters. In a realm of emptiness and stillness, they forget their attachment to what seems substantial; gazing into the distance, their mind and spirit open out in ease. Where does the dust of the mundane world come from? Only the vast and all-encompassing Dao can transcend these disturbances.

Part Three

It is truly lamentable to live in a corrupt age. And what in the pleasures of the world is worth longing for? I shake out my robe, brushing off the dust, leave the mundane behind, and set out alone, drifting freely on my way. Quietly I dwell among crags and mountain peaks, letting my countless thoughts gradually settle. The numinous perfected one travels with me. As the sun sets, we ride in a divine carriage like a great swan. At dawn we arrive in a carriage of clouds; by evening we depart astride a whirlwind, rising in a spiraling current of air. The world below roars with clamor, but how could its tumultuous sounds ever catch up with us?

Yin Changsheng was a native of Xinye. On the yichou day of the third month of the eighth year of the Yongyuan era under Emperor He of Han (96 CE), a woman of the Yin family was made empress; she was Yin Changsheng’s great-granddaughter. Though born into a wealthy family, Yin Changsheng had little interest in seeking rank or fame. He withdrew from the world and devoted himself to studying Daoist arts.

Later, he heard that Ma Mingsheng, a legendary adept, possessed the way to attain longevity and transcend the world. Yin set out to seek him among the famous mountains. When he reached Mount Taihe in Nanyang, he finally met Ma Mingsheng and willingly became his servant, taking on such tasks as carrying shoes.

Ma Mingsheng did not teach him how to attain longevity and transcend the world. Instead, morning and evening, he spoke with Yin about worldly prosperity, current affairs, making a living, and tending gardens. This continued for more than ten years, and Yin never slackened. Twelve others also served Ma Mingsheng, but they too received no teachings on transcending the world and heard only these worldly topics. After more than ten years, they all left in resentment. Only Yin remained as respectful as ever, and became even more careful in his conduct. Ma Mingsheng often seized on slips of the tongue to scold him, but Yin always responded with a pleasant expression, humbly apologizing.

Twenty years passed in this way. Then, one day during a quiet moment, Mingsheng asked Changsheng what he wanted. Changsheng knelt and replied, “All I ask is to attain long life. This body of mine, as lowly as dung and plants, has now been entrusted to the workings of Heaven’s Dao. I dare not demand it in haste, nor do I fear that it may come sooner or later.”

Mingsheng was deeply moved by his words and told him, “You truly are someone capable of attaining the Dao.” He then took Changsheng into Mount Qingcheng, where he showed him how yellow earth was heated and refined into gold. He also set up an altar and swore an oath. That day, Mingsheng transmitted to Changsheng the Great Clarity Golden Liquor Divine Elixir—the immortal elixir of Daoist teaching—and prepared to leave.

Changsheng knocked his head to the ground in gratitude and asked the immortal to stay a little longer. Bowing in farewell, he said, “From childhood onward, I lived in luxury and ease. Later, I hoped to remain humble, restrain myself, and devote myself to cultivation, walking as if on ice or at the edge of a deep ravine, always on my guard. I have failed to spread the Great Dao, assist in the practice of De, or expound its mysterious principles. I have merely occupied a place in vain, standing motionless like a wall, and now old age is almost upon me. So I have always held in my heart the wish to attain long life, abandoning the world of dust to seek a True Person. Now Heaven has granted me such an encounter, and I have had the good fortune to meet you.

“For twenty-two years I personally served you, holding the dustpan and broom, yet my inner strength did not grow. I was constantly afraid that my strength would fail and my body grow weaker, leaving me unable to accomplish even the smallest result or repay the care you gave me. This has weighed on me day and night. Now you tell me that I can regain life, and at once bestow upon me this wondrous art. It is as if a dying body had its life extended, or scorched plants had been moistened by rain and dew; as if someone whose breath had stopped were revived, or someone blind and deaf had regained sight and hearing. My gratitude and indebtedness are beyond what brief words can express.

“In the year Gengchen, I heard that you were seated with the True Person of Mount Heng, Lord Hongya, Master Yuncheng, the immortal maiden of Yingzhou, and others. You spoke of how transmitting the elixir method required silk cloth as a token and an oath sealed by exchanging sashes. At the time of transmission, one should also make offerings to the Nine Elders of the Immortal Capital, the Venerable One of the Nine Qi, and other divine beings; only after praying and making ritual offerings should one receive the method, so that the Great Medicine being cultivated can succeed. If one receives it without performing the rites, it cannot be refined. I was then in a secluded chamber, standing beside the curtain, and heard with my own ears the immortals discuss how the Dao is attained and describe the rites used in the past when receiving the elixir method. But today, as you instructed me, you did not mention any of this…”

“If these words are not clear, I once served at your side in the quiet inner chamber. I heard with my own ears the accounts of the immortals, from the beginning of their cultivation to their attainment of the Dao, and I also heard how the methods of the Elixir were taught in former times. Yet today, Master, you no longer speak of these things. Is it perhaps not that you have left your teachings unfinished, but that I am too dull to understand them?”

Ma Mingsheng comforted him: “I am not holding anything back. You have always loved the mysterious Dao and devoted yourself to regulating your breathing, bringing your breath into harmony. The spirit officials who oversee and observe have secretly perceived your sincerity, so there is no need to trouble yourself with a detailed exposition. These explanations are given only to make ordinary people believe.”

Thus, Changsheng—the term for those who cultivate the Dao and become immortals—entered a stone chamber in the Wudang Mountains to refine elixirs. He took half a dose, yet did not ascend to heaven at once. Instead, he refined tens of thousands of catties of gold and gave it to the poor throughout the land, whether he knew them or not. He traveled widely, with his wife and children always by his side, and his whole family attained longevity. Later, he entrusted the gold to others, entered Mount Pingdu, and ascended to heaven in broad daylight. Before departing, he left behind nine works and said, “There were many immortals in ancient times, too many to record one by one. But since the founding of the Han dynasty, forty-five accomplished adepts have attained the Dao and become immortals. Including me, there are forty-six. Twenty of them departed through corpse liberation—that is, as Daoists say, they shed their physical bodies and became immortal by another means. The rest ascended to heaven in broad daylight.”

I, the disciple Ge Hong of Danyang, courtesy name Zhichuan, once heard a saying: “If you never walk at night, you will not know that there are people who walk at night in this world.” Now, how could those who have not attained the Dao and become immortals know that, among the mountains and forests of the world, there are people secretly cultivating the Dao and becoming immortals? Yin Jun has already taken the divine medicine. Though he has not yet ascended to heaven, he is in sympathy with like-minded people such as Yan Li, and they seek out one another to learn of the traces and experiences of immortals. What he knows, therefore, is only part of what is known about immortals in recent times. Yet ordinary people assume that things cannot be so: because they have never heard of it, they conclude that no such people exist. Is that not lamentable? Recluses who live in the mountains and fields take pleasure in their withdrawal, entertain themselves by reading, do not flaunt their literary talent or spread their fame, and make no deliberate effort to seek friends or a reputation. Even so, the world fails to recognize them. How much less, then, would it recognize immortals! Why should immortals be in any hurry to let ordinary people—whose lives are as brief as those of fungi that emerge at dawn and perish by dusk—know what they do?

◎ Yin Zhenjun’s own account

In the first year of the Yan’guang era of Emperor An of Han, the Immortal Lord of Mount Xinye passed on the essential secrets for refining the divine elixir, the celestial medicine spoken of in Daoism. Once the practice is successfully completed, one can leave the world behind; copies of the secrets are hidden in famous mountains. Whoever finds them and completes the practice may join the ranks of the perfected, freely traveling between Heaven and Earth. Why remain attached to the ordinary world? The key to long life and deathlessness lies in the divine elixir.

Practices such as circulating Qi, guiding and stretching (health methods that regulate the breath and coordinate it with bodily movements), bending and extending the body, and taking herbal medicines can cultivate only more superficial Daoist arts. They cannot free one from the world for long or make one a celestial immortal. If you wish to hear of the Great Dao, these are essential teachings. Achievement in Daoist practice comes from long accumulation; it does not appear from nowhere. Those of superior capacity will strive to practice and become still more diligent. The ignorant will laugh, believing these words cannot be trusted. Only by understanding the way of the divine elixir can one endure in the world for a long time.

◎ Biography of the Perfected Wu Meng

Wu Meng, courtesy name Shiyun, was from Yuzhang. He was exceptionally filial by nature. As a child, he never showed pride or disrespect in the presence of his parents. Later, after attaining the Dao, he served as an official in Hailun Shangliao. At that time, a great serpent lay across the road, breathing in travelers and cutting off passage. Wu Meng took his disciples to rid the area of the serpent. It fled into a deep cave, so Wu Meng ordered the local earth spirit of Nanchang to pursue it. The serpent’s head rose several dozen feet high. Wu Meng stepped on its tail, walked along its back to the front, and pinned its head beneath his foot. His disciples then cut it down. Wu Meng said, “This serpent is an essence-creature from Shu. When the serpent dies, Du Yi will perish as well.” Later, events unfolded just as he had said.

The general Wang Dun invited Wu Meng to visit him. As they passed by the Pavilion Temple, its spirit led its subordinate officials out to welcome Wu Meng. Wu Meng said to the temple spirit, “Your divine king’s power has run its course, and he should not remain here much longer. Were it not for me, I would not have interfered in your affairs.” The spirit then departed.

When Wu Meng went to Shu to see Wang Dun, an epidemic was spreading there. By the banks of the Pu River, Wu Meng marked off a stretch of water one hundred paces long. Everyone who drank from it recovered, and by noon nearly a thousand people had come to collect water. Wang Dun was displeased and had Wu Meng seized during a banquet. Wu Meng suddenly vanished, and Wang Dun ordered his men to search everywhere. Concerned that the crowd would be frightened, Wu Meng made his way slowly through it and returned to his boat. In an instant, heaven and earth grew dark and seemed to merge. Riding the wind, he sped home and arrived in a single night. His disciples saw two dragons carrying the boat, their eyes as large as urns. Wu Meng said, “Wang Dun has usurped the place of a ruler. His allotted years will end this year.” Wang Dun did indeed die that year.

Later, Grand Commandant Yu Liang invited Wu Meng to visit him. Wu Meng reached Wuchang, then turned back, saying that his lifespan had come to an end. He died before reaching home, less than fifty li away. After he was buried, people suspected that he had undergone corpse liberation and departed. His disciples opened the coffin and found no body inside.

Biography of Perfected Xu Xun

Xu Xun, courtesy name Jingzhi, was from Nanchang. In his youth, he made his living by hunting with a bow. One day, while hunting deer in the mountains, he saw a fawn fall from its mother’s body through the wound where she had been struck by an arrow. The mother licked the fawn, then died before she could finish. Seeing this, Xu Xun was overcome with sorrow and came to a sudden realization.

After breaking his bows and crossbows, he returned home and heard that in Yuzhang there was a man named Wu Meng, renowned for his filial conduct, who was studying the Dao and had attained spiritual efficacy and communion with the divine. He lamented that his own affinities were too slight to let him meet Wu Meng in person. So, morning and evening, he offered bows and sacrifices to Wu Meng from afar. Day after day, his devotion grew deeper.

Wu Meng had already discerned his intentions. As he was about to ascend to immortality and depart, he said to his son, “After I am gone, a man named Xu Xun will come from the southeast to pay his respects. Receive him with due solemnity, and you may pass the True Talisman on to him.” Later, Xu Xun did indeed come to pay his respects. Wu Meng’s son followed his father’s instructions and passed the True Talisman to Xu Xun. Xu Xun upheld it and cultivated its practice, achieving remarkable responses and surpassing Wu Meng in attainment.

Biography of the Perfected Xu Mai

Xu Mai, courtesy name Shufu.

Xu Mai, whose courtesy name was Shuxuan and childhood name was Ying, came from Jurong County in Danyang Commandery. His family had been distinguished for generations, with successive ancestors serving as officials. As a child, Xu Mai was already drawn to Daoist arts and quietly devoted himself to seeking profound truths. He once consulted Guo Pu for a divination and received the Great Strength hexagram changing into the top line of Great Possession. Guo Pu told him, “Your fortune is greatly auspicious. This is a gift from Heaven; you should study the art of ascending to the heavens.”

At first, Xu Mai took Bao Jing as his teacher and studied the methods of the Central Division and the Heavenly Writings of the Three Sovereigns. Later, one day, he left home and never returned. He traveled east to the mountains of Lin’an County, let his hair hang loose, cast off worldly ties, and adopted the name Yuanyou, “Far Wanderer.” He took huangjing, a medicinal herb commonly used in Daoist cultivation for health and longevity, and gradually benefited from it. He devoted himself tirelessly, day and night, to seeking hidden and subtle truths. Over several years, he secretly entered into communion with the realm of the Mysterious Void. The Perfected Ones of Great Origin and the Mao Lord of the Register of Destiny—immortals in the Daoist tradition—came to him and taught him profound arts. Xu Mai became skilled in embryonic breathing, a method of regulating the breath and nurturing Qi; inner observation, turning awareness inward to contemplate body and mind; and pacing the Dipper, a Daoist ritual walk following the positions of the stars. He lived as a recluse, and whenever communion with the unseen manifested, he felt he was about to ascend to the heavens.

Later, he moved to Chishan in Linhai, where he met Wang Shilong and Zhao Daoxuan, who taught the Great Beginning. Xu Mai took Wang Shilong as his teacher and studied the method of loosening the bonds and reversing one’s course. He drank jade fluid and paid homage to the essence of the brain, practices of breath cultivation and visualization in Daoist internal alchemy. Within three years, his face had taken on the appearance of a young man.

When Xu Mai was on the verge of attaining the Dao, the Three Officials—deities who governed Heaven, Earth, and Water—sent the enforcer Zhou Fang, Marquis of Dianbing, and Yan Baihu, emissary in charge of wrongdoing. They brought red tablets and registers of offenses, each holding a copy, and questioned Xu Mai about the many transgressions he had committed. They said that if he could not answer their charges, they would seize him. Fortunately, Gong Youjie and Li Kailin intervened on his behalf. Terrified, Xu Mai could only force out a long whistle before replying in a stern voice: “The Great Dao favors no one; it aids only those who do good. Heaven and Earth are impartial; they show compassion according to one’s De. Thus, the Battle of Banquan ran with blood, yet this did not prevent the Yellow Emperor from ascending on a dragon. The lands of the Three Miao and the battlefield at Zhuolu were stained with blood, yet this did not prevent the Great Sage from transforming into an immortal and attaining the heavenly realm. My seventh-generation ancestor, Xu Zi’a, accumulated benevolent De and secretly protected birds and beasts. In years of famine and plague, when only one household in a hundred survived, he gave away all his wealth to help the people and prepared medicines himself. Many lives depended on his aid, and in the end he saved 408 people. His De was passed down to his descendants; among us, his children and grandchildren, five should attain immortality. Their names have all been entered in the Green Palace, where the celestial registers of immortals are kept. How could this be…”

“By what right do you think you can take part in this matter?” No sooner had these words been spoken than Li Zun, an attendant envoy of Lord Siming, the deity who governs people’s lifespans and registers of fate, arrived ringing a bell. Fang and the others laughed and ran off. They were then granted permission to have their names entered in the Eastern Palace and were ranked among the middle-grade Earth Immortals.

Ying was the fifth younger brother. His posthumous title was Mu, and Mu was also his childhood name. He once served as Chief Clerk of the Protective Army and as a Gentleman of the Palace Attendants. He lived to the age of seventy-two, then left the mortal world in pursuit of immortality. He could communicate with spirits and summon perfected immortals. He had earlier suffered from abdominal distension, cold stagnation in the abdomen, and difficulty urinating. After meeting the immortal maiden known as Lady Ziwei, the twenty-seventh daughter of the Queen Mother of the West, Lady Ziwei told him, “This illness is caused by the resentful spirits of a burial ground, and a vengeful ghost is also troubling your household. You can take a preparation made from zhu, and you will soon recover completely.” Lady Ziwei then composed and recorded instructions for taking the zhu preparation and passed them on to him. Mu followed the prescription and took the medicine. After a hundred days, he had fully recovered: his eyes were clear, his hearing keen, and his appearance youthful.

Lord Siming transmitted the Way of Flying Steps to Mu and praised him: “Yuanqi has grasped the Great Dao. He can discern the hidden and penetrate the subtle. His mind is empty and still, yet he can pass teachings on; his virtue is as upright and harmonious as the virtue of the mulberry. He is generous and compassionate, widely receptive to what he hears and sees, and diligent in putting the Dao’s teachings into practice. He moves freely with the Flying Steps, his sincerity open and unclouded. He rides dragons and mounts clouds and mists, ascending to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Daoist threefold heaven. He is truly a companion and teacher among the perfected immortals, and a Master of Changli. He is destined to be invested as governor of Zhongyi and to serve as a guardian lord in the immortal capital, carrying on the work of assisting the Highest Virtue. His name will be entered in the immortal register of crimson slips.”

Mu’s second son, Huya, was exceptionally gifted and transcendent in his understanding of the mysterious. He, too, could ride clouds and mists and ascend to the Three Pure Ones. He was a companion and teacher among the perfected immortals, and a Master of Changli. He was destined to be invested as governor of Zhongyi and to serve as a guardian lord in the immortal capital, carrying on the work of assisting the Highest Virtue. His name would be entered in the immortal register of crimson slips.

Mu’s second son was named Huyá. He was exceptionally gifted and possessed a profound spiritual foundation, and his name appeared in the registers of the immortals. The immortals of all the heavens called him “White-Fanged Yin Beast.”

The Lord of Recorded Destinies, a deity who oversees names and registers of fate, described a method for taking medicines, mostly in coded language. The names of the medicines and the main points can be recorded as follows:

The phoenix dwells in a lofty tree, its white plumage bright and lustrous. Act in accordance with the proper Way, and keep your resolve firm. Gather the spirit and quiet the mind, entering a state of stillness and mystery. The five lords’ stone essence, a substance used in Daoist ingestive practices, is suited to his constitution; he should take it promptly, as it can restore some of his youthful appearance. When the Three and Eight unite in brightness, he should then cultivate the Way of the Mysterious True. Unhitch the carriage and rest in peace, and you will come to understand the chapters of the Cavern of Truth. The Jade Blade should accord with his allotted destiny, settling his mind and directing it toward lofty mysteries. Live in seclusion and quiet, keeping your vital energy from waning. Wood Powder can dispel illness and is just right for him to take. Then take “ㄒ rice,” while observing the relevant dietary prohibitions. This will nourish the marrow, remove illness, and give the skin a healthy fullness. Afterward, climb a mountain and recite and expound the subtle meanings of the Way of the Cavern of Truth. If he can seize the opportunity signified by “White-Fanged Yin Beast,” he will attain long life and escape death, living beyond the Renchen year.

Rest in stillness and follow the method of flourishing wood; study and contemplate the meaning of the Zhou Book. The Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), the highest realm in Daoist teaching, records this matter, while the Golden Book records the Way of Western Florescence. Whether one can master the method of taking medicines will be revealed by the numinous talisman. Those whose principles accord will ultimately come together; the spirits will communicate in the unseen and respond to one another.

Mu’s third son, Yufu, was naturally sincere and quiet, and had earned a fine reputation while still young. When the Minister over the Masses summoned him to serve as an official, he declined and withdrew to live in seclusion on Mount Mao. He became Yang Xi’s disciple and received the “Correct Methods of the Three Heavens” and the “Phoenix Writings on Curved Silk.” Later, Lord Dinglu taught him higher Daoist methods and admonished him:

“Yufu, if you wish to study the Dao, you must be like someone digging a well. The deeper the well, the harder it is to carry away the earth you have dug out. If you cannot hold firm to your resolve and keep your conduct upright, how can you reach the spring?”

Lord Dinglu continued: “To study the Dao, you must devote yourself wholeheartedly and gather your spirit, allowing no stray thoughts to scatter your attention. Cast off extravagance and remain plain and tranquil. In silence, it is as though you are quietly observing something within; in moments of joy, it is as though something is taking shape deep in your heart. This is to have found the path to the threshold of attaining the Dao, but not yet to have entered its hall. This is what people mean when they say, ‘Knowing the Dao is easy; studying it is difficult.’

“As for becoming quiet and inwardly still, savoring the meaning of the Dao, preserving a balanced nature, and nourishing upright Qi in the six bowels—the six internal organs described in Chinese medicine—these are things that are easy to understand in principle. What is truly difficult is putting them into practice. Lord Xu, reflect on this carefully. Yufu, refine these principles until they become second nature!”

At the age of twenty-eight, Yufu transcended the world and ascended to immortality.

Ying, writing from Dongshan, says to Mu:

I have entrusted my spiritual awareness and original Qi to the practice of cultivation. I live in seclusion in Donglin and bathe in Mingqiu, yet I am separated from the friends and kin with whom I was born and raised. Whenever I look east toward the vast current, I lament how swiftly time passes; when I gaze west toward the cloud-veiled cliffs, sadness wells up in my heart. My homeland seems to lie just before my eyes, its scenes layered one upon another, filling me with longing. I would turn around and set out for home, but can only force myself to hold back.

So I quiet my mind and reflect, entrusting my spirit to a state of emptiness and stillness. I climb rugged cliffs and look up toward the mysterious Dao of Heaven, letting my sincere aspiration rise aloft as my spirit roams the void in reverence for the True Dao. At first I came to understand that the physical body is not the true “self.” So I forgot the flesh and followed my spiritual awareness on its way. My mind and spirit race beyond the world of dust, forever severing the burdens of worldly affairs. The quiet mountain forests are enough to satisfy me, and outside disturbances are shut out as well. I set my resolve on cultivating the Dao, never slackening, and remain wholly devoted without fail.

Later I met a luminous master and was able to receive wondrous Daoist arts. I asked my teacher to impart new and profound methods. In clear yet subtle words, he revealed their hidden principles. Through breath regulation—adjusting the breath and guiding Qi—I brought my spirit and countenance to calm; through methods of refining the body, I nurtured my sinews and bones. In the end, original Qi became harmonious and freely flowing, and the distinction between inner and outer dissolved.

I regret only that I met a worthy teacher so late, and could not turn my sluggish nature around sooner. The Registering Perfected Lord, a Daoist divine being who oversees the registers and examination of Daoist practitioners, will naturally explain how I attained the Dao and the hardships along the way. I am deeply grateful for my tradition’s guidance, protection, and aid. No merit under Heaven or Earth can surpass this.

I have heard that you traveled far in search of the highest teachings, met a true master, and penetrated the hidden depths of the Dao. You perceive the wondrous emptiness within your heart and harmonize your original Qi with primordial purity. You ascend the heights of the Seven Passes, the successive barriers faced by practitioners, and grasp the principles by which the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—move and turn. Your spiritual awareness rises beyond the clouds and illuminates the mysterious realms of the Nine Heavens. Such Daoist arts are so profound and subtle that people like us can neither hear nor comprehend them. Perhaps our endowment is too shallow, and we are not yet worthy to look up to them.

Yet those of lofty virtue must often beware of danger, and those who have only just grasped the Great Dao are often at risk of losing what they have gained. From this arise the first signs of calamity and good fortune. Drawing near to the Dao requires diligence; the divine also responds to a sincere heart. If you wait for a true master with utter sincerity, a response often comes quickly. But if your thoughts are scattered and you still try to pursue many things at once, then even after a hundred years of life, you will have no hope of attaining the Dao.

I heard long ago of the urgent trials brought by the Three Officials, the divine authorities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water. The blessings brought by the Seven Examinations, the seven trials or assessments spoken of in Daoist teaching, have also been passed down through later generations. When the times change, the opportunity to attain the Dao shifts with them. Does this not happen swiftly? When something is almost accomplished and then fails, it is often because of one’s own actions. Examine the circumstances repeatedly, and you will find that failure usually begins with deviant thoughts.

If you wish to accomplish virtuous deeds, spare no effort: diligently cultivate yourself and build up merit. What benefit is there in the countless things of the world? Is the sound of an axe chopping wood really something to envy? If people do not examine themselves and instead keep doing such things, then what sort of person is the axe, and on what grounds could it claim great renown? The bonds between teachers and friends are a vital support in attaining or losing the Dao. Entrusting body and mind to the landscape and looking up to the True Dao depend on the choices made in such relationships.

I now dwell in an empty, silent mountain cave, hidden deep in the forest. I gather the lingzhi mushrooms in the depths of the Qian Valley and collect cinnabar herbs, seeking to become a Perfected One. We once agreed that I would return after attaining the Dao. Though our messages have not yet fully reached one another, there are already some signs. I also wish to leave the mountain wilderness for a while and visit the tombs of my ancestors. I had not expected that you too would come, and hope I may see you briefly. Since our chance to meet is so short, I cannot help but feel an even deeper longing as I write. Ying replies.

The Perfected Yang Xi’s place of origin is unknown. He once served as a household attendant, a close aide, under Emperor Jianwen of Jin. Though he lived at court, he pursued the Dao in seclusion and kept a low profile, so no one knew much about him. From a young age he had been drawn to Daoist arts. He practiced ingestion and cultivation, devoted himself to seeking the Dao, and later gained an audience with numinous spirits, repeatedly entering into communion with mysterious beings. The Immortals Mao Jun, Dinglu, and An Jiuhua taught him the essentials of Daoist methods. Lord Wang of Xicheng also taught him to ingest the essences of the sun and moon, to visualize the Mudball Palace and Crimson Palace—the inner palaces of the body described in Daoist Neidan cultivation—and to refine the hun and control the po, as well as methods for eliminating the Three Corpses, the spirits believed to lead people into wrongdoing and shorten their lives.

The Perfected Xuanqing said to Yang Xi, “Cultivating the Dao should be like shooting an arrow. Once the arrow is released, it goes straight ahead without turning back to look around; only then can it hit the target. Once you have resolved to enter the mountains and cultivate, keep your mind fixed on the path ahead and do not waver. In this way, you can reach the realm of the utmost truth.” Yang Xi received these teachings with reverence and cultivated diligently, eventually attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal. Later, Emperor Jianwen of Jin took Yang Xi as his teacher and also cultivated the Dao to realization.

Bao Jing, whose courtesy name was Taixuan, was from Chenliu. From a young age he had profound insight and understood subtle and mysterious principles. He devoted himself inwardly to cultivating the Dao, though those around him knew nothing of it. The Record of Grotto Heavens states that Bao Jing and his younger sister were both descendants, through seven generations of ancestors, of Li Zhan and Zhang Lü. Li Zhan and Zhang Lü originally came from Beixiang, Duling, and once lodged together at an inn on the Weiqiao. They accumulated good deeds over a long period, performed acts of kindness in secret, and loved Daoist arts, hoping to attain long life. Their accumulated blessings extended to Bao Jing and his sister, allowing them to pass through generations of rebirth and transformation, change their surnames, and be born again into a family bound by kinship. Though their ancestors and origins differed, they inherited the same shade of De.

Bao Jing studied Confucian classics, as well as divination arts and the apocryphal writings and prognostications. He became a disciple of Zuo Yuanfang and received the Central Method and the methods for summoning and commanding spirits of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Sacred Peaks, Daoist arts for calling upon deities and expelling demons. When he performed these arts, he could produce wondrous effects. It was said that he could command ghosts and spirits, seal off mountains, and subdue demons and malevolent forces.

In the first year of the Tai-xing era of the Jin dynasty, Jing went briefly to Jiangdong. On the road north of Mount Jiang, he met a handsome youth who looked about sixteen or seventeen. They traveled together for several li, but the youth only walked at an unhurried pace. Even riding a swift horse, Jing could not catch up with him, and watched as he gradually disappeared into the distance. Jing asked, “Judging by your manner of walking, you must be someone who has attained the Dao.” The youth replied, “I am an immortal…”