《真龍虎九仙經》

The Scripture of the True Dragon and Tiger Nine Immortals (Zhen Longhu Jiuxian Jing) focuses on the essential principles of self-cultivation. Two perfected beings, Perfected Luo and Perfected Ye, elucidate the foundational guidelines for practice through dialogue.

Perfected Ye states: To cultivate the art of longevity and immortality, one must first achieve "forgetting intention" (wangyi)—eliminating the seven distracting thoughts: scattered mind, irritability, attachment to external things, random fantasies, greed for material objects, lustful thoughts, and self-indulgence. Only by calming the heart-mind can true cultivation begin.

Perfected Luo adds: The greatest obstacle in cultivation is a scattered spirit (shen). Anger agitates the heart-mind, while self-indulgence leads to dissipation. Practice requires single-minded focus, free from delusional thoughts. Particularly dangerous is covetousness, which breeds harmful desires. If the mind remains preoccupied with such distractions, cultivation will fail. Even after eleven months of diligent practice, just a day or two of indulgence can undo all progress. Thus, constant vigilance is essential—never slacken.

On the method of "internally pacifying the spirit (shen), externally removing desires":

Perfected Ye explains: Internally, one must stabilize the spirit. The Yellow Court Scripture (Huangting Jing) teaches that each organ and the three hun (ethereal souls) and seven po (corporeal souls) have corresponding deities. Lightly tapping the teeth (a cultivation technique called "knocking teeth") helps concentrate the spirit—typically 36 or 24 taps. The key is maintaining mental focus, especially abstaining from lust.

Perfected Luo elaborates: To pacify the spirit, one may tap teeth while visualizing the three hun—Taiguang (fetal radiance, governing life), Shuangling (bright intelligence, governing wisdom), and Youjing (hidden essence, governing emotions). These hun are the body’s auspicious deities; sincere prayer invites their aid. Focus the mind below the navel (dantian). When the three hun are settled, all bodily spirits stabilize. Conversely, their disturbance brings illness or death.

Critical emphasis: The three hun belong to yang spirits (yangshen) and favor purity. Excessive lust depletes essence (jing), causing Youjing to weep, Shuangling to depart the crown, and Taiguang to dim. The result: scattered spirit, sickness, and death. Thus, external desires must be severed.

(Note: The three hun are central to Daoist cosmology. Taiguang governs vitality, Shuangling wisdom, and Youjing passion. Cultivation requires balancing all three.)

This passage elucidates Daoist cultivation methods for regulating bodily ailments through the interplay of water and fire (the Qi of heart and kidneys), along with essential techniques for entering meditative stillness and guarding the vital centers.

Regarding healing practices:

1. When practitioners experience various ailments, they may employ the water and fire energies within their bodies for regulation. The kidneys correspond to water and the Kan trigram, while the heart corresponds to fire and the Li trigram. These elemental forces were regarded by ancient adepts as the supreme medicine, inherently present within the human body.

2. For minor ailments, the "water method" is applied: visualize two streams of dark Qi ascending from the kidneys to the crown of the head (the Muddy Pellet Palace/Niwan Gong), transforming into cleansing water that flows downward to purify the entire body before returning to the kidneys.

3. Serious conditions require the "fire method": direct heart fire to circulate through the limbs and crown, completing nine cycles within a single breath. The water method treats heat syndromes, while the fire method addresses cold syndromes.

4. Those cultivating the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) must master the harmonization of dragon and tiger (water and fire). First stabilize awareness at the lower Dantian (Earth Portal), then facilitate the proper interaction of water and fire according to cosmic patterns.

Concerning meditation techniques:

1. During practice, close the eyes and focus attention at the nasal aperture (the Mysterious Feminine Gate/Xuanpin Men), maintaining complete freedom from distracting thoughts.

2. Release all worldly concerns, keeping the spirit concentrated and allowing natural, unhurried breathing without forced control of Qi movement.

Notes:

• The Celestial Sovereign of Primordial Truth (Tianzhen Huangren) is a legendary Daoist immortal who instructed the Yellow Emperor in cultivation.
• The Muddy Pellet Palace (Niwan Gong) is another name for the upper Dantian, located deep between the eyebrows.
• In alchemical terminology, dragon and tiger commonly symbolize heart fire (dragon) and kidney water (tiger).
• The Mysterious Feminine Gate (Xuanpin Men) refers to the nasal septum, a focal point in meditation practice.

The Authentic Dragon-Tiger Scripture of the Nine Immortals elucidates the Daoist cultivation methods of "guarding the One" (Shouyi) and "spirit excursion" (Chushen):

On breath cultivation (the Mysterious Feminine Gate refers to the nose):

During practice, focus intently on the breath at the nasal aperture, fixing awareness immovably at the nose tip—this is called "guarding the One." When distracting thoughts arise, regard them as unreal as "tortoise hair or rabbit horns" and shift awareness to the point between the eyebrows. Visualize a white radiant light (a luminous phenomenon in meditation) appearing there, which illuminates karmic connections across past, present and future. Never cling to any meditative state—maintain stable illumination at the eyebrow center.

Advanced cultivation:

When the inter-eyebrow visualization stabilizes, transfer awareness to the crown of the head. Through "nine cycles" of practice (moving focus sequentially from nose to eyebrows, eyebrows to nose, then to crown—81 repetitions daily in nine sets), persist for forty-nine days to attain the meditative state where breathing naturally ceases (called "one伏时"). Master Ye states this accomplishment leads to genuine immortality.

On spirit excursion (ethereal consciousness leaving the body):

For worldly concealment, visualize yellow clouds rising from the spleen. Men should imagine the clouds bursting from the left crown (first visualizing left-side ascent while pressing the right side during projection), women the reverse. Master Ye calls this the method of emptiness—envision the yellow clouds permeating the entire body. Daily practice involves visualizing the yellow clouds striking the crown twenty-one times within one breath cycle. After twenty-one days, the yellow Qi expands outward, achieving the state of "yellow radiance filling heaven and earth."

Essential points:

During serene inner observation, recognize the innate spiritual presence (original Shen) within. Through dedicated practice, the spirit gains freedom to exit and enter the body. When projecting outward, envelop yourself in protective layers of yellow radiance. Master Luo emphasizes tranquil contemplation to settle the spiritual nature within the "golden hall and jade chamber" (the refined energetic space formed through internal alchemy).

(Note: "Master Luo" and "Master Ye" refer to accomplished ancient adepts whose biographical details remain obscure)

The True Dragon-Tiger Nine Immortals Scripture describes the Daoist practice of "spirit excursion" (chushen). Here's a modern explanation:

During meditation, practitioners should close their eyes and visualize their "spiritual consciousness" (lingming, the original spirit) riding a yellow cloud to emerge from the crown of the head (the "heavenly gate"). The specific method involves: first using intention to make the spiritual consciousness ascend on the yellow cloud, opening the heavenly gate to exit, then forcefully returning the original spirit through the crown before sealing the gate and entering the body's "golden hall and jade palace" (upper Dantian). This process of exiting and re-entering should be repeated 49 times—this is what the scripture means by "cultivating the path six times daily for forty-nine cycles."

Each time the spirit leaves the body, practitioners should visualize a yellow cloud covering the heavenly gate. When returning, the spirit must descend on this same cloud while looking back at one's physical form. Consistent practice without interruption will yield results: after 45 days, ink-like manifestations of the spirit form appear, and after 180 days, free movement becomes possible. During spirit excursions, the body becomes cold as ice, warming again upon the spirit's return.

Master Ye Fashan described this practice as resembling the immortal's sleep method, a view shared by Master Luo Gongyuan. Regardless of practice duration, spirit departure feels like falling asleep while return resembles awakening. Successful cultivation grants multiple abilities: returning to one's original form, entering others' bodies, reincarnating consciously, or occupying another's position. However, mastering the body-doubling technique requires waiting until yang energy is strong and focusing on refining the five viscera's spirits in a quiet chamber.

Master Luo particularly emphasized: practice should begin during "the birth of yang" (the winter solstice when yang energy first emerges). The golden elixir's great medicine depends on entering a "mind-sinking" (mingxin) state—success comes through single-minded concentration. Those receiving oral instructions from masters must practice cautiously in quiet rooms, eliminating distractions. The "divine spirit" that appears in the twilight state between sleep and wakefulness is precisely this "spiritual consciousness." Refining the qi of the five viscera leads to great Dao attainment, like the Daodejing's description of the "dim and indistinct" state.

The text mentions that successful practitioners become "qi immortals" who move freely, though violating immortal precepts brings punishment. Those aspiring to higher celestial immortality must continue refining. However, this method remains primarily a minor technique focused on self-cultivation and worldly freedom rather than supreme attainment.

This scripture expounds the methods of Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation. Let me explain it in modern terms:

The Great Dao is actually within our bodies, not something unattainably distant. As Laozi said, spiritual practice requires dedicated learning—it doesn't come naturally. First, one must master fundamental techniques. When the body's Yang Qi (vital energy) begins to arise, sit in meditation within a quiet chamber to refine the Jing (essence) of the five organs—this constitutes genuine Dao cultivation.

The head harbors the energy of the sun, with the key number being forty-five. Master Luo (likely an accomplished ancient practitioner) explained: The sun represents Hun (Yang spirit), while the moon signifies Po (Yin spirit). True immortals cast no shadows because they embody pure Yang. Various schools differ in their methods for absorbing solar essence, but the best approach involves gently inhaling through the nose without forceful contraction. A special technique bypasses the "River Chariot" (a Neidan term referring to the Qi circulation pathway), ascending directly from the Mysterious Feminine (Dantian) to the crown, forming three points of light that manifest as a circular halo behind the head. The scripture's omission of the River Chariot confirms its true dispensability.

Regarding numerical symbolism: The sun belongs to Yang yet uses the Yin numbers 8×9=72, while the moon belongs to Yin but employs the Yang number 9×9=81. Here, the purely Yang number forty-five follows the Dao's leftward rotation, ascending directly from the Dantian to the crown. The complete practice spans forty-five days, totaling 2,025 repetitions.

The five wheels beneath the eyebrows (referring to the eyes) must circulate during meditation. Master Luo clarifies these wheels represent the eyes, where water and fire (Yin-Yang energies) circulate during deep stillness. Fire contains the Wood Spirit (liver Qi), while water holds Metal Qi (lung energy)—all five organs' energetic movements depend on Earth's (spleen/stomach) harmonizing function.

The True Dragon and Tiger signify: The eyes govern the five wheels. Fire manifests through these wheels, while water struggles to maintain luminosity. Water energy is nurtured in the mouth, while fire energy descends into the liver (associated with Wood, manifesting as the Azure Dragon); water energy enters the lungs (associated with Metal, manifesting as the White Tiger). The Azure Dragon's fire enters the liver from the lower left, emerges on the right before returning left; the White Tiger's water enters the lungs from the lower right, emerges left before returning right—this constitutes the five organs' energetic exchange. Master Ye (another practitioner) noted: The Azure Dragon circulates first by day, followed by the White Tiger, relating to intestinal pathways. By day...

This scripture elucidates the concrete methods of "forming the sacred embryo" (jie shengtai) in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, comprising several crucial stages:

First, it discusses the alignment of temporal cycles with Yin-Yang principles: During nighttime cultivation, the White Tiger (representing lung-metal Qi) moves first, followed by the Green Dragon (representing liver-wood Qi), constituting a Yin-dominant practice. Distinct breathing rhythms apply to day and night—daytime practice follows a "four-six" pattern (likely referring to breath counts), while nighttime follows "four-nine" sequences.

The core practice involves nurturing "yellow sprouts" (huangya, symbolizing the nascent state of primordial Qi) in the spleen region (middle Dantian), which forms the foundation of life. The specific methods include:

1. Visualizing the unification of essential energies from both kidneys, combined with descending heart-fire, gradually forming the rudimentary shape of an infant.

2. Maintaining a stable "cauldron posture": left foot pressing on the right, hands clasped behind the back to create a tripod-like "three-legged void" stance.

3. Enveloping and condensing this energy with heart-mind (heart-blood) until the formed "sacred embryo" manifests features resembling the practitioner.

Master Ye supplements that this process resembles pregnancy, but cultivates a "sacred embryo" (neidan) entirely condensed from one's own Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). Female practitioners similarly visualize kidney-essence entering the "sea of blood" to coagulate into form.

The subsequent "refining the sacred body" method involves:

1. Sitting in meditation at sunrise (mao hour, 5-7 AM), visualizing the right kidney as the moon emitting crimson Qi that turns white upon entering water, forming a crescent moon supporting the sacred body.

2. Visualizing the left kidney as the sun emitting white Qi that turns crimson in water, like flames beneath the crescent, gradually ascending to the head (the "golden hall and jade palace," referring to the upper Dantian).

3. After 45 days, when sunlight illuminates the sacred embryo causing it to plunge into water, practitioners must synchronize with specific breathing rhythms (33 breaths per two-hour watch, totaling 99 breaths over three watches).

4. Master Ye notes this practice requires 200 daily cycles from mao to pre-noon hours, visualizing the kidney's lunar-solar Qi transforming mutually in the "sea of essence"—white becoming crimson, crimson becoming white—mirroring Yin-Yang alternation.

Note: "Yellow sprouts" denote the initial emergence of primordial Qi; "golden hall and jade palace" refers to the upper Dantian; "sea of essence" typically indicates the lower Dantian. These methods require professional guidance.

The True Dragon-Tiger Nine Immortals Scripture describes methods for cultivating terrestrial immortals (dixian) and water immortals (shuixian):

Method for Terrestrial Immortals:

1. Begin with inner visualization: An infant emerges from the lower dantian (the sea of jing), its right eye emitting white light that transforms into crimson flames, forming a circular radiance.

2. During daily practice, allow the "sun" at the crown (referring to the upper dantian) to illuminate this light. The radiance enters through the head, suffusing the five viscera and illuminating the inner infant.

3. The infant then turns over and returns to the lower dantian, after which the practitioner visualizes the rising of the sun and moon (illustrations are provided later in the text).

4. This practice must be repeated 99 times, though exceeding 100 cycles is permissible.

5. Perform seven nightly sessions for 49 consecutive days, after which celestial resonance manifests at the crown. Persisting for ten months culminates in attaining terrestrial immortality.

Supplementary Notes by Master Luo:

• During practice, envision the sacred body (yuanshen) riding purple clouds ascending from the lower dantian, passing through the golden hall and jade palace (middle dantian), while meticulously visualizing the entire form.
• Then let it exit through the crown, riding auspicious clouds while regulating breath. Once the qi stabilizes, return it to the body.
• Repeating this 49 times over ten months refines a yang-spirit identical to the physical form.
• Upon mastery, the spirit may roam freely beyond the body.

Master Ye's Commentary:

• Terrestrial immortals surpass celestial immortals in rank.
• After attainment, the practitioner casts no shadow in sunlight (hence requiring ordinary clothing and hats for concealment).
• Capable of traversing 10,000 li daily within 180 days.
• May retire to mountains as terrestrial immortals.

Method for Water Immortals:

1. Regulate breath and refine qi, visualizing the kidneys transforming into black clouds entering and exiting both ears.

2. After 100 days, one gains unimpeded movement through water.

3. Aquatic beings will revere the practitioner as their sovereign.

Master Ye's Perspective:

• Water immortality requires only 100 days but ranks below terrestrial immortality.

Final Note on Sword Immortals (Liexian):

• Refines jing and qi into flying swords to traverse realms.
• Capable of repaying kindness or vengeance.
• Classified into nine grades: Celestial Chivalry (Tianxia), Immortal Chivalry (Xianxia), Spirit Chivalry (Lingxia), Wind Chivalry (Fengxia), Water Chivalry (Shuixia), etc. (higher grades remain unrecorded).

The Authentic Dragon-Tiger Scripture of Nine Immortals describes nine distinct categories of "sword immortals" (those who attain immortality through sword cultivation) along with their respective cultivation methods:

The first category, "Celestial Chivalry" (Tianxia), refers to celestial immortals who receive divine swords bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor.

The second, "Immortal Chivalry" (Xianxia), consists of practitioners who refine ordinary swords into immortal artifacts through the cultivation of true Qi (vital energy).

The third, "Spirit Chivalry" (Lingxia), comprises terrestrial immortals who typically reside in sacred mountains. They can perceive injustices within a radius of seventy thousand li, dispatching flying swords to intervene instantaneously.

The fourth, "Wind Chivalry" (Fengxia), are also terrestrial immortals who cultivate seven swords simultaneously, riding wind currents to arrive at distant locations in moments.

The fifth, "Water Chivalry" (Shuixia), emerge from water immortals' practice—they can only manifest their flying abilities when near water sources.

The sixth, "Fire Chivalry" (Huoxia), practitioners spontaneously combust during cultivation, transforming into fiery orbs for flight while mastering the samadhi (meditative absorption) of radiant flames.

The seventh, "Qi Chivalry" (Qixia), cultivate sword energy through breath regulation—their blades move like flowing air currents.

The eighth, "Ghost Chivalry" (Guixia), move invisibly without shadows, wielding ink-black swords that shift like mist, making their movements undetectable.

The ninth, "Fortuitous Sword Chivalry" (Yujianxia), gain metamorphic abilities through serendipitous encounters with divine swords.

The text elaborates on sword-forging techniques: practitioners must harmonize the Qi of five organs—Heart's fire, Lungs' wind, Liver's wood, Spleen's earth, and Kidneys' water. The heart provides true flame, lungs act as bellows, liver supplies material, spleen forms the mold, while kidneys contribute solar-lunar essences. Sword energy coalesces between breaths, with the gallbladder honing the blade's edge. Through nine tempering cycles—each requiring immersion in liver blood—the perfected immortal sword acquires dragon-blood vitality, radiating golden light.

Finally, alternate methods for forging golden hammers are mentioned: practitioners must ingest solar-lunar essences into the metal-aligned lungs, requiring twelve months of cultivation for completion.

This passage explains the Neidan (internal alchemy) practice of "refining the Qi of the five viscera" in Daoist cultivation, along with the wondrous states achieved through this practice.

The cultivation process unfolds as follows: The heart fire (cardiac energy) descends to restrain metal (lung energy), much like smelting ore. The spleen, belonging to earth, acts as a crucible that contains the energies of other organs. When the spleen's yellow Qi (earth energy) becomes capable of withstanding the heart fire, it forms a "golden hammer" (symbolizing an advanced cultivation attainment). Those who achieve this state become transcendent beings capable of freely roaming the four directions.

The refinement of the five viscera's Qi follows seasonal rhythms: in autumn's seventh month one refines the kidneys (water phase), during winter's onset in the tenth month the liver (wood phase), in the first month the heart (fire phase), and in the fourth month the lungs (metal phase). The spleen (earth phase) can be cultivated throughout all seasons. Each organ requires eighty-one days of refinement. When all five energies are perfected, supernatural abilities manifest—such as fingers emitting light, five-colored auspicious clouds appearing above one's head or beneath one's feet—culminating in ascension to immortality.

Master Luo (an accomplished adept) explains that after perfecting the five viscera' Qi, even before formal audience with the Celestial Emperor, one may freely traverse the four directions. Upon receiving the Emperor's official decree, complete celestial ascent beyond the mundane world becomes possible. At advanced stages, practitioners in deep meditation (samadhi) can consciously reincarnate to continue cultivation. After twelve years (one cosmic cycle), they manifest four spiritual bodies—this limitless transformative capacity is called "true metamorphosis."

The scripture further distinguishes between "conforming transformation" and "reversing transformation." Conforming transformation occurs naturally without actively expelling the Three Corpses and Nine Worms (Daoist concepts of parasitic entities within the body). Reversing transformation involves visualizing the entire body ablaze to purge these entities. Master Ye (another adept) adds that conforming transformation represents superior practice—when one's destined lifespan ends, rather than resisting fate, one employs samadhi's power to naturally subdue spirits, transforms through wisdom-fire, or transfers consciousness to avoid calamity.

The passage concludes by emphasizing unwavering devotion to the Dao as the most essential aspect of cultivation.

The Authentic Dragon-Tiger Nine Immortals Scripture (Zhen Longhu Jiuxian Jing) is not to be transmitted casually. Patriarch Luo (the scripture's transmission ancestor) particularly emphasized: to prevent later generations from misunderstanding, detailed illustrative explanations have been appended. When transmitting this scripture, the transmitter must first observe purification rituals (Daoist practices for bodily and mental purification), select either a Jiazi or Jiawu day (auspicious dates in the Daoist calendar), and only after performing northern-facing ceremonial bows may the transmission occur. The transmitter becomes the master, and the recipient becomes the disciple. Anyone who violates these protocols in transmission commits grave transgressions.

(Note: This concluding section of the Authentic Dragon-Tiger Nine Immortals Scripture primarily details the strict transmission protocols and ritual requirements)