《雲笈七籤》Vol. 87

From Yunji Qiqian, volume 87, “Essential Summaries of the Various Perfected: Essential Outline of the Many Scriptures on Divine Immortals of Great Clarity”

When Baopuzi first began his studies, he followed his grand-uncle Ge Xuan. His comprehension was outstanding and his knowledge broad, and he was especially skilled at discussing matters of the body spirits (shen). Even those of profound insight and open-minded breadth were willing to attach themselves to him.

Later, Ge Xuan went to live separately in the Zheyang Mountains. After some time, Baopuzi worried that his disciples and students were often confused by various signs and omens, so he followed Ge Xuan to Yidu to consult him. He asked: “The shadow of the sun can be used to measure time, and from a person’s physiognomy one can also read signs. A man like Wu Xian could calculate by the stars, and his degrees were not off by a hair; Ji Xian observed people’s physiognomy and never missed. Liezi went three times to see Ji Xian, yet Ji Xian made light of Liezi’s Daoist arts. But when the flood rose to heaven and submerged the hills, the records in Wu Xian’s charge were of no use. Does this mean that the sage’s realm and the heavenly Dao are far beyond fathoming, or that the abilities of Wu Xian and Ji Xian are false and that the so-called learning of arts and numbers is merely a deception?

“Nowadays, when people encounter matters, they often want to ask a skilled expert to calculate good and ill fortune. Those who first come to study appear humble and cautious, focused and solemn, and seem firm in aspiration, with nothing further to be added. Yet after only a year or two of cultivating the Dao, before their learning has deepened, slander already arises and their resolve wavers with it. Some of them merely withdraw for a time; they are few in number, yet their conduct differs, so it is hard to judge them in detail. Moreover, if someone single-mindedly pursues worldly profit, contends for fame and gain, seeks glory, secretly employs clever schemes, widely forms connections, and uses every means to please the ruler, how can such things be clearly distinguished? This is precisely where I am confused. If even the sages are confused by this, is there no problem?”

Ge Xuan replied: “Wu Xian relied on mysterious celestial degrees to calculate, and Ji Xian was skilled at discerning people’s Qi mechanism. Their abilities both come from a certain capacity in their innate nature, and they are also one path that the sage studies; one cannot on that account slight them or treat them as frauds.

“For a person’s spirit to manifest, without Qi it cannot form an outer body; when Qi congeals into form, without nature it cannot complete the body. Therefore, the larger the bodily form, the more troublesome desires there often are; the more years one adds, the stronger the turbid desires become. The Dao taught by the sages nourishes the spirit with purity, stillness, and cleanliness, and takes the removal of disturbances and the return to undifferentiated primordial unity as its root. Only thus can one contain the mysterious and harmonious Qi and make the inner mind clear, penetrating, and unobstructed. However, among those who practice purity, the levels they attain are high and low; among those who remove disturbances, the depths differ as well, and so…”

The original text breaks off at this point.

The realms of Shenming (spirit illumination) differ in nearness and distance, and wisdom and capacity also vary. Lingyang, a legendary cultivator, could inhale and drink the vapors of rosy clouds at sunrise, but he could not ride the waves as Feng Yi, the legendary water god, could.

Even if a person studies shushu (the arts of calculation) to the utmost depth, he may still fail to penetrate the mind and spirit; one who penetrates the mind and spirit may not be able to temper his temperament to the utmost; one whose temperament has been tempered may not necessarily reach the true realm of empty stillness. Therefore, to judge numinous subtle forms by the benightedness of shamans and the errors of divining the seasons of floods, or to claim that the sage’s ordering of the myriad things is chaotic—such censure truly cannot stand.

Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things through primordial Qi; the sage, through the cultivation of nature and life, returns to the True. Primordial Qi is chaotic and complex, existing before Heaven and Earth divided; only after Heaven and Earth divided did the various forms appear; only after forms were arrayed did solar shadows and calendrical degrees arise. Solar shadows and calendrical degrees belong to the domain that can be known through shushu. Flood disasters arise when primordial Qi moves in chaotic confusion, and therefore cannot be accurately inferred solely from visible mathematical patterns.

The cultivation of nature and life contains a mysterious root; this root exists before the myriad things sprout; only after the myriad things sprout are there forms and colors; only after forms and colors are there the movements of blood and Qi. The movements of blood and Qi belong to the domain that can be observed and inferred. Numinous subtle forms arise within the movement of the mysterious root, and therefore cannot be grasped by observation and inference alone.

Thus the Zhiren (perfected person) does not require a mirror to reflect all roads. They know that the endowments of Shenming differ in size, and that cultivation also has higher and lower grades.

In the past I studied with Master Tao, the Crown Prince of Handan, Wang Xiu, Chang Yan, Lüzi, Gan Yuanshu, Zhang Boying of Hongnong, Qingniuzi, Feng Junda, Bu Wenxian of Henan, Cheng Zhongshi of Chenliu, and others. Together we studied the Wuqi Duanxuan Jing (a scripture expounding the Five Qi and profound principles). These people all ascended to profound realms through thorough understanding of learning; I alone, because of a dull and turbid constitution, failed to grasp its purport. Nevertheless, I still roughly remember what I learned and can give a brief explanation.

Human endowments differ in truth and falsity, and the endowments of Shenming differ in size; all are caused by the circulation and distribution of the Five Qi. Therefore, there is no Zhiren who is not thoroughly versed in the learning of the Five Qi, using it to examine the source of Shenming’s endowments; there is no teacher who guides cultivation and study and does not understand the root of the Five Qi, using it to promote the teaching of true profundity; there is no ruler who does not comprehend the nature of the Five Qi, using it to elucidate the harmony between Heaven and Earth. The function of penetrating the Five Qi is indeed of great significance.

What are called the Five Qi are the five Qi that constantly circulate between Yin and Yang. People live between Heaven and Earth; the bones of the body and the Qi of the five viscera all manifest what Heaven and Earth, the Five Phases, and the four seasons endow… The original text breaks off here.

Human behavior is expressed through the Five Constants—ren (benevolence), yi (righteousness), li (propriety), zhi (wisdom), and xin (trustworthiness)—while the five viscera of the human body correspond to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Heaven takes Wood as the storehouse of ren: the Qi of Wood is mild and gentle, represents spring, and governs the constant Dao by which the myriad things grow. The Jing of Wood rises and condenses into the Year Star (Jupiter), displaying an atmosphere of benevolence, sincerity, and solidity. In humans, Wood corresponds to the liver; the spiritual consciousness of the liver manifests as loving-kindness, enabling a person to be gentle, respectful, and joyful. The Jing of the liver reaches upward to the mouth and governs opening and closing, as well as speech and expression. It corresponds to Heaven’s spring De and symbolizes unfolding, generation, and the stirring emergence of the myriad things.

Heaven takes Fire as the storehouse of li: the Qi of Fire is hot and blazing, represents summer, and governs the constant Dao by which the myriad things flourish and grow. The Jing of Fire rises and manifests as the Sun, proclaiming the Dao of light; it also condenses into Yinghuo (Mars), displaying an atmosphere of discernment and enforcement. In humans, Fire corresponds to the heart; the spiritual consciousness of the heart manifests as clear wisdom, enabling a person to discern and penetrate. The Jing of the heart reaches upward to the eyes and governs the seeing of light and color. It corresponds to Heaven’s summer De and the Sun, symbolizing bright abundance and the maturation of the myriad things.

Heaven takes Earth as the storehouse of xin: the nature of Earth is thick and heavy, dwelling in the center and governing the four directions, with this function especially evident in late summer. It governs the constant Dao of nurturing, giving, stabilizing, and supplying. The Jing of Earth rises and condenses into Zhenxing (Saturn), displaying an atmosphere of fairness and stability. In humans, Earth corresponds to the spleen; the spiritual consciousness of the spleen manifests as fairness. The Jing of the spleen reaches upward to the tongue and governs the discerning of flavors. It corresponds to Heaven’s Earth De and symbolizes receiving, appropriateness, discrimination, and steadiness.

Heaven takes Metal as the storehouse of yi: the Qi of Metal is cool and clear, represents autumn, and governs the constant Dao of majesty and judgment over the myriad things. The Jing of Metal rises and condenses into Taibai (Venus), displaying an atmosphere of decisiveness and solemn order. In humans, Metal corresponds to the lungs; the spiritual consciousness of the lungs manifests as bearing and majesty. The Jing of the lungs reaches upward to the nose and governs the distinguishing of odors. It corresponds to Heaven’s autumn De and symbolizes dignified discernment and the execution of judgment.

Heaven takes Water as the storehouse of zhi: the Qi of Water is cold, represents winter, and governs the constant Dao of storing, preserving, clear stillness, and solemnity. The numinous Qi of Water ascends above as the Moon, proclaiming the Dao of the hidden, dark, and subtle; cold Jing rises and condenses into Chenxing (Mercury), displaying an atmosphere of law-abiding caution. In humans, Water corresponds to the kidneys; the spiritual consciousness of the kidneys manifests as the power of governing and controlling, and also corresponds to states such as animals hiding or being startled. The Jing of the kidneys reaches upward to the ears and governs hearing and discernment. It corresponds to Heaven’s winter De and the Moon, symbolizing humility, receiving, and acceptance.

Each of the five viscera in the human body has qualities such as warm, cool, cold, and hot, just as Heaven has the four seasons; a person’s ears and eyes, like celestial phenomena, each undertake their own roles of perception and discernment.

In humans there are sun and moon; in the body there is also spirit (a person’s vital vitality and mind-spirit), just as in heaven there is the Great Emperor (Celestial Emperor). The spirit dwells within the heart and spleen, between the lungs and liver, as the Great Emperor dwells within the guards of the four quarters. The spirit takes the gallbladder as its throne, as the Great Emperor dwells in Ziwei Palace (the celestial palace where the Celestial Emperor resides); it takes the heart as its courtyard, as the Great Emperor takes Taiwei (a celestial enclosure) as his courtyard; it takes the spleen as its inner chamber, as the Great Emperor takes Xuanyuan as his inner lodging; it takes the liver as Xianchi, the lungs as the Heavenly River, and the kidneys as Sique—all comparable to the Great Emperor having guards of the four quarters. Ziwei Palace presides over planning and takes precedence on the left; therefore the spirit relies on the gallbladder to govern and protect the liver. Thus, when people deal with the world and govern themselves, they should first be gentle, respectful, loving, and joyful. The spirit uses Qi (vital energy) as its carriage and through movement manifests the five senses, as the Great Emperor travels through heaven by the Dao of movement.

Human Qi, when clear and bright, issues as solemn sounds; when agitated and turbid, it issues as harsh sounds. When the breath-Qi vibrates and stretches continuously, it becomes tones; when it expands and releases, it becomes exclamations. When exclamations become steady and clear, they become speech. When exclamations are stirred by anger, they become curses. Speech, from shallow to deep, becomes in turn conversation, exposition, discussion, reprimand, cursing, slander, faultfinding, and finally malicious vilification.

When Qi is harmonious and unobstructed, abundant and reaching, and is held by concentrated spirit, it becomes will (zhi). When Qi follows norms and the constant Dao, and is guarded by spirit, it becomes nature (xing). When Qi converges at the vital juncture and is adjusted by spirit, it becomes emotion (qing). When Qi is hidden and stored and assumes form, and is set in motion by spirit, it becomes intention (yi). When Qi meets and gathers within, and is clarified by spirit, it becomes aspiration (huaibao). When Qi is entangled by affairs and tethered by spirit, it becomes worry. When Qi is incidentally triggered by something beautiful and aroused by spirit, it becomes courage. When Qi is high and unrestrained and governed by spirit, it becomes desire. When Qi pours forth with a benevolent heart and is gathered by spirit, it becomes thought. When thought deepens, it becomes tender cherishing; when tender cherishing deepens, it becomes compassion; when compassion deepens, it becomes loving-kindness; when loving-kindness deepens, it becomes sorrow; when sorrow deepens, it becomes weeping; when weeping deepens, it becomes wailing. These are all manifestations of the arousal of liver Qi.

The liver is the channel through which spirit first moves. Therefore, when an infant is born and first cries after coming to the ground, it is liver Qi surging; before it recognizes the people around it, yet between waking and sleeping smiles happily to itself, it is liver Qi floating; when no one rocks it, yet it lifts its hands and moves its feet by itself and is restless, it is liver Qi disturbed. Often, for no reason, it is fearful and panicked and cannot control itself; when pressed by authority, it readily shows uprightness and single-mindedness, without complicated and stubborn desires—all because spirit has not yet fully mobilized the lungs to govern the whole body.

The original text is incomplete after its final sentence, “all because spirit has not yet fully mobilized the lungs to govern the whole body”; the above is translated according to the surviving text.

The Qi of the four viscera—the spleen, heart, and kidney.

Hun and Po (the two kinds of spiritual activity spoken of in Daoism) are the governors of the vital spirit: the place on the left on which it relies is called Hun, the locus where the vital spirit lodges; the place on the right that it guards is called Po. Thus the liver stores Hun, and Hun’s activity manifests as fear; the lung stores Po, and Po’s activity manifests as fright. When Hun is shaken, it causes alarm; when Po is shaken, it causes terror. Infants are often easily frightened and startled because the vital spirit lodges in the liver. After people grow up, some are timid and some brave; this is because when gallbladder Qi is weak they are timid, and when gallbladder Qi is full they are brave.

The gallbladder forms attached to the liver, and then the person is timid; when it forms attached to the lung, the person is brave and strong. Those whose gallbladder is attached to the lung have a hard and resilient nature; those whose gallbladder is attached to the liver have a soft and gentle nature. If a timid person trains over the long term and withstands external things, after his disposition changes he too can become brave; this is the result of gallbladder Qi gradually becoming stronger. When a timid person is drunk and becomes agitated by anger, he turns fierce and bold; this is because gallbladder Qi has expanded and become full. After drunkenness, joy, anger, sorrow, and shouting appear in alternation; speech and behavior lose their normal order—this is caused by the Qi of the five viscera floating and becoming disordered.

The vital spirit in the liver governs Qi. When liver Qi is clear and harmonious, a person is mild, respectful, loving, and humane, with deep and far-reaching thoughts; his bearing is respectful and steady, and his gaze is upright and calm. When liver Qi floats, a person becomes rash and casual because of external things, acting without deliberation; when liver Qi is troubled and disordered, he laughs and plays; when liver Qi is agitated to the extreme, he cries out and wails in grief. Therefore, when joy reaches its extreme it turns to sorrow, and when sorrow reaches its extreme it turns back to joy; it can also give rise to worry and fear, alarm and terror, and shame. All these are produced when the Qi of the liver storehouse is triggered by events and repeatedly agitated; fear and worry also arise from this.

The vital spirit in the spleen governs Qi. When spleen Qi is clear and harmonious, a person is fair and open-hearted, fond of chanting and intoning, with leisurely and far-reaching thoughts; his expression is relaxed and expansive, and his gaze is calm and bright. When spleen Qi floats, a person readily and rashly entrusts his mind to external things, without considering the errors in them; when spleen Qi is troubled and disordered, he becomes slack and arrogant, self-indulgent and self-important, careless and forgetful; when spleen Qi is agitated, he becomes self-important and self-troubling, giving rise to resentment, grudges, anger, and a rejecting mind.

The vital spirit in the heart governs Qi. When heart Qi is clear and bright, a person can discern clearly and understand thoroughly, responding to things keenly and comprehensively, and his countenance shows a decisive and quick spirit. When heart Qi floats, a person becomes vain and ostentatious, self-important and reckless, rashly talkative, argumentative and accusatory, discussing right and wrong. When heart Qi is troubled and disordered, he indulges in a love of sensual beauty and luxury, boasts and is self-important, competitive and arrogant toward others; his gaze is haughty and sidelong, and when facing others he slights them in expression, appearing aloof and companionless, his conduct losing proper measure and beyond his self-control. When heart Qi is agitated, he becomes light, frivolous, and restless, showing a fierce and urgent manner.

The spirit (Shen) governs Qi (vital energy). When Qi in the lungs is clear and harmonious, it manifests as dignified solemnity and a noble expression, making others not dare to slight one. When Qi is floating and scattered, one appears frivolous and seductive, with a bearing that rises and falls without measure and an expression that is fickle. When Qi is troubled and disordered, it manifests as bullying, insult, and looking down on others. When Qi surges, one becomes violently angry, frightened, and impatient, bringing harm.

The spirit governs Qi. When Qi in the kidneys is clear and harmonious, it manifests as modesty, frugality, restraint, and caution. When Qi is floating and scattered, deluded thoughts and desires arise, along with faults such as concealment, regret, and vexation. When Qi is troubled and disordered, it manifests as greed and stinginess, indulgence in desires, and hoarding wealth without knowing satisfaction. When Qi surges, one becomes impulsive and suspicious, secretly deviant, and plotting rebellion.

The Qi of life is always prone to becoming troubled and disordered. When Qi accumulates excessively, it easily becomes troubled and disordered; this is a common occurrence. In stillness, Qi becomes clear and harmonious, and life is thereby nourished. In agitation, floating and scattered Qi increases. When emotions flare, troubled and disordered Qi grows heavier. When one is provoked, surging Qi comes more urgently. Qi is constantly being consumed; therefore, when Qi is troubled and disordered, one becomes fatigued, and fatigue leads to decline. After decline, one easily makes mistakes; when provoked, the Qi surges again, and excessive surging leads to exhaustion. When Qi is exhausted, the person weakens, and the spirit scatters. When the spirit scatters, life is cut off, and the physical form decays. This is how people die. If Qi is exhausted and an unbridled, violent wind pathogen invades, one may die suddenly and collapse stiffly. If weakness reaches its extreme and breath is exhausted, one dies of old age.

When the qualities of gentleness and respect, loving-kindness and joy change, they become fawning compliance and ingratiating accommodation; respect may turn into flattery. When manner is excessively cautious, the expression appears false; when one always lowers the head and stoops, the attitude becomes insinuating and base. If unease appears on the countenance, it is a sign.

When the quality of fairness and uprightness changes, it becomes self-willed and unscrupulous, displaying arrogance and obstinacy. In conduct, one likes to expose others’ faults and takes this as proof of one’s own uprightness.

When a dignified countenance changes, it becomes contemptuous and insulting, arrogant and overbearing, and breeds envy, pride, and the intention to harm others. Such people conceal others’ good deeds; their gaze is dark and empty, their face taut and severe; their speech does not accord with the anxious concern that should care for others.

When the quality of clear discernment and penetrating understanding changes, it becomes clever flattery, cunning secrecy, and even slander and defamation. Words are glib yet sound true; in making statements, one is grandiose and forceful. The eyes and knees are prone to trembling, and movements are furtive and restless; this indicates an inability to keep to one’s proper place. In handling people and affairs, one cannot remain steady and composed for long.

When the quality of modesty and frugality changes, it becomes sinister and vicious, outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant; it may also become cruel abuse and transgressive rebellion. The gaze is lowered and gloomy; where uprightness should be, there appears instead cunning and harshness; the mind is indulgent yet perverse; in dealings with others, one shows resentment.

Alas, the consequences brought about by sudden exertion are precisely the manifestations of these five transformations of customs; all these customs arise from inducing and edifying the people through profit.

Therefore, the sage harmonizes Heaven and Earth and comprehends the conditions of the people. Knowing that among the people there are transformations of the Qi of the Five Phases, he does not edify the people merely according to personal intention or for private profit.

If the ruler takes pleasure in ease and enjoyment, and yet also wishes in some way to care for the people, he will please them by means of respectful ingratiation and compliant flattery, and then favor them with benefits. Thereupon the people vie in flattery, putting on gentle faces and compliant, ingratiating appearances in order to seek advantage. In this way customs of perverse hypocrisy and bewilderment of people’s hearts arise, and the Qi of steadfastness and uprightness belonging to the Wood phase (one of the Five Phases, symbolizing growth and uprightness) is lost. If this accumulates over time without correction, it will accumulate into calamity: the movements of Qi become deranged, bringing calamitous anomalies of Sui Xing (Jupiter); the disaster may manifest as warm-heat toxic epidemics. If the people offend the taboos of Siming (the deity in charge of lifespan), they will bring disasters upon themselves, such as neck pain, heart vexation, and even death and shortened lifespan. Calamitous Qi flows, steams, and mutually engenders, ultimately leaving the embers of disaster caused by flattery and ingratiation.

If the ruler takes pleasure in lenient indulgence, and yet also wishes in some way to care for the people, he will obstinately cling to personal opinions and then favor them with benefits. Thereupon the people vie in self-indulgence and stubbornness, boasting of their own insight in order to seek advantage. In this way customs of fierceness and transgression, rage and brutality, and social disorder arise, and the Qi of fairness and beneficence belonging to the Earth phase (one of the Five Phases, symbolizing support and fairness) is lost. If this accumulates over time without correction, the earth’s free flow and drainage become disordered; filth congeals and confusion accumulates, and wind and thunder also shake abnormally; thus the world offends the taboos of Zhen Xing (Saturn). The disaster may manifest as the Qi of fright and palpitations and as steaming toxic epidemics. If the people offend the taboos of Siwei (the deity in charge of danger and adversity), calamitous Qi will flow, steam, and mutually engender, ultimately leaving the embers of disaster caused by arrogance and indulgence and reckless self-will.

If the ruler takes pleasure in multifarious categories, and yet also wishes in some way to care for the people, he will adopt an air of yielding like the wind and of aloof transcendence, and then favor them with benefits. Thereupon the people vie in showing off strength and ability, contend for rank, and rely on reckless advancement and self-seeking to obtain advantage. In this way customs of mutual insult and trampling, of making light of calamity, and ultimately leading to exile arise, and the Qi of trustworthiness and plainness belonging to the Metal phase (one of the Five Phases, symbolizing sincerity and simplicity) is lost. If this accumulates over time without correction, the seasons lose their order, and snow and frost invade abnormally; thus the world offends the taboos of Taibai (Venus). The disaster may manifest as epidemics of Qi-blood pain. If the people offend the taboos of Siqi (the deity in charge of contracts and restraints), they will bring pestilence that drains primal Qi and cuts off breath, along with war, earthquake, death, and shortened lifespan. Calamitous Qi flows, steams, and mutually engenders, ultimately leaving the embers of disaster caused by mutual slighting and mutual enmity and harm.

If the ruler takes pleasure in cleverness and acuity, and yet also wishes in some way to care for the people, he will prefer rhetorical argumentation and ornate, glamorous techniques, and then favor them with benefits. Thereupon the people vie in playing with cleverness, embellishing with exaggeration, and following hypocritical fashions in order to seek advantage. In this way phenomena of flattery and deceit that darken customs arise, and the Qi of clear discernment and wisdom belonging to the Fire phase (one of the Five Phases, symbolizing clear insight and wisdom) is lost. If this accumulates over time without correction, the sun will lose its radiance, and signs such as dimness, anomalies, or solar eclipses will appear; thus the world offends the taboos of Yinghuo (Mars).

Calamity will manifest as epidemics caused by noxious summer heat, with the people violating the prohibitions of Sishun (the deity in charge of seasons and taboos). Disaster will manifest as hauntings by ghosts and specters, causing heart pain, chest tightness, fainting, panic, and agitation, even madness, violation of normal order, and deluded desires to commit unrighteous deeds. People will also die from shortened lifespans and injury to their lives. The Qi of calamity will circulate and spread, steaming and suffusing the human world, engendering one another, and ultimately producing such evils as extravagance and superficial splendor, flattery that harms others, peeking and coveting, and the lingering embers of disaster.

If those in superior positions delight in harshness and exactitude, love to govern the people with decisive and uncompromising means, and use substantial profit to lure them into competition, the people will vie in harboring malice, asserting strength, and inflicting harm. In pursuit of profit without cease, the customs of secretly plotting disaster, abandoning edification, and violating the constant Dao will arise, and the Qi of upholding righteousness represented by the De of Water will decline and be lost. When the Dao has been lost for long, the moon will appear dim, waning, and damaged, and its motion will become irregular in speed; people in the world will also violate the taboos of Chenxing (the star corresponding to the De of Water in Five Phases thought).

Calamity will manifest as pestilence of yin poison, with the people violating the prohibitions of Silu (the deity in charge of recording people’s good and evil, lifespan, and so on). Disaster will manifest as stubborn diseases, emaciation, sudden rigid collapse, and such misfortunes as theft, litigation, punishment, and killing, damaging people’s lifespans and shortening their lives. The Qi of calamity will circulate, spread, and engender one another, ultimately producing such evils as violence and sexual license, harsh and cruel prohibitions, and residual disaster. When edification loses the upright Qi of the Five Constants (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity), the world will suffer the calamities of the Five Constants, and the people will sink into the embers of the five misfortunes. These misfortunes are all provoked by emotions such as contending for glory and seizing profit, shame and resentment, enmity and bullying, and jealousy.

Human nature is originally nothing other than Qi. When Qi is disturbed, cravings and desires arise. Tracing desires to their root, they are nothing more than satisfying the mouth and belly, tasting the five flavors, keeping the body warm, and the intimacy between male and female spouses. But after the Five De declined, people pursued rare foods and gorgeous clothing for no reason, continually selected more concubines, displayed profit and power, and fed their desires ever larger until they became insatiable.

Thus benefit and harm give rise to survival and disgrace; honor and disgrace give rise to joy and anger; joy and anger give rise to right and wrong; and right and wrong in turn give rise to reward and punishment. Reward and punishment are muddy instruments that appear only when edification has reached its degenerate end; adjudicating litigation is the world’s calamity and malady. Neither reward and punishment nor hearing lawsuits can fundamentally check the ceaseless growth of desire. The ancients adopted these methods, probably in order to elevate their own power.

Those whose desires keep growing are greedy for profit and afraid of harm, love glory and resent humiliation. This ordinary feeling is precisely the root of the five misfortunes; where would there be satisfaction or a knowing when to stop? Therefore, when pursuing glory they are never satisfied; once humiliated, their anger knows no limit. When they encounter contention, they draw their swords and display courage, brave dangers and difficulties, even charge into perilous places, and will not retreat before arrows and blades.

Those who slaughter cannot even attend to their own lives; fathers and sons, elder and younger brothers have no time to shield one another. How then can one use the criterion of right and wrong to measure and judge them one by one? How can one set up laws of reward and punishment in advance and use them to stop disorder?

When the people’s Qi of clarity and harmony is damaged, disaster for the people is brewed; all because the ruler has the “Five-Embers officers” (Wujin zhi shi; a type of governing figure referred to in the text) govern the “Five-Embers people” (Wujin zhi min), while not realizing that he himself is already deeply sunk in the entrenched ills of the “Five Embers” (Wujin). Would such people understand how difficult a situation saving the people must confront? They only intensify conflict with one another and give rise to resentment and trouble. This is the fault of failing to comprehend the principles of things.

Therefore, even if one toils without rest from before dawn, it is only a waste of mental and physical effort and in the end has no effect; even if one sets out in a carriage at dawn, it is merely futile exertion and cannot solve the problem.

When the Way of Dao and De is applied in the world, if one does not use elaborate inducements of profit to delude the people, the people will not rush about in all directions and breed wicked desires; if one does not use elaborate humiliations to coerce the people, the people will not become resentful and harbor grudges. When wicked desires and the resentment of humiliation no longer arise, cravings will naturally diminish; when cravings diminish, popular customs will become settled and unified; when customs are settled, the realm of Great Peace, simplicity, harmony, and tranquility will take deep form.

People living in an age of Great Peace often do not know that they are in the midst of Great Peace, nor do they understand where this harmony and tranquility comes from. How then would they understand honor and disgrace, contention, shame and resentment, enmity and bullying, envy and strife?

As for the customs south of Kunlun and in the northwest and northeast regions, the southeastern Red County’s renowned teachings and transmitted policies (its civilizing doctrines and methods of ordering the world) have not spread there. The people there do not know the chaos of weapons and attacks, and the world has no calamities of mutual slaughter, rebellion, and disorder. They carefully preserve their innate nature and guard the constant Dao, and so great accomplished immortals, great sages, and compassionate, pure, and tranquil spirits appear. From this perspective, why must one cling to ordinary statutes and old precedents?

When the “Five-Embers officers” hold power, they rely on authority and depend on statutes and penal law, exalt themselves, hold fast to office, and make a display of the authority in their hands; they speculate on shifts in circumstance, wishing to monopolize great power and punish the disobedient, and use wealth and rank to control the people, yet do not perceive how base they are. As the ways of the world decline and circumstances fall into confusion, people’s hearts change accordingly; from the outset they stubbornly cling to mistaken notions, which in the end accumulate into entrenched abuses. The people’s resentments gather until at last they burst forth in rebellion; such calamity and ruin are passed down through the generations—how could people ever awaken?

Therefore, political affairs cannot be entrusted to the “Five-Embers officers”: let them command armies, and disaster will be great; hand government over to those who cultivate the Dao and esteem purity and quietude, and Dao-learning will decline; let them enter the ranks of the ruler’s court, and then the king…

One cannot see the subtle workings of the movement of blood and Qi within, nor observe the signs of seasonal qi change—how then could one depart from the “qi of the Five Transformations”? These are merely the rough teachings of the sages; how could one use them to make detailed judgments? What confusion could there be in this? What a pity—why must people make matters so serious?

Therefore, when those who attain the Dao withdraw to mountain valleys, could it be that they enjoy gaining a reputation for avoiding the world? They simply do not wish the habits of the “Five Ashes” (Wujin) in the mundane world to disturb the qi of their own “Five Purities” (Wuqing). The customs of the “Five Ashes” often use power and influence to press and crush one another, thereby disturbing people’s pure qi. When encountering pleasing sights or things, or hearing sounds contrary to one’s wishes, it is very hard not to give rise to anger and resentment and to avoid inner qi collapsing into disorder in the heart. When matters go badly, few can seek help without employing the arts of abject flattery; when meeting someone with greater power and position, it is also not easy not to adopt an arrogant, overbearing posture. These three situations are all harmful qi brought by the “Five Ashes,” which people living in the world commonly encounter. If one mixes with the mundane world yet hopes one’s pure qi will not be disturbed, how could that be possible? Therefore, Daoist practitioners should not dwell mixed together with such people or become intimate with them.

The Scripture of the Supreme Treasure of the Nine Spirits (Jiuling Shangbao Jing) says: the “five emotions” of human beings are the manifestation in the human body of the Yin-Yang and the Shen-Qi of the five viscera. Therefore, those who study immortality must withdraw to quiet mountain forests, purify themselves, and cultivate the “Five Purities,” making body and mind pure and Jing and Qi abundant, so as to meet the True Mystery and resonate with the divine spirits.

The qi of gentleness, reverence, compassion, and joy is stored in the storehouse of Liver Wood (that is, the liver); it is bestowed by the liver and is also governed by the Shen of Destiny. To cultivate liver qi, one should begin on the tenth day of the first lunar month by fasting and regulating Shaoyang qi so that liver qi is generated and rises; on the eighth day of the second month, regulate and stabilize Shaoyang qi to respond to the spring wind; on the sixth day of the third month, regulate and calm Yangming qi to accord with the spring wind.

On the fourth day of the fourth month, one should choose a place east of a sweet spring and on the north bank of flowing water, facing the eastern morning sun, and at dawn bathe in fragrant water boiled with orchid, to purify body and mind. Burn incense facing the sun and bow in prayer to the Supreme True Great Dao, the Great Perfection and Great Treasure, as well as the spirits of Neinei and the Left Great Forbidden Supreme Master and the various offices on the left of the Upper Palace, performing three hundred bows. Afterward, straighten the body and kneel quietly, holding both hands over the heart, sincerely regulate the breath, and quietly contemplate the true spirit of the storehouse of Liver Wood, without thinking of anything else.

In cultivation, one must not make reckless prayers in pursuit of worldly benefits, nor pretend to be gentle, reverent, compassionate, or joyful: gentleness must be sincere, reverence must be earnest, compassion must be genuine, and joy must come from the heart. If one can thus purify body and mind, regulate breathing, and maintain stability, liver qi will become full and not deficient, and the gentle qi of spring will not fall into disharmony.

After the faults of body and mind have been cleared away, external pathogenic Qi can no longer harm one’s original Qi. Such a person’s body is harmonious and stable, vitality strong, and mind sharp, with no sudden illnesses. The deity Siming (who governs human lifespan and fate) protects him; the Azure Dragon guards him; azure Qi surrounds him; azure fluids nourish him; the essence of the Eastern Peak attends him, and the spirits of the valleys protect him.

If he lives alone in mountain forests, the many beasts will submit to his benevolence and become naturally tame. Wolves and tigers, moved by his compassionate heart, will show signs of no longer being fierce. After pure cultivation has accumulated day by day, the zhi mushrooms of the Green Emperor and of black jade will appear wherever he walks or rests; if he obtains and consumes them, he can ascend as an immortal. When his cultivation reaches three thousand years, the Qi of weakness and exhaustion will also recede.

If his pure cultivation is deep and vast and reaches an extremely high level, he is assigned to the Wood Mansion (the divine mansion corresponding to the east and to the Qi of spring Wood). At that time, as a divine younger brother, he can look down upon the Shaoyang realm east of Kunlun; he becomes a compassionate and pure immortal, with inexhaustible spiritual powers and transformations, able to make the great seas swell or dry up, to turn and transform heaven and earth, and to cause jade palaces and jade inscriptions to fill heaven and earth. These are the dispositions and powers of the Shaoyang deity of the Wood Mansion.

The Qi of bright sagacity and keen insight is stored in the heart; it is bestowed by the Fire Mansion (the divine mansion corresponding to the south and to the Qi of summer Fire), and guarded by Sishen (the deity who oversees vigilance and inspects conduct). Those who regulate the mind and maintain purity should fast and settle into stillness on the fourth day of the fourth month, receiving the summer Qi through Yangming Qi; on the first day of the fifth month, they should harmonize their breath in accord with yang Qi; on the twenty-seventh day of the sixth month, they should regularly bathe at noon in orchid water, purifying body and mind.

Then burn incense, face south and toward the sun, bow and pray to the Supreme, Correct, and True Great Dao (the Way), the Great Truth and Great Treasure, and the various deities of Great Yang and Great Awakening, and perform three hundred prostrations to the Chief Office of the Upper Palace. After that, sit quietly and kneel, hold the heart in sincere reverence, even out the breath and calm distracting thoughts, and single-mindedly visualize the true spirit of the Fire Mansion, without thinking of anything else.

In cultivation, one must not scheme or act for worldly advantage, nor rashly pursue clear-sightedness and agility that do not accord with the Dao, with harmony, with truth, or with rectitude. If one can purify body and mind, regulate and nourish the breath, and maintain stability, the heart Qi will return to truth and not become agitated. Calamitous illnesses caused by summer heat and disharmony can then no longer invade one’s original Qi. One’s mind will also become bright, pure, and penetrating, wisdom keen and responsive; one will apply the subtle and wondrous principles of the Dao and discern true nature, and the eyes will not grow dim or weary.

The deity Sishen will protect him, the Red Dragon guard him, red Qi surround him, and red fluids nourish him; the essence of the Southern Peak attends him, and the spirits of the valleys protect him. Thereupon wild geese, cranes, luan birds, and phoenixes will also return in response to summons. If pure cultivation accumulates day by day, the zhi of the Red Emperor and the zhi of green jade will appear wherever he walks.

At the proper time, the cultivator should ingest what has been obtained; then he may ascend as an immortal, enjoy a lifespan of nine thousand years, and his body will no longer be frail. His spiritual powers are vast, and when they reach their utmost he can penetrate the Fire Palace (the divine palace corresponding to the Fire phase). The god of the Fire Palace dwells south of Kunlun, in the region of the sun, and is the Taijue Immortal. His divine power transforms without limit: he can make sunlight hang as a pendant on his body, illuminating the four seas and shaking all directions; he can also fly and move, passing unimpeded wherever he goes. Such is the nature of the Fire Palace’s sun god.

The Qi of fairness, magnanimity, and solemn dignity is stored in the Earth Palace corresponding to the spleen (the divine palace corresponding to the Earth phase). It is bestowed by the Earth Palace and guarded by Shishen (the spirit named in the original text who protects the spleen spirit). To cultivate and govern the spleen spirit and maintain purity, one should fast and settle into stillness on the twenty-seventh day of the sixth month. When the sun receives the autumn Qi, around the Shen hour on the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month (the original text says “die shi”), bathe in orchid-scented water to purify body and mind; face the sun, burn incense, and bow in worship, invoking the Supreme True Great Dao, Taizhen, Taibao, and the deities in divine palaces such as Neinei and Shanggong Taijun. During the worship, the deities of the various bureaus together kowtow and perform salutations three hundred times.

After the rite, sit quietly in kneeling posture, hold the heart with both hands, and with sincere intent regulate the breath evenly; calmly and silently contemplate the true spirit of the Earth Palace, without thinking of anything else. During the practice, the prohibitions are: do not be disturbed by worldly affairs; do not vainly seek reputation, thereby going against fairness; do not engage in affectation and contrivance, thereby losing sincerity and uprightness; do not indulge in laxity and idleness, or sink into dullness and forgetfulness, thereby losing magnanimity; do not be stubborn and narrow-minded, thereby losing peaceful stability and solemn dignity.

If one can purify the body and regulate the breath, and maintain this with steadiness, then the spleen Qi will become full and not decline or exhaust, and the mind will be peaceful and calm, not shaken by confusion; the Qi mechanism will flow freely, with no felt obstruction or vexation, and diseases such as heaviness of the body that is hard to relieve, swellings, and abscesses, as well as ailments from imbalance in the hot season, will all be unable to harm one. Qi, will, and intention will become clearer, more harmonious, and more sufficient, no longer trapped by illness; the tongue can discern flavors, and taking medicines will also bring nourishment. The spirit Shishen will attend and protect, the Yellow Dragon will guard, yellow Qi will surround one, yellow fluids will be harmonized, the essence of the Central Peak will accompany one, the assembled ministers of the four directions will protect one, and the myriad ghosts will submit.

If one persists over the long term in pure practice, the Zhi of the Yellow Emperor and the Zhi of Red Jade (Ganoderma-like immortal medicines) will appear wherever one walks or stops; obtaining and taking them, one may ascend as an immortal, enjoy a lifespan of twenty thousand years, and the body will no longer be frail. If the practice is deep and broad and reaches its utmost, one can penetrate the Earth Palace; one’s divine realm will be like gazing down from the summit of Kunlun, and one becomes a Tahe Immortal. Its spirit prizes constant stillness and does not prize manifesting transformations. Such is the nature of the Dajun god of the Earth Palace. The Qi of dignity and majestic bearing is stored in the Metal Palace corresponding to the lungs (the divine palace corresponding to the Metal phase); it is bestowed by the Metal Palace and guarded by Siqi (the spirit in charge of contracts and pledges). To cultivate and govern the lung spirit and maintain purity, one should begin on the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month…

On the third day of the eighth month each year, one should fast, purify, and cultivate, regulating the Qi (vital energy) of the human body so that one receives life-giving Qi; on the twenty-seventh day of the ninth month, regulate Jueyin (one of the yin-Qi circulation systems) so that one receives firm Qi.

Around sunset, regularly bathe in a decoction of orchid grass to purify body and mind. Light incense, face the sun, and bow in prayer to the Supreme True and Correct Great Dao (the Way), Taizhen, Taibao, as well as Neinei, the Divine Palace of the Right Great Forbidden Earth-Receiving, and all presiding deities. While performing the rites, one should continuously kowtow up to three hundred times. Afterward, kneel upright, cup the heart with both hands, and with utmost sincerity harmonize the breath, quiet the mind, and recite inwardly, focusing on the true Shen (spirit) of the Metal Mansion—the deity governing lung Qi—allowing no other thoughts to arise.

In cultivation, one must not indulge worldly desires, must not be vainly proud and self-indulgent, arrogant and perverse, nor harbor intent to harm others, treat dignified bearing with disrespect, or wallow in decadent ornamentation and ritual. If one can purify the body, quiet the mind, and regulate the breath properly, lung Qi will become full and free of fatigue, and diseases of autumn cold and disharmony cannot invade. When Qi is full, breathing is smooth, the strength in the chest is inexhaustible, and cold pathogenic intrusions find it hard to harm the body.

The Shen in charge of contracts will protect the cultivator; a white dragon guards, white Qi nourishes, white fluid harmonizes; the Jing (essence) of the Western Marchmount accompanies, the Shen of mountains and marshes guard, the Jing of fords and bridges serve, and tigers and wolves will attach themselves and obey. With long-term persistence in pure cultivation, the zhi of the White Emperor and the zhi of Yellow Jade will appear wherever one walks or rests; the cultivator may gather and ingest them, eventually ascend as an immortal, and long escape decline.

If pure cultivation reaches a deep and manifest level and one enters the Metal Mansion, one can see immortals who attained the Dao in the Shaocheng (Lesser Completion) realm west of Kunlun. Their spiritual transformations include transforming into crescent-moon-like radiance, walking on water without wetting the feet, walking on land as if wading while the ground does not soften, and causing the body to float up and down amid water and fire. These are the inherent qualities of the Shen of Shaoyin who attained the Dao in the Metal Mansion.

Chengyang Qie Mengjie’s commentary says: “Zun” means not being overly familiar or profane; “yan” means an upright countenance, solemn and austere; “wei” means a stern and clear demeanor; “yi” means a composed and thorough bearing.

The Qi of modesty, frugality, subtlety, and concealment is stored in the Kidney Water Mansion; it is conferred by the kidneys and guarded by the Shen in charge of records. Cultivation to regulate the kidneys and maintain purity should begin with fasting on the eighteenth day of the tenth month, regulating Jueyin and receiving winter Qi; on the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, regulate Taiyin to stabilize the Qi of the five viscera; on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, open Taiyang and receive kidney Qi; until the tenth day of the first month, …

At midnight, bathe in water boiled with orchid herbs, cleansing body and mind. Face north, burn incense, and ritually invoke the Supreme Orthodox True Great Dao, Taizhen and Taibao, as well as Neinei, Hangxie (the original notes that “Hangcheng” should be “Hangxie,” meaning the Jing (essence) of the night), and the various deities in the palace of the Taiyin deity, performing three hundred dunshou and qishou bows. Then sit upright in a kneeling posture, cup both hands over the heart, and with utmost sincerity regulate the breath and quiet the mind, focusing on the true spirit of the Water Palace and thinking of nothing else.

In cultivation, one must eliminate all delusive thoughts: do not let the mind be dragged about by worldly affairs, do not recklessly commit crooked or evil deeds; do not lose ordinary integrity through arrogance, and do not be insatiably greedy; do not harbor malice and secretly harm others, thinking no one will notice; nor secretly plot wicked private matters. If one can purify the body, clear the mind, regulate the breath, and persist, the kidney Qi (vital energy) will become full and unharmed, and the discomfort brought by winter cold will not invade the body. Once true Qi is sufficient, one will walk with strength and speed and advance and retreat steadily; the waist, Yufang (referring to the male genital region), bladder, thighs, and calves will not develop pain or Qi-blood stagnation.

If one practices the way of purity over the long term, the deity of the Directorate of Records will protect this person; a black dragon will guard him, black Qi will surround him, and black fluid will nourish him; the essence of the Northern Peak will attend him, the Taiyin deity will stand guard, and the numinous mallow will attach itself to him. Living by the water, flood dragons, fish, and turtles will also draw near him. After long accumulated practice, the Black Emperor’s zhi and white-jade zhi will appear wherever he walks or rests; obtaining and ingesting them, he can ascend as an immortal, live for ten thousand years, and not weaken.

If pure practice reaches a state of profundity and breadth, becoming prominent and outstanding in the Water Palace, one will be able to see the immortal of Taiyu Jade Paste in the Xuandu realm north of Mount Kunlun. His supernatural transformations include darkening the sky and causing food to be sent from afar; making the large small and the small large, making the existent nonexistent and the nonexistent existent. These are all the inherent nature of the Hangxie deities of the Water Palace.

All those who study the Dao but cannot advance diligently in conduct and achieve sincere purity will not receive glad blessings from the deities of the Five Palaces. Even if such a person ingests Qi, ingests medicines, or practices minor methods such as medicine-essence and the arts of ingesting elixirs and minerals, most will be ruined by them; even if there is slight effect, it will be difficult to exceed a lifespan of five hundred years. Such methods often cause people to regress and sink, and in the end they cannot succeed. If one can accumulate and nourish supremely pure Qi in the Five Palaces, so that Jing and Qi do not dissipate, then one’s life Jing and Qi are generated by the steaming nourishment of the clear Qi of the Nine Origins; there is no one among such people who cannot become an immortal, deity, or sage. As for the methods of fasting and abstinence, the reason bathing and purity are important...

These should always be selected on the tenth day of the first month, the eighth day of the second month, the sixth day of the third month, the fourth day of the fourth month, the first day of the fifth month, the seventeenth day of the sixth month, the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month, the third day of the eighth month, the twentieth day of the ninth month, the eighteenth day of the tenth month, the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, and the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. These days are determined according to the numerological principles of "Dao-Qi" and are said to be days when the Heavenly Emperor tours the Eastern Well. Therefore, cultivators can renew their resolve for cultivation on these days, using them as days for bathing and purification and for beginning practice, with special caution and reverence.

The Qi-ingestion method, a practice cultivated through breath regulation and visualization, first requires gathering in the five emotions, that is, regulating the Qi of emotions and thoughts, so that the mind and spirit gradually settle. After that, one usually chooses the third, ninth, eighteenth, or twenty-seventh day of the second month, or days such as jia-yin, yi-si, ding-si, jia-zi, and ding-mao, as well as auspicious days of the "wang-xiang-cheng-man" type, and practices in a quiet mountain forest. The location should preferably be near water flowing eastward or sweet spring water and should face the morning sun; the scriptures hold that such places have harmonious yang Qi.

Before practice, bathe in water decocted with orchid grass. Then, with cinnabar, write the character fang on a piece of jade one square cun in size, to serve as the object of mental visualization. "Yufang" (Jade Chamber) refers to the Dantian three cun below the navel, the site in Neidan practice where one visualizes and nurtures Jing and Qi. Focus intently on visualizing the Yufang and guide the Qi and intention to the Dantian. Remove nose hairs, lie face up, with the feet five cun apart and the arms five cun away from the body on each side; close the eyes and clench the hands into fists like an infant's fists. Use a pillow woven from rushes or reeds, about three cun high; if there is illness in the chest, it may be raised to five cun; if there is illness below the navel, use no pillow.

After beginning Qi-ingestion, one no longer eats raw vegetables, raw fruit, or hard foods. During the period of Qi-ingestion, reduce the amount of food by one mouthful each day; after ten days, one may stop eating for two or three days. At this time there may be slight rumbling in the abdomen; if one feels hungry, one may select high-quality, plump dried dates or superior atractylodes-type medicinal materials, decoct them, and eat a little, with the maximum in a single day and night limited to these. If one does not wish to eat, do not force oneself to eat. Drink about five sheng of water each day; Taiyi laoli, a type of medicinal wine or nourishing drink in Daoism, may also be drunk, about five sheng, but do not cut it off completely. Keep a date pit in the mouth often; it is said to help the body receive Qi and also to generate saliva.

Practicing in this way, the scriptures hold that the Qi in the chest and abdomen will become full, and the stomach and intestines will gradually become empty; once the stomach and intestines are empty, harmonious Qi can pass through, and then the Five Shen, the spirits associated with the internal organs and mental activity, will govern and support it, ultimately enabling ascent to immortality.

The Family Sayings of Confucius says: "Those who eat Qi are spiritual and long-lived; those who eat the five grains are intelligent but short-lived; those who do not eat do not die and have extraordinary powers; those who eat mixed foods gather various diseases and evil Qi." Therefore, eating...

The less one eats, the more expansive the mind-spirit becomes, and the more one can prolong one’s years and extend one’s life; the more one eats, the more obstructed the mind-spirit becomes, and the shorter one’s lifespan.

Zhai Wei’s Commentary on the Zhou Tradition Treatise says: The nine heavens are distant and far-reaching, and the myriad things are vast and boundless. Qi (vital energy) rises in vapor, the myriad things multiply, their kinds are numerous, and they alternate and transform among themselves, some large and some small. Sentient beings bustle about, entangled by benefit and harm, gain and loss. A single life within heaven and earth is like a thread in dust, briefly floating in a stagnant pool; the territory occupied by a state is also like a tiny stone the size of a mustard seed, standing alone amid the vastness of heaven and earth.

Therefore Zhuang Zhou (Zhuangzi) said: The four seas, compared with the world, are like a small mound of earth in an open field placed within a great marsh; a state, compared with the four seas, is like a grain of rice in a great granary. Within such a vast heaven and earth, how could the right and wrong, gain and loss of a lifetime, or the minute matters of benefit and harm, be worth taking to heart?

Thus the Perfected Person (zhiren, one who has cultivated to a high level) looks lightly upon the world and regards the myriad things as small, not because he deliberately adopts an arrogant posture, but because worldly benefits cannot disturb his heart-mind, and glory, splendor, wealth, and rank cannot sully his gaze. What he seeks is only to quiet the mind-spirit, purify Jing (essence) and Qi, and cherish and preserve the original truth—nothing more.