《靈寶淨明院真師密誥》

Interpretation of the "Secret Edict of the True Masters of Lingbao Jingming Monastery"

This document was recorded by Luo Zhaoxian, the registrar of the Celestial Pivot Court (a Daoist institution overseeing immortal officials), in accordance with the sacred decree of a True Master (a high-ranking celestial official). It details the celestial appointments of nine patriarchs from the Jingming Monastery (a Daoist cultivation site), including their six close relatives (parents, grandparents, and other direct kin). The specific list is as follows:

[Patriarchs' Celestial Appointments]

1. Patriarch Xian: Appointed as Judge of the Virtuous Records in the Purple Tenuity Palace (a celestial palace).

2. Patriarch Zunli: Appointed as Left Chief Judge of Fengdu (the underworld).

3. Patriarch Botong: Granted the title of "Protector of Life Perfected Being" and assigned to the Jade Emperor’s Hall.

4. Patriarch Qiong: Granted the title of "Marvelous Response Perfected Being" and assigned to the Jade Pure Palace (one of the Three Pure Realms).

5. Patriarch Zhe: Granted the title of "Perfected Being of Filial Piety and Resolve."

6. Patriarch Jing: Granted the title of "Perfected Being of Auspicious Radiance."

7. Patriarch Jia: Granted the title of "Perfected Being of Righteous Dao Resolve" and assigned to the Upper Pure Palace.

8. Patriarch Yanxian: Granted the title of "Perfected Being of Universal Grace" and assigned to the Upper Pure Palace.

9. Patriarch Tao: Granted the title of "Primordial Lady of the Western Crossing of Grand Tenuity" (a female celestial official) and assigned to the Jade Pure Palace.

[Relatives' Celestial Appointments]

Father Zhi: Granted the title of "Primordial Lord of Eastern Extremity and Protector of Longevity" and assigned to the Jade Pure Palace.

Additionally, eight female relatives (including the Deng and Jin families) were appointed to positions such as Messengers of the Purple Tenuity Palace, Child Attendants of Birth (immortal youths overseeing childbirth), and Immortal Youths of Calamity Relief.

The document concludes by noting that all these appointments were made possible by the merit of three masters from the Jingming Monastery. However, some ancestors and relatives from the third generation onward still await official appointments, which will require further reporting.

[Appended Cultivation Method]

Date: The 15th day of the third lunar month in the year of Jiyou.

Recorded by the True Youth Yang Wenqing for treating madness and epidemics:

1. Write a talisman on the back of a vest using deep yellow dye.

2. Face east and draw three mouthfuls of Qi (primordial energy).

3. Recite the incantation:

"The sun emits spiritual light, the moon shines in the west,

The Northern and Southern Dippers oversee the cosmic order,

Protect my disciple, dispel all ailments,

Evil demons that dare oppose shall instantly suffer calamity."

4. When drawing the talisman, use cinnabar and form the "Yin Hand Seal" (a finger mudra technique).

5. Meditate on the sun and moon aligning with the Big Dipper.

6. While drawing the talisman, visualize the Jade Emperor and the Lord of Purple Tenuity standing beside you.

7. Upon completing the talisman, form the Yin Hand Seal again and recite the incantation seven times.

8. Usage:

• For chest ailments: Apply the talisman to both breasts, stamped with two seals.
• For throat ailments: Apply to the throat, stamped with one seal.
• For back ailments: Apply to the "Three Platforms" acupoint (near the Dazhui point).

This scripture records an esoteric practice called "The Divine Immortal's Method of Abstaining from Grains and Consuming Cypress Leaves," which details how to achieve longevity through grain abstinence (bigu) by ingesting specific medicinal substances.

The formula and preparation method are as follows: Take equal parts of Cibotium barometz (a type of fern rhizome, known as "golden-haired dog spine"), white atractylodes, gastrodia tuber, schizonepeta, atractylodes rhizome, and poria cocos. Grind these herbs into a fine powder and mix them with well water (the first bucket drawn at dawn) to form pill-sized pellets the size of marbles.

For ingestion, take one pellet and boil it with one liter of black beans and three liters and three measures of water until the liquid completely evaporates. When consuming, take a handful of the cooked black beans and chew them together with cypress leaves before swallowing. Once the black beans are exhausted, continue eating the cypress leaves alone.

The scripture describes the effects of prolonged practice: After one year of consistent use, one-inch-long hair will grow on the body; after two years, this hair will naturally shed; and after three years, the practitioner will attain a state free from hunger and thirst, unbothered by cold or heat, capable of walking five hundred li in a day—even traversing water—ultimately achieving immortality.

A final warning is given: During the regimen, one must avoid consuming lotus leaves, castor leaves, and walnut leaves.

This "Secret Edict of the True Master of Lingbao Jingming Monastery" belongs to the inner transmission of Daoist esoteric formulas, reflecting the tradition of pursuing longevity through elixir consumption and cultivation. While the mentioned herbs do have recognized medicinal properties in Chinese medicine, modern readers should approach such ancient practices with a scientific perspective.