《雲笈七籤》Vol. 23

According to the Jing of the Three Paths of the Yellow Qi and Yang Essence, the sun is the essence of Yang Qi and the ruler of virtuous power. The sun is about 2,030 li in diameter. Within it, essences of gold and water circulate, while outside it radiates light in every direction. The sun contains cities, their inhabitants, and a bath pool adorned with the Seven Treasures. Blue, yellow, red, and white lotuses grow in the pool. The people there are two zhang and four chi tall and wear vermilion garments. The flourishing and fading of the pool’s lotuses correspond to the sun’s own waxing and waning.

Five kinds of wind drive the sun in its course. The movements of the sun, moon, and stars across the sky are all propelled by wind. The Golden Gate is the passage through which the sun enters and leaves. Within the Golden Gate, to the left of the western pass, lies a pool made from refined golden essence. At the Beginning of Spring, the sun renews and refines the sun’s soul inside the Golden Gate, then sends its radiance beyond the gate. After forty-five days, it proceeds along its regular course to the Palace of Dongyang, its dwelling above the sun. On the day of the Beginning of Summer, the sun pauses at the Palace of Dongyang, releases the essence refined from gold into the Eastern Well, bathes in the morning light, gathers the Qi of the Eight Substances, and returns to the Palace of Guanghan.

The moon’s luminous disk is about 2,900 li in diameter. Inside, it is illuminated by silver, glass, and water essence, and it too contains cities, their inhabitants, and a bath pool adorned with the Seven Treasures, like those in the sun’s palace. In the moon palace grows the forest of the Eight Qian trees. Its inhabitants are one zhang and six chi tall and wear blue garments. From the first through the sixteenth day of each month, the moon gathers and refines silver and glass in the Furnace of Blazing Radiance, gradually growing round and bright. From the seventeenth through the twenty-ninth day, beneath the trees of the Eight Qian forest, it gathers the blossoms of the Three Qi and uses them to polish the radiance of the sun and moon.

On the day of the Autumn Equinox, the moon pauses above the Eastern Well, at the Hall of Broad Radiance. It bathes in the Eastern Well’s pool and refines the sun’s soul, brightening the rays of the Eight Lights and receiving the sun’s Yang essence and radiance. Then the moon releases Yellow Qi into the Jade Pool. The celestial beings together gather blossoms from the jade trees and polish the radiance of the sun and moon. The moon then uses Yellow Qi to nourish the celestial beings’ faces. For this reason, the Autumn Equinox is also said to be the day when the celestial beings meet the moon.

The Central Classic of Laozi’s Calendar Treasury says that the sun and moon are the officials who govern affairs between Heaven and Earth, like the Ministers of Instruction and Works.

The sun’s surname is Zhang, its given name is Biao, and its courtesy name is Changshi; the moon’s surname is Wen, its given name is Shen, and its courtesy name is Ziguang.

The Hidden Book of the Great Elixir says: Lady Ziwei, an immortal from Daoist tradition, had the surname Wang, the given name Qing’e, and the courtesy name Yuyin. She was said to be the twenty-fourth daughter of the Queen Mother of the West. The Ziwei Palace lies beyond the Northern Sea, on Mount Xuanzhong in the Wilds of Yuming. This mountain is northeast of Mount Kunlun.

Lady Ziwei spoke to the Mother, meaning the Queen Mother of the West: “To visualize and retain the Qi of the sun and moon, you must understand their forms. The sun’s body is round, but its reflected shadow is square; the moon’s essential substance is square, but its visible image is round. The body is concealed within the shadow, and the essential substance is hidden within the image. The shadow is red and the image is yellow; these are the souls of the sun and moon. Only by understanding this principle can you absorb the Qi of rosy mists through breathing practices.”

The Three Rushing Methods

When cultivating the Way of the “Three Rushing Methods,” you should follow the rules laid out in the Divine Scripture of Rushing to the Luminaries. Practice morning and evening, and do not pass the methods on to those who are unfit to receive them. If you practice carelessly or without focus, or reveal the methods recklessly or treat them with disrespect, you will be punished by the spirits of the netherworld, in accordance with the prohibitions in the scripture.

Rushing to the Sun

The upper sovereign perfected lord within the sun’s red Qi is named Jiang Cheliang, with the courtesy name Gao Qianyi. This title is supremely honored and secret. Although the surviving secret scriptures do not preserve the method of practice, they say that those who know it can live forever. Therefore, when beginning the practice, visualize and silently recite his name in your heart; do not call out to him casually. The same applies to the lunar method.

Rushing to the Moon

The upper yellow spirit mother within the moon’s yellow Qi is named Yaodaozhi, with the courtesy name Yuhuitiao. When practicing the method of rushing to the moon, observe purification and stillness, and visualize and contemplate. The specific procedure is the same as for rushing to the sun.

Rushing to the Stars

“Rushing to the stars” here means practicing according to the seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), represented by the five planets. Jupiter governs spring, Mars summer, Venus autumn, and Mercury winter. The start of each planet’s period of governance is determined by the calendar and the four seasonal beginnings—Start of Spring, Start of Summer, Start of Autumn, and Start of Winter. Beginning seventy-two days before the winter solstice and continuing until the seasonal turning points, such as the spring and autumn equinoxes, each planet governs for eighteen days in turn. Its period begins at midnight on the night before each turning point.

If you can see the stars at night, go into the courtyard and sit or stand, whichever is comfortable. If you can see all five planets at once, practice with them in sequence. For the practice, go out into the courtyard; sitting is preferable to standing. You may sit on the courtyard altar facing the stars, with a mat and a low table laid out. After burning incense and bowing, sit upright and practice. If the stars are not visible or the sky is overcast, you may practice visualization in your bedroom.

The direction of the stars need not be fixed. Face the direction in which they are actually located when you practice, rather than being bound to their traditional directions. For example, Jupiter may also appear in the west. Each night you practice the method for the five planets, let the Qi of all five stars circulate throughout the body.

When determining directions by following the constellation that governs the current month, use that constellation as your guide. Daoists practicing quiet purification may also visualize the true script of the Five Phases in their respective directions indoors while undertaking the practice. Those unfamiliar with divination and unable to determine the stars’ positions may still cultivate through long-term quiet meditation and fasting, regularly visualizing each of the Five Phases in its proper direction while indoors.

The Diagram of the Supreme High Jade Morning, Yu Yi and Jie Lin Racing Across the Sun and Moon

The middle section of The Supreme High Hidden Book says: “If you wish to cultivate yourself into a perfected person, visualize the Lord of the Sun riding a dragon, with a phoenix as his companion mount, traveling east on auspicious clouds in the heavens until he reaches Xilin, then entering the Imperial Gate. Focus your thoughts and you will grasp the essential way. There is no need to announce your name; you will naturally be enrolled among the numinous officers and perfected officials of Shangqing. Then take up the Yu Yi Script.”

The middle section of The Supreme High Hidden Book also says: “If you wish to ascend to heaven, visualize the Lady of the Moon riding ten flying dragons and traveling west on flowing bells until she reaches the Six Ridges, then entering the Imperial Hall. Focus your thoughts and you will see the Celestial Emperor at court. Then take up the Jie Lin Inscription.”

The Supreme High Jade Morning Yu Yi Red Radiance Jade Text for Racing Across the Sun, and the Jie Lin Yellow Radiance Jade Inscription for Racing Across the Moon

These secret methods of racing across the sun and moon are treasured teachings of the Supreme High Shangqing Taiji Nine Emperors and Four Perfected Ones, and are also jade inscriptions of the Mysterious Numinous Primordial Lord. Unless one’s name is listed on the Golden Register and Jade Roll and one holds a place in the Eastern Florescence register written in green characters, one cannot hear of or see the titles of these two texts.

Those who practice these methods must first observe purity and abstain for one hundred days, cutting off contact with worldly affairs. Only then may they begin. After long practice, when they reach the state of ascending above the sun and moon, they may be assigned fifty jade boys and fifty jade maidens.

The Supreme High Yu Yi Red Script and Jie Lin Yellow Inscription are numinous secret texts of the Supreme High Jade Emperor. They are kept in the palaces of the Nine Heavens and within the Vermilion Jade Terrace. Only those wholly devoted to the Dao, who cherish the true Dao and are already endowed with the celestial register of a flying, mysterious immortal, may hear of or see them. Even hearing their titles is not something to speak of or mention casually. Those who violate this rule will be examined by the Three Officials, and neither Heaven nor Earth will pardon them.

At first, it was decreed that these texts could be transmitted to only one person every three hundred years, and then to another person after a further seven hundred years. They were to be transmitted only if the divine perfected beings judged that a recipient was truly suitable. The transmission, whether between master and disciple or between fellow Daoists, had to follow the regulations of the Zongxuan Code. To transmit the methods to an unsuitable person or to disregard the rules was to reveal celestial writings. Anyone who treated the methods lightly, broke their vow, and died would become a lowly ghost; their ancestors for seven generations would also face examination and punishment, and suffer the torment of wind-blades.

How could this be discussed casually with anyone who does not share one’s vital energy and interests? These two scriptures are kept in the grotto pavilion on Mount Xixuan, inscribed on jade slips and written in gold characters. They are also found in the Clear Void Heaven of Mount Wangwu, though the collection there is incomplete. The texts are complete only on the Golden Pillars and Jade Walls of the High Terrace in the Supreme Mystery Palace and the North Chamber of the Penglai Office. The immortal Taiqing of the Central Palace and the other celestial officials do not know what these books contain.

On the stone chamber’s door pivots in the northern grotto of Mount Emei, these words are inscribed: “Yuyi draws forth the essence of the sun; Jielin summons the spirit of the moon.” This is a place where the Dao was attained. The title of rank in the Upper Palace is “Grand Master.” The words “True One, Cloud Emperor Lord” comprise twenty characters. Even lower-ranking immortals who see this inscription have no idea what it means. There are many cases like this in which immortals themselves do not know the titles or contents of certain scriptural chapters.

The Golden Liquids and the Nine Elixirs are probably only lesser arts; practicing them cannot enable one to ascend to Shangqing. To cultivate this Way does not depend on whether one is wise or foolish by nature. The reason is simply that this scripture is unavailable in the human world. It is transmitted only after a true celestial official reveals the mysterious method and solemn oaths have been sworn. Once accomplished, the practitioner ranks among the Highest Perfected and can ride a jade carriage of the Eight Luminaries, roam the Nine Heavens, travel to the Palace of Great Simplicity to pay audience to the Great One Emperor Lord, and join the others in paying court to Yuanchen. Thus the secret teaching says: “Only by obtaining Yuyi and Jielin can one become a Perfected of Shangqing; without cultivating this Way, one cannot pay audience to the Lords of the Three Origins.”

The Names and Garments of the Five Emperors in the Sun, as Revealed by the Most High

Here, “Yuyi” refers to the spirit of the sun. What follows lists the names, titles, and garments of the Five Emperors in the Sun.

The name of the Green Emperor in the Sun is Yuanchangwu, and his title is Zhaolongtao. He wears a brocade mantle of green jade, a skirt of flying feathers adorned with azure blossoms, and a morning crown of emerald hibiscus.

The name of the Red Emperor in the Sun is Danxuzhi, and his title is Lühongying. He wears a brocade mantle of crimson jade, a skirt of flying feathers adorned with red blossoms, and a crown of numinous brightness marked with a red talisman.

The name of the White Emperor in the Sun is Haoyujian, and his title is Huijinxia. He wears a brocade mantle of white jade, a skirt of flying feathers adorned with white plumes, and a crown of vast numinous hibiscus.

The name of the Black Emperor in the Sun is Chengzengting, and his title is Xuanlüyan. He wears a brocade mantle of dark jade, a skirt of flying feathers adorned with black plumes, and a crown of hibiscus from the Dark Mountain.

The name of the Yellow Emperor in the Sun is Shouyifu, and his title is Biaohuixiang. He wears a brocade mantle of yellow jade, a skirt of flying feathers adorned with yellow plumes, and a purple crown of numinous hibiscus.

These are the names, titles, and garments of the Five Emperors in the Sun. Those who wish to cultivate the “Way of Racing Toward the Sun,” a practice of visualizing and drawing near to the spirits in the sun, should pray to them and remember their names. At the same time, they should visualize the garments of the Five Emperors around themselves—to the left and right, in front and behind.

The soul, essence, and inner spirit of the lady (goddess) in the moon is named “Ai Xiao Tai Biao.”

These are the Five Emperors associated with the moon’s soul. Next, visualize them in turn and silently invoke their names. Knowing the name of the moon’s soul will keep you free from calamity throughout your life, and no harm can injure you. The Most High (a revered Daoist deity) concealed the names of the Sun and Moon Emperors and their ladies in the Palace of Great Simplicity. Those who know these names can become immortals.

The Most High Jie Lin (a revered deity associated with the moon) and the ladies of the Five Emperors in the moon have the following names and attire:

The lady of the Azure Emperor in the moon is named “Yin E Zhu,” with the courtesy name “Fen Yan Ying.” She wears a splendid azure robe, a jade brocade shawl embroidered with emerald dragons and phoenixes, and a skirt patterned with flying feathers.

The lady of the Vermilion Emperor in the moon is named “Yi Liao Wu,” with the courtesy name “Wan Yan Ling.” She wears a cinnabar-red patterned robe, a lavish vermilion shawl, and a flying-feather skirt patterned with phoenixes.

The lady of the White Emperor in the moon is named “Ling Su Lan,” with the courtesy name “Yu Lian Hua.” She wears a robe adorned with white pearls, a brocade shawl embroidered with four dragons, and a plain-feather skirt patterned with luan birds.

The lady of the Black Emperor in the moon is named “Jie Lian Qiao,” with the courtesy name “Chun Li Jin.” She wears a dark robe adorned with langgan stone, a brocade shawl embroidered with nine cloud patterns, and a black-feather skirt patterned with dragons.

The lady of the Yellow Emperor in the moon is named “Qing Ying Jin,” with the courtesy name “Jiong Ding Rong.” She wears a yellow robe patterned with clouds and mountains, a brocade shawl decorated with green feathers and phoenixes, and a skirt embroidered with phoenix blossoms.

All five ladies wear their hair in triangular, cloud-shaped topknots, with their hair hanging down to their waists.

These are the names and attire of the five ladies of the Emperors in the moon. Those who wish to practice the “Way of Racing to the Moon”—a method of cultivation in which visualization and invocation bring one into accord with the spirits of the moon—should invoke and memorize their names, and visualize the ladies’ garments appearing to their left and right, before and behind them.

The soul, essence, and inner spirit of the Five Emperors in the sun is named “Zhu Jing Chi Tong.”

These are the names of the sun’s soul, the moon’s spirit, the Five Emperors, and the five ladies. Next, visualize them in turn and silently invoke their names. Knowing the name of the sun’s soul will keep you free from illness throughout your life, and no calamity will trouble you. The Most High concealed the names of the souls of the sun and moon in the Purple Spirit Jade Palace. Those who know these names can commune with spirits and command spiritual beings.

Those who practice the Way of Racing to the Sun and Moon may choose whatever approach suits them; they need not carry out every method. If you wish to withdraw and practice in a quiet chamber, it need only receive the light of the sun and moon. If you cannot put aside worldly affairs and remain entangled in dealings with other people, you cannot practice this method.

At midnight, regularly burn incense, visualize the names of the Five Emperors and the five ladies, and silently pray in your heart: “May I become one with the Emperors, the Great One, and the Five Spirits, and may our radiance unite.” Practicing in this way for twenty-four years can also enable you to ascend to heaven in broad daylight. However, it is not necessary to perform every visualization practice for racing to the sun and moon. It is enough to visualize them regularly at your left and right while silently praying and reciting their names inwardly, without letting others hear.

The Perfected One of Great Simplicity said: “You should visualize the essence of the sun, as though your heart contains the Taishang Yuyi Text, orally transmitted by the Lords of the Five Emperors—a secret text concerning the sun. Only by mastering this method can you see the sovereign within the sun. Without mastering it, you will only waste your efforts and trouble yourself.

“You should visualize the essence of the moon, as though your heart contains the Taishang Jielin Chapter, orally transmitted by the Five Ladies—a secret text concerning the moon. Only by mastering this method can you see the lady within the moon. Without mastering it, you will only grieve in vain.”

These two methods are secrets that the Perfected One of Great Simplicity received from the Lord of Great Unity. The Hidden Book of the Great One says that during visualization, one should hold these secret texts in one’s hands; the Lord of Great Unity, however, says to hold them in the mouth. The Perfected One of Great Simplicity taught Lord Pei to use both methods at once: while visualizing, hold one text in the mouth and the other in the hand.

The Perfected One of Great Simplicity transmitted these two cultivation methods to the Perfected One of Clear Spirit, Lord Pei. Practicing the chapters Yuyi and Jielin of the Great One can summon the vital essences of the sun and moon, allowing one’s spirit to ascend to them, commune with the light of Heaven, and fly through the sky. Once the practice is complete, one rides a cloud chariot beneath a feathered canopy, commands dragons, and ascends to the Violet Court of the August Heaven, the purple palace in the celestial realm.

In his instructions on inner contemplation, the Perfected One of Great Simplicity said: “If you wish to travel through the air, you should visualize the sun and moon. If you wish to ascend to the realm of Clear Spirit, you should visualize the Five Stars. Practice secretly in a private chamber, keeping it from outsiders. This is what is meant by ‘not leaving the courtyard of the dwelling.’”

The Cinnabar Tally of Plain Memorials says: “Yuyi is vast, and Jielin wondrous. Unless one is a High Perfected, one cannot see them; unless one is a High Immortal, one cannot hear of them. By means of the spirits of the sun, moon, and Five Essences, ride dragons through the air and tread upon auspicious clouds; then one can enter Heaven’s gate alongside the Five Emperors.” Anyone who hears these teachings must be cautious and must not reveal them casually. They may be passed on only after one has left the world, and the recipient must first swear a solemn oath. They may be transmitted only to sincere disciples, and the titles of the texts must not be disclosed. The Jade Youths report that anyone who reveals the secret methods will face trials and punishment and will never become immortal; the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens will also depart and never return, the texts will surely be lost, and the Three Officials will impose their penalties. Therefore, guard your words carefully, for speech can become the source of wrongdoing.

Method of Absorbing the Sun and Moon’s Radiance at the Daqi Palace

Regularly visualize a red sun the size of a coin in your heart. Then imagine it emitting nine rays of light, rising from your heart to the space between your throat and teeth. The rays then turn back and enter your stomach. Continue this practice for some time, then close your eyes and visualize until you can clearly see the scene within your heart and stomach. Afterward, exhale, rinse your mouth, and swallow the saliva in your mouth, repeating this thirty-nine times. Do this three times each day. Persist for eighteen years and you will attain the Dao. When walking in sunlight, your body will cast no shadow.

As part of your regular practice, also visualize the sun in your heart and the moon in the Mudball Palace, an inner cultivation center above the head. At night, absorb the radiance of the moon using the same method as for the radiance of the sun. Visualize the moon emitting ten white rays of light…

The radiance descends from the brain into the throat. Before it reaches the mouth, it turns and enters the stomach.

The Most High’s Mysterious Perfect Formula for Taking in the Sun and Moon (A method for taking in the essence of the sun and moon)

Lord Dongqing Siming, the deity who oversees the registers of life, said: “My former master, Lord Wang, once taught me the Most High’s Mysterious Perfect Upper Scripture of the Bright Hall. While purifying the mind, observing the fast, and abstaining from food, visualize the sun and moon inside your mouth: visualize the sun by day and the moon by night. Let the sun be as large as a ring, red in color, and sending out nine purple rays; let the moon be yellow and send out ten white rays. Visualize yourself swallowing the radiance and essence of the sun and moon, and persist in practicing this inwardly at all times.

“If you are not practicing visualization, let the sun and moon return to the Bright Hall on your face, the place where they are visualized: the sun on the left and the moon on the right. Visualize the radiance of the sun and moon joining and communicating with the Qi in your pupils. This method nourishes life, circulates Jing and Qi, and harmonizes the hun and Shen. The Six Ding, protective deities in Daoism, attend upon you, and celestial troops guard you. This is the way of the Highest Perfected. That, in broad terms, is the formula.”

The Method for Taking in the Mysterious Root Qi of the Sun at Three, Five, Seven, and Nine (A method for visualizing and taking in the Mysterious Root Qi of the sun)

Taking in the Mysterious Root Qi through ingestion can make the body clear and the spirit keen, and sharpen the senses of sight and hearing. The body seems illuminated by sunlight; the face becomes radiant, the eyes bright, the teeth imbued with purple Qi, and the digestive organs strong and full of essence. In this way, one can live long and preserve one’s eyesight. By absorbing the morning saliva, one can suspend eating and abstain from the grains. The essentials of Daoist practice lie in the Golden Liquid, a Daoist term for Jing, Qi, and bodily fluids; its subtlety, in turn, lies in the Water-Jade, a Daoist term for the Qi of essence. This is what is called exhaling and inhaling the natural Qi of Great Harmony, and harnessing the numinous Qi of the Nine Essences.

The Dao’s activity prizes accord with nature; De’s state prizes stillness and tranquility. Gather the natural Qi to reveal your true nature, and remain empty and still without falling into delusion or falsehood. Then you will not be troubled by adversity, and calamities will fade of their own accord. This is the Qi of Three, Five, Seven, and Nine, and may be called an essential formula for cultivating the Dao.

While lying down to rest, before you have yet risen, visualize a mass of white Qi in your mouth, about the size of an egg yolk. Outside the yolk, Qi of five colors circles and emerges, gathering and filling the space around it. In an instant, it fills the area around the heart and mouth. This mass of Qi is called the “Mysterious Root Qi of the Sun at Three, Five, Seven, and Nine.”

Next, visualize a woman where the heart and stomach meet. She is shaped like an infant, unclothed, and stands upright at the entrance to the stomach passage. Her name is the “Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens.” She receives and pours in the hun fluid, tilts her head back, and draws in the five-colored Qi, which is like an egg yolk in the mouth. Keep the mouth filled with saliva, then turn the tongue and draw in the sun’s Qi. When the five-colored saliva fills the mouth, swallow it, visualizing the fluid flowing into the Mysterious Lady’s mouth. After doing this three times, click your teeth three times and pray softly, saying:

The Jade Clarity High Sovereign of the Nine Heavens and Nine Spirits, a revered Daoist deity, dwells in the Mysterious Palace—the subtle abode within the body. Its Qi descends into the stomach and nourishes the Metal of the lungs with clear, moist energy.

He Yu-ying, a deity or image formed in visualization, first emerges from the Void. It is named “Chunhuan” and styled “Yan Jing.” Refine and cultivate the hun and po souls, so that the mind and spirit become open and bright, and the divine presence tranquil and clear. Absorb the sun’s Golden Essence, envisioned as a substance, and let it fill the body. After some time, when the practice is complete, wipe both eyes with the hands fourteen times. Then rub the hands together and massage the face firmly, rubbing between the brows and eyes and along the borders where the temples meet the skin, until the area grows slightly warm and feels comfortably heated. This is the method transmitted by the Most High for absorbing the sun’s essence on the days of the Three, Five, Seven, and Nine, and cultivating the Mysterious Root.

Method for Absorbing the Qi of the Sun and Moon

To absorb the sun’s Qi, gather its essence at dawn. At midnight, visualize the sunlight resting nine inches in front of you. Let its radiance shine upon the Niwan, the upper Dantian in the head, then descend into the Five Viscera, making the inside and outside of the body transparent and clear. Then draw the Qi into the mouth. Envision the sunlight as bright and richly colored; after holding the visualization for a while, bring it to a close. The scripture says that practicing this regularly enables one to live long.

Another Method

At midnight, when Qi becomes abundant, or at cockcrow, lie flat with the eyes closed. Visualize the sun appearing in the left eye and the moon in the right. Each is nine inches across and lies above the ears; the space above the ears is called the “High Window of the Six Directions.” Let the sun and moon illuminate the whole body. Their light should penetrate the Niwan, then descend into the Five Viscera, stomach, and intestines. Feel that everything inside and outside is clearly visible and transparent, and that the whole body merges with the light of the sun and moon.

After holding the visualization for a while, click the teeth together nine times and swallow saliva nine times, then recite softly:

“The Most High, Mysterious One, Nine Sovereigns breathe forth their essential Qi; through the Three, Five, and Seven transformations, they discern the deep and shadowed places. The sun and moon send down their radiance, shining into the Divine Court, the dwelling of the spirits in the head, and spreading their light through the Six Directions. The command of the Great One, Yellow Tranquility, is inscribed in the Golden Book and shall never be overturned. The Five Elders uphold the talismanic command; Heaven and Earth keep faith together, so that I may escape death and attain true numinousness, drive back and prevent the harm of all evil spirits, and dispel calamity. I ascend to audience with the Celestial Emperor and return from old age to infancy. The Great Emperor has already issued the command; may all the spirits respectfully obey.”

When the recitation is finished, open your eyes. This is called “Refining the Root with the Sun and Moon, and Examining the Souls through the Three Origins.” It is used to govern body and spirit and ward off the ghostly Qi that comes to disturb the practitioner, enabling them to live long and never die. This visualization and practice should be performed often.

Another Method

Again visualize the left eye as the sun and the right eye as the moon. Let them join at the Divine Court, then rise back into the Bright Hall, a palace in the head, and transform into a yellow body of radiant essence. Let this flow down into the mouth and swallow it in nine portions, to nourish the Great One. This should be visualized regularly when Qi is abundant. Once complete, recite softly:

“The supreme essence of the sun and moon, the yellow water and moonlight, come for the Great One to drink. The divine radiance is arrayed high above, making…”

The source text ends here; the invocation is incomplete.

If I could attain long life, I could live as long as Heaven and Earth. Practice this method five times each day. First, visualize the Divine Court (Shenting), the seat of the spirits in the head, on your tongue, and contemplate the sun and moon. When you have finished, gently move your tongue and sense a yellow radiance, like purple gold, rising from it and flowing upward into the Bright Hall (Mingtang), the inner palace of the head, where it transforms into yellow essence. Keep your eyes closed while visualizing, and focus your attention.

The Method of Traveling with the Great One and Absorbing the Sun and Moon

At sunrise on days of the Jiawu, Bingwu, or Wuwu, the Great One (Taiyi), a revered Daoist deity, often descends to the Crimson Palace (Jiangong), the inner palace of the heart, and unites with the Perfected One. The Perfected One of the Crimson Palace is the central origin Perfected One who dwells in the Dantian within the heart. This central origin Perfected One is inside the heart.

First, visualize this Perfected One, who suddenly unites with the Great One. Then visualize yourself entering the Crimson Palace, where you too suddenly unite with the Great One. At this point, sense only the Great One’s form within the Crimson Palace. His appearance and clothing resemble your own, but imagine him in faint, delicate detail, like a newborn infant.

Next, visualize the area beneath the two nostrils: the sun is on the left and the moon on the right. Within the sun are yellow essence and red Qi; within the moon are red essence and yellow Qi. The essences are the substance of the sun and moon’s radiance, while the Qi is the smoke they emit. Both kinds of Qi enter the Crimson Palace in abundance. Once it is filled, they rise to the Grotto Chamber (Dongfang), the inner palace of the head. When that chamber is full, they descend to the Yellow Court (Huangting), located in the lower Dantian palace, three inches below the navel.

Once both kinds of Qi fill the Yellow Court, they enter the Great Granary (Taicang), the stomach, and fill it. They pass through the body and gather in abundance in the stomach’s passage. Now visualize the Great One rising and taking his place in the center of this passage, facing south, and call upon the Yellow Court Perfected One of the lower Dantian. The Yellow Court Perfected One, dressed in yellow and wearing a yellow headscarf, sits down with the Great One. Together they consume the essence and Qi, swallowing twenty-seven times. After a short while, end the visualization and recite the incantation:

“The radiance of the sun and moon, the two essences of yellow and red; the rounded light joins with Qi and sends forth great brightness above. The Three Origins consume together; the Great One receives numinous Qi.”

Then visualize the Great One and the central origin Perfected One returning to the Crimson Palace, and the Yellow Court Perfected One returning to the lower Dantian. The Great One unites with you and returns once more to the Palace of the Six Directions (Liuhe), an inner palace of the body.

The Method for Seeking the Lady of Cinnabar Light in the Moon

One who seeks the way of the immortals should enter a room at midnight on the summer solstice, face south, and sit or recline as desired. Close your eyes and visualize in your heart the Lady of Cinnabar Light in the Moon. Her surname and personal name are … She is eight inches tall, her hair gathered in a loose, cloudlike bun. She wears a red brocade skirt and holds moonlight in her mouth.

The practitioner first enters the zhao body—the body envisioned in cultivation—and the Crimson Palace, where the mind and spirit reside. In an instant, moonlight spreads out and transforms into yellow vapor, encircling the whole body. At the center of the moon is Lady Crimson-One, a lunar spirit described in the scripture. She gathers kongqing in the Forest of Azure—blue-green woods symbolizing an immortal realm—then scatters it and brushes it into the yellow vapor. Next, she exhales red vapor of Yang essence from her mouth, pouring it into the practitioner’s body.

The yellow and red vapors alternately coil around one another from within outward, illuminating the entire body. The Lady writes cinnabar characters in purple and teaches them to the practitioner through six tones. The practitioner then draws in the yellow vapor twenty-four times, swallowing each time, followed by the Yang essence twelve times, swallowing each time. Then the practitioner knocks the teeth together twenty-four times, raises the head, and recites:

“Blazing fire, vast and boundless, essence of the Cavernous Yang. Within the Hall of Yang Peace and the Jade City of the Three Flowers, Golden Immortals shine within. The Eight Su, the Four Bright Ones, and the Nine Luminaries send down their vapor; the Lady of High Spirit descends. Burn incense and scatter jade blossoms. The pure Cinnabar Writings bear purple characters; their tones congeal in empty clarity. The waters of the Waves Pool are jade-smooth and lustrous, their streaming light radiant. Across the eight seas, vermilion light flows; beneath the whole sky, brilliance shines forth. Morning light turns back, and the stellar luminaries shine down to watch over my body. My body lives and dies together with the Vermilion Sun. I ride through emptiness and the void, joining the procession of flying chariots. Jade Maidens assist in their appointed roles; Golden Lads support the spirits. A light canopy of kingfisher feathers accompanies me, and at last I ascend into the Imperial Court.”

After reciting, the practitioner swallows vapor twenty-four times and saliva twelve times, then stops. By ingesting the purple-written Cinnabar Characters and practicing this method for eight years, the Lady of Crimson-One will bestow the true Cinnabar Writings and a jade pendant from the moon upon the practitioner, enabling them to ascend by flight and enter the Palace of Cavernous Yang.

Method for Ingesting the Six Vapors of the Sun and Moon

Vapor is the instrument by which spirits operate and the root of change between the pure and the turbid. When vapor is in the mysterious realm, the sky becomes clear; when it is within the human body, a person can endure. Human life and death, depletion and fullness, all depend on responding to the right moment and regulating and using the breath.

To ingest and refine the Six Vapors, one should generally practice at daybreak, around the transition between the hours of Chou and Yin, facing the direction that corresponds to the time. At this moment, the first glow of dawn appears, the Vermilion Yang—the rising sun—shines forth, and the numinous light of the sun opens the morning. This is when vermilion essence begins to manifest.

First, visualize the sun as the size of an egg, located in the Muddy Pellet, the upper Dantian in the head. When the visualization is complete, exhale a stream of vapor and imagine it to be black, calling it “corpse vapor.” Then exhale a second stream and imagine it to be white, calling it “old vapor.” Exhale a third stream and imagine it to be blue-green, calling it “death vapor.” Continue visualizing the exhalations for a time. These three colors of vapor together are called the “Six Vapors.”

When this is complete, slowly draw in yellow vapor four times, swallowing saliva three times after each inhalation. Repeat this for three rounds. Finally, visualize the sun in the Muddy Pellet emerging through the eyes and resting in front of the mouth, nine inches from the eyes. Gaze at it with focused spirit, as though you can see it.

After stopping, rise and sit. Move and shake the limbs, bend forward and backward, and stretch and extend the body so that the joints and channels become balanced and unobstructed.

Swallowing saliva after visualization is very beneficial. At night, you may visualize the moon in the Muddy Pellet Palace (the inner region above the head), using the same method as for visualizing the sun. Begin visualizing the moon on the night of the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth. From the sixteenth through the thirtieth, the moon’s Qi gradually weakens, and the Heavenly Embryo (the inner life force associated with the moon) dwindles and contracts. Therefore, do not visualize the moon at night during this period. This method is profoundly mysterious; those able to practice it can become immortals.

The Inner Method of the Golden Immortal

To respond to and summon the numinous chariot (the vehicle on which spirits ride) to descend, ordinarily, at midnight on the fifth day of each month, visualize the sun entering through your mouth and coming to rest in your heart, illuminating it completely. Let your heart fill with radiance like the sun’s, merging with its light until it shines brilliantly. You should feel warmth in your heart, illuminated by rosy clouds, with a gentle, pleasant ease. Continue for a long time. Once you sense that a response has occurred, secretly recite the incantation:

“Great brightness nurtures essence; within, I refine the cinnabar heart.

Light and radiance unite with the body; the divine and perfected come seeking.”

Then swallow saliva nine times and click your teeth nine times, and end the practice. On the fifteenth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-ninth days, practice in the same way. Doing this four times in a month can make the mind clear, sharpen hearing and sight, open the channels throughout the body, reveal the myriad spirits, bring a jade-like glow to the face, and give the body a golden radiance. If you persevere in the practice for fifteen years, Taiyi (a revered Daoist deity) will send a jeweled carriage to receive you, carrying you up to the High Empyrean and allowing you to roam freely through the Purple Pole (the celestial realm). Practice as much as you can; there is no need to restrict yourself to only four prescribed times each month.

Method for Visualizing the Sun and Moon

Whenever you enter the mountains, visualize the sun in front of you and the moon behind your head. Each evening, when you lie down, visualize the sun above your face and the moon behind your feet, with red Qi inside your body and white Qi outside it. Whenever you are going to meet someone, visualize the sun and moon covering your whole body before you go. Then you will have nothing to fear.

Method for Sneezing While Facing the Sun

To prolong life, wash your face and quiet your mind (on a Jia day, wash and rinse yourself once more). When the sun has risen to a height of about two zhang, face it directly. Exhale the dead Qi through your mouth, then absorb the sun’s vital essence. After absorbing it, breathe in the sun’s essence through your nose until your nose itches and you sneeze; then stop. This is called freeing the breath. If you do not sneeze, gently stimulate the inside of your nose with something soft until you do. This method replenishes essence and Qi, restores embryonic breathing, and leads to longevity. Dead Qi may be exhaled in any season.

When facing the sun, keep your thoughts upright and your mind settled. To set the Qi of the heart aright, induce a sneeze when the sun has risen to a height of about three zhang. After sneezing, cross your hands over your shoulders, with the left hand on top. Face the sun with your clothing open, exposing the center of your chest directly to it. Practicing this regularly is beneficial.

At daybreak, when the rooster crows and the eastern sky has just begun to brighten, you may sit or lie down in any position. Close your eyes and clasp your hands firmly, using the Daoist cultivation gesture of curling your fingers inward.

Visualize the sun and moon in the “Palace of the Six Directions,” the open space above the eyes and behind the brows: the sun on the left, the moon on the right. This place lies about one fen beneath the skin; open up an inner space nine fen deep. Picture the sun as red, sending out nine rays of purple light, and the moon as yellow, sending out ten rays of white light. Let the light shine brightly, as though it could penetrate the body. The sun and moon reflect one another; their light meets and illuminates the whole body and face. Keep your eyes closed and focus on the visualization, leaving nothing out.

When you have finished, click your teeth together seven times and swallow your saliva nine times. Then offer this quiet prayer:

“Great Brightness, numinous spirit, with your wondrous power you nurture and transform all things and deliver my body from suffering. Bring down blue clouds, gather in the sunlight, and pour it into my body to refine my Five Forms. Let the spirit govern the Six Directions and bring the Seven Spirits into harmony and stillness. Make me a flying immortal, ascending to Shangqing, the Daoist realm of the immortals. Practice this way for fifteen years, and the Jade Emperor will send the Three Plain Clouds to welcome you.”

Eating Bamboo Shoots (with an Appendix on Dried Swan Meat)

To absorb the essence of the sun and moon, eat bamboo shoots regularly. Bamboo shoots are called the embryonic breath of the sun’s radiance, and are also known as “Great Brightness.” You may also eat dried swan meat regularly. The swan is said to be a feathered creature conceived by the moon, and is also called the “Lunar Heron.” Those who wish to absorb the essence of the sun and moon should eat these foods so that their own Qi resonates with the sun and moon and circulates through the Great Void.

The Perfected One of the Great Void said: “Swan is a general term for feathered creatures. Swans, geese, domestic geese, gulls, and the like may all be called swans or herons.” An old song says:

“The swan and heron are long-lived birds;

Prepared as food, they bring the Heavenly Truth.

The Five Emperors bear the moon’s radiance in their beaks,

Seated in rows in the empty sky, awaiting their guests.”

This is a song sung by fishermen of ancient times.