《雲笈七籤》Vol. 74

Yunji Qiqian, fascicle 74, the Formulas and Medicines section.

Taiji Zhenren’s Superior Immortal Spiritual Formula of Qingjing Dried-Stone Xun Rice (the cultivation formula of Qingjing dried-stone rice transmitted by Taiji Zhenren), with commentary by Lord Wang.

This Qingjing superior immortal spiritual formula is cultivated according to the Taiji method, and it must pass 2,200 years before it may be transmitted. Transmission is limited to ten people; if there is no suitable person, the formula must be kept secret and not disclosed. Once a suitable person is encountered, it may be transmitted in full at one time. If more than ten people are taught, or if the time limit is exceeded, it may no longer be transmitted.

Both giver and receiver must establish a covenant and swear not to propagate or divulge it. The master who transmits this formula must use thirty feet of blue silk and two pairs of gold rings as tokens in place of a blood covenant. If the formula is transmitted to an unsuitable person, or if the precious scripture is leaked, one will be punished by the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water; after death one will become a lower ghost and will also have to bear the stones of Mount Meng and fill up the River of Accumulated Night. All who receive this book must fast for ten days; the transmitter must do the same, and only then may they transmit it to one another.

Taiji Zhenren said: People receive the Qi of life from the five grains; the gestation of fetuses and the growth of the myriad things cannot depart from the flow of the essence and Qi of the five grains. Even cultivation that contains the true Dao and transforms the myriad things must rely on the mysterious nourishment contained in the five grains. People entrust their bodies to father and mother and are born, and then rely on what gave them life to nourish that life. If one does not follow the source of life, but instead abruptly cuts off the conditions on which survival depends, then through partial views one will cause the body to dry up and lifespan to be harmed.

Therefore, one should follow the root of life, regulate and nourish essence and Qi, causing it to condense, be washed and refined into softness, and then gradually dredge and disperse its root. In this way Qi and blood are easily cultivated in daily life, and the five viscera and six bowels gradually transform grain Qi. Thus, using the five grains to gradually cut off dependence on the five grains is a good method for protecting and nourishing body and mind; beginning from the root of life and ultimately freeing oneself from dependence on it is the wondrous method of nourishing life.

Thereupon the cultivator draws in the eastern radiance of the Torch Dragon of the South, summons the newly born Vermilion Spirit Qi, calms the five fluids, opens the hundred vessels and their passes, fills Shen and Qi, brings ease to the Three Palaces within the body, and settles the Hun and Po souls. After that, in the morning one rinses and drinks the flower spring, in the evening one drinks spiritual essence, beats the drum in the Jade Pool (tapping the teeth with the tongue or stirring the fluids in the mouth), breathes the mysterious clear Qi, and lets the splendid Jing-fluid nourish the body; one regulates it by the compass-and-square method, fills the stomach, and uses kongqing (azurite) to replenish emptiness.

In this way, the cultivation cycle reckoned in thousands needs only to be opened once; longevity will flourish as the years grow, and the years will increase with the power of the medicine; ultimately one may fly-step into the immortal courts. After completing one dose, life will no longer be in danger; five-colored cloud Qi will arise from the body, the body will be strong, and Shen-Qi clear. This method can also enable one to eat for long periods while keeping the hundred passes open, and can make one hunger-free all year, restoring the aged and returning them to youth.

When it is time to eat, eat; if you do not eat, you can also remain peaceful and unharmed. This is a wondrous method transmitted by the Perfected Immortals (high-ranking immortals in Daoism); it is an efficacious technique of grain avoidance (replacing grains with plants and trees, reducing or stopping grain consumption).

Take one hu and five dou (ancient capacity units) of raw white japonica rice; then hull and process it, taking one hu and two dou from it. One should use a kind of green-colored rice, such as the green rice of West Mountain in Yuzhang, or the Qinglong rice of the Wu-Yue region. This green rice is loose in texture and readily absorbs medicinal Qi, so it should be selected. The rice should be stored and handled properly; do not let chickens, dogs, or impure things come near it.

Take five jin of the leaves of the nanzhu caomu plant; if the leaves are already dried, use three jin. (One may also use three jin entirely, or mix in stems and bark as well, which is even better.) In actual gathering, it is enough to soak one hu and two dou of rice; one need not rigidly adhere to the jin and liang, and may adjust the amount as appropriate.

Nanzhu is a tree, but its leaves resemble grass, hence it is called “nanzhu caomu.” It also has aliases such as “Monkey Medicine,” “Nanxu,” “Houzhuo,” “Weina Wood,” and “King of Plants and Trees.” Famous mountains such as Mount Song, Mount Shaoshi, Mount Baodu, and Mount Jitou all have this plant; it is not found only in these few places. It is more abundant in the Jiangzuo and Wu-Yue regions, where locals call it “houshu” or “ranshu,” roughly similar to these names.

Boil the nanzhu leaves to make a juice, filter it clear, let it cool, and then use it to soak the rice. Washing the rice, steaming the rice, and sprinkling water and tending it during steaming should all use this juice. The steamed rice should be deep green in color; when it reaches this color, it is ready. Prepare a high rack in advance and spread the rice out to dry.

If other medicinal ingredients cannot be gathered together, making only this kind of rice is also acceptable. Eat two sheng each day and do not eat flesh-and-blood foods. This can fill the stomach and intestines, supplement the bone marrow, and eliminate the “Three Worms” in the body (the internal worms described in ancient medical books and Daoist texts). However, this method alone takes effect rather slowly and is not as good as combining it with other medicines; it is still regarded as a kind of immortal food.

The Shangyuan Bao Jing says: “If you consume the essence and Qi of the king of plants and trees, you can communicate with the spirits; if you consume the juice of the green candle, your lifespan will no longer come to an end.” This refers to this very method.

When beginning to make it, one should first fast and purify for three days, and only then begin work; in particular, sexual intercourse must be prohibited, and impure things must be kept from contaminating the medicine, otherwise the medicine will not be effective. This is a formula of the Perfected Immortals and is different from other matters. Daoist priests in the mountain forests need only use it according to this method. If other materials cannot be gathered, or if one is poor and has no rice, one may also take nanzhu leaves alone: pound the leaves into a powder, or make them into pills with honey and take them; it is said that either way one can become an immortal. Such an easily obtained plant and tree is unknown to worldly people; even if they know of it, they are unwilling to use it—truly a cause for regret. Those who first begin taking it must first…

When taking it mixed, first take two or three doses; after these doses are finished, there is no need to continue mixing—one may switch to taking it alone. This is done in order first to fill and strengthen stomach Qi. Those with the means may also keep taking it mixed, in which case the effects come faster and many illnesses and calamities no longer arise. If only rice is used for mixing, the effects will be somewhat slower; if one takes huma (sesame), zhu (Atractylodes, a medicinal substance of the baizhu type), and gui (cinnamon-type medicinal substances) separately, they can make a person’s complexion youthful, the mind intelligent, extend life, reduce illness, and prevent worry in the heart.

During the period of taking the medicine, avoid eating raw blood-and-meat foods; if one eats dried cured meat, it does not matter. If taking it alone without mixing, the medicine should be steamed three times and sun-dried three times until extremely dry. In the morning, soak one or two sheng in clear water, then take it, as if eating a meal. It may also be taken with water as a meal; alternatively, crush the leaves, combine them with rice to make a powder, add white honey, and pound repeatedly ten thousand pestle strokes to make pills the size of wutong seeds; taking fifty pills twice a day is better. It is said that this is more beneficial than eating dry rice. There is no harm in eating normally on that day; if one cannot eat, taking it as usual is also acceptable.

One should also frequently rinse and swallow the saliva in the mouth in order to increase the “Six Fluids” (a Daoist health-cultivation term referring to the body’s fluids). In preparing the medicine, use seven liang of Kongqing (azurite); choose a pure and bright quality, first pound it finely, then sift it through fine silk. Kongqing is considered able to supplement true Qi (zhenqi), fill stomach Qi, brighten the eyes, strengthen the sinews, replenish fluids, increase Jing (essence), and rejuvenate the complexion; it is the stone of the highest-grade immortal medicine. If it is used for sexual activity, it will make the Qi turbid, dissipate the Shen (spirit), and bring harm quickly—one cannot fail to be cautious.

Separately use one jin of Dansha (cinnabar); choose the pure kind, first pound it finely, then sift it through silk. Dansha is considered to possess vermilion-bright Yang Qi; it can fill the bones, increase blood and Qi, strengthen the will, supplement the brain and marrow, boost Qi and regulate the lungs, and make the joints of the whole body unobstructed and the joint pivots harmonious. It is likewise the stone of the highest-grade immortal medicine. When taking it, avoid blood foods, contact with filth, and sexual activity; violating these taboos may lead to conditions such as rebellious Qi, accumulation masses, and dry, weak bones.

Then use two jin of Fuling (Poria); choose the white, high-quality kind that does not have a cold nature. Boil it in five sheng of water for three boils, dry it by roasting, pound it finely, and sift it through fine silk. Fuling is considered able to communicate with the Shen (spirit) and bring spiritual efficacy, harmonize the hun and po souls, brighten the eyes and benefit the muscles, thicken the intestines, and open the heart; it can also mutually nourish with the Qi of nanzhu (southern candle) and harmonize Ying Qi and Wei Qi. One may also take only Fuling mixed with dry rice, with even better effects. Avoid sour foods as well as pork and dog meat; if these taboos are violated, the medicine’s power cannot be exerted and it will bring no benefit to the body. Taking dry... alone...

Pound the rice and Poria (fuling, a Chinese medicinal) into pieces, sift them, then make them into pills with honey and take them according to the method described earlier; the effect is excellent. Separately take the young branches, soft leaves, and flowers of the chaste tree (jingmu) and dry them in the shade; dried leaves are better. Pound them carefully one thousand times, then sift through fine silk. The leaves and flowers of the chaste tree are said to enable one to communicate with spirits and see ghosts. When gathering the chaste tree, do not let chickens or dogs see it.

Whenever preparing this medicine, one should keep quiet and maintain secrecy; do not tell the name of the medicine to people of different interests, lest the method of using it be divulged. Be sure to be cautious.

After all four ingredients have been pounded and sifted, place them in a medicinal mortar and pound them again ten thousand times. Then mix the medicinal ingredients into green dried rice and blend thoroughly. Put the mixture into a cloth or silk bag and steam it in a zeng steamer (a rice steamer). Steam over low heat for about half a day; the amount of water in the pot should be proportionate to the quantity of dried rice, and the bag should be turned from time to time so that all sides receive heat. If the water in the pot boils dry before the rice is thoroughly steamed, add water as appropriate and continue steaming over low heat.

When steaming is done, take out the bag, spread the rice on a high rack, and sun-dry it until completely dry. (After the medicinal ingredients are mixed into the dried rice, the rice should also be mixed with clear wine to make it slightly moist before it is put into the cloth bag.) While the rice is steaming, keep the steamer lid tightly covered; do not let steam escape, and do not let dust get in. When drying the rice, carefully separate the grains to prevent them from sticking together; dry until it is dry and each grain is distinct. (It may also be pounded into powder and made with white honey into pills the size of wutong seeds; take eighty pills a day in two doses; it is said to confer long life and prolong years.)

One may also blend two dou of white honey with one hu of clear wine. Both should be of the finest quality. Pour the honey into the wine, stir thoroughly, then use this honeyed wine to lightly moisten the rice preparation denoted by the rare character in the original (whose specific referent is unclear), so that the rice is evenly moistened. Then sun-dry it until extremely dry; when dry, moisten it again as before, steam it, and dry it. The total one hu and two dou of material can be divided into ten additions to the rice, or into seven or eight; each time add only a small amount and moisten evenly, and sun-dry it repeatedly. After completing the step of mixing the rice with wine, put it into a cloth bag, steam it by the previous method, then remove and sun-dry it. It may also be pounded and made into pills the size of wutong seeds; take eighty pills daily in two doses.

In addition, one may use one dou of wine and one dou of clear water, or well-flower water (well water freshly drawn at dawn), and rinse repeatedly so that the water becomes clear and bright; then soak one or two jin of nanzhu leaves (a plant name)…

The medicine is sometimes brought to a single boil and the decoction drawn off; at this point the liquid should be deep blue-green and slightly viscous. Add five sheng or one dou of white honey to the green liquid and stir it evenly.

Once the honey and green juice are blended, mix it as before into steamed rice so that each grain is evenly coated with the medicinal liquid. Then dry it in the sun. When mixing the rice, as long as it can continue absorbing the liquid, more rice may be added; when the liquid is entirely used up, steam it once more and dry it thoroughly in the sun. In this way the preparation of Qingjing xunfan (a Daoist dietary substance made from the juice of nanzhu and other drugs with rice) is complete. If the pot and steamer cannot hold it all, steam it in batches.

The medicine should be prepared on a yin or mao day in the first decade of the month (according to the traditional sexagenary calendar), with a separate stove and pot. If the medicinal rice remains in distinct grains, take five ge each time and wash it down with drinking water; if the medicine is sticky and clumped and does not readily break apart, pound it and make honey pills. Using the five ingredients together, make eighty pills; take one pill at dawn, and another may also be taken. After the medicine is made, seal it in a honey vessel; take it out when needed and dry it in the sun. If making pills, all should also be completed in one session. After taking the medicine, one may eat food.

When beginning to take it, one need not immediately cut off grain; simply reduce rice gradually: in the first year limit it to two and a half sheng per day, in the second year reduce it to two sheng, in the third year to one sheng, in the fourth year to half a sheng, and then gradually reduce until one eats no grain at all. The original text says that after five years the body becomes light, healthy, clear, and bright, with marked effects. Thereafter one may sometimes eat nine meals in a day and sometimes go an entire year without food; eating wheat-based foods is relatively easy.

The original text also says that taking this xunfan can avert many injuries and illnesses, eliminate distracting thoughts and the Three Corpses (sanshi, the body deities believed in Daoism to obstruct cultivation), and make the ears acute, the eyes bright, and the step light. After ten years of taking it, the spirit of Qingjing will come to serve one; one may even sit and leave the world, become invisible and transform, withdraw from the world and hide one’s form, and summon wind and rain. Each dose adds a thousand years to one’s lifespan, and long-term use can lead to deathlessness. If one encounters a famine year without grain, or is so impoverished that one cannot afford rice, one may take only nanzhu (a plant used in Daoist dietary practice), or combine it with fuling (Poria), or blend nanzhu with honey, or pair it with pine needles and cypress leaves; it is not absolutely necessary to use grain. However, such practices should not be called xunfan.

When taking it, one should combine it with tuna (breathing regulation) and yanye (swallowing saliva) to harmonize rongwei (the qi and blood circulating inside and outside the body). Usually, taking xunfan requires combining it with yunya (an auxiliary dietary substance named in the original text); when using yunya, one need not use xunfan again. If following the ancient standard, take only two and a half ge per day. It is not that the more one takes the better; the limit is mainly to conserve the medicine. When first beginning the medicine, one need not immediately cut off grain.

This is also a wondrous method transmitted by the high immortals (upper-ranking immortals) concerning cultivation through ingestion.

Taishang Jusheng Yu Method for Boiling Five Quartzes (also called the “Taidi Method”)

Instructions for Stabilizing Life in the Five Viscera (Zhensheng Wuzang Jue)

The Zhenren (Perfected) of the Southern Peak said, “I formerly had an inner-chamber disciple named the immortal Zhao Chengzi. He first received from me the Supreme Scripture on Stabilizing Life in the Five Viscera and cultivated according to its text. Later, Chengzi wished to enter Taiyin (the Great Yin, the underworld realm) and obtain methods for altering his appearance and transforming his bodily form, so in a stone chamber at Xuanqiu in Shanggu, Youzhou, he died of his own accord.

“Five or six years after his death, a mountain traveler saw a white skeleton exposed in the stone chamber. In that dark chamber, the five viscera had actually regenerated of themselves as before and had not decayed, and five-colored radiance shone from within. The man sighed and said, ‘I have heard before that the five viscera can be nourished to incorruptibility, and that radiance can still arise from the breast of white bones; today I have seen it with my own eyes. This man was originally about to attain the Dao, but did not complete his cultivation; midway he met a trial and was unable to pass it.’

“He pried open the skeleton and found that within each of the five viscera there was a white stone, stabilizing and protecting the viscera; the five-colored radiance appeared within them as if it had form. He said, ‘The reason your five viscera are incorrupt is probably that these five stones cause them to produce radiance. Since you have already lost the opportunity to cultivate the Dao, you might as well give the stones to me.’ Thereupon he took the stones, swallowed them, and left.

“Another four or five years passed, and Chengzi’s corpse was about to revive. On the very day that Chengzi was to return to life, all five stones flew out of the man’s mouth, shaped like cicadas, emitting a faint thunderous sound, their five-colored rays shining brightly, and flew straight back to where Chengzi’s corpse lay. Chengzi thereupon transformed his bodily form, rose up, and came back to life, as though he had merely slept for a night or been drunk once.

“The man was frightened, his mind became unsettled, and his illness grew worse day by day. He went into the mountains to seek the corpse. When he reached the stone chamber, he saw Chengzi sitting there leaning back, giving a long, piercing whistle, his face bearing a jade-like luster. He asked, ‘What sort of person are you?’

“Suddenly five aged immortals appeared, draped in brocade sashes, wearing Fulu (talismans and registers), holding feather scepters, and wearing purple crowns. They said to Chengzi, ‘This is the very man who stole and swallowed the precious stones from your five viscera.’ As soon as they had spoken, malignant sores and leprous blotches broke out on the man’s face, his jaw locked so that he could not speak. By the time he returned home, the leprous sores had spread throughout the whole household; all the men, women, old and young died at the same time, and the entire clan was wiped out with them.”

The instruction text says: The Taiji Jinhua Zhenren (Perfected of the Golden Flower of Taiji) carved this scripture at the Taiwei Emperor...

This passage is inscribed on the east window of the Xuanzhu Jade Hall in Ziwei Palace and is titled “The Five Stones.” The text says:

The fluids and luminous Qi of different regions converge, and physical form comes into being; there is ending and death, and there is beginning and growth. The myriad things return to their root, and a thousand streams return to true Qi. Human breath is like floating smoke; the blood races, and Jing and Qi disperse. Alas for the mortal body: if you wish to fly up and become a Zhenren but have not yet succeeded, why not strive with all your might in cultivation? Use Cloud Grass and Dark Wave to swirl and steep, blending in the essence of flowers and plants; then prepare it with the Five-Light Seven-White Spirit Vegetable and bathe with White-Silk Flying Dragon. At dawn, rectify your thoughts and face east; concentrate Jing and Qi and arouse the hun and po souls. Perform the double-bow rite to Shangdi and the Five Lords, worship the spirits, and thereby stabilize the five directions, causing the life-giving Qi of heaven and earth to circulate in and out, each abiding in its place, and causing the five viscera to generate essence.

This text is the “Eight Assemblies Dragon Script” of the Shangqing school, a sacred celestial script. It is written in large characters and cannot be understood by ordinary scholars in the world. Taizu Zhenren separately manifested and wrote out the text and transmitted it; later someone asked the Taiji Emperor Lord for an explanation.

The drug names in the text are as follows: Cloud Grass and Dark Wave refer to the rich fat of black juxheng, also called Xuanqing; Huili Huaying refers to honey; the Five-Light Seven-White Spirit Vegetable refers to xie vegetable; White-Silk Flying Dragon refers to white quartz.

The cultivation method is this: plant xie vegetable, and on the fifth day of the fifth month do not pull it up; merely hoe the soil, mound it up, and care for it. Harvest it only after five full years and use it as a drug; it is called “Five-Light Seven-White Spirit Vegetable.” Take ten jin of fat white xie bulbs, one hu and five dou of the rich fat of black juxheng, five dou of white honey congealed like snow, and twenty-six hu of clear essence-water from stone cavities of remote springs in high mountains. For the white quartz, choose five pieces that are pure white and flawless, carefully polish them on a grindstone into perfect spheres the size of small sparrow eggs, bead-like in form, leaving no marks from the grindstone.

Beforehand, observe ritual purification and fast for one month or sixty days. After the purification is complete, on the ninth day of the ninth month first build an earthen foundation two chi high, then construct the furnace house. When the house is finished, build the stove, with the furnace mouth facing west, and have the house also open a west door. Prepare a new large iron cauldron and set it on the stove. On the ninth day of the ninth month, at the shen or you hour, kneel facing the furnace mouth with your body toward the east, and place the five stones into the cauldron. First place one stone inside and pronounce this invocation:

“Lord Qingdi, the Three Su Primordial Ladies, Taiyi Lord of Destinies, and Xuanmu, please regulate the hun and po souls, firm the bones, guard and nourish the liver and its spirit, cause essence to arise in the liver, and keep the liver forever intact.”

Then place the next one inside…

Each time a stone is placed into the pot, an invocation must be recited.

When the first is placed in, recite: “White Emperor Lord Stone, where Taiyi rests; the Primordial Father regulates essence, the Mystic Mother guards and nourishes the lungs. Lung spirit, cause the lung qi to be imperishable; may flowers grow upon the lungs, for ten trillion years.”

Then place the second and recite: “Red Emperor Lord Stone, the Sovereign Lord shares the same sound; the Mystic Mother regulates the spirit, Taokang guards and nourishes the heart. Heart spirit, without ash and without sinking; may flowers grow upon the heart, flowers flourishing like a forest of jade.”

Then place the third and recite: “Black Emperor Lord Stone, Taiyi shares the same reckoning; the Mystic Mother and Primordial Father regulate fluids and blend transformations, guarding the kidney spirit, so that the kidneys are not damaged or thrown into disorder; may flowers grow upon the kidneys, and may one constantly attain the highest vow.”

Then place the fourth and recite: “Yellow Emperor Lord Stone, Lord Lao shares the same majesty; Taiyi Sovereign Lord regulates the hun-soul and guards and nourishes the spleen. Spleen spirit, cause the spleen not to collapse; may flowers grow upon the spleen, and may one ascend to heaven in broad daylight.”

When placing the stones, each time one must hold the breath for five breaths and then place it. After all the stones have been placed in, rise, face the stove, and bow five times. Then take five jin of xiebai (the white bulbs of Chinese onion) and lay them neatly over the five stones. Then pour in one hu and five dou of rich fat, letting it pour over the xiebai.

Next, measure the level and depth of the rich fat in the pot, then slowly add clear water, leaving a small gap between the water surface and the pot rim. Cover the mouth of the pot loosely with a wooden lid.

Begin the fire on the morning of the tenth day of the ninth month. Choose good firewood with straight grain that is dry and clean; do not use wood that has been eaten by insects, nor wood with unclean bark. Cook over a low fire, allowing only a faint simmer in the pot, not a rolling boil that spills over. If the fire is too strong and the boiling too violent, the five stones will dissolve and rot. During the cooking, inspect the fire repeatedly, and first record the position of the rich fat in the pot. If the water boils dry, add water at once, until the total amount of water used reaches twenty-six hu.

After the water is exhausted, continue decocting so that the surface of the rich fat drops two cun below the previously marked level. Estimate this by graduations or other means; the exact handling depends on the actual situation. When everything is fully cooked, let the pot cool naturally, remove the fire, and cover the pot lid tightly with ash. After five days, slowly take out the five stones.

In the early morning, face the five directions and bow once to each. After bowing, kneel and mix this rich fat with east-flowing water, then take it in order. The remaining water and rich fat are to be used to administer the stones, causing the stones to enter the mouth and be swallowed. It is said that when taking it the second time, one should also recite the invocations one by one according to the ritual performed when the stones were first placed into the pot.

After the medicine has been finished, bow five more times. When the medicine has finished decocting, if the stones can no longer be seen, this is not some other mishap: it is merely that the five essences have dispersed, concealed their traces, and transformed into the medicinal liquid, so that it flows by itself and distributes within the Yunyu (the essence that condenses in the five-stone medicinal liquid). There is no need to doubt it. Take five ge each day, swallowed with wine. The power of the medicine will restore the body from weakness to its original authenticity and separately regulate and nourish the five viscera; within the five viscera, five kinds of stone essence will also be generated anew.

Be sure to be cautious: do not decoct it over a fierce fire. If the fire is too fierce, the stone essence will fly away and scatter, and the turbid residue left behind will spoil the Yunyu and produce a foul odor, so that it is almost unfit to take. Yunyu is sweet, fragrant, and delicious; it can strengthen the sinews and bones, supplement and nourish Jing and Qi, stabilize the five viscera, guard the breath, coalesce the fluids, and nourish the Hun and Po. It is a superior medicine. It should be stored in a good vessel and tightly covered; on the same day first take two ge, and thereafter take it daily as usual.

If the Yunyu has been decocted until thick, one may also first take out and ingest the Five Stones, then add the Yunyu and decoct them together until the mixture congeals like cut fat. Some also make it into pills and take thirty at a time. But on the whole, taking the Yunyu directly is better. The particular method may be chosen according to personal convenience; if it is easy to take and the body adapts to it, that is suitable. It is best to take this Yunyu regularly. If the earlier Yunyu has been used up, one should refine it anew according to the original method: place five liang of white quartz at the bottom of the cauldron to anchor it, pair each liang of quartz with one stone, and pray according to the prescribed rules; this time it is not necessary to grind the stones round and make them heavier before taking them. After the medicine is ready, remove the stones and throw them into east-flowing water, choosing a deep pool whose flow does not dry up. If one does not wish to refine this Yunyu again, it will not harm the previously prepared Five Stones medicine.

This Yunyu is called the Jade Liquid of the Mysterious Woman (Xuannü Yuye); it is also called Flying Dragon Yunyu or the Paste of the Flower of Refined Five Stones. The scripture states that after taking it for fifteen years, one’s inside and outside become luminous, one’s lifespan becomes as long as heaven and earth, and one can command ghosts and spirits; after three years, the eyes can even see at night. The Zhenren (True Person) says that this formula surpasses the medicine made by refining the eight stones and far surpasses the “Jade Nectar of Mysterious Water and Mica.”

After taking this Five Stones medicine, the Five Stones will be stationed as guardians within the five viscera, with one stone at each place guarding the apertures of the viscera; five-colored flowers will grow on the apertures. The scripture continues: if this person temporarily goes to Taiyin (the nether realm), or at some time passes through the Three Officials (Sanguan, the divine bureaus governing heaven, earth, and water), even if the physical body has rotted to ash, the blood has become stagnant, and the vessels and meridians have scattered, the five viscera will still spontaneously produce jade-like white bones; the seven Po will surround and guard, the three Hun will watch over the body, the Three Primes (Sanyuan) will temporarily come to rest, the Great Spirit will dwell securely within, and Taiyi will guard within.

The Registrar of Destinies, the deity who records life, death, and lifespan, holds the tally and credentials; the Five Elders support Huadi Jun. The precious human body may, after thirty, twenty, ten, or even three years, show transformations at will. When the time for birth arrives, it again draws back the blood, nourishes the muscles, produces fluids, congeals the body, and re-forms the original fetal substance. After washing and refining, the body surpasses the appearance it had at death. This is what is meant by a Zhenren (Perfected) refining the body in Taiyin—the dark Yin realm of the underworld in Daoism—and changing appearance before the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water.

The Taiwei Heavenly Emperor Lord intoned:

“Refining and nurturing the body in Taiyin surpasses taking nine-times-refined elixir. With dignified and well-ordered appearance, one’s complexion blends with numinous clouds; one ascends to the Taiji palace, receives the heavenly writ, and becomes a Zhenren.”

The Supreme Lord’s Jade Classic Formulas from Behind the Elbow (Taishang Zhouhou Yujing Fang): Eight Chapters

Xiaqizi Lu Daoyuan

Formerly, Chaojuzi served Lord Qingtong of the Eastern Sea. He was diligent and single-minded, cultivated purity and quietude, and served his master with the rites of a disciple; through bitter heat, violent rain, and severe cold, he never slackened. Nearly twenty years passed before the master orally transmitted the mysterious method and personally copied out the immortal formulas for him.

Chaojuzi said: “To ride a crane and ascend to the nine heavens is not easy to achieve; but to live freely between Heaven and Earth, guard the clear, bright, pure, and upright Qi, keep one’s appearance from decay, keep the Shen (spirit) bright, and live several hundred years without dying early—this can be done. Yet immortal secret arts must not be transmitted carelessly; if given to unsuitable people, they will be lost.”

During the Chang’an era, Chaojuzi deemed Hanqizi a person of worth and virtue; he had him bathe and fast, then transmitted this method to him.

In the eighth year of Zhenyuan, Hanqizi considered me, Lu Daoyuan, though shallow, able to dwell at leisure and be at ease; my background was not that of ordinary worldly people, and I had no dealings in pursuit of fame and profit. He thought my nature pure and upright and that I would not betray the transmission, so he passed the method to me.

I, Lu Daoyuan, am a recluse and a scholar of outstanding literary talent. In former days I once passed the high examinations, but suddenly set aside the mind that races after office and entered the Daoist gate. After cultivating the Dao for only six or seven years, I had already learned various mysterious methods and secret arts. Yet I seemed still not to have encountered the ultimate essential formula. Considering me worthy to receive this bequest, he treasured it for a long time and ultimately transmitted it to me.

I know his aspirations are lofty: in his heart he does not cling to rank and salary, and he avoids worldly fashions. He intones poems, seeming intentional yet unintentional, full yet empty. Such a person will surely undergo feathered transformation, ascend, and ride the clouds away—how could he merely be as long-lived as a turtle or crane?

In the yiwei year, Xiaqizi Lu Daoyuan respectfully held up one scroll of The Supreme Lord’s Eight Directions Fine-Embodied Mysterious Treasure and transmitted it to the recluse Mr. Shi. May you carefully treasure it and respectfully uphold it.

(Qian) Formula One: Seven Essences Powder of the Heaven Father and Earth Mother

(Qian) Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother Seven Essences Powder Formula, No. 1 (a powder preparation composed of seven medicinal ingredients)

Bamboo fruit, three large liang; Kochia fruit, four large liang; Polygonatum, four large liang; turnip seed, three large liang; pine resin, three large liang; peach gum, four large liang; and jùténg (sesame), five large liang. Bamboo fruit must be steamed nine times and sun-dried nine times, and is called “the solar essence of water Qi”; Kochia fruit is called “the essence of Taiyin (Great Yin)” and is said to nourish the liver and brighten the eyes; Polygonatum is called “the essence of Wu and Ji” and is said to benefit the spleen; turnip seed must be steamed nine times and is said to ward off evil and brighten the eyes; pine resin must be refined until cooked and is said to treat wind-madness, bi syndrome, and dampness; peach gum is called “the essence of the Five Woods” and is said to treat “ghost assault” (a type of sudden illness in ancient understanding); jùténg must be sun-dried nine times and is called “the essence of the Five Grains.”

It is said that this formula was formerly taken by the Yellow Emperor, who ascended to heaven after taking it. If this formula is to be transmitted, one must set up an altar, burn incense, and report to Shangdi (God on High); only after permission is granted may it be transmitted. One must also swear an oath to keep it secret, and it may be transmitted only once every forty years. If one violates the oath and transmits it to others, it is said that Taishang Laojun (Lord Lao) will shorten one’s lifespan and cause seven generations of descendants to receive punishment from the Water Official. Transmission must be undertaken with great caution.

(Kun) Feng Hou’s Sishan Powder Formula, No. 2 (the Sishan Powder transmitted by Feng Hou)

Wulingzhi (Trogopterus dung), three large liang, is said to prolong life and extend longevity; Xianlingpi (Epimedium), three large liang, is said to strengthen sinews and bones; pine resin, three large liang, is said to treat wind epilepsy; Zexie (Alisma), three large liang, is said to strengthen the root of the kidneys; Zhu (Atractylodes), two large liang, is said to increase Qi and strength; dried ginger, two large liang, is said to supplement Qi; dried Rehmannia, five large liang, is said to supplement marrow and blood; Shichangpu (Acorus), three large liang, is said to calm and nourish the heart-Shen; cinnamon heart, three large liang, is said to replenish deficiency and damage; and mica powder, four large liang, is said to make the skin plump, moist, and white.

It is said that this formula was transmitted by Feng Hou to the Yellow Emperor, who transmitted it to Gao Qiuzi; Gao Qiuzi transmitted it to Great Lord Mao, and Great Lord Mao transmitted it to his younger brother Gu. At transmission, one must swear an oath not to reveal it at will; if one rashly transmits it to unsuitable people, it is said that seven generations of ancestors will suffer punishment. The above ten ingredients are processed according to the prescribed rules, pounded and sifted, then pounded thirty thousand times with a pestle, after which they are blended with refined white honey.

At the beginning of this section, other formula titles are also listed: Lord Wang’s Heche Formula, No. 3; the Queen Mother at Turtle Terrace’s Four Youths Powder Formula, No. 4; Lord Peng’s Elk Antler Powder Formula, No. 5; Lady Xia’s Apricot Golden Elixir Formula, No. 6; the Perfected One of the Southern Peak, Red Pine Master’s Goji Decoction Pills, No. 7; and Mr. Qingjing’s Xun Rice Formula, No. 8.

Mix the medicinal ingredients and pound them ten thousand to twenty thousand times; take them with wine, thirty pills each day.

Gen (☶): Lord Wang’s Heche Formula, No. 3

Take one Ziheche (the term for human placenta in Daoist recipe books). In the song of the Queen Mother it says, “The purple river chariot is like a hidden dragon; it can transform and change.” According to the annotation below, Ziheche refers to the human placenta. Wash it one hundred times in east-flowing water to remove blood and impurities, then wash it fifty times in wine; dry it in the shade and then in the sun, and set it aside for use.

Combine raw dried Dihuang (Rehmannia), eight large liang (to replenish marrow and blood); Niuxi (Achyranthes root), four large liang (chiefly for the waist and knees); Wuweizi (Schisandra fruit), three large liang (chiefly to nourish the five viscera); Fupenzi (Chinese raspberry), four large liang (chiefly for yin deficiency and insufficiency); Bajitian (Morinda root), two large liang (the original says it can increase sexual activity; if one wishes to increase the number of sexual encounters, another medicine may be added, but the original phrase “add one woman” is unclear); He-lile bark (myrobalan bark), three large liang (chiefly for Qi disorders in the chest); Guzihua, two liang (moistens the sinews and bones); Kudan, two large liang (treats poisoning from various medicines); Zexie (Alisma), three large liang (supplements weakness in men and women); chrysanthemum, three large liang (dispels wind from the sinews); licorice and calamus, three large liang (benefit Jing and Shen, essence and spirit); dried lacquer, three liang (removes wind from the muscles and five viscera; stir-fried until yellow); Boziren (Platycladus seed), three liang (increases Jing and Qi); Poria, three liang (calms Shen); Yunying, three liang (causes the intestines to contract); Huangjing (Polygonatum), two liang (supplements the spleen and stomach); Congrong (Cistanche), three liang (strengthens the penis; omit when taken by women); Jinchai Shihu (Dendrobium stem), two liang (increases sinew strength); Yuanzhi (Polygala root), two large liang (strengthens the heart’s power and improves memory); apricot kernel, four large liang (stir-fried until scorched yellow, with tips and skins removed, to eliminate what is called the Qi of bad blood); and Jusheng, four large liang (prolongs life and preserves body and Shen).

Pound the above twenty-two ingredients together into a powder, and make pills the size of wutong seeds with refined honey. Take thirty pills daily with wine; after finishing three courses, the complexion will become like that of a young girl. In former times Lord Wang transmitted this formula to Su Linzi and required him to establish a covenant and smear blood as an oath before transmitting it; otherwise it would violate the precepts of Taishang (the supreme deity) and bring calamity upon one’s ancestors.

Xun (☴): The Queen Mother’s Four Youth Powder from the Turtle Terrace, No. 4

Dansha (cinnabar), seven liang; Zhusha (cinnabar), three liang; sesame, four large liang (steamed nine times, sun-dried nine times, then fried until fragrant); Tianmendong (Asparagus root), four liang; Poria, five liang; and Atractylodes.

Take five liang of dried Huangjing (Polygonatum) and four liang of peach kernel (with the skin and tips removed), sift them together with the medicines listed earlier, and pound the mixture thirty thousand times. In winter it may be made into a powder for taking; in summer, make it into honey pills the size of parasol-tree seeds. After taking this formula for eight years, one’s complexion will be like an infant’s and one’s skin as fine as congealed fat.

Formerly, the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu) transmitted this formula to Great Lord Mao (Da Mao Jun), and Great Lord Mao transmitted it in turn to his younger brother Ai, establishing a sworn covenant that it must not be carelessly disclosed. If it is disclosed, one will receive punishment under the Taishang (Supreme Lord) code and statutes. Be sure to be cautious!

（Li）Master Peng’s Elk Horn Powder Formula, No. 5

Take three liang of elk horn, with no fixed limit on the quantity. Split the horn into pieces about three fen thick and five cun long, and remove the marrow and debris inside. Soak it in rice-washing water: three days in summer and ten days in winter, changing the water once each day. After soaking for more than a month, wait until the horn becomes soft, then take it out and place it in a zeng steamer (a vessel for steaming food), cover it with white mulberry bark, and steam until it is as soft and mushy as taro. Then sun-dry it and grind it into powder. For each jin of horn powder, add one liang of fire-subdued sulfur (sulfur that has been calcined and processed).

The milu deer eats calamus, and books hold that the essence of calamus gathers in its horn. When taking it, mix it with wine, three qian each time.

It is said that Master Peng took this formula and lived to be seven hundred and seventy-nine years old; later he entered Mount Difei (Earth-Lung Mountain), and from then on no one knew where he had gone. Some today say that Master Peng has died, but the book regards this as a mistaken report; he had another person to whom he transmitted this formula. Moreover, someone discovered this formula in a stone cave on Mount Huming, and the text was the same as what is recorded here. This formula must not be openly publicized.

（Dui）Xia Ji’s Apricot Golden Elixir Formula, No. 6

Take six dou of apricots, grind them with water, and filter to obtain one dan and eight dou of juice; put it in an iron pot and boil it. First rub the pot with sheep fat until three jin of sheep fat have been used up, then pour in the apricot juice and boil it over a chaff fire for forty-nine days. After taking it out, use a gouzi (as in the original) to boil it down and form it into pills the size of soybeans. Take one pill each day; three liang constitute one course of treatment. Xia Ji took three courses, recovered the appearance of a young maiden, and afterward ascended to heaven in broad daylight. This formula comes from the Upper Scripture of Xianmenzi. When transmitting it, one must swear an oath to keep it secret; whoever leaks it will bring calamity upon seven generations. Be sure to be cautious!

Another Apricot Golden Elixir Formula

Take three dou of apricots and select those that contain only one kernel. Put the apricots in water and boil until they have just come to a boil three or four times; then immediately rub off the outer skin by hand, cook them thoroughly, crush them, and place them in a basin to extract the juice. Filter to obtain seven or eight dou of juice and discard the residue. Take a pot with a capacity of one dan, place it over a chaff fire, and rub the pot with four jin of sheep fat until the fat in the pot is exhausted.

Heat the pot and wipe it out, using up all four jin of fat. Put the liquid into the pot and simmer it over a bran fire and a silkworm-excrement fire for four or five days; the medicine is then ready, and its color is like gold. Take a dose the size of a small child’s mouthful, or about the size of an egg yolk, three times a day. After a full hundred days, even one’s parents will not recognize the person taking it; afterward the complexion becomes beautiful.

The Seventh (Kan): The Real Man of the Southern Peak Chisongzi’s Goji Decoction Pills

Take thirty jin of goji root, peel off the root bark, and set it aside. After steaming and sun-drying it nine times each, pound it into powder. Take the woody part of the goji root, add water, and decoct it, using about three dan of water. Then continue boiling the woody part together with the water until it is thick like thin syrup. Add the previously prepared root-bark powder and mix it into pills the size of parasol-tree seeds.

After finishing one course, one’s lifespan may be increased by a hundred years. Chisongzi of the North transmitted this formula to Li Babo and made him swear not to reveal it; if the oath is violated and the formula is recklessly transmitted, heavenly punishment will follow.

The Eighth (Zhen): Qingjing Xiansheng’s Red Rice Recipe

Take one dan of white liang rice, soak it in Nanzhu juice, and steam and sun-dry it nine times each. After drying, more than three dou can be obtained. Take one spoonful daily, swallowed with rice; after one month reduce it to half a spoonful, and after two months reduce it to one third. After finishing one course, the intestines can be transformed into sinews, and wind and cold cannot harm one. The beard and temple hair will become like black silk, and the complexion will be white, smooth, and lustrous like ice-jade.

It is said that those who take this formula can also command the Six Ding heavenly soldiers—guardian generals in Daoism—and be protected by them. This formula should be kept secret and not transmitted to others; according to tradition, by keeping it secret one can attain immortalhood. Be sure not to transmit it carelessly.

Taiyi’s Superior Immortal Formula for Ingesting Rosy Flower Cloud Flakes, with Explanatory Notes

The lush fruit is the bright pearl generated in spring; Jusheng (sesame) is the profound numinous substance of autumn; red dates are cloud mushrooms produced when yang qi is abundant; and fuling (Poria) is the fetal origin hidden in Jiangchen (Crimson Dawn, a Daoist image of the immortal realm). The five essences harmonize as if vapors blending; using the three qi to wash and refine the essence, one harmonizes and stabilizes the six qi, nourishes the hun and po souls, and protects the spirit.

If this formula is used according to the correct directions, one can become a heavenly immortal; the aged can return to youth, with a complexion like a youth’s, immune to all harms, and with life extended by ten thousand years.

One hu of Maoshi (lush fruit) from the three spring months is called “Mao” because it can make yang essence flourish; therefore it is ranked first among medicines. If one cannot prepare the medicine in time in spring, store Maoshi in an airtight container, seal it with mud, and open it when needed. By the next spring, if the Maoshi is no longer fresh, do not use it; if it has rotted, do not use it either. Note: “insect Mao” here means Maoshi damaged by insects.

Maoshi is difficult to preserve; on clear, dry days, place it in a clean, dry vessel. If Maoshi turns to water, filter and squeeze out the residue, and use the Maoshi water to blend the medicine. Black Jusheng powder (black sesame powder) ...

First take three dou of material, cook it until it gives off fragrance, then pound it into a fine powder. Take ten jin of fuling, pound it carefully, then sift it into a fine powder. Take five sheng of white honey and one dou of large jujubes with skins and pits removed; first steam them until cooked, then pound them. Combine these ingredients with five dou of clear, fine wine—six ingredients in all—and stir them evenly. Put the mixture into a pot and simmer over a gentle fire until it is thick as syrup and can be rolled into pills. Take it out and place it in a honeyed vessel. Then pound it in stages for three thousand pestle strokes (in antiquity medicine was pounded with a pestle; three thousand strokes indicates repeated pounding and refining), and roll it into pills the size of egg yolks. Take three pills each day.

When pounding the medicine, all ingredients should be ground as fine as possible, then sifted through thin silk. When decocting it in the pot, stir frequently and keep the lid tightly closed. The compounding should be done in a secluded place; it is not appropriate for many people to hear or see it.

The scripture states that after taking this medicine for six years, white hair will turn black, the face will regain a childlike complexion; one will walk as lightly as if flying, the body will emit a jade-like luster, calamities cannot harm one, and ultimately one can ride the clouds and ascend to heaven, becoming a Zhenren (Perfected).

The scripture also explains the effects of this medicine year by year: after taking it for one year, the eyes become bright, the ears acute, and the memory strengthens, as if one can commune with spirits; after two years, the effects are even better; after three years, scars and black moles fade away; after four years, the body is comfortable and strength is abundant; after five years, one walks as lightly as if flying; after six years, white hair turns black and the complexion is like a child’s. This formula is called one that nourishes and supports the fetal origin, increases strength, fills Jing and Qi, opens and brightens the mind, and helps people become high immortals. The scripture says that Daoist priests who took this medicine alone and thereby ascended to immortality and attained transcendence are countless. This is not an ordinary prescription; it is suitable to be prepared and taken according to the method.

The Lingfei Powder Recipe · Record of Transmitted Testimony (with an Appended Mica Method)

Huishu of Boling, an investigating censor in the Censorate, and I once made a pact to transcend the dusty world, care for the body, and roam the mountains and seas. When we spoke of those who seek learning, we felt that the things they investigated and imagined were often empty and absurd: they were ashamed to manage practical affairs before their eyes, and instead single-mindedly chased distant, illusory goals; before they had reached a state that ordinary people could understand, they were impatiently longing to fly up to heaven, thinking that once the Golden Elixir was refined they could prolong life and immediately enter the register of immortals.

Yet if the mind is not fixed on the Dao, cultivating the body is no different from ordinary people: teeth and hair cannot be preserved, and the face will age. This shows that Qi and blood are depleted within, and the exterior changes accordingly; disease cannot be escaped, and cravings constantly torment body and mind. Human lifespan is thereby shortened, even to an unreasonable degree. Such people rush about from morning to night; most are like this.

Now, if one wishes to pursue extraordinary realms, one must first seek reliable formulas and medicines, so that appearance, teeth, and other aspects first show changes different from ordinary people. Only when one knows that one is not bound by the ordinary human lifespan is there hope of living long, cultivating immortality, and refining Shen (spirit). Thereupon I purified my mind and reduced my desires, sought things for ingestion such as zhi herbs and jade, and agreed to collect essential methods and techniques, so as first to treat and maintain the body. Whatever we recently heard or saw, we told each other. Huishu had another...

Someone once said to me: “A guest spoke of Commandant Pei—his hair had long since turned white, yet his face was like a child’s. Recently I asked again what he was taking and learned that it was the Lingfei San (Numinous Flight Powder) recorded in volume 28 of the Qianjin Fang (Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold).”

Huishu also said: “I heard that Junyi of Fanyang, a Supernumerary Director in the Merit Section, often joined Sheren Wu Dan, who practiced Qi methods, in investigating this formula. Dan said: ‘Most of the recently published editions of the Qianjin Fang are unreliable. This formula originally comes from the Taiqing Immortal Scripture (Taiqing Xianjing); one should find the original text and prepare and take it according to the method.’ Junyi privately noted this matter down, but had not anticipated what he would later obtain.

“At that time he was lodging temporarily in the residence of the late Li Bi, Director of the Secretariat. One day at leisure he happened into a small Buddhist chapel, where Buddhist scriptures and books filled the tables, most of them damaged and incomplete, piled in disorder without sequence. He looked through more than half of them, when he suddenly found a scroll with an intact cover and beautifully written text; at its head was the title Taiqing True Scripture (Taiqing Zhenjing). Opening it, he found inside exactly the Lingfei San formula. Junyi held the book and read it, greatly rejoicing in his heart, feeling that it accorded with his own wish; he took this precious scripture and hurried to tell Dan.

“Dan burned incense and bowed in worship, washed his hands, and reverently held the scripture. He said to Junyi: ‘This is an efficacious scripture deliberately left by true immortal officials, specially bestowed on you, so that you may prolong your life through the immortal books and later students may have something to rely upon.’ Huishu knew that Junyi and I were close friends who trusted each other, so he arranged for me to go and inquire, and along the way to request a transcription. I drove my carriage to his house to visit, asked about it and heard him recount the matter, and so was able to copy it down; I also gave Huishu a copy.

“Among the ingredients in the formula, cloud powder is the principal one. That year I was appointed to Zhongling, and when the appointment was memorialized to the court, Lufu also fell within my jurisdiction. There the Furnace Peak’s flying waterfall surges forth, and water veins flow into the valleys; local residents and fangshi (recipe masters) all draw the rapid current, wash the material with springtime cloud-water, and then dry it in the sun. The cloud powder, crystalline like flowing frost and pure as white snow, had the form of nine revolving spiral pearls, as though naturally formed. It was sold in village markets and was enough to exchange for clothing and food. Shops kept it stocked year-round; daily taking did not seem to diminish it. This formula is hard to obtain, and only here is this material available for use. This truly seems like Heaven aiding the fulfillment of my wish; perhaps it may also allow fellow practitioners of the Way to benefit together. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidental encounter? It was as if there had long been an agreement. I treasured this efficacious scripture, privately obtained, in my heart, not forgetting it day or night.

“I traveled through the Shangluo region, went several stages, and rested at the Baozang post station. A man from Neixiang told me: ‘There is Deng Rong, a subordinate official, who once served as acting magistrate for the previous term. He is already over seventy-five, yet his face and temple hair do not look old, his eyes are bright and not dim, and his energy for handling complicated affairs and receiving guests is like that of a robust man.’ I asked what he had obtained, and he said he had often obtained divine formulas. When I reached that county and made inquiries, I realized that this was precisely the effect of Lingfei San…”

Note: Lingfei San is an ingestion formula in Daoist formulary texts; the original uses “cloud powder” as its main medicinal ingredient. Here “five from the heart” means five years beyond seventy, i.e., seventy-five. The original text ends at “kao,” and the sense is incomplete.

It is said that the transmission of this medicine and the verification of its effects happened as follows: formerly I met Registrar Tang. He was a man who possessed the Dao and had once transmitted this formula orally, saying that it was a superior formula of spiritual immortals; if one wished to observe its efficacy, it could make the hair at the temples change color at once.

Rong had a close guest who was already advanced in years, with thinning white hair at the temples. The guest wished to test the medicine’s efficacy, so he obtained the prescription; after having it compounded and taking it for thirty days, his appearance and hair immediately returned to their former state. Rong took only half a dose, and its effects remained unchanged for several decades. Unfortunately, before the medicine’s power had fully exerted itself, he stopped taking it. Later he was banished far away and fell into hardship, suffering much loss of property; even so, compared with ordinary people, he still appeared somewhat different.

Others also said that while in Chang’an this formula had been transmitted to the two imperial sons-in-law Zhang and Pei (husbands of imperial princesses), both of whom saw its efficacy with their own eyes, with marked results. Combined with what had been heard earlier, these experiences gained by personal sight and personal inquiry, when accumulated, are enough to constitute clear proof. The recluse scholar Sun (a Dao-cultivating recluse) was a person of standing in Daoist circles and thoroughly versed in the essential secrets of formulas and techniques; that he collected and compiled this formula was, one supposes, not accidental. I had the good fortune to meet Huishu and Xing Junyi, and finally obtained this formula; we agreed to take it with sincerity in order to verify its effects. If there should be extraordinary results later, they will be appended after this record. On the fifth day of the fourth month of the seventh year of Yuanhe, Qi Tui of Gaoyang recorded this matter so as to make a faithful record.

Lingfei San Formula

(from the Taiqing Jing, fascicle 153)

All who wish to summon the myriad spirits and seek ascension to immortality should first observe purification fasts and purify the body, washing the hair and bathing the whole body with perfumed water; it is better if one can persist for a hundred days. Only after this can one communicate with the divine beings. Those who seek immortality should take the Lingfei San obtained from the Perfected of the Northern, Western, and Central Marchmounts, and will certainly become immortal.

The Perfected said: All who wish to seek immortality, avoid aging, attain long life and enduring vision, make white hair turn black and fallen teeth grow again, make the face moist and the skin radiant, or even make the internal condition visible from the exterior, should take Lingfei San.

Lord Lao said: This is the essential secret among the arts of formulas; it is the root on which the way of immortals depends for its transformations. When Daoist priests take it, becoming immortal is not difficult; when masters of techniques take it, they can roam Mount Hua; when ordinary people take it, aging recedes, and the aged can regain a child’s complexion. Lord Lao also said that taking this medicine can prevent aging; after ten days of use, one need not eat for three years; after five years, one can live to be 2,624 years old. Many people have already attained the Dao through this method that I transmit, and have long preserved their immortal bodies.

One jin of mica (which must be refined), half a jin of poria, or one jin may also be used; cypress seeds...

Seven liang of ginseng, seven liang of stalactite, five liang of chrysanthemum (one liang may also be used), four liang of Atractylodes (another edition says seven liang of ginseng), twelve liang of dried Rehmannia (fifteen liang may also be used), seven liang of cinnamon heart, and seven liang of Dipsacus.

Process these nine ingredients separately and sift them finely. Take nineteen jin of fresh Tianmendong (Asparagus cochinchinensis), pound it into a paste, and squeeze out the juice; use the juice to form pills. If the juice is plentiful, use it to mix the medicinal powder; if it is scanty, use it to knead the powder. Put the medicine into a copper vessel and suspend it beneath a steaming vessel, and steam it together with one hu and two dou of millet. When the millet is cooked, take out the medicine, dry it in the sun, then process it again by pounding it fine and sifting it. Each time take one square-inch spoonful (an ancient medicine-spoon measure, roughly one spoonful), once daily. This medicine is non-toxic and may be taken in larger amounts. After taking it, one should eat as usual. After ten days the body becomes light; after twenty days the ears and eyes become acute and clear; after seventy days white hair turns black and old teeth fall out; if the teeth fall out, they can grow back again.

Take two sevens—fourteen portions—of this medicine, mix with white honey, and pound two hundred times to make pills the size of wutong seeds, yielding eighty-one pills in all. After drying in the sun, the pills are translucent inside and out, like bright-moon pearls or firefly-essence pearls, some red and some white. This is a medicine that immortals carry with them and take regularly.

Those who wish their hair to grow back should take seven pills daily until the hair grows; the hair will then no longer turn white or fall out. If one wishes to enter the deep mountains and go without food, one may also take these pills, seven a day; it is said to make one not feel hunger. Those whose hair has not yet fallen out and has not turned white, if they take only the medicinal powder, are said to live five or six hundred years without their hair turning white. Those with white hair who take the medicine according to the above method are said to live to one hundred seventeen years of age before their hair falls out. Those seeking the Dao who wish to become immortals must take the medicine until their hair and teeth regenerate and they return to the appearance of a thirty-year-old. For Dao-seekers taking the medicine, if in old age their hair does not turn white and their teeth do not fall out, this is an important sign of becoming an immortal. For the teeth and bones to remain while the rest of the corpse dissolves after death is a relatively lower attainment in the immortal path.

Anyone who takes this Lingfei San: after three days strength doubles; after five days the blood vessels flourish; after seven days the body becomes light and vigorous; after ten days the complexion becomes moist and thoughts clear; after fifteen days one feels no fatigue in work, and even walking slowly one can overtake a horse; after twenty days one’s strength is beyond compare; by the thirty-fifth day, it is said, one can see light even when looking at things at night.

Method for Processing Mica

One jin of white salt (for mixing) and one jin of mica (both to be pounded and broken).

Pound the mica into a paste; do not sift it. Put it into a multi-layered cloth bag, rub and squeeze it, then wash out the salt with water…

Put mica into a silk bag, hang it up to dry, and it will become powder. Another method is to boil it in salt water until the mica completely breaks down and becomes paste-like, then knead it into powder.

In yet another method, take one jin of mica and one jin of coarse salt, soak them in a bronze vessel, and steam three or four times; then put them in a mortar and pound them into powder.

One may also boil and refine one jin of mica with three sheng of mirabilite water, then remove it and make it into powder. Spread the powder out and examine it in sunlight; only if no sharp points can be seen is it acceptable. If sharp points still remain, do not take it. If this powder is taken over a long period, it may later cause illness or even death, so it should be processed carefully. This method was obtained from Lu, the Director of Meritorious Awards.

A transcription record of the standard text of the scripture says: After pounding the mica to pieces, put it into a bag made of several layers of cloth and knead it to make it fine; it can also be put into a leather bag and kneaded. However, these methods are far inferior to pounding it with a watermill at Mount Lu; the powder produced by the latter is the finest. If one processes it oneself, I fear the effort will not be sufficient; if coarse, hard sharp points remain, they will harm the body, so one must be careful.

After taking the medicine, avoid carp; it is best to avoid fish altogether, because fish may be contaminated by the knife and cutting board, and the harm is not small. Also avoid blood foods, such as raw meat, raw dried meat, and jerky; blood soup made from cooked blood is not included in the prohibition. Raw scallions, raw garlic, raw Chinese chives, strong vinegar, and sour foods such as peaches, plums, and Chinese quince should also not be eaten. One should also avoid drinking running, unboiled water. If boating on a river or in streams and ravines where there is no well water, simply boil the water thoroughly before drinking. Barley damages the medicinal power of mica, so it should also be eaten with caution.

When taking this medicine, one should abstain from fishy and meaty foods and blood foods, and calm the mind and regulate the breath; thus the effects will come especially quickly. Because I have not been able to transmit it personally face-to-face, I have annotated these precautions here.

The recluse Sun says in Secret Methods of Nourishing Life: “It has been nearly thirty years since I obtained this formula. Before this, I merely thought it was very well stated, but I still had doubts and did not dare to try it. Over many years I made repeated inquiries; later, several interested people took it and indeed found it effective, and only then did I take it according to the formula. As long as one keeps at it, the effort will not be wasted.”

Yunji Qiqian (Seven Slips from the Cloud Satchel), fascicle 74.