《雲笈七籤》Vol. 105

Yunji Qiqian (Seven Slips from the Cloudy Satchel), Fascicle 155

(Compiled and submitted by your servant Zhang Junfang, Fenglang of the Song, Vice Director of the Revenue Bureau of the Department of State Affairs, serving as Editorial Collator of the Jixian Academy, awarded the crimson fish-bag, and permitted to wear purple.)

Biography of Lord Pei, the Qingling Zhenren (Perfected Person of Pure Spirit), composed by his disciple Deng Yunzi

Lord Pei, the Qingling Zhenren, had the courtesy name Xuanren and was a native of Xiayang in You Fufeng. He was born in the second year of Emperor Wen of Han. By nature he was clear and bright, his bearing proper and plain, and he was good at conversation and laughter. His eyes were spirited; when his arms hung down, they reached to his knees; his voice was high and clear, and when he called out it was like a bell.

The Pei family followed Buddhism and Daoism. When Lord Pei was a little over ten, he went without sleep day and night, devoting himself single-mindedly to studying scriptures and classics. Once, on the eighth day of the fourth month, he rode in the same carriage with Zhao Kangzi of Fengyi and Hao Jicheng of Shangdang to visit a Buddhist temple. At the time the sky was overcast and it was raining. Suddenly a poor and lowly man, wearing worn coarse cloth and a yellow headcloth, came up behind the carriage and wanted a ride. Lord Pei saluted him and asked him about himself, but he did not answer. Lord Pei then got down and let him into the carriage. Zhao Kangzi and Hao Jicheng were furious and shouted, “What sort of man is this, getting into our carriage?” Lord Pei explained the principle to them, and only then did they agree to let the man ride. Lord Pei himself walked behind the carriage, his expression unchanged; the man who had begged a ride also remained composed and showed no embarrassment.

When they were almost at the temple, the man said, “My home is nearby.” He then got down, and in an instant vanished.

At the Buddhist temple there was a Daoist adept named Zhi Ziyuan, who was also quite versed in Daoist arts. Stories of his deeds circulated among the elders, who said he was already one hundred and seventy years old. When he saw Lord Pei, he was overjoyed and said, “From youth to old age I have seen many people, but I have never seen anyone like you.” He invited Lord Pei into a secluded, quiet room and set out abundant food to entertain him. After the meal, he took Lord Pei to a hidden place, motioned for him to sit, and said, “I am skilled at physiognomy, and no one can compare with you. Your eyeballs are just like the Yaoguang star among the seven stars of the Northern Dipper; seen from the back downward, your form resembles Hekui (the name of a star in the Northern Dipper). You will possess noble rank and will also become an immortal. The aspirations and wishes of all under Heaven you should treasure and uphold. However, the path of cultivating the Dao has not yet opened for you, and the seven Qi (the seven kinds of Qi in cultivation) have not yet been harmonized and brought to maturity. If you do not encounter a wondrous opportunity, these attainments cannot be realized.”

Thereupon Zhi Ziyuan secretly transmitted to Lord Pei the secret methods he himself had practiced. He said, “This is the inner-cultivation method for long life; no one in the world knows it. In former times, while I was traveling among the mountain hollows of Mount Jiao and Mount Biezu, I encountered the immortal Master Jiang—he was Chi Jiang Ziyu—and received from him five wondrous oral instructions. After I received these instructions, I have practiced them constantly.”

One hundred and seven years have now passed, and I still feel light and agile in strength, strong and robust in body, without any sense of aging. It is only because I have not been diligent enough in cultivation that I often lose the true aspiration to cultivate the Dao (the Way) and cannot free myself from worldly entanglements; thus, although my lifespan has been prolonged, I am still unable to become an immortal. This is still the fault of cultivation frequently going against the rules and of thought not being sufficiently single-minded. Now I transmit these methods to you; you must guard them carefully and pass them on only to suitable people.

The first method is to visualize and dwell upon the Five Planets (the five planetary bodies), taking them as symbols of the Qi (vital energy) of the Five Directions. You should regularly, in a sealed chamber, after midnight when Qi (vital energy) is flourishing, sit on your bed facing the direction of the monthly establishment (Yuejian, the direction corresponding to the earthly branch of the current month). First click the teeth nine times, then swallow saliva thirty times. After that, visualize the Five Planets in your mind: the northern Chenxing (Mercury) above your head, the eastern Suixing (Jupiter) to your left, the western Taibai (Venus) to your right, the southern Yinghuo (Mars) before your knees, and the central Zhenxing (Saturn) within your heart. After long practice, whether going out or traveling far, you should always remember the Five Planets and not forget them. In this way you can avoid all manner of disasters and prevent them from encroaching. Later, if you suddenly see five old men, they are the spirits of the Five Planets. When you see them, you should ask them about the Way of the Flying Immortal; the five spirits will jointly assist the cultivator, making his physical form pure white and enabling him to ascend to heaven in broad daylight.

The second method is to begin practice on a day in the first ten-day period beginning with a Jiazi day that falls on “Kai” (Opening) or “Chu” (Removal), choosing the time after midnight when vital Qi is flourishing. Do not practice when greatly intoxicated or overly full, nor when the body is not in good condition; otherwise it will cause illness. During practice, concentrate the mind and stabilize the Shen (spirit), with deep and far-reaching thought. Both men and women may cultivate this Way of Long Life, but the method is highly secret; do not transmit it to anyone who is not a virtuous person. Both men and women must gather and nurture the vital Qi so that Jing (essence) and blood are regulated and nourished. This is not merely an external method of taking Yin to supplement Yang. If one practices according to the method, Qi and fluids will circulate in harmony, and Jing and Qi will gather smoothly; whether old or young, all may have the possibility of returning to youth.

Before entering the quiet chamber to practice, first forget the body and external things; then click the teeth seven times and recite: “White Prime and Golden Essence, the Five Splendors spread and generate; the Central Yellow Lord Lao, harmonize the hun-soul and gather the Jing; the August Sovereign of Great Essence, congeal the fluids and make the bones spiritual; the Supreme Great Truth, let the Six Qi entwine within; Higher Essence and Mysterious Old One, return the Shen and replenish the brain; cause me to unite and meet, refine the embryo and guard the treasure.” After reciting, men should guard the kidney Qi and firmly secure Jing and Qi, causing the Qi to rise along the Jiaji (spinal pass) up to the Niwan (Mud Pill, the visualized center within the crown of the head); this is called “Huanyuan” (Returning to the Origin). Women should guard the heart and Shen and nurture the internal fire, causing the Qi to descend from between the breasts to the kidneys and then rise along the Jiaji up to the Niwan; this is called “Huazhen” (Transforming into Truth). During practice one should nurture body and mind so that the gate of the Dantian (energy center)—the key aperture for internally refining Jing and Qi—remains firm.

After sustained practice for one hundred days, one can communicate with the spirits; if one persists over the long term, one will naturally become a Perfected and attain long life, dwelling in the world. This is the way of deathlessness.

The Third Method: Removing the Three Corpses with the Purple Texts of the Five Phases. The “Three Corpses” (Sanshi) are, in Daoist teaching, malevolent and impure entities that dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation. This method is usually performed on the new moon and full moon—the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. At noon, face south and look straight ahead; the so-called linmu means the eyes are closed but not completely shut. Visualize in the mind: from both eyes emit green Qi, from the heart emit crimson Qi, and from the navel emit yellow Qi. The three currents of Qi intertwine and merge into one, pervading the whole body. In a moment, inside and outside become translucent, like firelight. After some time, click the teeth together fourteen times and swallow saliva fourteen times; this completes the practice.

This is a method of refining the form and also a means of removing the corpse worms. With long practice, the body will emit five fragrances, the eyes will be bright and the ears acute, and one can attain long life without death.

The Fourth Method is called “the Way of Attaining Immortality through Hidden Virtue.” The text says: Every jiazi day, after bathing, burn incense during the first ten-day period of the jiazi cycle and place it on the left and right sides of the bed where you sleep. With long practice, celestial immortals and Jade Maidens will descend.

There is another method: raise a white dog and a white chicken, naming the dog “White Spirit” and the chicken “White Essence.” On the Eight Festivals (Bajie), the eight seasonal nodes valued in Daoism, and when entering the Five Peaks or climbing famous mountains, if you reach a place where immortals dwell, quietly place the chicken nearby and then leave without looking back. The Celestial Perfected and immortal officials will then bestow zhiying and numinous herbs upon you.

There is yet another method: prepare a plain memorial one foot two inches long and write on it in cinnabar: “I, a certain person of such-and-such commandery, county, township, and village, wish to attain long life, ascend as an immortal, transcend the world, and fly up to Shangqing (Highest Clarity). I earnestly request the Perfected, the Supreme Spirits, the assembled numina of the Five Peaks, and the Three Officials and Nine Bureaus (Sanguan Jiufu) to remove my name from the record of offenses.” After writing, tie a pair of gold rings with green silk, wrap the memorial together with the gold rings, bow twice to the north, then place the memorial on a stone and burn it to ashes. Afterward hide the gold rings in a concealed crevice in the rock, and do not look back when leaving. If you have no gold rings, a pair of tiaotuo (ring-shaped bracelets) may be used instead. The ancients called such tiaotuo “zongrong beads.”

Be cautious and do not tell these methods to garrulous and envious people. Telling them brings no benefit and may instead invite disaster.

Perform this ten times, and the Five Thearchs in heaven and the Three Officials and Nine Bureaus will relay orders among themselves, pardon your offenses, enter your name in the Register of Life, and revise your immortal register. When you enter the mountains seeking zhi mushrooms and numinous medicines, you will obtain whatever you desire; mountain gods and Jade Maidens will come to guard you, and wolves, tigers, and all kinds of disasters will not dare harm you. You will constantly receive the protection of the spirits and in the end attain the Dao.

Doing this can open a person’s mind and intent, so that evil ghosts and old specters—ghosts and monsters that have become numinous over many years—dare not test or intrude upon them. Cultivating the Dao in this way makes it easy to obtain results and prevents calamity. If a Daoist priest does not understand this method, after entering the mountains he will often encounter unfavorable matters and be repeatedly tested by ghosts and monsters; in the human world he will also easily meet with setbacks, be afflicted by illness, suffer misfortune in property, and find it hard to fulfill his wishes. If one can cultivate according to this, one may attain long life and become an immortal.

At noon on the day of Lichun (Beginning of Spring) each year, Taiji Zhenren (a perfected immortal in Daoist lore) gathers all the immortals in the Taiji Palace, inscribes jade slips, and records the names of the immortals. At midnight on that same day, cultivators should face due north, look up at the North Star, perform repeated bows and kowtow, state the extent of their own transgressions, and pray for forgiveness. After speaking, they bow again; only then is the ritual concluded.

At noon on Chunfen (Spring Equinox), Taishu Zhenren of the Yaotai Terrace at Kunlun summons the immortal officials to collate and revise the true scriptures. At noon on Lixia (Beginning of Summer), the Five Thearchs of Shangqing gather the immortals at the Ziwei Palace and consult with the four Zhenren about the merits and faults of those seeking the Dao. At noon on Xiazhi (Summer Solstice), the three celestial officials gather at the office of Siming Hehou to verify the sins and blessings of all people and to increase or reduce their allotted years of life. At noon on Liqiu (Beginning of Autumn), the Zhenren of the Five Peaks go to Mount Huangfang Yunting, where the Central Huanglao Jun resides, to join the immortal officials in evaluating the sacred charts and numinous medicines of the world.

At noon on Qiufen (Autumn Equinox), the Great Emperor of the Supreme Sovereign ascends the Taiguan Observatory in the Lingque Tower of Yuqing and summons the Three Supreme Old Lords, the various True Lords of the North Pole, the great deities of the Eight Seas, the honored spirits of the Five Peaks, and all the immortal officials to deliberate together on the sins and blessings of all living beings in the world, as well as on whether cultivators are diligent or remiss, recording each item and delivering it to Siming. At noon on Lidong (Beginning of Winter), Yangtai Zhenren summons the immortal officials and jade maidens to evaluate those who have recently attained the Dao and have just been entered in the immortal register. At noon on Dongzhi (Winter Solstice), the assembled immortals of heaven meet with Qingtong Jun of the Eastern Sea in the Donghua Great Palace, where they engrave and fix the registers of the immortals’ names and the inner characters of the golden book.

On each of the Eight Nodes (Bajie—Lichun, Chunfen, Lixia, Xiazhi, Liqiu, Qiufen, Lidong, and Dongzhi), one should at midnight and noon repent and atone for the transgressions of one’s grandparents and ancestors through seven generations, and also repent one’s own faults, so that transgressions may be eliminated. With long perseverance, one can become an immortal and attain undying long life. On the day of Qiufen, the Supreme Divine Zhenren inspects all the immortals; those who are not truly accomplished in cultivation should not rashly practice this method on that day.

On the eight seasonal festival days, Zhenren (Perfected) and immortal officials gather together at noon; this is a fitting time to confess one’s faults and seek forgiveness. The observance should not end until the third day. Those who wish to cultivate the Dao should first fast and purify themselves, and should not be negligent.

There is another method of cultivation: on each of the eight festival days, often go to the Five Sacred Peaks, or to famous mountains where immortals and Zhenren dwell, and in secluded, hidden mountain rocks secretly burn incense and pray, saying:

“O High Spirit of the Nine Numinous Powers, Most True, of the Mysterious Above, please grant me long life, so that all my wishes may be fulfilled, the hundred blessings may come as I desire, and my lifespan may be as enduring as the numinous mountains. On this festival day I respectfully ascend the mountain rocks and pray for long life. After the ritual is finished, scatter the incense around you on every side, do not look back, and return straight away.”

If one can often do this, one will attain long life, and one’s wishes will be fulfilled as desired. Jade Maidens will come to one’s dwelling, and all spirits will guard one’s person. If someone lives in seclusion and cultivates the Dao, with mind and will mysteriously merged with the Dao, but is unable to climb the mountains, then merely entrusting one’s wishes, concentrating on prayer, and sincerely yearning toward the Zhenren is no different from going in person to the famous mountains. Whether the matter succeeds depends entirely on whether one’s heart is sincere, single-minded, and open; only when one seeks the Dao with firmness and uprightness can one obtain what one seeks.

Here ends the important content concerning inner Dao cultivation in the five hidden formulas transmitted by Chijiang Ziyu. You then bowed twice, respectfully received these essential instructions, and after returning devoted yourself to pondering them and practicing accordingly. You constantly dwelled in a quiet room, not pursuing fame or personal interests; afterward you consumed Poria and ate the essence of flowers and grasses and sweet, nourishing things. After accumulating this practice for eleven years, you could see light even when looking at things at night.

Later, you still did not stop cultivating. From your early years until you were twenty-three, the commandery summoned you to serve as Gongcao, but you did not respond to the summons. Soon afterward, the province summoned you to serve as Zhubu, and later you were transferred to Biejia; you were then recommended as Xiucai and went to Chang’an, where you were appointed Boshi, with an outstanding record of evaluation. After this you again served as Shangshu Xuancaolang, Yushi Zhongcheng, Sanqi Changshi, and Shizhong, and you went out to serve as Beijun Zhonghou. Because you achieved merit in campaigning against the Xiongnu, you were enfeoffed as Marquis of Suiyang. Later you were promoted to Cishi of Jizhou.

When Liu An went to take up the post of Biejia, you were forty-five. He first invited you to serve as Zhubu, and later you were transferred to Biejia. He too understood the immortal Dao and had long eaten Huangjing; for more than twenty years his body was light and vigorous and his face radiant. He often fasted with you in a quiet room.

In the first ten days of the first month, you bathed and fasted and cultivated in a quiet room. In the third month, suddenly an immortal came riding a white deer, accompanied by seven Jade Youths and seven Jade Maidens, descended from the sky, and stopped in the courtyard; others could not see them. You kowtowed and paid your respects, asking the immortal for instruction. The immortal said: “I am Chisongzi, Zhenren of the Southern Peak. I heard that you love cultivating the Dao, and so I came especially to visit you. What have you been practicing?” You knelt upright on the ground……

He stated the one hundred and twenty precepts he observed. Songzi (the name of an immortal) said: “Be diligent in the visualization of the Five Spirits (Wuling, deities associated with the five directions and the Five Phases).”

After conferring the True Dao upon him in detail, that man quietly departed. Thereupon the gentleman requested permission to resign his office, claiming that he was gravely ill and wished to go to Tai Shang (the Supreme Lord) to seek his mandate. He then abandoned his official post and family estate, left home to travel far, and sought this subtle Dao-method in famous mountains. Biejia (Assistant Governor) Liu Anzhi accompanied him.

At that time the gentleman was forty-five years old. The emperor summoned him repeatedly, but he refused to obey; as the emperor pressed him relentlessly, he traveled north to Mount Yangyu to escape the snares of the dusty world. Later he entered the Stone Chamber Cave north of the mountain to study the Dao, concentrating his thoughts, and his cultivation was all-encompassing. Liu Anzhi could not remain long in the mountains and often returned to the human world.

After this, the gentleman left taking Yunzi with him, climbed Mount Taihua, entered the Mysterious Stone Chamber of the Western Cave, and stayed there for twenty-two years. One day he suddenly saw five old men come to visit, all of them wearing headcloths. They performed grand obeisances and kowtowed to the gentleman, requesting the transmission of wondrous secret instructions. Then each brought out a numinous mushroom and bestowed it upon the gentleman, and they transmitted scriptures and Fulu (talismans and registers) to him.

One old man wore a green headcloth, green clothes, and leaned on a green staff; he wore the Talisman of Penetrating Light and Solar Rosy Clouds. He was the great deity of the Year Star (Jupiter) of the East. He bestowed upon the gentleman the Green Florescence Mushroom and brought out a one-volume green book, the Scripture of the Dao of Beginning Green of Purple Subtlety.

Another old man wore a dark-green headcloth, dark-green clothes, and leaned on a dark-green staff; he wore the Talisman of Dense Truth and Flute Phoenix. He was the great deity of the Northern Chenxing Star (Mercury). He bestowed upon the gentleman the Dark-Green Florescence Mushroom and transmitted four volumes of the Four-Volume Scripture of the Four Revolutions of the Central Mandate, the True Scripture of the Northern Dipper from the Upper Register of the Azure Origin.

The third old man wore a white headcloth, white clothes, and leaned on a white staff; he wore the Talisman of the White Spirit Supporting the Rare. He was the great deity of the Western Taibai Star (Venus). He bestowed upon the gentleman the White Florescence Mushroom and transmitted three volumes of the True Scripture of the Precious Mystery of the Jade Register of Great Simplicity.

The fourth old man wore a red headcloth, red clothes, and leaned on a red staff; he wore the Talisman of Four Brightness, Vermilion and Jade Green. He was the great deity of the Southern Yinghuo Star (Mars). He bestowed upon the gentleman the Cinnabar Florescence Mushroom and transmitted two volumes of the Elixir Scripture of the Dragon Embryo and Great Harmony.

The fifth old man wore a yellow headcloth, yellow clothes, and leaned on a yellow staff; he wore the Talisman of the Jade Gate of the Eight Dimensions of the Central Origin. He was the great deity of the Central Zhenxing Star (Saturn). He bestowed upon the gentleman the Yellow Florescence Mushroom and transmitted eight volumes of the Yellow Book of the Great Primordial and Upper Pivot of the Four Qi.

These five were the essences of the Five Planets and great deities of the celestial realm. The gentleman bowed again and consumed these mushrooms.

After Shenzhi recited the Shen Jing (Classic of Spirit) for ten days, he could see ten thousand li away, travel a thousand li a day, make himself invisible or visible, and command ghosts and spirits; thereupon he began to travel throughout the world.

He went east to Qingqiu (a legendary eastern region) and met Guxizi. Lord Qingdi (the Green Emperor of the East) bestowed on him Qingjing Rishui (Green Essence Sun Water) and had him drink it, and also had him eat qingzhi (green ganoderma). Afterward he returned to Taishan and met Lord Siming (the deity in charge of lifespans and registers), who bestowed on him the Shanghuang Jinlu (Golden Register of the Supreme Sovereign).

Shenzhi then went west to the bank of the White Water by the Flowing Sands, where he met Taishu Zhenren (the Perfected of Great Simplicity). Taishu Zhenren rode a dragon-shaped cloud chariot, wore a purple dawn scarf on his head, used purple feathers as his canopy, and held a seven-colored baton; more than two hundred divine youths and more than two hundred jade maidens accompanied him. The Zhenren was touring in the empty mountain above the White Water sandbar, where golden cities stood tall, jade bells rang, and splendid banners and pennants fluttered. Shenzhi could see the empty mountain, but no matter how he tried to go there, he could not reach it.

So he threw himself into the deep abyss, drifted across the White Water, braved great waves, crossed the steep sandy banks, and after nearly drowning several times, finally climbed onto the empty mountain. When he saw Taishu Zhenren, he kowtowed in salute and begged him to transmit the true secret. Taishu Zhenren smiled and said, “How perilous it has been! Only today have you truly obtained it.” He then personally transmitted to him the method of ingesting “Erjing Feihua, Shangben Riyue” (“Flying Flower of the Two Scenes, Ascending in Flight to the Sun and Moon”), and also bestowed on him the Taishang Yinshu (Secret Book of the Supreme), telling him, “These are already enough to make you a Zhenren.”

Shenzhi then stayed on the empty mountain to practice the “Erjing Yinti” (Two Scenes Drawing the Sun) method and recite the Yinshu, continuing for eleven years. Taishu Zhenren said, “Your Dao is now accomplished.” He then ordered an auspicious-cloud dragon chariot, equipped with a feather canopy and splendid ornaments, to carry Shenzhi to Taishu Palace to pay respects to the Sanyuan Jun (Three Primal Lords) of Shangqing (Highest Clarity). As for where Shenzhi was at that time, even he himself did not know.

The Sanyuan Jun resided in Taishu Palace, with more than a thousand immortal youths and jade maidens in attendance; in the palace, houses were made of gold and beds of green jade. Shenzhi came to the golden gate tower, bowed twice, and kowtowed in salute. The Sanyuan Jun bestowed on him a jade seal and the Jinzhen (Golden Perfection), and assigned twenty-four jade maidens and thirty-two jade youths to serve him.

Shenzhi then rode a flying-cloud carriage and traveled north to Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Palace to pay respects to the Four Zhenren of Taiji. The Four Zhenren bestowed on him the Divine Tiger Talisman and the Flowing-Gold Fire Bell. Next he went to Taiwei Palace to receive scriptures and was enfeoffed as Qingling Zhenren (Perfected of Pure Spirit), to govern Qingling Palace. He wore a Three Splendors jeweled robe, rode a flying-dragon luminous carriage, held a green banner, a jade battle-axe, and a seven-colored baton, and roamed among the Nine Palaces of Shangqing.

Xixuan is another name for Geyan Mountain. Geyan Mountain has three connected peaks...

The mountain in the west is called Mount Xixuan, the mountain in the east is called Mount Yujuegen, and the mountain in the center is called Mount Geyan; together they are known as the Three Mountains.

Each of the Three Mountains has a palace residence: Mount Xixuan has Qingling Palace, Mount Geyan has Ziyang Palace, and Mount Yujuegen has Jizhen Palace. The three mountains encircle one another and stretch for thirty thousand li, rising two thousand seven hundred li high. At the foot of the mountains is Dongting, which runs hidden underground and leads to Xuanzhou and the Kunlun Mansion.

At the foot of Mount Xixuan is a Cavern Terrace, a thousand li in circumference. Outside it are nine layers of golden city walls; within are jade halls, orchid chambers, and eastern and western palaces, where four hundred twenty Perfected (zhenren) dwell. The trees on the mountain are deep red or blue-green, and the grasses are zhiying (mushroom blossoms); among the birds and beasts are qilin and phoenixes. This place is seventy thousand li from Kunlun. In that region is Mount Gaohui, on which there are caves that shine like the sun. Mount Geyan, Mount Xixuan, and Mount Yujuegen are these three mountains.

The Daoist adept Zhi Ziyuan received from Master Jiang the method of entering the chamber for cultivation. He concentrated his mind in quiet contemplation, visualized the deities of the Five Numinous, and practiced the method of Qi-ingestion. “Visualization” (cunxiang) means contemplating deities while sitting quietly; “Qi-ingestion” (fuqi) is the cultivation method of regulating the breath and drawing in Qi. He often stayed alone in a quiet chamber in the middle of the night, sat upright and level, faced east, closed his eyes, and silently recited a spell:

“Cangwu Haoling, Master Shaoyang, please cause the nine Qi to return to my liver and bring peace to my hun and po souls. My name has already been recorded in the Jade Register of the High God; may I take my place in Taiqing (Great Clarity).”

After reciting, he held his breath for nine breaths, swallowed saliva nine times, and clicked his teeth nine times.

Then he faced south, closed his eyes, and silently recited:

“Above the Crimson Court and crimson clouds dwell the High Perfected. Please cause the three Qi to return to my heart and settle my heart-Shen. My name has already been written on the green immortal register of Taiwei; may I become an immortal.”

After reciting, he held his breath for three breaths, swallowed saliva three times, and clicked his teeth three times.

Then he faced west, closed his eyes, and silently recited:

“Suyuan Dongxu, the Cavernous Void of the White Prime, is where the celestial Perfected and divine spirits dwell. Please let the seven Qi guard my lungs and let the spirits dwell together with me. My name has already been recorded in the book of the Nine Emperors in white jade and golden characters; may I ascend and become an immortal, and may my name be erased from the register of the dead.”

After reciting, he held his breath for seven breaths, swallowed saliva seven times, and clicked his teeth seven times.

Then he faced the direction corresponding to the natal destiny of the year of his birth, closed his eyes, and silently recited:

“Yellow Prime Central Emperor and deity of my natal destiny, please let the one Qi guard my spleen and enable me to attain the Dao and become a Perfected. My name has already been written on Lord Lao’s mysterious register; may I become an immortal, long-lived and never aging, with a lifespan lasting as long as Heaven and Earth.”

After reciting, he held his breath for one breath, swallowed saliva once, and clicked his teeth once.

Then he faced north, closed his eyes, and silently recited:

“The Dark Prime North Pole is the pivot of the Most High. Please let the five Qi guard my kidneys and cause the turtle tally and jade tablet to appear. My divine name has already been recorded in the jade tablet; my lifespan shall equal Heaven and Earth. Please command the Six Jia deities and summon the Eight Majesties.”

Retain the breath for five breaths, swallow the saliva five times, then tap the teeth five times, and afterward sequentially visualize the Qi of the five directions. When all of this is done, swallow saliva nine more times, make two bows facing north, and silently recite the prayer: “I respectfully report to the Four Perfected Lords of the Supreme Taiji (Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate): please permit me to visualize the five numinous deities of the five directions, so that I may see them and speak with them.” After the prayer is finished, concentrate on the visualization.

This method first visualizes the five spirits and then performs Qi ingestion and silent prayer; it is the same as the method visualized in the courtyard. It is direct and concise, not cumbersome, and better suited to seated meditation and reflection. Lord Pei later solemnly transmitted this set of methods as well: when praying in a quiet chamber, one should also first visualize the five spirits within the body, have them each settle into their positions, and only then ingest Qi. The courtyard method has many steps and is not easy to practice; nor is it as rapid as the quiet-chamber method in eliciting responses from the deities. The essential instructions transmitted later should be treasured and not passed outside; the courtyard method, by contrast, is used to encourage beginners so that they do not become lax. Strictly speaking, cultivation in the quiet chamber is the key method.

Zhi Ziyuan once received from Master Jiang the transmission of the fifth oral instruction: on the days of the eight seasonal nodes (Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice), he was to visualize and recount the extent of the faults he had committed since establishing himself in life, sincerely write them out, and report them; he was to pray that the Celestial Emperor and all the Perfected would instruct and protect him, so that he might restrain himself and turn to the good path in quest of longevity and immortality.

At the autumn equinox, the Qi of heaven and earth is clear, bright, numinous, and harmonious; it is a day when Yin-Yang are balanced. All the Perfected and immortals hear cases on this day. The earthly officials who investigate wrongdoing and the various immortal officers of regional jurisdictions also report the merits and demerits of Daoist priests everywhere, as well as common people who are guilty and should die or who should be allowed to live. The True Record of Immortal Taboos says: “If you wish to ascend to heaven, be cautious on the day of the autumn equinox. Transgressions, whether great or small, will all be reported; seeking immortality while carrying transgressions makes the immortal path very difficult.” Therefore, those who resolve to study the Dao should keep this in mind with vigilance. This is an important admonition from Mr. Zhongyang of Zhuhuo Danling.

At the autumn equinox, the climate is harmonious and day and night are equal; the Qi of heaven and earth also tends toward smoothness. The Qi of blazing fire diminishes as the myriad things wither, while Mysterious Water (water symbolizing Yin Qi) nourishes fluids, allowing the myriad things to gestate and grow within Metal Qi. The light of the Great Yang (Taiyang) gradually transforms into the Qi of Lesser Yang (Shaoyang), and heaven and earth thereby store and nurture the myriad things. This seasonal node regulates the alternation of hard and soft, causes the two Qi of Yin and Yang to proceed in order and light to circulate, and thereby distinguishes the three primes of Yin and Yang (Yin, Yang, and their union and transformation). It becomes a marker of the eight seasonal nodes and an important step in seeking the Dao. Whenever this day reaches noon, the High Sovereign Great Emperor Lord ascends the Jade Throne…

The Guanghan Shangqing spiritual dwelling, the gate-towers of the Great Void, the Cinnabar City and Purple Terrace, and the Long Brocade Jade Towers are places where the assembled Perfected gather. The assembled Perfected meet at the Taiwei Observatory and above report to the True Sovereigns of the Nine Heavens; the Three Laojun of the Most High, the Perfected of the North Pole, and the great deities of the Eight Seas below summon the venerable spirits of those who attained the Dao in the Five Peaks and famous mountains. Together the assembled deities come to Yangliao Palace to deliberate and determine the sins and blessings of the myriad people under Heaven.

They determine the diligence or laxity of those who study the Dao and seek immortality, and also determine the dates of their transgressions, the good and evil of their cultivation, and the categories of punishment. The circumstances of life and death of sentient beings are all recorded separately according to the jurisdiction of the divine bureau to which they belong and their root origin, and Siming (the deity who governs lifespans and registers of destiny) registers them in the Imperial Register. Sins and blessings, even to the most minute degree, are engraved in the registers of Dancheng (Cinnabar City); hidden evil deeds and small good deeds done in secret—not a thread or strand of them escapes detection.

On the night of the autumn equinox, at midnight, one should go to the center of the courtyard, face north, remove one’s head covering, bow twice, and then kneel upright for a long time to report to the Most High, the North Pole Heavenly Emperor, and the Great Emperor Lord. Then one privately states the number and extent of the faults one has committed since first taking bodily form, asks for forgiveness, and declares that from now on one will reform and renew oneself. The words spoken must come from a sincere heart; one swears an oath to Heaven and Earth and pledges not to do evil again. While stating them, one should clearly express what is in one’s mind.

After speaking, one prays that the Most High Emperor erase one’s name from the record of offenses and transfer the document to the Three Officials (Sanguan, the divine bureaus in Daoism governing Heaven, Earth, and Water), so that one may enter the register of immortals, be listed in the jade tablets, and gain the qualification for long life and enduring vision, penetration of the true Dao, and communion with the spirits. Then one clicks the teeth four times, bows twice, and returns to the quiet chamber to reflect deeply on one’s faults; at the same time one visualizes the deities of the Three Primes and has them submit a report to the Most High on one’s behalf. Doing this three times, one’s name can be entered in the immortal register and one’s guilt can be eliminated.

The Three Primes referred to here are the three deities in the Niwan, Jianggong, and Dantian. The practitioner visualizes these three deities reporting to the Heavenly Worthy (Tianzun), requesting a gracious pardon and helping one state one’s faults, so that the matter will certainly reach the heavenly hearing. After three submissions, at the autumn equinox the register of life will be fixed and the name of death will be removed. This method comes from the Jingming Qingtu (Green Diagram of the Classic of Destiny) and is a secret method for long life.

Although people in the world may harbor thoughts of the Dao, they have not yet left the human realm and often have many faults; those who have transgressed are not merely one or two, so it is probably still unsuitable for them to immediately practice this autumn equinox method of confessing one’s faults. Only those who enter the mountains and forests, distance themselves from worldly affairs, dwell alone in purity and quiet, and no longer harm the myriad beings may practice it. Since one has already spoken words of turning toward the good and made a vow to reform, then these words have already…

The ears and eyes of Heaven above—the inspection of the divine luminaries—are cautious and strict; one must no longer allow oneself to commit evil deeds or do anything that harms life. Committing grave sins brings ten kinds of faults; Heaven and Earth will not rescue one, and death will finally be the punishment. By then it is already too late to reform and make amends. To seek the Dao (the Way) through such conduct is to have no way to attain it. The way of nourishing life is like water and fire intermingling: if one complies with it and gains its benefit, one may ascend to Heaven in broad daylight; if one violates the precepts, one’s body will sink into the Nine Springs.

This day is especially important among the Seven Festivals. Zhao Boxuan called it the “gate of life and death.” The Three-Nine Plain Words says that the day of autumn judgment is when high and low gather together and life and death are determined. The ancients fixed the autumn equinox as the day of autumn judgment because on this day the assembled Perfected of the Nine Heavens and Eight Earths, the deities, and the supreme sovereigns of the upper realm gather in one place for three days and three nights to deliberate together on the lifespans of the myriad people. Many come to take part in the deliberations, and the divine venerables are also present.

On the days of the Eight Festivals, the assembled Perfected officials of Heaven and Earth also come to the assembly in order; for three days and three nights around the festival they remain, and afterward each returns to the office to which it belongs. This is a secret orally transmitted by Lord Zhi. There is another matter that also belongs to the rules of the Seven Festivals. The Golden Root Jing of the Divine Youth Who Watches the Night says: the days of the Eight Festivals are important gatherings for seeking immortality, and the Heavenly Mandate and all the Perfected attend. On the day before the festival, the myriad spirits go to the Heavenly Gates; at noon on the festival day, the venerable ones enter for audience in sequence; on the day after the festival, sins and blessings are determined separately. Only after three days and three nights are the celestial affairs concluded.

You should carefully avoid sin and do more merit, for only then will you have the renown to be listed among the Upper Perfected. My words are not idle talk; those who understand their deep meaning should strictly keep the secret, quickly reform and confess their faults, and also guard it carefully, not leaking it easily. These too were admonitions of Lord Zhi, who transmitted this matter to Lord Pei.

Taisu Zhenren (the Perfected of Great Simplicity) taught Lord Pei two methods for becoming a Perfected. One of them is this: at dawn, when the sun has just risen, face the sun, close the eyes, and hold the breath ten times; then swallow sunlight ten times. Visualize the sunlight transforming into rosy radiance that enters the mouth, and then swallow it. After that, visualize in sequence the Five Emperors of the Five Directions coming from the sunlight: the Azure Emperor Lord comes to the left, the Vermilion Emperor Lord to the right, the White Emperor Lord behind, the Black Emperor Lord onto the left hand, and the Yellow Emperor Lord onto the right hand. When the Five Emperors have all arrived, continue the visualization...

The “Solar Mirror Crimson Cloud Chariot,” drawn by nine dragons, came before me from within the sunlight. Then I rode with the five Heavenly Lords, racing toward the sun. Lord Pei dwelled on an empty mountain, devoting himself to cultivation and quiet contemplation: after one year he faintly saw their forms; after two years all five Heavenly Emperors appeared beside him riding the form of the sun; after three years he could converse and laugh with them all day long. By the fifth year, the Sun Lords of the Five Emperors had Lord Pei mount the flying dragon chariot with them and head east to the “Heaven of the Sun Cavern” within the sun, arriving at the palaces of Dongmeng, Changqiu, and Dasang and the City of the Eight Poles; they ascended the Terrace of Illuminating Truth and sat within the Xilin Hall. They bestowed upon Lord Pei the “Chapter of Wielding the Spirit” and the Talisman of the Nine Existences, and also had him eat Green Essence sun-cakes and drink Cloud-Blue Mysterious Nectar. Thereafter Lord Pei went roaming with the Sun Lords of the Five Emperors every day. This is what is called the “Way of Racing to the Sun.”

Within the sun there are also Five Emperors, one of whom is called the Sun Lord. The Middle Section of the Secret Book of the Supreme says: “If you wish to cultivate into a Perfected Person, you should visualize the Sun Lord driving dragons and using phoenixes as his carriage, riding the cloud-light of heaven as he travels east through Xilin and finally enters the Emperor’s Gate. If you concentrate your thoughts, you will obtain the essential instructions for cultivation; without troubling to record names, you may be enrolled among the numinous ranks of Shangqing (Highest Clarity) and become a Perfected official.”

The second method of becoming Perfected is to face the moon at night, gaze at it with eyes open for a while, then close the eyes and hold the breath nine times; next swallow moonlight nine times, while visualizing the moonlight entering your mouth and swallowing it down. After that, visualize in sequence: the Consort of the Green Emperor comes from the moonlight to your left, the Consort of the Red Emperor to your right, the Consort of the White Emperor behind you, the Consort of the Black Emperor onto your left hand, and the Consort of the Yellow Emperor onto your right hand. When the five Emperor Consorts have all arrived, visualize the “Flowing-Bell Flying-Cloud Chariot,” drawn by ten dragons, coming before you from the moonlight; the five Consorts mount the chariot together and race toward the moon.

Lord Pei dwelled on an empty mountain, devoting himself to cultivation and quiet contemplation: after one year he faintly saw their countenances; after two years all five Consorts appeared beside him riding the form of the moon; after three years they conversed and laughed with him; by the fifth year the Moon Consorts of the Five Emperors rode with him on the flying dragon…

Riding an immortal chariot westward, one arrives at the Gate of the Six Ridges, the Hill of the Eight Networks, the Palace of Concordant Dawn, and the City of Eight Radiances; ascending the Terrace of Seven Spirits and sitting in the Hall of Great Harmony, one receives from Pei Jun (the name of an immortal) the “Chapter of Meteoric Night Radiance” and the Ten Radiance Talismans, eats immortal foods such as Yellow Jade and Purple Nectar, and drinks the cloud paste of lunar efflorescence. Thereafter, one can each night roam together with the Five Ladies. This is the so-called “Way of Running to the Moon.”

Within the moon there are also the Consorts of the Five Emperors. What the Outer Classic calls the “Sun Lord and Moon Consort” is roughly similar to this. The middle chapter of the Supreme Secret Book says: “If you wish to ascend to Heaven, you should visualize the Moon Consort: riding ten flying dragons and driving a chariot of flowing bells westward to the Six Ridges, then entering the Imperial Hall. Concentrate your thoughts, and you will see the Celestial Emperor holding court on high; afterward recite the Jielin Chapter.”

By day Pei Jun single-mindedly visualizes the sun, facing the sun and visualizing the Five Emperor Lords within it; by night he single-mindedly visualizes the moon, facing the moon and visualizing the Five Ladies within it. After persisting for five years, the divinities within sun and moon will descend together, share a flying dragon with you, and roam the Great Mystery (Taixuan).

When one first begins the practice, the forms of the Five Spirits will appear, and one will be granted scriptures and numinous mushrooms. When the cultivation is complete, the Five Emperor Lords and Five Ladies of sun and moon will follow in chariots, causing the practitioner to travel on clouds, go to Taidan to have audience with the Three Primals, and bow before the Golden Palace. Thereafter one can obtain the jade seal and Golden Perfected, command the assembled deities, and employ Jade Maidens and Jade Youths; one pays homage northward to the Four Perfected, receives scriptures, wears the Divine Tiger Talisman to subdue the stern Six Heavens, receives the flowing golden bells to summon all essence-spirits, and holds the green banner-staff to patrol the Nine Palaces.

All this comes from sincere and subtle visualization, and from profound resonance reaching upward to the heart of Heaven; thus the divinities descend to assist one and cause one to ascend to the celestial court. For a Daoist adept practicing this method, reaching this stage is sufficient; one need not necessarily become an immortal.

If one lives in a secret chamber, or when the sun and moon are not visible so that one cannot face them, it is enough simply to visualize and recollect them in the mind; there is no need to wait until the sun and moon can be seen. Nevertheless, seeing them with one’s own eyes and facing them is best. The key lies in single-minded recollection and exhausting one’s mental effort; then there is nothing that cannot be communicated through resonance. The so-called linmu refers to the state in which the eyes are about to close but have not yet closed. Simply let yourself see a little of the light and shadow of sun and moon; one should practice secretly and not let others know. Even if one is in the same room with others, as long as one visualizes secretly in the mind, those nearby will not notice. All matters should be treated with this kind of caution; this is not the only practice of which this is true.

Seeking long life and preserving life—the key lies in the mind; the three Dantian are within a few inches of the body. Therefore, phenomena such as dragons transforming and cicadas molting are all based on “one…”.

The Ba Su Jing (Eight Simplicities Scripture) says: “To become an immortal, one must cultivate and learn from within. When the mind is sincere, one can become an immortal. In seeking the Dao (the Way), one must apply effort inwardly; when the inner mind is quiet and still, the Dao will come. In seeking glory and splendor, one must pursue outwardly and speak out to ask; only then can one become distinguished. In seeking wealth, if the mind is stirred and desires arise, then when the inner mind is still, wealth will instead gather. Stillness and action have different functions, but what cultivation should focus on is guarding the spirit-mind amid employment and application.”

Taisu Zhenren (the Perfected One of Great Simplicity) said: “There are also many who wish to become true immortals yet do not know this path. If one wishes to mount radiance and soar, ride the clouds and ascend into the sky, unite with the essence of the sun and moon, roam beyond the Nine Heavens, dine on auroral mist and drink the mysterious (absorbing auroral Qi and mysterious Qi), and breathe the Great Harmony (harmonized and pure primordial Qi), then one cannot but cultivate this wondrous Dao. This Dao is also easy to cultivate and brings rapid results. Among the many Perfected, some do not know it; when they see me riding the clouds, carrying the sun and moon, and traveling with the Five Emperors and Five Ladies, all of them respect and draw near me and come to seek instruction. Yet I have not transmitted this Dao to them.”

The Neishi Zhongfang (Inner Visualization of the Central Method) says: “If you wish to walk through the void, you should constantly visualize the sun and moon; if you wish to ascend to the clear and cold realm, you should visualize the Five Planets. Cultivate in a sealed chamber and practice secretly; do not let the method be spoken outside the courtyard. This is what is called the way of cultivation.”

All those who guard the Dao, as well as those who study the Dao, seek immortality, and cultivate with sincere devotion, may practice this Dao. After successful cultivation, they can ascend to Heaven and become immortals. In cultivating this Dao, one need not wait for a Perfected to lead one; one should practice alone. You have the bone and nature of an immortal. If you cultivate secretly, you will surely be able to discard vanity and maintain caution, not recklessly transmit or disclose it; this is why I teach it to you.

The Huang-Lao Miyan (Secret Sayings of Huang-Lao) says: “If you obtain Yuyi and Jielin (the divine names representing the sun and moon respectively), you can become a Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Perfected; only after obtaining the Dadong Zhenjing (Great Cavern Perfect Scripture) can you fly in Shangqing. Without these three secret texts, you cannot pay homage to the Sanyuan Jun (Lords of the Three Primes). The essential oral formula for becoming an immortal is entirely here. Immortal youths should cultivate even more diligently; among the middle-grade immortals, none know this Dao. It is transmitted only by mouth and ear. Those who understand this Dao, whether worthy or foolish, can ride the clouds, ascend to Heaven, and command ghosts and spirits. All the immortals have sworn an oath and agreed that it must not be disclosed carelessly; otherwise they will suffer the calamity of extermination of their lineage. What is called the orally transmitted secret formula is precisely the Huang-Lao Miyan.”

Lord Pei was commanded to remain on the empty mountain, where he devoted himself to recollection and to practicing the two methods of visualization and active performance. Within five years, he was able to see the essence of the sun and moon and the consorts of the Five Emperors, and he read the Hidden Writings and the talisman called “Nine Existences and Ten Brightnesses.” After eleven years of cumulative cultivation, Taisu Zhenren came and announced: “You have already become a Perfected.” He then granted him a dragon chariot equipped with a feather canopy, allowed him to roam with the essence of the sun and moon and to ride together with the Five Emperors, and had him go to Taisu Palace to pay homage to the Shangqing Sanyuan Jun.

After receiving the transmission of the Jade Seal and the Golden Perfection (Jinzhen), one may obtain an escort of twenty-four Jade Maidens and thirty-two Jade Youths. Traveling north to the Taiji Palace and the Taiwei Palace, one may be ranked among the Qingling Perfected (Qingling Zhenren).

The Perfected Taisu (Taisu Zhenren) said: “You should visualize the solar Jing—that is, contemplate the Jing and Qi of the sun. The Lords of the Five Emperors hold the Taishang Yuyi Wen (Supreme Yuyi Text) in their mouths. Only after successfully cultivating this method can you see the Lord within the sun. Without doing so, you will merely exhaust your Shen (spirit) and trouble yourself to no purpose.”

The Perfected Taisu also said: “You should visualize the lunar Jing—that is, contemplate the Jing and Qi of the moon. The Moon Consorts of the Five Emperors hold the Taishang Jielin Zhang (Supreme Jielin Chapter) in their mouths. Only after successfully cultivating this method can you see the Lady within the moon. Without doing so, you will merely wound your heart to no purpose.”

These two instructions are the essential teachings that the Perfected Taisu transmitted to the Great Emperor Lord (Taidi Jun).

The Taishang Yinshu (Supreme Hidden Book) says that during visualization one should hold the scripture in hand; the Emperor Lord, however, says to hold the scripture in the mouth. When the Perfected Taisu taught Lord Pei (Pei Jun) the practice, he adopted both methods: during visualization he held one scripture in his mouth and another in his hand, carrying out both at once.

The Taishang Yinshu says: “Anyone who wishes to cultivate this method may do so, whether foolish or worthy; the only difficulty is that this scripture does not exist in the mortal world. Only after a Perfected Official has initiated the oath by the mysterious method will this Golden Elixir covenant be transmitted, and only then will the requisite conditions for cultivation be complete. Only after establishing the covenant of green silk may this Dao be proclaimed. Those who obtain and cultivate it are ranked among the Perfected; they ride the Bujing Cloud (Pacing-the-Light Cloud), drive feathered banners and jade wheels, roam the Nine Heavens, and go to the Taiji Palace to pay homage to the High Sovereign Lord of the Upper Origin (Gaohuang Shangyuan Jun).”

Lord Pei first received in secret these two scriptures, the Taishang Yuyi Wen and the Taishang Jielin Zhang; afterward he observed ritual fasting and only then was able to visualize the Jing of the sun and moon. Only those whose names are entered in the immortal registers and the bone records can see these two scriptures; those who see them may become immortals, and those who cultivate according to them may become Perfected. The two scriptures Yuyi and Jielin, together with the Dadong Zhenjing (Great Cavern Perfected Scripture), are classics secretly treasured by the Four Perfected of Taiji and precious books cherished by the Shangqing Heavenly Emperor.

Beneath Xixuan Mountain, in the Cavern Terrace, these scriptures are stored, engraved on jade slips and written in golden characters; in the Qingxu Cave of Wangwu Mountain, the chapter titles of Yuyi and Jielin can also be seen, but they are not complete. Only on the golden pillars and jade walls of the Gaoshang Terrace of the Daxuan Palace and the northern chamber of the Penglai Prefecture is the engraved content complete and fully arranged. With focused visualization and practice day and night, one can complete the cultivation after eleven years. The practice period is roughly the same as that for cultivating the Dongjing (Cavern Scripture).

These two texts are the root of the Dongjing and the scope and foundation of the Suling Jing (Suling Scripture). Immortals of ordinary lower rank have not heard the chapter titles of Yuyi or the secret essentials of Jielin. Those who obtain and successfully cultivate this Dao can all succeed quickly and will not meet with trials. They can also summon the divine spirits of….

The key to testing whether one's cultivation of the Dao is on the shortcut and whether one can quickly grasp the essential precepts lies in obtaining the secret scripture of the Dadong as soon as possible.

Wonderful! Those who are not enrolled in the register of immortals should not hear this book at all. Even if they hear or see it, they must never presume to tell it to anyone; otherwise, the officials, Jade Women, and Jade Youths (immortal attendants) who serve the Perfected at one's side will each be reduced by ten, and heavenly fire will descend and cause the scripture to be destroyed and lost. If one leaks the book to two or more people, one will be unable to complete the immortal Dao.

According to the precepts governing leakage of the Dong scriptures, the punishments differ according to the severity of the leak: one will diminish the immortal attendants serving the Perfected, and the penalty is ten times that stipulated in the Dadong scripture precepts. Cultivators on earth who have the bone physiognomy for immortality and obtain this book must all serve as masters who transmit it. Men are titled "Jianling Dafu"; women are titled "Zhiming Dafu." Men are called "Left"; women are called "Right."

One should respectfully announce to the Danfu (a ritual talisman used in Daoist ceremonies): "The great Yuyi (essence of the sun), wondrous practice; the Jielin (deity of the moon) chapter. None but the highest Perfected may see it; none but the highest immortals may hear it. Thereby one may command the spirits of the sun, moon, and Five Essences, ride a dragon through the sky, tread upon colored clouds, and straightway ascend with the Five Emperors into the Heavenly Gate."

Those who obtain and hear this book must be cautious and must not speak recklessly. After departing this world, only if one can present the covenant gold may the essential precepts be transmitted to a disciple sincerely oriented toward the Dao; but the chapter titles must not be spoken. The Jade Youth reports upward that if the scripture is leaked, one will be examined and punished and will never become an immortal in this lifetime. Once the Jade Youths and Jade Women leave, they will not return, and the scripture will certainly be lost; because of this one will be punished by the Three Officials (Sanguan), who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water. You must be cautious: leaking the scripture is a sin.

It is said that this passage was carved on the door pivot of the stone chamber of the North Cave on Mount Emei, and the inscription reads: "Yuyi draws in the solar essence; Jielin summons the lunar deity; when one attains the Dao, one is ranked among the upper officials, with the title Dafu Zhen." There are twenty characters in all. Lower immortals read them without understanding their meaning; immortals have their own methods, and thus many can cultivate the Dao even without having seen the chapter titles.

The Jinye Jiudan (Golden Liquid Nine Elixirs), a cultivation method centered on golden liquid and elixirs, is probably only a minor art and cannot cause a person to ascend. If anyone leaks the Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing (The True Scripture of the Great Cavern of Highest Clarity), according to the Xuanzhong Code (a Daoist disciplinary code) one ji (twelve years) will be subtracted from one's lifespan, and the serving Jade Youths and Jade Women will each be reduced by one. If one leaks it three times, one will be executed and die, unable to become an immortal again, and one's cultivation of the Dao will ultimately never succeed.

If one leaks the Taishang Yuyi Wen and the Jielin Zhang, the serving Jade Youths and Jade Women will each be reduced by ten; heavenly fire will burn one's house, and the scripture will also be lost in the fire and then return to Heaven. If one leaks it again, one will be executed and die, unable to revive, and one's cultivation will ultimately be unable to attain immortality. Those who leak the scripture or recklessly discuss its chapter titles will all be examined and punished by the Three Officials and the master. When the master departs this world due to karmic circumstances, sometimes returning to the underworld or hiding his traces and transforming, even then there must still be transmission.

If there is no suitable recipient, the recipient should carry the scripture with them; all recipients must use azure-gold elixir threads (azure-gold cinnabar silk symbolizing the covenant oath) as a token, swearing before heaven and earth to guarantee that they will neither leak nor publicize it. Only after the covenant has been established may this book be transmitted. The master must also report this matter upward, announcing it clearly and registering it before the sun and moon. Anyone who does not act according to these regulations is counted as recklessly disclosing the Dadong Zhenjing (Great Cavern Scripture).

The Dadong Zhenjing is the precious book of the Central Huanglao Jun (Yellow Old Lord). Unless one is a superior adept who has cultivated the ultimate truth and whose name is inscribed in the jade registers, one may not see its chapters and catalog; even among true immortals there are those who have never heard of it. Originally it was stipulated that it could be transmitted only once every hundred years. Even when the scripture may be transmitted, its chapter titles must not be spoken casually.

The Most High’s Yuyi Jielin Wenzhang (Yuyi and Jielin are divine names associated with the sun and moon) expounds methods for cultivating the Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit) of the sun and moon, enabling a person to ascend to the sun and moon, communicate with heavenly light, and fly through the great void. Practitioners ride cloud chariots and drive flocks of dragons, ascending into the Purple Court of Imperial Heaven (the celestial palace).

The Dadong Zhenjing expounds the way of audiences with the spirits and the methods for summoning spirits and cultivating into a Perfected. Practitioners ride clouds and drive dragons, leap and soar within the mysterious void, wear embroidered feather robes, are adorned with golden perfection and jade radiance, travel far into the Great Rosy Clouds, and ascend to the Nine Heavens.

These two books are secret methods treasured by the Heavenly Emperor, subtle and unfathomable. Even Taizu Zhenren (the Perfected of Great Simplicity) concealed their chapter titles and spoke only in general terms of these two matters, which shows how strict the secrecy is; people of the world should all the more not know their specific order. If someone is destined to encounter and obtain this book, then so long as they are utterly sincere and love the Dao, they may still practice it. This book has its own specific tenets, so they will not be explained one by one here. The titles of the true scriptures received by Lord Pei are listed as follows: the Zhizi Yuanshen Jue (Secret Formula of the Original Spirit) in five sections, which Master Jiang secretly preserved and used (it is said to have been transmitted in a secluded room and secret chamber in the Buddhist pagoda south of Xianyang city); one scroll of the Ziwei Shiqing Daojing (Scripture of the Dao of the Original Azure of Purple Micro) transmitted by Lord Qingdi (Azure Emperor); four scrolls comprising the Cangyuan Shanglu Beidou Zhenjing (True Scripture of the Northern Dipper in the Superior Register of the Azure Origin) and the Zhongming Sixuan Jing (Scripture of the Four Revolutions of Central Destiny) transmitted by Lord Cangdi (Green Emperor); three scrolls of the Taisu Yulu Baoxuan Jing (Precious Mystery Scripture of the Jade Register of Great Simplicity) transmitted by Lord Baidi (White Emperor); two scrolls of the Longtai Taihe Danjing (Elixir Scripture of the Dragon Embryo and Great Harmony) transmitted by Lord Chidi (Red Emperor); eight scrolls of the Siqi Shangshu Taiyuan Huangshu (Yellow Book of the Great Origin of the Superior Pivot of the Four Qi) transmitted by Lord Huangdi (Yellow Emperor); the Tongguang Yangxia Fu (Talisman of Penetrating Light and Solar Rosy Clouds) transmitted by Lord Qingdi; the Yuzhen Xiaofeng Fu (Talisman of Profound Perfection and Flute Phoenix) transmitted by Lord Cangdi; the Haoling Fuxi Fu (Talisman of the White Spirit Supporting the Rare) transmitted by Lord Baidi; the Siming Zhubi Fu (Talisman of Four Brightness, Vermilion and Green) transmitted by Lord Chidi; and the Zhongyuan Bawei Yumen Fu (Talisman of the Jade Gate of the Eight Dimensions of the Central Origin) transmitted by Lord Huangdi.

The above ten kinds of written talismans were received by Lord Pei in the Dongxuan stone chamber on the western side of Mount Taihua.

Gu Xizi received The Azure Essence, Sun Water, and Azure Flower Ganoderma from the Azure Emperor Lord at Qingqiu (an immortal mountain in the east) and practiced according to it.

The Supreme August Golden Register was transmitted by the Lord of Destinies at Mount Tai.

The Perfected of Great Simplicity transmitted The Supreme Text of Yu Yi, The Supreme Text of Jie Lin, and The Supreme Hidden Book on an empty mountain on the White Water sandbar.

The Lord of the Three Primes of Shangqing transmitted The Jade Seal of Golden Perfection beneath the Golden Gate of the Palace of Great Simplicity.

The Four Perfected transmitted The Divine Tiger Talisman and The Flowing-Gold Fire Bell in the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Palace.

The Five Emperor Lords in the Sun transmitted The Chapter of Wielding the Spirit, The Talisman of the Nine Realms, The Azure Essence Sun-Cake, and Cloud-Green Mysterious Richness; the Consorts of the Five Emperors in the Moon transmitted The Chapter of Meteoric Night Light, The Talisman of Ten Brightnesses, The Cake of Yellow Jade and Purple Essence, and Moon Flower Cloud Paste.

The above is the catalog of the various scriptures and Fulu (talismans and registers) received by Lord Pei.

Lord Pei transmitted the method of ingesting Poria to Zhi Ziyuan. This method was transmitted by Master Jiang of Mount Jiao.

Take five jin of Poria, wash it carefully and remove the outer skin, crush it and sift it finely, then place it in three dou of white honey and hold it in a bronze vessel; if the bronze vessel cannot withstand heat, a pottery vessel may also be used. Place the medicine vessel inside a large cauldron, add water to the cauldron to about half the height of the medicine vessel. Heat the cauldron over a gentle fire; after the water boils, turn the medicine vessel repeatedly so that the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Boil for a time, until the white honey has melted and the medicinal liquid has been boiled down. Take out the medicinal material, place it in an iron mortar, and pound it thirty thousand times, until it can be kneaded into pills. Take thirty pills each time, each pill the size of a wutong seed.

The original text states that after taking it for one hundred days one may remove all kinds of illness; after two hundred days one can write at night; after two years one can command ghosts and spirits; after four years Jade Maidens attend and guard one; after ten years one can see objects at night with light, can become invisible and visible, and attains long life and enduring vision. After taking it for one year, all kinds of calamities cannot harm one, and illness no longer intrudes; one’s complexion returns to that of an infant, the skin becomes full and moist, white hair turns black again, and there is light in the eyes.

Before compounding the medicine, one must observe a three-day purification fast. During decoction, it should be done in a concealed place; do not let women, chickens, or dogs see it, and do not let impure things contaminate the medicine. Five jin of Poria with three dou of white honey make one preparation; while decocting, cover the medicine vessel with a wooden lid.

Note: Poria is a common Chinese medicinal herb; the claims in the text about effects after taking it belong to the Daoist ingestion claims stated in the original text. The original text breaks off here after “cover the medicine vessel with a wooden lid.”

During boiling, do not leave the pot open. During the boiling process, stir the medicinal ingredients; open it only after the medicine is fully cooked. Use good firewood and charcoal, not unsuitable brushwood or grass. Watch it carefully while boiling and constantly attend to the heat and the condition of the medicine. When you wish to combine the two medicines, the amounts must also be carefully weighed. After the medicine is cooked, make it into pills in advance and store them in a sealed container; they can be preserved for a thousand years without spoiling.

The hu-ma (sesame) method that Lord Pei (an immortal in Daoist legend) used was transmitted by Zhi Ziyuan; it was taught by Mr. Jiang to Master Zhi on Mount Huangjin Biezu.

Take three dou of plump hu-ma (sesame), whether yellow or black, winnow it carefully, and remove impurities. Roast it over a gentle fire until the fragrance is fully released and the material is dry, then pound it finely into powder; do not sift it. Take three dou of white honey, steep the sesame powder in the honey, and stir it evenly. Then place it in a vessel, put the vessel in water in a cauldron, and boil it in the same way as the Poria preparation described above. Watch the heat; when the water has boiled off and the medicinal material can be pounded, take it out, pound it thirty thousand times, and make pills the size of paulownia seeds. Take thirty pills each morning until one course is finished. The scripture says that after taking it in this way, the intestines will transform into sinews, one will not know cold or heat, the complexion will return to youth, and one can command the myriad spirits.

Mr. Jiang took only these two formulas. Later he rose through the clouds, underwent transformation, and ascended to heaven; in the space of a breath he could reach distant places, and he came and went without obstruction. Riding a host of dragons, he went to court the Imperial Perfected and became the patriarch of the immortals.

The sesame must be winnowed clean.

These two formulas differ slightly from ordinary medical books; they are Lord Pei’s secretly transmitted formulas, said to have proven efficacy. The text says that when the body originally has no depletion or injury and one is still young, one should take the Poria formula; after thirty, one should take the sesame formula. Mr. Jiang said that these two formulas are essential methods of nourishing life for wealthy households and secret treasures for long life and immortality. The Baoxuan Jing says: “Poria treats youth; sesame treats old age.” Both formulas should be accompanied by fasting and taken in the early morning; honey, Poria, and sesame are blended into one, causing Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) to return to the treasure—this is what is called “returning Jing to the treasure.” The expression “Hui Li Hua Yu” (floral nectar and blossoming richness) here refers to honey, “Fire Essence” to Poria, and “Water Treasure” to sesame.

Lord Pei took it in his youth, so he used the Poria formula. The two formulas have the same effect and are said to be wondrous formulas that make one long-lived and deathless and enable one to become an immortal. If household resources are sufficient, one may double the amounts of both Poria and sesame, boil them together with honey, pound them, and make pills; this is even better and can be taken by both old and young. Poria and sesame need not be prepared separately. These two formulas...

Master Jiang transmitted [the teachings] to Master Zhi separately in different places, so that he would not grasp everything all at once. Thus it was that, with regard to the fuling of Mount Jiao, the method could be handed down; and with regard to the sesame of Biezu, the method could also be brought to light. The esoteric writings of Daoist methods cannot have their roots fully clarified in a single stroke.

As for Master Zhi’s transmission to Lord Pei, he too once poured out all the profound words from his satchel and book-box, expounding to the full the secret instructions of the mysterious and the true. He did this so that people might turn back in reflection and observe clearly. The Heavenly Record (the register listing the names of immortals) must already know of this; by rights, should he not have become an immortal perfected?