《雲笈七籤》Vol. 12

The art of nourishing life is not complicated: follow the natural course of things, remain calm and simple, and focus on holding fast to your aspirations.

One need only practice the Dongxuan Lingbao Yupian Zhenwen (here referring to the Huangting Jing) and also cultivate the Eight Radiant Spirits within the body.

The Yuwei Jing says that the five viscera contain eight great spirits who guard Taiyi, while eight envoys preside over the days marking the eight seasonal divisions. When the Eight Trigrams align with Taiyi, they form the Nine Palaces. Beyond the Nine Palaces are the Twelve Towers, which refer to the throat. In the navel dwells Lord Taiyi, who governs human life. He is also called Central Ultimate, Great Abyss, Kunlun, and Special Pivot, and he governs the twelve thousand spirits within the body.

The twenty-four perfected beings arise from nature. Heaven has twenty-four kinds of true Qi, and the human body has them too. They are distributed among the three Dantian (energy centers). Each of the three Dantian has eight perfected beings, making twenty-four in all; they are transformations of the natural Dao-Qi.

Raise both hands high and follow Wuwei (non-action), and the hun and po souls will settle. Whether walking or sitting, forget the body and set aside discriminating thoughts. Once the mind and spirit are calm, they will appear and speak with you. The “you” meant here is the Perfected Being of the Yellow Court.

The Perfected Being of the Yellow Court dwells between the curtains of the Purple Chamber. The Purple Chamber, also called the Crimson Palace, is where the young boy of Red City resides. When visualizing the spirits within the body, one may imagine them dwelling in such a place.

The Eight Radiant Spirits and the twenty-four perfected beings protect the body, harmonizing and gently regulating the true Qi in the three Dantian and five viscera, so that one does not suffer illness or calamity.

After burning incense, press your palms together before the Jade Radiance. The Jade Radiance is the space before the canopy: the Heavenly Court between the eyebrows. It is where the spirits gather and where the Primordial Perfected Being dwells. In visualization, begin by contemplating the face.

The spirits all enter together through the Jade Pivot Gate of the Great Chamber. The Dongfang Jing says that in Heaven there are the Great Chamber, the Jade Chamber, and the Cloud Court, where the Central Lord Yellow Elder resides. The Jade Chamber is also called the Purple Chamber and the Crimson Palace; together, these are known as the Luminous Hall. Above it is the canopy. The eastern and western palaces are connected, linking the left and right Yellow Courts…

The parts and deities mentioned above, such as the Jade Pivot and the Central Hub, are already present within the human body.

To study the principles with insight and remain calm and detached is to cultivate the ground for the Dao.

When you study with full attention and remain serene, the true Qi circulates within you.

Turn your gaze inward and look closely with a concentrated mind, and you will see the true Shen.

Enter a state of stillness and visualize the deities within your body, as though the hundred spirits were arranged there in dense ranks.

The perfected person—the one who has attained the Dao—is within you. There is no need to seek outward.

The Jade Calendar Scripture says: “Laozi is the soul of Heaven and Earth, the sovereign of the Dao of Nature, and ever attends the Lord of the Dao. Such a presence is also found within the human body.”

Why travel to distant places in search of an opportunity?

The Dao Scripture says: “The Great Dao flows everywhere and can be found at your very side.” This means that the Great Dao is not far away.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Concealing the Shadow

Conceal your shadow and hide your traces, setting yourself apart from worldly people.

Those who study the arts of immortality draw in their radiance and conceal their brilliance, revealing no trace or sign.

Nourish Jing and Qi until the lips are rosy.

The skin becomes soft and smooth as water, and the body light and graceful, like that of an unmarried maiden.

Guard the Way of nature and life, and settle into emptiness.

Keep the heart empty, still, and serene: quiet and at ease, without reckless action.

Once your name is entered in the registers of Shangqing, the roll of the dead will be cleared of it.

You can then join the ranks of the perfected and receive a wondrous immortal name.

The Three Spirits—the deities in the body’s three Dantian—find peace in secluded cultivation.

Nourish yourself through Wuwei, and the spirits will be at ease; govern the state without disturbing the people, and the people will be at peace. Here, “Three Spirits” refers to the deities in the three Dantian.

In an instant you can roam freely, with every worry dispelled.

“Sudden and swift” means moving with great speed; “without remaining worries” means that sorrow in the heart has been relieved.

As soon as the feathered robe is properly donned, the winds from the eight directions clear the way.

“Eight Winds” means the winds from the eight directions, which sweep a path for immortals. “Feathered robe” is the attire of immortals. The Precious Text of Shangqing says that immortals wear five-colored feathered robes; the Feathered Scripture of Flight says that the Perfected One, Taiyi, wears a nine-colored, cloud-borne feathered robe. Both are garments of the immortals.

Ride the Three Pure Clouds, the cloud vapors borne by immortals, and travel amid the dawn clouds.

This describes the outward journey of an immortal. The Three Clouds and Nine Rosy Clouds are both cloud vapors on which immortals ride.

The golden carriage stands upright and still, accompanying the procession of a king.

The Scripture of the Primordial Register says that the Mysterious Spirits of the Nine Heavens of Shangqing are attended by eight sages and ride in a dragon carriage drawn by nine phoenixes. Jade carriages and golden chariots, too, are vehicles used by immortals.

Why not climb a mountain and recite my scripture?

Here, “scripture” refers to the Scripture of the Yellow Court.

The mountain is secluded and still; it is where the perfected dwell.

Entering the mountains to cultivate the Dao is not difficult. Why hesitate?

This challenges cultivators whose resolve is weak.

The human world is noisy and confused, foul and decayed, and fit only to be rejected.

“Rag” means worn-out cloth; here it describes the filth and decay of the human world.

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Five Phases

The Five Phases shift and transform in relation to one another, ultimately returning to “the One.”

The Five Phases are Water, Fire, Metal, Wood, and Earth. They generate one another: Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, and Metal generates Water; Water then generates Wood again, continuing in an unending cycle. They also overcome one another: Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, and Earth overcomes Water; Water then overcomes Fire again, in another endless cycle. This is the pattern by which the Five Phases shift and transform in relation to one another.

“Returning to the One” refers to the number associated with Water. Among the Five Phases, Water comes first and is the root of all things. The Dao Jing (Classic of the Dao) says, “The Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to the myriad things.” The Yi Jing (Classic of Changes) also says, “The Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) gives birth to the Two Modes.” The Taiji is the One; the Two Modes are Heaven and Earth, which in turn give birth to the myriad things. When the myriad things reach their end, they ultimately return to the One. The One may also be called “Nonbeing”: it is where all things take shape and where they return at their end. This is why it is called “returning to the One.”

The Qi of the Three and Five joins together, while the Qi of the Nine Palaces moves in rhythm.

The Xuanmiao Jing (Classic of Mystery and Wonder) says that the Three are the sun, moon, and stars in Heaven, known as the “Three Lights”; pearls, jade, and gold on Earth, known as the “Three Treasures”; and the ears, nose, and mouth in the human body, known as the “Three Sources of Life.” Heaven, Earth, and humanity each have three components, and each component contains the Five Phases; hence they are called the “Three and Five.” They are the Jing and Qi that sustain the natural order. Together, the three sets of Three form the Nine Palaces.

The Qi contained in the Three and Five accords with the categories of all things and brings them into harmony. It enables Yin and Yang to move and transform, and allows Heaven and Earth to cover and support all things. The light that reaches across the four seas, wind, rain, thunder and lightning, the four seasons, cold and heat, coolness and warmth, the clear and turbid Qi, and every kind of living thing all depend on the action of the Three and Five. Thus the Way of Heaven is not distant: the movement of the Three and Five cycles without end. The Three and Five are the pivot of Heaven and Earth’s movement and the point where the Qi of the Six Directions—above, below, and the four quarters—converges. The Qi of the Nine Palaces moves in rhythm; nine times nine, or eighty-one, makes one section, or cycle.

One may employ the Eight Arts of Hidden Earth and Return.

Within the Nine Palaces are methods of concealment and transformation. The Taishang Basu Benchen Yinshu (Supreme Book of the Eight Purities, Hastening to the Dawn and Concealed) calls these methods the “Eight Arts.” The Taiwei Balu Shu (Methods of the Eight Records of the Taiwei) also says that within the Taiwei are three rulers: the Sovereign of the Great August, the Sovereign of Heaven, and the Lord of the Yellow Elder. The Jing and Qi formed by the gathering of the Qi of the Three Origins enter and leave the Palace of Great Purity in the Upper Clarity realm. Those who can visualize and hold these presences in mind may attain long life.

The hidden gate of the crouching ox lies deep within, arranged in sequence.

“Crouching ox” symbolizes the kidneys, which are known as the “Hidden Gates.” The Zhonghuang Jing (Classic of the Central Yellow) says that the left kidney is the Mysterious Wonder Lord and the right kidney is the Mysterious Origin Lord. Through visualization, one can see them arrayed in sequence.

From here the light of the Three Luminaries appears, illuminating the boundary between life and death.

Heaven has three bright things: the sun, the moon, and the stars. The human body has three bright places: the ears, the eyes, and the mouth. Earth has three bright things: patterns and markings.

“Zhanghua” is the boundary between life and death. The character “ji” is pronounced “jie.”

Within the Grotto Chamber, the spirit abode inside the body, spiritual images correspond to the Northern Dipper, the sun, and the moon.

Visualize the Three Lights—the sun, moon, and stars—within the Grotto Chamber. The Grotto Chamber and the Hall of Light, both names for spirit abodes within the body, have already been explained above.

The father is called the Mud Pellet, the spirit abode in the head; the mother is called the Female One, an inner spirit associated with the feminine and with stillness.

The Hall of Light contains ruler and ministers; the Grotto Chamber contains husband and wife; and the Dantian (energy center) contains father and mother. The brain spirit within the Mud Pellet is named “Dao.” The Dao Jing (Classic of the Dao) says, “Know the masculine, keep to the feminine.” Here, “the feminine” means practicing Wuwei (non-action) and holding fast to the One.

The radiance of the Three Lights shines into the chambers of the body, enabling one to see clearly in every direction and pass through without obstruction.

Those who can preserve the wondrous, true Dao can accomplish everything.

The Zhuangzi says, “Be attuned to the One, and all things can be accomplished.”

Do not let the spirit of your body be lost. Keep it constantly in mind and never abandon it, even for an instant.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Soaring High

Soaring high amid the sun and moon is the highest path of my practice; the Dao I cultivate is the Dao of a ruler.

The Shangqing Purple Text Method for Swallowing the Sun’s Qi is also called the Scripture of the Red Elixir, Golden Essence, Stone Radiance, Water Mother, and Jade Womb. In practice, one generally faces east just as the sun rises, clicks the teeth nine times, then quietly recites the names of the sun’s soul—that is, the titles of the Five Emperors within the sun:

“Sun Soul, Pearl Radiance, Shining Veil; Green Reflections, Returning Rosy Clouds, Red Child; Dark Flame, Whirling Image.”

After reciting these sixteen characters, close the eyes and clasp the hands firmly, drawing the mind and body inward. Visualize the five-colored flowing clouds of rosy light within the sun approaching and joining with you. Then imagine the sunlight and rosy clouds entering the mouth together.

The Shangqing Purple Book also gives a method for swallowing the moon’s vital essence. When the moon has just risen, face west, click the teeth ten times, then quietly recite the names of the moon’s soul—that is, the titles of the Five Ladies within the moon:

“Moon Soul, Warm and Serene, Fragrant and Radiant; Veiled, Vast, Graceful, and Void; Orchid Fragrance, Blossoming and Rising; Pure Gold, Clear, Bright, and Luminous; Pure Countenance, Distinct and Radiant.”

After reciting these twenty-four characters, close the eyes and clasp the hands firmly. Visualize the five-colored essence within the moon entering the mouth together.

The moonlight also contains a yellow breath, as large as an eyeball, called “Flying Yellow.” It is the vital essence of the moon’s radiant jade womb. Those who can practice this method will be able to ascend between the sun and moon and become immortals.

Yu Yi, the immortal who soars to the sun, and Jie Lin, the immortal who soars to the moon, are skilled at supporting one another.

Voices of the same kind respond to each other, and breaths of the same kind seek each other out; thus these two immortals come to assist one another.

In this way, one can behold the Venerable Lord of Voidlessness in the Jade Clarity realm, a revered Daoist deity.

Ascend above the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and unite with the Dao.

In this way, one can restore youthful features and replenish the brain’s essence and blood.

When the hun and po souls return to a state like that of an infant, one can become a perfected person. Hold a wondrous radiance in the mouth and carry the Five Emperors, the gods of the five directions. Exhale clouds of five-colored Qi, their light shining in all directions, and roam through the six realms—the heavens and earth and the four quarters—with the Five Emperors and Lord Lao.

Wear a tiger-shaped Fulu at the waist and a golden pendant; these are garments of the immortals. The Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ones says that the Yellow Lord Lao of the Center wore a dark dragon and divine tiger Fulu at his waist, tied on a bell of flowing gold, and held a purple-haired staff and Fulu.

Ride the wind and Qi, suddenly setting out for Eastern Meng, where you meet the Qi of long life and feast as you roam. Here, xu describes setting out abruptly on the wind; some accounts say it is also the name of a dragon. Eastern Meng is a mountain in the immortal realm of the Eastern Sea. “Joining with life” means continuing long life and connecting with the Qi of life.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Mysterious Origin

Above the Mysterious Origin—the root and source of the Dao—the hun and po souls undergo refinement and nourishment. Use the One to refine the spirit, so that, once cultivated, the spirit returns and unites with the One.

The One cannot be seen all at once. “One” is a term used to speak of “nonbeing”; only through a tranquil and detached mind can one attain it. Even when you know you have attained it, you still cannot see it.

Only upon reaching the state of utmost perfection can you look back and perceive it. Hold fast to true intent and let the mind become full: then the One will naturally return to you.

In cultivation, one must above all avoid contact with the Qi of death and with all kinds of filth and base things. Whether refining flying elixirs, preparing medicines, practicing breath cultivation, or swallowing rosy clouds, these methods all forbid seeing corpses or becoming tainted by defilement. This is a general rule observed by those who cultivate life. The utmost Dao is originally empty, open, and formless; it makes no distinction between purity and impurity. But until people reach the true state, purity and impurity remain distinct. Once such distinctions arise, the mind produces judgments of right and wrong, and the outer world displays the difference between life and death. Thus people regard purity as the seat of vitality and defilement as the seat of deathly Qi. This is why they must be avoided in the cultivation of life.

The six spirits gather and dwell in peace within a body and mind that are empty and still. The six spirits, along with the spirits of the Six Jia, Six Ding, and Six Palaces, are all believed to reside within the human body. When body and mind are empty and still, they are peaceful and content; otherwise, they become troubled and restless.

Gather the fluids into pearls to secure and protect Jing, and nourish the root of Shen. “Forming pearls” means swallowing the fluids in the mouth in sequence, as though pearls were strung together. “Securing Jing” means not dissipating it carelessly. The “root of Shen” refers to the human body. Shen is to the body as a ruler is to a state: people depend on the ruler for their livelihood, while the ruler depends on the people as the foundation. Since they depend on one another, the ruler should nourish and govern the people well.

Keep the jade bolt and golden lock firmly in good order at all times. The Daoist Scripture says that one skilled at closing a door can make it impossible to open without using a bolt. “Yue” means a key; “zhu” may mean a spoon or a device like a door bolt.

Close the mouth, curl the tongue, and swallow the embryonic fluids—the term used in cultivation for the fluids in the mouth.

Rolling the tongue guides the body’s fluids, gathering them so they can be swallowed and transforming the body into a “womb immortal.” Hence they are called “womb fluids.”

In this way, I was able to complete my cultivation and gain the ability to ascend and become an immortal.

This is the result of accumulating merit over a long period, cultivating diligently, and maintaining a sincere and reverent heart.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Immortals

Immortals and those who cultivate the Dao are not born with supernatural powers. They acquire these abilities through study and cultivation.

Only by storing up Jing and Qi and cultivating without cease can one realize the true Dao.

Some versions omit this line, and consequently lack its commentary.

The wondrous sound of the Yellow Child is difficult to hear.

“Yellow Child” is another name for the Perfected One of the Yellow Court, also called the “Youth of Red Citadel.” The “wondrous sound” here refers to the mysterious voice uttered by the Perfected One of the Yellow Court.

The jade book and red bamboo slips are inscribed with vermilion elixir script.

The Yellow Court Scripture is also known as the Book of the Great Emperor in Gold and as the Jade Chapter of Donghua.

The text says that the Perfected One wears a golden headcloth.

Here, “Perfected One” refers to the Yellow Child. Gold is associated with white and, in the directional arrangement of the Five Phases, corresponds to the west and governs the lungs. The lungs belong to white, while the heart lies above them; hence the Perfected One is said to “wear a golden headcloth.” The Scripture of the Nine Perfected Ones records that the Azure Emperor wears a robe of blue jade brocade, a skirt of deep blue silk, a hibiscus-colored elixir crown, and a golden headcloth. Yuan Yangzi also says that the Perfected One aligns with the Horse position, dwells in the Rat position, steps on the Rabbit position, and wears the Rooster position; Rooster belongs to Metal.

Bearing the armor spirits on one’s back and holding Fulu (talismans and registers) in one’s hands can open the body’s seven orifices.

The Lord Lao’s Talismans of the Three Divisions of the Six Jia records the names of the Six Jia spirits: Jiazi, Spirit King Wen Wenqing; Jiaxu, Spirit Zhan Zijiang; Jiashen, Spirit Hu Wenchang; Jiawu, Spirit Wei Shangqing; Jiachen, Spirit Meng Feiqing; and Jiayin, Spirit Ming Wenzhang. Visualizing the names of these Six Jia spirits can clear the seven orifices and help ward off illness.

When the fire-soldier talismans and diagrams are complete, they can guard the numinous passes.

Talismans such as the Red Edict for Slaying Evil are said to command the Three-Five Fire Soldiers. A spirit invocation for guarding the numinous passes says: “In the south, the three Qi of Cinnabar Heaven stream forth in radiance; the Luminous Star turns and shines, illuminating the Sun. Above is the Red Essence, the Numinous Child who opens the light, commanding all the fire soldiers to stand guard over the three palaces.” The fire soldiers mentioned here are divine troops belonging to the Three-Five method.

“Talismans” include the Eight Su, Six Spirits, Yang Essence, Jade Embryo, Refining Immortals, Yin Essence, Flying Radiance, Yellow Splendor, Central Radiance, Inner Transformation, Dongshen, and Inspecting Heaven talismans. “Diagrams” include the Diagram of the Great One’s Union of the Three and Five, the Diagram of Yin and Yang Above and Below of the Six Jia, the Diagram of the Six Jia Jade Maidens Who Communicate with the Spirits, the Diagram of the Great One Perfected One, the Diagram of Bathing at the Eastern Well, the Diagram of Lord Lao’s Inner Vision, the Diagram of the Eight Historians of the Western Ascent, the Diagram of the Nine Transformations Containing Radiance, and the Diagram of the Red Realm. These talismans and diagrams can guard the “numinous passes,” meaning the passages within the body known as the three passes, four passes, and so forth.

The deities are depicted as divine soldiers wielding swords, a hundred zhang tall and brandishing embroidered banners.

The divine soldiers’ banners and swords resemble ten severed streams of Qi, whirling in the air, surging and twisting, tangled together in confusion. The atmosphere in the sky is bright and dazzling, with Qi streams sweeping and circling. Fire bells tower into the clouds, while ranks of troops descend like mist. This is the scene of Metal Essence and Fire Bells reaching high into the clouds, with troops arrayed in formation and descending like mist.

The force of gathered clouds is placed at the Yellow Gate, the area between the eyebrows. When visualizing the fire troops, their presence is all within the Celestial Court. The Celestial Court is also called the Yellow Gate, meaning the space between the eyebrows.

These are not minor details of cultivation; they are its very foundation.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Purple Clarity

The Great Lord of the Dao, Supreme Emperor of Purple Clarity, is also called the Jade Dawn Lord.

“Great Mystery” and “Great Harmony” are honorific titles for the perfected immortals who attend him.

The Qi of the Dao transforms and gives birth to all things, enabling me to become an immortal: this is the power of the Dao’s Qi. Riding a jade wheel, one ascends beyond the ten heavens, traveling in a chariot driven by swift winds.

For seven days and nights without interruption, contemplate the Great Dao and do not sleep. With utmost sincerity, you can resonate with the Great Dao. If you can cultivate in this way, you will endure for a long time.

The way to prolong life and become an immortal requires accumulated merit and practice; it does not come about naturally. This state can be attained only through learning. It depends both on sincerity and on single-mindedness. Hold fast to the One without wavering, and the Way can be attained. Only when the mind holds firm is one truly genuine; do not stray from the methods of cultivation. When the mind is empty, still, and tranquil, the spirits will naturally appear, for they respond within emptiness and stillness.

Chapter Thirty: The Hundred Grains

The seeds of the hundred grains are the essence of the earth. The fruits of plants and trees are called “grains” and belong to the Yin category.

Though the five flavors may seem pleasant, they contain impure and disruptive Qi. They are not the truly clear and empty vital energy. Their flavors disturb the spirits and deplete the embryonic Qi. Here, “embryonic Qi” means flavorless, natural, and pure Qi. Qi cultivation includes a method called embryonic breathing. “Loss” means depletion.

How could one expect in this way to regain the vigor of youth? This refers to white hair turning black and fallen teeth growing back. According to the commentary, this sentence should follow “preserve the spirits within oneself.” Inserted here, it does not fit the surrounding text.

When the Three Hun are confused and unsettled, the Po also decline and collapse. “Huh-huh” means not tranquil; “decay and collapse” means to deteriorate.

Why not take in the essence of Great Harmony? This urges people to cultivate the way of taking in Qi. In this way, one can escape death and enter the state of Yellow Tranquility. “Yellow Tranquility” means that the Way of the Yellow Court has been perfected.

Chapter Thirty-One: The Heart Canon

The Heart Canon is the ruler of the whole body and the king of the five organs.

The Shen (spirit) receives things through emptiness. The heart is the dwelling where the Shen resides, and is therefore called the “king.”

Whether active or still, keep the mind focused, and the Dao and De (Virtue/Power) will function. When the Qi is pure and clear, its radiance naturally appears. This comes from constantly keeping the mind focused.

Whether sitting or standing, I am with you among the beams and pillars. “I” refers to the Cinnabar-Origin Youth, the spirit that dwells in the heart. The Shen takes the body as its house, so it is said to share the house’s beams and pillars with the person.

By day, it shines forth; at dusk, it closes and withdraws. The Zhuangzi says, “When awake, the body stretches out; when asleep, the hun and po souls come together.” Here, this means that the Shen and Qi are revealed during the day and gather inward, hidden from view, at night.

Let the flower essence flow freely and harmonize Yin-Yang. The opening and closing of the heart’s Shen correspond to the eyes: when the Shen expands, the eyes open; when it gathers inward, the eyes close. Day belongs to Yang and night to Yin, so they must be harmonized.

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Course of Experience

It travels through the Six Directions, then lies hidden at mao and you. During the day, the Shen and Qi move through the Six Directions—the space between Heaven and Earth, above and below, and the four quarters. At mao and you, the hours of early morning and evening, they turn inward and gather. The heart’s Shen alternates between activity and withdrawal, giving rise to the transformations of Yin-Yang: it moves and appears by day, then lies hidden at night.

The spirits of the two kidneys govern longevity. The kidney spirit is named Dark Mystery, with the courtesy name Nurturing Infant. It corresponds to the north and governs the night. Those who can restrain their Jing (essence) can live long. The Commentary of the Old Man by the River says, “The kidneys store Jing.”

Turn the Yang Qi downward to accord with the Dipper, and store the Qi of the Initial Nine. “Nine” is a Yang number; “the Dipper” refers to the Northern Dipper, and also to the North Pole Star. The North Pole Star belongs to Yin, so the descending Yang Qi joins with Yin. The Book of Changes says, “The primal power of Qian is without a head.” Here, “without a head” means to withdraw and remain hidden.

Know strength, yet keep to weakness, and you can avoid growing old. Keeping to softness means gathering and preserving Yang Qi.

Know the way of brightness and see what is dark; then quickly sit in stillness and hold to it. The Daoist Scripture says, “Know the masculine, keep to the feminine; know the white, keep to the black.” These sayings all point to withdrawing inward and storing Yang Qi.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Liver Qi

Liver Qi is vigorous and abundant, clear and enduring. The liver is located in the east; the east belongs to Wood, and Wood governs spring’s growth, the root of the Qi that brings forth life. “Clear and enduring” describes a bright complexion and a long, steady breath.

Array the Six Organs and bowels, and the Three Lights arise. Keep in mind the Qi of growth spreading throughout the five viscera and six bowels, shining in orderly array like the sun, moon, and stars. Here, the “Three Lights” are the sun, moon, and stars.

Let the heart’s essence be clear and the intent focused, so the inner self does not waver. This means keeping to the unity of the Dao.

Above, it joins with the Qi of the Three Burners; below, it becomes Jade Nectar. When liver Qi rises, it joins with the Qi of the Three Burners; when it descends, it transforms into Jade Nectar, the saliva in the mouth.

Body fluids are like Yin energy: when they rise, they become clouds; when they descend, they become rain. Rain nourishes all things, while jade nectar—the fluids in the mouth—nourishes the body’s limbs and bones, as well as its nine orifices. The dark fluid within the body moves like cloud vapor and can dispel internal stagnation and impurity. When true Qi circulates throughout the body, it helps avert calamity and illness.

Let the fluids within the body nourish the hair and teeth, and refine and cultivate the Qi of the five directions, which correspond to the five organs. Clouds move and rain falls, reaching everywhere; here, “the five directions” means the five organs. To gather the fluids, first let them pass from Xuanying, a place in the upper throat, into the Hall of Light. The route for swallowing the fluids leads downward from Xuanying through the throat. The throat is also called the “layered tower.” Below it is the Hall of Light; below the Hall of Light is the Grotto Chamber; below the Grotto Chamber is the Dantian (energy center). These belong to the inner landscape of the body’s middle region.

As the fluids pour down through the throat, the spirit becomes clear and accessible. A person’s life and vitality rest on fluids and true Qi. When sitting quietly, let the mind attend to the Canopy of Flowers, which refers to the lungs, while the spirit roams through the Noble Capital, which refers to the Dantian. The lungs are above the liver, and the Dantian is called the Noble Capital.

The Three Emperors—the Dao Lords in the three Dantian, also called the Perfected Ones—sit serenely on cool seats, while their breath drifts through the three Dantian. Liver Qi is linked to the essence of the eyes, which is why it is said to occupy a cool seat. The Qi of the five organs mingles and rises, transforming into lush clouds of five colors. Close the eyes and turn inward in contemplation, and the five organs can be seen. With regular visualization, they seem to appear clearly.

Let the spirits within the heart honor one another. The Red Citadel Youth and the Perfected Ones of the five organs unite like matching tallies, sharing mutual reverence. When the essences of the seven orifices flow freely, the Gate of Life opens. When Qi circulates unimpeded, one can understand the Way of Heaven and hold fast to the mysterious root. The body is the foundation of cultivation.

Even at the age of one hundred and twenty, one may still recover. Cultivate without delay and do not miss the opportunity. To begin guarding the Dao after this time is truly difficult, for death is already near. Only by waiting until the Ninefold-turned Eight-Jade Elixir—the fabled divine elixir—is perfected can one attain longevity. In his Treatise on the Nine Elixirs in the Baopuzi, Ge Hong says that he had examined thousands of writings on nourishing life and methods for lasting vision and longevity, yet all regarded Returning Elixir and Golden Liquor as the key. The Scripture of the Yellow Emperor’s Nine Tripod Divine Elixirs likewise says that after taking the elixir, the Yellow Emperor ascended to immortality, enduring as long as Heaven and Earth, and rode clouds and dragons in and out of the Great Clarity. The minerals used in the Eight-Jade Elixir include cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, azurite, sulfur, mica, Rong salt, and saltpeter.

One should also focus the mind on the Seven Primordial Ones, the seven star deities or spirits within the body in Daoist teaching.

Even when taking the divine elixir, one must also practice the cultivation methods taught in the Scripture of the Yellow Court. “Seven Primordials” refers to the seven stars and to the true spirits in the body’s seven apertures. The Five Emperor Primordial Lords, the White Primordial Lord, and the Unblemished Lord also belong to the Dao Lords of the Seven Primordials. The Secrets of the Grotto Chamber says that when visualizing the Seven Primordials, one should recite the incantation: “Return to the source and vanish from sight; open and release the seven celestial bodies.” Here, “seven celestial bodies” means the Seven Primordials.

The essences of the sun and moon can keep a person from growing old. The left eye belongs to the sun and the right eye to the moon. The eyes govern the liver; the liver corresponds to the Wood phase in the east, and Wood corresponds to spring, which symbolizes the force of growth and renewal. Thus it is said that the essences of the sun and moon can aid those who are old and frail.

Liver Qi circulates through the body without ceasing. The Zhuangzi says that the human body is like a piece of firewood that keeps burning and passing on its flame: when life is nourished, it can continue.

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Lung

Lung Qi drives the Triple Burner—the upper, middle, and lower burners in Chinese medicine. The Central Yellow Scripture calls the lungs the head of the Triple Burner. Here, “Lung Qi” means the movement of breath. Since the breath begins its movement in the Triple Burner, the text says, “the Triple Burner begins.” There are many accounts of the Triple Burner; here the author uses the term for the connected passages in the upper part of the body. “Burner” means heat and refers to the hot Qi of the liver, heart, lungs, and head.

Observe subtle changes and watch the Child Spirit. “Child” here refers to the spirit of the heart, also called the Child in the Red Citadel. Yuan Yangzi says one should visualize the Child descending from Li, one of the Eight Trigrams, which symbolizes fire. Another interpretation holds that “Child” means the eyes. To judge whether someone is alive or dying, press a finger against the corner of the eye and observe its lustre: if it shines, life remains; if it does not, life is nearing its end.

Harmonize the refined Qi of the Five Organs so that the hair and teeth receive its nourishment. “Five Blossoms” refers to the Qi of the Five Organs. The Immortal Scripture says that one should comb the hair often and tap the teeth often.

Swallow the saliva in the Jade Pool thirty-six times. “Jade Pool” means the mouth and is also called the “Blossom Pool”; the gallbladder is called the “Middle Pool,” and the womb the “Jade Spring.” Swallowing the saliva in the mouth down to the Dantian is like watering the body’s numinous root.

This allows the hundred channels throughout the body to flow freely and sets Qi, blood, and saliva in motion. The complexion then glows with a lustre like polished gold and jade; the joints also become free flowing, the teeth firm, and the hair black rather than white, so that one returns to youth.

When visualizing these true spirits, do not let the mind wander. Guard them with focused attention, and they will not be lost. Always remember that within the Lung Palace there is a seat where the spirits dwell. “Palace” here means the Lung Palace, the dwelling place of the spirits. The Central Yellow Scripture says that the lungs are the head of the Triple Burner and the abode of the Mysterious Elder Lord.

The spirits gather together and seek one another out; the perfected beings assemble, ready to ward off invading wicked essences.

During visualization, calm the spirit in the Palace of the Spleen as though a feathered canopy were sheltering a house, and direct your awareness upward toward the liver and lungs. The spleen corresponds to Earth. It occupies the center between the Dantian and the Yellow Court, and is associated with Wu and Ji.

Pay homage to the sun, joyfully meeting with the immortals. This refers to the soul and spirit joining with the immortals. According to the Scripture of the Sublime Numina, among the Highest Gods and Immortals are the Lord of the Sun, the Lord of Lesser Yang, the Lord of Great Emptiness, and the Lord of Vast Purity. The gathered immortals take the Dao as their source, wandering freely and delighting together.

Make the spirit manifest, while the Eight Powers—the eight kinds of guardian spirits—suppress disorder and drive away evil. The Declarations of the Perfected records that the Northern Emperor’s incantation for slaying ghosts names such spirits as the Seven Regulators, the Eight Numina, the Most High Bright Fierce One, and the Great Beast with a Long Skull. It also mentions spirit-kings bearing the Emperor’s Bell, the White Owl, and the Three Spirits’ Might-Swords. These spirits protect the righteous Way and expel harmful forces.

The spleen spirit returns to the stomach. Its name is “Ever-Present,” and its courtesy name is “Soul at Rest.” The spleen grinds and transforms food, aiding digestion, which is the stomach’s function. The Central Yellow Scripture calls the stomach the “Great Granary,” the storehouse within the abdomen.

Nurture the spiritual root with focused attention, and life will not wither. The spleen is called the Yellow Court and is the root of the person. Devotedly tending it can prolong life and bring one to the state of the immortals.

Seal the Gate of Destiny and preserve the Jade Capital. Yuan Yangzi says that the Gate of Destiny is the Lower Dantian, where Jing and Qi enter and leave. Regulate the Qi below and guard its source. “Jade Capital” refers to the body, where spirits gather, like a capital city in which the spirits assemble.

In this way, the myriad spirits receive blessings, and life is extended. “Zuo” means to bestow a blessing or repay a kindness: the spirits, nurtured in this way, return the favor and bring long life.

This is the principle of the spleen occupying the Central Palace and governing the center. The spleen rules the Central Palace and belongs to the Virtue of Earth; the spirits of the five viscera and six bowels take it as their master.

Unite upward with the Gate of Heaven and enter the Bright Hall. This refers to visualizing the Qi of the five viscera and six bowels joining above with the Gate of Heaven. The Gate of Heaven lies between the eyebrows, at the Heavenly Court; a point one inch inward from between the brows is called the Bright Hall.

Keep to the way of the yielding feminine while also visualizing the firm, masculine force; above the head are the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars. A Daoist scripture says, “Know the masculine, and keep to the feminine.” The feminine means gentleness and stillness; the three lights are the sun, moon, and stars.

The Bright Hall is square on the outside and round within, and the spirits dwell there. Its square exterior and round interior describe the form of the Bright Hall, where the spirits reside.

When Qi and blood flow freely and the five viscera are full, the expression is calm and the heart at peace. This brings the sinews and bones, the marrow, the body’s channels, and its nine orifices into harmonious balance.

The spleen protects and nourishes the seven orifices, driving away inauspicious forces. By grinding and transforming food and aiding digestion, the spleen also helps make the ears and eyes keen and perceptive.

The sun and moon move in separate courses, together forming Yin-Yang. The sun belongs to Yang and symbolizes men; the moon belongs to Yin and symbolizes women. When these two forces unite, they give rise to the subtle jade essence.

The Yin and Yang Qi between men and women are natural bodily fluids. They are light and tasteless, yet can serve as nourishment for cultivating life in both humans and Heaven. Even when Shen and Qi meet, one should also appreciate this flavorless flavor.

The Child Cinnabar—meaning a perfected person, and also the true Qi in the Dantian—brings forth nourishment, pure in taste and yellow in color. The “nourishment” here is Qi: the perfected Child Cinnabar brings forth the true Qi within the Dantian. The spleen belongs to the center and to the color yellow; it can transform and digest the Qi it receives.

This true Qi is also called Langgao and Jade Frost, names for the forms taken by bodily fluids and vital essence.

The Highest One dwells hidden within the surrounding Eightfold Plain Jade Liquids. This refers to the tiered pavilions of the Crimson Palace, the abode of the heart spirit. There are twelve encircling tiers, which signify the throat; within them are the Eightfold Plain Jade Liquids.

The Jade Liquids moisten and nourish the eight fluids, while the kidneys receive the vital essence. After the bodily fluids are swallowed, they flow into the kidneys and transform into Jade Essence.

When vital essence lies concealed in Great Yin, one can see one’s own image. “Great Yin” here means the Cavernous Chamber; seeing one’s image refers to visualizing the form revealed by the Jade Liquids.

As the breath of wind rises, three mysterious Qi emerge from the azure beginning. “Rising wind” refers to Qi responding and stirring. Yin Qi, Yang Qi, and harmonizing Qi unite as the three Qi. They give rise to the myriad things through a subtle process, hence the name “Three Mysteries.” At their birth, the myriad things are azure in color. The Scripture of Great Peace says that when clear Qi gathers, it forms the color azure.

Amid the indistinct, the breath produced by Yin and Yang is subtle and clear.

Seated in stillness on the Whirling Terrace, where immortals gather, one can see something red come into being. Qi that is harmonized and free flowing transforms into the Red Child, the perfected person.

By withdrawing from the world and nourishing true Qi, one can naturally nurture the flourishing of life.

Turn your gaze inward and remain still, and you can refine and cultivate the Five Forms—that is, the human body. By observing the body within, Shen and Qi can endure.

When the three breaths circulate to and fro, one can attain divine illumination. The “three Qi” here are the Qi in the three Dantian.

The hidden dragon, the concealed lingzhi, and the cloudlike Langying all relate to vital essence within the human body. The Scripture of the Immortals says that the liver and gallbladder belong to the Azure Dragon, hence “hidden dragon.” The five viscera, nine orifices, and eight channels are the body’s lingzhi, hence “concealed lingzhi.” The bodily fluids transformed from spleen Qi are called “cloudlike Langying.”

Once one has cultivated to the point of being able to live on Qi, it can dispel hunger; after completing the work, one can also command ghosts and spirits.

Above is a covering canopy of mystery; below hangs a tiger-shaped talisman. These are garments and ritual implements used by immortals. The Scripture of the Primordial Register says that immortals have canopies made of dark feathers and jade seals bearing the divine tiger.

Bathing, Chapter Thirty-Six

Bathing should be accompanied by cleanliness, while rich and greasy foods and pungent foods should be avoided. Here, “abundant” means “clean”; “rich” refers to fish and meat, and “aromatic” refers to the Five Pungent Foods.

After entering the quiet chamber, face east and recite the Yupian.

This is because the Great Thearch, the Celestial Emperor of the East, dwells in the east.

After reciting it about ten thousand times, its meaning will naturally become clear.

Cultivation does not depart from oneself.

Only by loosening your hair and setting aside desire can you preserve your life for a long time.

The Xianjing says that before taking the Nine Rosy Clouds—the numinous Qi or elixir spoken of by immortals—you must first loosen your hair. The Embryonic Breathing method, a practice for regulating the breath and nurturing Qi, calls for lying on your back with your hair loose and your pillow raised two and a half inches. Bend both arms and clasp your thumbs firmly as you make fists. Close your eyes and extend your arms about five inches from your body. Then fill your mouth with saliva and slowly swallow it in three portions.

After swallowing the saliva, breathe in through your nose. Hold the breath for five or six counts—one breath in and out makes one count—then breathe out. You may exhale a little more frequently. You may also stretch a little more frequently; after stretching, resume the method as before. Completing this forty-nine times makes one round.

A close reading shows that “loosening the hair” here does not refer only to a particular method of cultivation. It means letting down the hair and acting through Wuwei, following things as they are; in other words, not allowing the desires stirred by external things to pull at the heart.

The Five Flavors—sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty—can all be brought into harmony, and vital Qi will then gather into unity. When the five become one, this is the natural Dao.

Make the heart peaceful and still; do not become agitated or weighed down by worry. “Weighed down” means stillness. A classic says, “When government is lenient and peaceful, the people become simple and honest.”

Once you have completed the prescribed number of repetitions, gather your body, mind, and spirit into a single focus. Only through dedicated concentration can you achieve success.

The Yellow Flower Jade Maiden, the Yin spirit within the Dantian, will explain the inner secrets to you.

When the Perfected One—here, the practitioner—has arrived, he will command the Six Ding, the six Daoist divine generals described earlier.

Then the Hidden Zhi Great Cavern Scripture is transmitted. “Hidden Zhi” refers to those who withdraw from the world to cultivate the Dao; here, the immortal is likened to the essence of the zhi fungus.

Recite it ten times, bow four times, and pay homage to the Most High, a revered Daoist deity. The Jade Essence True Instructions say that the Donghua Yupian should be recited ten times and bowed to four times. The Yupian referred to here is this scripture.

First pay homage to the Great Thearch, then face north, for the Great Thearch dwells in the east, while the Seven Primordials—the divine powers of the Big Dipper—dwell in the north.

When the Inner Scripture of the Yellow Court flows freely like a jade book, the immortal Dao can be attained.

The one who transmits the text is called the master, and the recipient must make a vow. Since this scripture is precious, an oath serves as its proof.

Cloud brocade, phoenix gauze, and golden clasps are used as binding tokens to signify the pledge. These take the place of cutting the hair or piercing the skin as signs of sincerity; there is no need to draw blood or cut off hair.

The two parties join hands and climb a mountain, then drink the elixir. The way of the Yellow Court must be practiced and transmitted only after a solemn oath has been made.

Only when both parties trust and understand one another may the Golden Writ and Jade Images—precious Daoist scriptures and instructions—be revealed.

After receiving the transmission, one may pass it on to others, but the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water must be informed, so that the Seven Ancestors, the seven generations of forebears, do not suffer calamity in the underworld.

If the classics are transmitted to someone unsuitable, calamity will reach even the ancestors. The character “huan” in “calamity” should be read as “return.”

The subtle teachings of the Most High, an honorific title for the highest Daoist deity, can guide people to the realm of the immortals and deserve reverence and care. This true text on the Way of long life should be approached with wholehearted respect, followed, and put into practice.

Preface to the Scripture of the Yellow Court’s Outer Scene of the Most High

The Scripture of the Yellow Court was probably composed by the Lord Lao. Its meaning is profound and its language refined; it unfolds its subject while remaining subtle and hidden. It can truly serve as a model and a guide. Strive to grasp its principles, and you will understand the foundations of life.

“Yellow” is the central color between Heaven and Earth; a “court” is a courtyard at the center of the four directions. Seen close at hand, in the human body, the Spleen occupies the central place. Seen from afar, among the myriad things of Heaven and Earth, the principles of Heaven naturally accord with this. Yet the Grain Spirit, the subtle and inexhaustible vitality spoken of in Daoism, never perishes; this is called the Mysterious Female, the deep source that gives birth to all things. Therefore, people should cherish their lives.

During the Later Jin, a Daoist who loved the methods of the Yellow Court was eager to copy the Scripture of the Yellow Court and often asked others for a copy. He heard that Wang Youjun—Wang Xizhi, the calligrapher of the Eastern Jin—excelled at cursive and clerical script and also loved white geese. He therefore gave Wang several white geese in exchange for his exquisite calligraphy. Wang Xizhi copied this scripture with great abandon, writing a great deal, though omissions were inevitable. Later generations praised only his calligraphic brushwork and treated it as the authoritative text of the scripture, without ever seeing the true standard version.

I have often lamented that the intentions of the holy Most High have remained beyond understanding for countless generations. Therefore, I have now compiled and annotated the text, bringing it together in one volume and dividing it into three sections. I have sought to connect the myriad spirits through its principles, in the hope that the teachings of the sage will not be lost to future generations.

Scripture of the Yellow Court’s Outer Scene of the Most High

Annotated by Wuchengzi

First Scripture of the Upper Section

The Lord Lao composed it in seven-character lines while at leisure

Laozi is the essence and spirit of Heaven, the sovereign of nature. He established the Way of the immortals and endures for ten thousand generations. He wrote this scripture in seven-character lines to instruct people of later ages.

Explaining the body’s form and its various spirits

The passage above speaks of the Primordial One, the fundamental Qi that governs all things, which sustains and nourishes the entire human body. From head to toe, all can receive vitality from it. It governs the body’s order and keeps the physical form stable. The principle is one and the same; only those who fully understand it are worthy.

Above is the Yellow Court; below is Guanyuan

The Yellow Court is above, and Guanyuan, an acupuncture point in the lower abdomen, is below. The annotation says that the Yellow Court is the eyes, the parents of the Dao, which nourish the Child Within, the body’s inner life. The left eye is called Lingyang, with the style name Yingming; the right eye is called Taiyin, with the style name Xuanguang. Together, the three form De. They depend on one another and can thereby rise.

Behind are the Hidden Gates; before is the Gate of Life

The kidneys are called the Hidden Gates and are connected to the eyes; the navel is called the Gate of Life. They are three inches apart, like the rising of the sun and the setting of the moon, as Yin and Yang meet. Breathe in Primordial Qi to nourish the numinous root, the foundation of life.

Breath enters the Dantian through the inner chamber

Breath passes from the inner chamber, the place within the body where Qi enters and leaves, into the Dantian, the body’s center for refining and cultivating essence and Qi.

When you exhale, the Qi goes out; when you inhale, it comes in. Breathe in primordial Qi and gather it in the Dantian (energy center).

The Dantian is the “Yin-Yang gate,” three inches below the navel, where Yin and Yang meet. Ordinary people use it to conceive children; those who cultivate the Dao use it to nourish and refine themselves.

The clear water in the Jade Pool irrigates the spiritual root. The Jade Pool refers to the mouth, which is also called the Palace of Great Harmony. Saliva is the clear water: sweet, fresh, and moist. Once it has gathered, swallow it; it is as if thunder and lightning were sounding. The tongue is the spiritual root, which can continually be nourished and replenished. If you truly cultivate in this way, you can preserve your vitality for a long time.

Practice this day and night to drive out the hidden corpses, destroy the Three Worms—the three harmful creatures said in Daoism to live inside the body—and repel all baleful influences. The skin and flesh grow firm, upright Qi is restored, and evil spirits can no longer intrude. The body is nourished, and the face takes on a healthy glow.

The one within the Yellow Court—the place where the body’s spirits and Qi reside—wears red robes. The young child in the eyes becomes his spouse: the King Father is on the left, the King Mother on the right. Both wear red and roam and meet within the Dantian. Keep these images in mind at all times, day and night, without letting up.

The Gate of Origin, where the Dantian lies and primordial Qi is secured, is like a tightly fitted key that shuts two doors. Close the eyes and turn your gaze inward, as if seeing everything. Close the mouth and curl the tongue, so that beneath it lies the source of food. Hold and swallow saliva, and you can remain free of misfortune throughout your life. “Nothingness” here means Qi; the teeth are a firm lock, and the tongue is the key.

The Hidden Gates within the body are linked, lofty and imposing. The Dao has three places where primordial Qi resides—upper, middle, and lower—and each may be followed at will. The lower Hidden Gate is the Mysterious Spring; the middle one lies at the two kidneys; the upper one is at the two ears, which face each other. The Golden Gate and Jade Door—the inner apertures—reach upward to connect with Heaven. The lovely maiden plays the zither and lute, and the music is magnificent, following the tones of gong, shang, and the other notes.

The Jing Qi within the Dantian is subtle and difficult to describe. The Dantian is like a chamber, facing the Hall of Light, the palace within the body where spirits and Qi reside. Because this subtle Jing Qi cannot be fully explained, it is called “subtlety.”

The clear water in the Jade Pool gradually gathers and grows abundant. This refers to saliva in the mouth: as the tongue moves, saliva collects, forming a rich fluid. Rinse the mouth with it and swallow it to nourish life.

When the spiritual root is firm, it does not grow weak even in old age. The tongue is the spiritual root: it can harmonize the four directions and the five flavors, remove foulness, and retain fragrance. Tap the teeth and swallow Qi, transforming it into fluid in the mouth.

In the Central Pool, the place in the throat, there is a scholar dressed in vermilion. The throat is like a palace, where the Primordial Scholar governs harmony. The aperture below regulates the movement of Qi and releases vermilion light; the spirits accompany it.

Three inches below, across the diaphragm, is where the spirits dwell. The Hall of Light is a palace three inches in circumference, with the spirits living within it, directly opposite the point between the eyes. The eyebrows are like a canopy, displaying the five colors in a blue-green radiance.

The inner and outer realms are separated and must be shut layer by layer. Inner Qi should go out; outer Qi should come in. In this process, the gates have three barriers, while the movement of Qi runs along two opposing paths. This is the natural way.

The “Spirit Chamber,” the dwelling where the spirits within the body come and go, should be tended and guarded. Remove the hairs inside the nose, and the passage through which the spirits travel becomes like a room, its workings continuing ceaselessly day and night.

The “Mysterious Chest,” the middle of the throat where breath passes, is the airway and the dwelling that receives Jing and Qi. Original Qi descends and moves through here, so this place is called the “Receiving Dwelling.”

Guard your Jing and Qi closely so that they do not scatter and be lost. Protect them and do not let them depart.

In the “Cottage of the Ruler,” the face, dwells a perfected being who always wears deep red. He lives at the center, clad in red and shining brightly, his color like crimson silk. If you can see him, you will not fall ill. Let people understand the true meaning deeply and recognize this spirit’s power: they will remain free of illness throughout their lives.

The spleen’s horizontal markings are about one foot long, and it lies above the “Great Granary,” the stomach. The Central Bright Hall, a palace where the spirits within the body move about, is where the Old Lord rests during the day. Guard this place and you will be safe and unharmed. Protect the spleen spirit, the dwelling place of the Old Lord, and understand its teachings deeply; then you will come to no harm.

Regulate your breathing within the chambers of the body, thereby nourishing yourself. Close the Three Passes, the gateways described in cultivation practice, and curl your fingers into a firm grip. Breathe in Original Qi and gather it in the head; then let it descend into the mouth, hold it there, and swallow. In this way you can go without hunger or thirst and drive away the Three Corpses, the malevolent spirits said to dwell within the body.

Everyone possesses the Dao, yet not everyone can keep to it. Those who guard the Dao keep their bodies steady and at peace. Look upward at the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars—which shine like a string of pearls yet are still as stone. Rejoice inwardly and congratulate yourself.

Guard carefully the space of a square inch, where the heart and spirit reside. It is neither square nor round: this refers to the eyes. Close the doors and shut the windows so that Original Qi does not escape the body. To guard it is already to have traveled halfway along the path to attaining the Dao.

When the spirit returns to the body, decline can turn into strength. If the spirit is always longing to depart, it drifts upward like flying clouds. If Jing and Qi do not leak downward, and the Hun and Po remain within the body, you can be as you were in youth.

Let the heart spirit settle in the deep, hidden palace, and the breath will flow to its end. The ears hear sounds and connect with the heart, linking it to the hidden palace. Smelling fragrance through the nose nourishes and strengthens you. When the heart spirit is clear and the will flows freely, the breath can flow to its end.

Nourish the body, the “Jade Tree,” until it is strong enough to lean upon. The penis, called the “Jade Stalk” in the text, should also remain strong, so that Yin and Yang Qi can harmonize with each other. By returning Jing to nourish the brain, you can avoid illness and enjoy lasting peace and freedom from worry.

The highest Dao is neither complicated nor confused. The Great Dao follows its natural course, without the need for agitation or worry. With a clear and open heart, one can see one’s own roots. The highest Dao may seem hard to attain, yet it is easy to put into practice.

The head is a high terrace leading to the heavenly court, while the abdomen is a vast plain. Original Qi rises from here to connect with Heaven, and the Mysterious Mother, a deity in Daoism, descends from Heaven to nourish me.

Within the space of a square inch—that is, the heart—there is a place where things meet and pass through. Between the eyes lies Jade Radiance, a deity or vital essence within the body. It is about the size of an egg yolk, located outside the eyes, and descends into the mouth, where it gives rise to the five flavors. It circulates without pause, day and night, and its workings are beyond measure.

Within the Jade Chamber, the dwelling inside the body, there is a gate through which the spirits come and go. The Jade Chamber is also called the Grotto Chamber, the Purple Chamber, and the Crimson Palace. The Luminous Hall, the chamber of spirits within the body, lies below Jade Radiance. There is the village of the Golden Coffer: a gate through which the spirits come and go, and a place where they gather.

The one who comes and goes here is the Young Lord. It is this Young Lord who teaches me: on the left is the Divine Lord, and on the right is Lord White Origin. They nurture me, always hoping that I will attain the Dao and become an immortal. My parents sustain the Child Cinnabar, the essence of the sun and moon, which are three inches apart.

The Luminous Hall is open on all sides and is the source of the vast and wondrous Dharma Sea. Within three inches are three tiers, arranged front to back. Let the essences of the sun and moon return to the center, rise and reach in all four directions, then flow outward to the sea.

The True Person Child Cinnabar, the perfected being and cinnabar Qi within the body, is right before me. He is about an inch in size and lies between the eyebrows. I can see him whether I bow or raise my head; my mind and spirit must not grow unsettled.

Within the Three Passes, Jing and Qi are deeply stored. The mouth is the heart pass, the feet are the earth pass, and the hands are the human pass. When the Three Passes are secure, the numinous pearls, symbols of Jing and Qi, connect with one another. Their subtle workings are hard to understand, which is why they are called profound.

If you wish to live forever, you must cultivate Kunlun, which here refers to the head. The head is Kunlun, the place where the Dao resides. Zi and Wu mark the meridian, while Mao and You mark the parallel, describing the order of movement within the body through directions and times of day. The sun and moon shine, cinnabar Qi circulates within, and the hundred officials stand guard, each performing their own duty.

Twelve tiers of towers surround the Crimson Palace, the palace within the body. Golden towers form five city walls, tier upon tier and encircling the whole. Cinnabar-yellow Qi makes up the walls, and clouds of five-colored Qi gather there. The Crimson Palace’s Jade Hall is where the True One, the primordial true Qi of Daoism, comes and goes.

Within the Jade Chamber, the chamber of spirits, five-colored Qi gathers. The Jade Pivot and Jade Balance, instruments once used to observe the heavens and here a symbol of the body’s central mechanism, are set in the middle. Five-colored langgan jade appears, and when Yin reaches its extreme, Yang is born. This is the complete palace within the Chamber of Encampment.

The son of the Red Spirit stands in the central pool. The spirit in the throat governs the Jing and Qi of the central pool. After receiving a talismanic command, it sends them on to the Great Granary, the stomach.

Below are the Great Wall, the Dark Valley, and the city walls. The intestines are like the Great Wall and city walls; the kidneys are like the Dark Valley. Above, they correspond to the north and south.

To live long, you must be careful in matters of the bedchamber. Here, “chamber” refers to the Jade Chamber and also to cultivation in the bedchamber. Keep it firmly guarded, so that the body’s Yin and Yang and its six Qi can unite. The principles of the six directions are indeed hard to put into words. If you wish to attain the Dao, restrain your desires and abide by the rules.

Cast aside worldly sexual indulgence and devote yourself wholeheartedly to preserving and nurturing Jing and Qi.

The wise accumulate essence and Qi; the foolish accumulate wealth. Once every burden has been cast aside, what more could one desire?

Preserve the essence and guide it upward to nourish the brain (“returning essence to replenish the brain”), and the hair and beard will become lustrous.

The Inch Field and the Footlong Abode can both be used to cultivate life. The “Inch Field” refers to the Dantian (the place within the body where Daoists practice cultivation and refinement); the “Footlong Abode” refers to the face. These are essentials of Daoist practice and must not be overlooked.

Practice diligently, and you will surely attain long life.

Nourish yourself over time like an egg, and your mind and spirit will become calm. The Great Dao is whole and undivided, arising of itself. Its original state is vast and indistinct, like an egg. Guard it with single-minded attention and without interruption, and you will find lasting calm.

Free your thoughts and let your spirit roam, and you may see three strange spirit beings. The Great Dao moves freely, deep and boundless. Hold firmly to your resolve, and you will see the true form of the Dao. Three spirit beings stand by your side, playing the qin and striking the zheng.

When daily life is leisurely and free of concerns, the heart is at peace. Be tranquil and desireless, finding joy in the Dao. Though your ability to benefit others may be limited, your divine spirit will be abundant, and in this way you can attain peace and order.

Keep the Jade Chamber (the space within the body used for cultivation) in mind, and the divine spirit will become clear and responsive. The Jade Chamber is like a room: lying in the west of a mountain, you can know what is happening to its east; dwelling in darkness, you can perceive without limit. The inner and outer depend on one another; this is why the divine spirit is said to be clear and responsive.

Keep the Great Granary (the stomach within the body and its spirit, according to Daoist teaching) in mind at all times, and you will not hunger or thirst. Chew the Qi of Great Harmony and focus your mind. In the stomach, the Great Granary, dwells a spirit named Yellow Constant Child. Yellow Constant Child warns: “I possess the Dao of long life: I can be full without eating. Do not put this into practice recklessly; keep this method for your own use.” Fasting from the Five Grains, a cultivation method, should be practiced only when the conditions are right; then you can remain free of hunger.

Summon the Six Ding Jade Maidens (protective spirits in Daoism) and have them come before you. Purify body and mind, dwell alone, and call the spirits by name in a suitable place of the Six Ding; the Jade Maidens will come to meet you.

Seal the gate through which essence leaks away, and you can preserve life for a long time. During sexual union, the spirit is easily depleted; if desire is indulged, even five horses could not hold it back. Place your hand over the lower body, guide the breath, and keep the gate of essence sealed.

The Main Hall, before its central chamber, is where the spirits dwell. Within the Main Hall, five colors interweave like the jade pivot and balance arm of an ancient astronomical instrument. This is where the Dao is established. The Dao resides in the Bright Hall and wanders through the Crimson Palace; in time it transforms into a Perfected Person and returns to the Dantian.

Cleanse the heart and restrain yourself to avoid defilement. Revere Heaven and Earth, keep clear of anything that could arouse suspicion, and close your eyes to look within. Let the spirits come and go without mixing with external things, and your conduct will not go astray.

Examine the Five Viscera one by one, observing the proper measure of each in its functioning. The Five Viscera and six bowels each have their own duties. Cultivate and purify yourself, abstain from the Five Grains, and nourish yourself with the Qi of Great Harmony. Repeat this cycle, and you will not lose the proper measure.

The six bowels, too, should be cultivated and regulated, made clean and plain.

Do not let the mind wander in idle thoughts, the mouth speak carelessly, the eyes look about at random, or the ears listen indiscriminately. Do not let the hands take things without cause or the feet roam at will. These six kinds of conduct are signs of the Six Storehouses, the body’s internal organs and related physical and mental functions. By restraining them, one can fulfill the Dao and De and purify oneself until one is as plain and unadorned as unbleached cloth.

Emptiness and spontaneity are the foundation of the Dao. Emptiness and obscurity describe the Dao’s state of having no form or trace. The spontaneous Dao is not something to conjure deliberately in the mind; it can be apprehended in every movement, whether bending or rising. Always hold fast to the mysterious and the plain—the quiet, unadorned nature—and do not neglect it for even an instant. Understand “knowing the masculine, yet keeping to the feminine”: recognize strength, yet remain in softness, and the hun and po souls will not leave the body.

Each thing follows its own nature; the Dao needs no laborious contrivance. What is called spontaneity is the supreme, wondrous power between Heaven and Earth. Without deliberate thought, the breath naturally flows in and out.

Sit calmly with the hands resting down; act through Wuwei (non-action), and the body will be at peace. Hold the body upright and keep to oneself, and one can penetrate and comprehend the Primordial Dao, the fundamental Great Way. Do not violate Heaven’s prohibitions, and the body will be free of calamity and remain safe for a long time.

The dwelling of emptiness lies within the curtains. The nature of emptiness delights in quiet; it cultivates harmony in solitude and communicates with the spirits. Set up the curtains and avoid the sound of human voices. Observe the mysterious De: the five colors move and change, while the sun and moon shine upon them. Let them be arranged in the east and west, cycling back and forth according to the count of three and five, then turning and concealing themselves within the pivot of the moving Qi.

Still and spacious, with no words on the lips. Conceal the Flowery Canopy, so that the mind’s purpose returns to the deep, empty realm. In the midst of stillness, the view opens wide, as though one could see a luminous pearl. Silently, alone, regulate the breath, without craving fame.

Cultivate harmony in solitude, dwelling in the palace of the Perfected. The Palace of Great Harmony, where the body’s harmonious Qi resides, is within the Bright Hall, the inner chamber of the spirit in Daoist practice. It hangs beneath the Flowery Canopy, and its occupant wears vermilion robes. The Bright Hall opens in all four directions—who could know it? The young attendants of the Perfected wear splendid robes. Would you know where I dwell? Go and ask the Grand Tenuity, the celestial star palace.

Calm and desireless, roam in the garden of De. Outwardly one may seem bewildered, yet inwardly one holds a purity like precious jade. Calm and content, the heart is joyful and does not cling to the ways of the world.

Pure, still, fragrant, and immaculate, with the Jade Maidens before you. Leave the world behind and dwell where human footsteps do not reach; burn incense and perfume the body. When you relieve yourself, the Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, the six Ding spirits of Daoist tradition, will come of their own accord to attend the practitioner.

Cultivate De, and clarity will follow; enter the gate of the spirits. De nourishes the body, just as wealth nourishes a house. When the mind and spirit are clear and the will is open, one can see divine radiance, as well as visions of the tiered tower, embroidered windows, golden gate, and jade hall.

Second Scripture of the Middle Section

Cultivate the Dao at ease, dwelling deep in solitude. Conceal your form and withdraw from the world; nurture the breath and preserve Jing, so that your complexion glows red like cinnabar.

Support and preserve nature and life; hold fast to emptiness. Take leave of your ancestors and withdraw from the world. The Director of Destiny records the years allotted to you, and your name is removed from the register of the dead. Change your name and surname, and steadfastly keep to the Way of emptiness.

When the mind is calm and free from attachment, joy comes naturally. Devote yourself wholeheartedly to cultivating the Dao, be content with a life of simplicity, and give no thought to troubling matters; then worries will not disturb you.

Cultivate the Dao and practice benevolence. When your cultivation is accomplished and your De is complete, your bones seem to rise aloft and your body becomes light. At that time, a cloud chariot comes to receive you, with a Jade Maiden guiding it by the shaft, and carries you straight up to the Great Clarity (Taiqing), the pure, empty celestial realm spoken of in Daoism. This does not mean that feathers literally grow on your body.

With long life and far-reaching vision, you will eventually ascend and depart. Endure through all ages, becoming one with the Dao. A Jade Maiden gathers lingzhi for you to eat, as though it were sprouts and grasses; before long, wings appear. When the Lord on High summons you, you fly into the vast sea.

The movements of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) interweave and change, yet all come from a single source. Qi of the five colors rises up, sometimes interwoven, sometimes dispersed. Within undivided chaos, the colors mingle with one another and are born together from the root.

Three and five combine, yet the source of Qi remains one. Three and five together make fifteen, which occupies the center. Two forces appear and vanish, coming and going, and form the mysterious Qi of the Three Yangs. Its De is profound and subtle, and its shape resembles a dragon. Whoever sees it can only understand it inwardly and alone; do not tell others.

Who can accompany it? The Dipper constellation, the sun, and the moon. The feminine force is in the North Pole, the masculine in the Southern Palace. The perfected person is not far away: they are within the Northern Dipper.

The three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—shine brightly, and Heaven and Earth face one another. If you wish to attain the Dao and become one with it, go and ask those two young attendants.

Hold the jade pearl close and harmonize your inner chamber. Let your Qi be warm and clear, bright as jade and continuous as a string of pearls. Harmonize the dwelling places within your body, bringing them into accord with change and washing away what is superficial and impure.

If you can keep hold of the One—the Daoist principle of single-mindedly guarding the spirit and gathering it inward—then all things can be accomplished. The One is the great spirit, the root of Heaven and Earth, and the source of human life. If you understand it and hold fast to it, all things will naturally come to fruition.

Each person has the One within. Because people possess it but do not know how to guard it, they lose their original simplicity, damage their roots, and turn to craving wealth and treasures. The wise, when they attain the One, make it their companion.

If you wish for long life and freedom from death, enter the Golden Chamber, a name for an important place within the body in internal alchemy. Withdraw to a point three inches inside the body: that is the Golden Chamber. It lies within the Grotto Chamber, the inner divine chamber of Daoist visualization practice, near a deep and hidden passage. Transform your body and become a perfected person. The perfected person dwells in the Dantian.

At sunrise, take in the Qi of the sun; at moonset, gather the Qi of the moon. This is my method of cultivation. Let the Qi cycle turn and return, following the talismanic method in practice and setting it in motion once more.

“Heaven seven, Earth three”: let them cycle and remain joined. Heaven’s number is seven, Earth’s number is three. Like bellows, they expand and contract; the breath through the nose draws in Earth Qi. This is one of the essentials of cultivation, so let the Qi move back and forth in a continuous cycle.

Only when rising and descending, advancing and withdrawing, are joined together can they endure. Earth Qi rises and Heaven Qi descends; Yin and Yang circulate in their allotted places and unite in the Crimson Palace, the inner palace where the heart resides. Qi advances or withdraws, while the upright Qi moves with ease: in this way it can endure.

Jade-like treasures are my precious possessions. Pearls are strung together, jade discs are warm and lustrous, as if born from the sun; Qi is like smoke and fire. Gather it and condense it: it is difficult to obtain, and so it is my treasured possession.

You already possess these things. Why not hold on to them?

Everyone has “the One” within themselves—that is, the original Qi or vital essence—but does not know how to protect it. Those who know how to protect it will find their Qi restored day by day. Those who do not will lose their Qi day by day, and their lives will gradually decline.

Understand the fundamentals of cultivation in your heart and nurture your inner radiance. Fully comprehend the Great Dao, and you can enter deeply into the Limitless—the boundless realm of the Dao. In this way, you can prolong life, resist aging, and return to youth. Hold fast to the root and return to the source, allowing Yin-Yang Qi to open and close as it circulates. The body will shine with renewed vitality, remaining forever like that of a young person.

Follow the seasons and the lay of the land, gathering and storing Jing and Qi. The head corresponds to Heaven, and the feet to Earth. Absorb the Qi of Heaven to nourish the body, then store it in the Dantian, the place within the abdomen where inner cultivation takes place. The Naohu, a point on the head, is like a place that receives Heaven’s dew and rain clouds. When Qi flows into it, the body is nourished like plants and trees by rain and dew.

At noon every seventh day, the Yin-Yang Qi turns back and joins together. The essential method of the Dao is to bring them together once every seven days.

Kunlun lies above the head and connects with Heaven. It receives the original Qi, so that during cultivation one does not lose one’s way.

The mountain of the Nine Plains rises high and firm. The Nine Plains refers to the heart. The Perfected One—the inner spirit—Taiyi dwells there. Without leaving the gates and chambers, it can know what lies in the four directions. When the Perfected One is within the body, it can be directed and commanded. The Perfected One, Taiyi, is like a young child, hidden deep within the Golden Tower, lying still and concealed from sight.

The Nine Plains must not be commanded carelessly; protect it with the Purple Palace and the Cinnabar City. Golden towers and jade walls, along with cinnabar-colored ramparts, surround it in layer upon layer, guarded by officials. The One is the most honored guest among them.

The Vermilion Palace and Jade Hall are the Perfected One’s dwelling. On either side are the sun and moon, like bright pearls: the sun on the left, the moon on the right. Their essences meet in the center, where the Qi of the five colors blends. By day they are like bright stars; by night they are like luminous pearls, shining brilliantly and moving without cease.

Once the bright pearl has descended, hold fast to it. It is a sign of long life and enduring radiance; the death date recorded in one’s register of destiny has also been erased.

The outer foundation is made up of the Three Yangs, the three Yang essences. They take the form of a cap and sash, yet are mysterious and formless, beyond anyone’s command. Harmony is their root. They come of their own accord without being summoned, moving quietly.

Within, one must gather and hold the Three Spirits. These are three divine beings. By gathering and guarding them, one can complete the way of cultivation.

The hun-soul wishes to ascend to Heaven; the po-soul wishes to sink into the abyss. As one lies down at night, the hun seems to rise with the sun, where a three-legged crow dwells. At cockcrow, the hun suddenly grows dazed and returns to its place. The po is attached to the body. When people reach seventy or eighty, the po seems ready to sink beneath the springs, and the elderly often worry that their bodies are about to come apart.

Bringing the hun and po back is the natural way. Gather the hun and restrain the po so that they do not scatter. Those who are skilled at guarding them follow nature and need not force their efforts; they may thereby bring the Neidan to completion and secure the spiritual root.

Hold the essence and Qi, joined like a string of pearls, in the mouth, then swallow it so that it fills and permeates the numinous root—the foundation of life, or the place to which essence and Qi are bound in cultivation.

The Jade Chopsticks, a metaphor for the teeth, are firm as jade; the Golden Key, a metaphor for the tongue, is firm as gold. Open the mouth and curl the tongue to draw in essence and Qi without letting them disperse. In this way, one can avoid harmful speech and preserve the body.

With the head touching the earth and the feet suspended in Heaven, one circulates between Heaven and Earth. Human beings receive the Way of the earth, hence the phrase “bearing the earth”; the Mysterious Mother, meaning the earth or the source that nurtures all things, lies beneath Heaven.

She nurtures all things without artifice. The subtle Way of the unadorned spirit is mysterious and difficult to fathom, beyond the hearing of ordinary people. One may always hope to attain the Dao and become an immortal, drawing near to the utmost bounds of Heaven and Earth, yet one must neither surpass nor fall beyond them.

Take the four seasons as the model, and let the color be red as cinnabar. The four seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) revolve in an endless cycle; the Perfected One, Zidan, transforms and becomes one’s own being. Wear red pearls shaped like cinnabar pellets.

The front is raised and the rear lowered, forming a gateway. This refers to the posture of the body: raise the front and lower the back, turning the back toward the Zi position (north) and the face toward the Wu position (south), so that Yin and Yang correspond and the tower’s gates are opened.

Gather and select the Qi of the Reverted Elixir and the Mysterious Spring. “Reverted Elixir” refers to the elixir Qi obtained through refinement and cultivation; “Mysterious Spring” refers to saliva or related inner Qi. Draw these energies inward and guide them upward to the Niwan, a cultivation site in the head, to refine and nourish the roots of the hair. In a short while, the breath becomes subtle; then let it follow its own course.

Draw in the breath like a tortoise, so that the numinous root is filled. A tortoise inhales through its nose, pauses briefly when it has inhaled fully, then closes its mouth and swallows the breath, thereby nourishing the numinous root.

Within is a Perfected One wearing a golden headcloth; the Perfected One in the Golden Chamber also wears a golden headcloth. Bearing the Jiazi, a symbol associated with the sexagenary cycle and the days, and holding Fulu (talismans and registers), open the body’s seven gates—the seven apertures. Face south with the back toward the north, and use Mao and You to regulate the original Qi. After receiving the talisman, follow the Way of the Sovereign Lord of the Great Heaven, and keep watch over the seven gates.

This is not a branch or leaf, but the true root. The Lord of the Great Way of the High Sovereign, Laozi, and the Qi of Great Harmony are always at one’s side, transforming and bringing forth all things; they are no mere offshoot.

Think of it day and night, and it will endure. By keeping it constantly in mind and contemplating it, one can see the Three Lights—the sun, moon, and stars. The wonders of the Great Way are close at hand, within the Dipper, where the Northern Dipper resides.

Immortals and practitioners of the Dao have no other extraordinary secret: they guard the One with unwavering resolve, preventing the upper essence from leaking out and the lower essence from escaping. When the spirit remains within the body, one can live long and never die.

This is the result of accumulating essence and concentrating the mind. Nurture the essence and remain single-minded; regulate the breath and uphold the virtue of benevolence and righteousness, and you will accord with the Dao.

People everywhere eat the five grains and five flavors, feeding on the finest products of the earth. Those who only crave food and fill themselves with dishes from the kitchen, without cultivating the true Dao, will in the end return to the Yellow Springs.

Practitioners, by contrast, draw in the Qi of Great Harmony and the Qi of Yin and Yang alone.

Yin Qi rises and Yang Qi descends. They meet between the six directions of Heaven and Earth—the four quarters, above and below—and give rise to the Five Flavors. When people regularly consume them, Heaven nourishes them as if irrigating them, enabling them to live long and never die. Heaven’s nourishment is like the Qi of Great Harmony, the harmonized Qi of Yin and Yang: it is the medicine of long life and immortality. Even if someone consumes it yet cannot digest and absorb it, Heaven will still nourish them naturally.

This truly refers to the five internal organs, each of which corresponds to a direction and symbolizes one of the Five Phases. The six yang pitch pipes among the ancient twelve pitch pipes, and the stomach and intestines, also each have their own directions. The heart is the ruler within the body, king of the five organs. The human body contains three hundred and sixty spirits, with the heart as their leader. Thus, when the heart spirit is clear and perceptive, one can know the world without leaving home and know the four quarters without descending from the hall.

When the mind’s thoughts shift between stillness and movement, Qi circulates accordingly; the mind’s intentions can reach without limit. Pure, fine Qi circulates of its own accord, and the Dao naturally guides me, making my spirit bright. When I sit, it rests with me; when I rise, it dresses with me. When it comes to me, I take it as food. I dwell in stillness, yet it is always at my side, guarding me like the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars.

By day I shine brightly, and by night I can also keep myself in check. In the brightness of day, I see the Auspicious Star with my eyes. At dusk I wander back, already knowing within my heart. Those who understand Yang Qi are perceptive; those who do not and act recklessly invite danger. When thirsty, one can obtain a drink; when hungry, one is naturally satisfied. In hunger, one draws in the Qi of nature; in thirst, one drinks the sweet dew of the Jade Pool—the Daoist term for saliva in the mouth. In this way, one need never hunger or thirst and can live long.

It circulates through the six viscera and five organs, in harmony with the hours of Mao and You. The spirits of the two kidneys are especially subtle: the left is the Royal Father, the right the Royal Mother. Their two Qi intertwine and circulate through the six viscera, meeting in the eyes; the left belongs to Mao, the right to You. In this way, they can permeate my essence and harmonize Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang spread out like shooting stars in motion; the shooting stars and the Seven Governors—the sun, moon, and five planets—augment essence. Yin turns within Yang and is stored in the number nine; when Yang Qi governs within Yang, it plants its own kind. Yin gives rise to millet and grain, while Yang gives rise to fireflies, like flashes of Yang Qi. The two Qi join and enfold one another, and the nine is in the mouth. If this circulation is maintained, one can avoid aging.

Understand the strong while keeping to the yielding: then De will not be lost. Understand brightness while keeping to obscurity: then the constant Dao will not change. The Qi of the liver extends and unfolds. The liver is like the Azure Dragon, the lungs like the White Tiger; rising upward, they communicate with Heaven, and so the breath becomes long.

The five organs are arranged in order and govern the three lights. When the heart spirit is focused, the five organs are at peace. Lie on the bed and gaze upward at the three lights. Above, unite with the Triple Burner, the body’s upper, middle, and lower regions; below, the Jade Elixir is produced. To unite above with the Triple Burner means to unite with the Qi of the six directions. Qi spreads through the limbs, and the fluids become like Jade Elixir. My Shen, Hun, and Po are all in the center. Gather in the Hun and Po so they do not move recklessly; have them sit and rise together, without acting on their own. The Hall of Light, where spirits and Qi gather within the body in internal cultivation, lies at the very center.

When semen flows like spring water, it can remove foul breath from the mouth and leave it fragrant. Semen continues to flow as if from a spring. Lie down in the evening; after waking, rinse your mouth and clean your teeth to dispel bad breath and leave the mouth fragrant. This also helps nourish the hair and teeth.

Stand at Xuanying, the area near the throat, and keep watch over Ming Tang, the dwelling place of the spirits within the body. Ming Tang is three inches across, round in shape, and is the root of life. It is about the size of an egg and yellow like an orange. As it passes through Xuanying, its taste is sweet as honey. Thunder and lightning roar, as though they can hear one another. The right side belongs to You, and the left to Mao; this is my dwelling place. Before the hour of Wu and after the hour of Zi, pay homage at the center to Taiyi, a revered deity in Daoism, like a lord beneath a canopy. From here, Yang Qi descends to the Palace of Crimson, the place of the heart.

Lower Section, Scripture Three

Bend down, keep your intent fixed at the Gate of Intent, and await the Dao of Heaven. The Gate of Intent is also called the Mysterious Gate. To await the Dao of Heaven is to hold fast to one’s mysterious and pure nature. The Great Dao is not far away; it is within you. You already possess it and need not seek it outside yourself. Maintain stillness and Wuwei (non-action), and the spirits will remain. The Great Dao is transmitted to the wise, not put into practice for the foolish. Set your intent firmly and with care, and the spirits will rejoice.

The spirit moves between above and below, changing in ways that are elusive and without fixed form. You should seek the mystery within the mystery. When vital essence and Qi accord with the Dao of Heaven, they are like an herb of long life. By understanding the signs of Heaven above and observing the patterns of Earth below, you can prolong your life and turn white hair black again, like the herb of long life.

Once the seven apertures—the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and other openings—are clear, you will not know old age. The ears hear the five tones, the eyes see the colors of all things, the nose takes in pure Qi, and the mouth tastes the five flavors, yet you do not feel yourself growing old.

Turn back and sit quietly at the Gate of Heaven, the gate of the sun, awaiting the changes of Yin-Yang. Yin and Yang are like female and male; their changes are subtle and difficult to see, so sit still and observe them. When the breath reaches the throat, the spirits can move freely. The throat is the passage of the neck; only when food is swallowed and the breath regulated can the spirits descend.

Pass beneath the Canopy, where it is cool and still. Beneath the Canopy, the five colors are lush and green. This is the Abyss of Clear Spirit, a tranquil and mysterious realm within the body, clear and cool. Enter the Abyss of Clear Spirit, and you can see yourself. It is subtle and wondrously connected. Close your eyes and look inward, as though gazing at rivers and seas. Wait quietly for yourself to appear. After a while, it will seem as if you are looking at yourself, like a bright mirror facing a deep well, with boundless joy.

When cultivation succeeds, youth can be restored and life prolonged. By the age of forty or fifty, it is difficult to halt the onset of old age. Those who understand this principle can extend their lives day by day. Those who do not understand it will only suffer in vain.

Return beneath the Canopy and stir the essence of the kidneys. Beneath the Canopy there is abundant coolness and shade. The spirits gather, meet, and guide one another, stirring the essence of the kidneys.

Kidney Qi rises and spreads to the Purple Palace, the inner landscape where the spirit of the heart resides.

Stand in the Hall of Light, the inner landscape of the head, and look down toward the Dantian, where primordial Qi is stored and nurtured. The Hall of Light and the Dantian are not far apart; each can be seen from the other.

In this way, the gods can open the Gate of Life, the gateway of life and the key to sustaining it. Among them is a great god who leads all things. He guards the gods so that they may protect the people. He enters and leaves through the Gate of Life, keeping the Way of Heaven flowing and allowing the root of life to endure.

Nine times nine makes eighty-one heads, divided into two sections. They guide primordial Qi from head to foot, circulating it throughout the body and strengthening the root of life. Keep guarding it continuously, without pause.

Yin-Yang is distributed throughout the body, moving like shooting stars. The three Qi—the three kinds of Qi that circulate within the body—rise and descend, allowing the breath to flow freely through the Three Passes, the hundred channels, and the nine apertures. It shines brightly, filling the skin like stars in motion.

Liver Qi circulates back and forth without end. The liver is like a Green Dragon, moving out from the body’s left side; the lungs are like a White Tiger, resting on the right. The divine Way is deep and elusive, and its beginnings are hard to discern.

When Lung Qi stirs, the Triple Burner, the region between the chest and abdomen that governs the movement of Qi and fluids, moves with it. The lungs have three lobes, from which the Triple Burner is set in motion. The lungs are also called the Canopy of Splendor. Purple-red in color, they lie beneath the Gate of Heaven and keep watch over the Great Way.

The masculine gate through which the Way of Heaven passes is the foundation of the Great Way. Preserve the foundation and guard the source, and you may attain long life.

Fluids are like sweet spring water, flowing through the six viscera—the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and such organs as the gallbladder and stomach. Let the breath move up and down with the nose, and open and close the ears. Hold the breath, draw in the nostrils, and breathe primordial Qi slowly and finely for a long time, letting it move up and down. Continue to draw in the nostrils, then open the ear apertures.

Look upward through the Gate of Heaven, and you will see the three lights: the sun, moon, and stars. Look down and observe the earth, and you will see the little child, a divine figure envisioned in the inner landscape.

Harmonize Jing, Qi, and fluids to nourish the hair and teeth. The vital fluid is like the water of the Flower Pool. At cockcrow, regularly tap the teeth together thirty-six times, then rinse the mouth and swallow the fluids. Also open and close the nine apertures in measured rhythm, like the holes of a pipe, guiding Qi up to the head. This nourishes the hair and teeth, brightens the complexion, and keeps the hair from turning white.

The gates open wide, and spirit and vital essence spread out and join. The face becomes bright and radiant; the beard and hair grow luxuriantly and no longer turn white.

The breath descends to the throat, moving with ease and calm. Envision and guard the Way of Heaven simply, without fuss. Let the breath settle steadily, firm as a stone; joy will arise within.

All the gods gather and seek one another out. The Great Way moves freely, and the gods meet and roam together, wandering within the Great Simplicity, the primordial and pure state of being.

The breath descends into the Crimson Palace, the inner landscape palace of the heart, appearing as purple radiance. It enters the Crimson Palace’s cinnabar tower, where hang curtains of gold and purple, and the divine beings wander in the four directions.

At night, withdraw into the Canopy of Splendor; by day, roam in the Hall of Light. Look upon the Spirit Abode, the dwelling of the divine beings in the inner landscape, which is also the land of the Golden Coffer. Devote yourself to guarding the spirit of the heart, so that all the gods may respond to one another.

The heart is the ruler of the human body, like a sovereign ruling a state. The Palace of Great Unity, where the spirits within the body dwell, governs and directs them. Focus your mind wholly, face the sun, and hold firm to your resolve.

When body and mind are pure, the many spirits gladly gather. By contemplating your own spirits, you can ward off the various noxious influences.

Great Unity dwells at the center, while the spirits guard all around. Then, looking up toward the radiance of the spirits, the Primordial Yang Elixir Child—a spirit within the body associated with Yang energy and Elixir energy—can drive away every evil influence. The spirit of the spleen should return to the body and take refuge with its master.

In the morning, the spleen spirit pays court at the Hall of Light, where the spirits within the body gather; in the evening, it returns to its own palace. Thus it takes refuge with its master and returns to the Great Granary, the place associated with the spleen and stomach.

Let the breath flow freely through the stomach passage and enter the realm of emptiness. The stomach passage is the entrance to the Great Granary; the Palace of Emptiness lies in the Great Beginning, the primordial state before things were differentiated.

Store and nourish the numinous root so it will never wither. Let it gradually grow moist and balanced, then swallow the saliva in your mouth, and the body will not become dry.

Close the Gate of Life, through which vital energy enters and leaves, and secure it like the Jade Capital. Shut the doors and windows in order to observe the Way of Heaven. The Yang of the Jade Hall is where the spirits dwell; it is also where the value and number of all things may be discerned.

Life continues for ten thousand years, with years still to spare. Ordinary people accumulate surplus wealth; sages possess surplus years. Such a lifespan has no end.

The spirit within the spleen governs the Central Palace. The Central Palace belongs to the Earth phase and to the cyclical signs Wu and Ji, and governs the domain of Earth. The growth and activity of all things depend on the nourishment of the soil. The spleen is the Hall of Light, governed within by the spleen spirit.

The spirits of the five viscera assemble in court, arranged like the sun, moon, and stars. The spirits of the five viscera and six bowels each have their place in the hierarchy; the sun and moon gather among them, with the order of elders and juniors clearly observed. Look up toward the Three Luminaries: the sun, the moon, and the Northern Dipper.

Above, unite with the Gate of Heaven and connect with the Hall of Light. The Gate of Heaven opens and closes as Yin and Yang alternate, like male and female responding to one another. The changes produced by the Three Luminaries also gather in the Hall of Light. The rounded heavens and the square earth encompass everything between them.

Let the six bowels flow freely and harmonize the Five Phases. Settle the Shen and care for yourself, allowing the six bowels to function freely. Then noxious influences will depart, while upright Qi remains within. The essences of the Five Phases—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—are the foundation that nourishes the body.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth each have their own ruler. The Five Phases generate one another, while Earth occupies the center and governs them. All things belong to their own categories, yet in the end they return to Earth.

Let the blood vessels flow freely and the body fluids grow abundant. Hold and nourish the breath, cultivate Jing, and let the blood vessels fill. The bones will become supple and moist, the sinews strong, and the skin nourished; sweat will flow freely like a thick liquid.

Cultivate and protect the seven openings—the eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth—to dispel ill fortune. Each of the seven openings is distinct and lies in a different part of the body; they are places where the spirits take refuge. Tend them regularly, and you can avoid ill fortune, allowing all things to arise and transform naturally.

The spirits of the sun and moon unite and produce Jade Essence. The sun and moon represent Yin and Yang. After sunset, they meet in the Hall of Light and produce Yellow Essence, the refined substance generated through cultivation. The body fluids flow downward into the mouth, their taste mild, almost tasteless; yet their efficacy is inexhaustible.

By receiving the breath of Heaven, one can prolong life. In daily meditation, raise your head and draw in through your nose the Qi of Supreme Clarity, the pure, numinous Qi spoken of in Daoism. Sit upright with your legs crossed and your limbs settled. Honor the prohibitions of the Heavenly Dao, and life will be prolonged.

The sun and moon are set across the heavens, and Yin-Yang moves through them. The sun and moon shine upon all things; Yin and Yang alternate in their cycles, bringing harmony to the four seasons. These transformations can all be reflected in the human body.

Among the five viscera, the kidneys are most essential. Their Qi is pure and fragrant: the Queen Mother of the West is on the right, and the King Lord on the left; the Azure Dragon is on the left and the White Tiger on the right, connecting with Heaven. Shen-Qi lies hidden in Great Yin, the depths where Yin-Qi is concealed, and from this my form is brought to completion.

The Young Child of Great Yin dwells within the Black Tortoise, while the Son of the Red Spirit lies still in concealment. Yang-Qi is contained within Yin, bringing my form to completion. One should regularly hold in mind Lord Lao of Great Simplicity and Little Ding.

Shen-Qi enters and exits through two apertures, converging in the Yellow Court, the place within the body where Shen-Qi is refined and nurtured. Shen-Qi enters and exits between the hands; in the Yellow Court dwells the Perfected One who governs the Immortals. If you wish to see me, enter Mount Que.

Breathe in the Qi of emptiness, and you will see my form. Emptiness is elusive and indistinct, impossible to describe fully. Breathe in primordial Qi, and it circulates back and forth without end. If you wish to see my form, focus as though standing at the edge of a deep abyss.

This practice strengthens the sinews and bones and invigorates the blood and vessels. When Jing-Qi does not leak outward, the marrow becomes full, the body naturally grows strong, and the blood and vessels come into harmony. One moves like a galloping horse and remains tireless throughout life.

What cannot be seen amid the elusive and indistinct passes beyond Azure Numinous. Within the elusive and indistinct there are things; within Azure Numinous there are forms. The elusive and indistinct are like the Great Dao: there is a “One,” yet its appearance cannot be seen.

Sit below in your dwelling, and you may see the Young Child. Beneath the abode of the divine is a Golden Coffer, a treasury holding mysterious treasures. Look back, and you will see the Perfected One and the young child. Where should you seek them? Beneath the Canopy of Radiance, where Shen-Qi resides within the body.

Through inner breathing and visualization, contemplate the radiance of the divine. Close your eyes and look inward, holding the divine in mind, and you will see my light. Looking up and down, you can see the colors blue, red, white, and yellow.

Go out through the Gate of Heaven, and you will see the four directions; enter the realm without bounds, and you will see the Great Mystery. Within the Great Mystery is the Gate of the Many Wonders.

With a calm heart and no desires, you can nurture the Flower Stem, a Daoist inner cultivation term for Jing-Qi or the root of life. Dwell quietly in stillness and guard the numinous pearl, a symbol of inner Jing-Qi or the divine. Set worldly affairs aside and cultivate with strength and composure; nourish the Five Stems, and your complexion will glow rosy like peach blossoms.

By taking in Dark Qi, the mysterious Qi spoken of in Daoism, one can extend life. Outside, Dark Qi is called Great Mystery; within, it is called Great Abyss. If you can gather Qi from all directions as rivers flow into the sea, and diligently take it in through cultivation, you can prolong your years.

Turn back through the seven gates and drink the jade nectar of the Great Abyss. The nectar of the Great Abyss is sweet as honey. In truth, it is within you, though you do not know where to obtain it; that place seems to lie beside the Stream of Penglai.

The Dao (the practitioner cultivating the Way) suspends the mind before the chest, passing beyond Qingling. The abyss of Great Clarity is cool at all times. Ascend the terrace of Qingling and gaze into the distance in all four directions. Let the suspended mind descend to the Great Granary and rest in the middle of the chest; then a small child will appear.

The Golden Coffer and Jade Spirit sit within a small chamber. The Immortal Way manifests, and the young child comes to welcome me. In this way, cultivation in the “Center of the Compass”—the central place where the mind and spirit reside in internal alchemy—is complete.

I asked about the Immortal Way and extraordinary arts. The Immortal Way replied: “The Immortal Way is emptiness and naturalness. You can arrive without walking; lift your foot and you can travel ten thousand li. Whether sitting in stillness or standing, there are no extraordinary arts.” The so-called medicine of immortality is taken by consuming lingzhi mushrooms and Zihua blossoms, flowers and plants regarded by immortals as potent medicines.

Give up the five grains and stop eating sweet cakes and grain foods. Invite the Six Ding Jade Maidens, divine beings in Daoism, to come and serve you, gathering lingzhi mushrooms and Golden Zihua blossoms for you. Once obtained, consume them.

Wear a plain white cap on your head and tread upon the Dantian, the cultivation center in the lower abdomen. The Perfected One brings people to rest in stillness, always hoping they will attain the Dao and become immortals. By day, the hair is black; when it turns white as plain silk, this is a sign of old age. The feet, meanwhile, tread within the Dantian.

Bathe in the Flower Pool, a Daoist cultivation term for the saliva in the mouth or a related bodily region, so that the numinous root may grow. Bathe in the Flower Pool and refine and nourish the body in the Dantian, moistening the numinous root. The Flower Pool is also called the Jade Pool.

When the three palaces join, the Gate of Life can open. Laozi and Great Harmony each form a palace, together serving the Lord of the Dao. The Gate of Life opens and closes continually, while Yangming Qi flows on without end.

When all five flavors are present, wholesome Qi returns. The five flavors arise naturally within the six directions of Heaven and Earth. Transform them into food and consume them, and upright Qi will arrive with them.

Cultivate with your hair loose, and you can endure forever. Once the methods for cultivating the Great Dao are complete, lie stiffly with your hair unbound and refine and nourish the Five Sacred Peaks—the corresponding regions within the body associated with the five directions—and you will attain long life.

The Great Dao is vast and boundless; keep your mind free of turmoil. The Great Dao is bright and open. Essential methods of the Dao are not complicated, and complicated methods are not essential. You should seek the formless Dao.

My words are finished. Act with care, and do not pass them on to the unworthy. I am the Central Lord Lao, explaining the Way of Heaven: the body can be cultivated and nourished from head to foot. Do not pass this on to those unfit to attain the Dao, lest its methods fail to be made clear. Be sure to act with care!

Taishang Huangting Waijing Jing

Method for reciting the Huangting Neijing Jing:

When entering the purification hall, the place for ritual purification and scripture recitation, first click your teeth three times outside the door and close your eyes. Visualize dense clouds of purple Qi rising inside the room and covering your body. A Jade Youth stands to your left and a Jade Maiden to your right. The three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, together with the radiance of the precious lingzhi, shine through you inside and out. Then recite the incantation:

“The sky is clear and the Qi pure; the three lights shine through all. Golden chambers and jade rooms, the Five Precious Mushrooms flourish. Dark clouds and a purple canopy come to illuminate my form. Jade Youths and Jade Maidens bring numinous power to me. Nine Emperors…”

Become as radiant as the sun, moon, and stars, riding together in a single chariot beneath its flying canopy as you rise into the Purple Court, the palace of Heaven. Draw in Qi thirty-nine times. When you have finished swallowing it, enter the room, face north, and bow four times. Kneel upright and click your teeth twenty-four times. Report to the Most High Heavenly Perfected One, Jade Dawn, Supreme Lord of the Dao: “I, so-and-so, am entering the chamber today to chant the Jade Scripture, refine and nourish my spirit, and preserve the treasures of the Dao. I pray that my palace chamber may be splendid and my body flourish, so that I may ride the void, ascend, and pay homage at the imperial court.” When you have finished, turn to face east, bow to the Great Emperor, and click your teeth twelve times.

Report to the Great Emperor of Fusang and the Divine King of Yanggu: “I, so-and-so, am reciting the Jade Scripture today. I pray that divine mushrooms will naturally grow in my quiet chamber, and that the precious radiance of Jade Florescence will join with the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, shining with penetrating brilliance. When I have recited it ten thousand times, may I become a womb-born immortal and dwell with the spirits of the Emperor.” When you have finished speaking, face east and recite the scripture ten times; this counts as one round. After reciting, turn to face north and bow four times, then bow toward the east. There is no need to make another report. Simply perform the bows according to ritual; the number of recitations is up to you, but ten recitations make one round.

If you receive the scripture without observing the proper rites, you will diminish your merit and violate the rules governing rank and decorum. Such conduct is futile: it benefits neither the spirits nor your quest for immortality. One offense will undo the effects of your cultivation and cut off the path to immortality. Ten offenses will bring death by the punishment of wind blades; after death, you will become a ghost in the lower realms and suffer the labor of carrying stones. Even after enduring ten thousand kalpas before being reborn, you will never become one of the immortals.

On the eight festival days—the four seasonal beginnings, the two equinoxes, and the two solstices—offer a gold ring and nine feet of blue silk to the teacher who transmits the scripture. Once the teacher has received these tokens, they should promptly write the disciple’s name, prefecture, county, and village, age, and year, month, day, and hour of birth on the blue silk. Then go to a sheer cliff in rugged mountains. Face north, submit the register to the Palace of the Azure Emperor, click your teeth twenty-four times, and silently recite the incantation:

“The Heavenly Dao turns; the Dao’s Qi moves. The essences of the eight directions circulate; the Three and Five answer in due season. The nine fortunes change, and the allotted life span shifts. The true Dao is mysterious and still, supporting the Emperor’s spirits. The jade writ has been presented; now I submit the Azure register. I respectfully report this matter to the numinous officials of the Nine Palaces and Five Sacred Peaks. Please record the names I have listed and report them to Jade Purity. Three years from now, please come to welcome my humble person, so-and-so; grant me a ride in the chariot of the Eight Radiances and raise me to the imperial court.”

When the rite is complete, bury the blue silk beneath the sheer cliff. After doing this for three years, a Perfected One will descend. If, on a festival day, you fail even once to present the tokens, the rite’s efficacy will be lost and the path to immortality severed. If you break the covenant three times, you will be reported to the Three Officials and subjected to unending interrogation and punishment.

The Perfected One Qingxu said: All who cultivate the Jade Scripture of the Inner Radiance of the Yellow Court should follow the method of filling the spirits and merging them into transformation transmitted by the Lord Emperor. After reading the scripture and completing the ritual prayers and bows, sit upright, face east, and gently close your eyes. Turn your inner gaze to the forms, colors, heights, and sizes of the spirits within you…

Calling these deities by name can bring them back to their respective palaces. Without practicing this method, even if one cultivates repeatedly ten million times, the true deities will not remain in their proper places. In the end, there will be no response or effect; instead, one will needlessly exhaust one’s strength and weary one’s spirit, gaining no help in prolonging life. Therefore, the essential points from the scriptures are excerpted here and presented to the reader.

The deity of the hair is named “Canghua,” with the courtesy name “Taiyuan,” and is two cun and one fen tall. The deity of the brain is named “Jinggen,” with the courtesy name “Niwang,” and is one cun and one fen tall. The deity of the eyes is named “Mingshang,” with the courtesy name “Yingxuan,” and is three cun tall. The deity of the nose is named “Yulong,” with the courtesy name “Lingjian,” and is two cun and five fen tall. The deity of the ears is named “Kongxian,” with the courtesy name “Youtian,” and is three cun and one fen tall. The deity of the tongue is named “Tongming,” with the courtesy name “Zhenglun,” and is seven cun tall. The deity of the teeth is named “Efeng,” with the courtesy name “Luo Qian,” and is one cun and five fen tall.

These seven deities of the face all wear purple robes and light gauze skirts, and appear like infants. Visualize them carefully and steadily, arranging them in order across the face, each settled in its corresponding palace. After completing the visualization, click the teeth together twenty-four times, then swallow the Qi (vital energy) twelve times, and recite this prayer:

“The numinous source disperses primordial Qi, and Qi condenses to form the deities. Each deity takes its place in order, governing the Niwan Palace, with those above and below supporting one another. The seven deities manifest, each transforming its form; they cherish and nurture Huayuan, guiding the numinous Qi of the eight directions upward through the cavern gate, and guarding and directing the luminous Qi as it rises to the Imperial Dawn.”

When the prayer is complete, visualize the deity of the heart, “Danyuan,” with the courtesy name “Shouling,” nine cun tall and wearing a vermilion silk skirt; the deity of the lungs, “Haohua,” with the courtesy name “Xucheng,” eight cun tall, wearing white silk robes and a yellow sash; the deity of the liver, “Longyan,” with the courtesy name “Hanming,” six cun tall and clad in green silk; the deity of the kidneys, “Xuanming,” with the courtesy name “Yuying,” three cun and six fen tall and wearing blue-green silk robes; the deity of the spleen, “Changzai,” with the courtesy name “Hunting,” seven cun and three fen tall and wearing yellow silk robes; and the deity of the gallbladder, “Longyao,” with the courtesy name “Weiming,” three cun, six fen, and nine li tall, wearing nine-colored silk robes and a green patterned skirt.

These six true deities of the inner organs dwell within the Five Viscera and Six Bowels. They appear like infants, with complexions like those of flower children. Visualize them carefully and steadily, arranging them in order until each takes shape. Then click the teeth together twenty-four times, swallow the Qi twelve times, and recite this prayer:

“May the true deities of the Five Viscera and Six Bowels return together to their proper places, jointly governing the Crimson Palace, the abode of the heart deity, and following one another above and below. The red children in the golden chambers guard the gates of the four directions. The deep inner chambers and mysterious palaces are governed by the deities; they also regulate the pivot of the divine chamber, joining and transforming in harmony.”

Here, “visualization” means focusing the mind, according to the cultivation method, on the image of a deity. “Clicking the teeth” and “swallowing the Qi” are methods for regulating body and mind in Daoist visualization practice.

When the refined Shen, Qi, and Jing produced throughout the body gather in the Dantian (the inner sea of Qi in Daoist teaching), they can shine like the sun and moon and unite with the Eight Visions (the deities within the body or visions of immortal realms in Daoist teaching), allowing the bodily form to ascend to Ziwei (the name of a Daoist heavenly realm).

The Perfected One of Ziwei said, “Long ago, Master Meng recited the Yellow Court Scripture and practiced this Way. After eight years, the Perfected One of the Yellow Court descended and came to his side. This is the culmination of cultivation. The secret of the Yellow Court lies entirely here. The Shen within the body can also be silently invoked often, from morning until night, without forgetting it; one need not wait until reciting the Yellow Court Scripture to do so.”

Seven Tablets in a Cloudy Satchel, juan 12