《雲笈七籤》Vol. 40

Laojun said: Preventing disasters and averting calamities is better than responding after they strike; caring for health in advance is better than treating illness later. People today see disaster drawing near but refuse to take precautions, thinking only of how to make amends afterward. They refuse to prepare in advance, thinking only of relying on medicine to treat the problem. As a result, rulers cannot preserve their states, and those who cultivate themselves cannot preserve their lives.

Thus, sages seek blessings before they appear and cut off troubles before they arise. Calamities often take root little by little, and illness often begins in subtle ways. People think a small good deed will do no good, so they refuse to do it; they think a small mistake will do no harm, so they refuse to correct it. If small acts of goodness do not accumulate, great De cannot be achieved; if small evils are not stopped, they will build into great crimes. So I have set out the essentials, to show people where calamities and illnesses come from. What follows are one hundred roots of illness:

Unsteady in joy and anger: this is one illness. Forgetting what is right and seeking only profit: this is one illness. Craving beauty and ruining one’s virtue: this is one illness. Becoming wholly attached to romantic love: this is one illness. Resenting others and wishing them dead: this is one illness. Indulging greed and concealing one’s faults: this is one illness. Slandering others and praising oneself: this is one illness. Arbitrarily changing things while believing oneself right: this is one illness.

Speaking carelessly and talking too much: this is one illness. Seeking only momentary pleasure and pursuing what is improper: this is one illness. Relying on one’s cleverness to look down on others: this is one illness. Using one’s power to run roughshod over others: this is one illness. Blaming others for being wrong while insisting one is right: this is one illness. Bullying the isolated and weak: this is one illness. Using force to overpower others: this is one illness. Using one’s authority to threaten others: this is one illness. Always trying to talk over others: this is one illness. Borrowing things without intending to repay them: this is one illness.

Calling others unrighteous while proclaiming oneself upright: this is one illness. Using so-called uprightness to harm others: this is one illness. Feeling pleased when others suffer misfortune: this is one illness. Bragging about oneself when pleased or angry: this is one illness. Being ignorant yet believing oneself wise: this is one illness. Taking credit for others’ achievements: this is one illness. Mocking others’ faults: this is one illness. Complaining after hard work: this is one illness.

Taking what is false for what is true: this is one illness. Enjoying talk about other people’s faults: this is one illness. Treating others arrogantly because one is wealthy: this is one illness. Looking down on others because one is honored: this is one illness. Being poor yet envying the rich: this is one illness. Being low in status yet mocking those of high rank: this is one illness. Speaking ill of others to curry favor: this is one illness. Flaunting one’s own virtue: this is one illness.

Destroying what another person has already accomplished is a fault; letting private interests disrupt public affairs is a fault.

Always concealing one’s true intentions is a fault; putting others in danger while seeking safety for oneself is a fault.

Feeling jealous over matters of Yin-Yang and relations between men and women is a fault; deliberately stirring up disputes and turning people against one another is a fault.

Hating others more than one loves them is a fault; constantly judging others’ rights and wrongs is a fault.

Shirking responsibility and blaming others for one’s own mistakes is a fault; using writing or speech to reject advice and obstruct help is a fault.

Dwelling on other people’s strengths and weaknesses is a fault; pretending to trust someone in order to profit from them is a fault.

Doing someone a favor while expecting repayment is a fault; refusing to give and then blaming others is a fault.

Consistently regretting one’s dealings with others is a fault; constantly blaming oneself and arguing with oneself is a fault.

Cursing insects, beasts, or livestock is a fault; harming others with poison spells or sorcery is a fault.

Slandering people of talent is a fault; resenting someone for surpassing oneself is a fault.

Poisoning someone is a fault; acting unfairly toward others is a fault.

Relying on one’s own virtue and ability to boast arrogantly is a fault; constantly remembering the wrongs others committed in the past is a fault.

Refusing advice and guidance is a fault; distancing oneself inwardly from others while pretending outwardly to be close is a fault.

Writing letters or sending documents to frame someone is a fault; making fun of foolish people and talking about them is a fault.

Being fussy and harsh, frivolous and impatient with others is a fault; beating someone without cause is a fault.

Always thinking that only one is right is a fault; being deeply suspicious and trusting others little is a fault.

Mocking people with mental illness is a fault; squatting or sitting rudely and behaving without proper decorum is a fault.

Speaking ugly and spiteful words is a fault; showing disrespect to the old and the young is a fault.

Making a wicked expression and treating others cruelly is a fault; being stubborn and perverse, and acting only as one pleases, is a fault.

Enjoying horseplay and loud laughter is a fault; taking pleasure in confining or restricting others is a fault.

Being deceitful and cunning, or flattering others, is a fault; coveting gain while secretly harboring deceit is a fault.

Sowing discord and breaking one’s word is a fault; singing and making a disturbance while drunk, and behaving without restraint, is a fault.

Cursing the wind and rain is a fault; speaking viciously or taking pleasure in killing is a fault.

Urging someone to have an abortion is a fault; interfering in another person’s affairs inappropriately is a fault.

Peeping at others through holes is a fault; borrowing something without intending to return it is a fault.

Evading repayment of a debt or stealing is a fault; acting one way to someone’s face and another behind their back, and contradicting oneself, is a fault.

Enjoying defiance and resistance, and behaving perversely, is a fault; constantly teasing others and insisting on getting one’s way is a fault.

Deliberately confusing or misleading others is a fault; raiding birds’ nests or destroying their eggs is a fault.

Cutting open a pregnant animal to remove its young, or slaughtering animals, is a fault; causing damage through floods, fires, or other disasters is a fault.

Mocking blind, deaf, or mute people is a fault; urging others to marry is a fault.

Urging someone to beat another person is a fault; urging someone to do evil is a fault.

Not coveting disaster and not becoming obsessed with lust are each a “medicine.” Promoting deviant teachings is a “medicine.”

Seeing something and wanting to possess it is a “medicine.” Forcibly taking another person’s property is a “medicine.”

Laojun said, “If you can often think about removing these faults, you will be able to eliminate all kinds of failings and no longer suffer misfortune or burdens. Illnesses, too, will naturally heal. You will also be able to relieve suffering and bring blessings to your descendants.”

Accumulating the Hundred Medicines

Laojun said, “The sages of ancient times did good deeds without refusing to do them because they were small; when they found wrongdoing, they did not leave it uncorrected because it was slight. If you can act in this way, you may be said to be taking medicine to cure illness.”

The so-called “hundred medicines” are these:

A gentle constitution and mild temperament are one medicine; acting generously and keeping a peaceful heart are one medicine.

Conducting oneself with proper manners and decorum is one medicine; keeping regular daily routines is one medicine.

Drawing near to people of virtue and avoiding sexual indulgence are one medicine; removing a covetous heart is one medicine.

Knowing how to keep to one’s proper place and uphold what is right is one medicine; not taking what does not belong to you is one medicine.

Remaining benevolent even when slighted is one medicine; gladly helping one another is one medicine.

Wishing blessings for others is one medicine; helping people avert disaster and overcome danger is one medicine.

Teaching those who are ignorant and unreasonable is one medicine; admonishing and correcting crooked and disorderly conduct is one medicine.

Warning the young and inexperienced is one medicine; guiding those who are confused and have done wrong is one medicine.

Supporting the elderly and frail is one medicine; helping others to the best of your ability is one medicine.

Giving aid to the poor and caring for orphans and widows is one medicine; showing compassion for those in poverty and helping them escape hardship is one medicine.

Holding high office yet treating worthy people with respect and humility is one medicine; speaking gently and courteously is one medicine.

Treating people with respect and not slighting those of low status is one medicine; repaying debts from the past is one medicine.

Showing consideration and offering comfort to people who are sincere and trustworthy is one medicine; speaking truthfully and keeping one’s conduct upright and steadfast is one medicine.

Using righteous words to correct what is wrong is one medicine; not arguing with others over right and wrong is one medicine.

Not looking down on or humiliating someone who has wronged you is one medicine; not resenting those who insult you is one medicine.

Giving others credit for good deeds while keeping wrongs in your own heart for reflection is one medicine; honoring others’ strengths and examining your own shortcomings is one medicine.

Giving more to others and taking less for yourself is one medicine; praising people of virtue is one medicine.

Reflecting on yourself when you see someone virtuous is one medicine; not deliberately drawing attention to yourself is one medicine.

Giving others the credit and taking the hard work upon yourself is one medicine; not boasting of your good deeds is one medicine.

Not concealing another person’s achievements is one medicine; laboring without resentment is one medicine.

Being inwardly grounded, honest, and generous is one medicine; concealing and making allowances for another person’s hidden faults is one medicine.

Willingly lending money to others when you are prosperous is one medicine; respecting and recommending those who surpass you is one medicine.

Being content with poverty without blaming Heaven or others is one medicine; not thinking highly of yourself is one medicine.

Gladly helping others achieve their accomplishments is one medicine; not prying into or spreading other people’s private affairs is one medicine.

Examining one’s gains and losses through various good deeds is one remedy; accumulating hidden virtue and showing kindness to others is one remedy.

Never cursing others throughout one’s life is one remedy; not speaking carelessly about others is one remedy.

Speaking kindly is one remedy; when calamity or illness strikes, first reflecting on one’s own faults is one remedy.

Enduring hardship without blaming Heaven or other people is one remedy; giving to others without seeking repayment is one remedy.

Never cursing livestock is one remedy; offering others good wishes and blessings is one remedy.

Maintaining a peaceful state of mind and treating people equally is one remedy; keeping the heart quiet and the mind settled is one remedy.

Holding no grudges over old grievances is one remedy; correcting what is crooked and helping those who have erred to mend their ways is one remedy.

Listening to advice and accepting instruction is one remedy; not taking it upon oneself to interfere in other people’s affairs is one remedy.

Being able to restrain anger is one remedy; dispelling confused and agitated thoughts is one remedy.

Respecting and caring for the elderly is one remedy; withdrawing behind closed doors to cultivate quietude, reverence, and solemnity is one remedy.

Cultivating filial devotion to one’s parents and affection for one’s siblings at home is one remedy; concealing other people’s faults and making their good deeds known is one remedy.

Living honestly and keeping to one’s proper place is one remedy; treating others to food and drink is one remedy.

Helping others and carrying out one’s duties faithfully is one remedy; coming to the aid of the sun and moon during eclipses is one remedy.

Keeping clear of suspicion and avoiding things that might cause misunderstanding is one remedy; remaining tranquil, generous, and at ease is one remedy.

Honoring the writings of the sages and worthies is one remedy; contemplating the spirits and keeping the Dao in one’s thoughts is one remedy.

Spreading the teachings of the sages is one remedy; establishing merit and virtue without slackening is one remedy.

Revering Heaven and honoring Earth is one remedy; paying homage to the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—is one remedy.

Keeping the heart detached and free of desire is one remedy; being kind and gentle, modest, and yielding is one remedy.

Cherishing life and loathing killing is one remedy; not amassing great quantities of wealth is one remedy.

Not violating prohibitions is one remedy; being incorruptible and upright, loyal and trustworthy is one remedy.

Not coveting excessive wealth is one remedy; not burning forests, trees, or grasses is one remedy.

Offering someone a place to carry their goods when there is room in one’s cart is one remedy; speaking frankly in remonstrance and remaining loyal and trustworthy is one remedy.

Taking joy in seeing others act virtuously is one remedy; providing relief to the poor and needy is one remedy.

Taking on a heavy burden for an elderly person is one remedy; putting aside selfish attachments and fixations is one remedy.

Showing compassion and concern for others is one remedy; taking pleasure in praising their good deeds is one remedy.

Giving alms when one is wealthy is one remedy; using one’s honored position to benefit others is one remedy.

Laojun said: “These are the one hundred remedies. When people fall ill, they have faults and wrongdoings, but these are concealed from them, and they do not recognize them. So people often attribute illness to external causes such as food and drink, cold and wind, or heat and warmth. According to this teaching, when a person goes against the spirits, the hun and po souls depart and scatter, unable to remain settled within the body. The body and skin are thereby left vulnerable, and Jing and Qi cannot be kept secure. Then harmful influences such as wind and cold take advantage of this weakness and enter.”

Therefore, even when hidden from view, the sages dare not do wrong; even when enjoying wealth and high rank, they dare not seek only their own gain. They dress according to their means and eat in moderation. Whether rich or poor, they dare not indulge their desires or violate the right Way. Thus, they commit no violence outwardly and suffer no illness or distress inwardly. How could they fail to act with care?

Ten Precepts for Beginners

Tianzhen says: Those who leave home to cultivate the Way and transcend worldly life are people who formed good affinities in the past. That is why they can rise above ordinary people. If they remain steadfast and devote themselves to cultivation, their blessings will reach seven generations of ancestors, and joy will extend throughout their family. A nine-story terrace is built up basket by basket of earth; a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. When their merit and virtue are complete, they can ascend to Heaven in broad daylight. At that time, when the initiation rite is performed, they should receive and uphold the Precepts for Beginners. There are ten in all:

First, do not secretly plot to harm people or living things, or pursue private gain. Instead, quietly accumulate virtue and widely aid all beings.

Second, do not kill living creatures to satisfy your appetite. Instead, cherish all life and refrain from harming even insects.

Third, do not engage in illicit sex, which corrupts your original nature and defiles your spiritual energy. Instead, preserve your chastity and commit no transgressions.

Fourth, do not ruin the good endeavors of others or sever the bonds of kinship. Instead, use the Dao to help people and bring harmony to families.

Fifth, do not falsely accuse or slander the worthy, nor boast of your abilities or elevate yourself. Instead, praise the virtues of others and do not brag about your own achievements.

Sixth, do not drink to excess or violate the precepts by eating meat. Instead, bring harmony to your body, mind, and vital energy, and devote yourself to purity and stillness.

Seventh, do not be insatiably greedy, hoarding wealth and refusing to give. Instead, live frugally and show compassion by aiding the poor.

Eighth, do not associate with the unworthy or place yourself in filthy and disorderly surroundings. Instead, admire those who surpass you and dwell in a place of purity and stillness.

Ninth, do not be disloyal to the ruler or unfilial to your parents, nor unkind or untrustworthy toward others. Instead, serve your ruler and family with wholehearted devotion, and treat all things with sincerity.

Tenth, do not laugh frivolously or behave improperly. Instead, conduct yourself with dignity, speak sparingly, and make the cultivation of the Dao and virtue your foremost concern.

If you uphold these ten precepts from beginning to end and allow none to lapse, the Way of Heaven will protect you and the spirits will assist you; calamities and unexpected misfortunes will be hard to bring upon you. But if you observe them in the morning and abandon them by night, showing contempt for the right Way, then you alone must bear the disasters you have brought upon yourself. Do not blame the exalted spirits. How could anyone newly entered into the Daoist tradition fail to encourage themselves to persevere?

After receiving the precepts and scriptures, on the last day of each lunar month one should observe a fast at midnight. After fasting, recite the Pure Precepts throughout the night—one hundred times, one thousand times, or more, with no fixed number. If that is not possible, recite them at least nine times.

On other days, whenever body and mind are calm and pure, one may recite them while walking or coming and going; there is no need to fast specially. In reciting, seek guidance from teachers and fellow practitioners, reflect on the teachings, and put them into practice. There is no need to recite aloud: understand them in the heart and speak them with the mouth. Do not make a sound when among other people. It is enough to be able truly to connect through them with the Most High Saints, the perfected beings of the upper realms.

The second volume of the Writings on the Zhengyi Method says: Anyone who becomes a Daoist practitioner should first receive the protective talisman and the Three Precepts, then proceed to receive the Five Precepts and Eight Precepts, and afterward receive a Lu (register), the Daoist register that confers a corresponding religious office and the authority to summon spirits. Those who did not receive the precepts in the past should make them up in order after receiving a Lu. One must learn the precept texts thoroughly, keep them constantly in mind, practice in accordance with them, and never forget them; only then can one avoid breaking the precepts.

Without receiving a Lu, one may not summon spirits. After receiving a Lu, one may call upon spirits whether in motion or at rest. If someone who does not observe the precepts summons spirits, they will not come. Those who break the precepts drive the spirit officers and soldiers away from themselves. These return to the Celestial Court, where the investigating officials pursue the case and impose punishment. The person then suffers illness and calamity, setbacks and hardship in both public and private affairs, and decline and ruin; their undertakings are also unlikely to succeed.

The way to build merit is to leave darkness and move toward light, do good to dispel evil karma, and use good fortune to avert danger. The key is to observe the precepts, and the spirits will protect you. The precepts have their own dedicated texts, which one should study and practice diligently.

Anyone who does not understand the precept texts, forgets them, misunderstands them, or knowingly violates their prohibitions incurs guilt. The same is true of someone who breaks a precept under pressure from an elder or out of fear of death. All these acts are called breaking the precepts. After breaking a precept, one should repent, admit one’s fault, and begin again.

Anyone who breaks the precepts has turned away from the covenant and betrayed faith in the Dao, instead following heterodox teachings and mixing Buddhist practices with worldly affairs. This shows a divided heart and wavering commitment; ignorance and hesitation have led the person deep into confusion and obstruction. If, after the master has admonished them three times, they correct their conduct, remain steadfast in holding to the One, and no longer waver, summoning spirits will be effective. If they remain unrepentant after three admonitions, they have betrayed the Daoist tradition and defied their revered master.

According to the regulations, their Lu should be revoked. If they turn to Buddhism or worldly teachings, or return to the school of the master they previously followed, and the master shows compassion and does not pursue punishment, yet they resent the master and go on to serve someone else, they have abandoned the root and pursued the branches. Though they may still claim to follow the Dao, they have in fact violated the proper regulations, and the divine officials of the various departments must no longer accept them. If, after a long time, they truly repent, build merit anew, and ask to have their Lu restored, they may then be permitted to practice according to the Daoist teachings and receive promotion.

The Statutes and Precepts of Nüqing in the Central Palace of the Great Mystery say:

Anyone practicing the Shangqing methods, the cultivation practices of the Daoist Shangqing school, must not face north or face the direction associated with their birth sign.

If, through unclean acts such as relieving oneself, you offend Yuchen, a revered Daoist deity, or show disrespect to the Original True Nature and True Spirit, five offenses will prevent you from becoming an immortal. Ten offenses will bring investigation and punishment: you will be demoted to a lesser office, and after death enter the Three Paths of Hell. Only after enduring countless eons will you be reborn, and you will never again be born as a human.

Those who study the Daoist arts, receive the Orthodox Teachings of the Three Heavens and the Four Bright Codes and Precepts, and wear the True Writings—Daoist talismanic script—must not uncover their heads without wearing a headcloth or hat, nor undress and expose their bodies, when they enter places illuminated by the Three Lights (the sun, moon, and stars), or when they rest or sleep. Such conduct is considered contempt for the body’s deities and an insult to the True Writings. It causes the True Spirit to depart, leaving behind only an empty shell. Three such offenses will prevent you from becoming an immortal. Five will cause you to enter Hell after death; only after enduring countless eons will you be reborn, and you will never again be born as a human.

Those who study the Daoist arts and receive the Orthodox Teachings of the Three Heavens and the Four Extremes Codes, the Daoist precepts, must not enter unclean places carelessly. Nor may they weep or shed tears there, or attend a funeral. Five such offenses will diminish their merit, cut off their path to immortality, and prevent them from becoming immortals. Ten will cause them to enter Hell after death; only after enduring countless eons will they be reborn, and they will never again be born as humans.

Precepts of the Scripture of the Forty-Four Methods of the Supreme One’s Yellow Register

When Daoist practitioners cultivate methods such as visualization and inner contemplation, or study the Way of Taiyi, they must avoid contact with corpses, blood, and other unclean things. If they accidentally encounter such things, they should take one zhu, an ancient unit of weight, of cinnabar and scatter it into water. They should use this water to wash their eyes, rinse their mouths, and wash their hands and feet, while quietly reciting:

“The Supreme Way of the Three Origins, Taiyi guard my form;

The Lord of Fate, the Five Spirits, and Yellow Tranquility.

May blood and corpses disperse, may baleful filth sink away;

May the seven fluids course within, may the five organs bloom with life.

Grant me passage to immortality, and lasting fulfillment and good fortune.”

This is a prayer for the deities of the Supreme Way of the Three Origins, Taiyi, and the Lord of Fate to protect the body, disperse blood and baleful filth, restore vitality to the body’s vital essences and five organs, and help the practitioner attain the immortal Way and enjoy lasting good fortune.

Those who study the Daoist arts of longevity must not speak of death. Speaking of death unsettles the life force within the body, preventing it from remaining in its proper place. When the old Qi moves into the soul and spirit, they disperse. Baleful Qi and wandering corpse spirits—unclean, roaming influences—then gather in the opening they leave behind, signaling that illness will worsen and death draw near.

The Scripture of Regulations for the True One says that those who accumulate merit and virtue must not violate taboos. They should maintain harmony between themselves and the deities within their bodies; neither should overcome or harm the other, for mutual harm brings calamity. To avert disaster, they must not use their own birth destiny—the stem and branch corresponding to their birth year—or their current-year age or annual fate as a basis for performing rites. Doing so instead brings harm upon themselves.

Precepts of the Immortal’s Record in the Golden Book

Those who cultivate the Way to immortality should not face north when relieving themselves, nor look north toward the sun, moon, or stars. They should not face north when combing their hair or taking off their clothes. Nor should they curse, offend, or damage the “King” while facing north. Here, “breaking” refers to the Chen position beneath the year, a direction or position associated with the movement of Jupiter; “King” refers to the place where the royal Qi resides. Do not direct anger toward the sun and moon …

On the eight seasonal festivals—the days when the solar terms change, such as the Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice—do not punish or threaten the stars. On the first day of each month, do not become angry or stir up your Qi. On the third day of the third month, do not eat the tender hearts of wild plants. On the eighth day of the fourth month, do not kill living creatures, cut grass, or fell trees. On the fifth day of the fifth month, do not look upon blood or bloody things. On the sixth day of the sixth month, do not disturb the earth. On the seventh day of the seventh month, do not dwell on evil thoughts. On the fourth day of the eighth month, do not buy shoes or other things worn on the feet. On the ninth day of the ninth month, do not take up your bedding. On the fifth day of the tenth month, do not punish others. On the eleventh day of the eleventh month, do not bathe. On the third day of the twelfth month, do not burn incense or recite invocations to the immortals without first observing purification.

Such prohibitions are grave taboos strictly imposed by Heaven and the spirits. The Three Officials, the deities who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, inspect people’s conduct and regard violations of these taboos as serious offenses. Breaking them may cause a person’s Three Hun and Seven Po souls to scatter and become agitated, or may incur the displeasure of the fetal spirit. These are also occasions when the Three Officials mete out punishment. Then nightmares disturb the mind, demons and spirits seize the opportunity to intrude, and they assail the Vermilion Palace—the palace associated here with the spirits within the body. Jing and Qi offend the divine beings; troubles arrive one after another, and body and mind are ruined. There are many prohibitions, and the reasons behind them are often unknown. If you can observe them, you may become a candidate for immortality. If you disregard Heaven’s prohibitions, you will suffer harm and ruin.

Those who have received the teachings may not enter the dwelling of a woman who has given birth, nor may they see a corpse. If they can remain apart in another place and cut off contact, they may perform the ritual bows as usual, without restriction on the date. If the home has no way to maintain such separation, they must wait forty-five days before performing the ritual bows.

The Lower Scroll of the Zhengyi Fawen says: “To believe in the Daoist teachings while also believing in heresy is to be of divided intent and to harbor two minds. To be ignorant and confused, hesitating and indecisive, is to betray the Daoist teachings and defy one’s master. According to the law, one’s allotted years should be reduced.”

The Taishang Huangsu Sishisi Fang Jing says: “Anyone who practices the methods of Taiyi, or follows the higher methods or the way of visualizing the spirits, must be cautious and must not see corpses or things stained with blood. Seeing one corpse means that one may not practice the methods for a year, and that the merit accumulated through practice during the preceding year must be deducted. This is a precept of the Di Yi tradition: it both exacts punishment for past transgressions and prevents future practice from being obstructed. If someone sees corpses three times in one year, three years of accumulated merit must be deducted for each occurrence, and ritual practice must cease for three years. If the total number of corpses seen exceeds twenty-four, the person may no longer practice the Taiyi method in pursuit of immortality.”

Those who practice and uphold the higher methods, as well as the methods of Ciyi and Taiyi, constantly have the Qi of the Three Hun and Five Spirits permeating their head coverings and clothes. The Seven Po, Nine Numina, and other forms of Jing and Qi continually dwell beneath their shoes. Therefore, Daoists who study longevity and immortality… (the original text ends here).

When sleeping, do not share a bed with others or wear coarse, worn-out clothes. Do not borrow Qi that does not belong to you. Keep shoes and other belongings clean, avoiding mud, filth, and excrement. Do not deliberately let strangers touch them, lest the Three Souls (the three kinds of human soul) be disturbed.

When Daoist practitioners pursue ways to attain longevity—such as practicing breathing techniques, regulating the breath, visualizing deities, or consuming rosy clouds of Qi—they must be extremely careful. They must not eat the Five Pungent Foods (five pungent, strong-smelling vegetables), or damage their bodies through alcohol and sexual indulgence. The divine beings of antiquity said that the Five Pungent Foods are axes that chop down the Five Organs, while alcohol and sex are coffins that bring about death. Only by avoiding the harm of the axes and keeping far from the coffin-like dwelling of death can one set out on the path to longevity and gradually draw near the Way of the immortals.

When practicing the visualization of Taiyi (a deity revered in Daoism), if you wish to pay respects and make a prayer, you must never kowtow. Kowtowing will shake the Nine Heavens and cause the assembled perfected beings and divine officials to turn back and press down upon you, leaving the Niwan (the divine palace in the head) hanging upside down. The Heavenly Emperor issues commands from the Upper Palace (the upper divine palace), while Taiyi weeps in the Middle Field (the divine palace in the middle of the body). If you keep doing this, visualization will bring no benefit: the Three Perfected Ones leave their palaces, the Seven Spirits scatter, and the Mysterious Abode (the dwelling place of the deities within the body) takes in malign Qi. This is what Taiyi and the Five Spirits most abhor. Therefore, the perfected beings of antiquity kowtowed only in their hearts, using their Jing and Qi to reach the deities. They did not physically touch their foreheads to the ground to pray to them.

In practicing the Way of Taiyi, you must not kneel and bow, for this too is forbidden by the Emperor Lords and the Five Spirits. If you focus your thoughts and wish to pay respects and make a prayer, bow only in your heart; do not bend your body.

Precepts of the Great Cavern of Shangqing

When practicing the Method of the Female One, a Daoist visualization practice, you must not grieve or weep. Weeping moves the Five Spirits: they wail in the Upper Palace, and Taiyi sheds tears in the Middle Field. This damages the spirits and Qi and depletes Jing and Qi. The numinous perfected beings leave the body, leaving only an empty shell. How could you then hope to become an immortal?

Do not look at corpses for a whole year. If you do, you must stop your cultivation for a year, and the work of the previous year will also recede. If you see three corpses in a year, you must stop cultivating for three years, and the work of those three years will also recede. If you see twenty-four corpses, you will lose the Dao. What the earlier Great Simplicity says on this subject is broadly the same, though it differs slightly.

You must not speak of death, or say in anger that you wish to die. If you continue to do this after turning forty, you will be unable to become a perfected being. This is the sin of abandoning life; after three years, the body will perish. You must not wear clothes in the Five Colors. If you lay out splendid clothes and concern yourself with adornment, the numinous perfected beings will leave the body, and lascivious, malign Qi will enter…

If the mind and will run wild or hide and flee, then even if one longs to soar like a child or depart far from the Mysterious Palace—the Daoist celestial palace—the body and spirit will fall into ruin, and one’s life and reputation will be destroyed.

Practitioners should dress plainly and avoid brightly colored clothes; a robe of blue cloth may be worn all day. If one recites the Cavern Chapters, what could one seek and fail to obtain? One may then ride clouds and dragons, roaming through Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), the highest heaven in Daoist belief.

“Precepts of the Numinous Treasure”

The True Immortals’ Inner Regulations says: Those who cultivate the mysterious arts should ordinarily wear cloth robes and straw sandals, and must not wear splendid clothes. Those who violate this rule will lose the Daoist teachings. If one’s grandparents or parents do not follow the same tradition, one may bow to them, but must not practice alongside them in the same tradition. If relatives from the generation of one’s uncles and aunts downward do not follow the same tradition, one must not bow to them either. Those who violate this rule will die.

When one’s parents host a banquet, practitioners must not sit among the guests. Although parents, siblings, spouses, and children are bound by the ties of flesh and blood, if they follow different traditions, they must not sit or sleep together, nor eat at the same table. Under these precepts, people of different traditions are regarded as “corpse impurity”—a foul influence that obstructs cultivation. Those who violate this rule will lose the Daoist teachings. Husbands and wives must not sleep in the same room; if they harbor improper thoughts, they will lose the Daoist teachings for a long time. Those who are not bound by the same covenant must not sleep in the same room. Those who do not share the same pledge must not sit or sleep together, eat at the same table, or wear one another’s clothes. Those who violate these rules will lose the Daoist teachings.

Anyone who has received an immortal official’s numinous register—a talisman conferring a Daoist office or ritual rank—must not bow to people casually or weep without cause. One must show respect to one’s parents, ruler, and officials, as well as to officials ranked at two thousand bushels, provincial inspectors, and the Three Dukes; one must not mistakenly act with discourtesy.

“Text on Receiving and Observing the Eight Precepts of Purification”

During the Liu Song period, Master Lu Xiujing submitted this memorial:

To the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, the boundless Great Dao, the responsive sacred spirits, and all the deities: Today, good men and good women wish to receive and observe the Eight Precepts, purifying their hearts and keeping the fast for one day and one night. In this way, they seek to discipline body and mind and dispel the sins and afflictions created by the three forms of action: body, speech, and mind.

Volume Twelve of the Cavern Spirit Scripture says that purification and fasting first require the body and mind to be brought into order and calm. Only when body and mind are upright can disorder and wrongdoing be avoided. There are many causes of wrongdoing, but they can generally be grouped into eight:

One must not kill living beings to sustain oneself.

One must not indulge in sexual desire for pleasure.

One must not steal other people’s possessions for personal use.

One must not tell lies while imagining oneself eloquent and clever with words.

One must not drink alcohol to intoxication and let the mind run wild.

One must not sleep on a bed that is disorderly, excessively wide, or raised too high.

One must not habitually rub scented oils over the body to adorn oneself.

One must not become absorbed in song and dance, taking performances and entertainment as one’s pleasure.

If the good men and good women gathered here today can avoid these eight failings, the eight forms of ruin will have no chance to arise, and the eight accomplishments will naturally take shape. Uphold these precepts steadfastly over time without violating them, and you can extend your years, preserve your life, and gain mastery of spiritual powers. Thus, those observing purification and abstinence who receive and uphold the eight precepts, keep the true Dao in mind, and practice in accordance with it will attain boundless understanding. The efficacy of their prayers will soon appear, and all will be as they hoped. Now, please receive the precepts. When the rite is complete, bow, rise, uphold the precepts, and then withdraw.

Seven Taoist Books in the Cloudy Satchel, Scroll 40