《三洞珠囊》Vol. 5

Master Nan Guo Ziqi (a fictional character from Zhuangzi) reclined against his armrest in quiet sitting, gazing skyward as he exhaled slowly, his countenance so detached it seemed he had forgotten his very self. In the "Discussion on Making All Things Equal" chapter, Zhuangzi describes this as the state of "sitting in forgetfulness" (zuowang) - relinquishing sensory attachments, abandoning intellectual cleverness, transcending the confines of form and mind to commune with the Great Dao.

The Zhuangzi further suggests that if even the physical body can be released, how much more should we discard artificial moral constructs? True cultivation isn't about listening with ears or thinking with mind, but perceiving through Qi (vital energy). This Qi refers to the all-embracing void state where, when the inner mind becomes clear and empty, luminous auspicious signs naturally manifest.

Daoist scriptures record how Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Daoling, founder of Daoism) wandered through the Five Sacred Mountains in deep cultivation. Through prolonged concentrated meditation, he ultimately attained the Dao and achieved perfection, earning the revered title of Tianshi (Celestial Master). During the Yuanjia era of the Southern Dynasties, when Liu Ningzhi was immersed in quiet cultivation, nine luminous pearls suddenly emerged from his forehead while scratching an itch - their radiance in water illuminated the entire chamber, prompting the Prince of Linchuan to request three of these marvels.

Regarding cultivation practice, the immortal Qingtong Jun instructed that incense should be burned on both sides before commencing meditation. The Shangqing Bajing Jing (Eight Scenes Scripture of Highest Clarity) documents that after one hundred days of sustained focused meditation, Zhenren (Perfected Ones) would manifest physically to bestow elixirs and transmit authentic methods. Immortal Ge Xuan similarly noted in his preface to the Five Thousand Character Classic that profound meditation could summon the Supreme Lord Lao to dispatch Zhenren bearing essential scriptures.

When contemplating the true Dao with tranquil mind, all mysteries spontaneously reveal themselves; through inner observation of one's form and shadow, the Shen (spirit) and Qi endure; by comprehending the essence of Dao and De (Virtue), one subdues myriad evil spirits, dispels calamities, and attracts blessings. Such states can stabilize nations and protect households - their profundity lies beyond ordinary understanding.

Zhuangzi's "Great and Venerable Teacher" chapter explains "sitting in forgetfulness" as releasing bodily attachments and transcending mental discriminations to merge completely with the Dao - the true meaning of deep meditation. Nan Guo Ziqi's trance-like state in the "Discussion on Making All Things Equal" - his body like withered wood, mind like dead ashes - similarly represents the ultimate realm sought by cultivators.

This scripture primarily explains the Daoist cultivation method of "jing si cun xiang" (focused meditation) and its effects.

When the Daoist master Zhi Ziyuan of the Five Numinous Spirits practiced in his quiet chamber, he would visualize the five major planets (Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn) positioned at different parts of his body—left shoulder, right shoulder, knees, and heart—while imagining them radiating light. Persisting in this practice over time not only ensured safe travels but also allowed the Five Spirits (deities corresponding to the five planets) to merge with his body, ultimately achieving the state of "ascending to immortality in broad daylight."

The immortal Pei Jun, when imparting the inner arts of longevity to Zhi Ziyuan, pointed out that while both consuming elixirs and focused meditation could lead to attaining the Dao, their paths differed. Elixirs nourished the physical form, and a healthy body led to a tranquil spirit; meditation stabilized the spirit, and a refined spirit in turn strengthened the body. Though the two complemented each other, meditation was considered superior. The ideal state was to combine elixirs and meditation, allowing body and spirit to fully integrate—thus transcending the boundaries of life and death.

The Zhengao (Declarations of the Perfected) records a specific meditation method: visualize one’s own image appearing vividly before oneself, with the sun and moon shining on either side (sun on the left, moon on the right, about nine inches from the face). Upon completing this, knock the teeth three times, silently recite an incantation to summon the hun and po (ethereal and earthly souls) back to their places, then knock the teeth twenty-one times and swallow saliva twenty-one times. This technique, called "Di Jun Lu Xing Ju Hun" (The Sovereign Lord’s Method of Recording Form and Restraining the Souls), could clarify the spirit and grant longevity.

The text also mentions Zhang Weizi, a Han Dynasty woman whose sincere cultivation moved the Eastern Sea Goddess, the Jade Consort of Eastern Florescence, to descend and teach her the "Way of Ingesting Mist" (a method of nourishing life through absorbing qi). Another example is the cultivator Ping Zhongjie of Mount Kuocang, who studied the "Way of the Heart-Mirror" (a practice of visualizing a mirror in the heart) under his master Song Jun.

All these methods emphasize harmonizing body and spirit through focused visualization and specific rituals, ultimately achieving the goal of longevity and enduring vision through cultivation.

This passage recounts the stories of several cultivators who attained immortality through dedicated practice. Fan Boci cultivated on Tianmu Mountain in Guiyang, Hunan, persistently consuming sesame (a Daoist longevity food) and maintaining focused meditation for seventeen years. Eventually, the Supreme True Immortal Siming Jun (a high-ranking Daoist deity) descended to transmit thirty-six scripture scrolls to him. Later, after ingesting the Returning Elixir (a Daoist alchemical medicine), he ascended in broad daylight, becoming the True Man of Mysterious Unity.

Pei Jun practiced cultivation on Mount Kongtong. In his first year, he faintly perceived divine forms; in the second year, the Five Directional Emperors (Daoist directional deities) manifested around him; by the third year he could converse with spirits, and in the fifth year, the Celestial Emperor personally escorted him in a dragon-drawn chariot to tour celestial realms. They flew east to the Fusang Palace (mythical sunrise mountain) at the land of sunrise, ascended the Platform of Luminous Truth, and received talismans and elixirs from immortals. From then on, he traveled with the Celestial Emperor—this constitutes the cultivation method called "The Way of Racing with the Sun."

The Scripture of Seventy-Four Transformations from Upper Clarity states: If one concentrates in meditation within a quiet chamber, abandoning worldly attachments while devoutly visualizing the Grand Mist celestial realm, one may perceive divine beings within a short time and ascend within a year. When cultivation accumulates sufficiently, marvelous transformations occur—one may tour various immortal realms, master seventy-four transformation methods, and obtain immeasurable blessings. This represents the most profound immortal art.

The scripture further explains: If one calmly meditates in a chamber while visualizing immortal countenances, vital Qi (vital energy) will connect with the celestial court, spreading blessings throughout the body. This not only summons divine protection but also grants ancestors spiritual rebirth, transcending life and death—the most mysterious cultivation method.

The Essential Instructions of Spontaneous Perfection concludes: By closing the eyes to contemplate the Ultimate Truth and sincerely meditating on the Ten Ancient Immortals, one permanently escapes reincarnation while maintaining youthful appearance. When thirsty, drink from the Jade Pool's immortal nectar; when hungry, consume the Golden Light elixir (both being internal visions during cultivation).

Mr. Chen, a seeker of Daoist cultivation, believes that spiritual practice should be rooted in focused meditation. Through the method of "cunxiang" (visualizing deities within the body - a Daoist contemplative technique), one enters a state of profound visualization, with the key being maintaining purity of mind and intention.

Regarding the essentials of prolonged fasting:

The eighth volume of the Tai Xuan Jing records the precepts transmitted by Laozi, stating that offerings during zhaigong (Daoist sacrificial rituals) should adapt to circumstances in terms of abundance or simplicity, yet the great Dao fundamentally values purity, emptiness, and unadorned simplicity. The fourth volume of Deng Zhen Yin Jue recounts how Ji Wei maintained three years of continuous fasting with utmost sincerity and single-minded devotion, ultimately attaining the ability to ingest the essence of sun and moon, his entire body radiating divine light.

The fifth volume of Zhen Gao advises: On the special inauspicious days of Jiayin and Gengshen (according to Daoist belief), the corpse-demons (malevolent energies believed to reside within the human body) become restless and one's shen (spirit) becomes turbid. During these periods, one should abstain from marital relations and idle talk, observing pure fasting while sitting eastward in a quiet chamber. Practitioners should visualize deities and refine their zhenqi (true qi - the primordial vital energy) to resonate with divine beings. Those who cultivate thus may receive protection from jade maidens (attendants of the celestial realms).

Daoist practitioners must first restrain their hun and po (ethereal and corporeal souls) and eliminate corpse-demons. On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, as well as on Gengshen and Jiayin days, one should fast, bathe, and sit upright in a quiet chamber - remaining awake is even better. The specific practice involves: using cinnabar to mark the lower left eyelid and realgar to mark the interior of the right nostril (allowing a small amount of powder to enter). After application, knock the teeth three times and silently recite:

"Superior radiance flies and twines, vermilion and yellow disperse mist,

Qi captures evil spirits, corpse impurities sink and vanish,

Harmonizing hun and refining po, uniting form with great spirit,

Granting me deathlessness, eternal perfect longevity,

Penetrating clarity of vision, perpetual benefit of essence."

After recitation, knock teeth three more times, swallow saliva three times, and press firmly seven times beneath the left eye with the right index finger (applying concealed pressure without lifting the finger). These two areas are gateways where the seven po (seven yin spirits residing in the body) wander and evil qi enters. Cinnabar and realgar block the paths of corpse-demons and eliminate licentious energies. This Taiji superior method (advanced cultivation technique), when practiced consistently, harmonizes hun and po, dissipates corpse impurities, and leads to longevity, spiritual communion, and clairvoyance. Three years of practice eradicates sensual desires and distracting thoughts.

The Wu Liang Jing records: Observing prolonged fasting and scripture recitation during the first lunar month can elevate ancestral souls, while doing so in the seventh month leads to personal enlightenment and immortalhood, with one's name inscribed in the celestial registers (the yellow and white registers refer to Daoist immortal rosters). Practicing during the eight solar terms (eight important seasonal nodes) can dispel calamities and prolong life.

The Sandong Zhunang (Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns) scripture primarily discusses the cultivation methods and attained states of Daoist practitioners.

Regarding scripture recitation practice, it states: When chanting this scripture on the birthdates of the Nine Palaces Perfected (important Daoist deities), one's ethereal and corporeal souls will be purified, vital Qi (energy) will endure, suffering will be averted, and the body will radiate light. Upon reaching certain cultivation stages, deities from the Three Realms will come to protect, the Five Thearchs (guardian deities of the five directions) will welcome the practitioner, myriad spirits will pay homage, and the practitioner's name will be recorded in the celestial court. When merits are perfected, one may ascend to the Shangqing Heaven (one of Daoism's highest celestial realms).

The text then records biographies of several cultivators: Xin Xuanzi, styled Yanqi, was from Dinggu in Longxi. He began practicing Daoism during Emperor Ming's reign in the Eastern Han Dynasty. From youth, he was devoted to the Dao, strictly observed precepts, and dedicated himself to rigorous cultivation—eating only vegetarian meals daily, refining his physical form, consolidating his Jing (essence) and Qi, and avoiding worldly matters. He often practiced in mountain forests, far from mundane dust, aspiring to follow in the footsteps of the immortal Wang Ziqin (legendary crown prince of King Ling of Zhou who attained immortality). Thus he renamed himself Xuanzi ("Mysterious Master") and adopted the sobriquet Yanqi ("Extended Period").

The Xiaojie Jing (Scripture of Minor Kalpas) mentions cultivators who burn incense daily, make morning obeisances, and eat only one meal per day. Fan Chai, from Langzhong in Baxi, had refined features and graceful demeanor. He never predicted the future nor discussed auspicious or inauspicious signs, maintaining a serene, desireless temperament while remaining taciturn all day. He wore coarse hemp garments woven with grass ropes, went barefoot year-round without developing frostbite, and never slept through any season. In the 14th year of the Taiyuan era (389 CE) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he went to Jingzhou and dwelled in a thatched hut on Fucheng Isle in Zhijiang County. The hut couldn't block wind or frost; he used mulberry wood for a bed and straw for bedding, owning only an empty bamboo basket and earthenware jar. Sometimes he went out to beg for food only once every ten days or half-month, abstaining from refined grains and delicacies—coarse cereals and wild vegetables sufficed, with one liter of rice lasting over ten days.

Dongxiang Chaozong, styled Yilun, was from Qianzou in Gaomi. He renounced household life young, neither marrying nor serving in office, practicing with extreme austerity. Daily he ate only one meal of hemp and wheat gruel, which his disciples also followed. His Xi Xuan Abbey adhered to Emperor Wu of Liang's edict to "equally honor the Three Teachings (Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism) and uniformly practice vegetarianism." All abbey members had to maintain vegetarianism—violators were immediately expelled, and even the kitchens avoided meat, earning widespread praise for the abbey's purity and simplicity.

Fang Qianzhi, styled Daochong, was a native of Boxian County in Zhaojun, Jizhou. He renounced personal gain to aid others, maintaining six daily periods of fasting (according to ancient timekeeping, equivalent to 12 modern hours) and offering repentance to the ten directions (a Buddhist term referring to east, west, south, north, etc.) during each fast. Few could match his discipline at the time, yet he persevered alone in cultivation. He passed away seven days after interrupting his fasting regimen near life's end.

Zhang Min, styled Gaoming, hailed from Xuancheng. He dismissed his wife and children to pursue monastic Daoist practice, adhering to long-term vegetarian fasting. Regarding the physical body as illusory and unworthy of excessive attachment, he secluded himself on Mount Anwu for quiet cultivation, once abstaining from food for over twenty days. Even violent men and fierce beasts were subdued by his spiritual practice. Only when severely weakened did he reluctantly eat at his relatives' repeated urging. In the first year of the Chen dynasty's Dajian era (569 CE), he again ceased nourishment, believing obsessive body preservation contradicted eternal truth and brought no benefit to sentient beings. He maintained that true cultivation lay in embodying the Dao rather than formalities, refusing all persuasion to eat.

Shen Faxi, styled Shizhen, of Wukang in Wuxing, propagated Daoism from Zuoe Mountain. Each year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he convened Daoist priests and devotees for fasting assemblies, illuminating the mountain slopes with perpetual lamps.

The Shangqing Great Cavern Precepts in Ninety-Two Articles records: When cultivating the Feminine Unity method (a Daoist practice), one may take light morning meals without satiation, regular noon meals, followed by sweet fruits.

The Lingbao Fasting Rituals and Dignified Observances Scripture states: During extended fasting, Daoist practitioners may drink clear water after noon while abstaining from food—taking congee at dawn and vegetarian dishes at midday.

Ge Hong (Baopuzi) observed: Those undertaking prolonged fasting—whether nobles or Daoists—who find the six daily worship sessions too physically demanding may perform three incense offerings by day, pausing at night. For single day-night fasts, however, the six-period practice should be maintained.

The first volume of Taizhen Ke declares: Daoist aspirants must cherish life and revere the Dao's principles, sustaining vegetarian fasting until attaining the Dao as primary practice. Secondary practices include thousand-day, hundred-day, or monthly fasts with dietary moderation, supplemented by Qi cultivation (Fuqi), herbal regimens, or sugar-based nourishment according to individual capacity—all cultivated discreetly. Temporary interruption for urgent public or private matters is permissible, provided practice resumes afterward. Only through unrelenting physical and mental discipline can one achieve true immortality. Hollow reputation, false cultivation, idleness and sloth merely compound transgressions.

It establishes the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth and eleventh lunar months as annual fasting periods.

In Daoist practice, there are ten particularly auspicious days each month for fasting and cultivation: the 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, and 30th of the lunar calendar. These days are called the "Ten Straight Fasts" (Shizhizhai), when celestial deities descend to the human realm. Devoted practice during these times brings blessings.

The Taizhen Ke scripture records that prolonged fasting practice should be adapted to one's capacity, with major methods cultivated continuously through six time periods (ancient China divided the day into twelve two-hour periods). Group activities like scripture lectures and communal fasting may be conducted during three periods. Three periods are dedicated to liberating the deceased, rescuing those in peril, and dispelling calamities, while the other three are for scriptural teachings. Nighttime may be used for reviewing lectures or reciting scriptures.

As spiritual guides, practitioners must maintain disciplined daily routines, proper attire, and exemplary conduct in speech and action. Sages uphold the cultivation principle of "guarding the One" (Shouyi, maintaining focus on the Dao's origin) to instruct sentient beings. To attain the state of clarity, emptiness, and stillness, one must gradually reduce worldly affairs and maintain inner purity through the "three karmas" (body, speech, and mind), with fasting being the foundation of practice. "Fasting" (Zhai) signifies order, purity, and tranquility—strict adherence to six periods isn't mandatory, but maintaining mental focus day and night while repenting sins and seeking blessings is essential.

Cultivation has three key aspects: restraining the body, restraining speech, and restraining the mind. Those who master these become one with the Dao. Specifically: bodily restraint means avoiding killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct; verbal restraint means abstaining from false speech, frivolous talk, divisive speech, and harsh words; mental purification requires overcoming greed, hatred, and delusion. Eliminating these ten evils naturally cultivates ten virtues, aligning with the Dao. Those who fail in these shouldn't presume to teach others.

The Chishu Yujue records that the Northern Emperor (Beidi), an important Daoist deity of the Supreme Mystery Palace, regularly documents human transgressions reported by the Three Corpses (Sanshizhen, three parasitic spirits within the body) on Gengshen days. Fasting and constant mindfulness of deities during these days prevents the Three Corpses from making celestial accusations. Earthly deities also report human virtues, which the Supreme Unity (Taiyi) joyfully records, enrolling practitioners in the "Seed People" (Zhongmin) register—those destined for enlightenment.

Meanwhile, the Most True Venerable Deity of the Supreme Palace dispatches Taiyi emissaries to inspect the human realm on Jiazi days, examining practitioners' sincerity. These two dates hold exceptional significance in Daoist cultivation.

This scripture recounts how practitioners attain the Dao and achieve immortality through devout purification rituals (zhaijiao) and secluded cultivation.

The first section describes the Central Terrace Envoy (a celestial inspector in Daoism) who patrols between heaven and earth, recording the virtuous and wicked deeds of both deities and mortals. If someone observes fasting (a Daoist practice involving abstinence from meat and purification of body and mind) and burns incense on specific days, the Central Terrace Envoy will report their good conduct to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the highest deities in Daoism). The deities will then absolve their sins, elevate them to the rank of Perfected Being (Zhenren, an honorific title for those who attain the Dao), and inscribe their name in the Jade Register (a celestial roster of immortals).

The Scripture of the Dharma Wheel recounts a practitioner who endured prolonged fasting in a remote valley without complaint. Dwelling in a mountain cave, he lived among deer, sustaining himself on cypress leaves and spring water. Despite enduring harsh cold, wild beasts, and solitude, he persisted in his cultivation until he moved heaven and attained the Great Dao.

The Biographies of Daoist Masters records how Celestial Master Zhang (Zhang Daoling, the founder of Daoism) renounced worldly life, carrying scriptures to a stone chamber on Mount Song for nine years of seclusion and fasting. He traveled across the Five Sacred Peaks (China's five great mountains), wholly devoted to cultivation, until his sincerity summoned the descent of true immortals. Upon attaining the Dao, he was revered as "Celestial Master" (Tianshi).

The text notes that numerous Daoist scriptures contain accounts of prolonged fasting, though they are too many to list here. This passage is drawn from the fifth volume of Pearl Satchel of the Three Caverns, emphasizing the principle that sincere fasting and arduous cultivation lead to immortality.