《靈寶六丁祕法》

This scripture records the important Lingbao Liuding Secret Method of Daoism, traditionally attributed to the Yellow Emperor. The main content can be understood as follows:

The Yellow Emperor said: When heaven and earth first separated, yin and yang took their respective positions, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) aligned, giving rise to the six jia (the six jia days in the sexagenary cycle). Each jia day has ten deities, among whom the six ding represent the presiding goddesses of the jia periods. During the Yellow Emperor's battle against Chiyou when victory proved elusive and cosmic order was disrupted, the Emperor purified himself through fasting and ablutions, earnestly beseeching heaven. Moved by his devotion, the supreme goddess Jiutian Xuannü descended to impart this true method for dispelling malevolent forces and benefiting humanity. After mastering the practice, the Yellow Emperor triumphed over Chiyou and concealed these talismanic secrets within sacred mountains.

[Essential Admonitions]

• Though immensely powerful, this method must never be casually transmitted. Disrespect toward the deities or reckless disclosure will invite calamity.
• Only heroic individuals or those predestined with the Dao may cultivate it—ordinary people forcing the practice will merely waste their time.
• Before use, purify defilements with clean water. Violations implicate nine generations of ancestors, incurring punishment from the Three Officials (heaven, earth, water) of the underworld.

[Practical Cultivation Methods]

1. The six ding goddesses each have distinct names and are summoned on specific ding days according to seasons:

• Spring dingmao day: Dengming, Hekui, Congkui
• Autumn dinghai day: Taiyi, Tiangang, Taichong
• Summer dingyou day: Chuanzong, Xiaoji, Shengguang
• Winter dingchou day: Gongcao, Daji, Shenhou
• Dingwei and dingsi days follow the qi dynamics of the day.

2. Ritual protocols:

• Maintain purity of speech, abstain from killing, and harbor constant compassion.
• Through specific ceremonies to invoke the goddesses, one may foresee future events and perceive affairs thousands of miles away.
• When facing doubts, summon for inquiry to receive immediate answers.

[Core Functions]

This secret method primarily serves to:

1. Predict outcomes of battles and human affairs.

2. Discern truth from falsehood.

3. Secure divine assistance (many ancient generals cultivated this art).

Note: The scripture particularly emphasizes treating the method with the reverence due to a strict teacher—guarding words and actions scrupulously, never transmitting it indiscriminately.

Plain English Interpretation of The Secret Methods of the Six Lingbao Ding Spirits:

When preparing to worship the Six Ding Goddesses (Daoist guardian deities), gather these ritual items: a clean mat, a new cloth towel, six portions of deer jerky, six portions each of chestnuts and dates, premium wine and honey, an incense burner with six-fold incense, and six candles. First thoroughly clean a quiet room. After arranging the offerings, sit quietly for a while and softly recite prayers—these words must not be overheard by others. Visualize the deities' forms clearly for an extended period before beginning the invocation:

"Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, walk with me and ensure my endeavors succeed. Grant me insight into worldly affairs, protection from malign Qi, and deliverance from calamity. I vow to become your fellow Daoist, maintaining regular offerings of fine wine and fresh fruits. Fulfill this cultivator's requests—let my alchemical preparations succeed and aid my immortal ascension. May this wish manifest swiftly, as potent as Laozi's sacred decrees."

Protocol for Six Ding Talismans (Fulu):

Prepare a clean mat, a six-foot cloth, six portions each of deer meat, wine, fruit, and fried cakes, plus an incense burner. After purifying and arranging the ritual space, begin a three-day fast starting on a Jiazi day. At the Hai hour (9-11 PM) on a Ding day (days containing the celestial stem "Ding"), face an auspicious direction to draw the Six Ding deities' images and talismans. Lay the talismans upon the mat, burn incense while kneeling toward the east, knock teeth thirty-six times, and recite:

"Heaven and Earth nurture all beings—through these celestial talismans I gain longevity. Immortals assist me, Jade Maidens protect me, witnessed by the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. Five Directional Deities (blue, red, white, black, yellow) align with me, the Yellow Emperor at the center. With these talismans, my wishes manifest and evil dissipates. Falsehoods dare not approach—ineffectual powers retreat swiftly. Violators shall lose rank before suffering decapitation. This decree takes immediate effect!"

Talisman-Drawing Guidelines:

Fast for three days (seven preferred) beforehand. Sit facing an auspicious direction with tranquil mind, visualizing the deities as physically present. Recite:

"I reverently summon the Six Ding Immortal Officials—Dingmao Day's Divine Foot Rizhi, Dingyou Day's Primordial Heaven Shang, Dinghai Day's Great Radiance Ji, Dingyou Day's Rescue-Qin Spirit, Dingwei Day's Purple Cloud Rider, Dingsi Day's Vermilion Chariot Cheng."

The scripture emphasizes: Practitioners must maintain single-minded focus without distracting thoughts. After sequentially ingesting the talismans, one experiences physical ease and spiritual awakening.

(Note: The "Six Ding" refers to six Daoist guardian goddesses corresponding to the six celestial stems containing "Ding," governing exorcism, disaster prevention, and spiritual attainment. Fasting and teeth-knocking are standard Daoist ritual practices.)

This passage recounts the cultivation methods of the Lingbao Liuding Secret Method and the legendary tale of the Yellow Emperor receiving divine arts from the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens.

Cultivation Method:

From dusk until dawn the next day, prepare and ingest talismanic charms (fulu). After seven days, establish an altar in a purified chamber, sitting upright with offerings of incense, flowers, lamps, and candles. Inscribe one's destiny talisman and the names of divine beings, placing them upon the altar mat while facing east. Knock the teeth thirty-six times, visualizing five-colored cloud qi (vital energy) from which deities emerge, entering from six directions to take their respective positions. Avoid direct gazing—simply silently recite one's petitions in the heart, and the desired response will surely manifest.

Legendary Account:

In ancient times, the rebel Chi You wreaked havoc, and the Yellow Emperor suffered repeated defeats. Lamenting how Fu Xi's era governed the world without military force, the Emperor despaired at being unable to subdue even Chi You. As he self-reflected, five-colored auspicious clouds suddenly descended, bearing two golden-robed youths holding a jeweled casket, followed by six celestial maidens. Sent by the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens (a major Daoist goddess), they delivered a treasure containing heaven-and-earth's profound secrets.

The golden casket held the Liuding Formula in three scrolls:

• The upper scroll detailed ritual offerings and sustenance methods
• The middle scroll expounded the Dao of immortality
• The lower scroll contained military strategies, Dunjia and Liuren divination techniques (ancient prognostication arts), and the Mysterious Maiden's secret methods of liberation from the corpse (shijie, a Daoist transcendence technique).

Practicing these teachings, the Yellow Emperor perceived bodily transformations within ten days, gaining the ability to fly. When battling Chi You again, he vanquished the rebel decisively, ushering in universal peace and yin-yang harmony. The Emperor later cultivated longevity arts, composing the Yin Fu Jing, ultimately achieving daylight ascension. The scripture's reference to "the Eight Trigrams (bagua) and Heavenly Stems calendar, where divine mechanisms hide demonic secrets" alludes precisely to these strategic arts transmitted by the Mysterious Maiden, including the Liuding Dunjia methods.

The "Six Ding Concealment Method" from the Lingbao Liuding Secret Arts is a ritual technique that utilizes the Six Ding deities (Daoist guardian generals) to achieve invisibility and avoid calamities. The method operates as follows:

The Six Ding deities are celestial beings of cosmic order, distinct from ordinary spirits. When the Azure Dragon (eastern deity) aligns with specific directions, combined with the power of the Jade Maidens (female guardian spirits), it enables the concealment of people or objects.

Key procedures:

1. For invisibility: Hold a blade in the left hand while maintaining silence, using the right hand to draw talismans (fulu) toward the four directions.

2. Adjust the ritual space according to the threat's location:

• Enemies outside the gate: Establish a six-step ritual boundary inside the gate
• Enemies at the gate: Create a six-step boundary in the courtyard
• Enemies in the courtyard: Form a six-foot boundary indoors
• Open wilderness: Construct a six-zhang (approx. 20m) boundary

3. Use counting rods (divination tools) measuring one chi two cun (approx. 40cm), arranging them sequentially along the Azure Dragon's path, then place a final rod horizontally at the Celestial Gate (northwest) to seal the boundary. Each rod should be visualized as a Jade Maiden, with focused meditation (cunxiang) on becoming invisible to observers.

Essential incantation:

The chant "Dwell where the Azure Dragon passes Peng Star, traverse the Bright Hall to reside in Great Yin, exit the Celestial Gate to enter Earth's Door, conceal under the Canopy with hidden Jade Maidens" must be synchronized with Yu Steps (Daoist ritual footsteps).

The Six Ding deities govern different protections:

• Dingmao day: Concealment
• Dingsi day: Life preservation
• Dinghai day: Fortune protection
• Dingyou day: Soul guarding
• Dingwei day: Spirit stabilization
• Dingchou day: Essence cultivation

Daily practice requirements:

1. Recite the incantation six times on each Ding day

2. Offerings must be consumed personally, never shared

3. Observe purification (zhaijie) on every jiazi day

Jade Maiden manifestations:

• Dingmao Jade Maiden Wenbo: Wearing ceremonial robes with lotus flowers, red upper/green lower garments, appears on zi-chou days
• Dingchou Jade Maiden Wengong: Holding twin lotuses, red upper/yellow lower garments, appears on yin-mao days

They may be summoned for divination

Note: This method requires precise timing, directional alignment, and meditative cultivation (cunxiang), emphasizing immediate efficacy through the command "urgently as the law decrees." It exemplifies the Daoist ritual integration of spacetime, deities, and personal cultivation.

This scripture primarily records the methods for summoning the Six Ding Jade Maidens (six goddesses governing time periods) and a technique for invisibility and escape.

Regarding the Six Ding Jade Maidens:

1. The Dinghai Jade Maiden is named Wentong, styled Renhe. She holds a mirror in her right hand for self-reflection and a lotus in her left, dressed in red upper garments and purple lower garments. She descends to the mortal realm during the Chen-Si hours (7-11 AM). One may summon her to inquire about auspicious or inauspicious omens.

2. The Dingwei Jade Maiden is named Shutong, styled Rencan. She holds a mirror in her left hand and a lotus in her right, wearing red upper garments and yellow lower garments, appearing during the Wu-Wei hours (11 AM-3 PM).

3. The Dingsi Jade Maiden is named Tingqing, styled Renshu. She carries a lotus in her left hand and a white cloth in her right, dressed in embroidered upper garments and red lower garments, descending during the Shen-You hours (3-7 PM).

4. The Dingyou Jade Maiden is named Wenqing, styled Rentong. She appears with a child whose head she gently touches while holding a white cloth, wearing red upper garments and white lower garments, manifesting during the Xu-Hai hours (7-11 PM).

The Yellow Emperor noted these six goddesses each have specific names that must be correctly invoked for efficacy. Though their names may seem cumbersome, immortal scriptures confirm that proper invocation enables the fulfillment of various wishes.

Regarding the invisibility technique:

First memorize the directional correspondences between time periods and animals (e.g., rat corresponds to dog's direction). When employing the method:

1. Recite the incantation: "Heaven and earth reverse, all nine paths obstructed. Pursuers lose their way, unable to discern directions. Chariots break their axles, riders go blind, walkers swell in feet, armies collapse of themselves. The Northern Dipper repels foes ten thousand li away—pursuers perish, seekers halt. The Cowherd and Weaver Girl transform into rivers and seas..."

2. After chanting, form hand mudras with the left hand, suspend breath (hold respiration), and depart using Yu Steps (a special Daoist ritual walking pattern).

This scripture primarily teaches methods for summoning the Six Ding Maidens to divine auspiciousness and an invisibility escape technique for dangerous situations.

Plain English Interpretation of The Numinous Treasure Six Ding Secret Methods:

When the Six Ding Jade Maidens (Daoist guardian goddesses) descend, they will perpetually follow and protect me. Wherever I go, they shadow my steps like a silhouette—ordinary people cannot see their forms or hear their voices, nor can spirits detect their Qi (vital energy). Those who treat me kindly receive blessings, while those who oppose me incur misfortunes. Any spirit daring to obstruct me shall perish, and tens of thousands who see me will feel spontaneous joy. After reciting the incantation ending with "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances," immediately perform the door-sealing ritual: draw a boundary line on the ground with a blade held in the left hand to isolate the space, then depart while holding one’s breath.

The standard dimensions for creating this sacred boundary: six feet indoors, six paces in a courtyard, sixty paces outside a gate, or six hundred paces (approximately six li) in open wilderness. Whenever venturing out, summon the Jade Maiden on duty to guard you, preventing all malicious spirits from causing harm. Ordinary people will fail to perceive me—if anyone does catch sight, they’ll mistake me for firewood. One must open one’s own portal while closing others’ access.

Universal incantation: "I am the Celestial Eye Deity (a clairvoyant immortal), pursuing and capturing spirits with lightning speed. My radiance illuminates the eight directions, penetrating all layers of existence—nothing can resist submission. Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances." This must be paired with silent recitation while performing the Yu Steps (Daoist ritual pacing), mimicking the legendary gait of Great Yu.

Essential practice for the Six Ding’s Wordless Ten Thousand Methods (also called the Xuanyuan Formula): First burn incense and purify with clean water to dispel foul energies before unrolling the scripture to pray and study. Records tell of the Daoist practitioner Zhang Qun (a fictional ascetic) who spent years devoted to spiritual cultivation. One midnight during the Dingchou year, while in his moonlit courtyard, he suddenly saw multicolored auspicious clouds approaching from the southwest, accompanied by marching footsteps from within the mist. A woman identifying herself as "the Dingchou Maiden of the Six Ding Jade Maidens" appeared, informing him that though he lacked innate immortal destiny, if he observed a hundred-day purification fast and prepared a brocade canopy in a purified chamber, she would transmit esoteric methods. Zhang Qun followed these instructions, and at the third watch on the hundredth night, a celestial youth indeed arrived bearing a golden case containing the Six Ding Scripture in three volumes: the first detailing sacrificial rites, the middle scroll recording the Jade Maidens’ invisibility techniques, and the final section revealing transcendent secrets—body-flight concealment, sword arts, Jing (essence) retention, and divination methods like Dunjia and Liuren.

(Note: The phrase "Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" is a standard Daoist incantation coda commanding immediate execution. "Yu Steps" refer to the sacred pacing tradition attributed to Great Yu’s flood-control strides. The "Six Ding" denote the six Yin-spirit Jade Maidens corresponding to the Dingchou, Dingmao, etc. celestial stems in the sexagenary cycle.)

This scripture explains the methods and precautions for cultivating the "Lingbao Six Ding Secret Method." The Six Ding (six yin goddesses in Daoism) secret method is a celestial formula that ordinary people without immortal affinity can hardly comprehend.

To practice this method requires different qualifications:

• Those wishing to learn invisibility must possess kindness and a willingness to help others
• Practitioners of sword techniques and chivalric immortal arts need upright character, detachment from wealth and lust, with strong independent temperament
• Those cultivating the "Maiden's Essence Return" technique (a rejuvenation method) must treat others equally, practice filial piety and compassion, and never deceive people

Persistent practice for one year yields results; completing three years transforms one into a "Stubborn Immortal" (a type of terrestrial immortal) with a lifespan reaching 1,200 years. For example, Zhang Qun achieved success and transmitted it to Guiguzi, gaining myriad transformations within three years.

Specific cultivation method:

1. Preparation phase:

• Set up an incense-burning bed in a quiet chamber, maintaining purity and prohibiting outsiders
• Arrange pillows neatly before the bed and observe purification fasts
• Make offerings to the Six Ding Jade Maidens, preparing ritual items like purified water and purification tools

2. Timing:

Practice during nighttime on "Ding Days" (days with the celestial stem Ding)

3. Practice steps:

• Sit facing west with closed eyes in meditation
• Visualize the bed transforming into an altar while wearing the "Six Ding Jade Maiden Seal" (a divine seal governed by the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens)
• Sequentially visualize the six jade maidens:
• Northeast Dingmao maiden holding a blue serpent sword
• Southeast Dingsi maiden holding a yellow/white serpent sword
• Southwest Dingwei maiden holding a white/yellow serpent sword
• Northwest Dingchou maiden holding a black/yellow serpent sword
• Left and right Dingyou and Dinghai maidens holding blue/yellow serpent swords
• After visualization, softly recite the incantation 180 times

The scripture particularly emphasizes: Practitioners must embody loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, never oppressing others, taking slaying demons and upholding righteousness as their mission. For ordinary people, mastering invisibility equals completing half the path of sword cultivation.

This passage details the Orthodox Unity (Zhengyi) tradition's esoteric practice of cultivating the "Six Ding Jade Maidens," outlining specific methods and precautions.

The cultivation method involves first drawing breath through the nose (the "human gate") directly to the heart, then visualizing the Dingmao Jade Maiden from the northeast entering through the left ear (the "wind gate"). Practitioners sequentially visualize maidens from other directions—Dingsi (southeast), Dingwei (southwest), Dingchou (northwest), Dingyou, and Dinghai—each entering through their corresponding bodily portals. The right ear serves as the "ghost gate," the mouth as the "earth portal," and the eyes as the "celestial gates," all receiving their respective jade maidens into the heart.

Practitioners must constantly wear the "Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens Seal" during daily activities, removing it only temporarily to place on clean surfaces, followed by handwashing before reattaching.

Key precautions include:

• Interpreting dreams of mountain climbing, water crossing, combat, or female apparitions as manifestations of the jade maidens' spiritual presence rather than causes for alarm
• Crafting ritual seals exclusively from buoyant "dragon-startled" jujube wood, carved secretly on Jiazi days

The scripture meticulously describes each maiden's iconography: Dingmao's child-head-touching gesture, Dingchou's distinctive finger mudra, Dinghai's hand movements, Dingwei holding mirror and lotus, Dingsi wielding a fan, and Dingyou adorned in rainbow-hued robes.

Successful cultivation enables practitioners to achieve liberation from the corpse (shijie), a Daoist immortality technique allowing either transcendence or unbound earthly existence. The text emphasizes perseverance—even incomplete practice yields benefits. Advanced adepts may transform into mist, riding colored clouds back to the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji). As the Embryonic Breathing Scripture states, true internal Qi (vital energy) transcends nominal descriptions, requiring actual cultivation for realization.

(Note: The Six Ding Jade Maidens represent six directional guardian deities in Daoism, while liberation from the corpse denotes a method of achieving immortality through physical transcendence.)

This scripture explains the Daoist practice of "corpse liberation" (shijie, a method of feigning death to escape) and the esoteric cultivation of the "Six Ding Jade Maidens" (liuding yunü, six guardian goddesses):

Key points for practicing corpse liberation:

1. On the day of Gengchen during the Chen hour (7-9 AM), prepare an incense burner, a wooden staff, and shoes in a clean room, placing them by the bed

2. Loosen your clothing to cover your face, lie facing west, and visualize your own death

3. Silently recite the incantation seven times: "Celestial deities above, release my hun and po souls from this body, let another object replace my form..."

4. After reciting, sleep as usual while maintaining complete silence for at least the duration of a meal, speaking to no one

5. Practicing this continuously for forty-nine days will master the shijie technique. When used, simply recite the incantation silently while holding any object to achieve metamorphic liberation - observers will believe you've transformed into and died as that object

Critical prohibitions:

• Never use this for fraud or seduction, or celestial punishment will follow
• Practice must remain absolutely secret - disclosure nullifies efficacy
• During use, cover your body with a quilt while silently chanting to become invisible

Regarding the Six Ding Jade Maidens:

These six goddesses possess vast supernatural powers - able to grow or shrink, manifest from nothingness. Devout prayer to them enables:

• Foreknowledge of events a thousand miles away
• Transformation of objects at will
• Household protection from disasters
• Fulfillment of immortality or official rank pursuits
• Control over rainfall

But note: Serve them with the reverence due to sovereigns - never show disrespect

Final emphasis: These secret methods require careful safeguarding and must never be casually transmitted.

This scripture expounds on the precious efficacy and transmission protocols of the Lingbao Six Ding Esoteric Method.

First, it emphasizes crucial precautions for practitioners: one must absolutely refrain from harsh speech or verbal abuse toward others. Through devout worship of the Six Ding deities (Daoist guardian generals), practitioners can foresee future events, perceive situations a thousand miles away, and even discern the hidden intentions within others' correspondence. When facing emergencies, dangers, or disputes, simply summoning the Six Ding deities for consultation will reveal solutions.

The text specifically states: Without mastering this method, Dao cultivators will find it exceptionally difficult to attain spiritual accomplishment. The ancient sages who achieved the Dao and comprehended all phenomena did so precisely because they possessed this esoteric art—their devoted veneration of the Six Ding deities ultimately led them to transcendence.

Finally, the transmission rules are clarified: This method is worth ten thousand pieces of gold, being supremely precious. It cannot be casually taught—not even between father and son—as it constitutes a genuinely secret and essential teaching.