《抱朴子內篇》Vol. 15

Someone asked: "I've heard that through bigu (a practice of abstaining from grains) one can achieve immortality. How many methods exist, and which is best?"

Ge Hong (the Master Who Embraces Simplicity) replied: Bigu merely reduces food expenses—it cannot alone confer immortality. Those who've practiced long-term grain abstinence report fewer illnesses than when eating grains. Consuming herbs like atractylodes or Solomon's seal, or the mineral medicine "Yu's Leftover Grain" (taken three times every nine days), does increase stamina, enabling one to carry heavy loads over long distances with ease. Certain mineral medicines can suppress hunger for five to ten years, while methods like swallowing Qi, using talismans (fulu), or drinking "divine water" merely stave off hunger while weakening physical strength.

Though Daoist texts claim "for longevity keep the intestines clean, for immortality keep them residue-free," or state "grass-eaters run swiftly but are dull, meat-eaters grow strong but fierce, grain-eaters become wise but short-lived, while Qi-absorbers attain spiritual immortality," these are partial truths from breath cultivation lineages, insufficient when practiced alone. For those seeking the Golden Elixir (jindan), a hundred days of bigu is ideal first—yet taking the elixir directly still works, albeit slowing ascension.

During famines or mountain reclusion, bigu skills prevent starvation. But ordinary people shouldn't abruptly fast—it brings scant benefit, and food aromas weaken resolve. Unless committed to monastic life, don't force harsh abstinence. Better moderate eating than extreme bigu.

Existing methods number about a hundred: some use pills sustaining forty to fifty days without hunger; pine/cypress or atractylodes cultivation works but falls short of elixirs, lasting under ten years; others require daily herbs. One method involves feasting before taking medicine to halt digestion—yielding three hunger-free years. To resume eating, winter mallow seeds with lard induce purging, expelling undigested banquets intact. A Luoyang Daoist...

Dong Wei and his companions often resided at White Lodge (a Daoist cultivation site), abstaining from grains for extended periods. Chen Zixu studied the Daoist methods under them and, after considerable time, acquired this technique: grind over ten medicinal herbs including licorice, saposhnikovia root, and amaranth seeds into powder. First ingest three small spoonfuls of the medicinal powder, then swallow twelve sparrow-egg-sized stones. This sustains one without hunger for a hundred days. When needing to repeat the regimen, both physical strength and complexion remain normal. To resume eating grains, one must first drink mallow seed decoction to expel the stones.

Another method involves treating stones with Red Dragon Blood and Green Dragon Paste (two types of elixirs): dissolve cinnabar and malachite in water, then immerse the stones. Shortly afterward, the stones soften and become edible. If not removed promptly, they dissolve completely. Consuming such stones provides satiety and enhances physical vigor. There’s also the Guiding Stone Powder—mix a spoonful into a peck of white stones, boil with water, and they soon soften like taro, serving as a grain substitute. Zhang Taixuan’s entire household and dozens of disciples secluded themselves on Mount Linlü, sustaining on these stones for over a decade, all robust and healthy. However, this method requires specific white stones, making it less convenient than treating stones with Red Dragon Blood and Green Dragon Paste, and boiling them still demands firewood.

Other methods include: using talismans (fulu) while drinking water or talisman-infused water; consuming nine dried jujubes daily with one or two liters of wine; practicing breath absorption (fuqi) in twelve two-hour periods (starting at midnight, decreasing repetitions from nine-nine to eight-eight, etc.); or ingesting astral essences in seasonal directions: in spring, face east to absorb the azure essence of Jupiter (Wood Star) into the liver; in summer, the crimson essence of Mars (Fire Star) into the heart; in late summer, the yellow essence of Saturn (Earth Star) into the spleen; in autumn, the white essence of Venus (Metal Star) into the lungs; in winter, the black essence of Mercury (Water Star) into the kidneys.

The Central Peak Daoist Xi Yuanjie ingested the "Essence of the Six Wù" (celestial-terrestrial qi of specific hours) with notable efficacy: for instance, during the ten-day cycle starting with Jiǎzǐ, on the Wùchén day, face the chén direction (southeast) daily at the chén hour (7–9 AM) to swallow qi, shifting directions with each new Jiǎ cycle. Gan Shi’s method involved summoning the Six Jiǎ and Six Dīng Jade Maidens (Daoist deities), chanting incantations over water before drinking—reportedly even livestock could avoid hunger this way. Others silently contemplated the spleen deity’s name, "Yellow Robe Child," sealing the mouth to swallow internal qi. These methods yield tangible results; I’ve witnessed many sustaining years without food.

The Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity (Baopuzi Neipian) discusses the practice of grain avoidance (bigu, abstaining from the Five Grains) and its associated phenomena.

Many practitioners report feeling physically lighter with improved complexion after adopting grain avoidance, becoming more resistant to temperature extremes and dampness, while rarely gaining weight. Though no one has been observed abstaining from food for decades, ordinary people would starve within ten days without grain, whereas these adepts remain perfectly healthy after years of abstinence—demonstrating the feasibility of long-term grain avoidance. Beginners may experience weakness initially, but gradually grow stronger month by month and year by year, proving the sustainability of this practice.

Those who truly attain longevity through the Dao achieve it by ingesting elixirs (dan) and absorbing primordial Qi. Those relying solely on talisman water (fushui) or Qi cultivation typically experience emaciation for the first forty days before recovering. Zheng Yin (Master Zheng) confessed his originally low alcohol tolerance, yet during his two-year grain avoidance retreat at Mount Tong, he could drink several dou of wine without intoxication. This demonstrates how grain avoidance enhances the body's toxin resistance and reduces susceptibility to illness.

Zheng Yin also disclosed two secret formulas: one involves blending Cloud-Liquor (yunye) with cinnamon, aconite, licorice, and other herbs to form pills that transform into fine wine when dissolved in water; the other, the Yellow Emperor's Cloud-Spring Method, uses fermentation starters with seven or eight medicinal herbs to create a tonic beverage that maintains its flavor despite infinite dilution.

The text mentions a certain Feng Sheng who practiced only Qi cultivation and grain avoidance for three years, effortlessly carrying heavy loads up mountains all day—though he spoke sparingly, as speech depletes Jing (essence) and Qi. Ge Hong criticizes some Daoists who feign grain avoidance for fame, secretly drinking alcohol while merely abstaining from staple foods.

This passage documents how ancient Daoist practitioners achieved extraordinary abilities like grain abstinence (bigu), cold resistance, and heat endurance through specialized diets and cultivation methods.

Regarding grain abstinence, the text describes individuals who could survive for six months to a year consuming only meat broth, wine, and dried meat while avoiding grains. A notable case is the Wu Kingdom Daoist Shi Chun, who treated illnesses while fasting for a hundred days, drinking only minimal water. Even after being imprisoned by Emperor Jing of Wu for over a year, his complexion remained rosy, and his energy undiminished. However, the author notes that such bigu techniques do not truly prolong life.

For cold resistance, several methods are mentioned: ingesting the Six Bing and Six Ding (Liubing Liuding) talismans at the start of winter, circulating the "Qi of Five Fires" (Wu Huo Zhi Qi) 1,200 times while holding one’s breath, or consuming special elixirs like Sun Wine (Taiyang Jiu) or Purple Quartz-Cinnabar Lacquer Powder (Zi Shiying Zhu Qi San). The text details the ingredients of "Female Pills" (Ci Wan) and "Male Pills" (Xiong Wan) but clarifies that these methods offer no longevity benefits.

As for heat endurance, the passage records ingesting the Six Ren and Six Gui (Liuren Liugui) talismans at the start of summer, circulating the "Qi of Six Gui" (Liu Gui Zhi Qi), or taking "Black Water Pills" (Xuan Shui Wan) and "Flying Frost Powder" (Fei Shuang San). Notably, these medicines required rare ingredients, such as bark from Mount Xiaoqiu and blood from a northern black snake collected on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Examples include You Bozi and Wang Zhongdu, who could wear heavy fur in summer while surrounded by twelve blazing stoves without sweating.

The text also mentions inquiries about "avoiding weapon harm" (bi wubing), though the response is incomplete. These accounts reflect ancient Daoist explorations into esoteric cultivation, yet the author, Ge Hong (the Master Who Embraces Simplicity), explicitly states that such techniques cannot genuinely confer immortality.

This scripture records several Daoist protective arts for warding off weapons and invisibility techniques. It mentions that ancient emperors once learned essential methods from Master Jie—simply by mastering the written characters of the Big Dipper and the sun-moon symbols, one could become fearless against blades. An emperor tested this on dozens of attendants, who charged through battlefields yet remained unharmed throughout their lives.

Master Zheng (a revered Daoist adept) stated that merely reciting the names of five weapons also held efficacy. Each weapon was governed by specific constellations: blades by the Fang and Xu lodges, bows by the Zhang lodge, arrows by the Mars (Yinghuo star), swords by the Jiao lodge, crossbows by the Zhang lodge, and halberds by the Shen lodge. Before combat, one should silently recite these weapon names.

The text also details methods for crafting various protective talismans (fulu): creating a Chiling Talisman on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to paste on the chest; crafting the Yanjun Dragon-Tiger Three-Pouch Talisman (with yearly, monthly, and daily variants to be rotated) at noon on a Bingwu day; carrying the Queen Mother of the West's Military Credential Talisman, the Mars-Vermilion Bird Talisman, the South Pole Metal-Melting Talisman, the Blade-Warding Talisman, and the Zhurong Talisman. Other methods include: anointing the body with Jade Slip Powder, bathing in scallion broth, crafting the Six Yin Generals Talisman from chaste tree branches to point at enemies, and smearing blades with blood from a three-year-old toad (bearing an eight-character pattern under its throat) caught during a lunar eclipse.

Regarding invisibility, the Baopuzi notes five primary supernatural abilities, with "sitting to vanish" (instant invisibility while seated) being the most common. However, these arts offer no benefit for prolonging life, and their unwarranted use during peacetime invites censure. Only in dire wartime emergencies may they be employed to avert disaster. Specific invisibility techniques include: consuming the Great Concealment Talisman for ten days—turning left to vanish and right to reappear; anointing the body with Jade Mystery Pills; carrying Separation Grass; placing Azure Dragon Grass at the Liuding (Six Ding Divine Generals)方位; or entering bamboo groves while holding Soil of the Celestial Pivot.

This passage describes the wondrous shape-shifting arts and disaster-avoidance methods in Daoist cultivation, along with essential techniques for nurturing life and prolonging years.

Advanced practitioners who have attained profound cultivation can transform their forms—they may enter the Purple Tenuity Palace (a celestial abode in Daoist cosmology), ascend the Hall of Light (an important heavenly structure), or slip into the golden cabinets guarded by jade maidens. They can stand beneath the Three Splendors Canopy with their backs to the Auxiliary Star while facing the Official Star, or perform magical arts through simple actions like removing their headscarves or taking off shoes. The text enumerates various transformation possibilities: becoming children or elders, birds or beasts, plants or livestock, even merging with wood, stone, water or fire to assume new forms—though it notes such transformations cannot completely conceal one's traces.

When asked about the method Zuo Ci (styled Yuanfang, a famous Eastern Han dynasty fangshi) used to escape after being imprisoned by Cao Cao, the respondent explains that while Zuo Ci's specific technique remains uncertain, Daoist texts record numerous secret methods for freeing oneself from shackles. These include: taking coix seeds three times monthly with the "Three-Five Yin Elixir," using male animal genitalia, capturing "leaping spirit insects" (Daoist numinous creatures) while walking eastward on the seventh day of the seventh month, or obtaining dragon moltings from stones on the fifth day of the fifth month, along with twenty-one other talismanic methods involving summer solstice thunder-struck wooden pegs. However, it emphasizes that Zuo Ci's divine powers were so extraordinary he likely didn't rely on these—he probably employed the "Six Jia" (Daoist Six Ding-Six Jia divine arts) to shapeshift beyond physical confinement.

Regarding whether cultivators can avoid illness, the text explains that comprehensive life-nourishment requires multiple approaches: consuming elixirs, persistent Qi circulation (breathing exercises), daily daoyin (health gymnastics) to unblock Qi-blood flow, harmonized with bedroom arts (ancient sexual cultivation), dietary prohibitions, and avoidance of wind-cold-damp pathogens. Perfect adherence can prevent illness, but ordinary people often lack focused willpower and disciplined practice, making minor ailments inevitable. For those with mere belief but no actual cultivation, when fate encounters "isolated emptiness" (inauspicious directions) and the body suffers damage, the "Three Corpse Spirits" (troublemaking deities within the body) will exploit these weaknesses, attracting malignant energies and ghosts during inauspicious days in sickness-prone regions.

This passage explains why ancient Daoist practitioners needed to master medical knowledge. When haunted by malevolent spirits or plagued by misfortune, serious illnesses often followed. Thus, the earliest Daoist cultivators simultaneously studied medicine to handle sudden ailments. However, some mediocre Daoists failed to grasp this principle—they neither understood healing methods nor devoted themselves to secluded cultivation to dispel illness. When truly sick, they fared worse than ordinary people with medical knowledge.

The author Ge Hong (Baopuzi) criticized contemporary medical texts like Dai Ba's Golden Casket Green Pouch and Hua Tuo's Yellow Silk Formulas. Though these works claimed comprehensiveness, they omitted many emergencies, presented disorganized content, and prescribed expensive herbs unaffordable to common folk. Some texts discussed acupuncture but failed to clearly describe acupoint locations, rendering them unintelligible to non-specialists.

Ge Hong stated his compiled Jade Casket Formulas spanned 100 volumes, systematically categorized by diseases. Ninety-three volumes contained simple, practical prescriptions using common ingredients to treat various emergencies. Keeping this book at home eliminated constant reliance on physicians. He rebuked most doctors of his era as reputation-driven charlatans profiting from ancestral fame, while truly capable recluses refused to practice medicine. Thus, mastering medical essentials proved wiser than hastily consulting ignorant physicians—skilled healers were scarce, reluctant to treat even when found, and delays often worsened conditions.

(Note: The "Three Punishments" mentioned is a Daoist term referring to inauspicious astrological clashes in year, month, and day pillars. "Bright Hall Flow and Side-Acupuncture Charts" depict classical acupuncture points. "Striated texture" denotes muscle grain, here representing early-stage illness.)

The Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity (Baopuzi Neipian) discusses several methods for divining fortune and communicating with spirits. Ge Hong (Baopuzi) notes that conventional techniques like observing celestial phenomena, geographical signs, or casting divination sticks are laborious and often unreliable. Truly accomplished adepts can understand worldly affairs without even stepping outside.

He introduces several spirit-communication methods: One may summon deities like the Directors of Fate (Siming) and Calamity (Siwei), or the mountain gods of the Five Sacred Peaks, using the "Three Sovereigns Celestial Script" (Sanhuang Tianwen)—a secret Daoist talismanic tradition—to directly inquire about auspicious or inauspicious events. Alternatively, one can invoke the "Six Yin Jade Maidens" (Liuyin Yunü), female spirits who can be commanded after sixty days of successful cultivation. Another approach involves making offerings to the "Eight Archivists" (Bashi), eight deities corresponding to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), who possess foreknowledge of future events.

Some unconventional methods are also described: Consuming a medicinal formula called "Knife-Scoop Powder" (Daogui), made from kudzu flowers and autumn miscanthus grass, induces sudden drowsiness, during which one may hear voices revealing fortunes. Alternatively, gazing into a mirror over nine inches long for seven days and nights with focused concentration can make immortals manifest, allowing one to perceive events a thousand miles away. Using four mirrors simultaneously (called "Four-Regulation Mirrors," Siguijing) reveals even more spirits—some with multiple eyes, others astride dragons or tigers, clad in extraordinary attire.

Ge Hong emphasizes a crucial warning: Before practicing these arts, one must memorize the names, ranks, and attire of the spirits to be summoned. Failing to recognize a suddenly appearing deity may cause fright or even harm. Secluded mountain forests, free from disturbances, are ideal for cultivation, enhancing success. Even if encountering wondrous beings—like three youths and nine maidens, nine-headed serpent-bodied entities, or hundreds of manifesting spirits—one should avoid prolonged staring.

When someone questions or scolds you in anger, do not respond. If you happen to see attendants in procession, mighty guardians, or figures riding dragons and tigers amid the clamor of flutes and drums, do not look up or speak to them. Simply focus your mind in silent contemplation of the true form of Lord Lao (the deified Laozi revered in Daoism). When his true form manifests, rise and bow twice in reverence.

The true form of Lord Lao is as follows: His surname is Li, given name Dan, courtesy name Boyang. He stands nine feet tall with golden-yellow skin, a beak-like mouth, a high nose bridge, elegant eyebrows five inches long, ears seven inches long, three vertical wrinkles crossing his forehead, and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern on his soles. He sits upon a divine tortoise throne, dwelling in a jade hall with golden towers and silver steps, clad in robes woven from five-colored clouds, wearing a layered jeweled crown and carrying a sharp sword. His retinue includes 120 yellow-turbaned guardians, with twelve Azure Dragons to his left, twenty-six White Tigers to his right, twenty-four Vermilion Birds before him, and seventy-two Black Tortoises behind. Twelve Qiongqi beasts clear his path ahead, followed by thirty-six protective Bixie creatures, while thunder and lightning flash brilliantly above him. These descriptions all originate from immortal scriptures. Beholding Lord Lao's true form prolongs life, illuminates the mind like sun and moon, and grants omniscience.

Someone inquired about methods to strengthen teeth. Baopuzi replied: Nourish them with Hua Chi (saliva) and bathe them in sweet fluids—knocking the teeth together 300 times at dawn ensures they never loosen. Alternatively, hold in the mouth decoctions of rehmannia, Black Gall Soup, Snake Fat Pills, Alum Powder, or Jujube Powder. These can restore firmness to loose teeth and heal cavities. Consuming Lingfei Powder may even regrow lost teeth.

For sharpening hearing: Practice Daoyin (Daoist therapeutic exercises) imitating the movements of dragons, tigers, bears, and tortoises to retain red-yellow Qi in the "Cavern Chamber" (upper Dantian). Perform 1,200 repetitions of crouching like an ape or startling like a hare to preserve acute hearing. For deafness, fumigate with a mystic tortoise, plug ears with mixtures of thorns, sheep dung, cinnamon, and sparrow feathers, or apply ear drops of wolfsbane, aconite, or scallion juice. Infusing steamed carp brain fluid can also cure deafness.

The path to bright vision lies in: Guiding the Qi of the Sanjiao (three energy centers) upward, summoning the Li Fire (Fire Phase) of the south, washing with luminous stones, and soothing with sunlight. One may also burn Bing-Ding Vision Talismans (Daoist fu incantations) and wash the eyes with wine—ancient sages used this method to write at night.

This passage describes several esoteric techniques in Daoist cultivation for enhancing physical strength and long-distance travel capabilities.

One method involves boiling turnip seeds in "bitter wine" (vinegar), drying them after cooking, and grinding them into powder. Taking one fangcunbi (approximately 1 gram) daily for seven days, and consuming a total of one dou (an ancient unit of volume) will grant night vision. Alternatively, boiling a decoction of dog gallbladder, green sheep gallbladder, turtledove gallbladder, abalone shell (shijueming), motherwort (chongwei), or Baihua San (Hundred Flowers Powder), or using a solution of clove (jishexiang), coptis (huanglian), and breast milk as eye drops can cure various eye ailments and grant vision far surpassing that of ordinary people.

When asked about methods for traversing mountains and enduring long journeys without fatigue, Ge Hong replied: Consuming superior elixirs can make the body light and strong, enabling one to labor without exhaustion. For those new to mountain travel or with weaker constitutions, washing the feet with Yunzhu powder, Baihuali (Hundred Flowers Sweet Wine), or Xuanzi decoction, combined with ingesting pills like Hudan (Tiger Gallbladder), Zhuming wine, Tianxiong Hezhi (Aconite and Crane Fat), Feilian decoction, or Qiumang Cheqian Zexie (Autumn Miscanthus, Plantago, and Alisma) for ten days will not only allow long-distance travel but also triple walking speed.

Regarding chengqiao (Daoist flight techniques), there are three methods: Longqiao (Dragon Flight), Huqiao (Tiger Flight), and Luluqiao (Deer-Pulley Flight). These can be cultivated through ingesting talisman water (fufu) and focused meditation. To travel a thousand li, one must concentrate for one shichen (two hours). If sustained continuously for twelve shichen (a full day and night), one can cover twelve thousand li in a day—but no faster. Another method involves crafting a flying chariot from jujube wood, driven by oxhide ropes and mechanical gears. Alternatively, one may visualize five serpents, six dragons, and three oxen intertwining to form an ascending gangqi (celestial energy), lifting the practitioner to the Taiqing realm (one of the Three Pure Heavens) at a height of forty li, where the gangqi is strong enough to support the body.

The master explained that eagles soar higher with fewer wingbeats because they ride ascending gangqi. Dragons initially tread clouds to rise but can fly freely upon reaching forty li. This knowledge comes from immortal teachings and is difficult for ordinary people to comprehend. Cultivating chengqiao requires a year of purification (zhaijie), abstaining from meat and blood, before one can master Wangqiao (the highest flight technique). Even with talismans and visualization of Wulongqiao (Five-Dragon Flight), the maximum range is a thousand li, with strict rules governing altitude and flight paths—no arbitrary deviations are permitted. Those who disregard these precepts must never attempt these methods.

This passage discusses several esoteric methods in Daoism for preventing epidemics. Classical texts like the Laozi Jing and oracle bone inscriptions prophesy that during specific years (those governed by the Metal and Wood phases), great plagues may occur where only one in ten thousand might survive.

Ge Hong (Baopuzi) transmitted several plague-avoidance techniques: The first involves visualizing one's body transforming into five sacred jades (wuyu), changing colors with the seasons—azure in spring, vermilion in summer, yellow during the transitional months (or the sixth month), white in autumn, and black in winter. Simultaneously, imagine wearing a golden headscarf while visualizing your heart as a burning flame the size of a peck measure, rendering you immune to pestilence.

The second method requires visualizing your hair loosened and draped over your body, with each strand tipped by a giant star. Imagine the Big Dipper (Beidou) covering your crown, its handle pointing forward. Then visualize the Qi from your five organs—azure from the liver, white from the lungs, yellow from the spleen, black from the kidneys, and crimson from the heart—flowing out through your eyes to envelop your body like colored mist. This five-colored aura enables you to share a bed with the infected without contracting illness.

Other methods include: performing the Yu Steps (Yubu, a Daoist ritual walking pattern) to summon the Jade Maidens (yunü) on celestial duty; breath retention while visualizing mighty guardians wielding thousand-pound golden hammers; or employing various Daoist elixirs and talismans (fulu) such as Ghost-Repelling Pills, Red Chariot Messenger Pills, Champion Pills, Xu Changqing Powder, Jade Casket Essence Powder, Green Ox Taoist's Fumigation Pills, Cui Wen's Yellow Powder, Herb Jade Wine, Yellow Court Pills, Imperial Talismans, Laozi's Collar Talisman, and Red-Bearded Master's Peach Talismans—all renowned for their potent epidemic-prevention effects.

(Note: Terms like "five jades," "Yu Steps," and "Jade Maidens" are specialized Daoist cultivation terminology, while "Kui" and "Gang" refer to the bowl and handle sections of the Big Dipper constellation.)