《法海遺珠》Vol. 21

Pearls Left in the Sea of the Daoist Canon, Volume 21, Part 10

Inner Cultivation of the Mixed Five Thunders

The Thunder Lord of the Celestial Metropolis Calls the Clouds and Shakes the Winds

Sit quietly. Tap the teeth to gather the spirit, close the eyes, and swallow saliva three times, with the tongue pressed against the upper palate. Regulate the breath, allowing the three palaces—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers)—to rise and descend once. Then, with the mouth closed, call in Qi (vital energy) three times and gently exhale Qi once; turn the inner gaze toward the heart field. Next, refine Qi, gather saliva, and swallow once, sending it down to the kidney palace. With eyes closed, assume an angry expression and set the Qi of the liver and gallbladder in motion to raise the wind. Silently recite one scroll of the Scripture for Moving Thunder and Protecting Life, or recite the Great Golden Light Incantation. This is called “refining thunder.”

Blue Thunder and Red Qi Move and Press the Nine Palaces

With eyes closed, turn the inner gaze toward the liver palace. Regulate the breath, press the tongue against the upper palate, assume an angry expression, and gently exhale Qi three times—without making a sound or opening the mouth. Visualize blazing fire Qi reaching the heart and abdomen, then hold the breath briefly. As before, gently exhale Qi and breathe out with a “he” sound, three times each. Pause again, swallow saliva, then call in Qi three times and breathe out with a “he” sound three times. Qi will then distribute itself through the Nine Palaces; there is no need to imagine it deliberately.

Red Thunder and White Qi Rise and Roam the Great Firmament

With eyes closed, turn the inner gaze toward the heart palace and breathe out gently with a “he” sound. Next, imagine the Qi taking on an angry force, causing gallbladder Qi to circulate like wind fanning a fire. Blow out Qi with a “chui” sound three times. Visualize the fire Qi of the heart palace steaming upward beneath the lungs, until white Qi reaches the crown of the head, at the Baihui point. Then draw in one breath of Qi through the nose from the crown, swallow it down to the kidney palace, and let the navel swell outward so that Qi returns to its origin. Allow the three palaces to rise and descend.

White Thunder and Black Qi Descend and Roam the Dark Capital

Next, assume an angry expression. Let Qi swell with saliva and fluids, and send them down to the kidney palace. Imagine white Qi descending to join the black Qi of the kidney palace, which surges up from the Fengdu Pass. Blow out Qi three times—without letting the ears hear it.

Black Thunder and Yellow Qi Surge from the Origin to the Eight Extremities

Next, regulate the breath and assume an angry expression. Contract the grain passage—the anus—and move the lower abdomen and flanks seven times. Then visualize the black Qi of kidney water passing through the spleen palace to mingle and refine with the yellow Qi of the spleen palace. Next, call in Qi five times: when fire obtains earth, it is nourished; when water obtains earth, it is stopped. The five Qi are refined with earth into a single mass, and Qi will then spread of its own accord in all eight directions; there is no need to imagine it deliberately.

Yellow Thunder and Purple Qi Fill the Void with Lightning

After the five Qi have been refined in the spleen palace, they first form yellow Qi, the color of a golden orange. Next, raise the ministerial fire of the kidney palace and the common fire of the bladder, and lower the sovereign fire of the heart palace. This is called…

Note: This passage belongs to the Daoist inner cultivation method of the “Five Thunders.” It combines seated meditation, breath regulation, inner observation of the five viscera (including the liver, heart, kidneys, and spleen), exhalations such as “xu,” “he,” and “si,” and visualization. Through these practices, the five thunders—blue, red, white, black, and yellow—and the red, white, black, yellow, and purple Qi are circulated in sequence. Terms such as “Thunder Lord of the Celestial Metropolis,” “Fengdu Pass,” “three palaces,” and “Nine Palaces” are common in thunder rites and Neidan (internal alchemy). The final passage on “yellow thunder and purple Qi” is often incomplete in surviving texts and should be compared with better editions.

Plain-Language Interpretation

The True Fire of Samadhi and the Refining of Qi in the Spleen and Kidneys

The True Fire of Samadhi: The spleen is like a cauldron. Below the abdomen, at the bladder, kidney fire burns and refines; the substance is tempered until it is purple-gold in color. Its Qi rises to the Origin, luxuriant and dense, flashing brilliantly like lightning as it ascends.

The world of the body blazes with fierce heat and light.

Holding the Breath and Visualizing

Hold the breath for a long time, then turn your gaze inward toward the crown of the head and imagine the Five Qi gathering at the Origin. At the crown, the Valley Spirit is surrounded by a fierce purple Qi, like a wind from the realm where the divine thunder officials dwell. This Qi flickers and shines, illuminating every aperture until all are bright. What spirit would not submit? What ghost would not obey?

When the ritual master’s refining has reached this point, the Five Qi gather at the Origin and the Three Flowers converge at the crown. The purple, radiant Qi spreads throughout the heavens and earth, flashing and shimmering. Above, to the right and below the body, each is encircled by a halo. Thus my own body contains wind, thunder, lightning, clouds, and rain, whose transformations are unfathomable. What ghost, then, would not submit?

Those Who Look Upon Me Die; Those Who Follow Me Are Invested

The Northern Spirit, the Dark Register, the Nine Uglies, and the Purple Youth: when the ritual master’s Elixir is complete and his Qi abundant, the purple, radiant Qi rises to the crown. This means the Qi is full. Then send it upward to the crown of the head, drawing it in through the nose. Next, exhale and distribute it to the left and right. Then visualize it: through Qi, it transforms, condenses, and takes shape; with the true form that is formless and hidden in darkness, it commands the formless ghosts and spirits. This is never mere fanciful imagining.

The Wind Earl and Rain Master: Commanding Thunder and Guiding the Wind

With one breath blown out, Qi transforms and is refined into the Rain Master before me; with another, Qi transforms and is refined into the Wind Earl behind me. The true Qi and original substance of my own body are the Thunder Duke; the light shining from my two eyes is the Lightning Mother. This is what it means for ritual practice to follow the Great Way of the precelestial realm: one must employ one’s own original spirit. If the ritual master practices in this way, consistent from beginning to end, and has true Qi to spare, he can summon by calling while seated or standing, with a response in an instant. He can command spirits and direct generals, bring rain and summon wind. This is like using talismans and water in ritual practice to heal illness and expel evil: one uses the surplus Qi within oneself to replenish the Qi lacking in others. How could this fail to produce results before one’s eyes?

Thunder Duke, Thunder Duke—Great Is Your Supernatural Power

Wherever the Heavenly Talisman arrives, thunder crashes through the empty sky. Once the ritual master has completed the practice of refining generals and sending out the spirit, he has moved from within to without. He then draws a talisman from his sleeve, whether to summon thunder and raise lightning, command thunder and bring rain, heal illness and expel evil, or use talismans to aid others. Thunder Duke, Thunder Duke—great is your supernatural power! Wherever the Heavenly Talisman arrives, thunder crashes through the empty sky.

Plain-language interpretation

Driving away evil and dispelling harmful spirits (instructions for use)

To drive away harmful spirits and subdue demons, adapt the method to the circumstances: recite the four lines above aloud, visualize as prescribed, then take up the talisman and dispatch it. In this way, nothing is out of reach and nothing cannot be done.

Sitting practice (esoteric hand techniques)

“Green Waters, Autumn Waves” (Hai hour)

First follow the “Steps of the Huo Luo Dipper” method to reach the position of the Celestial Hero star, then sit cross-legged. Clasp both hands firmly and form the Mudra of the Hidden Script. Inhale the Qi of the kidneys through the mouth and send it to the heart chamber to unite. Then rinse the mouth with the waters of the Flowery Pool thirty-six times, visualizing the divine water as clear and still.

“A Thousand-Pound Iron Axe” (You hour) / “Light as a Feather on the Back of the Head” (Shen hour)

Sit with both hands resting on the knees and visualize a thousand tendons and ten thousand vessels all flowing freely. Divine water turns like a waterwheel from the point between the shoulder blades and rises straight to the Mudball Palace inside the crown of the head.

“Beside the River” (Wu hour) / “Willow Tree” (Wei hour) / “Blown Down by the Wind”

Visualize the Heavenly Pillar toppling, with the waters of the Celestial River flowing down to the “Twelve-Storey Tower” and entering the Three Passes. The Willow star is in the Celestial Pool—the Celestial Pool refers to the forehead, around the space between the eyebrows.

“Even Embracing Chang’e Would Not Startle Me” (Wu hour)

Cross and clasp both hands below the navel. Visualize divine water filling the five organs without leaking out. The Maiden (the spirit of Yin essence at the center of internal cultivation) resides in the middle and controls the divine water.

“When White, White as Snow in the Sky” (You hour)

Form the Thunder Mudra. Exhale wind from the mouth; clouds emerge from the Xun gate and meet heavenly thunder at the Zhen position. Make the “si” sound. Wind rises from the Kan position, passes through the Dui palace and the Xun palace, and then exits.

“When Red, Red as the Blood of an Ape” (Wu hour)

Form the Thunder Mudra: the tongue is a thunder axe, the gallbladder becomes a thunderclap, and the mind-spirit is visualized as sudden fire, directing the five Qi. The Thunder Duke raises the rain, emerges through the Heavenly Gate, and strikes where wind and rain meet in the Xun direction. Form the Thunder Mudra again, move from the ribs up to behind the ears, and perform the issuing-and-lifting finger technique.

“When Light, Light as Dust in the Air” (Si hour)

Visualize the spirits within the body as having emerged. With the “shuang” hand, or a particular hand shape, pinch the middle finger. Gather the spirit of the Spleen and keep it in the spirit chamber at the Si position, so that the body feels light and buoyant, as if ready to rise.

“When Heavy, Heavy as a Thousand-Pound Iron” (Yin hour)

Form the Thunder Mudra and draw all the spirits back into the abdomen, giving each the true and upright Qi of thunder. Visualize the body as full and solid, heavy as a thousand-pound iron weight.

“The Weaving Maiden’s Fourth Brother” (Zi hour)

The Bat star among the twenty-eight lunar lodges commands the thunder deities of the Eight Directions and Eight Trigrams, and resides within the body.

“The Eight Seasonal Nodes”

This refers to the hand and foot positions of the Eight Nodes, or to the corresponding Eight Nodes mudra method.

“Gou Lou Ji Li” (Hai hour) … “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands”

These are auspicious words used to conclude the practice and issue a command. Recite “Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and commands” while forming the prescribed mudra.

Note: The characters in parentheses, such as Hai, You, and Wu, refer to the twelve double-hours and are paired with the corresponding formula. “Steps of the Huo Luo Dipper,” “Celestial Hero star,” “Mudball Palace,” “Three Passes,” and “Flowery Pool” are all common terms for visualizations in internal cultivation and thunder rites. “Thunder Mudra” and “issuing-and-lifting finger technique” refer to hand seals and finger gestures that require in-person instruction from a teacher; here, only the general meaning of the visualizations is translated.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of Fahai Yizhu

The names of the Eight Spirits are joined by crossing the hands into the Thunder Mudra; sit below and visualize the Thunder Gods

First recite the names of the Eight Spirits. Join both hands in the Thunder Mudra, sit upright below, and visualize the Thunder Gods descending.

Their attendants rush like thunder; sudden flames rise from Gen. Carry the command to the altar, transform it into a tally, and summon thunder to perform the rite

The guards and attendants rush as swiftly as thunder. Blazing flames spring up from Gen (the northeast, associated with the mountain trigram in the Bagua). Carry the command to the altar, transform it into a tally, and summon thunder to carry out the ritual.

Daily Sitting Practice

Hold the Thunder Mudra with the left hand and sit facing Xun from Qian. First draw in a mouthful of Qi from Xun and send it down to the Dantian. Keep the right-hand Thunder Mudra still below the navel; form the Zhang Envoy’s Mudra with the left hand and recite the incantation:

For daily meditation, form the Thunder Mudra with the left hand and sit facing Xun from Qian (with the northwest behind you and the southeast in front). First draw in a mouthful of Qi from the Xun direction, swallow it, and guide it to the lower Dantian. Keep the right-hand Thunder Mudra pressed below the navel without moving, form the Zhang Envoy’s Mudra with the left hand, and recite the incantation. Its general meaning is: through the true fire of samadhi, the Eight Trigrams, the Six Spirits’ directions, and the command of thunder, summon the gods of the Jade Pivot and the Five Thunder Envoys to descend swiftly to the altar. Those who disobey will be annihilated. Hasten, in accordance with the command.

Next, summon them before you and say: “I humbly call upon your divine power. I summon the Jade Pivot, Zhan-Kan, Jiang, Bi, Hua-Lei, and the Five Envoys of Chen. Divide your forms, transform into Qi, and descend to fill the Dantian.” Then recite the incantation for commanding and summoning the gods:

Next, summon them to stand before you and say: “Relying humbly on your divine power, I call upon the Jade Pivot, Zhan-Kan, Jiang, Bi, Hua-Lei, and the Five Envoys of Chen. Divide your forms, transform into Qi, and descend to fill the Dantian.” Then recite the incantation for commanding and summoning the gods. Its general meaning is: by the command of the Supreme Emperor, the Five Thunders are summoned; clouds race and lightning flashes to lend their power and sweep away demons and evil beings. Then recite the formula for summoning thunder and fire.

Draw in another mouthful of Qi from Xun and guide it into the Dantian. Then recite: “Yin and Yang open and unfold; the Five Qi circulate. At my command, let sudden thunder rise swiftly. Hasten, in accordance with the command.”

Draw in another mouthful of Qi from Xun and guide it into the Dantian. Then recite: “Yin and Yang open and unfold; the Five Qi circulate. At my command, let swift thunder rise. Hasten, in accordance with the command.”

Inner Practice of the Divine Empyrean (No. 7 of the Thirty-Six Practices)

Each morning, enter the quiet chamber, sit upright, and click the teeth to become still and settled. Turn your gaze inward to the heart, and see that the heart has no fixed heart; look outward at your form, and see that the form has no fixed form; gaze into the distance at things, and see that things are no things. Suddenly forget your form, and visualize an infant in the lower Dantian, as if newly born.

Each morning, enter a quiet room, sit upright, click the teeth, and settle into stillness. Look inward at the heart and see that it clings to nothing; look outward at the body and see that it rests in nothing; gaze at the things around you and feel no attachment to them. Suddenly forget your bodily form and visualize an infant in the lower Dantian, as though newly born.

The five-colored Qi of the Five Organs carries the infant up to the upper Dantian (the middle field). The infant becomes a perfected being, resembling your own form, while the Four Beasts stand arrayed before, behind, to the left, and to the right. The perfected being ascends through the tiers of the tower to the Mud Pill Palace. Visualize the Three Masters seated on a throne adorned with countless treasures, as large as a lotus seed, with the sun and moon shining within. The perfected being kneels and recites; the Three Masters recite as well, breathing forth true Qi that pours into the practitioner’s body. When the recitation is complete, next visualize a fire dragon emerging from the heart.

The five-colored Qi of the Five Organs carries the infant to the upper Dantian, also called the middle field. The infant becomes a perfected being resembling you, while the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise stand arrayed before, behind, to the left, and to the right. The perfected being ascends through successive levels to the Mud Pill Palace, the inner landscape at the crown of the head. Visualize the Three Masters—usually the patriarchs or three divine beings revered by the Divine Empyrean school—seated on a lotus throne adorned with countless treasures, as large as a lotus seed, with the sun and moon shining within. The perfected being kneels and recites, and the Three Masters recite with him, breathing forth true Qi that pours into the practitioner’s body. When the recitation is complete, visualize a fire dragon emerging from the heart.

Note: This method unites Divine Empyrean thunder rites with internal cultivation. It includes directions such as Qian, Kun, Xun, and Gen; Thunder Mudras; the names of envoys; and visualizations of an infant and the Three Masters. It is to be practiced within the context of instruction from a teacher and the liturgical tradition. Many incantations are transmitted in transliterated form as protective formulas; the plain-language versions here convey only their general meaning. In practice, follow the original sounds and the instructions of the lineage.

A Plain-Language Interpretation of Fahai Yizhu

The Inner Practice for Reciting the Petition

Visualize yourself riding a Fire Dragon, circling upward through the Lodging of the Winnowing Basket until you ascend to the highest heavens. Beneath Thunder City, finish reciting the incantation, then use the Qi between your brows to break through the Outer Thunder Office and reach the foot of the Jade Tower.

The three Venerable Masters sit together, while the assembled True Officials stand in rows on either side. The Perfected Person kneels and recites as before, as many times as desired, offering prayers according to one’s wishes. Then descend from the Mudball Palace to the Central Palace. The Perfected Person returns to their original form, comes back to the Lower Dantian, and sits within a circular radiance of blue jade and crystal.

After three periods of nine days—twenty-seven days—there is no need to visualize the infant anymore. Visualize only the Perfected Person. From the heart, pay homage toward the Mudball Palace, bow before the True King, then return to the Scarlet Chamber and sit within the jade radiance.

This method is exceedingly secret and must be practiced with care. If even a trace of worldly concern enters the heart, the practice cannot be brought to completion. Not only will its wondrous resonance fail to appear, but one may also incur punishment from the Immortal Administration. Such is the subtle efficacy of the inner practice for reciting the petition.

The Petition

I, your servant, holding the rank of [title], on this day [date], with heart, mouth, and body purified, make this offering and submit my petition:

True King of Jade Clarity

Great Emperor of Long Life at the Southern Pole

Great Emperor of Azure Florescence at the Eastern Pole

Heavenly Worthy of Great Unity Who Relieves Suffering

Elder Ke of the Nine Heavens

Heavenly Worthy of Zhu Mausoleum Who Grants Deliverance and Life

With reverence, I pray that your heavenly compassion send down its radiance and bear witness on my behalf.

I cherish the pursuit of long life and have received instruction in the Highest Way. Moved by the people’s suffering and illness, I have resolved to heal them. I now first invoke Upright Qi to assist in the use of the treasured talismans. I humbly beg:

May the True King’s Qi of Long Life and the Qi of the sun’s essence and the moon’s radiance flow down into my Three Dantian Fields and Nine Palaces, my hundred bones and five limbs, my eighty-four thousand pores, my twelve thousand rays of essence, and my three hundred and sixty joints. May I be illuminated within and without, with my nourishing and defensive Qi full and strong; may the Three Luminaries blend together, the Five Qi gather at their source, my whole body become pure and still, and the myriad Qi fill the cosmos.

Whenever I use talismans to dispatch generals, seize and destroy spirits and demons, or fly forth to capture them, may the gods respond at once.

May I first protect the nation and bring peace to households, helping people and benefiting all things. Then may my many generations of ancestors, along with suffering souls and afflicted spirits, ascend to the heavenly realms; may their bodies and stations be at peace, and may they bow before the True King and rise to the Golden Palace. The feelings in my heart are too urgent and unsettled to express fully. I submit this petition with due reverence.

Incantation for Making Emptiness into the Brahma Realm

Make emptiness into the Brahma Realm, and true Qi arises of itself. Scarlet writings and jade characters, the dragon script of the Eight Powers. Preserve and restrain the cycles of calamity, so that Heaven may endure forever. Heal illness and cut down evil; may all things be at peace. With urgency, in accordance with the commands of the Great Emperor of Long Life.

Brief explanations of terms (terms already explained in parentheses in the text are omitted):

• Mudball Palace: Near the crown of the head, around the Baihui point. Daoism regards it as the Upper Dantian and the seat of spiritual awareness.
• Lower Dantian: The place below the navel where Qi is stored.
• Scarlet Chamber: The area within the heart, around the Middle Dantian.
• Three Dantian Fields and Nine Palaces: The arrangement of energy centers and Qi chambers within the body, including the Upper, Middle, and Lower Dantian.
• Five Qi gather at their source: The Qi of the five internal organs converges and returns to its origin.
• Upright Qi: Pure and proper Daoist Qi; here, the talismanic Qi invoked to protect the practitioner and assist in ritual work.

A Plain Language Interpretation of The Pearl Bequeathed by the Sea of Dharma

Facing east, sincerely bow thirty-six times and click your teeth thirty-six times. Visualize true Qi, transforming it into the Divine Empyrean Emperor. Imagine the golden light and jade terrace Qi of the thirty-two heavens. Amid radiant splendor, see the Divine Empyrean King descending: a golden terrace and jade hall, vermilion doors and green windows, purple robes and a ceremonial crown with hanging beads, red shoes, seated at a jade table; the Sun to his left and the Moon to his right. From the crown of the True King’s head descend blue Qi with nine rays and red-purple Qi with three rays, gently brushing down over your body. Bring together the red Qi of the heart and the blue Qi of the liver, letting them meet, mingle, and merge. Inhale ninety-nine times to take them into the lower Dantian, forming the Sun; inhale eighty-eight times to take them into the upper Dantian, forming the Moon; inhale sixty-six times to take them into the middle Dantian, forming a single pearl, clear and bright as water, with the True King dwelling within it. Bow nine times toward the center and recite the incantation:

(The incantation’s general meaning: The Three Luminaries shine through, reaching up to the Nine Heavens; in the golden chamber and jade room, the Five Treasures and sacred fungi grow. Dark, yellow, and purple Qi come to illuminate my body; jade boys and jade maidens bring spiritual power to me. The nine Qi gather together, and the Three Luminaries ride in one carriage. Rising above the purple canopy, they ascend to the purple seat—by the command of the High Empyrean Divine Empyrean Jade Purity True King, swiftly and urgently.)

Then visualize the four perfected ones—the Azure Florescence Emperor, the Divine Empyrean True King, the Fusang Sun Emperor, and the Western Pole Moon Sovereign—and their three Qi combining into a clear blue radiance. This is the essence of the four holy perfected ones described above, joined as one to form a vivid blue, grape-colored light, clear and bright as water. Establish it firmly throughout the Three Fields (the upper field at the brow, the middle field at the heart, and the lower field below the navel; the Three Corpses spirits dwell in the Three Fields and are subdued by golden light). Keep the True King within you, appearing amid the blue Qi. If you absorb this Qi morning and evening and bow without tiring, the golden light within your body will connect upward to the thirty-two heavens. The Sun and Moon circulate within (the heart and kidneys circulate and join within; then, by means of the golden light, direct the True King in the Divine Empyrean heaven. The Sun is on the left and the Moon on the right: the heart and kidneys within the body join and circulate together in one place). In the Azure Chamber of the Cinnabar Empyrean (where the Sun and Moon, and the heart and kidneys, each return to one place), exhale Qi until it forms a unified whole. You will no longer perceive your own body, but take on the natural form of the True King; from then on, you can command generals and troops. Inhale the jade radiance (draw the breath back into the Dantian); demons and ghosts will depart of themselves, and the Three Corpses will be destroyed (the demonic Qi within the body has been dispelled). With three nines making seven, bow before the True King.

Notes for first-time readers:

• Divine Empyrean (Shenxiao): A lineage within Daoist thunder rites and systems of heavenly titles, often associated with honorifics such as “Divine Empyrean Jade Purity.”
• The Three Fields (Dantian): The upper field is usually located at the brow, the middle at the heart, and the lower below the navel. These are common locations for Qi visualization.
• The Three Corpses: Daoism holds that the “Three Corpses spirits” reside in the human body and stir greed and confusion. In cultivation, practitioners often visualize subduing them with golden light and similar means.
• Clicking the teeth, visualization, and inhaling to form the Sun, Moon, and pearl: These are instructions for inner cultivation, visualization, and regulating the breath. They emphasize the imagery and rhythm of the heart and kidneys joining, and of the Three Luminaries and Three Fields, with counts such as ninety-nine, eighty-eight, and sixty-six. They should not be treated as instructions for bodily procedures in the modern medical sense.
• Many of the parenthetical notes in the passage appear to be annotations from the original book or later copies; they have been incorporated into the text where possible. The incantation is rendered for its general meaning rather than translated word for word or in rhyme.

Pearls Left in the Sea of Daoist Teachings: A Plain-Language Interpretation

1. Method of Borrowing Fire to Refine the True King

First gather the Four Perfected and the Three Qi into the Dantian (energy center). They should appear as clear, luminous green grapes, their light shining in all ten directions. Next, borrow the Three Qi of true fire from the south. Let the flames reach the Wood position in the east; as the fire grows more intense, pass briefly over the Kan position and arrive at the seventh number of Metal in the west. There it transforms into the True King, radiant with golden light: I myself become the True King. Then bring forth my perfected person and bow thirty-six times to the True King, while all the generals pay their respects. This is another quick method.

2. Instructions for Taking a Talisman

After reciting the incantation, draw in the Qi of the divine offices in the southeast, colored blue-green, red, and purple, and swallow it. Take it daily: write the talisman and swallow it, with the tongue pressed against the upper palate. Invoke the Qi of golden light to write it, recite the hidden taboos of the Three Heavens and the incantation for “Forming Brahma from Emptiness,” then swallow it with the Qi of golden light.

This is one talisman of Perfected Sa for the Upper Origin. Take three talismans a day, making twenty-seven in nine days; this also follows the principle that three times nine yields seven.

Next, recite the incantation for “Forming Brahma from Emptiness.” Blend it with the divine Qi, write the hidden taboo names of the Three Heavens into it, and write them over the talisman. Recite:

“Thunderclap Prince, draw out the source of illness.” (Seven characters)

3. Sitting Practice of the Fire Office

Sit quietly with a calm mind; this practice may be done at any time. Gaze inward toward the heart and exhale impure Qi three times. Then regulate the breath for one hundred and twenty cycles. Visualize a point between the kidneys. With the mind’s eye, see the Yin-Yang Qi of the sun and moon on either side joining in the Dantian. Remain still in Wuwei (non-action), letting the Qi rise naturally to the heart and then return to the kidneys.

After a short while, the two Qi meet in a single aperture and gather into a sphere of golden light, like a Golden Elixir pill refined by fire. Though the eyes are no longer my own, I see the Five Qi emerge from the five organs and surround this sphere of golden light. It travels upward from the tailbone, along the spine, and reaches the Niwan Palace. For a moment, hold the image of the sun and moon shining clearly within the Niwan Palace. Then you will feel the fluids in the Flower Pond become sweet; swallow them through a single aperture, remaining still in Wuwei. Repeat this two or three times. If you continue holding the visualization, finish by exhaling fire Qi two or three times.

4. Secret Instructions for Internal Practice

Sit quietly with a calm mind. Guide the inhaled ancestral Qi downward by swallowing it through the Dongyuan Palace to the Xuanshu Palace. From there it connects downward with the Nine Earths and Nine Layers; follow the thought until it reaches the Xuanshu Palace. Draw in one mouthful of northern Qi and blend it with the Yellow Court Palace. Wipe the face and comb the hair, while holding the vision of luminous whiteness in the Grotto.

Internal Qi Circulation (Stages of Refinement and Nourishment)

Qi comes from the west and passes over the Nine Points of the Inner Pass (Neiguan) and the Nine Points of the Outer Pass (Waiguan). Rising from the Tail Gate (Weilü), it ascends along both sides of the spine, passing the Jiaji points, and joins together at the back of the head. It then divides into five paths and enters the Niwan Palace (the crown Dantian), reaching upward to the Yuanhuang Mansion (the visualized position within the brain). Next, the practitioner circulates Water and Fire to refine each other. On the right side, Taiyin qi, Huanghua, and the Yuchi (Jade Pool) mingle with True Water. On the left side, Taiyang qi mingles with heart qi, and True Fire arises from the heart, illuminating the whole body so that both inside and outside are bright.

Seated Practice of the Thunder-Crystal Brahma Qi

Seated practice begins with clearing the mind and steadying thought. With both hands in the Grasping-Seed posture (woguo), the eyes turn inward toward the Central Palace (Zhonggong), where a single point of golden light appears and the talismanic seed-syllable, shining brightly, begins to revolve. One turns the earth's axis and sweeps the heavenly gate, then settles the attention at the Crimson Palace (Jianggong), roughly the region of the Danzhong point. One visualizes an envoy descending from beneath the sixth star of the Southern Dipper. The envoy merges with the seed-syllable in sound, forming a golden mass that is drawn into the Central Palace. Then one swallows the Huachi (the saliva of the mouth) and sends it downward. After a short while, one visualizes fire qi (warming qi) throughout the body, and then opens the eyes. The responses experienced are often quite remarkable.

The Five Thunder Gang Steps

Gist of the Gang Incantation:

Thunder rumbles faintly, divine thunder roars, dragon thunder makes water, water thunder churns the waves, and the thunder-fire of the Altar Spirits crashes in every direction. When the divine mechanism is set off, demonic sprites are struck down. The Supreme Emperor has issued a decree: carry it out with all urgency.

There are also the Forward Gang and the Reverse Gang, used according to direction and movement.

This is the direction where the daily thunder resides. When performing the rite, first take the response from the direction one occupies on that day, and wind, clouds, rain, thunder, and lightning may be summoned, wonderfully beyond description. If "thunder enters the Central Palace" occurs, then no action should be undertaken. On this day the celestial generals gather in court before the Primordial Origin, and the practitioner must not fail to know this.

Yuanhuang Precious Registers (Part Two)

(In the original text, symbols often stand in for specific designations, mostly in the format of registers. Here the symbols are omitted, and only their uses are described.)

The following registers are the Golden Gate standard orders of the Yuanhuang. Once carried out, when a precious register arrives, the myriad spirits all listen and obey the talismanic command, and it must be executed with all urgency.

For a prayer for clear weather, use yellow paper with vermilion writing. For a prayer for rain, use black paper with ink writing. For a prayer for snow, use green paper with white powder writing.

Divine Majesty Incantation

Wind rises, thunder arises, lightning is born. The divine majesty descends; swiftly it arrives at the command. Hasten, hasten, as the thunder's statutes command.

Note: Terms such as "Inner Pass," "Tail Gate," "Niwan," "Jianggong," and "Huachi" mostly refer to inner alchemical points and visionary states within the body. The Five Thunder Gang and the Yuanhuang Precious Registers belong to thunder rites and ritual practices such as praying for clear weather or rain. Together with ordinary seated meditation, the sequence of "visualization, sound-merging, swallowing saliva, and fire qi" forms a coherent set of Daoist cultivation and liturgical terminology.

After reciting the incantation, first draw three breaths and send them into the Five Viscera, sealing the viscera with qi. Then take a dignified bearing: the left hand forms the Zi Wei Jue (the mudra of the Zi position) and the right hand forms the Hai Wei Jue (the mudra of the Hai position). Silently summon and raise the Gang (the Dipper pattern), and three generals arrive before you: General Zhao Shouyan, General Xiong Xiushang of the Raising Gang, and General Tian Zhanyao Cun of the Launching Gang. Then turn left three times around the outside of the Gang, which is called "subduing the Three Ethereal Souls (sanhun) and fixing the Seven Corporeal Souls (qipo)." Do not step outside the Gang. Then step to break the earth and summon the Thunder Gang.

Step Formula One

Xun treads, Li is on the right, Kun is single on the left, Zhen is single on the right, walk Dui to tread the left Ghost Gate, walk Kan on the right, step to the Heavenly Gate, tread upright, and gaze at the Heavenly Gang.

Gang Incantation

Jade Pivot Divine Gang, respectfully following the commands of the True King, break the earth and summon thunder, and strike down calamities and disasters. Messengers of the Five Thunders, hasten to the altar, and follow my incantation and decree to drive away all inauspicious things. Open the gates of the Five Departments, and bring down great divine light. Pour it into my brush and inkstone, that I may write the celestial seal script. May water monsters be extinguished and ghost paths flee in ruin. Hurry, hurry, as the law of thunder and lightning commands.

Step Formula Two

Kan treads, Gen treads (left), then step Qian (tread), walk up Zhen and tread, Dui likewise, Kun treads (left), Li is single (right), Xun treads upright, and when the Three Terraces return, you may then pay homage to Heaven.

Step Formula Three

Kui treads two on the right, three returns to the left, four treads upward, five is single on the right, six walks single on the left, Dian becomes the assistant, the Heavenly Gang treads upright, and then you break through the Kun gate.

Having stepped this pattern to the third star-position, stop at the right of the thunder bureau. Place the sword gesture on the hips, summon and visualize the generals arriving, and then intone the incantation with focused intent:

Heaven, earth, sun, moon, and stars, wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and spirits! I respectfully follow the Perfected Lord Dong of the Capital of the Nine Heavens. Hurry, summon the Five Thunder spirit-generals to descend swiftly. Hurry, as the decree of the Supreme Emperor commands.

Ten-Fold Repeating Incantation

Qian honors and illuminates the spirits, Kun yields and nourishes within, the two forms interact in harmony, and the six directions prosper through correctness. Turn your back on Heaven and face Earth, that peace and purity may endure forever. Respond to the Primordial Sovereign, with the upper garment and the lower skirt in order. Zhen, Li, Kan, and Dui assist and support the Fusang tree. Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun make the tiger's step and the dragon's Gang. Heaven's gate and Earth's door, the human gate and the ghost road: who guards me? The Vast Heaven and the Azure Sky. Today I walk the Yu step and correspond above to the Heavenly Gang. Ghosts and spirits submit and yield, and below, inauspicious things are dispelled. Whatever is sought will be granted as wished, and the numinous light will answer at once. Scold and chase away the ghostly thieves who oppose the Dao, and bind the Kui Gang.

Whenever practicing these rites, one may transform into a Messenger of the Five Thunders, or take the form of a Supreme Perfected or a Celestial Master, and then proceed in the order set out above.

Fahai Yizhu (Pearls from the Sea of Methods): A Vernacular Reading

I. Visualization and Stepping the Gang

First, perform visualization (cunxiang, inner imagining). Imagine wind, cloud, thunder, rain, and lightning surging out from within your own body and joining with the Marshal (yuanshuai, the commander of the Thunder Ministry). Circulate the black qi in the kidneys (the kidneys belong to water and are black in color, and in thunder rites this qi is often regarded as a source of thunder qi). Then hold the breath (biqi), and step the gang (bugang), walking the ritual pattern in accordance with the stellar positions.

II. The Gang Incantations (Yushu Shengang and Others)

The Yushu Shengang (Jade Pivot Divine Gang) incantation belongs to the type that invokes the True King, breaks the earth, and summons thunder. Its sense runs roughly as follows: "I serve the True King, who breaks the earth and summons thunder and slays all inauspicious things. Five Thunder fierce officers, hasten to the altar! Hear my command and drive away all inauspiciousness. Open Qian and break Xun, and send down the great divine light. Urgent, urgent, as the statute of the Supreme Empyrean True King (Gaoshang Shenxiao Zhenwang lüling)."

Recite again: "White qi, chaotic and primordial, pours into my form." Follow the Yu's Steps (yubu) and ascend to the Yangming (the bright heights of the yang sky). As heaven turns and earth revolves, step the Seven Stars (qixing), tread the gang and walk the Dipper (lü dou), and climb to the Nine Numinous Ones (jiuling). "All the gods assist me in slaying demonic spirits. Every myriad demon is destroyed in form, no evil can touch me, and I attain long life."

"Upper Terrace, One Yellow: remove all inauspiciousness. Middle Terrace, Two White: protect the body and guard the house. Lower Terrace, Three Green: extinguish calamity, cure illness, and dispel the depletion of jing (essence). Wherever the terrace stars arrive, great awe-inspiring power is bestowed. Urgent, as the command of the Lord on High."

Merge all three gang into a single establishment upon the Gang Star. Gaze (linmu) and recite the heart-mantra once. Then hold the breath and step down to the next gang.

III. Water-Fire Completion Gang and Breaking the Heavens

Next, visualize the Shuihuo Jiji Gang (Water-Fire Completion Gang). Starlight shines upon the Xun Gate (xunmen, the gate of the Xun direction). Use the sword mudra (jianjue, a hand seal held as though grasping a sword) to draw an eight-character stroke. Visualize the Thunder God (leishen) surging out from the Earth Gate (dihu, the underground gate) and coming to the altar to receive orders.

Breaking-the-Heavens Mudra and Gang (Poxiao jue, Poxiao gang): Hold the Ziwei Ju (Purple Tenuity hand configuration) in the left hand and form the sword mudra with the right hand resting on the hip. Step the gang five turns and chant: "Wind rises, thunder shakes, clouds gather, rain falls, lightning flashes. Urgent, as the statute." Obtain thunder qi (leiqi).

Then step the wind, cloud, thunder, rain, and lightning gang. Once the feet are settled, visualize the Thunder Duke (Leigong), Lightning Mother (Dianmu), Wind Earl (Fengbo), Rain Master (Yushi), and cloud officials (yunli) following you. Visualize your body standing above the Nine Heavens (jiuxiao), and begin the step of the Five Thunder True Gang (wulei zhen gang). With the left hand in the Ziwei configuration, chant the previous incantation and point with the finger seal to each direction in turn until reaching Wu (the noon position). Turn the thumb five times while chanting, then flick the finger seal at the noon position to summon the Five Envoys (wu shizhe). Use this seal to draw xun qi and blow it before the altar, then act as the situation requires.

IV. Yin Dou Gang, Yang Dou Gang, and the Drum-Dance Gang of Envoy Zhang

The text also names the Yin Dou Gang and Yang Dou Gang, but it does not elaborate their specific steps. They belong to the category of Dipper gang rituals.

The incantation of the Drum-Dance Gang of Envoy Zhang (Zhang Shizhe guwu gang) contains the directions of the Bagua (the Eight Trigrams) and their divine generals. Its sense runs roughly as follows: "Om hum hum, san tan na han nan yan. Qian commands the mighty troops, Gen seals the ghost gates, Li drives the fire wheel, and Kan surges the waves. The human gate shakes the axis of the earth, Zhen's thunder cracks with a roar, and fierce winds topple the mountains. All the generals assist my body. Taixu Zhen and Tailing Zhen, descend swiftly, descend swiftly, and summon the thunder."

Notes on Terminology

Bugang (stepping the gang) and lü dou (treading the Dipper) refer to stepping in accordance with the stellar positions, often associated with the Dipper and the Nine Numinous Ones. Yubu (Yu's Steps) is the stepping method attributed to Great Yu, widely used in Daoist summoning and prohibitive incantations. Biqi (holding the breath) means suspending the breath, combined with visualization and gang-stepping. Jianjue (sword mudra) is a hand seal formed as though holding a sword, used for drawing talismans and breaking evil influences. Dihu (Earth Gate) is the underground gate through which thunder gods enter and leave. Wulei shizhe (Five Thunder Envoys) are envoys of the five directions or five kinds within the Thunder Ministry, who act on command. The Three Terraces (Upper Yellow, Middle White, and Lower Green) are terrace stars that govern, respectively, the removal of calamity, the protection of the home, and the healing of illness.

Note: This is a practical manual of thunder methods (leifa), stepping, and incantation and mudra instruction. The original is often elliptical, with juxtaposed enumerations, and this vernacular reading follows its sequence of visualization, stepping, incantation, drawing qi, and summoning generals. When comparing it with specific altar practice or lineage ritual, the step counts and positions of the Yin and Yang Dou Gang should be checked against the full text and oral transmission.

Fahai Yizhu (Pearls Left Behind in the Dharma Sea): A Vernacular Interpretation

Let all the divisional spirits and the thunder gods arrive swiftly at the altar. Should any come late, their forms shall be annihilated first.

Jiji ru lü ling (Quickly, quickly, as the statute commands).

Dance of the Gang Steps (treading the Dipper according to the Beidou gang bu)

Stand in the center of the altar. With the left foot, touch the Qian position while reciting "emerging from Qian." Touch the Gen position while reciting "hidden in Gen." Touch the Kun position while reciting "rising in Kun." Touch the Xun position while reciting "issuing from Xun." Then recite "sinking into heaven" to sever ghosts and spirits. (The counts yi-er and li-shi mark the sequence of steps.) Extract the Xun trigram and visualize the Xun palace as water-light, joined with the golden light of heaven. Within it, an envoy descends and is drawn in front of the altar.

Five-Phase Generation, Conquest, and Transformation (clear weather is generation, rain is conquest)

Wind and thunder belong to the east, the Zhen position. They correspond to the Liver and the Wood phase, and on yin and mao days one chants xu three times. Lightning belongs to the south, the Li position, and corresponds to the Heart and the Fire phase. On si and wu days one chants he twice. Hail belongs to the west, the Dui position, and corresponds to the Lung and the Metal phase. On shen and you days one chants xi four times. Rain belongs to the north, the Kan position, and corresponds to the Kidney and the Water phase. On hai and zi days one chants chui once. Clouds belong to the center, the Kun position, and correspond to the Spleen and the Earth phase. On chen, xu, chou, and wei days one chants hu five times.

The five phases are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The five directions are Zhen, Dui, Kan, Li, and Kun. The five viscera are Lung, Liver, Kidney, Heart, and Spleen. The five breaths are xu, xi, chui, he, and hu. These twenty elements fully express the essential mechanism of the Five Thunders.

Note: This passage belongs to the Daoist thunder rites (leifa) and to liturgies for praying for clear weather or rain (keyi). It correlates the Five Phases, Five Directions, Five Viscera, and Five Breaths with wind, thunder, lightning, hail, rain, and clouds. It combines these with the six-syllable formula (liuzi jue: xu, he, hu, xi, chui) and the treading of the Dipper steps. The text unites inner cultivation with the summoning of thunder and the petitioning of rain. Here "Five Thunders" refers to the correspondences between these meteorological phenomena and the Five Phases and viscera.