《雲笈七籤》Vol. 44

Cultivating the Dao without Taiyi (the fundamental divine power and source of life in Daoism) is like having no eyes: one cannot see. In preserving the spirits and visualizing them, to be without Taiyi is like having no internal organs in the chest and abdomen. In directing the spirits, to be without Taiyi is like having no limbs with which to walk. To establish oneself and conduct oneself in the world without Taiyi is like lying rigid as a corpse, devoid of life.

Therefore, this scripture aims to awaken the myriad spirits and generate the souls, bodily fluids, and vital essence. It explains that every path of cultivation takes Taiyi as its foundation. Without a teacher’s guidance, practitioners will only waste their effort. This separate work has now been compiled to present the essential branches of the scripture and excerpt its outward framework. It does not include the profound mysteries and secret instructions that have yet to be explained; for this reason, it is called Taiyi’s Separate Instructions. It gives people something to seek, allowing them to begin to grasp the path of cultivation, but it cannot make them understand the profound source all at once. Practitioners may begin with these more accessible signs and gradually examine them for themselves.

As for the inner, profound and mysterious structure, its many wondrous paths converge: the true spirit joins with the numinous abode, its radiance appearing amid the transformations of mysterious visions, its light extending beyond creation. It shines like the full sun, yet is still like the void. Subtle Qi wells up from within emptiness; as one gathers the spirit and visualizes, it seems that a night lasting a thousand years continues without end. This may be called one of the most profound realms in Taiyi’s transformations. The relevant principles are all explained in detail in this scripture, while the methods of practice are fully set out in the scriptures of the Dongxuan Cavern.

Human beings receive life from Heaven. Their souls and bodily spirits coalesce in the primordial numen, the original spiritual nature of life, and receive their lifespans through the circulation of the Nine Qi, the nine primordial energies that constitute life. Taiyi opens the gateways of life, while the Three Paths gather Shen and Qi in the hidden palace, the place within the body where the spirits dwell. Thus, mysterious fluids spread layer upon layer, nourishing the whole body; the sun and moon illuminate the Six Directions, above, below, and the four quarters, while the mouth and eyes exercise their wondrous functions. The movement of Qi is like clouds traveling and rain falling, and human De accords with Heaven and Earth. The “One” within the womb comes into being and is complete together with the five fundamental constituents. Such is the principle of the human body.

The “Five Causes” are the Five Spirits. The “Three Paths” are the three ways followed by the true spirits. The Five Spirits are Heaven’s souls; the Three Truths are Heaven’s paths; the Nine Qi are Heaven’s embryo; Taiyi is Heaven’s source; the sun and moon are Heaven’s eyes; the mysterious fluids are Heaven’s nourishment; the Six Directions are Heaven’s light; the hidden palace is Heaven’s treasury; the numinous vessel is Heaven’s transformation; and the primordial numen is the transformation of the Sovereign Lord. The Nine Qi mentioned here are the Qi of the Sovereign Lord’s transformations, blended together and transformed into nine kinds. This is called…

After the Nine Palaces have undergone nine cycles of mixing and transformation, they finally return to oneness. Those who wish to cultivate themselves and seek long life should trace life back to its origin. The origin spoken of here consists of the Primordial Father, the source that governs the transformation of Qi and the ordering of things, and the Mysterious Mother, the power that governs the transformation of Jing and Qi and their congealing into an embryo. The Primordial Father directs the movement of Qi and the ordering of things; the Mysterious Mother directs the transformation of Jing and Qi and the formation of the womb. Jing and Qi join together like Yin and Yang generating one another, and like clouds gathering and rain falling.

When a person is joined with the Dao, before there are names or numbers, the cycles of Qi begin to turn. The numbers three and five appear, and life begins to receive its bodily form. Only when the numbers seven and nine are complete does the human body take shape. Three, five, seven, and nine combine in ways that are deep and unfathomable, revealing the Primordial One before the emperors. Practitioners should follow the sovereign’s work in creating the Celestial Emperor. After nine transformations, one becomes numinous; when the work is complete, a physical body takes shape. The body and Shen unite: when Shen departs, one dies; when Shen remains within the body, one lives.

Thus, the Three Origins—the upper, middle, and lower origins—are the beginning of the Dao; the sovereign is the Dao’s foundation; the Great One is the transformation of the Dao; the Nine Heavens are the Dao’s divinities; the Nine Palaces are the Dao’s dwelling places; and the Mysterious Elixir is the Dao’s fluid. After three years of cultivation, one can perceive the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian—and advance to the realm of the immortals. In the morning, one reaches through the Six Directions; at night, one guards the Muddy Pellet, the place of cultivation in the head. One must firmly preserve the fetal essence and keep the will diligent at all times. Later students should take this as the basis for their cultivation. Only those who have read this scripture may speak of refining and infusing the Nine Qi, and of the Great One’s method for directing Shen.

Those who have attained human life already possess a bodily form. Yet without celestial registers and talismans such as the Great One’s numinous slips, the Golden Names of the Three Origins, the hidden talisman of the Director of Destiny, and the Purple Registers of the Five Elders, even those born by receiving Heaven’s Qi cannot hear or see the highest Dao. If you lack celestial registers such as the Purple Documents of the Mysterious Palace, the treasured name of the Supreme Sovereign, the Jade Register of the Great One, the hidden chart of Donghua, the sacred inscriptions of the Three Origins, and the Emperor’s means of joining souls, then even if you receive a heavenly nature and happen to hear the highest Dao, you may still fail to master it. Even if you cultivate, it will be difficult to persevere. You may persist without becoming steadfast, become steadfast without being single-minded, or become single-minded without gaining deep and penetrating insight. At most, you can withdraw into seclusion, preserve your thoughts, and climb the Five Sacred Peaks, setting out on the path to long life. You still cannot reach the state of commanding the Eight Radiances, rising through the skies, riding the clouds and controlling the sun, or soaring through the void.

Without celestial documents and secret records such as the Jade Terrace’s feathered slips, the Five Standards of Flowing Clouds, the Golden Pavilion of the Great One, the hidden registers of the Five Emperors, the Seven Talismans of the Later Sage, the stone casket of the Empty Mountain, the plain writings of the Cinnabar Terrace, the jade writings of the Mysterious Emperor, the Mother of Heaven’s fetal chart, the rounded name of the Most High, the record of Preserving the True and Displaying the Sublime, and the record of Radiant Refinement and the Spirit’s Chariot, you cannot see the Mysterious Scripture of Dongzhen and witness the transformations of the Imperial One. Nor can you hear the hymns of wisdom that dispel demons, or the words of the Most High’s Hidden Book of the Eight Plain Texts…

A practitioner should seek to hear the thirty-nine chapters of the Scripture of the Cavern of Great Mystery, along with its teachings on the Golden Truth and Jade Radiance, the Seven Primordials of the Vast Fall, and other matters. By visualizing the Seven Primordials—the seven primordial energies or deities associated with the spirits within the human body—guarding the Three Ones, the method of concentrating the spirit and keeping to the One, and focusing the mind on the Cavern Chamber, one can meet the Imperial Lord and give rise to the Nine Spirits.

The Nine Spirits dwell within the human body and assist its deities, enabling a person to attain the state of an immortal perfected being, preserve longevity, and stabilize the embryo-soul, the innate soul spoken of in cultivation. The deities Baiyuan, Wuying, Taokang, Siming, Taiyi, and others unite with the Five Spirits. The Five Spirits hold the registers of names and arrange the talismans and registers, each with its own duties. When the deities unite, they undergo nine transformations and transform their forms three times and five times. The perfected spirits in the Three Palaces can then keep watch, and every part of the body can receive numinous Qi. The precious registers and allotted destiny bestowed by the Imperial Lord are thereby secured and kept from collapse.

Each of the nine heavens and nine palaces has its own deities. Together, the nine are called the Heavenly Sovereigns. The Nine Souls transform into the Nine Qi, which in turn become the Nine Deities; each governs one palace, hence the name Nine Palaces. Within the Great Clarity are Great Simplicity and Great Harmony; within the Cavern Chamber are the Bright Hall and Crimson Palace. Together these are called the Six Storehouses. The upper region is called the Heavenly Storehouse, and the lower region the Cavern Terrace. The deities referred to as the “Three and Five” do not all dwell in the same place.

One account holds that three and five Imperial Lords dwell within the Great Clarity. Another says that the Three are the deities of the Three Ones in the Dantian, while the Five are the five deities who govern talismanic registers: the Lord Taiyi’s Son, Baiyuan, Siming, Lord Taokang, and others. Together they are called the Three and Five. The Three and the Five each have their own palaces: the three perfected deities dwell in their respective palaces, while the five deities attend the Imperial Lord above. To the Imperial Lord’s left stands the Elder Patriarch, and to his right the Lord Lao of the Mysterious One. All these belong to the Nine Lords spoken of within the Limitless. At the head of the Nine Lords is the True One. The Nine Lords are numinous beings formed naturally from the soul of Heaven; they are the practitioner’s deities.

If practitioners can visualize their own Jing and Qi, and deeply contemplate the Nine Lords and the Three Perfected Ones, they can circulate and move within themselves among the Three and Five, cycle through transformations within the range of seven and nine, and keep the Heavenly Emperor’s soul dwelling within them. The Five Spirits hold the registers of names and operate in an endless cycle. In time, practitioners will ascend to Heaven in broad daylight. What they gain is more than mere immortality.

The divine power of the Imperial Lord circulates and transforms, joining the Three and Five with Taiyi to form seven and nine. These numbers together make twenty-four. Heaven has twenty-four solar terms, and through the transformations of Qi, perfected beings come into being. They too receive this power of transformation, and so there are twenty-four deities within the body. The deities are like a thousand chariots and ten thousand riders, traveling on clouds to the farthest reaches of the eight directions. If practitioners can contemplate and visualize these deities, and carefully maintain the practice without forgetting its method, they can escape death, seek life, and ascend beyond the ten directions. In this way, the spirit is settled and Qi harmonized, reaching upward to Heaven and transcending the world.

Visualize the “Earth Gate” opening onto the Gate of Heaven. The breath lies hidden and still; the four directions and the seven stars of the Northern Dipper are scattered across the sky, as if you were riding on clouds. The sun and moon seem to grow from the root. Guard and store gold and jade, and command the myriad spirits. The Immortal King asks, “Who can accomplish this?” The answer is, “I have already understood this true Dao.”

This is called the “Way of Hidden Preservation.” The relevant scriptural instructions are contained in the Precious Scroll of the Central Ultimate of the Supreme Sovereign. Once disciples have received this method, they must not pass it on casually. They must first swear an oath and carefully examine the prospective recipient before teaching it.

For the practice, choose the time when vital energy rises at midnight, or at cockcrow. Lie on your back with your eyes closed and breathe gently. Visualize the sun appearing in your left eye and the moon in your right. Each is nine inches across, positioned above the eyes at the temples; together they are called the “High Windows of the Six Directions.” Let the sun and moon shine throughout your body: inward through the Muddy Pellet, the head’s Neidan center, and downward over the five viscera and the stomach and intestines. Feel that everything inside and outside is clearly visible and unobstructed, as though your whole body were united with the light of the sun and moon. After a while, knock your teeth together nine times and swallow your saliva nine times, then pray softly:

“The Supreme One, Mysterious Unity, and the Nine Stars emit their vital essence; the numbers three, five, and seven transform, illuminating the hidden and dark. The divine light of the sun and moon shines down upon the Divine Court, the dwelling place of the spirits in the head, and illuminates the Six Directions. Taiyi and the Sovereign Lord Huangning issue their command in letters of gold; it cannot be overturned. The Five Elders uphold the talismanic command, with Heaven and Earth as witnesses, granting me long life and true spiritual presence. They repel and restrain all baleful forces, dispelling and calming calamities. I ascend to attend the Emperor of Heaven and return from old age to infancy. The Great Emperor has issued his command; may all ghosts respectfully obey.”

When you have finished praying, open your eyes. This method is called “Refining the Root with the Sun and Moon,” and is also called “The Three Lights Examining the Soul.” It is used to command the hundred spirits and ward off intruding ghostly Qi. Practitioners should visualize it every night.

You may also visualize the left eye as the sun and the right eye as the moon, meeting at the Divine Court. Then guide them upward into the Bright Hall, an inner region of the head, where they transform into a yellow liquid essence. Let it flow into your mouth and swallow it in nine portions to nourish Taiyi. At the usual time when vital energy rises, after completing the visualization, pray softly:

“Essence of the sun and moon above, yellow water and moonlight: may Taiyi come and drink. May divine light shine high above, granting me long life and existence together with Heaven and Earth.”

Perform this method once every five days.

The area of the mouth above the tongue is called the “Divine Court.” After visualizing the sun and moon, move your tongue gently and feel a springlike liquid, purple-gold in color, welling up from it and flowing upward into the Bright Hall. This is called the “Sweet Dew of Yellow Essence.” During visualization, close your eyes and clear your mind of distractions. Usually, on the night of the first day of each lunar month, at the time when vital energy rises, lie down with your eyes closed and your face turned upward, and inwardly visualize…

Visualize twenty-four stars, each about one inch in size and linked together. Then visualize a person within each star: twenty-four people in all, resembling newborn infants and wearing no clothes. Next, visualize the twenty-four stars descending from the emptiness of the sky and circling your body three times. Then swallow them one by one, twenty-four times in all. With each swallow, feel that you have swallowed a star. Visualize each star traveling straight from your mouth to your navel, known as the “Palace of Receiving the Mandate.” Then visualize the starlight illuminating your abdomen and making your five viscera shine clearly. The starlight then transforms into twenty-four perfected beings, who together exhale yellow Qi like smoke, filling the navel with a dense, bright radiance that shines through both inside and out.

After a little while, softly recite the incantation:

“The twenty-four perfected beings return to the Yellow Court, where the spirits and Qi reside within the body, and exhale yellow Qi from their mouths. The twenty-four stars pour into my Gate of Destiny, where the vital energy that sustains life resides. The hundred spirits receive numinous energy, making my bones strong and my souls at peace. The five viscera receive their talismanic commands, and Heaven and Earth are moved.”

This visualization practice is called “True Qi Guarding the Gate of Destiny.” It is said to ward off calamities and illnesses caused by ghosts and spirits, and to enable one to live forever.

After the Great Origin blends and unites, it appears as the child of Numinous Emptiness, who is regarded as the Lord God. He also resides in the Muddy Pellet, the divine palace at the center of the head, and becomes the most exalted of the Three Ones. This exalted Lord is the child of Numinous Emptiness, known as the Three Emperors. The Great One, the source of all the gods, is born from the Empty Grotto, transforms in the eight directions, appears among the Three Emperors, and commands the myriad gods, bringing them together. The exalted gods between Heaven and Earth depend on the Great One to function. Without the Great One, the Numinous Emperor’s mysterious spiritual Qi cannot circulate; without the Great One, the Exalted Emperor’s Three Ones cannot dwell securely in their palaces. Thus, the spirit of the Great One unites the five spirits so they may act together, and joins above with the Two Emperors as one.

The Emperor Lord holds an extremely high rank, like the Celestial Emperor Lord. His exalted form is born from the nine souls and spirits; the Qi of three and five combine and coalesce to form him. As the Emperor Lord is about to be born, he receives the supreme Qi from within the Mystery, and takes shape as the Qi of three and five separates and reunites. Thus, the Emperor Lord is born beyond the Limitless, in emptiness before form exists. He resides in the realm of Great Clarity, and his seat of rule is the Purple Tenuity Palace within the Qi of Jade Clarity. Five-colored light shines from his entire body, and his layered canopy has nine tiers. The front opens to the Muddy Pellet, the rear to the Dark Gate; below, he faces the Six Directions, and above, he joins the purple clouds. The hundred numinous beings guard him at his sides, while flying pavilions link with one another and lead to the Jade Palace.

Within the crimson steps lies a golden chamber, and in that chamber dwells Taizhen, a supreme deity of the Daoist pantheon, known as the Heavenly Sovereign. Born from emptiness, he abides in the boundless Wuji (Limitless). He wears a robe of five-colored pearl and a crown of nine virtues at dawn, and rules heaven and earth. He often rides a flying dragon, reins in hand with six bridles, soaring across the nine paths in the void, passing freely wherever he will. He is the sovereign lord among the perfected, condensed from the natural essence of Qi (vital energy). Practitioners who regularly visualize and invoke his name may become immortal kings.

Within Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) there are nine palaces: first Taiqing, second Taiji, third Taiwei, fourth Zifang, fifth Xuantai, sixth Ditang, seventh Tianfu, eighth Huangong, and ninth Yujing. In general, about one inch below the crown of the head lies the Taiji Palace, roughly one inch in size. It sits above the Liuhe Palace (Palace of Six Harmonies), where the god Taiyi (Supreme Unity) resides. The Liuhe Palace lies north of the Mingtang (Hall of Brightness)—an inner palace of the head—and south of the Dongfang (Cave Chamber), about one inch above the point between the eyebrows.

The Emperor Lord (Dijun) governs transformation; Taiyi governs life; Siming governs lifespan; Wuying governs essential Qi; Baiyuan governs hun and po (soul and corporeal soul); Taokang governs spirit and numinous power. Each person receives five registers and five talismanic registers (fulu) to carry. The Emperor Lord holds the five spirit lords, each in charge of one aspect. Together they uphold one’s allotted life, dispel disasters and death, and enable long life. Without Taiyi’s participation, the myriad things cannot grow.

Taiyi is the essential Qi within the womb, the power that governs transformation. Hun and po form in the embryo; spirit and life-breath issue from the bao fu (womb palace where life is nurtured). These forces transform and unite under the Emperor Lord’s rule and condense into a human being. Thus Taiyi is the god of life and the mother of life; the Emperor Lord is honored as the father of life. Taiyi’s name is Wuyou Shou, style Guihuichang, with alternate names Jieming and Jipin. These are the true names in the Sanyuan Dongxuan Neibao Jing (Three Yuan Dongxuan Inner Treasure Scripture). Miscellaneous copies say the names circulating in the world are not authentic. The names given here must not be disclosed to others; if one knows them for oneself, one may achieve long life without death, escape every calamity, and summon spirits and jade maidens to descend.

Each night one should visualize Taiyi in the Liuhe Palace within one’s body, or visualize Taiyi at one’s side, beside one’s seat, at one’s bed, or behind one—he is everywhere. Choose times when generating Qi is abundant. Afterward recite the incantation:

“The essential Qi of Taiyi arises from Taiqing; hun and po receive transformation; form and shadow become numinous and subtle. It commands the hundred spirits and restrains the three yang; the Emperor Lord’s mystic mist joins with true Qi, settling the Qi of Huichang within.”

When Jing and Qi disperse outward, they bring calamity. If they can be kept from dispersing, misfortune can be averted, one can avoid being entered in the register of the dead, and life can be prolonged. A person’s clothing and appearance change with age. The key to cultivation is to let body and mind move within the Six Directions (the four quarters, Heaven, and Earth), circulate through the Crimson Palace (the heart within the body), descend to the Grotto Gate, and ascend to the Mysterious Realm (the upper world envisioned in inner cultivation). Bring body and mind into harmony with the Qi of the Three and Five, and rest and wander in the Celestial Capital. Draw in and summon the essence of the sun and moon; let Yin and Yang transform and the masculine and feminine unite. Hold fast to your own talismanic register and the womb-bag (the inner foundation symbolizing the source of life), command the destiny of life and death, and receive the aid of Taiyi (the primordial Qi revered in Daoism).

When visualizing Taiyi, let Taiyi unite with your bodily form, and imagine your clothing as like Taiyi’s as well. Cultivators should therefore fast and purify themselves often, and practice diligently, in the hope of meeting and joining with Taiyi. Do not borrow clothing or personal belongings from people whose Qi differs from your own; take care in matters of this kind. If you cannot cultivate by taking elixirs, practicing grain abstention, and meditating deeply on the truth, then you should limit or entirely avoid pungent and rank foods, meat and blood foods, mixed foods, and pungent vegetables such as onions and garlic. If you can do this, you may make progress and hope to prolong your life.

The Lord Without Form, mentioned above, is the presiding deity who condenses Jing and Qi and guards the spirit; he is also the deity of the upper Qi of the Three Origins. The condensation of Jing and Qi comes from the essence of Heaven, which in turn returns to the Three Qi. Thus the Lord Without Form often presides over the talismanic mandate for gathering and guarding the spirit. His name is Xuanchong Shu; his courtesy name is He Fuzi. He is also called the Lord of the Elements and the Divine Lord. He often dwells in the Jade Chamber (a place of cultivation within the body), in the Upper Clarity realm. Visualize him each night, then recite:

“August sovereign of the Jade Truth Most High, Jing and Qi joined as one; the numinous Qi of the Three Origins, the purple stars of the Great Mystery. The Nine Heavens shine clear; the Five Blossoms send up mist. Within the Yellow Gate and Golden Chamber, a great deity holds the Firm-Grip Seal, a flowing bell in his hand, a radiant crown upon his head, and a purple canopy over his body. He rides the wind in circling flight, wears a dragon robe adorned with tiger markings, and has the form of an infant. The Four Spirits shine through and bring harmony; he emerges from the Cinnabar and enters the Void, joining forms with the sovereign. He summons Yin and Yang; the Way of Heaven is true. His name is Xuanyuan Shu, and he is titled the Lord Without Form. He courses through the Nine Paths and transforms the Five Constants. May he gather Jing and Qi and bring them forth to nourish me, so that I may endure with the Dao forever.”

The Lord White Prime, mentioned above, is sometimes also called the Lord of the Grotto Chamber. He presides over gathering and guarding the Qi of the hun and po souls, and governs the spirit of numinous fluid. The hun and po souls are born in the Palace of the Nine Numinous Powers, while divine fluid circulates through the truth of the Three Qi. The deity who governs these is therefore called the Lord White Prime of Grotto Yang, and he holds the talismanic mandate for gathering and guarding the hun and po souls. The Lord White Prime’s name is Yu Lingbiao; his courtesy name is Xuanyi Jue. He is also called Vermilion Essence and Qicheng, and dwells in the Jade Hall (a place of cultivation within the body), in the Upper Clarity realm. Visualize him each night, then recite:

The Supreme One’s Spirit Essence, Pure and High, forms the Three Qi of the Nine Palaces and governs their transformations. It dwells in the Dragon Palace of the spirit gate currently on duty, wears a dragon robe and tiger skirt, carries a talisman for preserving life and restoring the soul, ties a jade book at its waist, wears a Yellow Dawn Flower crown, and holds the register of names and Fulu (talismans and registers). Through breathing and visualization, the practitioner brings this spirit and Qi into accord with the self. This is called “Hidden Spirit,” also known as “White Origin.” The practitioner lets it travel alongside them, ascending to the Yang Pass and moving between the Nine Heavens of Purity and the Six Directions. In this way, the practitioner can preserve and cultivate bodily fluids, replenish the Upper Origin Qi in the Niwan Palace, and receive the support of the hundred spirits, each guarding its own precious palace. Once the spirits have each completed their guarding, inspection, and governance, they return to the Yellow Chamber.

The Lord of Destiny in the Center, sometimes also called the Elder Who Regulates Destiny, governs the fundamental allotment of each person’s life and keeps the registers that determine the length of one’s years. Taiyi transforms the souls and records them in an ordered register of talismans. The spirit of Destiny joins with the hun soul and corresponds to the Sovereign of the Souls. The spirit of Destiny oversees a person’s years and holds the limits that determine the length of life. Taiyi joins with the spirit of Destiny and acts according to the talismanic register; for this reason, it is called the “Elder.”

The spirit of Destiny is named Limingchu and styled Xuandu. It is also called Shenzong and Linghua. By day, it dwells in the Palace of the Hidden Ultimate, moving through and ruling the Yin Chamber, and entering and leaving between the two gates of the spirit dwelling. By night, it dwells in the Mysterious Chamber, within the Earth Gate, beneath the Hidden Palace, and above the Palace of the Six Directions. All these places are within the human body. The “Yin Chamber” refers to the two nostrils: the spirit of Destiny should enter and leave through the nostrils, not the space between the eyebrows. At night, the “Mysterious Chamber” refers, in a man’s body, to the jade stalk; the “Earth Gate” also refers to the scrotum. A woman practicing should instead visualize it within the vaginal opening, at the center of the Northern Pole, each night.

After completing the visualization, recite the incantation:

“The soul of the August One transforms into nine names and joins with the Three Perfected Ones. It changes form and appears in the Emperor’s court. Within the Hidden Ultimate and Mysterious Gate, the heavenly spirit comes and goes, making seven circuits. The hundred spirits gather and unite. I hold the tally sticks and counting rods. The essence of the spirit of Destiny wears a dragon robe and tiger skirt, and a crown and headcloth of the Seven Stars. It always dwells in stillness within me, guarded and preserved. The spirit of my body is called the Elder, named Liming. It communicates upward with the talismanic mandate and grants me long life. The Three Origins, Six Offices, and the countless gateways and apertures are all harmonized and unobstructed. I gather and govern the numinous Qi, bringing it together with you. The dragon carriage wheels and circles; together we ascend to Supreme Clarity, shining with the radiance of the sun and moon. In the deep and shadowed distance, destiny is engraved in the green register, until Heaven and Earth fall together.”

The Peach Lord of the Gate of Destiny governs the life formed from the allotment of primordial Qi and is the lord of the Original Qi. It makes Jing and Qi return and restores Shen and Qi to their proper places; it turns white into green, aligns things with the compass and square, and brings forth and establishes the foundation on which all things in the worlds of Heaven, Earth, and the hidden realm depend, along with the source of Yin-Yang’s numinous Qi. The precious Qi of the Golden Gate, Jade Pass, chamber, and household gates also arises from this source.

The ordering of life depends on the Qi of the Peach Lord. Therefore, the Emperor Lord Taiyi Who Returns the Radiance is responsible for uniting the hun and po souls.

“Returning the Radiance” means allowing all things to return to the undivided state, so they can transform along with change. “Uniting the souls” means bringing forth seminal fluid. The beginning of change in Jing and Qi is guided by the Peach Lord, and through this the signs of male and female become manifest.

The Peach Lord’s name is Haidaokang, his courtesy name is Hejingyan, and he is also called the King of Life and the White Root of the Womb. By day, he governs the five cities of the Golden Gate, in the Dantian Palace within the navel and below the Gate of Life. By night, he governs the center of the Six Directions, to the right of Taiyi. Each night, after completing the visualization, recite the following invocation:

“Dark Origin gathers Jing and Qi; empty Qi joins to form mist. From this the womb takes shape, and Yin and Yang draw near to one another. The Three Qi of the Most High descend and enter your body. The hundred joints throughout the body receive numinous Qi, and the myriad spirits each appear. Chaos returns to unity. This spirit is named the Peach Lord. His form is like that of a newborn infant, brilliantly radiant, reaching straight into the sky. He wears splendid robes of five colors, decorated with phoenix patterns, and holds a sacred talisman as he joins with the Emperor Lord’s hun. A tiger-patterned belt is tied around his waist; he wears a red headcloth and a cinnabar crown. Seated on a golden bed and jade couch, he faces the Gate of Life. He draws in Jing and Qi, strengthening my bones and sinews.

“To the Peach Lord’s right stands a divine woman holding a red banner; to his left stands a Jade Youth, recording the Emperor Lord’s words. Yang Qi moves to the left, changing within chaos before it has yet divided. Yin Qi turns back to the right, flowing into form and circling seven times. The Peach Lord ascends to the Muddy Pellet, the cultivation center in the head, and regularly visits the Nine Palaces. He enters and leaves the Hidden Gate, gathering and refining the hun and po, overseeing affairs among the six viscera, and recording and commanding the myriad spirits, so that you and I may become immortals together.”

This is the method of combining the Qi of the Three and Five to bring forth the Five Spirits. These five spirits receive the most essential numinous quality of the five Qi; they are the root of the Dark Mandate. Above, they arise from emptiness; below, they condense within the human body. The life processes within the body require the Five Spirits to govern them. Practitioners should visualize the Five Spirits each night and recite the invocation. If they cannot memorize it, they may read it aloud from the scripture during the day. There is no need to wait until midnight; they need only practice when vital energy is flourishing.

The Three Hun Souls arise from the Five Spirits, and the Three True Ones emerge from the Five Numinous Powers. For this reason, the cultivation method is called “the method of combining the Three and Five.” Practicing it can bring long life and freedom from death. It is also called “Observing the Bright Hall, Traversing the Spirit Purple Palace, Bringing Forth the Three and Five, and Paying Homage to the Upper Origin”—that is, observing the Bright Hall and traversing the Spirit Purple Palace so that the Qi of the Three and Five may be generated and transformed, and directed toward the Upper Origin.

Even those who have already attained immortality should continue cultivating if they wish to live long. Visualization may be done sitting or lying down. If sitting, it is best to face the direction associated with one’s birth destiny. If you cannot visualize all five spirits at once, begin with two, then visualize the other three, and repeat the cycle. At the outset, begin with Taiyi.

The Supreme Method for Calming the Spirits, Nurturing Life, and Inwardly Contemplating Immortality

The Celestial Emperor Taiwei (a Daoist deity) taught a method for calming and regulating the mind and spirit through inward contemplation and visualization. It can free people from distress, dispel inner stagnation, and stabilize the hun and po souls.

This method brings Yin-Yang together and returns them to the mysterious. It is a path of cultivating the Dao. It allows the six bowels and five viscera to flow freely and receive numinous energy. By swallowing Qi and holding images in the mind, it is as though the fragrance of medicinal fungi arises naturally from the stomach, while the channels of Qi intertwine and circulate through the body. The spirit and Qi become clear, and the body feels refreshed in turn. It is as though one were riding in a jade carriage, soon to become an immortal and ascend to Heaven in broad daylight.

In practice, one should regularly observe purification, bathe, burn incense, and enter a quiet room. Calm the mind and set aside worries and worldly thoughts, so that the mind becomes open and unobstructed. Focus on visualization without falling asleep. Then one will be able to see the true forms—the images of the deities held in the mind—and guide wandering spirits back to their proper places.

Each morning, sit facing east with the eyes slightly closed. In the mind, contemplate the appearance and colors of the various deities until they are clear and bright. Call each by name and have them return to guard their respective palaces. Then click the teeth thirty-six times and contemplate the following in order:

• The spirit of the hair is named Canghua, styled Taiyuan, and is two cun and one fen tall.
• The spirit of the brain is named Jinggen, styled Niwan, and is one cun and one fen tall.
• The spirit of the eyes is named Mingshang, styled Yingxuan, and is three cun tall.
• The spirit of the nose is named Yulong, styled Lingjian, and is two cun and five fen tall.
• The spirit of the ears is named Kongxian, styled Youtian, and is three cun and one fen tall.
• The spirit of the tongue is named Tongming, styled Zhenglun, and is seven cun tall.
• The spirit of the teeth is named Efeng, styled Luo Qian, and is one cun and five fen tall.

The seven spirits of the face all wear flying silk skirts and look like infants. Visualize them carefully and clearly, arrayed across the face, each guarding its own palace. After completing the visualization, click the teeth twenty-four times, swallow Qi twelve times, and then recite this invocation:

“Numinous source scatters Qi; gathered Qi forms spirits.

Clearly distinct before and behind, they govern Niwan.

Above and below, they support one another; the seven spirits are arrayed.

Their forms flow and turn, concealing themselves and transforming.

Through transformation they nurture Huayuan and guide the eight numina.

They surge upward through the cavern gate and protect the body.

They gather radiance and ascend to the Emperor’s court at dawn.”

After reciting, continue by contemplating the spirit of the heart and the spirits of the other viscera and bowels:

• The spirit of the heart is named Danyuan, styled Shouling, and is nine cun tall.
• The spirit of the lungs is named Haohua, styled Xucheng, and is eight cun tall.
• The spirit of the liver is named Longyan, styled Sheming, and is seven cun tall.
• The spirit of the kidneys is named Xuanming, styled Yuying, and is three cun and six fen tall.
• The spirit of the spleen is named Changzai, styled Houting, and is seven cun and three fen tall.
• The spirit of the gallbladder is named Longyao, styled Weiming, and is three cun and six fen tall.

The true spirits of the six bowels all wear red brocade flying skirts and dwell within the five viscera and six bowels. They look like infants and have the complexion of beautiful youths. Visualize them carefully and clearly, arrayed in order. The following passage of the scripture is incomplete here.

At dusk, focus your visualization and do not let it slip from mind. Click your teeth together twenty-four times, then pray:

“May the true spirits of the five viscera and six bowels return together and preside over the Crimson Palace, where the heart resides. Above and below, they accompany one another; the Golden Chamber and the Red Child dwell facing each other. The gates on all four sides are deep and secluded; the Dark Gate, mysterious and remote, joins with the Hall of Spirits. The pivots and hinges interlock, while transformation flows in a state of undivided unity. May the Qi of the true spirits and the subtle Qi be nurtured and refined within the Dantian, shining with the radiance of the sun. May I unite with the Eight Visions—the spirits or manifestations said to reside within the body—and may my body rise up and soar.”

When you have finished visualizing, continue by envisioning:

The three true spirits in the Jing and blood: their lord is called Lord Wusheng, with the courtesy name Master Huangning. They guard the source beneath my two breasts.

The two true spirits in the joints and bones: their lord is called Lord Jianshu, with the courtesy name Pearl of Condensed Feathers. They guard the place of my Great Granary—the stomach—and the entrance to the bowels and intestines of the five viscera.

The one true spirit in the heart: it is called Heavenly Essence Fluid, with the courtesy name Flying Life, Supreme Brilliance. It guards the point where the four directions meet in my chest.

The true spirit of the Nine Origins is male. He is called Gozhi, with the courtesy name Three Yangs, and guards the Gate of Hidden Dawn at my left ear.

The soul of the August One is female. She is called Shanggui, with the courtesy name Imperial Child, and guards the Gate of Hidden Dawn at my right ear.

The Purple Plain Left Origin Lord is called Yiyu Wuren, with the courtesy name Anlai, and guards my head and face.

The Yellow Plain Middle Origin Lord is called Yuanhua Huang, with the courtesy name Taizhang, and guards my chest and flanks.

The White Plain Right Origin Lord is called Qiming Xiaoren, with the courtesy name Golden Gate, and guards the region of my lower gate.

The Fate-Decreeing Spirit in the sun is called Jiesheng and guards the palm of my left hand.

The Peach Lord in the moon is called Fangying and guards the palm of my right hand.

The One Origin White Qi Lord in the womb is called Master Wuxuan, with the courtesy name Nurturing Supreme Life.

The Spirit of the Great One is called Master Xuanguizi, with the courtesy name Flourishing Prosperity. These two spirits guard above my five viscera, at the root of my throat.

The Azure Qi Lord in the knot is called Anyanchang, with the courtesy name Harmonious Infant.

The Spirit of the Origin Lord is called Guardian of the Grain, with the courtesy name Mingfu. These two spirits guard below my five viscera and above the great stomach.

The Black Qi Lord in the joints is called Binlaisheng, with the courtesy name Essence’s Upper Gate.

The Spirit of the Imperial True One is called Youtaisheng, with the courtesy name Irrigating Supreme Life. These two spirits guard the entrance to my nine intestines, below the Hidden Source.

The Yellow Qi Lord in the womb is called Zumingche, with the courtesy name Spirit Without Limit.

The Spirit of the Heavenly Emperor is called Liweicang, with the courtesy name Dharma Pearl. These two spirits guard inside my lower abdomen, at the roots of the two openings.

The Red Qi Lord in the blood is called Hunzazi, with the courtesy name Uncle Baojian…”

This scripture passage describes a method of cultivation that involves visualizing the many gods within the body. It first lists the names of the divine beings. The essence-spirit in charge of life is called Faniuzi, with the courtesy name Qingxuan. These two deities guard the hundred gates throughout my body, keeping the blood vessels from being severed at the joints. The Lord Father of the Upper Mysterious Origin is named Gao Tongsheng, with the courtesy name Zuo Huiming; the Mother of the Lower Mysterious Origin is named Shuhuo Wang, with the courtesy name You Huiguang. The Imperial Sovereign Taiyi is named Chong Mingkong, with the courtesy name You Liaowu. The Nine August Emperors are called Mingzhen, with the courtesy name Zhongdi Sheng. The essence-spirit of the Great Emperor is named Yangtang Wang, with the courtesy name Baling Jun. The soul of the Nine Passes is named Lü Huidao, with the courtesy name Jueming. The soul of the Celestial Record Emperor is named Zhao Wua, with the courtesy name Guangshen. These seven deities guard the root of my inborn life and block the gates that lead to death.

In cultivation, visualize and silently invoke the perfected deities. Let every place from the head to the navel shine with light; let golden liquid—the refined vital essence within the body—flow and circulate, and jade radiance—the luminous sheen of bodily fluids—illuminate the souls. Let this fill the depths of the intestines and organs, while the Emperor’s Qi fills the Nine Passes. In this way, ancestors of every generation may be freed from the Three Paths of Hell and reborn in the Southern Palace, the place that governs new birth. The divine beings within the body will stand guard, while true Qi spreads through it and secures longevity.

When the visualization is complete, click the teeth thirty-nine times and pray: “Qi is born from ‘nonbeing’; congealing, it gives rise to the Yang Spirit. Yang Qi nourishes outwardly, while Yin Qi comes to fulfillment within. The two forms of Qi interweave and unite, so that the Primordial Spirit and the Inner True Ones guard and protect the nine apertures, preserve the hun and po souls, and bring all the gods to rest. May they protect my Three Passes and fill them with the splendor of the huazhi, and may they rise with me into Jade Clarity, the highest immortal realm.” Then swallow the breath thirty-nine times to secure the thirty-nine households and moisten the whole body with Qi.

If you can cast off entanglements and remain unbound by the mundane world, still your mind and calm your thoughts. In inner contemplation, clearly behold the “empty chamber,” the bright, open space within the body. Focus your inward gaze to settle the gods and secure the souls; cut off the death Qi from the nine apertures, and stabilize the palace of life at the Upper Pass. Repeat the visualizations and prayers as if speaking face to face with the gods, without ceasing day or night. Persist for three years, and the true gods will manifest. Your hair will regain its luster, decayed teeth will grow back, and the Five Viscera and meridians will be replenished and strengthened. You will then be able to command the Six Jia and dispatch the Six Ding, the divine generals revered in Daoism, and summon guest deities from the Nine Heavens to descend in their chariots. The cultivator’s spirit and body will then rise aloft, ascending to Heaven in broad daylight.

The foregoing are the precious names and inner names of the gods of the Highest Truth. They guard the human body and circulate the Qi of the Nine Heavens, securing the workings of the six organs. The generation and transformation of all things depend on the gods: when the gods keep watch, life endures; when they wander far away, death follows. Through diligent concentration and the accumulation of spiritual response, a person can ascend bodily to the Mysterious Palace. If one seeks the way to immortality without knowing the inner names of form and spirit, or understanding the key to the “tomb” and the “gate of death,” how could one hope for longevity? Practicing this method requires undivided focus.

If you allow yourself to become defiled, tread upon pure ground, eat the five pungent foods, drink wine, and eat meat, you offend the righteous Qi, and the spirits will depart. People know only that lavish dishes satisfy the appetite and rank and salary make the body esteemed. They do not know that eating out of greed for pleasure wounds the spirits and life like an axe, while luxury and splendor are the root of the depletion of true Qi. The immortals therefore cherish quiet and stillness, making their home there; they do not reveal themselves in the world of dust. Those who cultivate life should treat these matters with care.

The Method of Visualization in the True Formula of the Jade Essence, Plain Words of the Three and Nine

The formula says: The Elders of the Nine Heavens and the Jade Youths of the Three Heavens transmitted this method together. The Great Emperor passed it to the Emperor of Heaven, who in turn passed it to the Great Emperor of Taiwei Heaven. The Great Emperor transmitted the formula to the Primordial Lord of the Southern Pole; the Emperor of Heaven transmitted it to the Queen Mother of the West; and the Great Emperor of Taiwei Heaven transmitted it to the Sage Lord of the Golden Tower. The Sage Lord of the Golden Tower then passed it to the High Minister, the Azure Youth Lord. The Azure Youth Lord passed it to the King Lord of Western City and instructed him to entrust it to later generations of those who study the Dao. All who may one day become perfected beings should receive this lineage of transmission of the true teaching. By the time it reached the King Lord, more than seven thousand kalpas had passed.

The King Lord later sealed the numinous text in the Jade Chamber of the Western Cavern on Mount Wangwu, where officials of the Plain Spirit tended the incense and safeguarded the scripture. This Dao teaching is subtle and secret, and is not transmitted in the world. If someone is named in the Mysterious Register and comes upon this text, ten thousand immortals will come to pay homage, and celestial officials will guard that person. With diligent practice and earnest contemplation, one can ascend to Heaven in broad daylight.

Those who receive the Shangqing Dao scriptures and the wondrous chapters of the Three Treasures, and practice the Way of Walking in the Void and Ascending to Mystery, must first open the Five Viscera and clear the hidden passes—the bodily apertures spoken of in inner cultivation—so that the myriad Qi are stabilized and the true spirit is joyful. Without this, even strenuous practice is futile, and one will never become immortal. Now this Jade Formula is recorded, transmitting the wondrous words of the Supreme Emperor and entrusting them to later generations of Dao practitioners. It must be kept secret and the true Dao revered. Never transmit it lightly, or calamity will befall you.

On the day corresponding to your own birth—your personal destiny day—bathe, enter a quiet chamber, face east, and click your teeth nine times. With eyes closed, visualize the Azure Emperor of the East, the Perfected One of the Nine Numinous Powers of Lesser Yang, whose name is Ju Shangsheng. The Perfected One is nine inches tall, wears a crown of the Nine Origins, and is dressed in a single-layer blue flying robe. He holds a jade tablet of blue essence and rides a flying carriage amid azure clouds. Twelve jade maidens dressed in blue accompany him.

Visualize him coming from the Palace of Clear Yang in the heavens, riding azure clouds, and covering your body with a crown of azure clouds. Then visualize the Perfected One of the Nine Numinous Powers entering your body amid cloud Qi and settling securely in your liver. Next, call out “Perfected One of the Nine Numinous Powers of Lesser Yang, Ju Shangsheng” three times, and visualize him bringing blue spirit fungus and jade essence to nourish your body. Then, following the formula, savor three times and swallow three times. Pause, lie back, and recite the incantation aloud:

The Venerable Cangyuan Haoling, the deity of Shaoyang in the East, harmonizes the liver with the Nine Qi and brings peace to my hun and po souls. Radiant splendor forms in the hidden inner palace, and its depths grow clear and bright. Through refining and nourishing the body, I make it firm; it changes from white back to green, its inner radiance shining forth, and I ascend to the Purple Court in heaven. If anyone dares to offend or test me, I subdue them with the Flowing Bell. The Jade Register of the Supreme Lord records my name in the Great Clarity, the tranquil celestial realm of Daoism. When the recitation is complete, draw in Qi nine times and swallow it.

Face due south, close your eyes, and click your teeth three times. Visualize the Red Emperor of the South, the Perfected One of the Solar Southern Pole, whose name is Rong Shangsheng. He is three cun tall, wears an Advancing Worthies crown and a crimson ceremonial robe, and holds a red jade tablet. He rides a flying chariot among red clouds, attended by twelve jade maidens dressed in red. He descends from the Palace of the Celestial Orchid Terrace and covers my body with a crown of cinnabar clouds. Visualize the Perfected One of the Solar Southern Pole riding cloud Qi into my body and settling peacefully in my heart. Then invoke him three times by saying, “Perfected One of the Solar Southern Pole, Rong Shangsheng.” Imagine him bringing cinnabar fungi and jade essence to nourish my body. Next, savor three times and swallow three times.

Raise your face and recite the incantation:

Above the crimson cloud, in the court of red, a high Perfected One descends. The three Qi gather in my heart: this is my cinnabar origin. Make my body and mind pure, so my petition may be carried far to the heavenly court. My heart spirit is settled; the Nine numina close their gates. The light of the Golden Perfected One shines within me, and purple smoke gathers into clouds. In the palace of Taiwei, the celestial script records my name in green, making me a flying immortal who goes to the Upper Clarity to pay court in the imperial palace. When the recitation is complete, draw in Qi three times and swallow it.

Face due west, close your eyes, and click your teeth seven times. Visualize the White Emperor of the West, the Perfected One of Shaoyin, the Pure Spirit, whose name is Ru Mingzi. He is seven cun tall, wears a dark crown adorned with jade treasures and a robe of plain-colored brocade, and holds a plain jade tablet. He rides a flying chariot among white clouds, attended by twelve jade maidens of the Pure Spirit. He descends from the Palace of the Celestial Sovereign and covers my body with a crown of pure clouds. Visualize the Perfected One of the Pure Spirit riding cloud Qi into my body and settling peacefully in my lungs. Then invoke him three times by saying, “Perfected One of Shaoyin, the Pure Spirit, Ru Mingzi.” Imagine him bringing white fungi and jade essence to nourish my body. Next, savor three times and swallow three times.

Raise your face and recite the incantation:

The pure origin pervades the empty grotto, the dwelling of the heavenly Perfected Ones and divine spirits. The seven Qi guard the lungs and dwell there with the spirit. Preserve and nourish the jade treasury; receive and contain the splendid jade fungi. Be clear, sincere, and bright, as though roaming in the mysterious void. The true writings of the Nine Emperors are written in white jade and golden script, making me ascend as an immortal and removing me from the registers of the dead. I roam freely among the Three Pure Ones, going wherever my will takes me. When the recitation is complete, draw in Qi seven times and swallow it.

Face due north, close your eyes, and click your teeth five times. Visualize the Black Emperor of the North, the Perfected One of Taiyin, the Mysterious… (The original text ends here.)

The spiritual Perfected One (here referring to the Dark Numina Perfected One of Great Yin) is named Dark Mystery Silent. He is five cun tall, wears a black crown and black cloud robe, and holds a black jade tablet of dark essence. He rides in a flying carriage of black clouds. Twelve Jade Maidens of the Great Mystery follow him as he descends from the Dark Yin Jade Void Palace in heaven. Visualize a black cloud crown settling over you, then visualize the Perfected One of Dark Numina of Great Yin riding on cloud energy into your body and settling securely in your kidneys. Call the Perfected One of Dark Numina of Great Yin three times. Visualize him bringing dark lingzhi and jade essence to nourish your body. Hold and swallow the substances three times according to the method, then stop, raise your head, and recite the incantation:

Dark Origin, Northern Pole, Supreme Numina Pivot: with the five Qi, guard the kidneys. Tortoise and jade, unevenly arrayed; precious blossoms form a network; the stomach’s hidden brightness opens. The spirit is named Jade Terrace, and its life endures as long as Heaven and Earth. The Great Emperor of the High Sovereign Realm keeps watch in peace and will not go astray. Command the Six Jia to summon the Eight Powers; ride alongside the dragon carriage and soar through the sky. Exhale and inhale spirit lingzhi; even after passing through kalpas, you will not grow old. When the incantation is finished, draw in Qi five times and swallow it, then stop.

Next, face the direction of your birth destiny, close your eyes, and click your teeth twelve times. Visualize the Perfected One of the Three Numina, the Central Yellow Emperor of the Total Origin, named Original Splendor. He is one cun and two fen tall, wears a Yellow Dawn Jade crown and a yellow brocade flying skirt, and holds a yellow jade tablet of dark essence. He rides in a flying carriage of yellow clouds. Twelve Jade Maidens of the Central Yellow Emperor follow him as he descends from the Jade Chamber Palace in heaven. Visualize a yellow cloud crown settling over you, then visualize the Perfected One of the Three Numina riding on yellow clouds into your body and settling securely in your spleen. Call the Perfected One of the Total Origin, the Three Numina, three times. Visualize him bringing yellow essence and jade lingzhi to nourish your body. Hold and swallow the substances three times according to the method, then stop, raise your head, and recite the incantation:

The Yellow Origin, Central Emperor, is the spirit of my birth destiny. With a single Qi, he serves the spleen and enables me to attain the Dao and become Perfected. The five organs give rise to radiant splendor, and the Qi channels form a network. Purple Dawn transforms its appearance, refines the face, and protects life and destiny, making life long. Though external things may decay, the thousand spirits still come to pay homage. The Dark Register of the Old Lord records my name, making me an immortal of long life who endures in the world and remains with Heaven. When the incantation is finished, draw in Qi twelve times and swallow it, then stop.

Then turn to the east, close your eyes, and click your teeth thirty-six times. Visualize the High Emperor, the Supreme Treasure of Jade Clarity and Five Qi, named Great Void. He is three cun tall, wears a Jade Dawn crown and a seamless, single-layer robe of five colors. In his left hand he cradles the essence of the sun; in his right, he holds the light of the moon. He guards my Upper Palace, the Muddy Pellet Palace. Call the Supreme Treasure Perfected One, Great Void, and visualize him bringing…

The Five Qi circulate, and Jing Qi fills the whole body. Then recite the incantation and swallow the Qi in the mouth in five portions. At the end, raise the head and silently recite:

“Most High True Sovereign, numinous powers of the Five Emperors, please protect my Niwan Palace—the cultivation point in the head—and let the five forms, the five shapes or elements that make up the human body, receive your mysterious illumination. Let the Three Luminaries, usually the sun, moon, and stars, shine brightly; let the sun and moon illuminate all with penetrating clarity. Let Jing Qi, like flying clouds and flowing rosy mists, fill my body, nourish the Jade Essence, refine and cultivate my form, preserve my hun and po souls, and allow my spirit and soul to grow naturally. Let my spiritual powers and transformations be without limit, and let me ascend to the Purple Court.” After reciting, guide the Qi, swallow it in five portions, and hold the breath.

After reciting the incantation for the Five Directions, rub the hands together until warm, then wipe the face and eyes. After five years of this cultivation, the face will show a golden radiance, essence will arise within the Five Viscera, and the Qi of the Five Viscera will be preserved. In the end, one will attain the path of the immortals. The Three Palaces—the cultivation sites such as the upper, middle, and lower Dantian—will open to communication, and the True Spirit will appear. The practitioner will then be able to ride through the emptiness and ascend to heaven in broad daylight. All of this requires secret cultivation; do not pass it on casually.

Method of Contemplating the Primordial Father and Mysterious Mother in the Purple Book

The Purple Book Method says: Those who practice the Way of the Highest Perfected should choose the third, fifteenth, and twenty-fifth days of the third, ninth, and twelfth months. There are three such months each year, with these three days chosen in each month; practice three times on each day. These months are when the Primordial Father of the Nine Heavens receives transformation, and these days are when he travels and feasts in the upper palaces of the Nine Heavens and meets with them.

On each of these days, bathe and observe ritual purification, then practice in a quiet, secluded place, paying no attention to worldly affairs. At noon, face northeast, gaze up at the sky, and contemplate the Primordial Father of the Nine Heavens. His name is “Primordial Father.” He is nine inches and nine tenths tall, wears a sash of dark and yellow silk imbued with numinous power, and has a cap adorned with seven tiers of pearls and jade. Upon it sits a crown of limitless advancement and worthiness. He dwells in the Supreme Ultimate Jade Palace, the mansion of Jade Treasures, the Village of Cinnabar Numinous Power, and the Hollow of the Primordial Origin, all above the Nine Heavens.

Contemplate him riding a flying chariot amid emerald clouds, followed by twelve flying dragons and twenty-four immortals, with white swans attending beside the chariot wheels. He roams through the realm of the Void and Mystery. Make the visualization vivid and distinct, as though the Primordial Father were right before you. Then bow to him nine times and silently recite three times in your heart: “Primordial Father, I have something to say. I humbly ask you to permit me to ascend to heaven and serve the Imperial Spirit.”

Next, knock the teeth together nine times, raise the head, and pray:

“Most High Imperial Lord, Great Spirit of the Primordial Beginning, you contain the True Qi, and your form appears in the Purple Heaven. Riding the clouds and floating mists, you send down radiance and the rosy vapors of the eight directions. You turn your chariot wheels and descend to the human world, sheltering my body beneath the Great Dao. Let me ascend upon the clouds and serve as attendant to the divine chariot. Today is an auspicious day of the Eight Assemblies; may you permit me to state my wish. May all I ask and report come to pass. Let me enjoy good fortune for a long time and endure alongside the Imperial Lord.”

After the prayer, raise the head, swallow the breath nine times, and hold the breath. If you practice in this way, the Primordial Father will be pleased and the Imperial Lord will rejoice. He will then command the immortal officials to enter the practitioner’s name in the register of immortals…

If your name is listed in the Golden Register (the register of immortals), then, after nine years of devoted practice, the jade carriage of the immortals will descend to welcome you. You will ascend in broad daylight and travel to the imperial court. This Daoist method is so profound that ordinary people in the world who study the Dao cannot take part in it or even hear of it. Those without a Golden Register, whose names are not entered in the Register of the Mysterious Charts, cannot know or behold the Upper Clarity, the lofty celestial realm in Daoism. If you are fortunate enough to encounter and obtain a precious text, it is because your endowment in past lives was exceptional and suited you to become an immortal. You should cherish the secret registers and follow them with care. To disclose them lightly is to prove yourself no true cultivator. The guilt will extend to your ancestors and parents for seven generations, leaving them trapped in hell for a long time, unforgiven even after countless eons. After your own death, you too will remain in the palace of ghosts and will never become an immortal.

The Secret Instructions of the Purple Book say: Those who practice the Way of the Highest Perfected, seeking to become Highest Perfected Immortals, should cultivate on the fifth, sixteenth, and twenty-ninth days of the second, seventh, and tenth months. There are three such days in each of these months every year. Tradition holds that these months mark the birth of the Nine-Heavens Mysterious Mother, while these days are when the Celestial Origin unites in celebration and the Feminine Heaven’s De is brought to life.

On these days, bathe, quiet your mind, and observe the purification fast. Stay alone in a quiet room and pay no attention to worldly affairs. At midnight, go to the center of the courtyard, face southwest, look up at the sky, and visualize the name and appearance of the Nine-Heavens Mysterious Mother. She is six cun and six fen tall. She wears garments of green jeweled divine-light brocade and embroidered frost gauze, a sash of nine colors, and a purple-origin, dark-yellow jeweled crown. She dwells above the Nine Qi of the Limitless, in the Palace of Seven Reflections in the Jade Grove and the Court of the Jade Treasure, Grotto Origin. This is the Township of Nine Lights, in the Upper Clarity realm. At times she comes riding on purple clouds in a carriage covered by a feather canopy, attended by twelve phoenixes and thirty-six jade maidens, with a white phoenix serving beside her carriage. She roams above the Great Clarity, through the boundless, limitless void.

Visualize her clearly, as though she were vividly present before your eyes. Then bow to the Mysterious Mother nine times and silently call upon her three times: “Mysterious Mother, I am [name]. My body is impure, yet I yearn for the true Dao and look up toward the Upper Clarity. I beg you to look upon me and guide me, so that I may serve the Jade Spirit.” Then click your teeth nine times, raise your head, and recite this prayer:

“The three Qi unite; the five Qi separate. They blend and transform into the Qi of the two origins, which gathers and becomes spirit. Spirit transforms and joins with the soul, gestating and nourishing within the womb. The Nine Heavens protect and secure the gate of life. Yin essence descends mysteriously, pouring nourishment into the root of the body. Refine and transform the physical substance; imbue it with primordial Qi, and transformation will come of itself. What day is it today? The Mysterious Mother opens and reveals the eight vows and nine assemblies, enabling me to ascend to the Celestial Perfected above, to respond to visions and grasp the subtle, and to behold the Jade Dawn. May my bones rise and my fleshly body soar; may I ride the void and mount the clouds of mist, ascending to the purple celestial carriage and serving the ministers of the Emperor for ages to come.”

When the prayer is finished, raise your head and swallow Qi nine times; then stop. The Mysterious Mother’s breath is harmonious and free, and the imperial consort rejoices. The Celestial Perfected descend, allowing the cultivator to behold the sacred countenance. The Green Palace then orders that the cultivator’s name be entered in the Upper Jade Register. After nine years of concentrated contemplation, the Emperor will send…

The Jade Maiden comes riding on clouds to welcome the practitioner as they ascend into Jade Clarity, the Daoist celestial realm known as the Heaven of Subtle Tenuity, and to serve and protect the Mysterious Palace, where the immortals dwell. This Daoist method is profound and mysterious, beyond the hearing of ordinary people in the world. Those whose names are entered in golden script in the registers of the attendants of the Emperor, and who are able to read this passage, are people of exceptional nature from former lives, attuned to the Immortal Dao. They can cultivate successfully and ascend, roaming and feasting above the Nine Heavens.

Remember, never reveal this lightly. Otherwise, you will suffer punishment, and the Three Officials, who govern Heaven, Earth, and Water, and the Seven Ancestors will also be investigated and punished, confined forever at the Source of the River.

Anyone who practices this Daoist method should devote themselves to concentrated reflection, gaze upon the wondrous countenance, and look upward in prayer for the Mysterious Spirit to descend, seeking to become a flying immortal. Do not allow anything impure to offend the Great Perfected One, the supreme true deity. If you violate this prohibition, you will be confined and will never be able to become an immortal. Even when the sky is overcast and there is no sun, you may perform the rite in a quiet chamber. So long as what you imagine within corresponds to what you see before you, and what you recite aloud accords with your intention, the spirits will surely respond, the Dao will surely descend, and your practice will surely succeed. When the Dao descends and a spirit takes up residence, the practitioner can fly through the air.

The Method of Preserving the Purple Book and Contemplating the True Maiden of the Nine Heavens

The Instructions in the Purple Book say: Those who cultivate the Dao of the Highest Perfected often perform the rite on the ninth day of the ninth month, the seventh day of the seventh month, and the third day of the third month. These are the days when the True Maiden of the Nine Heavens celebrates in the Jade Palace, holds a feast in the Celestial Court, and spreads spiritual energy. On these days, bathe with five kinds of incense, observe purification and abstinence, and stay alone in a quiet chamber, without contact with the outside world. At midnight, go outdoors, burn incense, face north, and imagine the True Maiden of the Nine Heavens above you.

The True Maiden of the Nine Heavens is named … She is seven cun and seven fen tall. She wears a short robe of mysterious gauze shimmering in seven colors, and a flying skirt of nine-colored purple brocade. On her head is a dark yellow, seven-tiered Xianjin cap. She resides at the Jade Radiance Terrace, in the Seven Reflections Office, Golden Light Township, Wuwei Ward, within the Uppermost Purple Jade Palace. At times she travels in a carriage beneath a canopy veiled in purple clouds, riding a green covered carriage or a red chariot. Her attendants are the thirty-six Jade Maidens of the Upper Palace. They carry spirit fungi and flowered banners in five colors, and ride flying phoenixes and white luan birds as they travel above the Nine Mysteries, at the edge of the blue sky.

When you have finished contemplating her, bow to the True Maiden four times in your heart and click your teeth twenty-four times. Then raise your head and pray:

“True Maiden of Heaven, return to the celebration in the Purple Heaven. Feast as you roam the Purple Heaven, and spread spiritual energy so that the cycles of Heaven and Earth may join in unbroken harmony. May you descend from above into the Jade Palace and look down upon me, a mortal. The energies of the eight directions unfold, and the nine wishes join together. May the slightest thought bring an immediate response; I look upward to the divine Perfected Ones. May essence and energy flow into me, and jade radiance descend upon my body. May blessings and auspiciousness be measureless, and may I plant a field of blessings for the long term.”

When you have finished praying, raise your head, draw in the breath, and swallow it in twenty-four portions; then stop. If you practice in this way, the True Maiden will be pleased, and the divine consort will rejoice. Among the ranks of Heaven, they will present the practitioner’s name to the Jade Emperor and record it in the registers of Donghua and the texts of Jade Clarity. After nine years of cultivation, the face will shine with a golden glow, and the body will also reflect …

The method of the Jade Radiance Divine Consort’s union involves facing the numinous immortals, riding a flying carriage, and feasting and wandering in the Purple Court, the palace realm of the immortals. This practice is subtle and wondrous, and few in the world undertake it. Only those whose names have been entered in the Golden Register and inscribed on the Purple Slips, the immortals’ rolls, are qualified to see the secret text. Those with an upright, noble bone structure who are destined to become immortals should practice with care and, in due time, complete the path to immortality.

Anyone who carelessly reveals this method without being its true transmitter will be punished: driven by divine soldiers and forced to serve for ages in the Nether Springs, the realm of the dead. Their seven generations of ancestors will also be implicated, and even after countless kalpas, they will not be pardoned.

Seven Lots from the Cloudy Satchel, juan 44