《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 3

Format of the Ritual Chamber Notice

When entering the ritual chamber, one should first calm the breath, then enter the inner room and sit upright. Once seated, the altar table lies before you. Hang a mirror above the altar, its face turned toward a basin of water. The yang spirit (yangshen, the consciousness that appears in the mirror) dwells in the mirror, and the yin spirit (yinshen, the consciousness that appears in the water) dwells in the water. Recite: "Lingbao Perfected, we respectfully invite such-and-such a spirit to manifest here swiftly, swiftly, as the statute commands."

The notice reads: "Divine Tiger Chamber for Seeing Through (a ritual chamber for practicing the art of dongshi, or seeing through): We respectfully invite the officers, soldiers, registrars, envoys, and jade maidens under this chamber's jurisdiction to stand watch and attend the Gathering at the Origin. Please remain here at all times in attendance, manifest your forms clearly, gather as guardians, and await the dispatch of this chamber's envoys."

The above notice is written on a placard, with "Enter the Chamber Today" on one side and "Do Not Enter the Chamber Today" on the other.

Format of the Silent Memorial for Seeing Through

The disciple (minister) so-and-so, who holds a certain ritual rank, kowtows twice and submits the following memorial:

"Your disciple reflects that, having been born into the mundane world, I was fortunate in my early years to form good affinities, to receive the Lingbao scriptures, and to draw near to the Daoist community. I have unworthily held a post in the rank system of the Three Caverns (sandong, the Three Caverns, the hierarchy of Daoist ritual offices). Your disciple has vowed to ferry the dead across and aid the living, to cleanse the roots of worldly dust, to devote myself wholeheartedly to the Great Dao, to practice cultivation without interruption, and to keep the precepts.

Yet your disciple is still a mortal body. I have not yet penetrated the ultimate principle of the Mysterious Origin (Xuanyuan, the source of the Dao). My ears and eyes are obstructed, and my body and mind are clouded. How could I see thoroughly? Regarding matters of ghosts and spirits, I am also unable to perceive the boundary between the hidden and the visible.

Previously, I received from my ordaining master, such-and-such, the transmission of the Lingbao Great Method, the Hunyuan Jade Tablet, and the Hidden Text of Seeing Through. Today, on such-and-such a day, your disciple, in accordance with the method, swallows the inner taboo (a secret divine name or talismanic script) in order to seek thorough perception of the true numinous beings. I earnestly beg the Patriarchs, the Supreme Emperors, and the True Spirits of the Three Treasures to pardon your disciple's transgressions, so that I may attain the marvelous state of cultivation.

I especially petition that pure true qi, the luminous wisdom of the Great Dao, and the grace of the Three Treasures be sent down, so that the Six Penetrations of True Qi may flow into your disciple's bodily field (the place of body and mind where cultivation occurs). Within, cleanse the dust from the mirror of the heart; without, remove the defilement from the ears and eyes. Open the brightness of the viscera and dissolve the stagnation of yin in the hundred joints. Subdue demons and calamities, and sever the knots and embryonic roots (the tangles that obstruct cultivation). Once your disciple has swallowed the inner taboo and divine script, may I immediately illuminate the myriad regions, sit in stillness and observe the Three Realms, see through the hidden and the visible, perceive ghosts and spirits clearly, and thereby ferry the dead, aid the living, and study the Dao in cultivation. The desires and aims of your disciple are as follows..."

Whenever one seeks something through prayer, one hopes for a response that supports the true Dao and assists the mysterious work of teaching. I do not dare to disclose these matters lightly. Should one be disrespectful toward or betray the Dao methods (daofa) and one's master's lineage, it would be like breaking a sacred oath, and one willingly accepts punishment according to the laws of the Mysterious Gate (xuanmen). (Your servant) respectfully and secretly submits this memorial, presenting it to the officers of the Three Heavens and placing it before the throne of the Supreme Sovereign of the Three Treasures. Grateful for the blessing and pressed by urgent need, your servant is overcome with trepidation.

Inner Cultivation of the Six Ding

My master says: On the noon hour (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) of the sixth day of each month, write the true names of the Six Ding spirits in cinnabar on yellow silk. Arrange them according to the direction belonging to that month, beginning with the character corresponding to the direction of the current ten-day period (xun), and continue the rest in order. For every two characters, inhale once, and breathe the qi into the talisman (fu). Make three talismans in total.

On the seventh day, during the hour of the ox (1 a.m. to 3 a.m.), rise after waking, put on your robe, and stand facing the direction of the Six Ding. Take one talisman and recite over it nine times (the meaning of the original phrase "nine times" (jiu zhi) is unclear). Then call out the spirit names and swallow it with clean water. When you first hear a human voice, immediately face that direction, inhale six times, and swallow. Follow this same method on the seventh day of the middle of the month and on the seventh day of the last ten-day period.

Once you have completed this practice for one month, whenever any matter arises, face the direction of the current ten-day period, pray to the spirit names, inhale, and swallow. After some time, the Six Ding spirits will inform your mind that the thoughts arising in your heart and the words you speak are matters that will come to pass in the future, and none will fail to be fulfilled. If evil spirits harass or confuse you, practice in the same way as before. The Six Ding spirits will also reveal the reasons for the ghosts' disturbances, down to their clothing and numbers, and all of it will be borne out.

Outer Cultivation of the Six Jia

My master says: On the morning hour of the Six Jia days (5 a.m. to 7 a.m.), write the names of the Six Jia spirits in cinnabar on white silk. Facing the direction of the current ten-day period, swallow them with flowing water from the west. If the sun, moon, and stars cannot be seen, use well water instead. Then, holding the hands in the guhu grip, sit upright, beat the heavenly drum thirty-six times, knock the teeth twenty-four times, cross the hands, perform the crane-pecking motion six times, and then rotate through the Three Passes nine times. Next, separate the hands and rub the neck and chest. Visualize bright sunlight in the Dantian, with the whole body becoming luminous like fire, glowing red both inside and out. Recite the spirit names thirty-six times, then inhale and blow across the whole body. Constantly visualize the Six Spirits guarding you at your side.

The Six Jia will inform the practitioner of future events in dreams before the appointed dates, and they will often protect the one who practices. With long perseverance, one may see the Six Jia spirits and summon or command them at will. If minor demons create disturbances, write a talisman in cinnabar, burn it together with paper money, and the evil influence will immediately be dispatched into the sea by the Six Generals.

Penetrating the Memorials in Accord

The Master said: On the day before New Year's Eve each year, first bathe and change into clean clothes. On the morning of the next day, sit upright in a quiet chamber facing the Gate of Heaven (the portal of the celestial realm in Daoist cosmology), and recite the Hidden Names of the Three Heavens (a Daoist secret name formula; the original text is missing some characters, and their exact forms are unclear). Continue until the Twelve Double-Hours (the ancient division of the day into twelve periods) are complete, for a total of three hundred thousand recitations. On New Year's Day itself, do not speak all day.

From then on, when submitting a zhang (memorial), presenting a biao (petition), or performing an incantation rite, simply recite this secret formula once, then inhale the Qi of the East and blow it onto the written text. The memorial will then reach its destination at once and receive a mysterious response. The Master also said that if one recites the formula one hundred thousand times on the last day of the lunar month (huiri), the memorials submitted will reach the Three Heavens immediately.

Rescue from Peril

The Master said: On each of the Eight Seasonal Nodes (the start of spring, the spring equinox, the start of summer, the summer solstice, the start of autumn, the autumn equinox, the start of winter, and the winter solstice), observe purification and abstinence in the days before and after the festival. At the end of the Dog hour and the start of the Pig hour (roughly 9 to 11 p.m.), enter a quiet chamber, sit upright, and recite the Inner Hidden Names of the Three Heavens (a Daoist secret name formula; the original contains characters that are difficult to read), until the total reaches one hundred thousand recitations. When confronted by tigers, wolves, or poisonous creatures, hold the breath for seven breaths while silently reciting the formula thirty-two times, and the poisonous creature will lie hidden and will not come to harm.

The Master also said: On the first day of each month, recite the formula ten thousand times. If this is kept up for three months, one can meet all manner of calamity and sudden danger. When facing a particular disaster, silently recite the formula thirty-two times, and the calamity will naturally dissolve.

Holding the Body Steady by the Five Marchmounts

The Master said: On the ninth day after the start of spring, the third day after the start of summer, the seventh day after the start of autumn, the fifth day after the start of winter, and the day after each earth-prosperous day (the days when the Earth Phase of the Five Phases is at its height), face the corresponding direction and, during the Double-Hours of Zi, Wu, Mao, You, Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, knock the teeth according to the number of the direction. Visualize the ruler of the Eastern Marchmount and his officials, who command the other four Marchmounts, standing before you. Form the Five Marchmounts mudra (a Daoist hand seal), recite the names of the Five Marchmounts, and inhale the Qi of the five directions and swallow it. After one full year of practice, when seeking something, facing fear, or encountering sudden danger, such as entering the mountains or crossing water, first knock the teeth five times, invoke the names of the deities, and inhale and swallow the Qi of the five directions. Then breathe onto oneself and distribute Qi according to the directions. In this way one can escape from distress, and what one sets out to do will be fulfilled. Some of the Double-Hours in the original text are illegible.

Penetrating Myriad Wisdoms

The Master said: On the fifth day of the fifth month, write the names of the Northern Dipper in cinnabar, as many times as one wishes. Knead cinnabar and wax into pills, place them in a green bamboo tube, seal the tube in several layers of paper, and put it in the nest where a hen is hatching chicks. When the chicks have hatched, take the tube out and take the pills. Each day, recite ten thousand characters, and one will penetrate the principles of things and increase one's wisdom.

Alternatively, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, write the cinnabar names of the Dipper on a yellow cord, and knead cinnabar wax into seven pills. Take one pill each day with clear, pure water, continuing for forty-nine days. Afterward one can foresee all affairs, and one's wisdom will become spirit-like. Recite ten thousand characters each day, and when one speaks, one's words will be clear and comprehensible to others.

If you still remember the method described earlier, then on the night of the seventh day, take one grain of frankincense and one cinnabar granule the size of a bean, and soak them in a cup of "west-flowing water" (xī liú shuǐ) or well water. Place the cinnabar and frankincense into the water, face east, and recite "Qīng tóng fèng mìng kuàng" ("Azure Youth receives the command, kuang"). Then remove the frankincense and cinnabar, chew them thoroughly, and swallow them with water. Next, face north, recite the names of the stars of the Northern Dipper along with the syllable "kuàng," and say:

"Běidǒu Tàiyī língtóng, yī xī bǎi yìng."

("Spirit Youth of Supreme One of the Northern Dipper: one breath, a hundred responses.")

After reciting this seven times, take nine Dipper talismans and swallow them with water. Then recite the incantation:

"Qīng tóng líng míng, shén guāng xuán míng."

("Azure Youth, spiritually bright; divine light, profoundly luminous.")

After nine recitations, blow the Qi of the East into the water and wash the eyes with the remaining water. On the eighth day, there is no need to take the frankincense and cinnabar again. One need only recite the Dipper star names and the three preceding incantations, then use the charm-water to wash the eyes.

When someone comes to submit a petition, one need only recite the first three "kuàng" passages, inhale the Qi of the East, swallow the charm-water, and then close the door and sit quietly for a while. The text says that one will naturally understand the other party's intent, and that whatever one says spontaneously will match their purpose. This should be kept secret.

In daily practice, one takes a talisman each day by swallowing it. The Master said: on yellow paper, write the character "bǎo" (treasure) in cinnabar, using twenty-one strokes. Recite "qīn jìng quán shōu" ("respectfully, wholly received"), then recite "mò qī hēi kuí zhì [one rare character, not rendered here] shí zhì pò" (ink, lacquer, black, Kui, arrive, [rare character], eat, arrive, break). Recite the incantation once for each stroke. Write and swallow the talisman daily, while visualizing the character "líng" (spirit) in the heart and "bǎo" (treasure) in the head.

The Master said: if one has been injured by a poisonous creature, or suffers from carbuncles, boils, or ailments of the five viscera and six organs, one may write the "Four Upright Yin-Yang Taboo" on the affected area, or swallow or apply the talisman characters externally. Write no more than three characters, and the condition will be stabilized.

The Master said: to treat various illnesses, write the "Southern Dipper Taboo" in cinnabar on yellow paper and have the patient take it.

Talisman for Pacifying the Five Marchmounts

The Master said: before writing a talisman, first recite the Kuigang incantation, form the Chenwen hand seal, and blow the Qi of the Kuigang into the inkstone. Next, recite the Qianyuan incantation and place the brush into the ink. Then recite Taiyi's "kuàng" and blow breath onto the ink. After a short wait, grind the ink forty-nine times in each direction, then blow the Qi of the Southeast into the inkstone. Next, recite the "Five Marchmounts Upholding the Body" kuàng, form the middle-finger seal, blow breath onto the paper, and write the talisman in cinnabar. Silently recite the incantation once, draw in the Qi of the Northwest, and infuse the Qi-formula into the talisman according to the ritual. After sealing it properly, have the patient burn incense and pray, then cast the talisman into a fierce fire to burn. The text says that a response will follow. The method for cultivating the supplementary talismans is the same.

Shangqing Miaoxing Zhenren Suipo Talisman

Heavenly and earthly taboos, moon taboo, five-planet taboo, four-upright taboo, yang...

Each day, use the Six Ding days (liuding ri), avoiding the Six Jia days (liujia ri) that are taboo.

Respectfully invite the Treasures of the Dao and the Treasures of the Dharma, together with the Great Generals of the Luotian (Celestial Net) who are governed by the decree of the Holy Emperor Zhenwu, to descend.

A certain deity, acting in accordance with the decree, subdues evil spirits.

Report to the deities the Grand Duke Year (Taisui), the year, month, day, and hour.

The disciple of the Fawei (Ritual Office) surnamed [X] carries out this method.

Talisman for Pacifying the Five Peaks

The Master says: When encountering all kinds of malevolent spirits and demonic creatures, or altars, evil shrines, and the dangerous places connected to them, this method may be used. Write the talisman in cinnabar on a large stone and cast it into water, or place it or bury it in the ground. The Five Peaks represent the five directions: the Celestial Path lies in the northwest, the Earthly Path in the southwest, the Human Path in the southeast, and the Gongdu (Capital of Merit) in the northeast.

When writing, pinch the "Formula of the Five Peaks and Three Paths" (a Daoist ritual gesture), draw in the qi of the Five Peaks and the Three Paths, and blow the breath toward the talisman.

Nine Palaces for Viewing Ghosts and Spirits

The Master says: If you have not yet cultivated sufficient steadiness and wish to discern the spirits and ghosts that do not follow the proper Dao, you may use the method of the Nine Palaces (Jiugong).

For men, begin from the Li Palace (the southern palace of the Nine Palaces) and advance in forward order, one palace for each year of age. At first, the second palace is not used; instead, count from the Kan Palace (the northern palace) and proceed in reverse order by age. The Gen Palace is also not used. Pass through the palaces in sequence until reaching the palace corresponding to the person's age.

From this palace, begin counting again: within the year, arrange the months; within the month, arrange the days; within the day, arrange the hours; and within the hour, count once more. In this way, from the year, month, day, and hour in which the illness or ghostly harm occurred, together with the direction involved, one can infer the condition of the spirit.

The Qian Palace governs heaviness in the head and a body so heavy it can barely be supported, with both feet cold and painful. If it is harm from spirits, it belongs to the category of "One Yang" (yiyang); the person is beset by a malignant illness, and after death sinks into the northwest. Banners and incense relate to vows and oaths, and one who wears black clothing is an evil spirit.

The Kan Palace governs restlessness in the body, unwillingness to speak, and rumbling in the intestines; there may be dropsy or swelling of the limbs. Ghosts who drowned speak with words that are hard to make out. Its direction is due north, and it often brings signs of wandering, strange dreams, and mournful wailing. If it is ghostly harm, one must carefully inquire into the causes on the Yin-Yang side in order to determine the reason.

The Gen direction governs fullness in the heart and ribs and blockage in the throat. It may injure people, or cause incoherent speech and strange conduct, with unpredictable bursts of sorrowful laughter. The host of ghosts should number eight; if it is connected with temple altars, their conduct is improper. There are also stone and metal demons, whose forms and shadows should be observed from the northeast.

The Zhen position governs epidemics and jaundice-type illnesses, with chills and fever alternating and spreading to the limbs, loss of appetite, and even cursing. If one offends a heavenly envoy, one will suffer punishment. Ghosts who died of plague appear blue-green, and their dead souls follow. When a female ghost in red or yellow clothing appears, danger may come within three days.

The Xun Palace governs incoherent speech and confused words that are hard to decipher. It may also be ancestors signaling in obscure language, or harm from the practice of suppression (yansheng). If a woman's soul is seized by a ghost, the ghost's hand will cause the person to moan day and night. One should observe fasting and purity and pray to the Great Dao, so that peace may be obtained.

The Li Palace governs disaster arising in the due south. There may appear carbuncles, ulcers, or fire-burn sores, or symptoms such as fever in the upper body and jaundice.

Blood ghosts, those who died from injuries sustained in childbirth, and the restless souls of those who died violently while wearing red or purple will all seize the hun-souls of their kin. This is yanghun (yang-soul) haunting.

One should face the fire position of due south, search out the evil ghosts, and determine where they are and where they hide.

The kun direction (southwest) corresponds to the spleen and stomach. If dysentery or weakness and wasting of the lower body persist for a long time without cure, a fushi (a lurking corpse-qi) may be hidden in the southwest. If earth is disturbed and one offends the suisha (Annual Malefic), strange phenomena will appear on the corresponding days. The fushi will also draw in the souls of ancestors and mothers of the household, along with the souls of those who drowned or died in sudden violence, and they will follow along.

The dui direction (west) corresponds to laoshi (wearied corpse) and shizhu (corpse-infection) afflictions, which can cause the patient to pant, cough, and have difficulty walking. If burial matters are unfavorable, harm will also follow. Calamities from punishments may recur repeatedly, one misfortune after another. If one seeks merit, there may be ancient implements beside the house, and three ghostly evil spirits may accompany them, together producing grievances and calamities.

The Master said: By following this method, fasting and swallowing as prescribed, one may perfect the true Dao after the stipulated number of days, and afterward continue to practice in cycles.

Dongshi (Penetrating Sight)

The key to dongshi (penetrating sight) is to fix the gaze so that the vision seems able to pierce a dim window or bore into a rat's hole, seeing a hundred paces away. Even through mist, one can see what lies within. If one sits with eyes closed for a long time before looking, and the one-pointed mind wavers even slightly, the shen (spirit) of the eyes will lead the sight astray, and the numinous light will not appear. At first what one sees is like thin mist, and then confused colors appear. By the fourth seven-day period (twenty-eight days), one can see images at a distance. After five sevens (thirty-five days) they gradually become clear, and after seven sevens (forty-nine days) one can make out shapes and clothing. After ninety days one can hear sounds, and after a hundred days one can command spirits and immortals. Practice requires especially strict stillness and purity. If one cannot reach this level, one should instead cultivate the "Neiguan Zhongcang fa" (Inner Contemplation of the Hidden Store) method.

The Dao of Lingbao (Numinous Treasure) is divided into three grades. The highest is the Dao of Diyi (Sovereign One) and Huifeng (Returning Wind). The middle grade is the method of combining the five qi of Zhongli (Central Principle), transmitted to the Five Emperors. The lowest is the text of the ten transformations and Huiling (Returning Numinosity), transmitted to the various perfected. Beyond these three grades, other methods serve to save the living and deliver the dead, and they also include ways to summon perfected beings and invite numinous spirits. Everyone who studies to ascend the Dao and admires the immortals will find all of these teachings recorded in this book.

Neishi Zhongcang fa (Inner Visualization of the Hidden Store)

The Master said: If one cannot enter the chamber to practice within a hundred days, then on jiazi days (days marked in the sexagenary cycle by jiazi, jiaxu, and so on), at dawn, sit facing south. Using white silk, write the yuzha neihui (the secret divine names recorded on the jade tablet) in black ink, and place it in a clean vessel. Then take earth from each of the directions, with six portions (liuhe) from every direction, drawn from within the sixty days of this cycle, and cover the jade tablet with it. Place the vessel in the jia direction and seal it according to the method.

Then sit upright, form the mudra of "Touring the Wuyue Santu" (Five Peaks and Three Paths), perform it once, and recite the incantation. Breathe out and draw in the qi of the six directions, then swallow it. Recite the incantation once more, draw in the qi of the jia direction, and swallow it. At noon, wash away impurities and test your progress in practice. On the next jia day, take out the earlier jade tablet, burn it, and take the ash mixed in qingxuan shui (Azure Mystery water). Discard the earth gathered earlier into flowing water.

Visualizing the Spirits and Paying Homage to the Dipper

Write the jade tablet (yùzhá, a talisman made of jade or symbolizing jade) again in water, following the same method as before. Take earth and place it in a bottle, then walk the Dipper steps, pinch the sealing gestures (jué), and recite the incantations. After persisting through sixty jiǎ days (days counted by the sexagenary cycle), close the eyes and look inward, and one will be able to see the five viscera. This enables communication with spirits and insight into numinous matters. If one violates the precept against sexual desire, all the efficacy of previous cultivation is lost, and one's lifespan is shortened by one hundred and twenty years.

The Master said: The method of paying homage to the Dipper (cān dǒu) should be performed away from places where births, deaths, or funerals have occurred, or where pollution lingers. Set up a framework of green bamboo and place a carpenter's square on it, arranged according to the shape of the Dipper's handle (dǒu gāng). At the key points of the square, hang eight bright mirrors so that their light shines downward. Determine the orientation according to the direction the Dipper's handle faces and the hour, and use white chalk to draw the shape of the Dipper on the ground. The star positions must be bright, and lamps should be placed on the ground so that their light and the mirrors' light reflect each other. Make a Dipper-paying talisman from seven feet of red silk, and during the day, rub the inner names of the seven stars on the talisman onto the forehead. Then put on clean clothing, hold a sword, and arrange the ritual implements according to the diagram. The rite should be performed on a day chosen by the Master, when the sky is clear and the weather has cleared after rain.

During the paying of homage, begin from the point where the Dipper's handle meets the Qian position (northwest). At each star, before arriving, pinch the sealing gestures and recite the incantation forty-nine times, while gazing at the convergence of the sun, moon, and stars. Then inhale, swallow, and take the water with it. Throw out the water from the cup, then draw in water and spray it toward the Ghost Gate (the northeast), commanding subjugation. Next, strike the cup with the sword. Complete these actions, reciting the incantation forty-nine times in all. Afterward, proceed in order to the second star, continuing up to the seventh, performing the same procedure at each. When finished, return to the mouth of the Dipper, rest quietly for a moment to settle the mind, and then perform seven bows. Visualize two stars within the mouth of the Dipper. If one can see one star, one's name may be removed from the register of death. On the night of the rite, the Celestial Perfected and the gods of both realms will descend before the altar. Afterward, lie down within the shape of the Dipper and await a response.

Dipper-Paying Talisman

This talisman is made from seven feet of red silk. During the paying of homage, it is written with cinnabar, rubbed onto the forehead, and tied behind the head with the face of the talisman turned outward.

Dipper-Paying Incantation

I, a mortal dwelling in the dust of the world, love the Great Dao and seek its efficacy, and I constantly wish to behold the countenance of the august deities. I beseech the Supreme Jade Emperor and the Lord of the Purple Subtlety to grant me long life. May the Three Terrace Lords give me birth, nourish me, and protect me. Kui, Fu, Xiang, Wei, Hui, Liang, and Ti, Lords of the Stars, act swiftly in accordance with the statutes and decrees.

Another Incantation

The Great Kui of the central Dipper governs and oversees all the spirits. Within it are the two stars of the Exalted Sage and the August Emperor. Today, your servant pays homage to the Northern Dipper and wishes to behold the true forms of the gods, to erase the register of death, sever the roots of evil, and ascend to pass beyond the five households, with my name registered in Jade Clarity. May the afflictions of decline, sickness, the grave, and extinction not invade my body. May the Northern Capital cancel the record of sins, and the Southern Bureau register my long life. May the hundred demons come forward to await orders. When the rite is complete, bow to the Most Exalted One.

The Supreme Lord of Shangqing handed this matter down, and the Jade Emperor ordered it carried out at once. We respectfully obey the decrees of the Supreme Three Heavens and the Mysterious Capital.

Visualizing the Spirit and Paying Homage to the Dipper (Cun Shen Can Dou)

The Master says: If a woman, or someone whose qi and blood are weak or whose body is frail and cannot stand for long, should use the method of the "Two Perfected of the Flying Spirit" to visualize the spirit-soul and pay homage to the Northern Dipper. Or, if the body cannot manage the stepping patterns of the Dipper, then on the twenty-seventh day of each lunar month, at the end of the Hai hour (around 11 p.m.), enter a quiet chamber, face north, sit upright on a mat, and place incense at the crown of the head. Visualize your divine intention rising with the incense smoke directly into the Dipper, then visualize the seven stars of the Dipper shining brightly. After continuing this for a time, tap the teeth seven times and recite the incantations according to the stars' positions. When the bowing is complete, rest on the mat in the chamber and visualize the honored deities of the Dipper and the Emperor Star shining down upon you.

If an unusual sign or sensation appears that same night, a response has been received. If there is no response, wait for another auspicious day and again pay homage to the Dipper according to the method, until a response comes, and only then may you continue your practice. If you have performed the rite seven times according to the method and still see no clear response, you must not pay homage to the Dipper again. This indicates that one's karmic transgressions are heavy and one cannot be struck from the registers of death. The practitioner should be upright, pure, and wholehearted in caution, waiting for the spirits to respond. Only then is the practice effective and verifiable.

This method is the essential outline for summoning spirits and the key secret of chanting and recitation, and it should be practiced in silence, without speaking of it. For seven days after paying homage to the Dipper, do not return to ordinary dwellings, so that the fearful words of ordinary people do not disturb or scatter the transformations of the mundane qi. After the Dipper ritual is complete, choose another day to audience with the Origin (Chao Yuan).

Audience with the Origin (Chao Yuan)

The Master says: Before the audience with the Origin, one must first settle the hun and shen souls, clear away all thoughts, and enter a state of subtle and profound mystery. Only then may one proceed to the audience.

First prepare a bronze mirror seven inches or four inches and nine fen across, cast from copper refined by a new method and smelted nine times in fire. Each day, choose the six Yang hours, face east, dress neatly in proper robes, sit upright in the quiet chamber, and use the mirror to look at yourself while visualizing your own form. Do this for seven days, until the visualized form is clear and bright, free of any confused images.

At midnight, visualize your form as residing in the Niwan Palace (Mud Pellet Palace) in the head. At noon, visualize it as residing in the heart. At dusk, visualize it as residing in the lower Dantian (energy field). Practice this for seven days and nights until the upper, middle, and lower positions are all distinct and clear. Afterward, at night, report to the Gate of Heaven, and submit memorials to the Jade Emperor of the Three Heavens, the Kings of the Eastern and Western Qi, the Queen Mother, and the Azure Lord. Only then may the audience with the Origin begin.

When beginning the audience with the Origin, enter the quiet chamber at the Zi hour (around midnight), and invoke and employ the Divine Assembly Daoist Officer of Merit, the Jade Maiden who Receives the Ten Heavens, the Superior Official who Carries Words from the Flying Heavens, the Two Officials on Direct Duty as Envoys, the Zhengyi Officer of Merit, the Officials and Envoys of the Left and Right, the Yin-Yang Divine Adjudicator Clerks, the Clerks of the Vermilion Talisman Carriage, the Riders of the Gale Winds...

To set up the officials and envoys of the preceding memorial, the group includes the Feilong Riding Officials, the Shoushen Shishen Officials, the Shouqi Shiqi Officials, the Shouxie Shixie Officials, and the officials responsible for carrying memorials to the Thirty-Two Heavens. Among these spirit officials are the Jiazi Official Lord, the Yuwen Gongcao, the Demon-Discerning Jade Maidens, the Incense-Bearing Jade Maidens, the Tianzou Armored Soldiers, the Tianding Strong Warriors, the Zhizhong Immortal Clerks, the Zhizhi Jade Maidens, the Golden Youths, the Relay Officials, the Longqi Riders, the Phoenix Carriage, and the Purple Feather Fungus Canopy, along with the Tianding Strong Warriors who assist in their duties. They stand in orderly rows at the front, each with a clearly distinguished appearance and office. At this moment, one holds the Shengdu Gangfeng Talisman (Talisman for Ascending through the Gang Winds), wears the Yuqing Chaoyuan Talisman (Yuqing Audience Talisman) at the body, and holds above the head the Shengtian Hetong Great Contract (Great Tally for Ascending to Heaven).

Next, one sits upright, touches the tip of the tongue to the upper palate, and visualizes three kinds of qi within the Palace of the Three Primes. Within each of the three qi there is a perfected (zhenren), each with a form resembling one's own. First, hold the breath for twelve breaths and visualize the white-qi perfected of the Lower Primal Region rising into the heart and merging with the yellow-qi perfected to become one. Then hold the breath for nine breaths and visualize the yellow- and white-qi perfected of the Central Palace rising together to the Niwan Palace (the Upper Dantian within the head), where they merge with the green-qi perfected to become one. The final perfected wears green robes and a black-edged shoulder cape, and bears the emblems of the Five Sacred Peaks and Four Rivers upon the body.

Next, visualize red qi issuing from the left eye and white qi from the right eye. The two qi join into a single mass of true qi, which transforms into a carriage. Before the eyes appears a vermilion-jade feathered carriage, shaped like a great cart. Then hold the breath for twenty-seven breaths (three sets of nine), and visualize the perfected rising from the crown of the head and mounting the carriage. Forget the bodily form, as if in a dream. Riding on purple qi and golden light, one gradually ascends, escorted by immortals, until arriving at the realm of the Gang Winds.

Upon reaching the realm of the Gang Winds, one sees the Gang Wind Officials riding celestial beasts and bearing weapons. The practitioner draws a talisman with the Gang Wind Talisman in front of the carriage. After a while, the Gang Wind Carriage Deity guides the carriage across the winds. The winds surge thick as clouds, and after the carriage has circled nine times, it emerges from the Gang Winds and reaches the realm of the stars.

In the realm of the stars there are the solar and lunar paths and the yellow ecliptic, shining like a rainbow. On either side are many flowers like jade and precious trees. They have green leaves like pine and fir, yellow and red blossoms, and red fruit on jade-green branches. When the wind blows, they naturally produce a sound like gold and jade striking together. In the distance, golden towers and jade pavilions in the four directions appear and vanish amid precious clouds; these are the star palaces and immortal mansions.

At this time, one will see people riding light carriages, phoenix carriages, or crane carriages, or driving dragons and unicorns and riding the clouds. They are the children of the perfected immortals. The practitioner should cover the face, step aside to make way, and pause at the roadside for half an hour. When the carriage has traveled the ten-thousand-li path like a long rainbow, a celestial gate will be seen faintly within the purple clouds. Outside the gate stand heavenly attendants, and within it, awe-inspiring guardians keep watch.

The Demon King of the Desire Realm dwells on the other side of the Awe-Heaven Gate, and this is the Taiqing Desire Realm Heaven. From this point on, one must present the great tallies (credentials and certificates) and hand them to the guardian deities. Only then may one pass through the Heavenly Gate and call upon the divinities at will.

Talisman for Ascending through the Gale Winds

Talisman of the Three Heavens' Audience at the Origin (painted in azure, written in cinnabar, and worn in a nine-inch yellow pouch)

Great Tally of the Ascension Covenant

Dividing the Spirit to Govern Affairs

The Master says: once the Chaoyuan (the audience at the Origin, a rite of attending the honored deities of the heavenly realms) is complete, the practitioner should know the celestial office assigned to them and the bureau (immortal administrative office) to which they belong. Three days beforehand, they should notify the spirits under their jurisdiction, arranging a day for dividing the spirit to govern affairs and for paying respects. The etiquette should broadly follow the custom of visiting a government official in the mortal world, presenting a visiting card and announcing one's name and rank in advance, one by one.

On the appointed day, everything follows the ritual of the Chaoyuan. One inspects the divine perfected's attendants and guards, places the seal before oneself, and arranges the tallies and tablets alongside it. After a while, when the spirits of the assigned region come to welcome and lead the way, one blends and projects the spirit according to the method described earlier, and naturally rides forth to the seat of governance, where one handles affairs and receives one's duties.

Each day after the Chaoyuan ends, one should go to attend to affairs. If mortal matters make it inconvenient to go, one should report to the Three Heavens and the governing bureau, and only with their approval may one be excused. If punishment results from this, the Three Heavens will step in to rebuke the matter, and the spirits of the governing bureau will withdraw.

If one still cannot govern or receive the affairs of the Mysterious Bureau, one should build a residence in the immortal bureau, burn incense and cultivate, establish a Jingsuo (quiet chamber), and divide the spirit to govern affairs.

Building a Residence in the Immortal Bureau

The Master says: in receiving and practicing the great Dharma, one must give importance to establishing a Jingsuo. The place so established is called the "Jingju" (quiet bureau). In front of the Jingju, an immortal bureau is built, and at the rear, the exalted sacred seats are enshrined. Each day after the Chaoyuan ends, one assembles at the immortal bureau and then enters the Jingsuo to handle affairs. Whatever one governs is carried out within the Jingsuo.

All immortal officials of the Lingbao and Dongxuan ranks are under the jurisdiction of the Queen Mother of the West's Inner Numinous Void Palace. Once the practitioner has assumed an immortal rank, they should report to the Heavenly Mechanism Provincial Secretariat and build a residence here. At the same time, offices such as the Master of Ceremonies, the Master of Banners, the Master of Guards, and the Left and Right Palace Offices should be established. The immortal garments bestowed include thirty-two azure capes, dark robes, and vermilion shoes, along with the Crown of the Three Luminaries' Harmony. The crown and cape are painted with the true forms of the Five Sacred Peaks; the immortal officials of the Queen Mother's palace all wear these garments. Apart from the Chaoyuan or the governing of affairs, they may not be worn at will.

When merit and practice are complete, one invites the spirits to ascend to the immortal residence, bows below to the Childlike Beginning, receives the immortal scriptures, and thereby becomes an official of the immortal perfected of the Three Realms.

Delivering the Mysterious Ancestors

The Master says: only after the five scriptures preceding this have been fully practiced is one permitted to deliver one's ancestors and mysterious ancestors (remote forebears).

Nanchang (the Daoist realm of the immortals) already has the Lingbao Huanglu Zhai (Yellow Register Retreat of the Numinous Treasure, a rite for delivering the dead), so it is not repeated here. If one fasts for an extended period during the Shangyuan Festival and, over five consecutive làrì (winter sacrificial days), devotes oneself to the salvation rite, chanting scriptures and reporting to the deities with fulu (talismans and registers), the merit gained is especially deep. One does not have to wait for a large zhaijiao (purification ritual) to accumulate merit.

If a person commits grave evil or serious transgressions in life, their ancestors may also fall and re-enter the ghost path. If merit has been accumulated, they may instead ascend further into the Qingyang (Azure Yang) realm. Practitioners should reflect on this carefully.

Selecting Through Xuanju

The Master said: "The Dao methods of xuanju (ranking through examination and the conferral of immortal grades) have twenty-four grades. The correct methods of the Great Dao are governed by the Jade Office of the Supreme Emperor (Shangdi Yusi), and are jointly supervised by the Southern Office, the Fire Palace, the Inner Inspectorate of Heavenly Mechanisms, and other bodies. Each region has its own officials: the Celestial Emperor of Yuanming Wenju, the Left Minister of Pingyu Qing, the Great Lord Lingxu Yuying, and the Central Huanglao Teacher of the Teaching."

The Imperial Edict of the Supreme Emperor's Selection Office (Shangdi Siju) declares: "The transformation of affairs in the Three Realms of Yuan, Jing, and Dan is under my charge. Who can resolve to rise above all beings and deserve a middle immortal grade? Only the Great Lord Lingxu, Director of Selection for the Central Harmony and Solitary Office, can transform and propagate the immortal ranks of the Twenty-Four Courts. Without established merit, one cannot accord with the true Dao."

The Master further said: "Ordinary people, though they possess a spiritual nature, cannot enter the ranks of the true immortals without merit and cultivation. They cannot be enrolled in the Dantai (the celestial register of immortals), their advancement and demotion follow no fixed standard, and rewards and punishments do not come on time. Only by passing a single selection can one obtain a rank and be enfeoffed as a Zhenren (Perfected Person)."

The Twenty-Four Jade Offices

The following lists some of the correct methods of the Jade Offices, together with the scriptures on which each selection is based:

• Correct Method of the Jade Office of the Upper Court of Supreme Clarity (Taiqing Yusi Shangyuan Zhengfa): presided over by the Central Huanglao Lord, using the Scripture of the Celestial Youths (Tiantong Jing) for selection.
• Correct Method of the Jade Office of the Taiji Court of Gaoshang Yuqing (Gaoshang Yuqing Taiji Yuan Zhengsi Zhengfa): presided over by the Supreme Lord Gaoshang, using the Scripture of Averting Calamities (Xiaozai Jing) for selection.
• Correct Method of the Changsheng Baoming Yuansheng Fu Jade Office (Changsheng Baoming Yuansheng Fu Yusi Zhengfa): presided over by the Venerable Lord of Long Life and Life Preservation, using the Scripture of Protecting Life (Huming Jing) for selection.
• Correct Method of the Jade Office of the Five Emperors Nurturing Beings and the Heavenly Sovereign (Wudi Yuwu Tianhuang Yusi Zhengfa): presided over by the Supreme Emperor of Heaven's Sovereignty, using the Secretly Transmitted Scripture (Mishou Jing) for selection.
• Correct Method of the Qingluo Jade Office for Averting Calamities (Qingluo Xiaozai Yusi Zhengfa): presided over by the Perfected Qingluo, using the Scripture of Averting Calamities of the Eleven Luminaries (Shiyi Yao Xiaozai Jing) for selection.
• Correct Method of the Shangqing Jade Office for Protecting Life (Shangqing Huming Yusi Zhengfa): presided over by the Later Sage, the Xuanyuan Teaching Lord, using the Scripture of Spirit Communication and Protection of the Body (Tongshen Hushen Jing) for selection.
• Correct Method of the Lingbao Jade Office for Extending Life and Increasing Years (Lingbao Yanshou Yisuan Yusi Zhengfa): presided over by the Venerable Lord of Extended Life and Increased Years, using the Scripture of Increasing Years (Yisuan Jing) for selection.
• Correct Method of the Qingxuan Left Office Jade Office (Qingxuan Zuofu Yusi Zhengfa): presided over by the Taiyi Venerable Lord of Relief from Suffering, using the Scripture of Relief from Suffering (Jiuku Jing) for selection.

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office of the Sanyuan Precious Register (Sanyuan Baojian Yusi) is presided over by Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, the Heavenly Honored One of Taiyi Who Rescues from Suffering, and its scripture is the Scripture of Dark Liberation from Sins (Youba Zui Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office of the Taiyi Divine Bureau (Taiyi Shenju Yusi) is presided over by Lord Zhonghuang, and its scripture is the Scripture of the Great Mystery (Taiyuan Zhenjing).

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office of the Altar of the Heavenly Treasure that Subdues Demons in the Taiqing Realm (Taiqing Fufo Tianbao Tan Yusi) is presided over by Lord Wuling Xuanlao, and its scripture is the Scripture on Subduing Demons (Fumo Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Office of the Taiping Altar for Protecting the Nation (Taiping Huguo Tan Wangsi) is presided over by the Heavenly Honored One of Taiping Protecting the Nation, and its scripture is the Scripture of the True Writs of the Five Elders (Wulao Zhenwen Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Inner Court Jade Office of the Abyss in Shangqing (Shangqing Dongyuan Neiyuan Yusi) is presided over by the Heavenly Honored One of the Abyss, and its scripture is the Scripture of the Abyssal Dragon Emperor (Dongyuan Longdi Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office of the Celestial Pivot Court in Shangqing (Shangqing Tianshu Yuan Yusi) is presided over by the Perfected Lord of the Six Offices of the Southern Dipper, and its scripture is the Scripture of the Southern Dipper (Nandou Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Inner Court Jade Office of the Celestial Mechanism in Shangqing (Shangqing Tianji Neiyuan Yusi) is presided over by the Great Emperor of the Purple Tenuity of the Northern Pole, and the scripture both practiced and used for governance is the Scripture of the Profound Pivot of the Northern Kui (Beikui Xuanshu Jing), also known as the Formula of the Purple Tenuity (Ziwei Jue) and the Jade Feather Chapter of the Golden Mystery (Jinxuan Yuzhang).

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office for Subduing Demons and Governing with the Eight Majesties in Taiqing (Taiqing Ba Wei Zhi Mo Yusi) is presided over by the Yellow Lord of the Center, and the scripture both practiced and used for governance is the Scripture of Lord Lao on Subduing Demons (Laojun Fumo Jing). This is the esoteric text of the Scripture of the Conversion of the Barbarians (Huahu Jing), compiled by Master Yin of Wenshi.

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office for Preserving the Cosmic Cycle in Lingbao (Lingbao Baoyun Yusi) is presided over by the Divine Martial Emperor Who Protects and Sages, and its scripture is the Scripture of the Dark Warrior (Xuanwu Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office of the Nine Heavens Generative Spirit and Great Chaos in Shangqing (Shangqing Jiutian Shengshen Dahun Yusi) is presided over by the Flying Heavenly King, and its scripture is the Scripture of the Chapters of the Nine Heavens Generative Spirit (Jiutian Shengshen Zhang Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Inner Court Office of the Lingbao Immortals for Relieving Calamity (Lingbao Duo'e Tianxian Neiyuan Wangsi) is presided over by the Heavenly Honored One of Lingbao, and its scripture is the Scripture of Relieving Calamity (Duo'e Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office of the Capital of the Nine Elders Immortals (Jiulao Xiandu Fu Yusi) is presided over by the Lord of the Capital of the Nine Elders Immortals, and its scripture is the Scripture of the Nine Perfections (Jiuzhen Zhenjing).

The orthodox rite of the Jade Office for Subduing Demons from the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Zhimo Yusi) is presided over by the Heavenly Honored One of the Primordial Beginning, and its scripture is the Scripture for Subduing Demons from the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Zhimo Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Lingbao Jade Office of Ascending Mystery (Lingbao Shengxuan Yusi) is presided over by the Heavenly Honored One of the Primordial Beginning, and its scripture is the Scripture of Ascending Mystery for Dispelling Calamity (Shengxuan Xiaozai Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Lingbao Celestial Immortal Jade Office (Lingbao Tianxian Yusi) is presided over by the Lord of Shangqing, and its scripture is the Scripture of the Primal Spirit of the Three Sovereigns in Gold and Purple (Sanhuang Jinzi Yuanshen Jing).

The orthodox rite of the Taiqing Jade Office of the Pillow Scripture for Prolonging Life (Taiqing Zhenzhong Yanshou Yusi) is presided over by the Yellow Lord of the Center, and its scripture is the Pillow Scripture (Zhenzhong Jing).

The Master said: The scriptural methods of all twenty-four Jade Offices were bestowed from above.

Among the teachings of the world, there are several situations. Some scriptures (jing) and methods (fa) have not yet been transmitted to the world. Some methods have been passed down, but the scriptures have not. Some scriptures have been passed down, but the methods have not yet reached the world. If a practitioner can see into subtle matters, pay homage to the Big Dipper, worship the Primordial Heavenly Venerable (Yuanshi Tianzun, a Daoist supreme deity), divide the self to attend to affairs, establish a mansion within the offices of the immortal realm, and deliver the ancestors (the forebears and earlier kinsmen) of the Mysterious Lineage, then he must still be selected and recommended, memorialize the celestial court, and travel to the Three Heavens (sanqing, the upper realms in Daoist cosmology) to request the transmission of the true scriptures and methods. Only when you have been received into the celestial court, put in charge of the offices of the immortals, and entrusted by Heaven with the governance of affairs, and have truly accomplished meritorious deeds far beyond those of ordinary people, are you qualified to take your place among the Perfected (zhenren).

Eight Weft Cultivations

The Master said: "There are eight secret essentials in cultivation and recitation. If even one of them is divulged, the rest will lose their efficacy. If one divulges them out of carelessness, there will be no hope of ever becoming an immortal. The punishment is not only that the body will immediately suffer insect infestation and scabies, but the Mysterious Ancestors will also be swiftly sent to the Fire Official. You must keep these matters deeply hidden in your heart. Even if you are struck by blades and axes, pierced, scalded in boiling water, or burned in fire, you should willingly endure it. Even if you are forced into silence, do not speak of them. Even if misfortune comes because of this, the gods such as Taiyi (Supreme One) and the Five Elders will at once transform into auspicious clouds to welcome your spirit-soul into the Upper Clarity (Shangqing, a celestial realm).

"If you do not believe my words, go ahead and try to divulge them, and see what response Heaven sends down. Those who reveal the secret essentials will bring distant and unending calamities, even reaching their entire clan, and for generations they will suffer punishments like wind-blades. These may all arrive immediately."

First: Weft of the Mysterious Transformation of the Precious Pearl

The Master said: "The Weft of the Mysterious Transformation of the Precious Pearl refers to Taiyi (Supreme One, a Daoist deity), who contains radiant light, and whose jade dew condenses into a pearl. Visualize it and recite, and you need not recite it ten thousand times before you ascend to the rank of Perfected Immortal."

(Visualization: the Primordial Heavenly Venerable is within the heart; within the dewdrop there is a self, shaped like a flower, holding the dewdrop.)

Second: Weft of the Majestic Spirit of the Lion

The Master said: "The Weft of the Majestic Spirit of the Lion concerns Siming (the deity who governs the registers of fate), who, after transformation, descends to the human world and then ascends again to the heavens. Visualize it and recite it ten thousand times, and you will be able to ride the clouds and mount the dragon, ascending into the vast void in broad daylight."

(Visualization: the Primordial Heavenly Venerable is above the crown of the head, and within the heart is a lion; you ride the lion, standing upright in the heart, above the five-colored Dantian (dantian, energy center) located below.)

Third: Weft of the Wondrous Vehicle of the Upper Palace

The Master said: "The Weft of the Wondrous Vehicle of the Upper Palace refers to the cultivation of a divided self within the palace of the Emperor, where the merits of the Three Primes (sanyuan, the Upper, Middle, and Lower Primes in Daoist cosmology) are brought to completion. Visualize it and recite it ten thousand times, and you will possess the conditions for ascending to immortality with the whole body."

(Visualization: above the crown of the head are nine palaces, four above and five below; within the second of the four upper palaces is a self. Recite four thousand times, and the merit will be complete.)

Fourth: Weft of the Central Forbidden Realization of Truth

The Master said: "The Weft of the Central Forbidden Realization of Truth refers to sitting in peace within the Dantai (dantai, the inner cultivation platform visualized in practice), accomplishing the Way of the Central Forbidden, and becoming a Perfected."

Sixtieth item, "Accumulating Merit Equal to the Nine Perfections", means that in the Elixir Chamber (danfang) of the heart, the site of visualization and cun shen (retaining the spirit) in internal alchemy, one visualizes one's own form and recites the practice three thousand times.

Fifth, the Lower Origin Beginning Weft

The Master said: "The Lower Origin Beginning Weft" refers to concentrated cultivation in the Dan Valley (the lower Dantian), focusing the will on preservation so that both shen (spirit) and qi (vital energy) remain within it.

When the three thousand items of practice are complete, one's name can be entered in the registers of the Jade Perfected (jade immortal rosters). This means visualizing one's own form in the lower Dan Valley and reciting three thousand times.

Sixth, the Weft of Responsive Spiritual Powers

The Master said: "The Weft of Responsive Spiritual Powers" refers to the generation of the Three Primordial Qi (or Three Qi), which unite upward with the Three Heavens. The practitioner visualizes the self dividing into forms that fill the heavens of the ten directions. These forms share the bearing of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) and appear spontaneously.

One visualizes the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning seated upon a lion, within the void of mystery, with a precious pearl in the sunlight five zhang above the ground. When this visualization is repeated ten times, one attains responsive efficacy and subtle transformation. The commentary in the margins of the scripture explains: among the Three Qi there are Celestial Worthies of the ten directions, and the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning sits upon the lion, dwelling within the sun, five zhang above the ground.

Seventh, the Jade Sound Myriad Spirits Weft

Internally, one practices the ingestion of qi; externally, one recites twenty-two kinds of sound. In the heart one visualizes the Jade Venerable and the Lord Emperor of Niwan (the deity dwelling in the Niwan Palace of the head). Within the mind and spirit, one recites the jade chapters and visualizes the Lady Sovereign. When the recitation has been completed ten thousand times, nothing will fail to be accomplished.

One should also visualize the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning in the thirty-two heavens of the four directions, residing within the Niwan Palace, and visualize one's own inner form bowing in worship before the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning.

Eighth, the Three Realms Summoning Spirits Weft

The Master said: "The Three Realms Summoning Spirits Weft" refers to reciting the scriptures associated with the Three Primes within the Three Realms, reaching several hundred thousand or even one million recitations, so that the multitude of spirits in the Three Realms may be delivered and may ride cloud carriages alongside the immortals.

During practice, one visualizes the clouds of the different heavenly levels as corresponding to oneself:

The upper realm is the Azure Cloud Qi, located in the upper Dantian. One visualizes one's own form and recites five thousand times.

The middle realm is the Yellow Cloud Qi, located in the middle Dantian. One visualizes one's own form and recites one thousand times.

The lower realm is the White Cloud Qi, located in the lower Dantian. One visualizes one's own form and recites one hundred times.

The Master said: "In the eight wefts of the True Registers, obtaining even one weft allows one to become an immortal. But one must master it as skillfully as the fingers move across the palm. If one reveals only one weft and yet expects to ascend at once, one will only sink and be unable to return to the proper Way. Those who cultivate the Dao should examine these teachings carefully and understand them thoroughly, and should not discuss them carelessly or disclose them rashly. Diligently practice. The Supreme Perfected of the Three Heavens will wait for you, enabling you to ascend as an immortal."

Shangqing Lingbao Dafa, Scroll Three