《太上老君養生訣》

These three pieces are contained in one scroll, and at the end of the scroll is marked “Jin liu” (“End of Six”).

Taishang Laojun Yangsheng Jue — The Essentials of Nourishing Life by the Supreme Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun).

Taiqing Fuqi Koujue — Oral Instructions on Ingesting Qi from the Taiqing (Great Clarity) lineage.

Zhuang Zhou Qi Jue Jie — An Explanation of Zhuang Zhou’s Qi Method.

Taishang Laojun Yangsheng Jue — The Essentials of Nourishing Life by the Supreme Lord Lao.

Hua Tuo (that is, Hua Tuo, a famous physician of the Eastern Han) transmitted it to Wu Pu, a man of Guangling (a place name).

The first is the Five Animal Frolics (a Daoyin exercise imitating five animals: tiger, bear, deer, ape, and bird).

Lord Lao said: When the ancient immortals practiced Daoyin (a life-nourishing exercise of stretching the limbs and mobilizing the joints), they could stretch and pull their limbs like birds. They moved the skin and flesh and exercised every joint so as not to age easily; this was called the Five Animal Frolics. Pulling and stretching the hands and feet is enough to serve as Daoyin. When the body is unwell, one should get up and perform the frolic of one animal. Thus one stops when the body has sweated, making the body light and nimble. Wu Pu practiced this method and lived to more than nine hundred years old; his ears were sharp, his eyes bright, and his teeth intact and firm. Doing Daoyin is very easy, yet few people practice it—how lamentable!

Tiger Frolic: support the body on all fours; jump forward three times and backward three times; stretch the skin and flesh at length; suddenly forward, suddenly backward; look up to heaven and then return; lie prone and walk supporting the body on the ground, seven times forward and seven times backward.

Bear Frolic: lie face upward, hold below the knees with both hands, raise the head and tap it to the ground to the left seven times and to the right seven times; stamp the ground, and support the ground with both hands to the left and right seven times each.

Deer Frolic: on all fours, stretch the neck and turn the head back, three times left and three times right; extend the right foot to the left and the left foot to the right; stretch and retract to left and right three times each, then stop.

Ape Frolic: climb an object and hang oneself, stretching and contracting the body up and down seven times; hook an object with the feet and hang upside down, seven times left and seven times right; in a seated posture, grasp the feet with the left and right hands, pressing five times, seven times on each side.

Bird Frolic: stand up, lift one foot, extend both arms and flap them vigorously fourteen times each; sitting, stretch out the feet, rise and pull the toes seven times each; stretch and contract both arms seven times each.

The methods of the Five Animal Frolics are practiced according to one’s strength, with sweating as the limit. They can make the body light and healthy, eliminate grain Qi (the Qi of accumulated food and drink), increase strength, and remove the hundred diseases. Hua Tuo practiced this method and lived more than ten thousand years; he taught it to his disciple Wu Pu of Guangling, and Wu Pu too obtained extended years and long life.

The second is the method of ingesting Qi, exhaling and inhaling, and the Six Qi (the Six-Character Qi Formula).

The “Si” character formula governs the lungs. The lungs are connected with the five viscera; when affected by wind pathogen, there is nasal congestion. When ill, perform the “si” character breathing to treat it.

The “He” character formula governs the heart. The heart is connected with the tongue; when the heart among the five viscera is hot, the tongue becomes dry. When ill, perform the “he” character breathing to treat it.

The “Hu” character formula governs the spleen. The spleen is connected with the lips; in the treatise it is said that when the spleen is warm, the lips are scorched. When ill, perform the “hu” character breathing to treat it.

The “Xu” character formula governs the liver. The liver is connected with the eyes; in the treatise it is said that when the liver is excessive, the eyes become red. When ill, perform the “xu” character breathing to treat it.

The vernacular interpretation of The Supreme Elder Lord's Life-Nourishing Formula:

The "chui" breathing technique corresponds to the kidneys, which are connected to the ears. Medical texts state that kidney deficiency can lead to deafness. Those suffering from such conditions can be treated through the "chui" exhalation method.

The "xi" technique relates to the triple burner (the upper, middle, and lower burners - the pathways for bodily fluid circulation). Disorders of the triple burner can be cured through the "xi" breathing exercise.

The third section of the Life-Nourishing True Formula explains: Superior practitioners preserve their true nature and prolong life; intermediate practitioners avoid disasters; even inferior practitioners at least escape untimely death. Those who foolishly disregard these principles die prematurely.

Laozi said: The human body mirrors a nation in miniature. The chest and abdomen resemble palaces, the limbs form borders, the joints function as officials, and the skin's texture creates thoroughfares. The shen (spirit) acts as ruler, the blood as ministers, and the qi (vital energy) as common people. Regulating the body resembles a wise monarch governing a state. Just as caring for citizens ensures national stability, cherishing qi maintains bodily health. When people suffer, the country falls; when qi exhausts, life ends. Therefore, true practitioners regulate before illness strikes, rather than repairing after collapse. Understand life's fragility and qi's tendency toward turbidity. Seizing the moment can stabilize a nation; restraining desires preserves life.

Those skilled in life-nourishing first eliminate six harms: 1) indifference to fame and gain, 2) distancing from sensual pleasures, 3) non-attachment to material wealth, 4) dietary moderation, 5) rejecting flattery and falsehood, and 6) eliminating envy. Removing these six harms ensures success in life-nourishing. Without such discipline, even heartfelt devotion to profound truths, recitation of scriptures, consumption of elixirs, or breath cultivation cannot compensate for life's brevity - this is addressing symptoms while neglecting roots, requiring vigilance.

The essence of preserving true nature lies in "twelve reductions": fewer thoughts, fewer distractions, less laughter, less speech, less euphoria, less anger, less indulgence, less sorrow, fewer cravings, less hatred, fewer affairs, and less scheming. Because: excessive thought injures shen (spirit), numerous distractions weary the heart, extreme laughter causes visceral reversal, excessive speech depletes yuanqi (primordial energy), extreme joy invites external pathogens, frequent anger disrupts superficial qi circulation, overindulgence distorts the heart-mind, constant sorrow withers body hair, strong cravings...

Interpretation of "The Supreme Elder Lord's Life-Nourishing Formulas"

On Daily Health Preservation:

Excessive wrongdoing depletes one's Shen (spirit), constant busyness strains the sinews, and overcalculation clouds wisdom. These habits harm life more than blades and injure one's nature worse than wolves. Avoid maintaining fixed postures—sitting, walking, watching, or listening—for too long. Do not force food when not hungry, as it damages the spleen; do not force drink when not thirsty, as it harms the stomach. Keep the body active and meals moderately portioned. Labor should not be excessive, nor should eating be overly indulgent. In winter, avoid an empty stomach in the morning; in summer, avoid heavy meals at night. Rise neither too early (before the rooster crows) nor too late (after sunrise). A tranquil heart anchors the true Shen, while balanced Qi keeps malign influences at bay. Deceitful actions grieve the divine, and contention dispirits it. Disrespect shortens blessings and longevity; harming life incurs retribution of an early demise. Good deeds gladden the Hun (ethereal soul), while evil pleases the Po (corporeal soul; note: in Daoism, the Po, being yin, is drawn to negativity). Maintain a mindset of calm magnanimity and serene self-containment—this ensures lasting peace for body and spirit. Such practice earns one a place in the immortal registers during life and absolves sins after death. Herein lies the essence of life nourishment.

Method of Qi Absorption (Fu Qi Jue):

Laozi said: The mouth and nose are the roots of heaven and earth (the Mysterious Feminine Gate). Breathing should be continuous, subtle as if barely there. At dawn daily, face south (the noon position), place hands on knees, and gently massage the joints. Expel turbid Qi through the mouth; draw in fresh Qi through the nose (this is the "expelling the stale, taking in the fresh" method). After holding the breath briefly, exhale slowly while guiding Qi outward with hand motions. While inhaling, visualize the Supreme Harmony's primordial Qi (innate vital energy) entering through the pores, flowing into the organs and limbs like clouds absorbed by mountains or rain nourishing earth. When Qi circulates freely, a gurgling sensation arises in the abdomen. After ten cycles, one will notice a radiant complexion, sharpened senses, improved appetite, doubled vigor, and the disappearance of ailments.

Alternative Practice Timing:

The optimal period spans midnight to noon (when Yang Qi ascends). Other times, when "Qi is dead" (Yang wanes), are unsuitable for regulation. Prepare a thick, soft bed with a pillow level to the body. Lie supine, limbs outstretched, hands in the Daoist "firm grip" mudra four to five inches from the torso, feet similarly apart. Inhale the sun's essence (the pure predawn Yang Qi) gently through the nose.

The Most High Lord Lao's Formula for Nourishing Life discusses the method of treating diseases of the five zang organs by regulating the breath.

In the breathing regulation method, one first uses intention to guide Qi so that it fills the whole body, then retains the breath to one's limit, and then slowly exhales through the mouth, taking care that the ears do not hear the sound of the exhalation. If one suffers from cold-heat disorders, miasmic Qi, swelling of the feet, or similar conditions, one may practice the regulation at any time. If there is no improvement that day, continue the next day; generally, recovery will occur within two or three days.

For different conditions, the breathing methods are as follows: for cold pain in the heart and chest region, exhale with the hu sound; for fever, exhale with the chui sound; for pain in the feet, exhale with the xu sound; for pain in the lungs, exhale with the si sound.

The best times for regulation are twenty-four repetitions after midnight, eighteen at cockcrow, twelve in the early morning, and twelve at sunrise. The more repetitions, the better the effect.

As preparation, first perform eighteen Daoyin (guided exercise) movements and twenty-four massages; through Daoyin, diseases of the five zang organs can be treated.

The corresponding therapies for diseases of the five zang organs are as follows. For heart disease, manifested as alternating chills and fever and dreams of a red-clothed person holding a knife or staff, or coming with fire to frighten the patient, use the hu sound to dispel cold Qi and the chui sound to dispel hot Qi. For lung disease, with fullness and distension of the chest and back, restlessness and oppression in the four limbs, and dreams of a white-clothed person or of relatives embracing one another, treat with the he sound. For liver disease, with sorrow and unhappiness, headache and eye pain, and dreams of a blue-clothed person or fierce beasts, treat with the xu sound. For spleen disease, with migrating pain in the body and dreams of yellow objects or whirlwinds, treat with the xi sound. For kidney disease, with coldness of the body and decline of Yin, and dreams of a black-clothed person holding a knife or staff, treat with the si sound.

Each practice should be performed thirty-six times; if it does not prove effective, one should also combine it with Daoyin and massage.

The core theory is this: the body is the dwelling place of spirit, and Qi is the key to life. The four limbs, the hundred bones, and the five zang and six fu organs all require the circulation of Qi; once it is blocked, illness arises. The human body is fundamentally empty and is sustained entirely by Qi. If breathing is regulated properly, illness will naturally disappear; if the breathing method is wrong, various diseases will arise.

Note: The sounds hu, chui, xu, si, he, and xi in the text are the Six-Character Formula (Liuzi Jue) breathing method, each sound corresponding to a method for regulating a different zang organ.

All who are skilled at nourishing life must first understand the method of regulating Qi—what is called “breathing” (tiaoqi, the conscious regulation of the rhythm of respiration so that the breath becomes even, fine, and deep). People live, fundamentally hoping that their lifespan will exceed the ordinary limit and that their hearts will be joyful and often filled with delight—this is precisely the principle being spoken of. Here ends The Supreme Lord Laozi’s Essentials for Nourishing Life.