《雲笈七籤》Vol. 36

The Xuanjian Daoyin Method in “Miscellaneous Methods of Cultivation and Regulation,” volume 36 of the Seven Slips from a Cloudy Satchel (Yunji Qiqian). Daoyin means nourishing the body through physical movements such as bending, stretching, bowing, and looking upward.

The Baopuzi says: “Flowing water does not grow foul, and door hinges are not eaten by insects, because they are constantly in motion. Water in a pit, if left stagnant, becomes murky and foul-smelling; wood cast out in the wild is also likely to breed many worms.” A perfected person—one who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao—observes the natural world from afar and examines the self at close hand. The Dao of Heaven moves without pause; the sun, moon, and five planets revolve without ceasing, and so endure for a long time. Ordinary people who are accustomed to physical labor can keep their bodies at ease, while gentlemen who are always at rest are more likely to suffer harm. A horse’s legs grow stiff if it does not move; a cart left unused will decay on its own.

The essentials of Daoyin lie in calm, precise movements: bending and rising gently, flexing and extending within measure. There are more than a thousand secret Daoyin methods. Some prevent diseases before they arise; others treat serious illnesses once they have taken hold. They have proven effective in practice; this is no empty talk.

To give a familiar example, lying down immediately after eating can sometimes lead to indigestion. In severe cases, it may even bring on chills and fever or the formation of lumps. After eating one’s fill, taking a walk, doing a little housework, moving the limbs, or having someone give a massage before lying down prevents these problems. Of the “three ailments” mentioned in an old saying, one is eating too much at night. Few people who eat their fill after dinner and then go straight to sleep escape illness; those who do so are unlikely to live long.

Many illnesses caused by pathogenic wind are contracted while sleeping or lying down. When the body lies still, none of its joints move, making it easy for harmful influences to invade. These are all common, everyday occurrences.

Wei Huatuo once taught Fan A the “Five Animal Frolics,” a health practice that imitates the movements of five animals, as a substitute for ordinary Daoyin. Practicing after a meal until slightly sweaty can aid digestion and reduce illness. Fan A practiced and lived for more than a hundred years, but because he knew no other methods of cultivation, he did not greatly extend his lifespan.

Daoyin has four functions: first, to harmonize the Qi of nourishment and defense—the nutritive Qi and defensive Qi that circulate within and around the body; second, to aid the digestion of food and fluids; third, to dispel pathogenic wind; and fourth, to enrich the blood and Qi. The Old Master says: “Isn’t the space between Heaven and Earth like a bellows? It is empty, yet never exhausted; the more it moves, the more breath flows out.” This means that when people move their limbs through Daoyin, their vitality becomes more abundant. Daoyin is practiced on the body’s surface, yet illness can improve from within. It is like using acupuncture and moxibustion to stimulate the sources of the meridians and acupoints, so that various ailments gradually disappear from their extremities.

There are also thirteen methods of guiding and stretching, as follows:

First, to treat shortness of breath: Sit cross-legged and cross your hands behind your head at the Jade Pillow point, with your palms facing your head. Touch your forehead to the ground and hold the posture for five breaths.

Second, to treat stagnant, harmful Qi in the large intestine: Press the fingers of your right hand with your left hand and hold for five breaths. Then press the fingers of your left hand with your right hand and hold for another five breaths.

Third, to treat fluid accumulation in the intestines: Point your left hand toward the sky and hold for five breaths. Brace your right hand against the ground, straighten your left leg, and extend your right leg as far as possible. Hold for five breaths.

Fourth, to treat stagnant, harmful Qi in the small intestine: First, place your left hand on your waist and extend your right hand toward the sky as far as possible. Hold for five breaths. Then switch sides, placing your right hand on your waist and pointing your left hand upward; hold for another five breaths.

Fifth, to treat a feeling of oppression and blockage between the waist and spine: Sit cross-legged and press your palms together on your left knee. Lower your head, bringing your cheek toward your right side, and hold for five breaths. Then turn to the left, circle around your left knee, and return to your right knee, completing five full turns. Repeat on the other side. This exercise is called “Waist Pillar.”

Sixth, to treat harmful Qi in the shoulders: Cross your hands over your left side, over the ribs. Raise your right elbow and stretch from the chest toward the head, turning, shaking, and pulling to the right. Then draw your hand up from the right side and shake it to the right. Repeat five times.

Seventh, to treat harmful Qi in the head: Place your hands behind your head at the Jade Pillow point, with the backs of your hands facing outward. Shake your head forcefully from side to side and hold for five breaths.

Eighth, to treat pain in the waist and spine: Place both hands on your waist and shake your shoulders forcefully from side to side. Hold for five breaths.

Ninth, to ease discomfort in the chest: Place both hands on your waist and bend your body as far as possible to each side. Hold for five breaths.

Tenth, to treat strain in the shoulders: Cross your hands and stretch your arms outward as far as possible to each side, while lowering your head toward your knees. Hold for five breaths.

Eleventh, to relieve an uncomfortable heat in the skin: Alternately raise and shake each shoulder, moving as vigorously as possible. Hold for five breaths.

Twelfth, to treat “harmful invasion” of the shoulder blades—a pathogenic influence or discomfort described in the text: Alternate the motion of drawing a bow on each side, holding each posture for five breaths.

Thirteenth, to treat stagnation of Qi and blood in the shoulders and cold numbness: Stand with one foot on a raised surface and the other slightly lower. Stretch and move forward and backward, alternating sides and repeating fourteen times on each side. Practice this regularly even when you are not ill, and, the text says, you will avoid all kinds of disease.

Massage method

Massage three times a day. The text says that after a month, all illnesses will be dispelled and you will be able to move as swiftly as a galloping horse. This is a method for nourishing the body: Clasp your hands and twist and rub them as if washing them. Loosely cross your hands and turn them over in front of your chest. Then cross your hands again and press them together against your thighs, on both sides.

Sit with both hands overlapped on your thighs and slowly twist your body, as though drawing a powerful bow capable of bearing a weight of five shi. Do this to both sides.

Clench both hands into fists and punch forward, first on one side and then the other. Then push forward as though shoving a stone, again on both sides.

Clench both hands into fists and strike backward. This is the “chest-opening method”; perform it on both sides. Sit in a wide stance, lean diagonally, and press to one side as though pushing open a mountain. Do this on both sides.

Clasp your head with both hands and rotate your body over your thighs. This is the “brain-pulling method.” Brace both hands on the ground, draw in your body and round your back, then thrust upward three times. Next, strike your back along the spine with a staff. Do this on both sides.

Sit in a wide stance with your legs extended. Use your hands to pull one extended leg backward; repeat three times on each side. Stand, then twist backward three times. Brace both hands on the ground and look back over your shoulder. This is called the “tiger’s gaze method”; perform it on both sides.

Quickly cross your hands while stamping one foot on the ground, on both sides. Rise to stand, then alternate stamping your feet forward and backward, on both sides.

Sit in a wide stance and extend one leg, hooking it with your hand. Place the extended foot on the opposite knee, then press down with your hand. Do this on both sides.

There are eighteen postures in all. If older people can do them three times each day, they can often gain nourishment and the benefits of a longer life. They are also said to dispel every illness, improve the appetite, brighten the eyes, and make the body light and strong, free from fatigue.

The Method of Feeding on Qi

People who cultivate health have a practice called “feeding on Qi”—nourishing the body through inhalation and exhalation. Whether rooted plants or crawling and wriggling animals, all depend on Qi, the vital energy described by the ancients, to live. How can Qi make a person feel full? Feeding on Qi has its own method, which Daoists keep secret and pass only to suitable people; ordinary people have no chance to learn it. Those who master the method are said to find it not difficult. It is used not only to abstain from grain, but is also said to ward off every kind of poison and drive away malign influences, though common people use it every day without knowing it.

The Immortals’ Scripture says that the method of feeding on Qi divides the time from midnight to noon into six periods. The Qi of these periods is called “generative Qi.” The six periods from noon to midnight are called “dead Qi.” To take in only generative Qi and expel dead Qi is what is known as the perfected person’s method of consuming the “six Qi.”

The Method of Feeding on Qi and Abstaining from Grain

On the six Wu days within each sixty-day cycle, practice the method in descending counts, from nine breaths to nine, eight to eight, seven to seven, six to six, and five to five, until you feel full. You may also visualize the sky as deep blue, or contemplate the Yellow Emperor. In spring, draw in the Qi of Jupiter and let the liver receive it. Proceed in the same way with the Qi of the other four directions.

At the beginning of practice, the body will become somewhat thinner. After persisting for more than forty days, one is said to gradually regain a healthy complexion and grow stronger. White hair turns black, lost teeth grow back, and one may even become more capable than when eating grain of carrying heavy loads and walking dangerous paths. I once saw more than ten...

Those who practice in this way can often live to the age of seventy or eighty, with strong bodies, nimble movements, and the ability to withstand both cold and heat. These methods have real effects; they are no empty claims. Those skilled in using them can treat many kinds of illness, dispelling harmful influences such as pernicious winds, sudden malevolent afflictions, acute conditions, and corpse-possession illnesses, as well as severe pain in the chest and abdomen, epidemics, malaria, and toxic vapors in mountain valleys. To treat illness by directing Qi, one need only do this fifty or sixty times, and the patient will quickly improve.

In addition, long-term practice of directing Qi often makes it easier to achieve grain abstention (not eating grains). Yet the method of fetal breathing is the most difficult of all. Fetal breathing means breathing as a person does before birth, while still in the womb. After practicing, one may be able to stop breathing through the nose and mouth; it is said that anyone who truly manages this can remain underwater for many days.

Qi can also be blown onto knife wounds to stop bleeding and relieve pain. Bites from snakes, vipers, and poisonous insects can likewise be treated with a prohibition method (a spell or specific procedure), bringing immediate recovery. Sometimes treatment can even be given from a distance of more than ten li: call the patient by name and recite a spell, addressing a man as “my left” and a woman as “my right.” It is said that both can be cured this way. This is common knowledge.

Master Sun said: Morning and evening are times when Yin and Yang shift. Just after the fifth watch at dawn, Yang Qi arrives. People begin to stretch their bodies and open their eyes: this is vital energy rising upward, known as “Yang breathing,” while Yin Qi recedes. In the evening, after the sun sets, Yin Qi arrives and people feel the chill. When they doze sitting up or lie down to sleep, vital energy moves downward; this is known as “Yang waning and Yin breathing.”

After sunset, the old and new Qi within all things—the heavens and earth, sun and moon, mountains and rivers, seas, people, animals, plants, and everything else—circulate in turn, as though all were entering a period of rest together. Their advance and retreat resemble the alternation of day and night, and the ebb and flow of the sea. This is the way the heavens and earth operate.

Face south and extend your hands over your knees, slowly pressing the joints of your limbs. Breathe out turbid Qi through the mouth and breathe in clear Qi through the nose. Exhaling means expelling old Qi; inhaling means taking in newly generated Qi. The scripture says, “The gate of the mysterious female is the root of heaven and earth. It continues without interruption, seeming to exist and yet not to exist; when using it, one should not force it.” This refers to the nose as the gate of Heaven, through which the Qi of Yin and Yang, life and death, enters and leaves.

After a while, slowly push and stretch with your hands to the left, right, up, down, forward, and backward. Then open your eyes wide, open your mouth, tap your teeth together, rub your eyes, clasp your head, pull your ears, stretch your beard and waist, and cough, to activate Yang Qi and shake the body. You may perform the movements with both hands at once, with one hand, or with the backs of your hands. Next, pull your feet, lean back, and stretch; stop after doing this eighty or ninety times. Then slowly lie on your back or relax, settle your mind, and practice the method of stilling the breath (regulating and controlling the breath). Visualize the original, harmonious Qi (primordial and balanced vital energy) in the air descending into the jiuwei (the area near the lower end of the breastbone), gradually…

Gradually, as clouds after rain drift into the mountains beneath a clear sky, the sensation enters from the flesh and skin into the bones and brain, then slowly into the abdomen. It nourishes the limbs and the five viscera, like water seeping into the earth. When the breath reaches Yongquan, the “Bubbling Spring” point on the sole of the foot, you will feel that it has arrived. A gurgling sound may arise in the abdomen. Keep your awareness steady on this sensation, without being drawn away by external things; in this way, you will feel your breath becoming full.

As the breath circulates, the hands and body may tremble, while the knees and feet flex, stretch, and bounce, sometimes making the bed creak. This is called “one passage.” Progress from one passage to two, until you can achieve three passages a day. If you feel physically comfortable and joyful, with moist skin, keen hearing, and clear eyesight, this can give you a healthy appearance and strong body, while dispelling various illnesses. Persist for five or ten years, keeping this practice in mind over the long term and accumulating tens of millions of repetitions, and you will be close to becoming an immortal.

Monthly Guide to Nurturing Life

(Compiled by Yao Cheng, Court Gentleman for Audiences, Acting Left Admonisher to the Heir Apparent, and Pillar of the State)

The essentials of nurturing life fall broadly into three categories. The first is breathing practice, the cultivation of the five viscera, the preservation of embryonic breathing and bodily fluids, and the maintenance of one’s appearance. The second is taking lingzhi and medicinal herbs such as atractylodes, as well as refining elixirs. The third is nurturing life through the five grains and other foods. Since ancient times, people have ultimately depended on food and drink to sustain life. Other volumes of this book treat methods of Qi cultivation and medicinal substances separately. The material compiled here focuses chiefly on extending life through diet, following the seasons, and moderating flavors.

According to Bian Que, food and drink can dispel harmful influences and calm the viscera; the spirit can clear the mind and nourish blood and Qi. For those who nurture life, when the breath is upright, flavors become balanced. When flavors are balanced, the spirit and breath become clear; when they are clear, one can accord with the “Real” and preserve one’s innate nature. With innate nature preserved, the five harmful influences and the hundred illnesses cannot intrude. Thus it is said: when water is murky, fish grow weak; when the breath is confused, people fall ill easily. The spirit is the root of life, and that root is one’s true nature. Excessive use of the spirit wears it out, and excessive exertion leaves the body exhausted.

According to Peng Zu’s teachings on nurturing life, the eyes should not look at improper colors, the ears should not listen to improper sounds, the mouth should not taste harmful or coarse flavors, and the mind should not entertain deceitful schemes. Such things damage the hun and po souls, deplete Jing and Qi, and shorten one’s lifespan.

According to The Pillow-Center Tradition, the five flavors embody the Qi of the Five Phases. People take shape through their response to this Qi, and so they are born through the five flavors and also decline and perish through them.

According to The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Tradition, those who feed on wind are wondrous and long-lived; those who eat the five grains are intelligent but consume their spirit; those who eat grass are dull-witted but strong; those who eat meat are vulgar yet fierce…

Those who understand how to regulate themselves carefully and take in nourishment through the breath can preserve life for a long time and attain the Dao.

The Tradition of Master Sun says: When the five flavors—sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty—are balanced and suited to one another, they nourish one another. If used improperly, they clash. People should eat with care: do not become angry, do not discuss ill omens at the table, and do not swallow in haste. First bring body and mind into balance, then eat calmly and at ease.

The Inner Transmission of the Yellow Emperor says: In spring, sweet foods are suitable; sweetness acts on the muscles. Too much sweetness increases phlegm and causes bumps on the skin. In summer, pungent foods are suitable; pungency acts on Qi (vital energy). Too much pungency agitates the breath and makes a person prone to dizziness and falls. In autumn, sour foods are suitable; sourness acts on the bones. Too much sourness constricts the sinews and vessels and causes bone pain. In winter, salty foods are suitable; saltiness acts on the blood. Too much saltiness impedes the flow of blood and causes dry mouth. Too much bitterness causes nausea and vomiting and loosens the teeth.

The Tradition of Nourishing Life says: Even if people regularly take medicines or tonics, they cannot preserve their original vital essence if they do not understand the way of nourishing life.

The Scripture of Lesser Being says: Dwelling on matters beyond one’s abilities harms the body; forcing oneself to do physical work beyond one’s strength also harms the body. Excessive sorrow or joy is harmful to the body.

The Baopuzi says: The human body is like a state. The chest and abdomen are like its palace halls; the limbs, spread throughout the body, are like its outskirts and borders; and the joints are like its officials at every level. Shen (spirit) is like the ruler, and blood is like the people.

The Tradition of Nourishing Life says: In the course of a day, do not eat too much in the evening; in the course of a month, do not get very drunk at the end of the month; in the course of a year, take care to avoid long journeys. A lasting precept for nourishing life is not to relieve yourself outdoors facing northwest.

First Month of Spring

The season associated with the Tai hexagram is when the Big Dipper’s handle points toward the Yin position, the sun reaches the Xu lunar mansion, and the pitch pipe sounds the note Taicou. The following terms—Bing, Xin, Zi, Mao, Hai, Chou, Xu, Chen, Wu, Yin, and Jia-Yin—are names of directions or dates used in the month’s divination for choosing auspicious days. They include the Monthly Virtue, Monthly Combination, Qi of Growth, Heavenly Benefit, Five Riches, Monthly Killing, Monthly Weariness, Nine Emptinesses, Qi of Death, Returning Prohibition, Going and Perishing, Great Defeat, and Blood Prohibition.

In the first month of spring, Heaven and Earth bring forth life together. This is called “unfolding Yang.” Heaven and Earth begin to nourish the myriad things, which then transform, develop, and grow. People should go to bed late and rise early, stretch their bodies, and let their intentions grow and unfold with the Qi of spring. They should help life flourish, not injure or kill living beings; give life, not take it away. Those who cultivate themselves should guard their Jing (essence) and keep it from being depleted.

At this time, the Liver belongs to Wood and is associated with the east. It corresponds to the first, second, and third lunar months; its Bagua (Eight Trigrams) association is Zhen; its region is Qingzhou; its classic is the Book of Poetry; its musical instrument is the se; its Heavenly Emperor is Lingwei Yang; and its spirit is Goumang. The Azure Dragon represents the Nine Heavens, and the White Tiger represents the Nine Earths. The corresponding creatures are fish, and the corresponding livestock are… The original text breaks off here.

The domestic animal associated with Wood is the dog; the grain is wheat; the fruit is the plum; and the vegetable is Chinese chives. Its corresponding flavor is sour, its odor is rank, its color is blue-green, its sound is anger, and its bodily fluid is tears.

At the Start of Spring, Wood Qi is in the “supporting” phase, gradually growing stronger. At the Spring Equinox, Wood Qi is at its height. At the Start of Summer, it begins to decline; at the Summer Solstice, it is exhausted. At the Start of Autumn, it is controlled; at the Autumn Equinox, it dies away. At the Start of Winter, it lies hidden; at the Winter Solstice, it begins to take shape.

Mid-Spring (the second lunar month)

This month corresponds to the Great Strength hexagram in the Book of Changes. The Dipper handle points to the Mao position, the Sun is in the Room lunar mansion, and the pitch standard is Jiazhong. The following are the spirits and date markers used for selecting auspicious days this month: the General is in the north; Monthly Virtue falls on Jia days, Monthly Union on Ji days, Life-Breath on Chou days, Heavenly Benefit on Chen days, and Five Abundances on Yin days. Monthly Killing falls on Xu days, Monthly Aversion on You days, Nine Emptinesses on Chou days, Death-Breath on Wei days, Return Taboo on Yin days, Departure and Perishing on Ji days, Great Defeat on Jia and Wu days, and Blood Taboo on Wei days.

In Mid-Spring, harmonize the mind and settle the emotions. Do not let the body become too cold or too hot. Settle the spirit and breath, and follow the patterns by which all things grow and transform. Do not eat daylilies or aged pickled vegetables, lest old illnesses recur and stubborn pathogenic influences become active. Do not eat garlic, lest the flow of Qi become congested and the body’s openings and passages blocked. Do not eat knotweed or eggs, lest the flow of Qi become sluggish. Do not eat small garlic, lest it harm a person’s will and character. Do not eat rabbit, lest the spirit and soul become unsettled. Do not eat fox or raccoon dog, lest they harm the spirit.

This month, the Qi of the kidneys is weak, while the Qi of the liver is flourishing. It is suitable to regulate the chest and diaphragm and clear phlegm and turbidity; it is also beneficial to let the skin sweat lightly, dispersing pathogenic influences that took shelter during the warmth of winter. On the sixth and eighth days of the month, bathing and observing purification rites are auspicious and may bring the protection of Heaven. On the fourteenth day, avoid long journeys by land or water. On the ninth day, avoid eating fish of any kind or soft-shelled turtle. On the twentieth day, it is suitable to straighten roads.

Late Spring (the third lunar month)

This month corresponds to the Breakthrough hexagram in the Book of Changes. The Dipper handle points to the Chen position, the Sun is in the Stomach lunar mansion, and the pitch standard is Guxian. The following are the spirits and date markers used for selecting auspicious days this month: the General is in the west; Monthly Virtue falls on Ren days, Monthly Union on Ding days, Life-Breath on Yin days, Heavenly Benefit on Si days, and Five Abundances on Hai days. Monthly Killing falls on Wei days, Monthly Aversion on Shen days, Nine Emptinesses on Xu days, Return Taboo on Zi days, Departure and Perishing on Shen days, Great Defeat on Jia and Wu days, Dipper Yang on Wu days, and Blood Taboo on Yin days.

In Late Spring, all things sprout and their vitality becomes visible. Yang Qi flourishes between Heaven and Earth, while Yin Qi lies hidden. Go to bed early and rise early. Do not let yourself sweat profusely, so as to preserve the Qi hidden within. Do not eat Chinese chives, lest chronic ailments recur and harm the spirit and breath. Do not eat horse meat, lest the spirit and soul become unsettled. Do not eat muntjac, deer, or similar meats, lest they deplete the breath and will. This month, the Qi of the liver lies hidden, while the Qi of the heart is flourishing. It is suitable to nourish the liver and kidneys and follow the season. On the fifth day of the month, avoid seeing … (The original text ends here.)

All creatures with blood should observe purification: abstain from meat, cleanse the body, quiet the mind, and recite Daoist scriptures. Do not busy yourself with worldly affairs. On the sixteenth, avoid traveling far; neither water nor land routes are suitable. On the twenty-seventh, bathing is auspicious.

This month, Fire Qi and Water Qi clash. The original phrase, “Fire in its phase, Water dies,” refers to a calculation based on the waxing and waning of the Five Phases. Do not violate the related taboos. Do not remain for long in a northwest wind or in a damp place, or you may invite harmful influences and illness. Do not expose yourself to a cold wind while drenched in sweat, and do not bare your body beneath the stars, lest you invite misfortune.

Mengxia (the first month of summer, the fourth lunar month)

In this month’s date-selection information, “Qian” is the marker listed under the month’s name. “The Dipper points to Si,” “the Sun lodges in Mao,” and “the pitch pipe sounds Zhonglü” are technical terms used in calendrical divination to record the month by the Northern Dipper’s handle, the Sun’s lunar mansion, and the musical pitch. The following terms—Monthly Virtue, Monthly Union, Life Qi, Heavenly Benefit, Five Riches, Monthly Killer, Monthly Aversion, Nine Emptinesses, Death Qi, Return Taboo, Going-and-Perishing, Great Defeat, Blood Taboo, and Dipper Yang—are auspicious or inauspicious spirits, or indicators of what is suitable and taboo, used in date selection.

Mengxia is also called “Spreading Blossoms.” At this time, Heaven and Earth begin to unite, and all things bear fruit together. Go to bed later and rise earlier. Do not become angry, and do not let yourself sweat profusely. Summer belongs to Fire, is associated with the south, and corresponds to the heart in the human body. Its associated star is Yinghuo (Mars). The fourth, fifth, and sixth lunar months belong to summer; the sixth month also belongs to Earth, whose Qi is strongest then. Mengxia corresponds to the region of Yangzhou, the classic Book of Rites, the mouth organ yu, the divine emperor Chibiaonu, and Zhurong, the deity who governs summer. The Vermilion Bird corresponds to the Nine Heavens, and the Black Tortoise to the Nine Earths. Its corresponding animal is the phoenix, its domestic animal the sheep, its grain hemp, its fruit the apricot, and its vegetable xie, a plant similar to onion and garlic. Its taste is bitter, its odor scorched, its color red, its sound that of calling out, and its bodily fluid sweat.

At the Beginning of Summer, Fire Qi is at its height; at the Summer Solstice, it grows stronger; at the Beginning of Autumn, it declines; at the Autumn Equinox, it is extinguished; at the Beginning of Winter, it is controlled; at the Winter Solstice, it vanishes; at the Beginning of Spring, it lies hidden; and at the Spring Equinox, it begins to emerge.

Zhongxia (the second month of summer, the fifth lunar month)

In this month’s date-selection information, “Gou” is the marker listed under the month’s name. “The Dipper points to Wu,” “the Sun lodges in Shen,” and “the pitch pipe sounds Ruibin” are also technical terms used to record the month through calendrical divination. The terms that follow—Monthly Virtue, Monthly Union, Life Qi, Heavenly Benefit, Five Riches, Monthly Killer, Monthly Aversion, Nine Emptinesses, Death Qi, Return Taboo, Going-and-Perishing, Great Defeat, Blood Taboo, and Dipper Yang—are again auspicious or inauspicious indicators used in date selection.

By Zhongxia, all things have grown to maturity, and Heaven and Earth transform, nurture, and sustain them. Do not expose yourself to oppressive heat, stand in the wind after sweating profusely, or bare your body beneath the stars, or you may develop a serious illness. Do not eat chicken, lest you develop carbuncles and draining sores—wounds that fail to heal and repeatedly discharge pus. Do not eat snake, eel, or similar meat: it will shorten your life and unsettle your spirit and vital energy. Be cautious, and never kill living things.

This month the liver is prone to illness, and the movement of the spirit is impeded. Fire Qi grows stronger while Water Qi weakens. Therefore, nourish the kidneys, support Lung Qi, and harmonize…

Regulate the stomach Qi and bring it into accord with the season. On the eighth day of this month, long journeys are inauspicious; neither river travel nor overland travel is suitable. It is best to remain calm and meditate, bathe, and observe ritual abstinence, in the hope of receiving blessings and good fortune. This month, take particular care to avoid unusual winds blowing from the northwest. They are considered pernicious Qi, and an attack on the body may obstruct movement in the limbs or even weaken the joints throughout the body.

The Last Month of Summer

The last month of summer corresponds to the “Dun” hexagram. The handle of the Dipper points toward the Wei position, the sun reaches the Dongjing lunar lodge, and the pitch pipe corresponds to Linzhong. The monthly Virtue, monthly Union, Life-Breath, Heavenly Benefit, Five Abundances, monthly Killing, monthly Aversion, Nine Emptinesses, Death-Breath, Return Taboo, Passing Away, Great Defeat, and Blood Taboo listed below are auspicious or inauspicious dates and directions calculated according to the traditional calendar.

The last month of summer belongs to Earth. Its Qi is dense and substantial, nourishing all things throughout the four seasons and enabling them to grow luxuriantly. In your diet, increase salty flavors and reduce sweet ones to nourish the kidneys. Do not eat sheep’s blood, which may harm the Shen (spirit), dampen the will, and make you prone to forgetfulness. Avoid raw sunflower greens as well, since they may cause water retention, a disorder involving the accumulation of fluids in the body.

This month, kidney Qi is weak while the Qi of the spleen is at its strongest. Eat less rich, fatty food, and help kidney Qi become full and strong so that the sinews and bones are robust. Take care to ward off pernicious influences. On the sixth day, bathe, observe ritual abstinence, and set aside ordinary affairs. On the twenty-fourth day, long journeys are inauspicious; neither river travel nor overland travel is suitable. Construction and other earthworks should be avoided this month, as it is said that commands cannot readily be enforced at this time. Also guard against the heat. After bathing, do not expose yourself to the wind, and do not soak your hands and feet in cold water alone. Be especially wary of pernicious winds from the east, which may cause sores to form on the hands, sluggishness and heaviness in the body, shortness of breath, and weakness in the limbs.

The First Month of Autumn

The first month of autumn corresponds to the “Pi” hexagram. The handle of the Dipper points toward the Shen position, the sun reaches the Zhang lunar lodge, and the pitch pipe corresponds to Yize. The monthly Virtue, monthly Union, Life-Breath, Heavenly Benefit, Five Abundances, monthly Killing, monthly Aversion, Nine Emptinesses, Death-Breath, Return Taboo, Passing Away, Great Defeat, and Blood Taboo listed below are likewise auspicious or inauspicious dates and directions in the traditional calendar.

In the first month of autumn, observe the changes in the Qi of Heaven and Earth and nurture the vital Qi. Rise early and go to bed early, keeping to a routine like that of chickens. Calm the mind, relax the body, and gather in the spirit and Qi. Autumn belongs to Metal and is associated with the west. Its corresponding star is Tai Bai; its season comprises the seventh, eighth, and ninth months; its hexagram is Dui; its associated region is Caizhou, its classic is the Spring and Autumn Annals, its musical instrument is the stone chime, its ruler is Shaohao, and its deity is Rishou. The White Tiger corresponds to the Nine Heavens, and the Azure Dragon to the Nine Earths. Its corresponding animal is the tiger, its domestic animal the chicken, its grain broomcorn millet, its fruit the peach, its vegetable the scallion, and its flavor pungent… (The original text ends here.)

Acrid, foul-smelling things correspond to the color white, the sound of weeping, and the body fluid saliva. At the Beginning of Autumn, Metal Qi begins to appear; at the Autumn Equinox, Metal Qi governs the season. At the Beginning of Winter, Metal Qi declines; at the Winter Solstice, it is exhausted. At the Beginning of Spring, Metal Qi is restrained; at the Spring Equinox, it disappears. At the Beginning of Summer, it sinks; at the Summer Solstice, it enters the stage of gestation and nourishment.

Mid-Autumn (the eighth lunar month): The handle of the Dipper points toward You, the Sun moves through the Yi lunar lodge, and the pitch pipe corresponds to Nanlü. The Five Phases assign this month to Metal. Auspicious and inauspicious dates are determined as follows: the southern Monthly Virtue falls on Geng, the Monthly Union on Yi, Vital Energy on Wei, Heavenly Benefit on Xu, and Five Riches on Si; the Monthly Killing falls on Chen, Monthly Weariness on Mao, Nine Emptinesses on You, Death Qi on Chou, Return Taboo on Yin, and Days of Demise on Zi. Major Defeat falls on Gengzi, and Blood Taboo on Xu.

During Mid-Autumn, it is appropriate to live calmly and quietly, keeping the mind and spirit restrained. Increase sour foods and reduce pungent ones to nourish Liver Qi. Do not eat until overfull, lest food stagnate. Avoid raw honey, which may bring on cholera; chicken, which may injure the spirit, Qi, and blood; and raw fruit, which may make sores more likely.

This month, Liver Qi is weak while Lung Qi alone is flourishing. It is suitable to support Liver Qi, nourish the sinews and vessels, and regulate the Spleen and Stomach. On the seventh day, it is considered auspicious to set aside worldly distractions, bathe, and observe purification and abstinence. On the twenty-ninth day, avoid long journeys; neither travel by water nor by land is suitable. Keep a regular routine and guard against harmful winds. Do not increase rich, fatty, or strong-smelling foods, as they may bring on cholera. Above all, do not violate the season’s prevailing toxic influences. This month, one may offer prayers, thank the spirits, and seek blessings to dispel past transgressions.

Late Autumn (the ninth lunar month): The handle of the Dipper points toward Xu, the Sun moves through the Southern Dipper lunar lodge, and the pitch pipe corresponds to Wushe. Auspicious and inauspicious dates are determined as follows: the eastern Monthly Virtue falls on Bing, the Monthly Union on Xin, Vital Energy on Shen, Heavenly Benefit on Hai, and Five Riches on Hai; the Monthly Killing and Monthly Weariness fall on Chou, Nine Emptinesses on Yin, Death Qi on Yin, Return Taboo on Zi, and Days of Demise on Chen. Major Defeat falls on Gengchen, Dipper Yang on Si, and Blood Taboo on Si.

In Late Autumn, plants wither and all things lie dormant and concealed. The air is clear and cool, and the winds are strong. Do not go against the seasonal influence of the clear winds, and limit cold, raw foods to guard against illness. Avoid all kinds of ginger, which may cause stubborn ailments; small garlic, which may injure the spirit, shorten life, and unsettle the Hun and Po; and smartweed seeds, which may damage resolve. Do not eat pork liver together with malt sugar: doing so may bring on a cough in winter that lasts for years.

This month, Liver Qi is weak and Lung Metal governs the season. Reduce pungent flavors and increase sour ones to nourish Liver Qi, support the sinews and vessels, and replenish the blood and Qi, helping the body adjust to the season. Avoid eating crow, pheasant, and similar meats, which may injure the spirit, Qi, and blood. Avoid chicken as well, lest it…

The human hun and po are unsettled, and the po may be startled into dispersing. On the eighteenth day, it is inadvisable to travel far; otherwise, you will not reach your destination.

On the twentieth day, observe purification, bathe, and quiet your thoughts. Then you are sure to encounter good fortune and receive Heaven’s protection.

Mengdong (the first month of winter) — Kun Hexagram

The Dipper’s handle points toward the Hai position, the Sun moves through the Fang lunar mansion, and the pitch pipe corresponds to Yingzhong, following Huangzhong. The Five Generals: …

(The following are calendrical annotations for choosing auspicious days, including auspicious and inauspicious stars and directions, and taboo days. The original lists, in order, the Northern Monthly Virtue, Monthly Harmony, Generative Qi, Heavenly Benefit, and Five Riches, followed by Monthly Punishment, Monthly Aversion, Nine Emptinesses, Death Qi, Return Taboo, Departure’s Demise, Great Defeat, Dipper Yang, Blood Taboo, and other designations.)

Mengdong is called the month of “closing and storing.” At this time, water freezes and the earth cracks from frost. Go to bed early and rise late, waiting for daylight before getting up. Keep the body warm and comfortable; do not let yourself sweat profusely or come into contact with cold things. Warm and nourish the spirit and original Qi, so that no harmful influences can invade from outside.

Winter belongs to Water and lies in the north. Its corresponding stars and seasonal months are the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth lunar months. It corresponds to the Kan trigram, Jizhou, the Zhouyi, the music of the xiao, the Heavenly Emperor Ye Guangji, and the spirit Xuanming. The Black Tortoise is the Nine Heavens, and the Vermilion Bird is the Nine Earths. Winter’s corresponding creature is the tortoise, its domestic animal is the pig, its grain is the soybean, its fruit is the chestnut, its vegetable is bean leaves, its flavor is salty, its odor is putrid, its color is black, its tone is deep, and its bodily fluid is saliva.

Water among the Five Phases changes with the seasons: at the Beginning of Winter, Water Qi begins to grow; at the Winter Solstice, it reaches its peak. At the Beginning of Spring, Water Qi declines; at the Spring Equinox, it is exhausted. At the Beginning of Summer, Water Qi is constrained; at the Summer Solstice, it vanishes. At the Beginning of Autumn, Water Qi lies hidden; at the Autumn Equinox, it begins to take shape.

Zhongdong (the second month of winter) — Fu Hexagram

The Dipper’s handle points toward the Zi position, the Sun moves through the Ji lunar mansion, and the pitch pipe corresponds to Huangzhong. The Five Generals: …

(The following are calendrical annotations for choosing auspicious days. The original lists, in order, the Northern Monthly Virtue, Monthly Harmony, Generative Qi, Heavenly Benefit, and Five Riches, followed by Monthly Punishment, Monthly Aversion, Nine Emptinesses, Return Taboo, Departure’s Demise, Great Defeat, Blood Taboo, and other designations.)

In Zhongdong, the cold is at its height. Do not harm the body or expose it to the assault of cold things; do not use a fierce fire to heat the abdomen and back. Do not eat roasted meat. In your diet, reduce salty flavors and increase bitter ones to help nourish the spirit and original Qi. Do not disturb creatures hibernating in their winter retreats; this is to follow the Way of Heaven. Do not eat hedgehog meat, lest you harm the human hun and po. Do not eat snails, clams, crabs, turtles, or similar creatures, lest you damage a person’s will and encourage corpse worms and gu worms. Do not eat millet that has been stored through the summer, or cured dried meat; otherwise, disorders such as water retention may develop.

This month, the kidneys are in season and strong, while the heart and lungs are weaker. It is therefore suitable to support Lung Qi, settle the spirit, and regulate the spleen and stomach. Do not go against the season. On the third day of the month, observe purification and quiet the mind to preserve the spirit and consciousness. On the twentieth day, do not…

Traveling far is suitable. Do not suddenly expose the body to heat. Take particular care to avoid harmful winds from the southeast. If struck by wind, you may sweat easily, develop puffiness in the face, suffer stiffness and pain in the lower back and spine, and find it difficult to move your limbs.

Midwinter (the twelfth lunar month)

The almanac’s date-selection entries for this month include Linri (a calendrical designation related to the Dujian, the Sun’s position in the Southern Dipper, and the Lü of Dalu); Jiang, the Southern Monthly Virtue, Monthly Union, Shengqi, Tianli, and other markers of auspicious spirits or days; and Fu, Monthly Sha, Monthly Yan, Jiukong, Siqi, Guiji, Wangwang, Dabai, Xueji, and other inauspicious influences or prohibitions. The stems and branches, directions, and dates listed in the source are specific designations within the date-selection calendar of that time.

In midwinter, Heaven and Earth are closed and still. Yang Qi lies hidden, Yin Qi is active, and all things retreat into concealment. Seek shelter from the cold and warmth, but do not expose the skin too much or sweat excessively, lest you damage Stomach Qi. Do not overheat yourself, either. Do not go against the Major Snow solar term.

Do not eat pork or boar meat, lest you damage Shen Qi. Do not eat fruits or vegetables that have been killed by frost, lest your complexion suffer. Do not eat raw jiu (a member of the onion and garlic family), lest phlegm and fluid retention increase. Do not eat bear or brown bear meat, lest you damage the Shen and hun. Do not eat raw pepper, lest you damage the blood vessels.

There are seven days this month on which long journeys are unsuitable, whether by water or by land; one day is suitable for bathing. The Qi governing this month is stored away and weak, while the Qi of the Kidneys is at its height. You can nourish the spirit by reducing salty flavors and increasing bitter ones. For care of the body, promote circulation gently rather than relying solely on strong tonics. At this time Yang Qi is at rest and Water Qi alone is flourishing. Guard against harmful winds; do not injure the sinews and bones or needle the body casually. Blood circulates poorly now, and bodily fluids are also slow to move.

Yunji Qiqian, fascicle 36