《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 20

The Mysterious Master says: After heaven and earth were first opened, the Five Phases (Wuxing) and the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity) each took on their own forms and substance. Humans are able to fully receive the Qi (qi) of heaven and earth, yet they cannot survive for long. This is because, although a person may understand transformation, they cannot preserve their spirit to nourish the pure and genuine primordial Qi. Instead, they may become demons and evil spirits.

If a person nourishes the Qi of Former Heaven (xiantian qi), they can attain original purity (tianzhen). If what they nourish is turbid Qi, they will turn into demons. This principle is easy to understand but hard to put into practice; it is easy to do, yet it is not easy to explain truly and clearly. The Way of long life and ascension to immortality is nothing other than attaining the Dao (the Way). Therefore, if a person indulges in sensual desire, they will become lost and sink into ruin.

The Lingbao Yinshu (Hidden Book of the Numinous Treasure) is brief in its wording, yet its methods of cultivation are profound. It aims to keep clear Qi from being dissipated in sensual desire and to let turbid Qi be clarified within the very process of sinking. When the Chiming kalpa-cycle was in motion, those of shallow foundation who wished to seek learning and rise upward found this truly difficult to accomplish. Later, the Huangren (a legendary ancient immortal or perfected being) obtained this book and manifested its image in the sky. The teachings it contains are hidden within the most refined essence and are also embodied in the correct Qi of sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, and the four seasons. It further uses the Xuanji and Yuheng (ancient astronomical instruments, often used to refer to the order of celestial motion) to explain the cycle of day and night.

If people can uphold the Way of long life and avoid being caught in the cycle of rebirth, the relevant methods are all recorded in the chapters of the Yinshu, which clearly point out the essentials for attaining longevity. Mastering these methods allows one to transcend the mundane and enter the sacred realm, and it makes it easier to become a Upper Immortal (shang xian). An Upper Immortal who obtains this method can discern the changes of wind, rain, and clouds. A Lower Immortal who obtains it can understand the signs of life and death. Kings and lords who obtain it can infer the changes of the four seasons, use them to nourish all things, summon harmonious Qi, and thereby seek long life.

Ordinary people who do not know how to align their bodies with heaven and earth, and who allow their spirit, primordial Qi, and blood Qi to dissipate, will age and die. The Lingbao methods of longevity emphasize circulating, regulating, and setting the Qi in motion so that life returns to its root and restores its original nature. They calm the hun and po souls, fill the blood and Qi, and bring vitality to the body. Afterward, one can become hidden and withdraw from view, be undisturbed by hunger and cold, dispel obstacles and demonic hindrances, eliminate poisons, distance oneself from the mundane world, and not be burdened by the flavors of food and drink. In the end, one reaches the Way of long life through wuwei (non-action). The root of all methods does not go beyond this scope.

Therefore, in the four polar heavens there are the sacred sounds and script of the Fanqi (Brahmic Qi), sixty-four characters for each pole, all of which are script of the Five Phase trigrams, and which do not depart from the human body. If one can comprehend their meaning in the breath between movement and stillness, so that the essential Qi mingles and the numinous sounds flow in harmony, one becomes a person who does not die. In heaven, it appears as sound-script and climatic Qi; on earth...

The forms of all things are generated from this. When a person receives it, the harmonious consciousness (chonghe zhi shi) can circulate and move, and only afterward does knowing arise.

To know that "emptiness" (kong) is not absolute void, and that "form" (se) is not truly substantial, is to illuminate and penetrate the "wondrous sound body" (wo miaoyin shen).

Aligned with the primordial qi (yuanqi) of heaven and earth and in accord with the Hidden Writings (yinshu), one who understands the sounds and their meanings progresses through seven stages of cultivation. First, the whole body becomes light and vigorous. Second, the spirit (shen) settles. Third, the primordial qi becomes abundant. Fourth, the essence (jing) and qi flow freely. Fifth, the spirit transforms. Sixth, one penetrates to subtle spiritual efficacy. Seventh, one achieves the precious body. Naturally merging with transformation, one ascends to Shangqing (the Upper Clarity, the highest heavens in Daoist cosmology), flies to the Golden Gate, and feasts in Yujing (the Jade Capital, a Daoist immortal realm).

Qingdi Damo Shengong Fu (Talisman of the Azure Thearch's Great Demon-Taming Divine Power)

Those who wish to receive and maintain this method should, on the first day of Lichun (the Start of Spring), sincerely perform the bows and burn incense, facing east. One may also choose the first day of the lunar month, a jiazi day, a gengshen day, or a Sanyuan day (the Three Primordial days). Sit upright at cockcrow with eyes closed and hands clasped, remaining at ease and composed. Once the breath becomes calm and even, do not rub the face or eyes with the hands, so as not to disturb the spirit and breath.

Next, rinse the mouth with saliva, then swallow it. Tap the teeth three times, then gather one breath and let the respiration become regular, exhaling slowly and evenly through the nose. During regulation, the breath naturally spreads through the skin, blood vessels, and pores, and the six sense roots (liugen: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) become clear and pure. This nourishes the qi governed by Dongfang Ahui Wuchou, the qi that gives birth to all things. Then gather another breath to nourish embryonic breathing (taixi, the Daoist term for deep, fine, and long breathing). If one does not first gather the breath, the qi will rush toward the position of Nanchang Xindi, the Ruler of the Heart in the South. Because this qi conflicts with the qi of the east, it must not be used at this time.

If one wishes to lengthen the breath, one may focus the mind within the nostrils, and the breath will naturally lengthen. Then use the spirit to listen to the sounds within the ears, as if fine insects were humming. Ordinary people chase after sounds and colors, so their spirit scatters through the ears and eyes, bringing on illness and shortening life. By regularly attending to the sound within the ears, like insects humming, the spirit and soul become less prone to dispersal. When a person dwells in a world full of sensory desires and constantly practices this method, desire recedes and the spirit does not wither. Without knowing this method, the spirit becomes weary and the essence and qi are depleted, and death draws near.

Next, visualize in the mind one's own body transforming into mountains, forests, and rivers, as if standing beneath the sun and moon of heaven and earth. With long practice, the essence and qi are held within. One feels as steady as a mountain, which settles the various spirits within the body, preserves the essence and qi, and allows illness to heal on its own.

Once practice has reached this point, slowly open the eyes and swallow the talisman with clean water. This is done to summon the Azure Thearch (Qingdi) to guard the hun and po souls. Following the Eastern Hidden Writings, from "Danlou Ahui" to the Four Images...

Ah! The Eight Heavens of the East correspond to the image-and-number (xiangshu) of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). The sixty-four characters above are assigned to the sixty-four hexagrams according to their sound and Qi (the breath and energy described in Daoist sources). Above, they correspond to the Spring Office and the Wood Virtue (De), the luxuriant vital essence of growth. The East is governed by the Eastern Dipper, which controls longevity and the reckoning of life span, and it is ruled by the Azure Lord. Within the human body, it corresponds to the Lord who Guards the Hun-soul (hunpo), who governs the ears, eyes, mouth, nose, and hair, as well as the Soul of the Life Gate. The Eastern Demon King is named Ba Yuan Chou Bo, and he is under the command of the Tianpeng military methods. [The bracketed note reads "Ba Yuan / Chou Bo" in the original, which may be a variant in the segmentation of a personal name.] Command Ba Yuan Chou Bo through the Nine-Turn Method.

On the days of Wuchen and Jisi, whose Nayin (sound-element) is Wood, one should perform the Eastern Qi talisman, and also the Central Pole Qi talisman. The same procedure applies on other days whose Nayin is Wood. Combine the four characters above into one talisman, which may be written in seal-script (zhuanzi) in larger or smaller characters, as the situation requires.

When writing this talisman, face the East, raise the left hand palm-up, and pinch the middle section of the middle finger with the thumb. Hold the brush in the right hand. After reciting the sixty-four characters of the Eight Heavens Eastern sound-text, close your eyes and visualize the Eight Heavens Emperor of the East lowering a bead the size of a pellet from the clouds and empty sky. Knock the teeth three times, draw a breath of Azure Qi from the bead, blow it onto the brush, and recite the incantation:

"By the Numinous Writ of the Primordial Beginning, I command the demon king Ba Yuan Chou Bo to accept the Tianpeng Great Method. Swiftly, swiftly, as the statute commands."

Then write the talisman in cinnabar. First write "Ba Yuan Chou Bo," then draw the Eight Trigrams over the characters, layer upon layer. When writing the character "command" (chi), turn the brush to the left nine times as you write, and then lift the brush to finish.

Talisman of the Red Heaven Great Demon Divine Work

After burning incense, sit in the prescribed posture and regulate the breath more than ten times, until the breathing is even. Keep the visualization of a lotus flower in the mind throughout. Then wash the face, rinse the mouth, and swallow the saliva in the mouth to nourish the body and mind. Next, visualize the Heart Qi connecting with the Eye Qi. Then imagine the Heart Qi rising straight to the crown of the head, and then producing a sound like thunder. Feel it settle between the eyebrows like wind and rain.

Visualize the pupils of both eyes as a pair of golden rings. Visualize the golden rings turning nine times to the left before the eyes. If yellow or black spots of light appear before the eyes, this is taken as a sign that the Jing (essence) and Qi are leaking away and the Shen (spirit) light is escaping outward. Those with eye ailments who practice the Nine-Turn Divine Light Method in this way will recover their sight, and their vision will remain clear into old age.

Next, visualize yourself within a fierce blaze, feeling a slight heat. Also visualize that within the Heavenly Pillar, sounds like thunder and lightning crashes occasionally arise, and that your bones and pores all open, as if rain were falling upon your body……

Dew qi rises and falls, and it has the power to cut off evil spirits and expel noxious qi. According to the Nanfang Yinshu (Southern Hidden Writings), the names from Nanyan Dongfu to Shenying Zigong are those of the Eight Heavens of the South. These eight heavens take their images from the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), and their sixty-four characters correspond respectively to sound-qi, forming the sixty-four hexagrams. The Eight Heavens of the South belong to the Summer Office and share the virtue of Fire (huo de), their jing (essence) brilliant and manifest. Nandou (the Southern Dipper) presides over their upper generation, and Chidi (the Red Emperor) governs their administration. In the human body, they correspond to the Lord who nourishes qi and to the pivot and gateway through which the Heart-Sovereign generates qi. The southern demon of heaven is named Fu Tian Dan Shi ("Carrying the Heavens, Shouldering Stones"), and it is governed by the Tianyou Bingfa (Military Methods of Heavenly Plan).

The Practice of the Fu Tian Dan Shi Talisman

On the days bingyin and dingmao, whose nayin (the sound-element assigned to each day in the sexagenary cycle) is Fire, one should perform the Southern Qi Talisman together with the Zhongji Qi Talisman (Central Ultimate Qi Talisman). On other days whose nayin is Fire, one proceeds in the same way.

When writing the talisman, face south, pinch the first joint of the middle finger with the hand, and hold the brush while chanting the sixty-four characters of the sound-text of the Southern Eight Heavens. At the same time, visualize the Lords of the Southern Eight Heavens above the clouds, lowering a pearl the size of a pellet. Knock the teeth three times, draw the red qi from within the pearl, and blow it onto the brush. Then chant the incantation:

"Yuanshi Lingshu (Numinous Writ of the Primordial Beginning), issue the command to the Demon King Fu Tian Dan Shi; receive the Great Method of Tianyou. Ji ji ru lü ling (swiftly, swiftly, as the statute commands)."

Then write the talisman in cinnabar. First write Fu Tian Dan Shi, then draw the Eight Trigrams, and then write the character for chi (imperial command). Turn the stroke three times and finish the brush according to the prescribed method.

The Talisman of the White Emperor's Great Demon Spirit Work

Burn incense and sit at ease facing west. Regulate the breath more than ten times so that inhalation and exhalation are even. Visualize golden light arising from the heart and illuminating the whole body; then visualize heart-qi spreading throughout the space between the two breasts. Afterward, wash the face, rinse the mouth, and swallow the saliva, sending it down into the chest, to the Huagai (Canopy) and the lungs.

Visualize yourself within a forest of seven-treasure trees. Looking upward, you see an extraordinary mountain, towering ten thousand ren in height, rising from the middle of a great sea and set apart from the mundane world. Next, visualize a bubbling spring point beneath each breast. Spring water rises from beneath the Dantian sky to these two points, then flows out of the body and disperses into the sea. This is the Method of Reversed Flow (suliu zhi fa), used to nourish jing and qi.

In ordinary people, harmful qi (sha qi) gathers between the breasts and sounds like pounding, as if struck by a pestle. This arises when the heart-spirit is stirred by the corpse spirits (shi shen). According to the Xifang Yinyu (Western Hidden Sayings), the names from Daoli Chanyou to Baikong Duxian are those of the Eight Heavens of the West. These eight heavens take their images from the Bagua, and their sixty-four characters correspond respectively to sound-qi, forming the sixty-four hexagrams. They belong to the Autumn Office and are of the Metal (jin) phase...

De (Virtue, Power), the radiance displayed through virtuous conduct, is the essence-qi of the Two Dipper stars, and its register falls under the governance of the White Emperor. Within the human body it serves as the attendant-soul sovereign, presiding over the lungs and viscera and over the Canopy (huagai, the qi traditionally understood to cover the lungs). It is also the earth-root qi. The great Western demon is named "Six-Eyed Reverse Mountain," who governs the martial methods that assist the Sage. This method is executed through seven rotations of the brush.

On the days Jiazi and Yichou, whose Nayin (sound-element) is Metal, one should perform the Western Qi Talisman and also perform the Zhongji Qi Method. The same procedure applies on other days whose Nayin is Metal.

When writing this talisman, face the West, hold the brush in the right hand, press the middle joint of the middle finger with the hand, and recite the sixty-four characters of the Western Eight Heavens' sound-text, while visualizing the Western Eight Heavens' Lord standing above the clouds, holding a pearl the size of a bullet. Click the teeth three times, take in the pearl's qi and hold it in the mouth, then blow white qi onto the brush. Then chant the incantation: "By the command of the Primordial Numinous Writ, the Demon King Six-Eyed Reverse Mountain shall receive the Great Method of Assistance to the Sage, swiftly, as the statute decrees."

Next, write the talisman: first write "Six-Eyed Reverse Mountain," then draw the Eight Trigrams, and finally write the character chi (command). Rotate the brush seven times and finish the stroke according to ritual form.

Black Emperor Great Demon Divine Method Talisman

Burn incense, sit upright, and face the North. Regulate the breath some ten-odd times so that it becomes even. Over a long period, visualize black qi dispersing from the ears, and within the ears one seems to hear a faint, intermittent after-sound like the fading chirp of a cicada. In this way the body and mind are stilled, and the spirit of the blood and qi is turned toward the Primordial Spirit (yuanshen).

For illnesses of the limbs, bones, or blood and qi, the aim of this method is above all to remove the affliction. Next, regulate the breath and hold it, visualizing the sun and moon descending before the two eyebrows, their light shining in all ten directions. Then visualize the sun entering through the left nostril and the moon through the right, passing to the back of the crown and then entering the Dantian (the place in the abdomen where the internal breath gathers, in traditional internal alchemy), illuminating the whole body.

First visualize the sun circling nine times within the Dantian. Then visualize the sun on the left and the moon on the right, together resting in the Dantian, emitting five-colored light that rises along the Celestial Pillar (the channel traditionally said to link head and body), up to the back of the crown and shining in all ten directions. Next, visualize the sun and moon remaining in the Dantian, as if metal and stone were being smelted in a great furnace. Refine in this manner, deciding for oneself when to stop. This is the internal Golden Elixir method, and if one persists for many years, one attains longevity. If one stirs the breath and rinses the mouth with qi, a state resembling "flowing pearls" will form.

According to the Northern Hidden Writings, the passage from "self-ruling, without self-nurturing" to "dwelling in secluded stillness to save people" symbolizes the Eight Trigrams of the Northern Eight Heavens. It comprises sixty-four characters, belonging to yin...

Yang (here referring to the yang aspect) corresponds to certain of the sixty-four hexagrams and belongs to the Winter Office, the essence of the Water Virtue (shui de). The Northern Dipper governs death and darkness, and is the domain ruled by the Black Sovereign (Hei Di Jun). In the human body it corresponds to the Lord of Penetrating Blood (Tong Xue Jun), who governs true yang, the kidney essence (shen yuan), and the blood that forms the root of life. The northern heavenly demon is named "Jian Chou Lang Fu," and he commands the Black Sha methods of warfare.

The decree of "Jian Chou Lang Fu" requires the talisman stroke to be turned seven times. The nayin (sound-element) of the days bingzi and dingchou is Water, so one should perform the Northern qi-talisman and also the Zhongji (Central Pole) qi-talisman. On any day whose nayin is Water, the same procedure applies.

When writing the talisman, face north, pinch the second joint of the middle finger with the left hand, and hold the brush in the right hand. Recite the sixty-four characters of the Northern Eight Heavens' sound-text, and at the same time close the eyes and visualize the Sovereign of the Northern Eight Heavens standing above the clouds, holding a pearl the size of a pellet. Click the teeth three times, take the pearl into the mouth, then blow black qi onto the brush and chant: "The Primordial Numinous Writ decrees that the demon king Jian Chou Lang Fu receives the Great Black Sha Method. Swiftly carry it out, and do not disobey the command."

Then begin writing the talisman. First write the four characters "Jian Chou Lang Fu," then draw the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), then write the character for "decree" (chi), turn the stroke seven times, and lift the brush.

Huangdi Da Mo Shen Gong Fu (Great Demonic Divine Talisman of the Yellow Emperor)

Burn incense and sit quietly, regulating the breath more than ten times until it becomes even and long. In the mind, visualize a black qi rising from the crown of the head straight into the azure heavens, where it forms a palace that seems to have a foundation to stand upon, round in shape and orderly in its proportions. Visualize yourself seated within it, wearing a robe of five-colored clouds and mists, a crown adorned with pendant tassels, holding a jade tablet, and wearing pearl-embroidered shoes.

Visualize a numinous light within the circular image, illuminating heaven and earth. There, just as in the palace where the Heavenly Emperor dwells and moves, everything appears naturally. Through this method one summons the Lord of the Central Yellow Emperor. This is the Yuanshi Zhongji method, and it also belongs to the teaching governed by the Great Leader of the Central Dipper (Zhongdou Dakui Jun).

The scripture says: "The Yellow Emperor is the sovereign of the center, governing the myriad spirits without omission, supervising all and commanding the numinous multitudes." The demon king is named "Heng Tian Dan Li." He occupies the position above the Four Poles, and is the essence of the true Primordial qi of Earth Virtue (tu de). The method of cultivating the true by means of the round image is to return the gathered qi into the realm without color.

After practicing this method, one returns to the root and restores one's destiny, refines jing, nourishes qi, transforms qi into shen, and refines the physical form until it becomes perfected. The scripture further says: "Soar upward through the Upper Clarity, passing in and out of the flowery chambers, reaching the remote regions of the eight directions and the most subtle places; below, guard the Niwan (Mud Pellet) and the Jianggong (Crimson Palace) of the human body, regulate the five qi, and cause them to merge..." The original text breaks off here.

Summon and unite the hundred spirits, set the numinous Qi in motion ten times, and gather the myriad Qi, helping people attain the Dao and become immortals.

(Hengtian, Danli) First Edicted Rotation

The days Gengwu and Xinwei belong to Earth in the system of Na Yin (“resonant tones”). If performing the method on either of these days, use the Central Ultimate Qi talisman. This talisman is not used for the four directions. On other days that also belong to Earth in the Na Yin system, use it in the same way, bringing the inner and outer into harmony and completing the work of the Golden Elixir.

When writing this talisman, face east and visualize the position at the center. Turn your left palm upward and press your thumb against the middle section of your middle finger. Hold the brush in your right hand and recite:

“Brightness is established at once; save living beings, avert calamities, and bring deliverance to completion.”

Visualize the Primordial Lord (a revered Daoist deity) high in the heavens, lowering a precious pearl. Five-colored Qi streams from the pearl. Inhale this Qi, then blow it onto the brush while reciting:

“Numinous writing of the Primordial Beginning, command the demon kings Hengtian and Danli to receive the method of the Great Dipper’s central star. Enable me to refine Jing and nourish Qi, refine Qi and nourish Shen, and refine my substance into the Real. May I ascend today. With all urgency, obey this command.”

Next, write the talisman in cinnabar. First write “Hengtian, Danli,” without drawing a trigram. Then write, in a cross, “Brightness is established at once; save living beings, avert calamities, and bring deliverance to completion.” After that, write the character “Command.” Turn the brush once in a circle, and complete the stroke according to the prescribed method.

This method is the path of cultivation practiced by the highest perfected beings. It is said that those who complete it can ascend to the Golden Palace in the heavens and travel and feast in the Jade Capital, the celestial city of Daoist tradition. At this stage of cultivation, practitioners should follow the method described earlier and swallow the five talismans given above. To heal someone, first determine which of the five organs corresponds to the illness, then prescribe a talisman to wear or swallow according to the principle of correspondence among the Five Phases. For example, for an illness of the liver, use the talisman of the east. To counter calamities involving water, fire, weapons, or war, use a talisman of the phase that overcomes the relevant phase. For a flood, for instance, use the central talisman, which belongs to Earth, to control it.

A talisman may be written on objects of different materials and colors, in either cursive or seal script, and in any size. What matters is that its sounds and written text are correct and its strokes conform to the rules.

The master said: Since the Chart was opened in the Red Radiance era, the thirty-two Heavenly Lords under the rule of the Divine Farmer, Emperor Yan, have descended separately into the human world and established the Way of purity and integrity. In the time of the Yellow Emperor, the Lord of Youxiong, the thirty-two Heavenly Lords began transmitting this tradition anew. They drew upon the pure and turbid Qi and established the forms and patterns of the method. These all belong to methods with visible form and substance. The Celestial Perfected Man Huangren recorded them in writing as the orthodox method of the Five Phases. Since ancient times, people have used the Five Phases and trigram images to cultivate life and engage with the world. The thirty-two heavens described in the numinous writings are departments governed by the Divine Lord; in the human world, they correspond to the honorific titles of emperors. After the Yellow Emperor…

After cultivating, a practitioner of the Dao can ascend to Taihuang Huangzengtian, one of the heavenly realms described in Daoism. Accounts from the reigns of successive kings through the Tang dynasty record that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ascended to Yuanzai Kongsheng Tian, another Daoist heaven. There are also records that can be consulted about rulers such as King Mu of Zhou, Qin Shi Huang, and Emperor Wu of Han, as well as their high-ranking ministers.

From this we can understand that the methods by which the perfected beings of the highest ranks in the heavens cultivate are all recorded in the Hidden Books. Each of the thirty-two heavens has an inner sound of its own, consisting of eight characters; together they make sixty-four characters, arranged according to the symbolic meanings of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). If people in the world can obtain these methods, they can attain long life.

The patterns in heaven are the sun, moon, and stars; the patterns on earth are mountains, rivers, and forests; and the patterns in human beings are Jing, Qi, and Shen. The sun, moon, and stars manifest the working of the Dao, bringing light to all things. Mountains, rivers, and forests manifest the working of the Dao, allowing all things to grow and transform. A scripture says, “Without patterns, there is no light; without patterns, nothing can be established or brought to completion; without patterns, nothing can be transformed or nurtured.” It also says, “There is nothing that cannot be warded off, dispelled, transformed, or brought to completion.” These are the wondrous workings of the Dao.

The thirty-two heavens correspond to the guardians of the human body. From the limbs and nine orifices to the five viscera and six bowels, all correspond in subtle accord with the palaces of the thirty-two heavens. By understanding this and cultivating accordingly, one can bring oneself into accord with the Dao of Heaven.

There is also the Great Method of the True Circular Image of the Yellow Emperor. In practicing it, one follows the Five Phases and the five kinds of Qi, taking each day a talisman corresponding to the Qi of one direction. These are all essential principles of refinement. Tradition says that in the time of the Yellow Emperor, he was attacked by demons and malign spirits, so he inscribed talisman diagrams for the five directions on swords and halberds to subdue and destroy them. He also made banners and canopies for the five directions, decorated with images, and used them in the battle against Chiyou at Zhuolu. From this we can see that the Circular Image can respond to and move the utmost reaches of the heavens.

Later, when the Yellow Emperor’s merit was complete, he ascended in broad daylight. The Yellow Emperor’s writings say that the direction of the Dounye region should correspond to the territory represented by the Circular Image. This direction was later lost. Emperor Xuanzong searched widely for it and heard that a divine being had presented it above the Huai River. The four directions indicated there were correctly aligned, so he built Dounye Hall. The site has since been rebuilt as a pavilion.

Tradition says that when Yu the Great controlled the floods, he observed the Great Brahma’s numinous sounds—the wondrous sound-texts of Daoism—and the patterns of the Eight Trigrams. Following the lay of the mountains and rivers, he opened waterways and excavated channels. He also used the method of flying steps in conjunction with the Circular Image to clear the nine rivers. These were all wondrous deeds, and through them he brought about an age of peace. Rulers such as King Mu of Zhou, Qin Shi Huang, and Emperor Wu of Han all sought this Dao, but most failed to grasp its foundations. Later generations altered the talisman diagrams of the Circular Image, adding to and removing from the talisman texts material about Yu the Great’s regulation of the Five Phases and his following of the land’s contours. But these talismans had no tonal patterns, so they could not be used to attack and subdue demons and malign spirits.

In the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Perfected Xu Xun was also harmed by demons and malign spirits that were causing trouble among the rivers and lakes, and he personally…

These five talismans are recorded in the book handed down by the Yellow Emperor. Inscribed on iron tablets, they were cast into the Xiang River. They can cut down and subdue demons, evil spirits, and poisonous creatures. The tablets now lie beneath the waters of Zhaotan in Changsha. A perfected adept used these talismans to control demons and protect the people, accumulating merit until his entire household was lifted up and ascended to become immortals.

The Immortal Elder Ge Hong often wrote these talismans on days when one of the Five Phases overcame another, then cast them into the water. The talismans traveled upstream, and everyone who saw them knew they were remarkably numinous. In the time of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor sought out supernatural traces, and his minister Xu Fu presented him with the Yu-step ritual, knowledge of astronomy and geography, the circular celestial chart, and books for subduing demons. Qin Shi Huang wished to make the people simple and upright, and had them wear and practice these methods. It was said that they could then reach the Blue Vault—the heavens—at dawn and return to the imperial palace by dusk. Later, he turned away from Confucian learning and longed for life on the immortal isle of Penglai. Yet he conscripted the people, causing countless needless deaths. If he lost the Way of governing, even his celestial office would fall away.

From this we may understand that the sage kings of antiquity and the rulers of the present age are earthly counterparts of those who govern affairs among the Thirty-Two Heavens. In the cycle corresponding to the Gengzi year of the Xuanhe era, the image is square within and round without; in the Bingwu year, it is round within and square without. Therefore, floods and warfare will strike the northwest. Once these signs are understood, a circular image should be established to correspond with the Huai River, and numinous talismans should be written and cast toward the Three Mountains to stabilize this cycle. In this way, Heaven’s mandate can be preserved and its continuance secured, sheltering the many people and bringing blessings to both the living and the dead. I now record these strange events briefly as a text for verification.

This is scroll twenty of the Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangjing.