《元气论》

Before Chaos—the state in which Heaven and Earth were not yet divided and the myriad things had not yet formed—there was the empty, still, formless Great Nonbeing. When Chaos first arose, the Qi of Great Harmony was contained within it. At that time, all was still and vast, with nothing to move toward and nothing to repel. The Three Ones united as the Origin, and the Six Ones united as Qi. Neither had form; both were deep and unfathomable. This is called “Great Change,” when primordial Qi had not yet taken shape.

The next stage is called “Great Beginning,” when primordial Qi started to stir. Then came “Great Origination,” when form and Qi began to take shape. This was followed by “Great Simplicity,” when form and Qi began to acquire substance. Next came the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), when substance changed and Qi emerged. Before Qi had divided into distinct forms, it congealed into an embryonic shape, like an egg. When Qi was fully integrated and form complete, this was called the “Great One.”

Within primordial Qi, the clear and light portion first rose to become Heaven, while the turbid and heavy portion later sank to become Earth. From this came the Dao of the empty void of Great Nonbeing. The Dao itself is not produced by anything; it is the root of nature and cannot be explained in words. From this we can understand that nature is the source of the Dao and the root of Qi.

Nature is originally One, the Great Dao is originally One, and primordial Qi is also originally One. This “One” is the truly pure beginning: pure Yang Qi. It is united with Great Nonbeing, shares its mind with the Great Dao, and shares its nature with nature itself. Thus it has neither beginning nor end, and no form. The clear and turbid are still united, remaining in a state of Chaos without form, so its bounds and ultimate extent cannot be described.

When primordial Qi spread vast and boundless, the sprouts of the myriad things began to emerge. Heaven and Earth then separated, Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) were established, Yin and Yang responded to one another, and primordial Qi spread throughout, giving rise to harmonious Qi. From this, human beings came into being.

The first to be born was Pangu. At the end of his life, his body transformed into the myriad things: his Qi became wind and clouds, his voice became thunder, his left eye became the sun, and his right eye became the moon. His limbs and body became the four extremities of the world and the Five Sacred Peaks; his blood became rivers; his veins became the patterns of the earth; his flesh became fields and soil; his hair and beard became the stars; his body hair became grasses and trees; his teeth and bones became metal and stone; his marrow became pearls and jade; and his sweat became rain and dew. The various creatures on his body, transformed by the influence of wind and Qi, became the people.

Because people were born from Heaven, they are called “the people born of Heaven.” Since the ancients believed people’s hair was black, they were called “black-headed people,” also known as “black commoners.” Those of lower status among them were called “blue-headed people.”

People today call themselves “black-headed creatures,” and are sometimes also called “naked creatures.” It is said that after Pangu but before the Three Sovereigns, people wore no clothes. Only in the age of the Three Kings did people gradually abandon their old customs, drape themselves in grass garments, and tie grass cords around themselves; they were then called “blue-headed people.”

In those days, people built shelters of grass and dug dwellings in the earth. They ate mainly plants and fruit, but also the flesh of birds and beasts. They drank animal blood and ate raw meat, living in a benighted yet carefree state. Later, they learned to cook millet and roast pork. They made hollow drinking vessels from mud bricks, used clods of earth as drumsticks, and played music on earthen drums. They also gradually learned the benefits of using fire to prepare food. They came to know how to work silk and hemp, smelt metal, fire clay, and build spacious houses. They installed double doors and bolts, made doorways and windows, and set up kitchens. They roasted, boiled, and broiled food over fire, using these practices to sustain life, bury the dead, and offer sacrifices to spirits and gods.

From the Great Nonbeing and the Most Ancient times down to the present, events have changed in ways too numerous to record one by one. More than four thousand years have passed since Fuxi. Over that time, life and death have changed, and people have gradually formed ethical relationships and distinctions such as ruler and subject, father and son. The rise and fall of dynasties, gains and losses, advances and retreats, successes and failures—all these have been recorded by Confucian scholars of earlier generations and carried on by those who came after. The subject is intricate and cannot be fully discussed here.

After Heaven and Earth emerged from chaos, people came into being from Pangu’s remains and spread across the world, forming the warp of Heaven and the weft of Earth. The celestial patterns and features of the land, the Five Planets and Two Luminaries (celestial bodies in Daoist cosmology), the intersections of the ecliptic and the celestial equator, the Five Sacred Peaks and the rivers in their hundreds, and the alternation of day and night together brought forth all things and nourished every kind of living being. Birds, beasts, the qilin, and shelled creatures—those with feathers, fur, scales, and shells—each comprise 360 kinds, making 1,800 kinds in all. Humans are the leaders among the “ creatures” (a general term for a kind of creature; the original text uses this character), and belong to one of these kinds as well. Humans and all other things receive the same primordial Qi (the fundamental energy that constitutes Heaven, Earth, and all things) and are brought into being. All things grow through the nourishment of primordial Qi, and among the vital energies, none is more precious than human Qi.

Though my abilities and understanding are limited, I am fortunate to live amid the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity. I have studied widely the teachings of many schools and read extensively through the writings of ancient and present times. I have discussed in full the primordial Qi, the fundamental energy that forms Heaven, Earth, and all things, and explained in detail the source of the myriad things. I have entrusted myself to nature and turned my heart toward the great Dao, seeking its essential meaning. I have gathered subtle teachings and scriptures transmitted by perfected beings, hoping they will endure for a long time and reach discerning people in generations to come. Those who read these words with understanding should never take their lives lightly. Cherish every day and every moment; cultivate diligently and put the teachings into practice. Do not wait until old age to regret what can no longer be made right. May those who share these aspirations treasure these words and keep them as something precious.

The treatise says: Primordial Qi originally had no name. Only after the myriad things came into being did their various names arise. Primordial Qi is one undivided whole, yet the things it generates are diverse. Before differentiation, it has no form and is called “the One Qi” or “the Origin.” Once differentiated, each thing takes on its own form, and people use many names to distinguish them. Thus, “the nameless” is the beginning of Heaven and Earth, while “the named” is the source of the myriad things. Always observe the nameless to perceive its profound subtlety; always observe the named to perceive its manifest bounds. “Manifest bounds” refers to outward signs, while “subtlety” refers to inward principles. Inward principles are the foundation; outward signs are where manifestation begins. The beginning of manifestation may be called the father, and the subtle principle within may be called the mother: this is the Dao.

A name that can be spoken is not an eternal, unchanging name. “The nameless” and “the named” arise together from the Dao, differing only in name. When we speak of them as one, we call them “the Dao”; when we distinguish between them, we call them “the Mysterious.” Mysterious upon mysterious, they are the gateway to the myriad wonders.

It also says: There is something undivided and whole that existed before Heaven and Earth. Silent and vast, it stands alone and does not change; it moves in cycles and never grows weary. It can serve as the source of everything under Heaven. I do not know its name, so I provisionally call it “the Dao”; it arises from nature. Once the great Dao exists, the Dao gives rise to Yin-Yang; Yin-Yang gives rise to Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth give rise to our parents, and our parents in turn give birth to our bodies.

Emotion, nature, the body, and life all receive their endowment from primordial Qi. Nature originally comes from the same source, primordial Qi, while life differs according to the various categories of beings. Human nature cannot be separated from primordial Qi, while life develops and takes form according to each being’s own category. Thus the five—Dao, De, benevolence, righteousness, and ritual—can never be left behind, even for an instant. Whatever can be left behind is not truly Dao, De, benevolence, righteousness, or ritual.

Dao signifies trustworthiness, so it holds the honored place at the center and corresponds to the Way of the Yellow Emperor. De signifies wisdom, so it holds the honored place in the north and corresponds to the Virtue of the Black Emperor. Benevolence concerns how one treats others, so it holds the honored place in the east and corresponds to the benevolence of the Azure Emperor. Righteousness concerns acting in accord with the proper time, so it holds the honored place in the west and corresponds to the righteousness of the White Emperor. Ritual is a system of norms, so it holds the honored place in the south and corresponds to the ritual of the Red Emperor. What the Three Sovereigns revered was called the “Great Dao”; what the Five Emperors revered was called the “Constant Dao.” Though the names differ, both expressions come from the same source.

Primordial Qi is originally one, yet it can transform and give birth to the myriad things. All things must obtain this “One” in order to grow and take form; once they lose it, they immediately move toward death. Therefore, this “One” must not be lost. Here, the “One” refers to the Great One (Taiyi), the origin of all things in the cosmos. The Great One divides into Heaven and Earth, known as the Two Forms. The Two Forms then give rise to the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Humanity is then aligned with the four seasons; the four seasons correspond to the Five Phases; the Five Phases divide into the Six Lü (the six ancient yang pitches used to calibrate musical tones); the Six Lü give rise to the Seven Regulators (seven manifestations of celestial movement); the Seven Regulators correspond to the Eight Winds; and the Eight Winds divide into the Nine Qi.

The numbers from one to nine belong to yang, while those from two to eight belong to yin. Nine times nine, or eighty-one, is the number marking the culmination of the movement of yang; eight times eight, or sixty-four, is the number marking the culmination of the movement of yin.

All things contain the same five kinds of Qi, meaning that they come from one source and exist within a single whole. Primordial Qi, the fundamental energy from which all things arise, brings forth the myriad things, each of which therefore belongs to a different category. Though the myriad things divide into the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—and take countless forms, they never for an instant depart from Primordial Qi.

The five kinds of Qi form their distinct natures according to the endowments of each life, and they also change through contact with the things around them. Influenced by prevailing ways and customs, these changes become limitless, extending beyond ten thousand kinds. Hence the saying, “The wandering soul brings about transformation”: the soul’s Qi wanders and changes, altering the forms of life. Examples include an old man from Wudu becoming a woman, the grandmother of the Jiang family becoming a yuan (a kind of large turtle), a pig from the Heitai family becoming a human, and a member of the Kuai Wu’an family becoming a tiger. These are all examples of transformation through the wandering soul.

Primordial Qi contains five kinds of Qi: yielding Qi transforms into water, which corresponds to the number one; warm Qi transforms into fire, which corresponds to two; gentle Qi transforms into wood, which corresponds to three; hard Qi transforms into metal, which corresponds to four; and wind Qi transforms into earth, which corresponds to five. Before the five kinds of Qi have taken visible form, before the Three Powers have become distinct, and before the two modes of Yin and Yang—the basic forms of Heaven and Earth—have been established, this state is called “Chaos.” It is also called “the Primordial Unity,” or “the Primordial Lump,” likened to an egg. The five kinds of Qi blend into one; when Primordial Qi differentiates, it unfolds into the five kinds of Qi. When Qi becomes manifest, it has an appearance, and so it is called “the forms of Qi.”

In his Hun Tian Yi (“Armillary Sphere”), Zhang Heng writes: “Nothing precedes Primordial Qi as the root that covers Heaven and supports Earth and all things. The root of the celestial bodies, such as the sun, moon, and stars, is the celestial phenomena formed when Qi differentiates.” The ancient sage kings observed the paths of the celestial bodies to determine the courses followed by the sun, moon, and stars. To investigate their origins, they first took a spherical model of the heavens as their standard. This was the method for making astronomical instruments and establishing measurements. Thereafter, emperors had a basis for governing the realm, and the movements of the celestial bodies could be examined against a standard. This is the foundation for observing celestial phenomena and governing the realm.

The sages originally had no self-serving intent, yet from this they developed deliberate attention. The mind arises through contact with things and also vanishes because of them. The key lies in how the mind and eyes observe and judge; the workings of everything between Heaven and Earth, along with the changes of success and failure, rise and decline, gain and loss, are all connected to this.

The sage has no private aims; rather, the mind responds as things call forth an appropriate thought. Thoughts arise because of external things and also fade because of them. What matters is the mind within and the way one sees: all changes among the myriad things between Heaven and Earth, along with success and failure, rise and decline, gain and loss, departure and return, are bound up with people’s thoughts and perceptions.

Death belongs to Yin, and life to Yang. The way of life is contained in the transformations of Yin and Yang. Without understanding how to cultivate oneself and put this understanding into practice, one will keep wavering along the paths of life and death. Mo Di (Mozi) grieved that white silk changes with whatever dye it takes up; Yang Zhu wept at a crossroads with so many branches that the way forward could not be discerned. Both spoke to this same principle.

Before the Great Simplicity (Taisu), the primordial state before Heaven and Earth and the myriad things took form, all was deep, still, and silent, impossible to portray in any concrete image. Within it there was only emptiness; outside it, only nonbeing. This state endured for a long time and was called “Mingxing,” the undifferentiated, murky state. It was the root of the Dao.

Once the pattern of Heaven and Earth had begun to take shape, the Great Simplicity began to stir, though no signs of it had yet appeared. At that time, all things existed together in a single Qi, alike in color and undivided in chaos. This is why it is said, “There was something formed in the midst of chaos.” Although Qi had taken shape, it had not yet become visible as a concrete form, and the speed of its movement and change could not yet be discerned. This state, too, endured for a long time and was called “Panghong,” the vast, undifferentiated state. It was the trunk of the Dao.

Then the primordial Qi divided, and firmness and softness began to separate. Yin and Yang joined and gathered, while clear and turbid Qi each settled in its proper place: Heaven took shape on the outside, and Earth became stable within. Heaven belongs to Yang and embodies the trunk of the Dao. It gives form to the myriad things, covering and nourishing them like a compass, and sets life in motion through movement. Earth belongs to Yin and embodies the root of the Dao. It gives substance to the myriad things, bearing and nurturing them like a square, and brings them to their end through stillness. This is what is meant by Heaven’s completion and Earth’s stabilization.

Heaven and Earth carry out transformation through movement and nurture and bring things to life through stillness. As breath and Qi intermingle and vital essence gathers, they give rise to living beings in their proper seasons. This is called the “Heavenly Origin,” the beginning from which Heaven and Earth bring forth the myriad things. It is the Dao made manifest in practice.

In the heavens, Dao appears as the many phenomena of the sky; on Earth, it appears as the many forms of the land. The heavens have nine layers, and Earth has nine regions. The sun, moon, and stars are in the heavens, while mountains and rivers are on Earth. All things have appearances that can be observed and forms that can be measured. Their natures differ, yet they respond to and connect with one another, growing and changing naturally in ways too numerous to record. Here, only a brief account is given of the principles and workings that govern them.

The four directions and the eight extremities—the four quarters of Heaven and Earth and their farthest reaches—mark the boundaries of Earth. Earth’s diameter is 203,517 li. Its north–south measure is 1,000 li less than this, while its east–west measure is 1,000 li more. The distance from Earth’s surface to the dome of heaven is half the greatest distance people can measure; the depth from the surface to Earth’s center is the same. The figures for Earth’s diameter and circumference can also be calculated according to this proportion. Heaven and Earth are 110,258 and a half li apart. Multiply this distance by four, and it gives the great measure of Hundun, the state in which Heaven and Earth have not yet separated and primordial Qi has not yet differentiated.

The Dao of Heaven moves to the left, opposite the direction in which things on Earth move. Thus the Qi of Heaven and human beings fills on the left and contracts on the right. Heaven belongs to Yang, so it revolves in motion; Earth belongs to Yin, so it remains still and bears all things. Through movement, Heaven sets primordial Qi in circulation and spreads its light; through stillness, Earth bears the myriad things, allowing the seasons and the alternation of day and night to appear enduringly. When Heaven moves according to its regular course, its light does not depart from its proper order, the four seasons arrive in turn, and cold and heat do not become confused. When Earth follows the principle of stillness and support, it does not lose its essential nature, the myriad things flourish, and growth and decline each occur in their proper time. The formation of all things therefore depends on Heaven and Earth following their proper courses.

Nothing is greater than Heaven, and nothing is more substantial than Earth. Water is the most abundant, soil the most expansive, wood the most flourishing, and metal the hardest. Fire comes closest to emptiness, the sun and moon are the brightest, and the Dark Void—the celestial body that obscures them and brings darkness—is the most obscure. Even the sun and moon, though supremely bright, appear dim when they encounter the Dark Void; they may even be darkened in solar or lunar eclipses. How much more so is this true of human beings?

Earth has mountains, valleys, wells, springs, rivers, caves and lakes, ponds, marshes, dikes, and ravines, which release and circulate Earth’s Qi. In the heavens are arrayed 348 stellar lodges, all formed from the essence of Heaven, condensed into crystalline, luminous stars. The stars’ material foundations lie on Earth, while their vital essence is formed in Heaven. They are arranged in varied patterns, each with its proper place; this is called the “Hanging Images,” or, as some say, the “Mysterious Images.” Either term is acceptable.

The sun and moon have a diameter and circumference of 700 li and one thirty-sixth, with the width of their earthly surface measuring 200 li and one thirty-second. The sun is the sovereign of Yang essence: its Qi gathers to form an image, and that image transforms into birds—the Golden Rooster and the Fire Bird. Tradition says that each has three legs, with three symbolizing Yang, whose number is odd. The moon is the sovereign of Yin essence: its Qi gathers to form an image, and that image transforms into animals—the Jade Rabbit and the toad. Tradition says that each has four legs, with four symbolizing Yin, whose number is even. Odd and even numbers, together with the Qi of Yin and Yang, can all sustain their luminosity because they ultimately arise through the transformation of primordial Qi.

Human beings receive the original Qi of Heaven and Earth—the vital energy that flows between them. Life begins when the father’s Jing and Qi unite with the mother’s blood and Qi. Yin and Yang meet, above and below come into harmony, and spirit and Qi differentiate. Gradually, awareness of self and body fades; then one’s inborn nature descends, and life begins. A person develops in the mother’s womb for ten months; a related explanation appears at the end of the scroll. Although the period in the womb is said to be ten months, conception and gestation are reckoned as thirty-eight “la,” each la lasting seven days. The fetus changes once each day; after thirty-eight changes, it leaves the womb to begin life.

During the four days surrounding birth, the wise and kind seem to dwell in a royal palace, enjoying every comfort. They are born peacefully, as if descending from Heaven: mother and child are safe, without pain; relatives rejoice, and neighbors come to offer congratulations. The cruel and perverse, by contrast, seem trapped in a prison, enduring every hardship. Mother and child struggle, each in pain; relatives are distressed, and neighbors are alarmed. Though the dates of people’s conception are fixed, they fall into two kinds: good and evil. How, then, can children act rebelliously and commit the Five Rebellions—the five grave offenses against moral order?

Today, when a child reaches thirty days old, people congratulate one another and call the occasion the “full month.” This custom comes from that very tradition. By then, the child’s breath is full, its body complete, and all the hundred spirits that constitute the body’s vital functions are present. Just as Heaven and Earth divide to form the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the human body bears Earth and models itself on Heaven, with Yin at its back and Yang in its embrace. It is like ripe fruit falling of its own accord, or a fledgling breaking its shell by pecking from within as the parent bird pecks from without. So the child is born and becomes a red infant, a newborn.

Those who have attained the Dao carry Dao and De in their hearts. Their nature is quiet and harmonious; they hold to unity and preserve inner stillness, living with calm detachment and giving rise to no deluded thoughts. Body and mind merge with emptiness, while their awareness rests in fetal breathing, a subtle, deep, and sustained breathing practice. Thus it is said that those of profound De resemble infants. An infant’s original heart is akin to that of a perfected person: within, Dao and De sustain it; without, spirits protect it, just as a loving mother protects her child.

Infants take a state of wholeness and harmony as their nature; sages take the fullness of De as their nature. Outwardly, they have no thoughts of making distinctions or choosing among things; inwardly, they have no intention of harming any of the myriad things.

Because an infant’s primordial Qi—the vital energy at the root of life—is pure and harmonious, the infant can clench a fist tightly. Though the bones are weak and the sinews soft, the grip is firm. An infant does not yet know the union of female and male, yet the life force within the body can stir. This shows that Jing and Qi are abundant to the utmost. An infant can cry all day without becoming hoarse; this shows that harmonious Qi is abundant to the utmost. The grip is firm because primordial Qi is flourishing. So although the bones are weak, the sinews remain supple.

An infant does not understand the union of Yin and Yang, yet the source of the body’s vital energy can stir. This is because Jing and Qi are pure. Yin is called “female” (pin), and Yang “male” (mu). “Xiao” refers to the source of vital energy and life, that is, the root of primordial Qi. An infant’s mind holds neither desire nor discriminating judgment. Even when the life force stirs within the body, it is not drawn along by external desires, so there is no concern that Jing and Qi will be depleted or leak away. The infant’s breath is pure, moving back and forth naturally and freely, in accordance with its nature; hence this is called “Jing at its utmost.”

An infant can cry all day without becoming hoarse. This, too, is purity and harmony at their utmost, hence it is called “harmony at its utmost.” “Hoarse” means that the voice has become raspy and damaged. Primordial Qi nourishes the infant from within, preserving true Jing and sustaining abundant harmonious Qi, so these are not depleted or impaired.

The Shangqing Dongzhen Pin says: When people are born, they receive the fundamental Qi of Heaven and Earth, from which their spirit and body take shape. They also receive the “Primordial Unity Qi”—the original, unified vital energy—which gives rise within them to bodily fluids and vital essence. When the Qi of Heaven declines, the spirit disperses; when the Qi of Earth declines, the body falls ill; when Primordial Qi declines, life approaches its end. Thus, practicing the “Way of the Emperor One’s Returning Wind,” a method of guiding and circulating Qi, can make Qi flow upward in reverse through the body’s meridians, nourishing the Muddy Pellet—the Daoist term for the brain—above and strengthening Primordial Qi below. When the brain is full, the spirit can remain whole; when the spirit is whole, Qi is abundant; when Qi is abundant, the body is sound. In this way, the body’s apertures can work in harmony, and the eight external pathogenic influences recede. When Primordial Qi is abundant, the marrow condenses into bone, and the Qi of the intestines transforms into sinews. By relying on pure true Jing, Primordial Shen, and Primordial Qi, and keeping them joined with the body rather than separate from it, one can attain long life.

Qin Shaoqi says in his Discussion of the Difficult Questions in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic: Men are born in Yin, which belongs to Wood and Yang; women are born in Shen, which belongs to Metal and Yin. Primordial Qi begins to circulate at the hour of Zi, around midnight, and thus people can attain long life.

In Discussion of Difficult Passages in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Difficulties, Qin Shaoqi says: Men are born at the position Yin, which belongs to Wood and to Yang; women are born at the position Shen, which belongs to Metal and to Yin. Original Qi begins at the position Zi, and human life also arises from there.

From Zi, men proceed thirty positions to the left, while women proceed twenty positions to the right. Both arrive at Si, where they become husband and wife and conceive, receiving the fetal Qi at that time. The man then proceeds ten more positions to the left from Si, arriving at Yin; the woman proceeds ten positions to the right from Si, arriving at Shen. This represents the passage of ten months: the fetal Qi becomes abundant and the body takes shape, and the boy and girl are born respectively at Yin and Shen. From Yin, the man proceeds thirty positions to the left, arriving at Wei, called “Little Fortune,” the position reached in the progression of a man’s years. From Shen, the woman proceeds twenty positions to the right, arriving at Chou, called “Great Fortune,” the position reached in the progression of a woman’s years. When they reach the corresponding ages, a man’s marriage and a woman’s marriage may be arranged.

If people follow this pattern over the long term, Original Qi will not be depleted and Jing-Qi will not dissipate, enabling them to live long. The Original Qi of Heaven and Earth begins at Zi. Zi belongs to Water, which corresponds to the Kan trigram, located in the north. Human Original Qi likewise corresponds to Heaven and Earth and originates in the kidneys.

Human Original Qi has the subtle principle of natural stillness and possesses a nature that is pure, empty, numinous, profound, and mysterious. This mystery deepens layer upon layer and is beyond words: it is the gateway to all wonders and the hidden path along which Original Qi moves. Mystery manifests as spirit; the numinous subtlety of spirit is called the Dao. The Dao generates the natural substance of being, thereby making long life possible. The foundation of life is Original Qi.

The kidneys are where the spirits dwell. Without a dwelling, the spirit cannot be at peace; and if the dwelling is without spirit, how can a person be healthy? When Kidney Qi is firm, the spirit can dwell there in peace. Then a person may pass from the ordinary to the sage, and the mind and spirit can naturally become open to the subtle and wondrous.

The spirit by nature delights in life. But if its dwelling is unstable, it cannot settle there; the body will gradually decline and eventually reach death. If a person devotes themselves to cultivation and strives to advance, keeping the inner mind clear and the outer body still, and cutting off all forms of defilement, they can make the dwelling within the body much more secure and allow the spirit and soul to rest there in peace.

The spirits and deities often protect the body, while the body and spirit care for one another. When the body attains the Dao, the spirit attains it too; when the body becomes immortal, the spirit becomes immortal as well. The body and spirit depend on one another, and their cultivation can continue without end.

Primordial Qi (the fundamental vital energy that sustains life) is the source of life-sustaining energy; it is also the stirring Qi between the kidneys. It is the foundation of the five zang organs and six fu organs, the source of the twelve channels, the gateway through which breath enters and leaves, and the origin of the Triple Burner (the system that connects the organs and circulates Qi). It is also called the “spirit that guards against malign influences,” meaning that it protects the body and repels harmful forces. The ancients used a tree as a metaphor: Primordial Qi is a person’s root. Once that root is severed, the organs and sinews are like branches and leaves cut off from their roots; when the root decays, the branches wither.

Question: What is the stirring Qi between the kidneys? Answer: The right kidney is called the Gate of Destiny (the seat of life’s foundation), and the Qi of the Gate of Destiny stirs between the kidneys. Here, “between” means the middle, and “stirring” means generation and growth. This Qi is the root system of Primordial Qi and the place where spirit resides. The Gate of Destiny contains the spirit of true Jing, which firmly protects the body and repels harmful forces; hence it is called the “spirit that guards against malign influences.” If it cannot protect the body, harmful forces will invade, and the person will die.

People preserve their lives because Primordial Qi belongs to Yang and is called the nourishing Qi, while the blood vessels belong to Yin and are called the defensive Qi. As the nourishing and defensive Qi continue to circulate, people remain alive. They flow throughout the organs, sustaining Shen and Qi, enabling the body to function and maintaining life.

Another view holds that clear Qi is nourishing Qi and turbid Qi is defensive Qi: nourishing Qi circulates within the channels, while defensive Qi circulates outside them. By day, they move throughout the body; by night, they circulate through the organs. They travel continuously day and night, making fifty circuits in one hundred ke, and gather at dawn at the cun, guan, and chi positions on both wrists. Yin and Yang Qi permeate one another and cycle without end. If this circulation stops, a person dies; as long as it continues, a person can live. Therefore, one should care for the body and cherish and preserve Primordial Qi. Only when nourishing and defensive Qi continue to circulate and Shen and Qi do not decline can one live a long life.

After Heaven and Earth had yet to separate, and primordial chaos had begun to divide, the Three Primal Qi of Heaven, Earth, and Water (the three original vital energies) generated humanity and nourished the myriad things. In keeping with this pattern, people named related parts of the body the Three Burners and the Three Dantians, which nourish the body and generate Shen and Qi. Each Burner has its own function but no corresponding fixed organ; the Burners are distributed throughout the body and govern three kinds of activity.

The Upper Burner follows the Primal Energy of Heaven and is called the Upper Dantian. It extends from above the stomach entrance and the diaphragm below the heart up to the Niwan (the head). The Upper Dantian receives the Yang Qi of Heaven’s Primal Energy, which circulates through Danzhong (the chest region known as Shanzhong). Located in the chest, Danzhong governs the warming and nourishment of the skin and muscles, like mist and dew moistening the myriad things.

The Middle Burner follows the Primal Energy of Earth and is called the Middle Dantian. It extends from the diaphragm below the heart to the navel. The Middle Dantian receives the Yin Qi of Earth’s Primal Energy, which circulates through the stomach. Located below the heart, the stomach governs the digestion of the five grains and the ripening of fluids. It transforms the nature of food and drink in the stomach and generates blood to nourish the organs and the body, like the vapor rising from the earth.

The Lower Burner follows the Primal Energy of Water and is called the Lower Dantian. It extends below the navel and includes the bladder and Louquan (the lower region associated with excretion). The Lower Dantian receives the Yang Qi of Water’s Primal Energy, which circulates through the Qihai (the acupuncture point one inch below the navel) and gathers at Qijie. Qijie is a passageway through which Qi moves. Since all three Burners govern the movement of Qi, Qi gathers there. The word “jie” means a great road with routes leading in every direction.

The Lower Burner governs the movement of Qi and blood and the unobstructed flow of the channels and vessels. It also governs the gathering of Shen and Jing, and the harmonizing of movement and stillness, Yin and Yang. These functions are like water flowing to lower ground and nourishing its source before irrigating the land at the proper time: water vapor rises to become clouds, and when it descends, it becomes rain.

The Immortal Scripture says: “My life and nature are in my own hands. Nurture Jing and Qi, receive the original Qi, and life can endure without end.” It also says: “Do not overstrain the body or disturb Jing and Qi. Let the mind settle into stillness and silence, and you can attain long life.”

The foundation of life depends above all on this Dao. Even if you know breathing practices and Daoyin (exercises that regulate the body and breath), cultivate blessings and De, study many methods, or take elixirs, without understanding the Dao of original Qi, you are like a tree with luxuriant branches and leaves but no roots. How could it survive for long?

If you devote yourself to sensual pleasures and the delights of desire, your life may seem abundant, but in the end you meet an early death and lie forever in the grave. Such a life is truly impoverished. By contrast, if for many years you practice diligently day after day, train in methods for prolonging life, follow the cultivation methods of the Jade Scripture, observe dietary restrictions, grasp the essentials of original Qi, restrain the hun and po, nourish fetal breathing (the cultivation of the inner breath), and preserve Jing and Qi, your life may seem austere, yet in the end you can attain longevity and dwell in the celestial realms above the clouds. Such a life can be called truly abundant.

A person’s life has an end, while the cravings of desire have no end. To pursue limitless desires with a finite life is to bring about your own destruction. Mud can muddy a river, but not the sea; wind can uproot trees, but cannot shake a mountain. Desire can unsettle petty people, but cannot move a noble person. Why? The noble person is like someone settled in a secure dwelling, while the petty person is like a wanderer adrift.

Understand that each person’s inborn endowment and lifespan have limits, and that a life is hard to preserve. If the essential method is not pointed out, the key teachings not transmitted, the mind method not explained, and the essentials not passed on, then even a single missing sentence may remain unheard for generations. One may read the scriptures all one’s life, until one’s hair turns white, and still fail to hear of this Dao.

What is meant by the Dao? The Dao is original Qi. Original Qi is the root that governs nature and life. The phrase “completing life” refers to a method of cultivation that harmonizes and centers. Make preserving and nourishing the Great Dao your method; make refining and transforming Jing and Qi your art, so that the movement of Qi flows freely without obstruction. That is why flowing water does not grow foul and a door hinge is not eaten by insects. If you grasp what is subtle and more than subtle, men and women can cultivate together and husband and wife can both become immortals. This is the mysterious Great Dao.

The Xianjing says: “When Yin and Yang unite, this is called the Dao. When the Three Primordial Forces and the Two Qi combine, this is called the Elixir. When Qi and blood are made to flow in reverse to nourish the brain, this is called ‘returning.’ When Jing is transformed into Qi, this is called ‘transformation.’ Each transformation brings renewed vitality; each extends one’s life by a ji—a period of twelve years. After nine transformations, one’s life can be extended by one hundred and eight years.”

The Queen Mother of the West says: “Breathe in the Qi of Great Harmony—the pure, balanced Qi—and preserve your natural nature. First, fill your body with Qi, for Qi is the source of life. The way of ‘change and increase’ means that ‘increase’ is to replenish Jing and Qi, while ‘change’ is to transform the body. Those who can replenish Jing and Qi and transform the body are entered in the registers of the High Immortals. Those who cannot replenish or transform will be unable to escape the fate of death.

“To cultivate this method, keep the ‘Numinous Treasure’ always in mind: ‘Numinous’ refers to Shen, and ‘Treasure’ to Jing. Cherish the Original Qi and Jing, clasp your hands, close your mouth, and draw in breaths and saliva. Saliva becomes Jing, Jing becomes Qi, and Qi becomes Shen. Shen then becomes saliva, saliva becomes Jing again, Jing becomes Qi again, and Qi becomes Shen again. Repeat this cycle seven times; through nine turns and nine transformations, Jing and Qi are replenished, and the body changes with them.

“This change is not death, but a transformation of the body during life: from old age back to youth, from youth back to childhood, from childhood back to infancy, and finally from infancy into the newborn child. At this point, one becomes a Perfected Person. Cultivation of this Dao is called ‘embryonic breathing’—breathing inwardly like a fetus. Persist in the practice without slackening, and Shen and Jing will become abundant while Original Qi grows strong; the brain will become firm and the bones will also be transformed.”

The Immortal Scripture says: In the workings of Yin and Yang, Jing, Qi, and bodily fluids are most precious. If people care for and preserve them with diligence, they can delay aging. It also says: To seek longevity, one should begin at the source from which life arises. Daily routines should be moderate, advances and retreats appropriate, movement and stillness guided by principle, and choices made with restraint. In this way, life can be prolonged and illness eased.

It also says: Treating gold with gold makes true gold; treating people with people makes a realized person—someone who has attained the Dao. People often turn away from the Dao themselves; it is not the Dao that abandons them. They often distance themselves from the Way of life; it is not the Way of life that leaves them. Therefore, one should constantly nourish the spirit and never lose the proper way of caring for life. Let the Dao and life remain joined for the long term, and let spirit and life protect one another; then both body and spirit can endure.

The Queen Mother says: Regulating the breath is like a dragon regulating the flow of water. Qi returns to nature, Shen to emptiness, and Jing to the Niwan—the place within the head where Jing, Qi, and Shen are refined. Water flows from a high source, rises into the River of Heaven, descends into the Yellow Springs, then spreads across the many rivers and finally enters the Four Seas. Like water, Qi circulates between Heaven and Earth and flows through the human body, moving without cease or limit. If people can regulate their breath and guide it properly, they can accord with the workings of Heaven and Earth and shine as brightly as the sun and moon.

The Records of Gu Xun says: A person’s original Qi—the vital energy at the root of life—is the nourishment on which the ethereal soul and spirit depend. This is why it is called “the child elixir that properly serves yellow delicacies.” The spirit relies on original Qi to endure, while the body is nourished by the five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty. When original Qi is clear and balanced, the spirit is refreshed; when it is turbid, the spirit is harmed. Thus, it is often said that one should cultivate original Qi in a balanced way and keep it pure. In this way, one can refine and nourish the spirit and ethereal soul, drive away ghosts and demons, subdue the corporeal soul, and bring both body and mind to rest.

The ethereal soul rises to Heaven and is called spirit; the corporeal soul comes from Earth and is called ghost. Ghosts belong to Yin, and spirits to Yang. Therefore, refining and nourishing the ethereal soul and spirit, and taking in original Qi, can bring long life and freedom from death, allowing the body to ascend to Heaven. Indulging in the five flavors and appealing to malevolent ghosts, by contrast, leads ultimately to death, with the body returning beneath the earth. After death, the ethereal soul flies toward Heaven, while the corporeal soul sinks underground; water and fire separate, each returning to its source. In life, the two dwell together in one body. After death, they are far apart, one ascending and the other descending. This is the natural order. It is like a piece of wood burned by fire: smoke drifts upward and ash falls downward. This, too, is simply natural.

The Upper Scripture of the Nine Sovereigns says: “Beneath ‘Beginning Blue,’ the Moon and Sun each have a half. The two halves rise together and join as one. It emerges from the Jade Pool and enters the Golden Chamber. It is the size of a pellet, yellow like an orange, and contains a fine delicacy, sweet as honey. If those who cultivate the Dao can obtain it, they must never lose it.”

The commentary explains: The pear of intertwined branches and the fiery date grow within the human body. They are the size of pellets, yellow like oranges, and sweet as honey. They are neither far away nor near, but lie within the heart chamber. The heart chamber is where the spirit dwells; it is also the abode of Qi, the governor of Jing, and is connected with the ethereal and corporeal souls. The Jade Pool refers to the saliva that forms in the mouth and on the tongue. When saliva joins with spirit and Qi, this is what is meant by “the two halves joining as one.”

The Taiping Gao says that Xu Yuanyou once wrote to Wang Xizhi: jiaoli and fire dates are immortal medicines that can enable people to ascend to the heavens. If one can cut away the brambles in the heart—that is, dispel the distinction between self and others and put an end to disputes over right and wrong—then the jiaoli and fire-date trees will grow within the heart, flourishing with leaves and branches, blooming and bearing fruit. If one can gather and eat a branch, one can ride the vital energy of the natural world and travel ten thousand li. This is what is called “yin elixir.” By cultivating the spirit, harmonizing the original Qi, swallowing saliva, and keeping Jing and Qi firmly within the body, one can bear precious fruit, just as a tree with strong roots grows lush leaves, blossoms, and bears fruit.

The many changes within the heart refer to a person’s physical form and spirit. Yin-Yang is like the sun and moon, rainwater, warm breezes, and dew, which nourish and water the trees. The harmonious circulation of breath is like luxuriant branches and leaves; a pure nature and joyful disposition are like blossoms; guarding Jing and Qi so they remain within is like bearing fruit; and the smooth flow of saliva is like the fruit’s sweet taste. The ancient immortals solemnly swore to keep this method secret and passed it on orally. Now that it is being taught in writing, it should be entrusted to someone truly suited to receive it.

Daolin says this practice is also called the “Jade Nectar and Golden Elixir Method.” “Jade nectar and golden elixir” refers to refining, cultivating, and ingesting the saliva in the mouth. The human body has six fluids: Jing, tears, saliva, nasal mucus, sweat, and urine. They all arise from original Qi and are distributed throughout the five viscera and six bowels, the nine orifices, and the limbs. One who understands this method can prevent Jing and Qi from leaking out over a long period. Even with repeated sexual intercourse, they will not lose Jing and Qi, and so are called immortals who cultivate in solitude. In daily life, if one can go the whole day without spitting, often holding saliva in the mouth before swallowing it, Jing and Qi will remain within and the fluids will stay in the body, giving the face a lustrous appearance.

The Laotzi Jie Jie says: Saliva in the mouth, when gathered, is called “Sweet Spring”; when spread through the mouth, it is called “Flowery Pool.” It disperses into fluids, and when swallowed downward, it is like sweet dew. Rinsing the mouth with saliva and swallowing it nourishes the organs and viscera, moistens the body, and opens the channels throughout the body. It cares for every part of body and mind, including the joints of the limbs and the hair, strengthening the body and preserving its vitality over time. This is what is called the “inner Golden Elixir syrup,” which nourishes the spirit and replenishes primordial Qi.

If Sweet Spring is made from pure jade and the syrup from refined metal, and these materials are transformed from their original forms until they become soft rather than hard, clear and radiant like ice and snow, and more fragrant than spices, then drinking a cup brings longevity. This is what is called the “outer Golden Elixir syrup,” which strengthens the body and fortifies the organs and viscera.

In daily life, avoid sweating without good reason. Sweat is called “the spirit’s signal,” meaning that it reveals the body’s internal condition. When primordial Qi is in harmony, a light sweat after exercise is appropriate, but do not exercise into a cold wind. If excessive exertion depletes Jing and Qi and causes heavy, unceasing sweat, the spirit and body become utterly exhausted. So keep the body relaxed and walk at an easy pace; do not overwork. When sitting or lying down, do not wait until you are completely worn out. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, regulate your activity with calm moderation. Combine this with daoyin, a method of cultivating health through breathing and bodily movements, and massage, so that you rise feeling light and vigorous, with a relaxed and contented mind.

Pay attention to urination and bowel movements as well: do not force yourself to hold them in, and do not let them occur excessively. Difficulty passing waste, stools that are too loose, or excessive frequency can all damage primordial Qi and harm the body, bringing trouble quickly. This is the principle of knowing when to advance and withdraw, and when to preserve oneself. It is also the Way of the sages.

Everyone regards life as precious, and both the wise and the foolish cherish their bodies. Therefore, the sage instructs the noble through morality, benevolence and righteousness, humility and kindness, respect and simplicity, as well as celestial signs, human affairs, and omens of good fortune. The petty-minded, by contrast, are instructed through ritual and music, punitive expeditions, laws and punishments, ghosts and spirits, divination, dreams, and warning signs.

The essentials of nurturing life are to begin by restraining outward conduct, then carefully tending the inner body and mind, bringing both inside and outside to stillness. This is how one enters a state of Wuwei (non-action: not acting recklessly, but following what is natural). To attain Wuwei, first avoid harm: keep away from situations likely to arouse suspicion, from petty people and attempts to gain by luck, and be cautious in one’s conduct. Take care with food and speech; do not chase the pleasures of the palate, go where there is commotion, or show off through conflict. Reflect often on your faults, correct them when you recognize them, and turn toward good.

One must also understand astronomy, geography, human affairs, ghosts and spirits, the timing of events, and methods of divination and calculation. In this way, one’s deeds can equal those of the sages and one’s virtue accord with Heaven. Among these methods, the most important are to cultivate the spirit and refine true Qi—the subtle vital energy within the human body—in order to extend life and cure illness. In the outer realm, one wards off evil and purifies body and mind, so that harm cannot intrude.

The Treatise on Dao and De says: “Among the highest forms in Heaven and Earth, none surpass Dao and De. Next come the spirits; then the Great Harmony, the state in which Yin-Yang is balanced and all things flourish in accord. After that come Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, and finally the achievements of the sages. Dao and De can be spoken of, yet their source cannot be traced. The spirits can give rise to things, yet cannot be fully extended and revealed. The Great Harmony can be experienced, yet cannot be brought about through artificial change. The Way of Heaven can be set in motion, yet cannot be fully described in words. Yin-Yang can be put to use, yet cannot be possessed. The achievements of the sages can be observed, yet are difficult to explain in words. Therefore, whatever can be clearly explained is not the natural and authentic; whatever can be plainly revealed is not the pure and unadorned nature.”

Those who cultivate Wuwei (non-action) and enter the true Dao (the Way) should first preserve within themselves the Qi of the Dao—the vital energy generated by the Dao—and settle their original Qi, the body’s fundamental vital energy, in the internal organs. They should then nourish themselves with medicines and support their cultivation through various good deeds. In this way, they can regulate illnesses from within and calm the spirits outside the body. The Qi within returns to its source, and external harmful influences naturally recede. Calamities are kept beyond the body, while wondrous Daoist virtue is nurtured within. The inner and outer support one another, preserving life. Is this not a fine thing?

The Laozi says, “When achievement is complete and your name is renowned, withdraw. This is the Way of Heaven.” It also says, “When the work is done and the task completed, the people all say, ‘It happened naturally.’” It further says, “Cultivate the Dao in yourself, and your virtue will be genuine; put the Dao into practice throughout the world, and virtue will spread widely.” And it says, “Observe yourself by looking at yourself; observe the world by looking at the world. How do I know the condition of the world? By this method.”

Therefore, when instructing the Son of Heaven, teach him to model his actions on the Way of Heaven. When instructing the feudal lords, teach them to govern their states through political affairs and to spread virtue widely. When teaching the use of armies, teach people not to provoke conflict. When teaching the use of sharp weapons, remind them not to display them carelessly. When teaching people how to conduct themselves, teach them to “blend their light and merge with the dust”—to restrain their sharpness and fit in with the world. When teaching people to leave home and cultivate the Dao, explain how Daoist cultivation runs counter to ordinary worldly life. When teaching people to nourish their nature, teach them to hold fast to the Valley Spirit—the quiet, empty, inexhaustible source of spirit—so that it does not weaken. When teaching them to preserve their life and vitality, teach them how to extend their years and longevity. When teaching self-cultivation, help them keep their spirit whole and their original Qi abundant. When teaching cultivation of the heart, teach them to quiet and empty the heart and hold fast to the Great Dao. When teaching them to understand what is before their eyes, teach them to remain benevolent and aid all things. When teaching them to understand unseen retribution, teach them to keep their spirit from harm. These teachings all call for little effort while reaching deeply into principle, and should be transmitted in full according to each person’s circumstances.

Those who truly understand these methods will have firm, strong bones and joints and a healthy complexion. Even in old age, they can regain youthful vigor, resist decline and decay, and live long in the world, attaining longevity and clear perception. Changes in climate—cold, heat, wind, and damp—cannot harm them; ghosts, spirits, and strange beings dare not intrude; weapons and the many kinds of insects cannot injure them; and worry, grief, joy, and anger cannot overwhelm them. They regularly use the Six Classics—the six canonical works—to teach the world, while practitioners of esoteric arts transmit methods of cultivation. This is what it means to have truly grasped the essentials of attaining the Dao.

The Perfected One says: The sage knows that primordial Qi, the fundamental energy from which all things arise and change, begins at the Zi position and is generated within the kidneys. At the Si position it forms the embryo; at the Wu position the embryo is nurtured and takes shape. Primordial Qi therefore resides in the heart, where it is regulated at the Fire position and nourished in the Wei Earth. At Shen Metal it begins to flourish; at the You position it undergoes ritual bathing; and in Xu Earth it enters the cap-and-belt stage. At Hai it becomes manifest, and at Zi Water it reaches the height of imperial splendor. It then declines in Chou Earth, falls ill in Yin Wood, dies at the Mao position, and enters its tomb at Xun-Chen.

To enter the tomb is to be buried; to be buried is to be stored away, and also means returning and coming to an end. Primordial Qi begins in Water and ultimately returns to Wind. Wind is stored within Earth; this is called “returning to the hun.” Xun represents Wind, and Chen represents Earth. Water flows into Chen Earth and is stored there, which is why it is said, “The earth has a gap in the southeast, and water flows through the Xun gate.”

The Liezi says that at the edge of the sea lies a vast abyss called the Tail Gate, where great waters pour out. The body’s primordial Qi, too, has a great abyss like the Tail Gate, through which water-Qi flows out at the Xun gate, corresponding to the southeast and the Xun position. That is why water serves as the metaphor.

Earth can store Wind, and Wind can also be stored in Earth; Earth can store Water, and Water can also be stored in Earth; Earth can store Fire, and Fire can also be stored in Earth. Thus Fire takes Xu Earth as its tomb, and Water takes Chen Earth as its tomb. Earth can store Wood, and Wood can also be stored in Earth; Earth can store Metal, and Metal can also be stored in Earth. Thus Wood takes Wei Earth as its tomb, and Metal takes Chou Earth as its tomb. Earth can store Wood, Metal, Water, and Fire, while Earth itself also returns to Earth; therefore, it too takes Chen Earth as its tomb. This is the principle of returning to the source, going back to the root, and restoring life.

The Laozi says: “All things flourish in profusion, yet each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to one’s destiny; returning to one’s destiny is called constancy; knowing constancy is called clarity.” Those who understand constancy can comprehend what can be spoken of, see the way through clearly, and arrive at a broad, level expanse. This is called “knowing the Dao.”

The Laozi says: The myriad things are numerous, yet in the end each returns to its own root. Returning to the root is called “stillness”; in stillness, one returns to one’s nature. Returning to one’s nature is called “constancy,” and knowing constancy is clarity. Understanding the principles of the constant Dao makes it possible to grasp the patterns of worldly things and to understand the open, level path.

Thus, knowing what is bright while holding to what is dark makes one a model for all under Heaven. Knowing the constant Dao opens the heart to all things; openness brings impartiality, and impartiality makes one a king. A king follows the way of Heaven; the way of Heaven accords with the Great Dao. The Great Dao endures without end. This is called the “Way of the Public.”

To follow and draw upon this Way of the Public is to draw upon the way of Heaven and Earth. In this way, all things can communicate with and accommodate one another.

The Yinfu Jing says: “When Heaven, Earth, and humanity each interact in the right measure, the Three Powers become stable.” Thus, when food and drink accord with the proper time, the parts of the body harmonize; when the timing of activity is understood, the transformations of all things become stable.

A perfected person—one who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao—says: “Understand this principle, and you can distinguish true water, true fire, true lead, true mercury, true dragon, true tiger, true teeth, true cart, true gold, true stone, true wood, true earth, true elixir, true medicine, true spirit, true Qi (vital energy), true thing, true essence, true guest, and true host.” These are all terms used in cultivation, and one must discern what each truly refers to. Once you have understood them clearly, put them into practice according to the methods transmitted by your teacher, the principles of the Dao, and the arts and rules of cultivation: refine, remove impurities, investigate what is subtle, and keep adjusting your practice. The immortals call this the “wondrous gate of eight characters” and the “true method of the primal unity.” The eight characters are: “Empty the heart and fill the belly; when hungry, take in Qi; when thirsty, swallow fluids.”

The oral teaching says: “Keep the heart empty, still, and focused. Do not store even good thoughts in the heart, much less allow the slightest impure or harmful thought to remain.” In other words, still the mind and hold to unity; remove desires and quiet turmoil. When all defilements have been cleared away, the work is complete. You must also keep the belly full—meaning that it contains no dross, only true Jing (essence) and original Qi. Persist in this process of refining and cultivation without interruption, and naturally the practice will flower and bear fruit.

When hungry, take in Qi; when thirsty, swallow fluids—that is, swallow the saliva in your mouth. When neither hungry nor thirsty, continue regulating the breath and practicing, so that the breath flows freely without obstruction. In this way, body and mind become peaceful and joyful. As though you had forgotten the vastness of Heaven and Earth and the movements of the sun and moon, you may take eight hundred and ten years as one great cycle.

The method of cultivation is to harmonize Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy), keeping them in continuous circulation within the body so that they do not become depleted at the kidneys. The kidneys are regarded as the gate of life, so this practice is also called the “art of life.” When Shen and Qi are abundant and do not weaken, the body can endure for a long time. Through refining the bones and transforming the form, the cultivator can roam through the Imperial Court, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor, and become a perfected person, one who has attained the Dao. All of this rests on nourishing primordial Qi, and both men and women can practice it.

The “Hymn of the Scripture” says: “The Dao treasures Jing (essence), and Jing should be carefully guarded and stored. If you give your Jing to another, you enable that person to bear children; if you retain it within yourself, you can nourish yourself. By nourishing yourself, you can live long in this world, have your name entered in the registers of the immortals, and take your place among them. If a person cares only about procreation, they will deplete themselves. If they can gather in body and mind and accumulate merit through practice, they can succeed in cultivation. Even forming an inner embryo—a term for the coalescing of the Golden Elixir into an infant-like inner image during cultivation—is no easy matter, so how much more wasteful it is to dissipate Jing and Qi for nothing? Those who dissipate them without knowing it grow old day by day, until their allotted lifespan is exhausted. Heaven and Earth have Yin-Yang; primordial Qi is the most precious foundation of human life. Cherishing Qi should accord with the Dao, but one should not become fixated on it as something precious and deliberately strive to grasp it. Those who can nourish primordial Qi should regulate their breathing continuously and without interruption, allowing Jing and Qi gradually to return, bringing body and mind into harmony and gathering their finest essence.”

How can those who nourish themselves with primordial Qi be compared to people who consume a single leaf or flower, herbs and trees, lingzhi mushrooms, the essences of metals and stones, or coarse impurities like sand and gravel? The Laozi says: “Jing is the source from which the blood vessels flow, and the spirit that protects the bones, so it should be regarded as a treasure. Qi is the cloud-like energy that fills the muscles and the real force that strengthens the body, so it should be valued, for it is bound up with life.” The human body is like a state: Shen is the ruler, Jing the ministers, and Qi the people. When the people have De (Virtue/Power), the state can flourish and command respect; when the ruler follows the Dao, the realm can endure. Thus, those skilled at nourishing Qi and achieving results can transform Qi into Jing. Those skilled at nourishing Jing and accumulating De can transform Jing into Shen. Nourishing Shen in accord with the Dao enables one to care for the whole body and prolong life.

The Sanyi Jue says: Cultivate primordial Qi (the vital energy at the source of life) and the True Spirit, so that the “Three Ones” within body and mind become complete and remain present. This brings a series of transformations: Jing becomes Shen, Shen becomes an infant, the infant becomes a perfected person, and the perfected person becomes a red child. The red child is the “True One,” who is also the Imperial Lord. The True One can govern the whole body and command its thirty-six thousand spirits—the deities that Daoism says inhabit the human body. When the Imperial Lord dwells within the body, all thirty-six thousand spirits take their places as well. The practitioner can then travel through the Imperial Court, the dwelling place of the Celestial Emperor, with their whole body.

The Tianlao Shigan Jing says: In the practice of ingesting breath, Qi is the supreme treasure. After one year of cultivation, the skin becomes firm and supple; after two years, the joints throughout the body become harmonized and free flowing; after three years, the bones and joints grow strong and sturdy; after four years, the bone marrow and brain become full. Heaven has four seasons, and the transformations of Qi likewise correspond to four years. By ingesting Qi and keeping to the One—concentrating the mind and preserving the spirit—after four years of practice, spirit and form can communicate with each other. When the body can reach the numinous, it is like the bright sun: one can see forms without looking, hear sounds without listening, arrive without walking, and know without having seen.

“Form One, Spirit a Thousand” means that the body becomes unified while the spirit can undergo a thousand transformations; such a person may be called an immortal. “Form One, Spirit Ten Thousand” may be called an infant; “Form One, Spirit Eighteen Thousand” may be called a perfected person; and “Form One, Spirit Thirty-Six Thousand” may be called a red child, who is also the True One, the Imperial Lord. In this way, one can live as long as the sun and moon and share the lifespan of Heaven and Earth. The Dao is then accomplished.

Original Qi is one in essence, but in its operation it divides into two forces: Yin and Yang. By using Yang Qi, one can fly freely, pay homage to Great Clarity—the Daoist realm of pure emptiness—and roam among the Five Sacred Peaks. By using Yin Qi, one can remain in the world for a long time, extend one’s lifespan, travel to the land of the sun, and explore caves. This is how Original Qi is one by nature, while Yin and Yang appear as two: one gives rise to two, two give rise to three, and three give rise to the myriad things. Without Original Qi, the myriad things could not use Yin-Yang Qi and so could not come into being, transform, or grow.

Thus, without Original Qi, Shen cannot be efficacious; without Original Qi, the Dao cannot manifest; and without Yin and Yang, Original Qi cannot form bodies. Bodies require Qi, Qi requires Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang require Jing, Jing requires Shen, Shen requires the Dao, the Dao requires technique, technique requires method, method requires the mind, the mind requires the One, the One requires truth, and truth requires the utmost. The “utmost” means reaching a state free of attachments, empty, still, clear, pure, subtle, and lucid. The stages of cultivation must be passed on in sequence through close instruction between teacher and disciple. Teachings should be imparted to the right person; do not transmit them to someone who is not suited to the Way of cultivation.

Only those who can learn the Dao count as truly learning; studying various worldly matters is called miscellaneous learning and is also known as the deviant way. Learning the Dao is called “inner learning,” meaning the cultivation of matters within body and mind. This includes teachings about the Three Dantian (the three sites of internal refinement) and the Three Original Qi. The text also speaks of “one cinnabar field and three spirits,” and uses the movement of Yin-Yang Qi and numerical principles such as “Yang Nine” and “Yin Six” to explain the stages of cultivation. Nine is the final number of Yang, and six the final number of Yin. Together, Yang Nine and Yin Six are called “Yang Nine and Yin Six Hundred,” said to mark the limits of Heaven and Earth and of human beings. Reaching this stage is called “returning to the Origin and restoring the Root”—that is, returning to the source of Original Qi.

To reach the utmost state is for Original Qi to be stored within the body, with the breath no longer entering or leaving. Even the apertures that serve as passages for breathing have no breath entering or leaving. The scripture calls this state attaining the Dao, and also calls it “Ultimate Nonbeing.”

The True Scripture says: “Cultivate primordial Qi (the body’s original vital energy) until the breath no longer moves in and out. Such a person is like someone erased from the register and freed from military service: no longer subject to the authority of the Great Yin (the deity of the underworld), and not recorded by the Three Officials (the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water). All manner of spirits will secretly protect them.”

“Primordial Unity” refers to Qi. The source of all things between Heaven and Earth may be called Primordial Unity. The Qi of Primordial Unity arises originally from wind. Wind has the greatest power: it can bear Heaven and Earth, the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and humanity), and the Five Phases (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth). None of these can make the wind more powerful. Wind and Qi are one and the same. Blossoming flowers, budding willows, and the bearing of fruit all depend on the Qi of the four seasons and the winds from the eight directions.

Cultivating the mind is the foundation of the “Three Ones” (the inner divine beings described in Daoism); refining Qi is like a tree that allows the Dao to flourish. Mind and Qi depend on each other, just as a tree cannot be separated from its roots. The root is the mind: to preserve and nurture the mind and spirit is to preserve and nurture primordial Qi; to preserve and nurture primordial Qi is to preserve and nurture the “One.” This “One” is the Dao. Preserving and nurturing the Dao means gathering the body’s thirty-six thousand spirits under its command and bringing every kind of disturbance to rest. When all disturbances have been stilled, nothing lies beyond one’s capacity. This state is called the “Utmost Elixir.” Those who take the Utmost Elixir can live as long as Heaven and Earth.

What is the Utmost Elixir? It is the true spirit in the Dantian (energy center), the True Lord of the One who resides within and holds the sovereign position. When the spirits dwell securely in the body, primordial Qi does not scatter, and thoughts of lust and excess are cut off, Qi follows and receives the spirit’s direction, restraining the breath as it was before. When cultivation reaches the point where breath no longer moves in and out and fetal breathing (inner breathing like that of a fetus in the womb) becomes possible, life is no longer in danger. This is called keeping the body intact and the breath settled, while the spirit and intention transform of themselves.

Luo Gongyuan’s “Song of Three Ridges” says: “When trees grow weak, shore them up with soil; when Yang Qi grows weak, nourish it with Qi. In nurturing the original Qi, be careful to keep to the proper measure and never lose your sense of proportion.”

The commentary says: Wood is the least sentient of things. When it withers and decays, it may still flourish again if supported with soil. Grafting a tender shoot onto an old tree can also help it keep growing, though the resulting leaves and branches will look young and fresh. From this we may infer that nourishing weakened Yang Qi with Qi is likewise appropriate. If original Qi is used to nourish weakened Yang Qi, while being kept from dissipating, and if original Qi and bodily fluids are brought back into the body, one’s appearance can regain its youthfulness. How much more so when one’s vital Qi remains intact and undispersed, and the Qi of original harmony is pure and unified: cultivation undertaken in this state will be twice as effective. For those who study the Dao, the most important thing is to guard carefully against the dispersal of their original Qi.

A Perfected One says: In cultivation, one should regularly remove the hairs from the nostrils so that food residue and turbid Qi in the five viscera and six bowels can flow freely downward. One should also rinse the mouth and teeth and bathe the body. Abstain from excessive drinking, and avoid improper sexual desire as well. Before eating, first hold the food up before the Mingtang (here, the central area of the face), and silently imagine offering it to the Three Dantian (upper, middle, and lower energy centers), the Nine-One Imperial Perfected Ones, and the thirty-six thousand divine lords—the deities believed to dwell within the body in Daoism. Keep the mind single and focused throughout; concentrate on harmonizing Shen and Qi, and attend to the beginning and end of each breath so that breathing remains even. With sustained practice, Jing and Qi can be made steady; only then should one learn to regulate the breath.

To regulate the breath, first close the mouth and silently notice the incoming breath entering through the nose. Use the mind to gauge the inhalation in advance, and briefly pause for one part at the point one-third of the way through. When the inhalation is complete, gauge the exhalation in the same way, briefly pausing for one part at the point one-third of the way through. Pause for one part in each inhalation and exhalation, but do not let the breathing stop altogether.

The key to regulating the breath is to bring the mind into accord with the breath through the nose; then regulate the breath, and it will naturally come to rest. If the breath is not regulated, it moves in and out of its own accord. Once one knows how to regulate it, the breath no longer moves on its own. This is therefore called regulating the breath by human agency, rather than being governed by the breath itself.

Both Qi and Shen have the Dao as their foundation. The Dao manifests from within the mind, and the mind is directed by intention. Thus intention is said to govern the Dao, and may also be called Shen. In general, it is Shen that sets Qi in motion; the key lies in how intention is used. During practice, inhale through the nose, then close the mouth and nostrils so that the Qi does not immediately flow out. Press the tongue against the teeth. When you feel a slight sense of fullness or pressure, release a little Qi—about three parts, keeping seven parts in—and then close the mouth and nostrils again. As you regulate the breath in this way, let the ears hear no sounds from outside, the eyes see no external things, and the mind give rise to no stray thoughts. Practice this repeatedly. Until the Qi is evenly regulated, release a small amount of breath often. Once intention tells you that the breath is harmonious, restrain it as described above.

If intention can keep the breath regulated throughout the day while it still feels as natural as ordinary breathing, the Qi can remain stable for a long time. At that point, there is no need to deliberately release or restrain the breath. Simply practice diligently, and the breath will naturally grow long and sustained, seeming no longer to enter or leave through the mouth and nostrils. Instead, like clouds and wind among mountains and marshes, or the breath of Heaven and Earth, it will naturally diffuse through the pores of the whole body. Practitioners should understand this.

The Scripture of the Immortals says: Once the original Qi—the body’s fundamental Qi—has been brought into harmony and settled, it should be continually nourished so that it neither breaks off nor runs dry. In this way, the breath will gradually cease to enter and leave through the mouth and nostrils. After about a hundred days of practice, the ears and eyes are said naturally to stop hearing and seeing things in the outside world.

Practitioners must be especially careful about what they eat. The many flavors stir up the original Qi and also hinder the mind and Shen from becoming quiet. Those who do not follow the rules of practice, but instead covet money and beauty, indulge their desires, envy others, eat whatever pungent or filthy food they please, harbor ill will, show no reverence for the methods of the immortals, think only of stealing, and violate ethical principles through rebellion and violence will have their offenses recorded by the Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water. Beiyin, the realm of the dead, will summon their souls. Even before they die, their spirit will begin to decline: their memory will grow confused, and they will become dazed and disordered, like someone drunk or delirious. They will also suffer calamities without cause, bringing misfortune upon their nine ancestral generations, until their bodies finally perish and return to the Yellow Springs. This happens because they have lost the Dao and failed the spirits.

A Perfected One says: The Dao has no favors or kindness in the worldly sense. Have you not seen what the Scripture of the Hidden Tally says? Heaven seems to bestow no kindness, yet thereby gives rise to great kindness. Its workings may seem partial, but their effect is utterly impartial. The control and mastery of birds and beasts hinge on Qi. Life is in truth the root of death; to stray from the Dao is to fail the spirits.

The True Person said: The Dao does not speak in terms of worldly ranks or favors. Have you not read in the Yinfu Jing: “Heaven bestows no favors, yet from this great benevolence arises; Heaven’s workings may seem partial, yet their effects are utterly impartial. The constraints and transformations of all things are governed by Qi. Life is the source of death, and death is also the source of life; harm may arise from favor, and favor may arise from harm.”

Thus, Heaven and the Dao do not favor any one person. Yet all things receive their blessings, and people revere them, attributing their beneficence to the Dao of Heaven, while Heaven and the Dao do not rely on their own merit. Utterly impartial, they treat all things without weighing right against wrong, great against small, or noble against lowly. They act freely, showing no partiality out of affection and making no deliberate arrangements through choices or rejections. Therefore, what follows the seasons of Heaven survives, while what goes against Heaven’s intent is destroyed. This destruction does not arise from partiality, and nurturing life is not an act of favor. Life and death simply occur as all things follow or resist the natural patterns. This is what is meant by “without justice and without favor.”

Those who can draw near to the Dao can surely be transformed, even if they were once enemies. Those who cannot draw near to it will ultimately remain beyond reason, even if they are one’s parents. This is because the depth of each person’s affinities and whether they will meet are already fixed and recorded in the registers of Heaven, the books that record heavenly decrees and the fated patterns of the world; they are not formed by chance in a day or a night. Life transforms into death, and death transforms into life: the root of life and death lies in this cycle of return.

Those who are skilled at living do not head toward death; those who are unskilled at living set foot on the road to death. Walk the road to death, and death follows; walk the road to life, and life follows. Life depends entirely on Qi: when Qi transforms into life, life is born; when Qi transforms into death, life dies. This is what is meant by “the constraints on all things lie in Qi”: things respond to one another through Qi, rather than ruling one another by force. Qi stirs from the void, yet can govern all that exists. The movements of Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, the stars, the clouds and thunder all rely on the movement of Qi to avoid disorder and collapse.

The Qi of the Dao, vast and far-reaching, has neither beginning nor end. It rests in motion and delights in stillness; this is called the naturalness of the Qi of the Dao. If we say that the human body is governed by Qi, the key lies in the heart. The inability to govern oneself likewise comes from the heart.

People living in the world often pursue profit and reputation. If, amid these pursuits, they can avoid flattery and theft, refrain from harming others or doing evil, and preserve the harmony of all things, that is already rare. Whether a person can discipline body and mind depends on the heart; when they cannot, the problem likewise lies in the heart.

If one can avoid greed and contention, let go of attachment to who is right or wrong, and keep a heart that nurtures all things and helps them grow, one comes close to benevolence and to the Dao. Whether inwardly or outwardly, one should cherish and hold fast to this heart. Then the yin spirits—divinities said to record good and evil in the unseen realm and protect people—will naturally record one’s blessings. Calamities will recede, and unforeseen misfortunes will find it hard to intrude. One can also move Heaven to grant more life and extend one’s years. This is the starting point of cultivating the source of the Great Dao.

Benefits bestowed on people and all things are called “benevolence”; injury and destruction inflicted on them are called “harm.” Practicing benevolence brings blessings, while practicing harm invites misfortune. Do not become suspicious and fearful of spirits, as though seeking an image in a mirror and doubting what appears through resonance. The frenzied, deluded ghosts among evil and deceptive beings can unsettle a person’s mind and spirit, making them hard to calm. They disturb the hundred spirits—the divinities that protect the human body—and in an instant may damage a person’s very foundation. This must be taken as a grave warning.

Original Qi is divided into six cun: three cun within and three cun without. If one can preserve one cun of it, one may extend one’s life by thirty years. If one firmly preserves all six cun, the myriad spirits will be complete within the body, and longevity will endure naturally. Losing one cun reduces one’s lifespan by thirty years.

The Yuanqi Jue says, “Even if Heaven and Earth were overturned, my life would still remain naturally at peace.” The Yellow Emperor sought the Mysterious Pearl, which symbolizes primordial Qi or the Dao. He sent Li Lou, a legendary figure with extraordinary eyesight and a symbol of the eyes, to find it, but Li Lou failed; Wang Xiang, who symbolizes the mind, found it instead. Here, the Mysterious Pearl refers to primordial Qi, Li Lou’s eyes represent vision, and Wang Xiang represents the mind.

“Primordial nonbeing” means that the substance of the Dao is empty and natural. This is Wuwei (non-action): not acting recklessly or forcing things. Wuwei means keeping the mind still. When no stray thoughts arise within and outside things do not intrude, both inner and outer realms become quiet. Shen (spirit) then settles, and the breath becomes harmonious. When Shen is settled and Qi is harmonious, primordial Qi naturally becomes abundant. As it fills, the five viscera become open and well nourished, and the channels throughout the body flow freely. In this way, bodily fluids rise to nourish the body. One no longer clings to the five flavors and feels hunger or thirst less often. The Three Fields—that is, the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers), as these areas of the body are called in Daoist inner cultivation—receive nourishment. Once the Dao is realized, the body becomes full and its inner stores firm; the face remains youthful like a child’s, and youth is preserved for a long time.

In cultivating primordial Qi, Qi can transform into blood, and blood into marrow. In the first year, Qi changes; in the second, blood; in the third, the channels; in the fourth, flesh; in the fifth, marrow; in the sixth, sinews; in the seventh, bones; in the eighth, hair; and in the ninth, the body’s form. After this, one may extend one’s lifespan for ten thousand years and be called an “Immortal.” After nine years of refining Qi to transform the body, one is called a “Perfected Person.” Going further, refining the body to transform it into Qi, and refining Qi to transform it into Shen, makes one a “Supreme Person.”

The Immortal’s Scripture says, “Shen is always caring for people, but people do not cherish Shen.” Shen cares for people by using the human body to nourish the spiritual nature. If a person commits violence and wrongdoing, they will fall into ruin.

The Xianjing (Scripture of the Immortals) says: “Shen (spirit) constantly cares for people, yet people do not cherish Shen. Shen cares for people by using the human body to nourish the spirit. If people commit violence and wrongdoing, they damage the body. Once the body is ruined, Shen leaves. When Shen leaves, the person dies—is this not something to be vigilant about? ‘Not knowing the Constant’ means failing to understand what endures, and so committing wrongdoing recklessly.”

The Yellow Emperor sought the Dao from the Sovereign of Humanity. The Sovereign asked what he had studied and found that it comprised twelve hundred subjects. He then told him, “All you have learned is mere detail.” He added, “If you wish to live long, you should understand the ‘Three Ones,’ an important concept in Daoist cultivation.” The Three Ones are the opening chapter of the Shanghuang Huanglu (Book of the Yellow Register of the August Sovereign). Those who understand the Three Ones will be troubled by no calamity, however many may arise.

Among the methods for cultivating health and longevity, none is more important than ingesting primordial Qi. Fetal breathing, an inner cultivation method that regulates the breath until it is deep and fine, like an infant’s breathing in the womb, can strengthen the body’s interior. Numinous fluid and the Golden Elixir are also superior medicines. When birds and beasts hibernate through the winter without eating, they are said to preserve their lives by relying on the primordial Qi within them. Once seasonal breathing exercises have reached a certain level, one can learn to swallow Qi: close the lips, guide it with the mind, and apply a little effort, as though swallowing food.

Swallow saliva and Qi just as you would food. Imagine them entering the kidneys and the Gate of Destiny point, an important locus of Qi in the lower back, then flowing upward along the spine to the brain, before pouring down to the area below the navel and into the five viscera. The five viscera are interconnected; the inner and outer parts of the body respond to one another, and each is joined to the others by channels of primordial Qi. Once it begins to circulate, primordial Qi can reach every part of the body. If there is illness inside or outside the body, imagine the five colors associated with Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Apply the mind according to their generating and overcoming relationships, concentrating on the afflicted area; this is said to bring rapid healing.

There is also a subtle method. Although there are six breathing techniques—He, Xi, Hu, Chui, Xu, and Xi—the scripture holds that cold and warm Qi are more effective for treating various illnesses. Regulate the breath slowly for a while, until the Qi held in the mouth grows warm, then swallow it. This is called “warm Qi” and can treat coldness due to deficiency. If, just after regulating the breath, you swallow as soon as the Qi fills the mouth, this is called “cold Qi” and can treat heat due to deficiency. In either case, adjust it with the mind according to the circumstances.

If you are ill, you can breathe out with the He sound ten to thirty times in succession and observe the effect. The scripture says that toxins from alcohol and food are expelled with the breath as well. Those who can devote themselves to ingesting primordial Qi should also focus on “the One”—a mind held to a single point—and preserve it in contemplation and prayer. This is said to make them radiant like the sun and moon.

Heaven attained the One, and so became clear and orderly in its movements.

Heaven attains the “One,” and so is clear and bright. In the human body, Heaven corresponds to the Mudball Palace (the upper Dantian in the head), where there are the Twin Fields Palace and the Purple Palace, also called the Brain Palace. Within it are three palaces: the Dantian, the Chamber of the Cavern, and the Hall of Light. They are where the upper Three-One Gods reside. These three gods are named Red Child, Imperial Minister, and Primordial First. By regularly visualizing them and keeping them in mind, one can sharpen hearing and sight, clear the breath through the nose, and make the brain feel full.

Earth attains the “One,” and so is at peace. In the human body, Earth corresponds to the Qi Sea in the navel, where internal Qi gathers below the navel. Here too are three palaces—the Dantian, the Chamber of the Cavern, and the Hall of Light—which are where the lower Three-One Gods reside. They are named Infant, Primordial Yang, and Valley Mystery. By keeping them in mind over a long time, the mouth will not lack saliva, the abdomen will feel full, and the mind and spirit will be calm, free of confusion and delusion. This also enables communication with the spirits.

Spirit attains the “One,” and so is numinously bright. The heart governs the spirit like an emperor, directing the transformations of spirit and Qi. Responsiveness arises from the heart: it is neither existent nor nonexistent, neither empty nor form and color. It can lead from the coarse to the subtle, and from the ordinary to the realm of the sages. The heart corresponds to the Crimson Palace, the palace in the heart. Within it too are three palaces—the Dantian, the Chamber of the Cavern, and the Hall of Light—where three spirits reside. They are named Perfected Person, Cinnabar Child, and Firm Radiance. By keeping them continually in mind, the Imperial One will not leave the body and mind, and both will be at peace. Even when a blade is at one’s throat, if one concentrates on keeping the “One” in mind, one can be saved from calamity. The scripture says that the Dao does not speak falsely.

The three Dantian together contain nine spirits, each about three inches tall. They wear vermilion robes, vermilion caps, and vermilion shoes, and sit on golden beds and jade couches, with tables and golden incense burners beside them. In practice, one should visualize and keep these forms in mind as described. Another teaching says that the “One God” is nine fen tall in men and six fen tall in women. Both descriptions should be held in visualization.

“Primordial life” means primordial Qi. Human life cannot be separated from Qi: by using the Dao to strengthen primordial Qi and cultivation methods to protect life, the body, spirit, and Qi can endure for a long time. “The spirit of my life” means the Three-One Gods in the three Dantian. The forms, radiance, breath, and colors manifested by the thirty-six thousand spirits within the human body are all governed by the Imperial One. The Imperial One divides into two: Yang Qi transforms into the Primordial Dragon, and Yin Qi into the Jade Maiden. The instructions say: “Where Qi is, spirit arises there; when spirit is present, Qi gathers; when spirit departs, Qi disperses.” If one can keep the spirits in mind and hold on to primordial Qi, Qi can also transform into spirit, and spirit into Qi.

At this stage of cultivation, when Qi gathers, it appears as forms, radiance, breath, and colors; when Qi disperses, it transforms into clouds, mist, wind, and rain. When it leaves the body, it disperses into things of ceaseless transformation; when it enters the body, it returns to reality. It congeals upward into the Three Primordials—the primordial Qi of the upper, middle, and lower levels—and downward into the myriad things. When used in stillness, it becomes oneself; when used in movement, it becomes a spirit. The mutual responsiveness of form and spirit depends on how they are put to use; the transformation of spirit and Qi depends on keeping them in mind through visualization.

The Three Primordials Scripture says: “The spirit of the Upper Primordial is named Primordial; the spirit of the Middle Primordial is named Cinnabar Returned; the spirit of the Lower Primordial is named Child Peace.” These three spirits should also be kept in mind with focused attention, just as one keeps the Three-One Gods and the nine spirits in mind. Do this in every circumstance: when going out or entering a room, walking or standing, sitting or lying down, and rising. Keep them in mind with undivided sincerity. This is called “mysterious upon mysterious,” the most secret and essential method within the Dao.