《雲笈七籤》Vol. 19

On days marked by Jia or Ji in the sexagenary cycle, at dawn gently tap and press the area over the heart while reciting the invocation: “Azure forest, dark tortoise; flowing water like a river; blazing fire all around the body—how could it know? His Dao returns; my Dao returns.” When you have finished, imagine the liver as green, moist, and shining, rising high in the upper body on the left side. Then imagine the gallbladder as green, yellow within and green without, moist and clear. Next, place your hand over the heart and picture the liver covering the gallbladder above it. This is the first step in the practice.

Afterward, call upon the liver spirit: “Rouzi Lanlan, become my friend and stay to serve as my messenger. I, so-and-so, marked by Jia, wish to obtain the Great One’s Divine Elixir (the immortal elixir bestowed by the Great One) and gain long life by taking it. Please do not leave my body. Dwell always in the Purple Chamber Palace and unite with the Dao.”

Next, close your eyes and visualize green Qi descending from the sunlight and settling over your body, then entering through your nostrils. Picture the liver’s green Qi joining with it. When the green Qi reaches your eyes, draw it into your mouth and swallow it, repeating this three times. Then visualize the green Qi circulating through your whole body for ninety breaths, with each inhalation and exhalation counting as one breath. Stop there. On an Yi day, visualize the liver spirit again and call: “Plain Maiden of the Great One’s Purple Palace, become my friend and stay to serve as my messenger. I, so-and-so, marked by Jia, wish to obtain the Great One’s Flower Talisman (the Great One’s sacred talisman) and take it…” Repeat this visualization in the same way on Jia-Yin and Yi-Mao days.

The Twenty-Ninth Immortal

The scripture says: On a Bing day, around noon, gently tap and press the area over the heart while reciting the invocation: “Vermilion Bird, cinnabar fluid; heavenly sea, earthly river. I pray to seek deathlessness and take in Heaven’s harmony (the harmonized vital essence between Heaven and Earth).”

Next, close your eyes and visualize the heart as a deep red, like the sun, located between the lobes of the lungs. Then picture reddish-yellow Qi from the sunlight coming before your eyes; draw it into your mouth and swallow it, repeating this three times. Next, visualize the red Qi circulating through your whole body for one hundred and eighty breaths, then stop.

Afterward, call upon the heart spirit: “Li Shang (some versions read ‘Li Chang’) and Luzi, become my friends and stay to serve as my messengers…”

Pray to receive the divine elixir of Taiyi, bestowed by the deity Taiyi. This elixir resembles a golden liquid and may be drunk or taken as a supplement.

In daily practice, visualize this deity in the Crimson Palace, the inner realm associated with the heart, and unite it with yourself. On a Ding day, visualize the deity again and call out:

“Jade Maiden of the Crimson Palace of the Celestial Emperor, may you become my friend and stay as my attendant. I, [A], wish to seek the Celestial Emperor’s Way of long life.”

On a Bingwu or Dingsi day, visualize this deity again.

The Thirtieth Immortal Deity

The scripture says: On each of the six Wu days—days whose heavenly stem is Wu—at cockcrow and at dusk, press and rub the chest, and pray:

“Heavenly Dao, Heavenly Dao! May I never grow old and may my life exceed that of the Yellow One in the Center. May I ascend to Heaven soon, may my life endure, and may I remain forever with the Dao.”

Then close your eyes and imagine the yellow Qi in the spleen rising into the mouth. Next, imagine the yellow Qi of Heaven’s essence coming before your eyes and entering your mouth. Swallow it three or five times, then stop. Imagine the yellow Qi circulating throughout your whole body for one hundred and fifty breaths, then stop.

Then call out to this deity:

“Jade Maiden of Dark Radiance, nurturer of the Perfected Child. The Perfected Child takes in primordial Qi and drinks from sweet springs.”

Thus it is said that the deities within the body have parents, three in all. On a Ji day, visualize this deity and call out:

“Jade Maiden of the Yellow Court, Perfected One, may you become my friend and stay as my attendant. I, [A], wish to seek the immortal Way of the Perfected One of the Yellow Court.”

On the Wuchen, Jiwei, Wuxu, or Jichou day, visualize this deity again.

The Thirty-First Immortal Deity

The scripture says: On each of the six Geng days—days whose heavenly stem is Geng—during the Shen hour, press and rub the chest, and pray:

“Root, O Root! White clouds suddenly rise, and thick mist spreads for ten thousand li. May the clouds return to me and always serve as my attendants; may I receive the immortal mandate again and again, my life ending and beginning anew.”

Then close your eyes and imagine the lungs pure white, with white Qi rising into the mouth. Next, imagine the white Qi of Heaven’s essence descending from the sky, coming before your eyes and entering your mouth. Swallow it three or seven times, then stop. Imagine the white Qi circulating throughout your whole body for one hundred and forty breaths, then stop.

Then call out to this deity: “Master □□, may you become my friend and stay as my attendant. Please keep watch over the canopy, the Golden Liquid, and the Jade Essence. Stay always by my side and do not leave. Serve the Lord of the Dao and unite with me as one.”

On a Xin day, visualize this deity and call out:

“Jade Maiden of the Azure Waist of the Radiant Yellow Jade Hall, may you become my friend and stay as my attendant.”

I, [A], wish to seek and take the medicine of Pengzu for long life and immortality. On a Gengshen or Xinyou day, visualize this deity again.

Thirty-Second Immortal

The scripture says: At midnight on a Ren day, gently pat your heart and pray: “May I behold the Heavenly Mirror, the bright mirror of the celestial realm. May mysterious nourishment enter the Jade Pool, the place of cultivation in the mouth or body, restoring my youth so that my black hair turns white … May I be continually renewed, like an infant. May the spirits take up residence within me and accompany my five organs.”

Then close your eyes and visualize white Qi moving between the kidneys. Let it circulate through the whole body twelve times, then gather and spread it out again, allowing it to flow into the limbs. Next, visualize the kidneys rising up, shaped like a pair of carp: the right one black, the left one red. They lie on either side of the spine, shining brightly and illuminating the whole body.

Then visualize the primordial Qi of the Azure Heaven and Great Clarity, the pure and tranquil Qi of the celestial realm, descending before your eyes and entering your mouth. Swallow it nine times. Visualize the white primordial Qi of Great Clarity circulating through your whole body, then gather it into the Dantian, the inner cultivation area below the navel. Next, call upon the spirits Si Lu and the Six Ding Jade Maidens, Daoist deities, to erase your name from the register of the dead, grant you long life, and ultimately make you a perfected person. All Twelve Taiyi, Daoist deities, should be addressed with the word “life.” On Renzi and Guihai days, perform this visualization once more in the same way.

Thirty-Third Immortal

The scripture says: After visualizing the spirits of the five organs, continue to visualize Xuanli, Jade Essence, and Golden Fluid, and never forget them. Visualize Xuanli, allowing it to moisten and circulate. Then separately visualize the Jade Essence, in which there is a small child standing upside down, dressed in bright and splendid garments. Imagine the child firm and strong, gradually growing larger, with its body growing in size as well. When visualizing the Golden Fluid, make it dry and slow-moving, shaped like purple grains containing mercury.

After completing all these visualizations, begin again from the first and repeat the cycle twelve times. When the spirit is settled within, harmonious Qi will arise naturally, and all illnesses will disappear. Your lifespan will match that of Heaven and Earth; you will live endlessly and need not know when death might come.

Thirty-Fourth Immortal

The scripture says: Absorbing the essence of sunlight can prolong life and bring immortality, allowing one to ascend to Heaven and pay homage to the Dao Lord. The practice is as follows: On the first, second, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth days of each month, at sunrise, let your hair hang loose and face the sun. Close your eyes and visualize a small child in your heart, wearing crimson clothes patterned with five colors, radiant and bright, its entire body a deep red, including the palms of both hands.

Rub your face with your palms, then continue rubbing down to your chest, for a total of twelve repetitions. At the same time, visualize the sun’s essence in the heavens transforming into bright red and yellow Qi and descending before your eyes. Hold it in your mouth in your visualization, then swallow it nine times, using your hands to rub it downward. Then pat your chest and pray: [The original text ends here]

The primordial Yang Qi of Lord Jing, an immortal in Daoism, merges with mine. Together, we nourish the young child within the Crimson Palace, the place in the body associated with the heart in internal alchemy. After a while, imagine this Qi descending from below the heart to the Dantian, the abdominal area referred to in internal alchemy, where it comes to rest. Massage with your hands to guide the Qi downward. Each day, entrust your mind and spirit to the sun. By receiving the sun’s essence in your heart, you can become an immortal.

Chapter 35: Immortals

A scripture says: Absorb the essence of the moon to nourish the root of the kidneys; white hair will turn black, and lost teeth will grow back. In this way, you can become an immortal. Usually at midnight, visualize white Qi between the kidneys moving throughout the body: upward to the Gate of the Brain at the back of the head, and downward to the soles of the feet. This method of cultivation, which follows the natural course, is easy to understand but difficult to practice.

On the fifteenth day of each month, face the moon and pray: “The radiance of the Lord of the Moon joins and responds to me, nourishing the young child in my Dantian.” Then close your eyes and visualize the moon’s white-yellow essence descending until it reaches your eyes. Draw it into your mouth and swallow twenty-one times, then massage with your hands to guide the Qi to the Dantian.

The Qi in the Dantian is a pure red. Within the red Qi is a young child nine fen tall, dressed in red. Thus the Qi of the Dantian is red within and black without, blue-green on the left, yellow on the right, and white above: all five colored Qi are present. At this point, direct your cultivation toward the kidneys, so that they receive the moon’s essence; only then can it ascend and descend within the Dantian.

The red within the Dantian is the essence of the sun and the Qi of heart fire. The black on the outside is the essence of Great Yin and the Qi of kidney water. The blue-green on the left is the essence of Lesser Yang and the Qi of liver wood. The yellow on the right is the essence of harmony and the Qi of spleen earth. The white above, shining like a silver plate that covers the rest, is the essence of Lesser Yin and the Qi of lung metal. Within each of the five colored Qi is a person: the princes of the five organs, as well as the essences and spirits of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). One must bring cultivation of the Dantian to completion in order to become a perfected person.

A benevolent disposition is the essence of the liver; proper conduct is the essence of the heart; discernment and wisdom are the essence of the lungs; harmony and joy are the essence of the kidneys; loyalty, trustworthiness, and sincerity are the essence of the spleen; eloquence and courage are the essence of the gallbladder. A sluggish, mild temperament indicates weak gallbladder Qi; blindness indicates weak liver Qi; timidity indicates weak lung Qi; madness indicates weak heart Qi; bodily weakness indicates weak kidney Qi; being unworthy, unintelligent, or deaf indicates weak spleen Qi. The signs of weakened Qi in the five organs can all be seen in oneself.

Worry, grief, and gloom damage the liver; when the liver is damaged, …

When your eyesight grows dim and your hair turns white, you should consider nourishing yourself with Kidney Qi and Heart Qi. Excessive sexual indulgence damages the kidneys. When the kidneys are damaged, the lower back aches, the body feels heavy, and pus and blood may appear in the urine or stool. At such times, you should consider nourishing yourself with Liver Qi.

Anger damages the heart. When the heart is damaged, disorders of the spirit and symptoms such as vomiting blood may occur. At such times, you should consider nourishing yourself with Liver Qi and Spleen Qi. Calamities, grief, and hardship damage the lungs. When the lungs are damaged, you should consider nourishing yourself with Spleen Qi and Kidney Qi. Eating too much and drinking too much alcohol damage the spleen. When the spleen is damaged, you should consider nourishing yourself with Heart Qi and Lung Qi.

Let the Five Organs nourish one another, like parent and child sustaining each other, and illness will be cured and afflictions dispelled. (Those who seek immortality and study the Dao should avoid damaging the Five Organs; practitioners of the Dao should understand this.)

Thirty-Six: Immortality

The scripture says: “Consume the essence of Taiji, and you will attain longevity.” Perform the practice at the appropriate hours on the six Wu days (days marked by the Heavenly Stem Wu in the sexagenary calendar). The Daoist priest should dress properly indoors, face north, bow twice, and pray: “August Heaven and the Supreme Emperor, Lord of the Dao Above All Others: I am Lu Sun Xiaozhao Renjia. I delight in the Great Dao and hope to attain longevity.”

After lying down at night, visualize the Big Dipper and the bright central star of Taiji. The star’s essence transforms into a pure yellow Qi, descends, arrives before your eyes, and enters your mouth. Swallow it three or five times. The yellow essence fills the Great Granary (here, the stomach) and the Yellow Court (the place within the body where Daoist internal cultivation locates the spirits and Qi), then descends to the Dantian (energy center).

Next, visualize a red person in the Crimson Palace (the region of the heart in Daoist practice), and five people in the Purple Chamber Palace: the Lord Taiyi in the middle, the immortal Laozi Zhong Chengzi on the left, and Taihe Qu Wenzi on the right. In the Palace of Bright Hall is the Jade Maiden Xuanguang; Huang Changzi is on the left, and the Perfected One Zhonghuang is on the right. Together, they guard the Perfected One Zidan.

Then visualize the Jade Hall below, and summon the Three Dukes and the six Jade Maidens of Ding. Ask them to remove “So-and-so’s” name from the register of the dead and grant “So-and-so” long life. Once your breathing is calm, visualize the Perfected One Zidan in your stomach and pray: “Jade Maiden Xuanguang, please nourish and protect my Perfected One Zidan. Let him consume primordial Qi, drink sweet spring water, and draw support from the Qi at the center of the Big Dipper. When the spleen receives the essence of the Dipper’s central pole, it can become a Perfected One.”

Thirty-Seven: Immortality

The scripture says: “The lungs are the body’s Secretariat, the liver is the Orchid Terrace, and the heart is the Grand Commandant. The left kidney is the Duke of the Ministry of Works, and the right kidney is the Duke of the Ministry of Construction. The spleen is like the empress, the honored consort, and the ladies of the court. The gallbladder is the Son of Heaven, the Great Lord of the Dao. The stomach is the Great Granary and the residence of the crown prince.”

Within my body, the large and small intestines are like envoys of the Primordial Beam; the Qi of the Lower Cinnabar Field is the Grand Herald, the Qi of the Middle Cinnabar Field is the eighty-one Primordial Officers, and the Qi of the Upper Cinnabar Field is the High Chariot Envoy. Together, they communicate with the spirits of the Supreme Sovereign.

Thus, the lungs are the Jade Hall Palace; the heart is the Crimson Palace and the Vermilion Bird Gate Tower; the kidneys are the secluded gates of the Northern Pole and the side gates of the Black Tortoise; and the spleen is the chamber of the Attendant Ministers in the Hall of Light. The stomach is the Upper Sea, where the sun and moon pause in their nightly lodging; the navel is the Lower Sea. The sun and moon take turns moving up and down, as far as the stomach.

The Great Beginning was the origin of primordial Qi; it is Dao, the One. The area above the heart symbolizes Heaven. The Great Commencement was the origin of the myriad things; it symbolizes mountains, rivers, and the earth, and corresponds to the kidneys. The Great Unformed was the origin of humankind; it symbolizes Jing and Qi, and corresponds to the spleen and Earth. The upper part of the human body also has three palaces: the two eyes are the Crimson Palace, the two ears are the Jade Hall Palace, and the nose and mouth are the Hall of Light. The space between the eyebrows is the Mountain of the Outskirts. Those who can harmonize the primordial Qi in these three places to nourish their true Qi will see the little child within them clearly, and their gaze will become penetrating and bright.

Laojun said: “Among the many methods of cultivating the Dao, in the end all that matters is holding fast to a single thought of the Child Elixir—the inner Elixir Essence. This is the One Dao. It is in the Purple Chamber Palace, which is the gallbladder. The Child Elixir is me; ‘me’ means to set oneself straight. This is the full essence of the Dao.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Immortals

The scripture says: Daoist adepts refine mercury and eliminate cinnabar, minerals used in alchemy, then use jade and the Eight Stones to make a divine elixir. Take a small measure, called a dao gui, and one can ascend to the heavenly palace. Only by making Qi one’s constant food can one live forever. Through visualizing the inner spirits and taking elixirs, one can become a Perfected Person.

After attaining the Dao, Perfected Persons assist the Supreme Sovereign in governing the world. Tradition says that before Heaven and Earth took shape, earth and water were mixed in a vast, chaotic expanse; Heaven and Earth were broken apart and shrouded in obscurity, so that nothing within them or its hiding place could be made out. Only after eighteen thousand years did Heaven, Earth, and humanity take form. The Perfected Persons therefore used earth to make people, enabling them to breathe and eat and drink, and to command attendants. Earth cannot exist on its own, and people cannot survive on their own; hence yellow earth is said to be the source of humankind.

Perfected Persons leave the human world and ascend to the Nine Heavens. Those in the world who lack the Dao descend to the Yellow Springs after death. Add three sheng of earth, and no sinews or bones remain. Thus, the Elder of the Nine Heavens said: “Those who feed on Heaven repay Heaven with their own bodies and ascend as Perfected Persons; those who feed on Earth repay Earth with their own bodies and become corpse-spirits; those who feed on people repay…” (The original text ends here unfinished.)

If people wish to cultivate the Dao, they should not eat flying birds. Flying birds are created by Heaven; killing them and eating them repeatedly shortens one’s lifespan. When people or domestic animals eat flying birds, they treat them merely as food.

There are also taboos concerning the six domestic animals. The six animals forbidden by the Six Ding spirits are the rabbit associated with a Dingmao day, the ox associated with a Dingchou day, the pig associated with a Dinghai day, the chicken associated with a Dingyou day, the sheep associated with a Dingwei day, and the snake associated with a Dingsi day. These are the taboos of the Six Ding spirits. When practicing Qi circulation, taking elixirs, or entering a chamber for cultivation, one must not eat living creatures and must also abstain from the meat of five kinds of livestock: horse, ox, sheep, pig, and dog. Only eggs and fish may be eaten. One must also avoid the Five Pungent Foods, such as strongly scented scallions and garlic, foul-smelling substances, and animals that have died naturally. These taboos should also be observed carefully when taking elixirs.

Thirty-Nine: Immortals

A scripture says: “The Dao is me, and I am the Dao. I am the Supreme Lord at the Center of the Highest Heaven.” Each day at sunrise, noon, the You hour (about five to seven in the evening), and midnight—or, according to another account, at sunrise, the Shen hour, and the You hour—the practitioner gazes upward and visualizes the Great Yellow Star at the center of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). The practitioner imagines its vital essence descending and coming to rest between the eyebrows, where it appears in pure red, yellow, and white, like the sun. Then, through intention, the practitioner guides it into the mouth and swallows it, letting the Qi settle in the Crimson Palace, Purple Chamber, and Yellow Court—names for important locations within the body in Daoist cultivation. Swallow it three or five times. During the practice, recite this invocation:

“Heavenly Emperor, Lord of the Dao Above: I, Lu Sun, a humble young adept born in the year Renjia, cherish the Dao and its methods and wish to attain long life. This is my Qi; from this Qi I was born.”

Repeat the visualization ten thousand times without stopping. The scripture says this enables the practitioner to live forever and become a perfected person, ride a cloud chariot up to the heavenly palace, pay respects to the Emperor and the Old Man of the Southern Pole, and arrive before Primordial Radiance.

Laojun said: “Sages cultivate ‘Melted Pearl’; worthies cultivate ‘Water Jade.’ The methods for Melted Pearl and Water Jade are the same. Melted Pearl means taking in the sun’s vital essence: the left eye belongs to the sun. Water Jade means absorbing the moon’s vital essence: the right eye belongs to the moon.”

Let the hair hang loose, lie straight on one’s back, and close the eyes. Often visualize yellow vital essence and red breath descending from both eyes, entering the mouth, and being swallowed. Do three rounds, nine times per round. The scripture says this clears the mind and enables one to see in all eight directions.

One should also absorb the vital essence of the lungs. Visualize white breath rising from the lungs, reaching the throat, entering the mouth, and being swallowed. Do three rounds, seven times per round. The scripture says this clears the mind, gives the body a radiant appearance, drives away evil and summons spirits, and brings a Jade Maiden to attend the practitioner, thereby granting long life and protection from the myriad ghosts.

One should also often visualize a small child dressed in red inside the body, dwelling in the heart…

The central area, that is, the place where the spirits reside. In ordinary practice, imagine a purple canopy descending within the heart. Beneath it stands a person wearing a red headscarf and a tall crown, dressed in a dark red robe, holding an arrow and drawing a crossbow. The figure looks solemn and angry. Practicing in this way enables one to avoid the calamities of war and command ghosts and spirits.

Fortieth Spirit Immortal

The scripture says: Often imagine purple clouds rising above the head, shaped like a carriage canopy or like flames, shimmering with five colors and reaching upward to connect with the heavenly realm. Then use the mind to make them spread fully, as though joining with the sky, and imagine them descending in response to your intention.

Next, imagine yellow Qi in the stomach, like an orange, gradually growing larger. Then imagine the body as the sun, with red primordial Qi beneath the eyes. The Dao Qi symbolized by the yellow and red figures circulates and fills the limbs. Then visualize yourself climbing to a high place and entering the sun’s center (some versions read “high terrace” instead of “high place”), then ascending to the Crimson Palace, the palace where the heart resides, and the Purple Chamber.

Then pray: “Taiyi and the North Pole, I respectfully inform the gods: please always keep the hun and po souls at peace, and do not let them leave the body of [so-and-so].” This is called “Natural Formlessness.”

Forty-First Spirit Immortal

The scripture says: The Ghost Arrows have twelve stalks and can be used to ward off the calamities of war. Often imagine twelve stalks of sacred lingzhi in the heart, extending upward to connect with the lungs; then use the mind to gather them. This is called the “Ghost Arrow omen.” If one practices this regularly, blades, spears, and other weapons will turn aside of their own accord, and evil events will dissipate. Even when facing foreign peoples from the four directions, one can use this to defend oneself.

The scripture then depicts the scene of the gods standing guard: the Thunder Duke beats a drum, Venus sends forth its light, the White Emperor holds a crossbow, Chiyou presides over warding off weapons, the Azure Dragon guards the gate, the Wuyi spirit stands in the courtyard, and the Soaring Serpent and the Dark Warrior command the expulsion of calamities. The White Rabbit pounds medicine, with a toad beside it; Taiyi blends the medicine, and Pengzu leads the way. After taking a knife-tip measure—a very small unit of medicine in ancient times—one is said to have a radiant face and feathers growing on the body, enabling one to ascend and pay homage to the Supreme Emperor, a revered heavenly deity. This is the method. Let the Qi of the gods merge with your own, and practice with great care without interruption.

Forty-Second Spirit Immortal

The scripture says: On each Gengshen day, during the hour of Shen, let down your hair, point your head southwest and face the Shen direction, lie on your back with your body extended, and close your eyes. Imagine the lungs as pure white, moist, and bright. Within them is a stalk of sacred lingzhi, as thick as the little finger, hollow and bright inside, extending downward to connect with the heart. Then imagine blue and red Qi flowing up and down within it, rising from the heart and entering the lungs. Continue this visualization until the hour of Shen is nearly over, then stop.

The lungs are called a person’s “heaven,” and the heart a person’s “sun.” The sun’s Qi rises upward, like the essence of a Red Elixir. Ordinary people may not all be able to obtain this Qi, but they must rely on it to live; without it, they die. This Qi is called “Natural…”

When the Dao connects with the Dao, it can communicate with the spirits.

Forty-Three: Immortals

The scripture says: Regularly visualize a mass of pure red Qi in the heart, like the sun. It is green within and black without. The three combine to form De, aligning with the patterns of the Dao.

The Master says: Each morning, visualize the heart as pure red, like the sun. Within the sun is a person wearing a tall crown and a red headscarf, and dressed in a dark red robe. Once the image is clear, call out: “Celestial Emperor Taiyi, please grant that so-and-so may live long and ascend to become a perfected person.”

Forty-Four: Immortals

The scripture says: To draw Jing and Qi back into the Crimson Palace—the place where the heart is located—do this on the first and fifteenth days of each month and at the end of the month. Just as the sun rises, let your hair hang loose, lie with your head to the east, and face the sun. With your left hand, massage downward from between the breasts to the pit of the stomach, repeating this nine times, then stop. Silently say in your heart: “Spirit, return to the Crimson Palace. Do not leave the body. Spirit, dwell quietly in a peaceful place and speak with me.” Repeat these words silently three times, then stop.

The Master says: Massaging between the breasts is intended to guide the breath up and down. Gently stroke the pit of the stomach while visualizing a small child. This is called “returning Jing to the Crimson Palace through emptiness.” This practice may also be performed on the third day of each month. It is a method for cultivating immortality.

Forty-Five: Immortals

The scripture says: The Red Person of Original Yang is Taiyi; the Lord of the Dao of Original Yang dwells at the body’s center and is Taiyi; the Cinnabar Child of Original Yang is the self; the Jade Maiden of Mysterious Light of Original Yang is the mother of the Dao; the August Person of Original Yang is the king of Taiyi; and the Dantian of Original Yang is the palace where Jing is stored.

The Master says: “Original” refers to Qi, and “Yang” refers to the sun. One should visualize a sun in the heart, with a Red Person inside it, wearing a red headscarf and a tall crown, and dressed in a dark red robe.

Next, visualize a bright Venus in the gallbladder, with three rays of light shining upon one another. On the star stands a person in each place, dressed in dark red robes and wearing crowns of the Nine Virtues. The Lord of the Dao is in the center; to the left are Laozi and Zhongchengzi, and to the right are Taihe QuwenzI—five people in all.

Then visualize a sun in the pure yellow area above the spleen. Three people are inside it: the Mother of the Dao, the Jade Maiden of Mysterious Light, in the center; Huangshangzi to the left; and Zhonghuangzhi to the right.

Next, visualize the perfected person Zidan in the stomach, seated within an image like pearls and jade. Above him, golden clouds form a canopy, with Jade Maidens and young attendants serving nearby.

Finally, visualize Taiyi in the navel, dressed in a multicolored red robe and wearing the Three Crimson Crown. A green person stands to the left and a white person to the right.

The red person stands in front, and the black person behind. Next, visualize a mass of red Qi in the Dantian (energy center). Within the red Qi are three people: the red person in the center, the blue-green person on the left, and the yellow person on the right. Red Qi surrounds them. Inside is blue-green, outside is black, above is white, and in the middle is yellow. When the visualization is complete, lie down. If you seem to see something, that means the spirit and Qi have arrived and will speak with you.

Forty-Sixth Immortal

The scripture says: Frequently visualize yellow Qi rising from the spleen into the mouth, then swallow it. Repeat this three to five times and stop; you will feel full. This can ward off grain (that is, do without eating grains), and you can sit or stand and become invisible.

The master says: Frequently visualize the character “sun” inside the spleen. Within the sun is a golden cabinet, and inside the cabinet are sealed scrolls, sealed with yellow jade and three inches wide. The words “Essence of Awe-Inspiring Delight” are written on them. Focus your mind on visualizing this, and evil Qi will naturally depart. If you can see and read the words on the scroll, your mind’s apertures will open and your eyes will grow clear; you will then become an immortal.

Forty-Seventh Immortal

The scripture says: Frequently visualize an upright, compact figure like congealed fat inside the stomach. Yellow Qi fills the Great Granary (another name for the stomach), rises into the mouth, and is then swallowed. You will feel full.

The master says: The stomach is the Great Granary. The various deities eat and drink there. It contains pots and steamers made of gold, and Jade Maidens and young boys attend to their provisions and service. This is why it is called “Yellow Robed One Bringing the Traveling Kitchen.”

Forty-Eighth Immortal

The scripture says: The kidneys are the root of primordial Qi. Frequently visualize white Qi rising from between the two kidneys to the head, then descending to the centers of the soles and the tips of all ten toes. Let it circulate through the whole body twelve times, then stop. Your hands and feet will grow warm. It is said that this can keep you from feeling hunger or thirst or fearing the cold, prevent aging, and turn white hair black again. You should visualize and practice this often.

Forty-Ninth Immortal

The scripture says: On the first and fifteenth days of each month, visualize white Qi rising from between the two kidneys to the crown of the head, then descending to the soles. Visualize a multicolored tortoise, its shell marked with patterns like a cord tied around it. Above it is the Mysterious Radiance Jade Maiden, with two deities seated facing one another. Taiyi is in front, Xuanming behind, and the Registrar of Records and the Controller of Destiny discuss the life and death of people together.

After concentrating on this visualization for thirty breaths, recite the incantation: “Registrar of Records, Controller of Destiny, Jade Maidens of the Six Ding, please remove my name from so-and-so’s register of the dead and enter it in the text of ascent to life.” Here you should pray for long life. Visualize the divine tortoise breathing, exhaling old Qi and inhaling new Qi, and let it happen naturally. The spirit of the white tortoise sets primordial Qi in motion, warming all four limbs. A person must obtain kidney Qi for the divine tortoise to breathe and for the person to live. You should often do this on Jiazi and Renzi days…

By practicing this visualization every day in this way, one can attain long life.

The Fiftieth Immortal

The scripture says: On a Jiawu day, at noon, always let your hair hang loose and lie on your back with your head facing south. Close your eyes and visualize yellow Qi in the Dantian (the part of the body used for visualization and cultivation), three inches below the navel. The Qi is bright red and about the size of a palm. A layer of black surrounds it, with a layer of blue-green beyond that. Above the navel, white Qi covers the area; this is the Qi of the lungs. To the left of the Dantian is blue-green Qi, and to the right is yellow Qi, each also about the size of a palm. These three locations correspond respectively to the Qi of the liver, spleen, and lungs.

The Master said: The red Qi in the Dantian is the Qi of the sun; the outer black layer is the Qi of Great Yin, and the outer blue-green layer is the Qi of Lesser Yang. When the three Qi converge, they form complete merit. Let these three Qi guard the body, and one can attain long life.

The Fifty-First Immortal

The scripture says: The heart is Emptiness; the kidneys are Origin. Emptiness Qi rises as blue-green and becomes Heaven, while Origin Qi settles downward and becomes Earth, entering the Great Abyss (here, the place where breath gathers). Thus, once generated, Emptiness Qi becomes the exhalation, and Origin Qi becomes the inhalation. The heart is like the sun, the kidneys like the moon, and the spleen like the Dipper (possibly referring to the Northern Dipper). The heart’s Qi descends and the kidneys’ Qi rises; the two Qi combine as one and circulate through the body in all four directions, without ceasing.

Thus it is said: the heart governs blood, and the kidneys govern Qi. When the two combine, blood and Qi flow freely; this is called the pulse. The pulse is the form in which the hun and po souls manifest in the human body. When the hun and po depart, the person’s self falls into extinction. When the hundred vessels dry up, Qi is cut off; when Qi is cut off, the person dies. Therefore, those who cultivate the Dao must nourish their spirit, protect their root, and augment their Original Qi. You must make an effort and practice diligently, or you will soon be gone.

After attaining the Dao, perfected beings meet only once every eighteen thousand years; Daoist practitioners who attain the Dao meet only once every thousand years. For this reason, the Inner Classic was written and left for later generations. This book was composed on the basis of writings kept by the High Sovereign (a legendary ancient ruler or sacred age) and should be treasured in a golden coffer. Even if those who cultivate the Dao were offered a thousand pieces of gold, they should not pass it on.

The Fifty-Second Immortal

The scripture says: The Qi of the Three Origins converges on a Ji亥 day. The Three Origins are Taiyi, Great Yin, and Palace Qi. All three are reckoned from Ji亥: Taiyi moves to the left, shifting one zodiac station each year and bringing harmful Qi; Taiyi also moves to the right, passing through one of the four seasonal first-month positions every four years. Great Yin moves to the right, shifting one zodiac station every three years and traversing one direction every nine years. After all four directions have been traversed, thirty-six years in total, the Three Origins converge together at the position of Hai.

In a year when the Three Origins converge, floods, droughts, warfare, famine, and other calamities occur all at once. At such a time, Yin and Yang are severed and their interaction is thrown out of balance, stirring Heaven and Earth and allowing harmful Qi to spread. When harmful Qi moves through the day, it damages the crops; when it enters the human body, people fall ill; when it enters the grain, famine follows. Born into such times, you will find it difficult to keep yourselves safe. How could you fail to make an effort to learn the Dao as soon as possible? When such an age arrives…

Floods, droughts, and locust plagues struck one after another. The grain harvest failed, food grew expensive, and wars and epidemics broke out as well. Roads became impassable. People carried the old and led the young as they scattered in search of refuge elsewhere. The grief between parents, spouses, and siblings was unbearable, as though their hearts and guts were being torn apart. Some were reduced to slaves or servants, not even knowing which county or village they were in. If you wait until then to begin learning the Dao, will it not be too late? Will it not be too late?

I solemnly warn you: preserve and nurture your spirit, cultivate the methods of the Elixir, and prepare in advance. If you encounter a time of disorder, withdraw far away and conceal yourself. When a wise and enlightened ruler governs the realm and the principles are clear to see, you may then follow the Dao.

Thus, in the cycles of Heaven and Earth, a minor period of abundance occurs every forty-five years, a minor famine every ninety years, a great abundance every one hundred and eighty years, and a great famine every three hundred and sixty years. Every five hundred years, worthy people appear briefly; every thousand years, sages gather briefly; every three thousand six hundred years, a great assembly of sages takes place; every eighteen thousand years, perfected beings appear briefly and govern the realm; every thirty-six thousand years, supreme immortals appear and govern the realm; and every three million six hundred thousand years, Heaven and Earth undergo a great union. At that time, the original Qi is murky and undifferentiated, and forms have not yet taken shape. Humanity becomes one kind among the myriad things, but people can no longer distinguish east, south, west, and north. People turn into birds and beasts, and birds and beasts turn into people. The perfected beings dwell above the original Qi, while the immortals reside in distant, boundless regions. Those who cultivate the Dao can preserve themselves and cherish life by living in seclusion.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Immortals

The scripture says: The Celestial Capital of Jingzhao aligns with the left end of “Gouchen,” a celestial star official, and is called the Lord of Peaceful Virtue. Together with the Celestial Great One and the Lord of the North, he deliberates on the affairs of the gods. Human souls gather at the Southern Pole. Those whose names are entered in the registers may prolong their lives, and the gods will collectively recommend them; those whose names are not entered will reach the end of their allotted years, and the God of Fate will strike them from the register. Human souls also gather at the Northern Pole. Those who have accrued merit through their deeds for people, Heaven and Earth, and the myriad things will have descendants who are wealthy, noble, and long-lived, and their names will be celebrated. They themselves may also attain the rank of marquis, and afterward be reborn as human beings.

There are three kinds of people without virtue. The first are violent and predatory, cruel and merciless, and act against the seasons of Heaven and Earth. The second curse others, feel jealousy, indulge in sexual excess, and show contempt for the spirits of Heaven and Earth. The third are unfilial and disloyal, steal and plot in secret, and bury the bodies of those they have killed. The descendants of those who commit these three kinds of wrongdoing will become extinct.

At birth, a person is allotted three fates. When they marry or give a daughter in marriage, one of these fates is determined anew; when they move house or arrange a burial, another fate is also determined anew. If the fate is auspicious, they may live long and their descendants will be wealthy and noble; if it is inauspicious, they will die and their descendants will fall into poverty and hardship. Living among people in this world, what kind of person will you choose to be? The spirits of Heaven and Earth are awe-inspiring.

In the heavens, the sun and moon, the Northern Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, and the Five Planets each have their own officials in charge. The gods of the Six Jia and Six Ding, among others, govern affairs in the human world. It is truly frightening that you do not know these things. Evil ghosts and spirits sometimes come into people’s homes and bring misfortune. The gods of village shrines, local land and waters, the Director of Destinies, doorways, wells and stoves, latrines, the Great Yin, and waterways can also harm people.

If you wish to drive away evil influences and avoid ghosts, you should wear Fulu (talismans and registers) and take divine medicines. A talisman is a token that conveys commands between Heaven and Earth and serves as proof of authority. The medicines are refined elixirs that increase one’s Qi (vital energy) and make the body light and strong. In this way, evil forces and ghost officials cannot harm you, and you can become an immortal. Ghosts are the envoys of the gods; when they see a token representing Heaven’s mandate, they will leave. There are also such spirits within the human body.

In Xuanji Lane, Zhongxiang District, Shezhong, Jingzhao, there lived a man named Lord Xia Lihuang, courtesy name Dehuang. He resides at the very center of the navel, where he is called Taiyi, and is also known as the Jade Numinous One. He wears a five-colored vermilion robe and is in charge of inspecting the Yellow Gods. Each year, on the day of the autumn equinox in the eighth month, he examines and counts the various gods. One character is missing from the scripture here. It says that this inspection should take place on the day before the festival, the day of the festival, and the day after it—in all, three days.

During these three days, enter a room and do not go outside. The practice usually begins at cockcrow with visualization; after daybreak, make your invocation, and stop at noon. For all three days, let your hair hang loose, face northwest, and lie on your back with your body stretched out. Do not let anyone see you, and tell your family beforehand to keep quiet. First fast and bathe. On the day of the practice, enter a quiet room, calm your mind and settle your spirit, then begin with this prayer:

“Little omen-bearer Lu Sun, [so-and-so], cherish the Dao and hope to attain long life. Today is the autumn equinox. The envoy of the Heavenly Emperor, Lord Xia Lihuang, descends and enters my body to inspect and command all the gods. Let none escape; all must gather here.”

The phrase “call out three times” above indicates that the invocation should be repeated three times. Over the three days, call out nine times in all. Stop only at noon. Then say:

“Director of Records, Six Ding, and Jade Maidens, erase [so-and-so] from the registers of the dead and enter [so-and-so] instead in the Jade Almanac of the long-lived immortals. Hasten in accordance with the statutes and commands!”

That day, the command of the Boundless Lord of the Heavenly Emperor will naturally answer, “So be it.” Then rise from the bed, turn to face the celestial gods, and bow twice in thanks. This completes the practice for the whole body.

Fifty-Four: Immortals

The scripture says: “Would you like to know what Perfected Ones and immortals are like? Immortals wear light, loose garments, and grow feathers on their bodies. Perfected Ones cast no shadows, wear five-colored vermilion robes, and have no fixed dwelling. To the east…”

In spring, they travel south; in summer, west; in autumn, north; and in winter, they wander in all directions, journeying among famous mountains, Kunlun, Penglai, and Daying. Once they reach the heights beyond the Nine Provinces, they often ascend to pay homage to the Supreme Sovereign, the highest divinity.

Thus, perfected beings who attain the Dao may live for as long as eighty million years. They ride in carriages made of pearls, jade, and clouds, drawn by horses of primordial polarity. At times, they also ride six flying dragons, assisting the Supreme Sovereign in governing the Immortals of the Middle Realm. Those who are Immortals of the Middle Realm can rise halfway to the sky, travel on clouds, and cross rivers and seas. Those who are Immortals of the Lower Realm should, according to convention, leave their mortal bodies through corpse liberation. On every dark moon day, when the moon cannot be seen at month’s end, they must pay their respects and bow without slackening; they should also serve as divine messengers. The methods of Daoist cultivation themselves do not differ; only the ranks of honor and status vary.

Those who live to one hundred years will have yellowing hair; at two hundred, their cheekbones will become prominent; at three hundred, their ears will be able to understand all things; at four hundred, vertical lines will appear on their faces; at five hundred, their pupils will become square; at six hundred, their ribs will join together; at seven hundred, their bones will grow full and firm; at eight hundred, their intestines will turn into sinews; at nine hundred, their ears will grow longer. At one thousand years, they can ascend to Heaven, meet the Supreme Sovereign Taiyi, the exalted celestial deity, and become perfected immortals.

Perfected beings have double pupils, with two pupils in each eye, and can therefore see clearly in all eight directions. By eating lingzhi mushrooms and taking elixirs, they do not grow old. After living for eighteen thousand years, they become children again: the growth and changes that begin at age eight for boys and age seven for girls then start anew.

Chapter Fifty-Five: Immortals

The scriptures say: If you wish to subdue all kinds of evil spirits, ghosts, and ancient creatures that have become demons, you should always carry talismans and a sharp sword. Place them above a water urn, then observe the creatures’ shapes and shadows in the water. If you suddenly encounter a strange apparition while out traveling, use the light of the sun and moon to observe its shape and shadow, and you will be able to identify it.

Write a talisman for subduing a hundred evils in cinnabar and place it on the surface of the water in the urn. When evil spirits see it, they will vanish of their own accord. All kinds of spirits and ghosts, as well as dragons, snakes, tigers, leopards, domestic animals, foxes, fish, softshell turtles, tortoises, flying birds, muntjacs, deer, and old trees may transform into demons and harm people. Draw talismans to mark them, then cut them down and deliver them to the River Earl and the Lord of the Earth Altar, deities who govern rivers and land. At the same time, summon the talismanic envoy on duty that day and the Six Ding deities to guard and protect you.

The Left Script appears in scriptures such as the Eighty-One Chapters of the Mysterious Diagram and the Forty-Nine Perfected Ones of the Six Jia Palaces. These also contain talismanic methods called Pearl Womb, Seven Mechanisms, Flower Canopy, and Clear Vision, all of which can subdue a hundred evils. People who are morally impure should not wear these four kinds of talismans. They should wear talismans such as Weixi, Jusheng, Left Contract, Right Shooting, Taiji, Taiqing, Taixuan, Yang Seal, Reaching Heaven, Embracing Primordial Qi, and Great Void. These all belong to the methods of the Great Dao and may be worn regularly.

There is nothing to guard against and no taboo. The Superior Heavenly Edict, a document issued by Heaven, says:

“The August Heaven, the Supreme Emperor, and the Most High Lord of the Dao: Lu Sun Xiaozhao (Wang Jia) delights in the Daoist arts and seeks long life. His wish comes from the heart and will naturally be fulfilled; there is no need to say more.”

The Superior Investiture Edict, a document by which Heaven confers a title, says:

“The August Heaven, the Supreme Emperor; the Most High Lord of the Dao; Tianyi; Taiyi; the Lord of the Northern Dipper; the Lords of the Sun and Moon and Yin-Yang; the Lord of Destiny; and the Lord of Records: Lu Sun Xiaozhao, Wang so-and-so, delights in the Daoist arts and seeks long life. I earnestly ask the Lords of Destiny and Records to erase his name from the register of the dead, enter it in the Jade Register of Long Life and the register of immortals, and confirm him as a perfected person. Today I, so-and-so, have been appointed envoy of Taiyi and accept this appointment with two prostrations.”

The Son of the Yellow Gate, Zhonghuang, of the Most High Lord of the Dao prostrates twice, prepares the covenant document as proof, seals the Fulu talismans and registers, and transmits them to him. When performing the ritual to dispel transgressions and calamities, one should remain pure. It is customary to choose an Exclusion Day in the westward direction in each season, or one of the Eight Seasonal Nodes, and go to the bank of an east-flowing river with wine and dried meat to perform the rite of dispelling. A south-flowing river is also suitable.

The Mysterious Chart of the Immortals and Transcendents says: “The names and tokens in the Fifty-Five Chapters of the Jade Register were originally kept in the golden coffer, jade case, and jade chest of the Most High, sealed away layer upon layer. When Xiaozhao receives them, he must be scrupulous and never pass them on carelessly. Be cautious, and do not accept payment. If you meet someone worthy, transmit them to that person; in this way, you can become an immortal.”

“I will often inspect these three texts in person. The three are divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Scriptures. I often send the Lord of Destiny to instruct the spirits and ghosts to protect you. Never alter or add to my words as you please. Even if you omit a single character, I will know. Xiaozhao, you must be cautious and carefully follow my instructions. The talismans and the text below must be written in cinnabar and blue pigment; these are my tokens of proof.

“Xiaozhao, if you truly wish to become an immortal, you should first take the Returning Elixir and Golden Liquids, and cultivate the spirit by concentrating it and maintaining unity. Then you can immediately become an immortal and a perfected person. If you do not take the divine elixirs and Golden Liquids, you will only bring hardship upon yourself, tormented by the ghosts of cold, warmth, wind, and fever; the Lord of Destiny will be unable to save you, and the spirits of the Dao will be powerless to help.

“Xiaozhao, if you can nourish your body with the Dao, eat and drink in moderation, and abide in emptiness while following what is natural, ghosts will be unable to kill you. But when your allotted years have run their course, you will still die naturally. Why do I say this? Because you have not kept your spirit steadfast. Consider how living things grow: they do not seek death, yet naturally grow old, wither, decay, and die. People are the same.

“I say these things to remind you: make every effort to seek out a worthy teacher. The eighty-one disciples I instructed all became immortals. Ten of them live scattered among ordinary people, traveling in the region of ‘□ Valley Immortals.’ I transcended the age of Qin and Xiang without appearing in the world; only in the Han dynasty did I manifest, in accord with the Yellow Age.”

To encounter me is an exceedingly auspicious sign.

Yunji Qiqian, juan 19.