《太清服氣口訣》

Interpretation of the Taishang Fuqi Koujue (Essential Instructions on Ingesting Qi):

All living things take form through the interaction of Yin and Yang energies. The cyclical movement of these primal forces creates the alternating seasons of heat and cold. When solar Yang energy dominates, all beings flourish in warmth and vitality; when lunar Yin energy prevails, its astringent quality brings withering and dormancy. Life itself emerges and fades in resonance with these energetic transformations—this is the manifest pattern of the Dao. Thus, those who master the art of assimilating primordial Qi become impervious to Heaven and Earth's cyclical transformations, attaining the highest state of cultivation.

The practice method involves circulating Qi between the kidneys (lower Dantian) and nose through regulated breathing, harmonizing Yin-Yang within the internal organs. By maintaining flawless respiration and steadfast discipline, one achieves the effects of longevity. These oral instructions reveal methods for ingesting primordial Qi, though many essential techniques require direct transmission beyond written words. While this text outlines key principles, practitioners must guard these sacred methods carefully.

Key practice notes:

1. The abdominal cavity contains three diaphragmatic barriers: the cardiac diaphragm beneath the heart (where beginners feel epigastric distension), the visceral diaphragm (causing abdominal fullness during intermediate practice), and finally the pelvic diaphragm where Qi settles in the lower Dantian. When Qi eventually rises from the "Dove Center" (possibly referring to the middle Dantian or a specific acupoint), it gains therapeutic potency.

Essential guidelines:

• Beginners should practice in quiet settings until Qi stabilizes in the abdomen, after which one may practice during daily activities. Avoid forcing practice when gastric Qi remains unsettled.
• Initial breathing involves inhaling followed by brief breath retention, exhaling two-thirds of the air, then swallowing the remainder after a pause. Repeat until the abdomen fills with Qi, maintaining this practice during four key periods (dawn, dusk, midnight [23:00-01:00], and noon [11:00-13:00]).
• Novices must maintain unbroken Qi circulation before it stabilizes in the Dantian. Once rooted, Qi persists even without conscious practice. The four periods correspond to solar and lunar zeniths/nadir.
• For epigastric discomfort, pause Qi ingestion—chewing small amounts of licorice or cinnamon can help. Mild lower abdominal fullness indicates successful Qi sedimentation.

(Note: The "Dove Center" likely denotes an esoteric energy locus in classical Neidan terminology, possibly corresponding to specific acupoints or the middle Dantian region.)

When first practicing Qi Absorption (a Daoist health preservation breathing technique), perform the exercise four times daily: twice in the morning and twice in the evening using both supine and prone positions, while midnight and noon sessions use only the supine posture.

For supine practice, use a low pillow with knees bent and raised, placing both hands beside the ribs before swallowing Qi. Each session involves swallowing ten breaths to fill the Dantian (lower abdominal energy center), then after a pause, guide the Qi with intention to the xiphoid process. In prone position, keep the abdomen flat against the bed with a pillow elevating the chest, limbs stretched straight, similarly swallowing ten breaths. Each swallow must be mentally guided along the spine from the Mingmen point (lower back). Morning and evening practice should begin prone before switching to supine. Each Qi swallow should produce an audible "gulping" sound—silent swallows are ineffective.

Key points for Qi swallowing: the breath must reach deep into the throat and be swallowed slowly—haste causes coughing. Space each Qi swallow with ten normal breaths, pausing as needed while maintaining composure.

Critical reminder: Never mix Qi with saliva—swallow it dry. If saliva accumulates during practice, swallow it separately while inhaling to prevent pathogenic wind invasion—this requires special attention.

Beginners should recite incantations during practice, though daily sessions omit them once mastered. Mantras are only necessary when healing others.

Beyond the four scheduled sessions, practice supplementary rounds whenever energy feels deficient—frequency is unlimited.

Novices with unstable internal Qi may experience leakage; disperse Qi throughout the body with mental focus. Maintain serene concentration during practice—doubt or fear disrupts Qi flow.

When cultivation reaches bodily harmony, inner fulfillment arises naturally, worldly desires fade, and skills progress endlessly with boundless joy.

Essential principle: Empty the mind of food cravings during practice. Suppress culinary thoughts forcefully when they emerge. If irresistible, boil Ficus pumila herb soup with minimal ginger—one bowl curbs cravings (ginger-honey soup also works). True adepts remain undisturbed even facing delicacies.

This scripture discusses Daoist cultivation methods of fuqi (absorbing the primordial Qi of heaven and earth through specific breathing techniques) and precautions for fasting. The main points are organized as follows:

1. Essentials of Fuqi Practice:

• Practice regularly to keep the Dantian (lower abdominal energy center) full. Missing a session occasionally is acceptable.
• Pay attention to posture when swallowing Qi: tilt the head back to expel water Qi and lower it to expel food Qi. Food Qi is stored on the right side of the body, while water Qi resides on the left.
• With prolonged practice, Qi will naturally rise to the throat. When swallowing Qi, visualize it descending along the spine, focusing on the sensation of Qi producing sound from near the spine in the abdominal region.

2. Addressing Common Issues:

• If feeling stifled and needing to release gas, do not suppress it. Instead, imagine the Qi dispersing from the crown of the head and limbs.
• In the early stages, a "peng-peng" fullness in the Dantian is sufficient—complete distension is unnecessary. For greater fullness, swallow Qi a few more times.
• Initial practice may feel different from eating, but with time, the sensations will converge.

3. Fasting Precautions:

• During fasting, consume specific foods to cleanse residual waste:
• First 14 days: Eat 1–2 meals daily of boiled vegetables (alfalfa, mustard greens, turnips, cabbage, etc.) with minimal oil and seasoning.
• Days 4–5: Switch to vegetable juice.
• After a few days: Stop eating entirely.
• Moderate alcohol consumption helps expel phlegm from the chest.
• Take Sichuan pepper (about 3 liang) daily, washed down with wine or vegetable broth, to purge impurities from the abdomen.
• Avoid xiehao (a type of mugwort) and coriander, as they disrupt true Qi.

4. Special Notes:

• Complete bowel cleansing takes over 20 days of fasting.
• Ginger corrodes food and should not be consumed on an empty stomach.

(Note: The fasting methods described should only be undertaken under professional guidance—do not attempt them blindly.)

Oral Instructions on Ingesting Qi from the Great Clarity (Taiqing Fuqi Koujue) - Modern Interpretation

When practicing the method of ingesting Qi, one should tilt the head back and swallow the breath, allowing it to enter the intestines and circulate to the Jiūwěi acupoint (located below the solar plexus). Through repeated swallowing and guiding the breath, the Qi must eventually be expelled from the "ripened storehouse" (a refined energy reservoir formed through cultivation). Ordinary practitioners who persist for a month will find the Qi coiling and circulating within the intestines, producing audible gurgling sounds—a sign of correct practice.

The number of intestinal coils determines one’s aptitude: twelve or more rotations indicate superior capacity; ten or nine are secondary; seven or five are average; two or three denote inferior aptitude. Those with thick, short intestines tend to be clever but lack wisdom, whereas true adepts require slender, elongated intestines. Each of the five viscera governs distinct Qi mechanisms: the heart stores Shen (spirit) Qi, the liver houses prohibitive Qi, the lungs contain killing Qi, the spleen holds Dao Qi, and the kidneys preserve primordial Qi (Yuánqì). Here, the focus is on cultivating the internal primordial Qi.

Those with long intestines retain primordial Qi more easily, while those with short ones struggle. When intestinal sounds arise during practice, lie on the right side, resting the head on the right hand while pulling the left foot toward the body with the left hand, straightening the torso and right leg to guide Qi to the right foot. Each time Qi is circulated and sound is produced, note the number of intestinal coils—only when the sound flows smoothly, like the soft call of a deer, is the passage unobstructed. The intestinal lining has segmented nodes (jiékǎn), which should also be memorized.

Distinguish external Qi from primordial Qi: swallowed external vitality (Shēngqì) is quickly expelled and cannot be retained. True primordial Qi, when circulated, warms the head as energy descends to the feet. If Yang Qi is circulated first, the feet will cool before warming—this is Yang Qi driving out Yin Qi. Conversely, circulating Yin Qi warms the feet first before cooling them. Mastering the method of guiding Qi to the head prevents facial aging (as recorded in Laojun Taixu Taishang Wushang Ziran Taiqi Jing).

In Laozi’s longevity method, when primordial Qi first arises at midnight, lick the teeth and lips, inhale through the nose, and swallow with the mouth—repeating this 27 times ensures vitality flows through all meridians, prolonging life. For morning cultivation: first exhale warm breath onto the palms, rub them to generate heat, then massage the forehead 20 times.

This passage explains the Daoist health cultivation methods of "guarding the One" (Shouyi) and morning exercises:

Morning health routine:

1. Begin by rubbing your hands together to generate warmth, then massage your face 14 times (the number 14 corresponds to the "two sevens" in Daoist numerology). This is called "dry bathing" (Qianyu). It dispels pathogenic influences from the face, which is considered the "one-foot abode" (Chizhai) containing numerous acupuncture points where the "true person" (Zhenren, the divine presence within) resides. This practice prevents illness.

2. Next, rub your hands warm again and massage your entire body from top to bottom 14 times. Known as "body bathing" (Yushen), this eliminates wind-cold pathogens.

3. Then rub your hands warm and comb through your hair from forehead backward 14 times, while visualizing divine spirits guarding within your hair. Called "head bathing" (Yutou), this prevents graying and promotes tooth regeneration.

4. Finally, rub your hands warm and massage your ears, moving upward from below the ears 14 times to enhance hearing and vision. The ears house two spirits named "Delicate Maidens" (Jiaonü).

Complete morning ritual:

When dressing and combing your hair, recite this incantation: "Great auspiciousness and long life, all illnesses cured, gathering at the gate of blessings, five organs harmonized without worry, all spirits fasting accompany my body, granting me fearless old age." When stepping out of bed, first step with the left foot while saying "Qian" (Heaven), then right foot saying "Yuan" (Origin), left foot "Heng" (Prosperity), right foot "Li" (Advantage), and left foot "Zhen" (Constancy). This corresponds to the Yi Jing's "Qian Yuan Heng Li Zhen" hexagram, symbolizing the body as the ruler of ten thousand spirits.

Key cultivation principles:

1. The "guarding the One" method requires cherishing Qi (vital energy) - speak less, inhale more than exhale, using breath to replenish original Qi (Yuanqi).

2. Daily rhythms should follow seasonal patterns: rise early in spring/summer (with the rooster's crow) and late in autumn/winter (after sunrise), as violations harm health.

Concluding body-spirit invocation:

Mobilize all organ spirits (of the five viscera, six bowels, three Hun and seven Po souls, etc.), summoning directional deities (Vermilion Bird, Dark Warrior, Azure Dragon, White Tiger) for protection. Maintain organ health: heart free from pathogenic influences, liver from disease, lungs from harm, kidneys from dullness, spleen from decline, gallbladder from fear, stomach from stagnation. Through such practice, original Qi becomes vigorous and grows.

This passage from the Taijing Fasting Breath Formula explains purification methods for practitioners encountering polluted or impure environments:

When passing through contaminated areas or coming into contact with unclean objects, one should immediately bathe, rinse the mouth, and change clothes to eliminate foul Qi. The specific method is as follows: take ten liang of bamboo leaves and four liang of peeled white peach bark, add to 1 hu and 2 dou of clear water, bring to a boil once, then use the cooled liquid for bathing to thoroughly remove impurities.

Important note: This medicinal bath functions as a specialized "corpse-refining plain solution" (lianshi sujiang) for bodily purification and must not be used for washing hair. Hair cleansing should follow ordinary methods.

(Note: "Corpse-refining" here refers to the practitioner's self-purification process, while "plain solution" denotes the specially prepared medicinal bath liquid.)