《道樞》Vol. 6

Ballads of the Mysterious Pivot? No: the title is Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao), Volume Six, Section Five: The Dialogue with Xubai.

(The opening notes that the Old Woman of Mount Li was the first to expound the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of Hidden Accord), and that the text was later transmitted by Confucians of the mountains and marshes who brought it to light.)

Yang Gu, courtesy name Xubai and self-styled Chunchuzi (Master of Pure Essence), once met an extraordinary man in the capital of Shu. His pupils were clear and luminous, and his forehead shone like the moon. Sensing that he was no ordinary person, Chunchuzi followed him and asked for instruction. The man said, "Good." Chunchuzi then asked: The Yinfu Jing says, "Above, there is the Dao of the immortals embracing the One; in the middle, there are methods for enriching the state and bringing peace to the people; below, there are the means of strengthening the army and winning battles." What does this mean?

The man replied: "Embracing the One" means refining the shen (spirit). Laozi said, "The Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, and Three gives birth to the myriad things." The "One" is water. Heaven produces the divine water, which is the root of subtle transformation; this is what the Yijing means by "Heaven's One." Zhenyi Zi said that this is the essence of true lead, the root of heaven and earth, and the ancestral source of yin and yang. The myriad things are born through it, and the countless spirits unfold by means of it. One who can embrace the One and guard the center keeps shen and qi from scattering, and may be called a Perfected Person (zhenren).

In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor obtained the Scripture of the Heavenly Sovereign's True One but could not grasp its meaning, so he went to Mount Emei to seek instruction from the Huangren (Yellow Person). Huangren said that the True One dwells within the Great Abyss of Taiyuan, with the Mingtang (Hall of Light) before it and the Jianggong (Crimson Palace) beneath it, and that the Huagai (Flowery Canopy) and Jinlou (Golden Tower) stand above, with the Left Ladle and Right Dipper, and dragon and tiger guarding on either side. The One does not get seized and is not given away, so it remains in its place. It is neither slow nor hasty, so it enters its chamber. When one can be at leisure and at ease, the One does not depart. By guarding the One and dwelling in truth, one can then penetrate to the spirit. By moderating drink and restraining food, the One stays and the breath settles. Thus we see that the One itself is not difficult to attain; the difficulty lies in holding onto it without losing it.

Chunchuzi asked: Among the scholars of the world, some take "Dao" to be a name forced upon something that has none, speak of empty nature and wuwei (non-action), and do not cultivate at all. Is this right?

The man said: This goes too far. Those who do not understand the pivotal mechanisms by which heaven and earth turn, nor the principles of yin-yang transformation, recklessly speak of wuwei. What is called wuwei does not mean refraining from cultivation. Without cultivation, how could one escape birth and death? Wuwei means that nothing is left undone. Actions directed at external things may be called "having action" (youwei), but awakening to the Dao and cultivating the Perfected Way does not count as youwei.

Daoshu (The Pivot of the Dao): A Modern Interpretation

The Dao is the root of nature (xing), and nature is the source of the mind. Mind and nature share one body, and their responses and transformations are boundless. This is what is meant by "naturalness" (ziran). One who understands this, empties the heart and fills the abdomen, embraces the One and guards the One, and can thereby attain immortality.

Chunchuzi asked how one might enrich the state and bring peace to the people. Qishi answered with the method of refining qi. Laozi's Neidan Jing (Classic of Internal Alchemy) says: "The single body is like a state. The sage takes the body as the state, the mind as the ruler, and jing and qi as the people. When the people are at peace, the state prospers; when the people scatter, the state is empty. Cherish jing and treasure qi, and only then can one live long."

The human form receives jing and blood from one's parents and is generated from yuanqi (primordial qi). Zhonghuang Zhenren said: "Bone and flesh take jing and blood as their root, while spiritual awareness takes yuanqi as its origin. Nature is the root of life, shen is the child of qi, and qi is the mother of shen. Mother and child must never be separated, even for a moment." In this way, qi rests serenely in the Dantian (the Qihai, or "sea of qi," below the navel) and transformation takes place.

Laozi said: "Keep it as if it were faintly present, and it will never be exhausted. The outbreath is fine and faint; the inbreath is long and continuous. Deep roots and firm foundations: this is the Dao of long life and lasting vision." The Neiguan Jing (Classic of Inner Observation) states: "When qi enters the body, this is called life; when shen leaves the form, this is called death. The Dao is what allows life to pass through." When qi flourishes, a person flourishes; when qi declines, a person declines. Therefore it is said that qi can enrich the form, and shen can govern qi and lift the form into flight. The key lies in this: open the gate of heaven, close the gate of earth; the inhalation should be continuous and unbroken, the exhalation should reach to the root. Be like a hen brooding over her eggs, or a fish giving birth in water, and the sacred embryo (shengtai) will form and one will undergo transformation and release.

Chunchuzi then asked how one might achieve victory in battle through a strong army. Qishi answered with the refining of the form through Golden Liquor (jinye). One accumulates the hun to dissolve the yin po, uses the yang forces to resist the yin thieves, and applies the mutual overcoming of the Five Phases and the mutual stirring of the Eight Trigrams. Returning to the root and restoring the origin, one forms the elixir. The Yellow Emperor said: "Returning the elixir (huandan) takes a hundred counts, and its essence lies in the Divine Water and the Jade Pool (shenshui huachi)." Yizhenzi said: "Returning the elixir means reversing and repeating the qi of yin and yang." The sages established its methods and images, drawing forth the qi of the sun. First they formed the divine elixir to stabilize the form and spirit, and only after that could they complete the Dao.

Daoshu (The Pivot of the Dao): Selected Passages in Modern Vernacular

If the state falls into disorder, it must be pacified by force of arms, and only after order is restored can the kingly Way of the sovereign be put into practice. The passages below consist largely of a set of metaphors from Neidan (internal alchemy). Their names are many, but at root they never depart from Yin-Yang.

Kan (Water) is paired with Wu, a Heavenly Stem, and symbolizes the essence of the moon. Li (Fire) is paired with Ji, another Heavenly Stem, and symbolizes the light of the sun. Kan and Li are water and fire. Zi and Wu, together with Mao and You, correspond to the directions of the four seasons. The Dragon and the Tiger are the Crow and the Hare, metaphors for the sun and the moon. Zhen and Dui correspond to the lunar lodges Fang and Shen. Hun (the ethereal soul) and Po (the corporeal soul) are yin and yang, xiong (male) and ci (female) are father and mother, and fu (husband) and fu (wife) are man and woman. Qian (lead) and gong (mercury) signify Metal and Wood, and the Heavenly Stems jia-ji, yi-geng, bing-xin, ding-ren, and wu-gui are assigned to one another in layers throughout the oral formulas. Jinhua (Golden Flower) and Qiushi (Autumn Stone) signify the Infant and the Maiden, Yellow Sprout and White Snow signify cinnabar and similar substances, and Jiaoli (Exchange Pears) and Huozao (Fire Dates) signify Yuli (Jade Sweet Dew) and Jinjiang (Golden Elixir Fluid). The River Chariot signifies the Yellow Matron, and Divine Water signifies the Flowery Pool. The names differ, but all point to the same principle of yin-yang creation and transformation.

The Taiyi Zhi (Record of Taiyi) says that the sage takes the images of the Yijing (Book of Changes) to refine lead, secures the body and preserves the spirit, and does not depend on external things.

Master Cao says: to replenish primal qi with primal qi, why must one insist on cinnabar and stones?

Master Tao says: flowers merely sewn on will not bear fruit, and flesh placed within will not form an embryo. One must establish Qian and Kun, circulate Water and Fire, unite the Three Powers, and respond to the heavenly talismans, and only then can the elixir be formed.

Master Liu says: Qian and Kun are the cauldron, symbolizing the Way of Heaven and Earth. Kan and Li are the medicines, occupying the south and north. The Dragon and the Tiger lie in the east and west.

Master Zhenyizi says: begin from the atmospheric conditions of the twelve double-hours, such as Fu, Qian, Gou, and Kun, and distinguish the gates of Zhen and Xun. Qi goes out from Zi and returns from Wu, and yin talismans and yang fire accord with the heavenly talisman. A full circuit of 360 degrees is precisely the number by which, between the dark moon and the new moon, yin and yang, punishment and virtue interact, Heaven and Earth change, and the myriad things are born. Turning in accord with the clepsydra, one seizes the qi of Heaven and Earth and enters the spirit chamber, so that the true lead, the mother of Heaven and Earth, when employed in this way, transforms and gives birth to essence and spirit.

The Longhu Jing (Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger) says: the Dao is like driving a carriage, with the bit, reins, and measuring line following the wheel-ruts and controlling the outer through the inner. One must possess a crescent-moon cauldron, and the key lies in "the emergence of Geng on the third day." When the Dui gate is opened, the black-gold embryo comes forth and white silver arrives. Nine and six correspond to spring and summer and apply three and five, while seven and eight correspond to autumn and winter and return again. (The remaining formulae, following the original oral instructions, continue to discuss fire-timing and the waxing and waning of yin and yang.)

Note: This section belongs to the common body of Daoist internal-alchemy literature, which relies on a system of metaphor that borrows from the Yijing, from astronomy, and from the husband-and-wife imagery of lead and mercury. It should not be read literally as chemical practice or astrological procedure. When reading it, take Yin-Yang, water and fire, fire-timing, and cauldron-vessels as the guiding threads.

Thus it is known that the Great Elixir (dadan) is formed through the transformation of primordial qi, and for this reason it is called the "Flowery Pool" (huachi). The Divine Water (shenshui), Jade Mercury (yuhong), and Gold Lead (jinqian), the basic materials of alchemy, are combined through the circulation of Qian and Kun, the cooking of Sun and Moon, and the methods of advancing and retreating in the firing of Tunmeng (Difficulty and Youthful Ignorance), together with the refined practices of drawing in and adding, and bathing. The Nine Transformations require one year to complete. When Kan and Li are joined and the accumulated merit reaches three thousand, and the practice is maintained without slackening, one can transform the body and become an immortal.

Chunsuzi then understood the essentials of the Three Pure Ones and asked, "Is it enough to cultivate only the spirit (shen)?" Qishi replied, "That makes one a spirit immortal, because the body sinks and the spirit transcends." Chunsuzi asked, "Is it enough to cultivate only the qi?" Qishi replied, "That makes one a embryo immortal, because when spirit and qi interact, they form an embryo and nurture an infant, like a cicada shedding its skin." Chunsuzi asked, "Is it enough to cultivate only the form?" Qishi replied, "That makes one an earthly immortal who dwells long in the world, because one's aging is reversed and one returns to youth." Chunsuzi asked, "What if all three methods are practiced together?" Qishi replied, "That makes one an ascended celestial official." Chunsuzi asked, "Beyond these three methods, is there still a Way?" Qishi replied, "There are still the preservation of spirit and entry into concentration, the liberation of the corpse (shijie), transmigration and transformation of form, treading the Dipper and pacing the Steps of Gang, the Five Talismans and Three Qi, the Five Sprouts and Six Characters, embracing the Moon and gathering the Sun, the ingestion of qi with abstention from grain, exhalation and inhalation with bending and stretching, and guiding and visualization. These number in the thousands of items. They are all shallow methods of the side paths, gradual steps for beginners, and not sufficient for advancement." Chunsuzi then received from Qishi the secret instructions for refining spirit, refining qi, and refining form.

Zhen Gao Chapter (The spoken words of the spirit immortals of the Lie are taken as scripture; extracting their mysterious essentials allows one to accord with and nourish life)

Du Guangping (Du Qi, courtesy name; a man of the late Eastern Han) transmitted the Way of Xuanbai to Master Jie. Each morning at dawn, he would rise, sit, and lie down as he wished, visualizing the Mud Pellet (niwan, the point at the crown of the head, known as Baihui), where there is black qi. Next he visualized the heart, where there is white qi. At the center of the navel there is yellow qi. At first, when he visualized, the qi emerged as large as a bean, and soon it grew until it surged to the sky. The three qi then gathered like clouds, wrapping around the throat and coiling about the body, covering the body from above. They transformed into fire within the three throats, and then combined with light to refine the whole body, until all the five viscera were illuminated and clear. He practiced this every morning until midday, when he stopped. In this way he took in qi one hundred and twenty times, which is what is meant by the saying, "Knowing white yet keeping black, one can avoid death."

The Taisu Danjing commentary says: On the surface of the face, one should often rub it with both the left and right hands.

Keeping warmth moving through the body from top to bottom, reaching every part thoroughly and evenly, helps prevent wrinkles and age spots and keeps the skin as smooth as a young girl's. This is what is called "letting the mountains and rivers circulate Qi (vital energy)" (shanchuan tongqi).

The Jingjing Massage Scripture says: On waking or rising, wait until the breath is calm, then sit upright and cross the left and right hands. Cover the back of the neck with both hands, look upward, and push the neck upward so that the neck and the two hands work against each other. Do this three or four times and then stop. This harmonizes Jing (essence) and Qi, opens the blood vessels, and makes it harder for wind pathogens to enter. Next, flex and extend the body, stretch the limbs outward in all four directions, bend them backward and pull them to the sides, and rock the joints of the whole body. Repeat each movement three times.

After rising from bed, rub the neck and the area behind the ears with a thick cloth until the skin is warm all over. Massage the neck in the direction of the hair, as if combing it, for as many times as you like. After doing this for a long while, massage the left and right hands to nourish the face. Then swallow saliva twenty times to guide the body's fluids. Practicing this regularly keeps the eyes bright, keeps the body from becoming dirty or stagnant, and makes it harder for evil Qi to invade.

During the "Qi-generating" period, usually the hours of yin and mao when yang Qi first begins to rise, swallow saliva twenty-seven times. Press the hand on the part of the body that hurts, face the "royal direction" (wangfang), a traditional term that matches direction with organs and ailments, and recite this incantation: "Left Dark, right Dark, the three Spirits unite in the True. Left Yellow, right Yellow, the six Flowers correspond. Wind, Qi, and pestilence, hide and lurk in the four quarters. The jade fluid flows and moistens, circulating above and below. Within, it dispels water and fire; without, it repels misfortune. Long life and flight to the immortal realm, may the body always be strong." After reciting, swallow saliva another twenty-seven times, then rub the painful spot twenty-one times. Practicing this regularly can reduce illness.

The ears and eyes are the gateways through which one seeks the ladder to the true Dao (the Way) and gathers the spirit (shen, spirit). Regularly press the point behind the eyebrows thirty-nine times, rub the upper rim of the eye sockets with the palms and fingers, and rotate the ears with the hands thirty times. Rub as many times as you like, at any time. Afterward, stroke the forehead thirty-nine times in reverse, moving upward from the center of the brows into the hairline. Swallow saliva as often as you wish. Practicing this regularly will clear the eyes.

There is a small point behind the eyebrows, the "Storehouse of the Six Harmonies of the Upper Origin," which is connected with transformation and the brilliance of the sun. The areas below the eyes and above the orbits are where the "Ford of Bright Clarity" (Jueming zhi jin) is located. Rotating the ears with the hands is a way of drawing in light so that it shines. As people age, decline usually begins with the ears and eyes. Stroking the forehead with the hand while visualizing the mind as that of a newborn infant brings the sun and moon together in brilliance above.

Note: Terms such as "royal direction" (wangfang), "Storehouse of the Six Harmonies of the Upper Origin" (shangyuan liuhe zhi fu), and "Ford of Bright Clarity" (Jueming zhi jin) are traditional expressions from Daoist health cultivation that correlate directions and bodily points. Massage, swallowing saliva, and incantation were practiced together, reflecting the early Daoist method that combined guided movement (daoyin) with visualization (cunxiang). Specific acupoints and times should be cross-checked against medical and Daoist internal alchemy (neidan) texts and should not be treated as modern medical prescriptions.

Interpreting the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao) in Plain Language

When the practitioner feels a mysterious joy arise in the heart, they complete the count of "three nines" and bow to the Sanyuan (Three Primes) with the hands, which firms the head and strengthens the hair. First, rub the head on all four sides with both hands, following the direction of the hair, and repeat this several times. This keeps qi and blood flowing through the head, so wind and damp evils cannot easily gather there. Afterward, press the eyes with the hands twenty-seven times. This is called "examining the eye-spirit" (jiǎn mù shén).

The Director of Fates, Dongqing Siming (Eastern Lord of Destiny), says that during the clear fast and grain avoidance (bìgǔ), one should visualize the sun during the day and the moon at night, holding these images in the mouth until they are as large as a ring. The sun is red and has nine purple rays, and the moon is yellow and has ten white rays. Swallow the saliva that forms from these lights, practicing this often and in secret, without fixed limits on the number of times. One may also place the images of the sun and moon on the face, the sun on the left and the moon on the right, so that the two radiances join and interpenetrate with the qi of the pupils. This is the method of "gathering the vital force to generate essence and harmonizing the hun and po souls."

The Perfected of the Great Void (Taixu Zhenren) says that on the fifth day of each month, at the hour of Zi (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.), one should visualize the sun inside oneself. It enters through the mouth and comes to rest in the heart, illuminating the entire inner heart and merging with the sunlight. When the heart feels warm, swallow the saliva nine times. Repeat this practice on the fifteenth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-ninth days. With this practice, the ears and eyes become keen, all the orifices open, the face shines with a jade-like light, and the body gleams with a golden luster. After fifteen years of practice, the Most High (Tàishàng) will send a celestial carriage to receive the practitioner.

The Scripture of Great Wisdom says to visualize a sun within the heart, as large as a coin, red and with nine rays. It rises from the heart to the throat and then to the teeth, before returning to the stomach. Continue this for a long time, and one will naturally be able to see the heart and stomach. Then exhale, rinse the mouth, and swallow thirty-nine times, three times a day. If practiced for one year, illness can be eliminated. After five years, the body will have radiance, and after eighteen years, one can attain the Dao and walk in the daylight without casting a shadow. At night, one takes in the light of the moon in the same way as the sun, except that it descends from the brain, enters the throat, and stops there without coming out through the teeth. Then it returns to the stomach.

Zhang Weizi says that at dawn, close the eyes and look inward, as though seeing the five viscera. Exhale through the mouth twenty-four times, until the eyes perceive the five-colored qi wrapping around the face. Then draw this five-colored qi back into the mouth and take it in fifty times. Swallow saliva sixty times, tap the teeth seven times, and swallow saliva seven more times, and only then open the eyes. With long practice, one can often ride the clouds and mists, and this is the method of "ingesting the mist."

On Sun and Rosy Mist

Lady Jiuhua Zhenfei (Jiuhua Zhenfei) says: The sun is the substance of rosy mist (xia), and mist is the essence-qi (jing qi) of the sun. The world has heard only of the method of "ingesting the sun" (fu ri), but seldom sees scriptures on "dining on mist" (can xia). The scriptures on dining on mist are very secret, yet the path to summoning mist is in fact not difficult.

Eyes and Ears as Mirror and Window

The eyes are the mirror of the body, and the ears are its window. Look too much and the mirror grows dim; listen too much and the window shuts. I have methods for polishing the mirror and opening the window.

Face, Hair, and Essence-Qi

The face is the courtyard of the shen (spirit), and the hair is the splendor of the brain. When the heart grieves, the face scorches; when the brain is depleted, the hair turns white. When the essence source is consumed from within, the jinjin (the sweet saliva of the mouth) dries up. I have a method for restoring a child's complexion and reversing whitened hair.

Essence and Brightness

Jing (essence) is the shen of the body, and brightness is the treasure of the body. Too much toil scatters the essence, and excessive mirror-gazing and fretting over one's appearance (ying jing) dissolves one's brightness. I have a scripture for nourishing the essence and prolonging brightness.

One who holds fast to the true One and keeps the heart single-minded may, within a year, find that the hair neither whitens nor thins, and may even grow back. But if one is bound internally by family property and children, and externally burdened by official duties and social obligations, with the eyes and ears taking in too many sights and sounds and the qi and voice worn out by toil, then the Dao cannot be pursued single-mindedly, and one's conduct will hardly bear fruit. True talents mostly hide in mountain forests, keep their distance from the world, and embrace simplicity, and so they can keep a youthful face and dark hair.

Thus I wished to seek jade sweet dew (yuli), golden fluid (jinjiang), and the ascending medicines such as jiao pears and fire dates. But if the body is not yet genuine and evil thoughts fill the heart, these cannot be obtained. The fire dates and jiao pears are not external things; they arise in the heart. If there are thorns in the heart, the pears and dates cannot be seen.

Qingtong Dajun and Xicheng Zhenren

Qingtong Dajun says: "If you wish to extinguish the roots of rebirth, you must pull up the seedling of birth and death. Lingering and sinking into the Nine Springs, you only cling to pitying the bodily form."

Xicheng Zhenren says: "The shen is the boat that carries the body across. When near the shore, one should leave it behind. Wavering on the wheel of birth and death, one suffers only because the heart hesitates." Those who study the Dao, can they fail to exert themselves?

Corpse Liberation and Taiyin

When a person dies yet the form appears as it did in life, with the feet not blue, the skin not wrinkled, the light of the eyes undamaged, the hair not fallen out, and the bones firm, this is called corpse liberation (shijie). Immortals of corpse liberation may then ride the celestial canopy, mount the flying dragon, ascend to the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and roam the Nine Palaces.

One who has attained the Dao and temporarily wanders in Taiyin (the Great Yin) finds that Taiyi (the Great One) guards the corpse, the three hun souls manage its bones, the seven po souls guard its flesh, and the embryonic spirit protects its qi.

The Three Gates

Those who pursue the Dao should keep the three gates in constant balance. The mouth is the gate of the heart, and the feet are the root of the earth. (If the original text continues below, one may proceed to specific methods such as "regulating the mouth and feet.")

Brief notes on key terms: Zhenfei, Qingtong Dajun, and Xicheng Zhenren are divine names in the Daoist canon. Canxia (dining on mist) and fu ri (ingesting the sun) are practices of absorbing the essence of the sun and the qi of mist. Danjin refers to the saliva of the mouth or to the essence used in inner alchemy. Shijie (corpse liberation) is the belief that the form remains intact after death while the spirit departs to ascend as an immortal. The three hun and seven po souls and the embryonic spirit are traditional concepts of the soul, the bodily spirits, and the fetal spirit. The three gates here refer to the mouth and feet, which must be constantly regulated.

Guan and Shou

Guan (gate, pass) is also shou (hand). The hand is one of the body's gates. When the three passes (sanguan) are regulated and smooth, the five viscera are at peace.

Jiang Bozhen Meets an Immortal

Jiang Bozhen (Jiang Bozhen) met an immortal, who told him to stand in the sun at noon and observe that his shadow fell to one side. The immortal said: "You study the Dao wholeheartedly, yet your heart is not upright. Why is that?" He then taught him: when the sun has risen three zhang, place your hands on your shoulders so that the sunlight falls directly on your chest. When the heart is warmed, it becomes upright. He followed this instruction and later attained the Dao.

Woguo and the Body and Spirit

In the middle of the night, remove the pillow, lie flat, and hold woguo (the fist-clasping posture), relaxing the body. If the breath is even and fine, then the body and shen (spirit) are complete. This is how one should be when studying the Dao.

The Nine Afflictions of Studying the Dao

There are nine afflictions in studying the Dao. One may have aspiration but no time. One may have time but no fellow practitioners. One may have friends but no aspiration. One may have aspiration but never meet a good teacher. One may meet a teacher yet fail to comprehend the teaching. One may comprehend it but not practice diligently. One may practice diligently but not guard the Dao. One may have aspiration that is not firm. And one may have firmness but be unable to sustain it over the long term. Joy and anger injure the will (zhi), sorrow and pleasure injure one's nature (xing), glory and luxury disorder de (virtue), and indulgence in desire depletes jing (essence). All of these are taboo in cultivating the Dao.

Exhaling, Inhaling, and Guarded Speech

Those who cultivate the Dao should constantly exhale dead qi and inhale living qi. They should be cautious in laughter, speak little, and often visualize the form of their own body.

Shigui Washes the Eyes

The method of Shigui can brighten the eyes. Why is this? During the jiazi xun (the ten-day period beginning with the jiazi day in the sexagenary cycle), take clear water flowing eastward and wash the eyes with zhendan (elixir). The eyes will become bright.

Life Lies in the Breath

Taishang (the Most High) asked: how many days remain in a person's life? Someone answered a few days. Someone answered the time it takes to eat a meal. The Most High said: not yet. Someone said: it lies within the span of a single breath. The Most High said: good. This can be called knowing the Dao.

Ziwei Furen: Carrying Fire into Darkness

Ziwei Furen (Lady Ziwei) said: cultivating the Dao is like carrying a torch into a dark room. When the darkness extinguishes the flame, the light remains in one's own hand.

Wealth and Desire Like Honey on a Blade

Wealth and sensual desire are like honey on the edge of a knife. Children know only the sweetness in their mouths and do not realize the danger of cutting their tongues.

Nanji Laoren: Love and Fear

Nanji Laoren (the Old Man of the South Pole) said: love gives rise to worry, worry gives rise to fear. Without love there is no worry, and without worry there is no fear.

Playing the Zither and Holding the Mind

Taishang Zhenren (the Perfected of the Most High) asked: what happens if the zither strings are too loose? The answer: they do not ring, and they do not grieve. He asked: and if they are too tight? The answer: the sound snaps and one is wounded by sorrow. He asked: and if the tension is moderate? The answer: the many tones blend together, and the bayin (eight kinds of musical sound) play wondrously.

The Taishang Zhenren said: holding the mind while studying the Dao is like tuning a zither.

Studying the Dao Like Thinking of Breakfast

One who studies the Dao is like someone thinking of breakfast. Nothing is beyond reach, since a clear result follows from sincere seeking. Treasuring qi as one treasures one's own face and dignity is beneficial in every case.

Vernacular Commentary on the Dao Shu (Pivot of the Way)

On the Way of "Wholeness" (quan): lesser students of the Dao compete eagerly for fame, like incense that burns itself away so that others may smell it. Once the qi (vital energy) is spent, nothing remains. To care only that others know one's name is surely a confusion.

The Taisu Jing (Scripture of Great Simplicity) says: Often rub the palms together until they are warm, then massage the face, so that wrinkles do not form and the complexion stays smooth and glossy. Rub the palms hot and press them over the eyes, then smooth the hair as if combing it. Alternate the two arms, rubbing the upper arms with the hands, and the hair will not turn white and the pulse will not float.

The Xiao Mo Jing (Scripture of Dispelling Demons) says: If the body is unwell, curl the tongue against the palate and swallow the saliva, as many times as needed, and the body will settle within. Often pressing the ears keeps the hearing sharp; this is called "governing the walls and citadels," and what is inscribed is the "Imperial Register" (huangji). Often pressing the two sides of the nostrils calms the qi; this is called "irrigating the Central Peak," and what is inscribed is the "Celestial Register" (dilu). When the eyes wish to close, sit quietly and practice neishi (inward looking), observing within; one sees the five viscera, and the intestines and stomach become clear. When combing the hair, face the Royal Direction (wangdi), the direction venerated in Daoism, and recite: "Niwan Xuanhua, preserve the jing and keep it always present; the left is the hidden moon, the right is the root of the sun; the six directions are refined and clear, and the hundred spirits receive grace." When finished, swallow the saliva three times; the hair will then not turn white and will grow daily.

The Zhengyi Jing (Scripture of Orthodox Unity) says: Holding the breath and settling into stillness can make the hundred ghosts fear, and the Gongcao, the envoys, and the Dragon-Tiger lords will all arrive. Where do bad dreams come from? First, hun yao (demonic spirits of the soul); second, xin shi (tests of the mind, the mind-demon); third, shi zei (corpse thieves, the Three Corpses and their kind). On waking, pinch the philtrum with the left hand fourteen times and knock the teeth fourteen times, and misfortune turns to good fortune. For good dreams, rub the eyes fourteen times and knock the teeth fourteen times. The bed should be high, for when it is high the earth qi cannot reach it and ghostly qi cannot intrude; ghosts that harm people mostly act by clinging to the ground. When walking at night, knock the teeth, and ghosts will fear and not dare approach. The days jiayin and gengshen are days when ghosts contend in confusion and the spirit becomes agitated and defiled. The Yellow Ox Daoist says: before sleeping, visualize the sun on the forehead and the moon at the navel, and the myriad evils will stay far away.

Long ago, Liu Weidao of Zhongshan studied immortality for twelve years. The immortal master tested him by hanging a weight of one hundred thousand catties from a single hair and having him sleep beneath it. Weidao's mind remained calm and his body grew stout. The master said, "He can be taught," then gave him divine elixir to take, and he ascended to heaven in broad daylight.

Long ago there was an immortal... [Translator's note: the final sentence appears incomplete and may continue with another matter in other editions. If the source ends here, it can be closed with "In ancient times there were immortals such as this."]

Some people who love cultivating the Way did not know the correct method. Day and night they knelt before a cypress tree, praying for long life. After twenty-eight years, the cypress put forth purple blossoms, sweet as malt sugar, and when he ate them he became an immortal. Another person knelt before Mount Hua and moved the Old Man of the Western Peak to appear and transmit Daoist methods to him. Yet another knelt facing a river for ten years, and moved the Earl of the River (Hebo) to appear and transmit the technique of walking on water without drowning. None of these involved any hidden secret; they were simply the result of utmost sincerity and devotion carried to its limit.

Wang Zhongfu took in the qi of the sun and moon, and lived on clouds and mist as his food. He persisted for more than forty years without achieving anything. His son practiced the same method for eighteen years and departed as an immortal. The Perfected of the Southern Peak once said to Wang Zhongfu, "Your Brain Palace (the place where the essential qi of the head gathers) is depleted and deficient; its sinews and fluids cannot fill and irrigate it. How can you attain the Great Dao?" Wang Zhongfu first healed his own illness, and only then cultivated the true Way, and ultimately he too departed as an immortal. Therefore, those who study the Way must first nourish and regulate their bodies; only afterward are they qualified to speak of cultivation practice.