《靈寶無量度人上經大法》Vol. 22

Anyone who practices the Lingbao Five Chapters of True Writings, yearns for the immortals, prays for wishes to be granted, and hopes to receive a response from the Perfected Ones of the Nine Heavens on an appointed day, bring the immortals into the room, and attain the immortal Dao should bathe and fast on a Jia-yin or Yi-mao day after the Beginning of Spring. At dawn, enter the room, face east, and bow nine times. Sit upright and click the teeth nine times to awaken the response of the gods within the body. Then close the eyes and visualize the Azure Emperor Lord of Mount Tai in the Eastern Peak. The Azure Emperor Lord’s surname is Sui and personal name is Liao. He is nine cun and nine fen tall, wears an Azure King’s crown that reaches to Heaven and a blue feathered robe, and rides a green dragon. Twelve Jade Maidens in blue sashes attend him as he descends from the east into the practitioner’s room.

After a while, visualize the Azure Emperor Lord transforming into an infant, surrounded by blue Qi and entering the abdomen through the breath from the mouth. Then visualize red Qi arising in the heart and circling through the liver palace. The blue and red Qi mingle, forming layers like auspicious clouds and swirling mist. When warmth is felt in the liver, swallow the breath nine times, raise the head, and recite this prayer:

“Within the nine gates of the east, the First Emperor comes and goes, traveling between the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and feasting in the Jade Chamber. He pacifies the numinous peaks, commands Goumang, the eastern wood deity, and leads nine thousand layers of blue rosy clouds. He rides a feathered carriage drawn by twelve flying dragons. At his left serve the Maidens in Blue Sashes; at his right, divine youths stand guard. They hold bamboo tallies, blue tablets, and jade texts, verify the names in the registers of immortals, and present the lists to the Upper Palace.

“Today is greatly auspicious. Hear me as I state my wish. I wear the red writing on my person, and my name is entered in the palace of the Emperor Lord. I pray to the gods and immortals: consult the Blue Register, the record of immortal names, turn back your numinous carriage, and descend into my chamber. Let the blue and red Qi mingle and take the hazy form of an infant, nourishing the liver palace and summoning radiance. Let numinous light flow through me, and let my face shine like gold. Through quiet sitting, may I commune with the spirits of the natural order, gain longevity in body, and endure as long as Heaven and Earth.”

After the prayer, draw in blue Qi again and swallow it nine times. Practice this method for nine years, and nine Maidens in Blue Sashes and the numinous officials of Mount Tai in the Eastern Peak will descend. They will convey the practitioner’s wish and carry it up to the Nine Heavens. If the registers of sin for one’s deceased or living parents record punishments, corvée service, or an assignment to Mount Tai, the spirits will communicate with one another and erase the charges, freeing them to ascend to the Hall of Blessing. This is a wondrous method for release from the bonds of life and death.

On a Bing-wu or Ding-wei day after the Beginning of Summer, bathe and fast as well. At noon, enter the room, face south, and bow three times. Sit upright and click the teeth three times to awaken the response of the gods within the body…

After completing the visualization, close your eyes and envision the Red Emperor Lord of Mount Huo, south of Mount Heng, the deity of the south. His surname is Rong and his personal name is Rong Xiao. He is three cun and three fen tall, wears a crown of red jade reaching to Heaven, and is dressed in a vermilion feather robe. He rides a red dragon, accompanied by twelve jade maidens bearing red gui scepters, and comes from the south into your room. After a while, the Red Emperor Lord takes the form of a newborn infant. He remains within red Qi, which enters through your mouth and travels directly to your heart. Then envision the spleen producing yellow Qi, which surrounds the chamber of the heart. The yellow and red Qi mingle within the heart, shining like a fierce flame. When you feel warmth in your heart, swallow Qi three times, raise your head, and pray:

The three lights of the cinnabar heavens, the Jade Gate high in the south: within them dwells the great spirit, the numinous Red Emperor Lord. Clad in a cinnabar robe and bearing talismans and registers, he wears a feathered skirt embroidered with flying patterns and rides a red dragon, descending amid flying clouds. Among the myriad spirits of the sacred southern mountain, you are the most exalted. You enter and leave the realm of the Three Pure Ones, and ascend to attend the banquet of the Nine Maidens. Jade maidens bearing red gui scepters and jade youths guard the perfected beings. They hold tablets and registers, consult the jade texts of the crimson-colored immortal records, rank the immortals, and report their findings to the Celestial Court. Today is an auspicious day; the sacred mountain opens a passage to the realm of immortals. I respectfully invite the exalted deity to return and descend into my Three Gates, taking the form of an infant, calming my mind and settling my hun and po souls. May the yellow and red Qi mingle and coil around the root of my life. May I long ride with Zhurong upon colored clouds, free and at ease over the Southern River, while Heaven and Earth endure.

When the prayer is complete, draw in red Qi three times and swallow it, then stop the visualization. Practicing this method is said to dispel legal accusations and offenses associated with Mount Heng, and to enable ascent to the Celestial Palace. This is a profound and important method that opens the way between life and death.

Generally, after the spring equinox, the Summer Solstice, the autumn equinox, and the Winter Solstice, bathe and observe purification and abstinence on days of the Wuchen, Wuxu, Jichou, and Jiwei cycles. When sunlight enters, go into the room and face the direction called the “King Direction” in the terminology of the time. Perform twelve bows, then sit upright and click your teeth twelve times to awaken the spirits within your body. When this is complete, close your eyes and envision the Yellow Emperor Lord of Mount Song, the central mountain. His surname is Yun and his personal name is Yun Xiao. He is one chi and two cun tall, wears a crown of yellow jade reaching to Heaven, and is dressed in a yellow feather robe. He rides a yellow dragon, accompanied by twelve maidens of plain yellow jade, and comes from the central mountain into your room. After a while, the Yellow Emperor Lord takes the form of a newborn infant and appears within yellow Qi, which enters through your mouth and travels directly to the palace of the spleen. Then envision the lungs producing white Qi, which surrounds the chamber of the spleen. The yellow and white Qi mingle, like yellow clouds swirling through the sky. When you feel warmth in your spleen, swallow Qi twelve times and pray:

The Yellow Origin of the Center, who commands the four numinous beings, the primordial essence of Mount Zhongshan in the Wu and Ji positions…

The Great Spirit of the Yellow Emperor rode a flying carriage drawn by twelve yellow dragons and ascended to a banquet of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three highest deities revered in Daoism. Jade Maidens served and guarded him, while divine youths awaited his commands. He could open mountains to reveal maps and bestow immortal names.

He wandered on the Central Peak. Four mountain spirits displayed their powers, causing true Qi to descend in winding paths and flow into my body. The true Qi mingled and transformed; the Old Emperor became an infant and guarded the Yellow Palace, here meaning the palace within the body, making the organs splendid and full.

Strange hair grew upon the body, which shone both within and without. I connected with the perfected beings and reached the Nine Heavens of Purity, the Daoist realms of clear and empty immortality. Thus I was able to join the Yellow Emperor’s gathering of flying carriages and ascend to the Jade Court.

After the ritual, draw in yellow Qi and swallow twelve times. When this method is practiced, the numinous officials of the Central Peak will descend into the practitioner’s chamber, granting them the Yellow Essence. Twelve Jade Maidens will also appear as an auspicious sign. The practitioner will thereby open the passages and make their appeal heard in Heaven. Matters of life and death, parents, offenses, and penal records governed by the Nine Heavens, if associated with the Central Peak, can all be released and erased. The record of offenses will be struck out, the practitioner entered in the registers of immortals, removed from the registers of the Earthly Officials, and raised to the Hall of Blessing. From then on, life and death will proceed smoothly, and countless people may be delivered.

Typically, after the Beginning of Autumn, on a Gengshen or Xinyou day at dusk, bathe and observe ritual purification. Enter the chamber, face west, and bow seven times. Sit upright and click the teeth seven times to announce your presence to the spirits within the body. Then close your eyes and visualize the White Emperor Lord of Mount Huayin on the Western Peak. The White Emperor Lord’s surname is Chong; one character of his personal name is missing. He is seven cun and seven fen tall, wears a plain-jade crown that reaches to Heaven and a white feather robe, and arrives riding a white dragon, followed by twelve Jade Maidens dressed in white.

After a time, visualize the White Emperor Lord transforming into a newborn infant, surrounded by white Qi. As the white Qi enters the mouth, it travels directly to the Palace of the Lungs. Then visualize the Worthy One giving rise to black Qi, which coils around the Lung Palace. The white and black Qi mingle and blend like layered auspicious clouds covering the sky. When warmth is felt in the lungs, swallow seven times and pray, gazing upward:

“Heaven of the Seven Qi, hall of plain gold. Great Spirit White Emperor, settle and guard the four directions. Numinous mountain of Huayin, called the Divine King. Clad in a white feathered flying robe, holding aloft a banner, riding a white dragon, ascending through the Dark Clarity, entering and leaving the Flower Palace, presiding over the registers of immortals, inscribing names in the immortal rolls, and traveling to every quarter. On this fine day and auspicious hour, the myriad sages gather on the mountain peaks. They wander among the Nine Rosy Clouds, their radiance spreading far and wide. Golden essence shines brilliantly; white stone gleams pure. Open the mountain and behold the numinous; divine Qi fills the four directions. May I seek the Dao, may I become an immortal, may I live, may I enjoy long life. What I seek has come together; nothing is inauspicious. Roushou, the Metal deity of the West, make the true Dao accessible and transform my form. Let transformation come naturally to completion, and let me fly with the true Qi. May my body rise lightly in flight and ascend to the Purple Chamber above.”

After the ritual, draw in white Qi and swallow seven times. Practicing this method will bring the numinous palace of the Western Peak …

The Lord Emperor sent down seven true white jade maidens, divine attendants who assist communication with the spirits and open the body’s vital passages. In prayer, may everyone hear the charges and records of punishment entered by the Parents of Life and Death in the Nine Heavens, the spirits who govern the registers of life and death. May all whose charges are recorded under the name of the Western Peak be released; may the charges erase themselves, their names be entered in the registers of immortals, and they depart from the Five Paths of rebirth and ascend to the Hall of Blessing. When the vital passages of life and death are opened, blessings will naturally arrive.

Usually, on a renzi or guihai day during the midnight hour after the start of winter, bathe and purify yourself, observe a fast, and enter a quiet chamber. Face north and bow five times. Sit upright and click your teeth five times to complete the rite for opening the passages of the body’s spirits. Then close your eyes and visualize the Black Emperor of Northern Mount Heng: his surname is Chen, but his personal name is missing from the original text. He is five cun and five fen tall, wears a crown of dark jade reaching to Heaven, and is dressed in black feathered robes. He arrives riding a black dragon, attended by twelve Taixuan jade maidens, descending from the Northern Peak into the practitioner’s quiet chamber.

After a while, visualize the Black Emperor transforming into a newborn infant, surrounded by black Qi. As the Qi enters your mouth, it travels directly to the Kidney Palace, the part of the body associated with the kidneys in Daoist inner cultivation. Next, visualize blue-green Qi arising from the liver and circling the Kidney Palace. The blue-green and black Qi mingle and join, overlapping like emerald clouds and mist. When you feel warmth in the kidneys, swallow five times and pray with your face raised:

“The five Qi of the Dark Heaven are the primal essence of Heaven. Flowing and condensing, they form numinous Qi, called the abode of immortals. They stabilize Northern Heng, the place where the Black Emperor roams and dwells. The Black Emperor feasts and wanders in the north, arriving on his dragon. This day is auspicious; the myriad spirits open the registers. The five Qi revolve, and celebration clouds spread in every direction. Immortal attendants hold their tablets, and Taixuan bestows talismans of deliverance and longevity, entering my name in the registers of immortals and inscribing it in the golden book.

“The true spirit graciously descends, joining Yin and Yang Qi with the form of an infant to perceive my body. The spirit of Dark Mystery guides and protects me, so that I may accompany the immortals and enjoy for a long time the blessings and longevity of Heaven and Earth, enduring through ten thousand eons without end.”

When the prayer is complete, draw in and swallow the black Qi five times, and the rite is finished. Practicing this method can bring the numinous officers of the Northern Peak, the Black Emperor, and the Taixuan jade maidens to descend and serve at your command. They will convey your petitions and make the Parents of Life and Death in the Nine Heavens aware of the charges and records of punishment entered in their registers. Pray for the charges to be cleared, for release from the suffering of the three evil paths, and for ascent to Heaven.

When carrying out this method, remain calm and composed, and focus on the visualization with a clear mind. This makes it easier for the numinous and true spirits to respond. Practice according to the prescribed ritual, and within a few years you will be able to see the directions from which the spirits come and go. The spirit of the Palace of Life will come to welcome you, while demonic spirits retreat and dare not intrude. Your thoughts will become keen and your understanding clear, enabling you to judge good fortune and misfortune for yourself. The spirits of the Five Peaks and the emperors of the five directions will often be your guests and companions. As the spirits communicate with one another, you may ultimately attain the Way of the immortals.

The Supreme Way of Ascending High

The Lord of the Primordial Origin of the Southern Pole said: “I once received the essential instructions for following the three ascending paths of the Most High: cultivate the Way of yellow Qi (the primordial energy spoken of in Daoism) and yang essence; ingest and use numinous radiance; hold and rinse imperial blossoms in the mouth; raise the head and breathe in the flying root. In the Purple Radiance, visualize the Seven Luminaries (the Sun, Moon, and five planets); within the Golden Gate, set the three paths in motion. Discern the deep and mysterious visions, and understand the waxing and waning of the Sun and Moon. See the vermilion steps in the Cavern of Yang, and enter the Palace of Vast Cold to refine and nurture yang Qi. Climb the Seven-Treasure Terrace of the Mysterious Garden, and ascend the flying ladder in the Cloud Pavilion. Breathe in the yang essence of the land of Fuli, gather the yellow Qi of the realm of Yudan, and draw near the golden-winged bird on the towering tree. Set the stone radiance turning, so that it reflects your face. Cultivate and apply the numinous charts, and in the end you will commune with the divine perfected beings.

“Then the Three Radiances will shine down upon you, the Seven Essences will guard your carriage, and the five kinds of numinous Qi will weave around you. The divine spirits of the Four Offices will compile the ritual texts, and the numinous tortoise of the West will confirm your name in the registers. Your name will be inscribed above the High Dawn. In this way, you will take your place among the beings of the Southern Pole. This Way is profound and mysterious; people of shallow insight and limited learning cannot speak of it. You must understand it carefully and practice accordingly.”

To cultivate the Supreme Way of Ascending High by means of the Sun and Moon, first observe a fifty-day purification retreat, withdraw from ordinary social affairs, and seek a secluded, hidden place. Even when the sky is overcast and the Sun and Moon cannot be seen, or when your surroundings are concealed, you may keep your indoor sleeping quarters clean and focus on visualization. The essential points are to set your thoughts right and concentrate your spirit. When your thoughts are undivided, you can achieve communion. During practice, keep your eyes half open and half closed, and strive to see the light and shadow of the Sun and Moon in your mind. Practice in secret and do not let anyone see you; if someone does, the numinous radiance will not descend.

To cultivate the Supreme Way, first withdraw from ordinary affairs. After the purification retreat, maintain a state of cleanliness and quiet. Ideally, set aside a room for yourself, with its door facing east. If that is not possible, have the window face east, and orient your bed the same way. Keep your sleeping quarters free of clutter and filth, and do not leave clothes scattered about; otherwise, the place will not be fit for the High Perfected Ones to descend. The Sun and Moon respectively symbolize Yin and Yang, and both should be visualized when practicing the various methods. The key is to keep the spirit focused and undivided, without mixing in other thoughts.

The Perfected One of Great Simplicity said: “Visualize the solar essence and the Five Emperors, and hold in your mouth the Most High’s Text of Yuyi, associated with practices involving the solar essence. You must master this method before you can see the sovereign within the Sun. If you have not mastered it, you will only waste your efforts and add to your distress.”

The Perfected One of Great Simplicity also said: “Visualize the lunar essence and the Five Ladies, and hold in your mouth the Most High’s Chapter of Jie Lin, associated with practices involving the lunar essence. You must master this method before you can see the lady within the Moon. If you have not mastered it, you will only waste your efforts and grieve in vain.”

The two formulas above come from the Taishang Yinshu (The Hidden Book of the Great High One), a Daoist scripture passed down in secret by the Perfected One Taisu to the Lord of Great Unity. The Lord of Great Unity says that during cultivation, the scripture should be held in the mouth. The Perfected One Taisu teaches Lord Pei to hold one text in the mouth and the other in the hand, using both at the same time. There is one text for the solar method and one for the lunar method. Write each together with its taboo name—the deity’s special name—and include no other writing.

For the solar method, write the text in cinnabar on blue paper about two inches wide, then place it in a red pouch. During cultivation, hold it in the right hand. For the lunar method, write the text in orpiment on blue paper and place it in a yellow brocade pouch. During cultivation, hold this in the right hand as well. In addition, make a fine copy of each text in cinnabar or orpiment on thin blue silk, about one inch wide, using extremely small characters. Roll it up at once and seal it with wax into a pill. During cultivation, hold one copy in the mouth. After the ritual, wipe it with wine and place it in an incense container.

The true taboo names of the Lord Emperor Yuyi (the deities’ true names):

The taboo name of the True Lord, the Red Qi Supreme Sovereign at the Sun’s Center, is “Jiangche Liang”; his courtesy name is “Gao Qianshuang.” When visualizing this deity inwardly, know his name, but do not casually call out his honorific title. The secret scripture does not record a method for visualizing and cultivating this deity.

The name of the Green Emperor at the Sun’s Center is “Yuanchang Wu”; his courtesy name is “Zhao Longtao.” He appears like an infant, wearing a blue jade brocade mantle, a skirt of azure flying feathers, and a morning crown adorned with emerald hibiscus.

The Red Emperor’s taboo name is “Danling Zhi”; his courtesy name is “Lü Hongying.” He appears like an infant, wearing a crimson jade brocade mantle, a cinnabar flying-feather skirt, and a crown of cinnabar talismans and numinous light.

The White Emperor’s taboo name is “Haoyu Jiang”; his courtesy name is “Hui Jinxia.” He wears a plain-colored jade brocade mantle, a skirt of white flying-feather blossoms, and a bright numinous hibiscus crown.

The Black Emperor’s taboo name is “Chengzeng Chun”; his courtesy name is “Xuan Lüyan.” He appears like an infant, wearing a dark jade brocade mantle, a skirt of black flying-feather blossoms, and a dark mountain hibiscus crown.

The Yellow Emperor’s taboo name is “Shouyifu”; his courtesy name is “Biaohui Xiang.” He appears like an infant, wearing a yellow jade brocade mantle, a skirt of yellow flying-feather blossoms, and a purple crown that dispels malign forces.

At dawn, put on the crown and robes, burn incense facing the sun, and bow twice. After washing your hands and rinsing your mouth, hold the scripture in your mouth, resting it on your tongue with the tops of the characters facing inward, then sit upright. When the sun rises and its round disc appears, offer incense again. Visualize the taboo name of the Supreme Sovereign inwardly, then pay respects to him in your heart. When the observance is complete, lower your gaze and close your eyes. From then on, do not open them midway through the practice. Hold your breath for ten counts (about ten breaths), then sit upright facing the sun, palms upward on your knees: hold the scripture in your left hand, or curl your thumb inward to form the “firm-fist” hand seal, a common Daoist gesture for holding and guarding; form the same seal with your right hand…

Swallow the sunlight ten times in succession. Visualize the sunlight entering your mouth, then swallow it. Next, visualize red Qi and purple radiance at the center of the sun, dividing into nine rays. Call out inwardly, “Radiant Spirit, Nine Divine Blossoms.” Once the nine rays shine upon your face, part your lips slightly, breathe in gently, and swallow.

After doing this ten times, hold your breath. Visualize the radiance in your abdomen rising to connect with the Niwan Palace (a cultivation site within the crown of the head) and descending to reach the internal organs, so that its light fills the body and shines through both inside and out. After a while, continue visualizing this radiance until the ritual ends; do not let it fade. Then softly call the title of the Emperor Lord, in a voice only you can hear.

Next, visualize the Moon Soul (here referring to the moon’s vital essence) transforming into nine yellow circles, somewhat smaller than the sun. They appear within the sunlight like illusory reflections of light. Do not imagine them as solid forms. The scripture does not prescribe a specific shape; simply sense that divine beings within them seem to respond to you.

Silently recite the secret incantation:

“Moon Soul, spirit essence, warm and radiant on the Xiao Terrace; mark me to obtain the Heaven of the Eastern Sun Grotto, to be covered by Longqiu, and to receive the chapter of divine radiance. Bear the talismans of the Nine Realms; eat the sweet sustenance of blue essence and the rich fluid of cloud-green; feast in the city of the Eight Extremes, ascend the terrace of luminous truth, sit in the hall of the Forest of Cloth, and sing the words of Jade Dawn.”

Recite the incantation silently, without speaking aloud. Then make this silent prayer: “May I join the Five Imperial True Lords and the Sun Soul, spirit essence, riding auspicious clouds and flying up to the Solar Palace.”

Then close your eyes and visualize the Azure Emperor riding a ray of light from the sun to stand on your left; inwardly call his name. Next, visualize the Red Emperor riding a ray of light from the sun to stand on your right; inwardly call his name. Then visualize the White Emperor riding a ray of light to stand behind you; inwardly call his name. Next, visualize the Black Emperor riding a ray of light to stand above your left hand; inwardly call his name. Finally, visualize the Yellow Emperor riding a ray of light to stand above your right hand; inwardly call his name. Since you are holding the scripture in your hands, you cannot open them. Simply visualize the Yellow Emperor standing above your hands, facing you.

Once all five emperors have arrived, visualize the colors of their robes appearing faintly. Then visualize all five emperors appearing at once in the five positions described above, with their forms and robes clearly visible. Click your teeth five times and swallow your saliva nine times. Then softly recite this prayer, moving your lips slightly, in a voice just audible to yourself:

“The red furnace’s cinnabar radiance, rounded blossoms of ninefold brightness; the great sun opens the dawn, its crimson essence shining forth.”

The luminous radiance of the Five Emperors (the Emperors of the Five Directions) first shines upon the grotto-heavens, enabling all living things to behold the Perfected Ones (those who have attained the Dao). The sky is unobstructed, level, and wide open.

Set the primordial Qi in motion and refine its radiance, letting it spread through the forms of the Five Viscera. In this way, my body’s spirits are transformed and my Six Bowels are filled with vitality.

I pay homage to and welcome the arrival of the Yangsui Nine-Dragon Chariot in the clouds, drawn by nine red dragons. I hasten upward to the Sun Palace, where I unite with the numinous radiance of the Emperor.

After reciting the invocation, visualize the Sun Soul riding on sunlight and coming from within its radiance to stand before me, about nine inches from my face. Imagine that a spirit dwells within it. Then click the teeth three times and swallow the saliva three times, before softly reciting:

“The Moon Soul’s essence and spirit” (the text below says to proceed as above).

Next, visualize the crimson-cloud chariot of Yangsui, shaped like a carriage of that time and drawn by nine red dragons, coming from the sunlight to stand before me. I forget both myself and my physical form. After reciting the invocation, I quiet my mind and focus my visualization. Then I imagine the Black Emperor and Yellow Emperor, above my left and right hands respectively, coming to stand at their outer sides. After that, I forget everything. The Five Emperors support and guide me together; when I rise, we all board the chariot at once and sit down. I also visualize the Moon Soul in the chariot, surrounded by radiance. Then I ride this light swiftly upward, arriving directly at the center of the sun. At that point, I still my mind and end the visualization, letting myself drift into forgetfulness of my form, as though dwelling for a long time within the sun. After a while, I swallow saliva fourteen times. Only when this is complete do I open my eyes; afterward, I must not look at the sun again.

All the ritual procedures should be learned thoroughly in advance. From the moment one enters stillness until the practice is complete, one must not entertain doubts, but should cultivate according to the scripture. After one year of practice, visions gradually appear; after two years, one sees the forms of the spirits; after three years, the spirits descend; after four years, one gains clarity and insight, and a jade-like radiance appears on the face; after five years, one becomes a Perfected One. After eleven years, one can ride a cloud chariot beneath a feathered canopy, command the dragon host, ascend to the Sun Palace, receive immortal writings, and become a Perfected One of Highest Clarity. One is then granted twenty-six jade boys and twenty-four jade maidens.

The True Names of Lady Jielin

The name of the Mother Spirit, Supreme Sovereign of the Yellow Qi in the moon, is “Yaodaozhi,” and her courtesy name is “Yuhuitiao.” (The text here includes a note on visualization, but the wording is damaged. Its general meaning is that this name must not be called casually, and that the scripture does not describe how to practice this method.)

The name of the Lady of the Azure Emperor in the moon is “Yin’e Zhu,” and her courtesy name is “Fenyanying.” She has the appearance of a child. She wears a blue brocade robe with patterned designs, a cape embroidered with a kingfisher-feather phoenix, and a skirt of flying feathers. Her hair is arranged in a triangular cloud-shaped coiffure, while the rest falls to her waist.

The name of the Lady of the Red Emperor is “Yiyiliao,” and her courtesy name is “Wanyanxu.” She has the appearance of a child. She wears a vermilion brocade robe with patterned designs, a scarlet cape embroidered with a phoenix, and a skirt of flying feathers. Her hair is arranged in a triangular cloud-shaped coiffure…

The Lady of the White Emperor is named Ling Sulan, with the courtesy name Yulian. She wears a white robe patterned with jade, a brocade cape embroidered with dragons, and an ornament depicting a white-feathered luan bird. Her flowing skirt is patterned, and her cloudlike hair is arranged in a triangular coiffure. The Lady of the Black Emperor is named Jie Lianqiao, with the courtesy name Chunli. She wears a gold robe patterned with dark jade, a brocade cape embroidered with nine cloud designs, and an ornament depicting a black-feathered dragon. Her flowing skirt is patterned, and her cloudlike hair is arranged in a triangular coiffure. The Lady of the Yellow Emperor is named Qing Yingjin, with the courtesy name Jiong Dingrong. She wears a yellow robe patterned with clouds and mountains, a brocade cape, and an ornament depicting a green phoenix. Her skirt is embroidered with designs, and her cloudlike hair is arranged in a triangular coiffure. The rest of their hair falls to their waists, and all three ladies look like infants.

Prepare your ceremonial robes and headwear on a quiet night. Burn incense, face the moon, and bow twice. The rite may also be performed on a moonlit night or in the early morning. Whether you choose a high or low place depends on your surroundings; face toward the moon. Around the second or third day of the lunar month, when the moon has just risen, you may begin as soon as the sun has set and the moon is visible. When the moon has risen higher, wait until the sun has fully set and the moon shines brightly before beginning. At the end and beginning of the lunar month, when the moon is entirely out of sight, this method cannot naturally be practiced. If you are practicing indoors and cannot see the moon, go into the courtyard or beneath the eaves. On rainy, overcast days, remain indoors, hold the scripture in your mouth with its opening characters turned inward against your tongue, and kneel facing the moon. In your mind, visualize the Divine Mother of the August Sovereign, silently recite her name, then raise both hands and press them to your chest as you bow. If an eclipse occurs on the day of the full moon, do not perform the rite for the time being; resume after the eclipse has ended.

When you have finished bowing, lower your eyelids slightly. From this point until the rite is complete, keep your eyes half closed and do not open them. Next, hold your breath for nine breaths and sit facing the moon, with your hands turned upward on your knees: hold the scripture in your right hand and make the firm-fist gesture of Daoist cultivation with your left. Tilt your face toward the moon. The nine breaths take roughly as long as forty-five heartbeats. Then swallow the moonlight nine times, visualizing it entering your mouth. Picture yellow Qi in the moon radiating eight bright beams, and silently recite: “The moon’s radiant essence, the eight beams of night.” Then open your mouth and gently draw in the breath, inhaling and swallowing these eight beams. Repeat this nine times.

When you have finished, hold your breath and visualize the beams of light in your abdomen rising directly to the Mudball Palace, the inner cultivation site at the crown of the head, then descending through the organs and illuminating the whole body until it shines within and without. After a short while, the beams should remain steady until the rite ends; do not let them disperse. Then recite softly, at a volume only you can hear. Next, visualize the Sun Soul taking shape as a square, red image the size of the moon, appearing within the moonlight. Let its light and shadow seem to shimmer faintly; do not visualize it as a solid object. As for whether the Sun Soul and the spirits…

It is enough to feel as though spirits within the body are responding to you. Then silently recite this invocation:

“Solar Soul, Spirit Essence, Pearl Radiance, Red Youth: enable me to travel westward to the Gate of the Six Ridges and enter the Jade Palace of Dawn, the Plain Mound of the Eight Strings, and the Upper Chamber of the Eight Radiances. I shall wear the talisman of the Ten Brightnesses and the seal of the flowing star’s night radiance; sit in the Hall of Great Harmony; ascend the Terrace of the Seven Spirits; receive the moon’s radiance; robe myself in cloud Qi; partake of the viscous purple fluid of wan jade; chant the exalted verses and recite the words of Jade Dawn.”

Recite it only in your heart; do not speak aloud. Then invoke:

“May I ride the flying clouds with the Ladies of the Five Emperors, the Solar Soul, and the Spirit Essence, and ascend to the lunar palace.”

Next, close your eyes and visualize the Lady of the Azure Emperor arriving on moonlight at your left. Call her name silently in your heart. Then visualize the Lady of the Red Emperor arriving on moonlight at your right, facing left, and call her name silently in your heart. Next, visualize the Lady of the White Emperor arriving from the moonlight behind you, and call her name silently. Then visualize the Lady of the Black Emperor arriving from the moonlight at your left hand. Form the “fist-clasp” gesture with your left hand, a fist-making posture used in cultivation. She stands atop your hand, facing you; call her name silently in your heart. Then visualize the Lady of the Yellow Emperor arriving from the moonlight at your right hand. Hold a scripture on your right hand; she stands atop it, facing you. Call her name silently in your heart.

Once all five Ladies of the Emperors have arrived, clearly visualize their features and the colors of their garments. Then click your teeth nine times and swallow your saliva nine times, and softly recite:

“Yellow essence opens the dawn; primal Yin appears within, illuminating the Great Mystery and opening the ten thousand directions. Disperse the stagnant winds of cold; the Seven Dawns hang high like jade. Yin Qi turns back, the three join as one, and Heaven and Earth breathe forth light. Purple radiance stands forth; floating splendor spreads across the nine heavens. Full and radiant, it reveals every hue; the Six Qi converge, and through them the Five Emperors attain their way. The Ladies of the Five Emperors come riding clouds and wind, the clouds surging around them, jade pendants and ornaments adorning them. Their feathered robes sweep across the sky; transcendent and light, they fly eastward. Trees unfurl, morning light spreads like a canopy, their branches graceful, clouds of abundance encircling them. They refine and nourish the Wood Lord, seeing through ten thousand miles, and shelter the five organs in deep shade. Souls are harmonized, spirit and Qi transform, and mysterious clouds fill the six directions. Old age turns back into infancy; jade radiance shines, and childlike purity returns. Now riding flowing bells, cloud Qi, and flying dragons, they ascend to the lunar palace and attain the station of imperial guardianship.”

Next, visualize the Solar Soul riding moonlight to a place nine inches in front of your face. Focus intently on the spirit within it. Then click your teeth nine times again, swallow your saliva nine times, and softly recite the invocation.

Calm the mind and sit in quiet contemplation. Visualize a carriage with tinkling bells within the moon. Its shape resembles a modern carriage, with flying clouds forming its body. Ten dragons stand yoked side by side in front; they are joined to the cloud vapors, which swirl around them. The carriage comes from amid a radiance to a place before me, then turns its dragon-drawn shafts. At my left and right stand the two ladies, Black and Yellow. They both alight from the carriage and take their places just outside my two sides.

Next, visualize five ladies supporting me together. I rise, as though my body rises with me, and board the carriage with them. We sit inside, while the Sun Soul is also within the carriage’s radiance. Riding this light, we fly swiftly straight to the moon. Quiet the mind and still distracting thoughts; let yourself grow hazy and forget your bodily form, as though you had dwelt in the moon for a long time. After a while, swallow the saliva in your mouth thirty times. Open your eyes only when the rite is complete, and do not look at the moon again afterward.

All the steps of the rite should be learned and practiced beforehand. Each session should be carried through from beginning to end, without doubt, following the scripture’s instructions. It is said that after one year of cultivation, one may feel a faint response; after two years, see the forms of the spirits; after three years, divine beings will descend; after four years, one will perceive within and without, and flowing light will arise from the body; after five years, one will attain realization. After eleven years, one will be able to ride a carriage drawn by a mysterious dragon, ascend to the moon palace, and become a Perfected One of Highest Clarity—a high-ranking Daoist immortal—attended by twenty-six Jade Youths and twenty-four Jade Maidens bestowed upon them.

The Perfected One Great Simplicity once taught two methods to the Perfected One Clear Spirit, Pei Jun: the Chapters of Yuanyi and Jielin, which concern the essences of the sun and moon. They are used to summon the spirits of the sun and moon, enabling one to ascend to them, connect with the light of Heaven, and fly through the vast emptiness. These Perfected Ones all ride cloud carriages, wear feather canopies, and command groups of dragons as they rise to the Purple Court of the August Heaven, the palace of the celestial realm.

The Inner Contemplation of the Central Direction says: “If you wish to walk through the air, you should visualize the rulers of the sun and moon; if you wish to ascend to the realm of Clear Spirit, you should visualize the Five Stars in a secluded chamber.” This refers to practicing in secret indoors, without leaving the courtyard.

The Vermilion Writs of the Elixir of Plainness says: “How majestic Yuanyi is, how wondrous Jielin! Unless one is a Highest Perfected, one cannot see them; unless one is a Highest Immortal, one cannot hear of them. Take the spirits of the Five Essences of the sun and moon as your mount, ride dragons through the air, and tread upon colored clouds; then enter Heaven’s gate together with the Five Emperors.” Anyone who hears these teachings must be cautious and must not reveal them casually. (From volume 23 of the Seven Tablets in a Cloudy Satchel)

The Great Method of the Supreme Scripture of Limitless Salvation by the Numinous Treasure, volume 22