《上清靈寶大法(一)》Vol. 4

The Ten Mysteries (Shixuan) described in the Methods of Cultivation of the Ten Mysteries (Shixuan Xiuyong Men) are ten profound cultivation gates. The first is the Supreme Stillness of Divine Light (Taiding Shenguang); the second, the Millet-Pearl Entering the Mystery (Shuzhu Rumiao); the third, the Five Qi Within Principle (Zhongli Wuqi); and the fourth, the Ten Revolutions Returning the Numinous (Shizhuan Huiling). Each of these first four gates has hymns and commentary from the assembled perfected beings (zhongzhen). The fifth is the Circulation of Pure Qi (Tuna Zhengqi). The sixth is the Hidden Secret of the Perfected (Xuanzhen Yinhui), which condenses essence in the womb palace (taigong) through the original qi (benyuan zhi qi). The instructions on measurements and breathing for this gate have already been given in the aims of the "Opening the Diagrams" (Kaitu). The seventh is the Transformation of the Embryo and Substance (Taihua Fazhi), which explains the fire-timing of the Cavern Yang (Dongyang zhi huohou) and the great numbers of the cosmic circulation (zhoutian), and refines the Jade Characters within the body so that the embryonic immortal is born. The eighth is Original Spiritual Power (Benshi Shentong), together with resonance and merit. The ninth is the Yin Elixir and Yang Elixir, along with the flowing essential qi and jade light; this method already has established rules. The tenth is the Great Circulation of the Brahmic Qi (Fanqi), that is, one's own original qi. Whoever penetrates its mysteries can ascend and transform, and whoever understands its aim will find the Way to becoming an immortal.

Supreme Stillness of Divine Light

The scripture says: For seven days and seven nights, the sun, moon, and stars of all the heavens, together with the Armillary Sphere and the Jade Balance (ancient instruments for observing the heavens), all cease their motion at once. The divine wind is still, the clouds over mountains and seas gather in, no drifting cloud covers the sky, and the qi of the four quarters is clear and bright. Within a single realm, the land, mountains, and forests are level and even, with no difference of high or low; the earth itself turns to green jade with no other color. The perfected stand attending beside the seat, and the Celestial Worthy of Original Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) sits upright in the void, with five-colored lions beneath his seat.

The Master says: This describes the spiritual manifestation that the Yuanshi Tianzun produces by displaying his subtle Dao, responding and transforming. Since it is said that the sun, moon, and stars stop for seven days and nights together, how then does one distinguish day from night? Nor is this count of seven days merely the condition of the earth of Fuli (Fuli zhi Tu) in Yuqing (Jade Clarity), nor the heavenly scene manifested by the awe-inspiring transformations that the Daojun spoke of. "At one time" means that the three realms and all the myriad heavens are equally so. What is described here is the manifestation of a subtle sacred realm: outwardly, the Tianzun makes the sun not move, the stars not revolve, and the Armillary Sphere and Jade Balance cease turning, so that day and night no longer appear; yet inwardly, his function of governing transformation has never paused for an instant. Therefore, the "seven days and seven nights" spoken of by Yuchen (Jade Dawn) is not a figure that the Jade Capital (Yujing) of Yuqing used when expounding the scripture by comparing it to human conditions... *

Practicing for seven days and seven nights, one visualizes the land of the entire country as a single body, with the ground level and even, and all things universally transformed into spirit, without any difference of height. Turning inward to the body, the heavens and the sun and moon seem to stop their motion, and the eyes do not blink. The qi of the stars no longer circulates, yet the qi channels within the body keep their own movement. The spirit wind is still and makes no sound of breath going in or out. Clouds lie hidden between mountains and seas, and yin and yang no longer interact. No floating clouds cover the sky, and there is nothing else, inside or outside. The qi of the four seasons is clear and bright, and inside and outside, above and below, all return to oneness.

The whole country is like the human body. Mountains, rivers, forests, and trees correspond to the limbs, the hundred vessels, the hair, the nine orifices, the skin, the yingwei qi (nutritive and defensive qi), the shen orifices, and the joints. The earth all turns into green jade and enters the samadhi of the Dao.

The master said: Within the body, this is entering Great Stillness (dading), where the light of shen becomes clear and manifests the realm of Yuqing (Jade Clarity), the abode of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Yuanshi Tianzun. After seven days and seven nights of practice, it is as if the sun and moon have stopped turning and the eyes do not blink. This is not closing the eyes, nor looking inward or sideways. It is a long, steady resting of the gaze without blinking, so that the three sections (sanbu) of the body are all clearly revealed.

The qi of a person circulates through the hundred joints and the channels, and yin, yang, and the yingwei qi are all connected with the xi mai (breath pulses) of the three sections. The xi mai are like the Xuanji Yuheng (the Jade Armillary Sphere and Sighting Tube) of the body: the four extremes are called the Xuanji, and the three sections correspond to the Yuheng. The name Xuanji Yuheng is borrowed from astronomical instruments, and here it refers to the key points by which the qi channels of the body move. If the Xuanji does not turn, it is as if the sun and moon stand still and the stars stop turning. If the pulses of the four extremes do not arrive, the breath of the three sections also ceases, and the qi and blood of the whole body no longer flow.

Practice begins with making the spirit wind still, so that no sound of breath going in or out is heard. Like a mountain hiding its clouds, one is not disturbed by delusions that obscure the light, and the mind becomes clear and quiet. With no floating clouds blocking the sky, the four qi of warmth, coolness, cold, and heat become naturally clear and bright, and all things seem to show a single color. Moreover, the inside and outside of the human body are also like green jade, without a speck of dust.

As practice deepens, the hundred true forces guard the sihu (the places in the body regarded as the gates through which shen qi enters and exits), and the myriad true forces face toward the form of the body. According to the scripture, the practitioner can then rise into the air with the whole body. After a hundred days, shen and the subtle wonder of the Dao unite. After a thousand days, one ascends to Heaven in broad daylight. The so-called Tianzun appearing suspended in the air means that one's own shen dwells in the Yuqing Palace, also called the Jade Emperor's Palace. The scripture also says: "You already have a Tianzun within yourself; why trouble your mind to look up to the sky?" The Yuanzhen Zan (Hymn of the Primal Perfected) also says: "Though the Tianzun seems distant, his subtle presence descends near to the Niwan Palace (the upper dantian in the head)." The palaces are all seven...

The precious windows and the openings are naturally distinct. The Five Qi (wuqi, the five primordial energies) gather at the Crimson Palace (jianggong, the seat of the heart-spirit), and the wondrous function of the awe-inspiring spirit condenses into a lion. The Heavenly Worthy sits upon the lion and descends into the Dantian. On the left is blue, on the right white, in front red, behind black, and at the center yellow, which is why they are called the Five Colors.

A mysterious dais floats in the air, where non-being and being respond to each other, and the void and the substantial communicate through faith. Cultivate for seven days and seven nights, and when the mind-spirit is clear, one will see the Heavenly Worthy of Jade Clarity (Yuqing Tianzun). At this point one enters Great Stillness (dading, a state in which the mind-spirit is utterly tranquil and undisturbed by external things), and the numinous light rises upward. When one reaches the state of subtle perfection, one can immediately meet the divine and ascend, the body becoming light and lifting upward. Even if, within stillness, one encounters the trials of demonic obstacles, or the various calamities of water, fire, weapons, or royal law, and even if these trials are as fine as silk threads or awns, they must not violate the essential aim of cultivating the Dao. Everything seen beyond the seven days and seven nights concerns future events. If these visions and experiences are spoken of, all prior efforts will be lost, and there will be no further hope of becoming an immortal. Should one not be cautious and guard one's mouth?

The hymn of Taiyi Zhenren (a Daoist immortal) says:

Deep and dim, obscure and dark, without mind or thought, lying hidden in the abyss. The azure and verdant hues merge into one; though the form remains, transformation condenses into spirit. Light as a swan's feather yet unmoving, it contains pure qi both within and without. The turtle swallows the red poisonous viper and condenses into beautiful true essence (zhenjing). Sun and moon grow hazy, and the Jade Armillary (xuanji, an ancient instrument for observing the heavens) no longer turns; white rainbows and blue mists come and go, intertwining. After seven days, spiritual powers will manifest, and one will naturally see the Heavenly Worthy of Jade Clarity.

Diagram of the Xuanji and Wangheng

With one inhalation and one exhalation, the breath moves three cun and four fen; four such movements total six cun. One movement occupies fifteen fen. Heaven and earth, crossing vertically and horizontally, sum to fifteen, and so the Supreme Thearch (Shangdi) bestowed this system of numbers on the Yellow Emperor, which is the number of the River Chart (Hetu). Within a single breath, the pulse beats twice; when the breathing is even, the pulse beats five times in total. If the longer breath is counted, it amounts to six cun: with each pulse beat the breath moves one cun, and with one inhalation and exhalation, the pulse-qi moves six cun.

The method of Great Stillness begins with first settling the heart. The heart is where the myriad spirits dwell and where the functions of the five sense organs are governed. When the heart-spirit is clear and quiet, sounds, colors, wealth, and profit cannot disturb it. With such a mind seeking the Great Dao, attainment is not far off.

Many in the world admire the Dao, but few truly penetrate it. Some resolve at first to be diligent and later grow lax, all because the heart is unsettled. The methods for settling the heart value above all the eradication of the Three Corpses (sanshi, malevolent spirits said to dwell within the body), the removal of the Six Thieves (liuzei, the six sensory desires that disturb the mind), the overcoming of the Life-Demon (mingmo), and the uprooting of whatever obstructs cultivation. Then, through breath regulation (xiqi, controlling the breath), one attains the wondrous state in which spirit and qi unite. When the heart is quiet, it becomes settled; when settled, it can respond. The numinous light shining forth from within is like the sun and moon illuminating all, the primordial qi within the body endures, the myriad spirits do not scatter, and in this clarity one sees the realm of Jade Clarity.

The method-formula (fajue) says: the practitioner must cut off mixed thoughts, clarify the heart, and gather the spirit, contemplating the Dao and circulating the crimson qi within the Crimson Palace……

Causing the Mysterious Spring (Xuanquan), the water within the kidneys, to descend while the heart's blood and kidney essence (jing) rise, the two qi unite, and within the Dantian (the energy center cultivated in the body) an infant is gestated. He gradually grows, his form resembling that of a True Person (zhenren).

Next, the green qi within the liver is circulated so that it descends like clouds to welcome the True Person. The True Person wears green robes, a jade-green crown, and holds a green jade tablet (gui), his expression joyful and at ease. The fire within the heart's fire pool is then circulated, and a dragon of fire leaps forth, carrying the True Person up on five-colored clouds. He rises from the Jiaji Great Passage Bridge (a channel along the spine associated with practice) directly to Niwan (the cultivation site in the head), where he unites with the Primordial Heavenly Venerable (Yuanshi Tianzun). At this moment, the Golden Pavilion and Jade Hall, the Dharma seat, and the treasure canopies all appear one by one, solemn and complete.

In a brief moment, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable works through the principle that "One generates two, and two generates three," producing hundreds of treasured lights and, from these, the maidens and officials of the heavens, arranged in ranks around him. The Venerable then settles into stillness and releases another ray of treasure light, illuminating the northern yin region. This light takes on the color of green jade, descending from above, clear and transparent throughout.

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable then commands the flying spirit-officials and the Heavenly Guardian warriors, who hold golden and jade tablets bearing golden edicts, to go straight to the sources of the twelve rivers of Beifeng (the northern underworld), to sweep away defilement and turbid qi, to extinguish the Three Evils, and to sever the roots of the earthly realm. The directional and cyclical-sign markings in parentheses within the scripture indicate the visualizations, pointing gestures, or order of breath circulation used in the ritual.

Next, one visualizes a ray of green qi arising from the liver, sweeping away and cutting off all roots, and flying past the Five Gates (the cultivation passes or portals named in the scripture; the corresponding order of pointing is listed in parentheses). Following the ritual formula, the Numinous Officials (Lingguan) are summoned to open the Five Gates, so that desire, attachment, and greed all return to purity.

One then visualizes the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, his whole body transparent and bright, like the Realm of Brilliant Clarity (Chiming Jing). The Venerable again commands the demon kings, the Heavenly Guardian warriors, and the flying spirit-kings to descend directly to Beifeng and call out the names of the Three Corpses (sanshi), the spirits that dwell within the human body and obstruct cultivation. Immediately, the three appear. The Great Spirit of Flying Fire releases raging flames that burn them completely to ash, leaving nothing behind.

The names of the Seven Souls (qipo) are then called, and seven white-robed figures emerge from the lungs. The names of the Three Ethereal Souls (sanhun) are called next, and three green-robed figures emerge from the liver. Together they enter the fire pool and, refined by the flames, transform into infants. Their jade-like bodies are smooth and bright, and within them the five colors are complete. Crimson patterns interweave and encircle their bodies, each guarding its corresponding palace.

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable then descends to dwell in the Realm of Brilliant Clarity and sits upright in quiet composure. The officials disperse with the light, until at last every trace is gone. At this point, body and mind are clear and transparent within and without: inner thoughts no longer flow outward, and external thoughts no longer enter the heart. This is what is truly meant by attaining the realm of the Dao. Continuing to hold this state in practice leads to great stillness (dading) and divine radiance (shenguang).

The Way of cultivation can be attained through practice. Each morning, sit quietly and settle into a state of stillness and calm. Compose your mind, be careful and focused, and let no thoughts arise, either inward or outward. First, follow the methods described in the previous section to purify the body, purify the mouth, and gather the mind.

Next, tap the teeth thirty-six times to stir the saliva in the mouth, which Daoists call the "Huachi" (Jade Pond), so that the qi of the Five Sprouts is nourished and transforms into a numinous fluid. Swallow one mouthful of this saliva and send it down into the Yuanyuan Palace. Pinch the Twelve Earthly Branches formula with the left hand, following the Ziwu Dou (Zi-Wu Dipper), a stepping pattern linked to the Northern Dipper and the cardinal directions, and visualize it ascending to the Niwan (Mud Pellet), the head. With the right hand, also pinch the Twelve Earthly Branches formula, and visualize it moving along the Ziwu Dou to the Da Dan Qi Zhen point, so that its light flies across and passes through.

Raise the head and gaze upward with both eyes toward the sun and moon. Face the solar qi directly, take it in, and swallow it into the Jiangong Palace, the heart region. Let this qi become calm and steady, neither rising nor falling, and keep the gaze fixed without blinking. Visualize the heavens, the sun, and the moon as still and motionless, and the primordial qi as gathering at the Zi position, which is called the "Xingxiu" (Lunar Mansions). Let the breath cease its circulation.

Interlace the ten fingers, rest the hands flat in front of the heart, and let the pulse flow without interruption. Touch the tongue to the upper palate, close the teeth lightly, and allow saliva to arise in the mouth. Let the shen and qi become as quiet and still as the wind, then swallow the qi and return it to the Dantian (Field of Elixir). Close the eyes, ignore the external world, and do not indulge in inward fantasies. Visualize the inside and outside as empty of all things, like a sky without a single cloud.

Then visualize the one qi circulating throughout the body, pervading all within and without, above and below, until the qi of the four quarters becomes clear and bright. Sit upright without leaning, and imagine the whole body as a single realm. Stir and move the body with the whole frame, and let no thoughts arise above, below, within, or without. Next, visualize mountains, rivers, forests, and trees all made level and even, with no difference between high and low.

Sit steadily and composed, focus the mind, and turn toward the realm being visualized. Imagine the entire body transformed into green jade. This is the state of settled absorption into the Dao. When the practice is complete, rest quietly and then rise from the seat.

Diagram of the Great Stillness Divine Light

The diagram depicts a person seated within a circle of bright light, with five-colored light surrounding the body.

The formula text says: when sitting, let the ears align with the shoulders and the nose align with the navel. Gather in the six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), and focus the spirit on the eyes. When contemplating the divine light, do not cling to it as external, nor cling to it as internal.

After three days of practice, in a quiet chamber you will see a single point of divine light, which you should hold steadily in focus. After four days, the divine light gradually grows brighter and expands until it fills the room. Within this state of absorption, the various phenomena have not yet appeared. After seven days, you will be able to see various numinous beings and ghostly spirits, and from this you enter the Way of penetrating and clear observation.

(Each of the seasonal periods governs forty-five days in its turn, each governing one portion of the whole.)

Those who cultivate the Way of Great Stillness and penetrating vision must uphold two classes of precepts and conduct.

Cultivate for three years, face the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) Heavenly Venerables, and you will receive from the Venerable a talismanic tally (fu quan). You will ascend in broad daylight and be granted a rank among the immortals.

If one who is a true person (zhen ren) does not uphold the precepts or cultivate virtue (de), wisdom cannot arise, and it is difficult to enter the Great Vehicle (Dacheng) of the Dao. Only by subtly apprehending the Most Subtle Dao and accords with it can one ascend to Jade Clarity (Yuqing). This practice should be undertaken whether it is used to liberate the dead, to aid all beings, to subdue evil, or for daily cultivation, preserving one's life, and removing calamities and old illnesses. It is appropriate to practice at the hour before dawn, at the Zi hour (midnight), and at the Wu hour (noon). At these times the mind is clear, the breath flows freely, the gods gather, and one can perceive both the hidden realm and the human world. This subtle principle of the body's changes through day and night was transmitted by a master to the Xuanshi Huangren, and was then passed down orally from teacher to disciple, for the purpose of transforming the world. If one does not sit in meditation according to this practice, one will fail to deserve the rank of immortal, and the Celestial Bureau and Earthly Office will not register one's name in the records of immortals.

Entering the Millet Pearl

The scripture says that when the recitation of the scripture is complete for ten cycles, the Heavenly True Great Spirits of the ten directions and the boundless realms will all arrive at once. The men and women of an entire kingdom sincerely take refuge and admire it, and those who come to listen are like fine rain and dense mist. They fill the whole kingdom, so that even the earth cannot bear them. Large areas tilt and sink, and it cannot be halted.

Thereupon Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning) suspended in the sky a precious pearl, the size of a millet grain, five zhang above the ground. Yuanshi Tianzun led the Heavenly True Great Spirits, the Supreme Sages of High Rank, the Wondrous Practice Perfected, and countless beings, all entering together into the pearl. Those in heaven looked up and saw the crowd continually pouring into the mouth of the pearl. Once inside, they could no longer be seen anywhere. When the multitude had all entered the pearl, the people of the kingdom dispersed, the ground was level again, and it no longer tilted or sank.

The master explains: "Ten cycles" means that the recitation of the scripture has been completed. That the Heavenly True Great Spirits of the ten directions and the heavenly spirits arrive together means that the recitation has summoned the ten kinds of wisdom-power, bringing the blessings and auspicious responses of the scripture's Dharma, so that the people of the whole kingdom receive protection and transformation, and have the opportunity to attain longevity. Therefore the people of the entire city sincerely turn toward it and hasten to listen to the scripture. The phrase "like fine rain and dense mist" describes the immense number of those who came, beyond counting. "A multitude without number" likewise means too many to be calculated.

The ten thousand heavens are generally called one kingdom, and that kingdom gathered in the Great Fuli Land (Dafuli Tu). The land could not bear the immense power of the Tianzun's scripture-Dharma, nor the weight of the countless multitude gathered there, so the ground became cramped beyond endurance, and large areas tilted and sank. Although those who came already filled the kingdom, they were still too numerous to halt. Therefore the Tianzun employed a profound transformation and suspended in the sky a pearl the size of a millet grain. The pearl hung in the air, its point of attachment unknown, five zhang above the ground, rising above the turbid qi of the mundane world. The Tianzun led the Heavenly True Great Spirits, the Upper Primordial Perfected, and the Nine Grades...

Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning), the Supreme Sage of High Rank, the Sacred Venerable of the Middle Yuan, together with the nine grades of holy assemblies, the Miraculous Conduct Perfected (miaoxing zhenren, perfected beings who have attained accomplishment), the Lower Yuan immortal perfected, the nine grades of perfected, and the attendants of a thousand chariots and ten thousand riders, all followed the Celestial Worthy as he ascended and was drawn into the precious pearl. The other heavenly beings and the perfected who had not reached the realm of Heavenly Perfection or Supreme Sage could not accompany them, and because they could not follow the transforming mechanism (huaji) of the Dao of Wuwei, they could only look up. They saw a precious pearl the size of a millet grain suspended in the air, and it seemed that a crowd was continually entering through its mouth. Once inside, they no longer knew where they were.

Even the lowest-ranking minor immortals possess the marvel of "the mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru" (jiezi na xumi, in which the smallest thing holds the largest), and they can manifest the realm of a heaven and earth within a gourd. How much more so, then, the Great Sage Celestial Worthy, who proclaims the Great Dao and displays its spiritual transformations? A pearl as large as a millet grain is already extraordinarily subtle. That it hangs five zhang above the ground is a sight that a heavenly spirit alone could perceive with sufficient clarity, and it is more wondrous still that its mouth could be seen at all.

In truth, this describes the Celestial Worthy leading the sages and perfected into the realm of wondrous existence (miaoyou) and non-being (xuwu). At that time, the heavenly beings and the crowd looked up and saw the pearl's mouth. Once the perfected had followed the Celestial Worthy into the pearl, the heavenly beings could no longer see the subtle transformations within it. As a result, the people of the land scattered, and the ground returned to level, no longer tilted or sunken. This is the realm that appeared when the scripture was being expounded, and it is the wondrous function of the Celestial Worthy's pearl.

Speaking from the standpoint of the Great Dao, the spiritual power of the Dao is vast and encompasses all things, and it is so fine that it penetrates everywhere. Countless multitudes of beings, when gathered together, may be reduced to the smallness of a hair or a mustard seed. When they gather, they are thus; when they disperse, they emerge from formlessness, extend throughout the myriad heavens and all the realms, and divide into hundreds of millions of forms, reaching and entering everywhere. Their dispersal is likewise so.

To be five zhang above the ground symbolizes transcending the five desires, the five dusts, the five gatherings, the five colors, the five fragrances, the five sounds, and the five turbidities. Being unbound by the numerical order of the Five Phases (wuxing), one can therefore enter the wondrous realm suspended in the air. The "millet" is the first of the five grains, and here a single state is used as a metaphor for a single body. "Tilting and sinking" indicates that the Dao is not yet complete, that the form is inclined and cramped, and so it cannot yet be called the realm of transformation through the chongxuan (double mystery). Heavenly beings are compared to the myriad spirits, the Supreme Sage heavenly perfected and the Miraculous Conduct Perfected are compared to the spirits of the Three Primes, and the Celestial Worthy is the lord of the single body.

If we speak of the wondrous Dao of inner cultivation, this describes the formula for the spiritual transformation of the Jade Clarity precious pearl and the embryonic immortal (taixian). If we speak of the great method, it is the practice of abstaining from grains to cure illness. If we speak of the practice of recitation of scripture, it is the ritual of awe-inspiring spirit and mysterious transformation, by which one purifies and dispels...

Chapter on Summoning Fortune and Averting Calamity (Zai Zhao Fu Zhi Pin)

The Master says: once the work of the Nine Revolutions and Ten Cycles is complete, one can enter the realm of passing from "having" (you) to "non-having" (wu).

The wondrous method of the Kongxuan Shu Zhu (the Pearl of Mysterious Void, a numinous pearl as small as a grain of millet within the mysterious void) is to first summon Yang essence (Yang Jing) and then call forth Yin blossom (Yin Hua). These enter the body like fine rain and dense mist and fill it with Ancestral Qi (Zu Qi, the original source Qi). After ten rounds of spirit transformation, the Ancestral Qi of the Yuan Valley (Yuan Gu) unites as one, and the multitude of Qi also gather and merge. The Shu Zhu Xuan Dan (Millet Pearl Mysterious Elixir) congeals in the Numinous Dwelling (Ling Fu) of the Yellow Court (Huang Ting, the cultivation site within the body). Once the elixir is formed, its light pierces the sun and moon. Whoever ingests it immediately rides a cloud chariot ascending to Yuqing (Jade Clarity) and takes a place among the Perfected (Zhenren).

Hymn of the Perfected Taixuan (Taixuan Zhenren Song)

Numinous contemplation (Ling Xi) corresponds to the movements of Heaven and matches Taixuan. Yang Qi completes its circuit in three days, and Yin Qi becomes full and complete after seven mornings. On the thirteenth day it dwells in the Kun position, and on the eighteenth it moves through Qian. At the full moon and the new moon the talismanic numbers align, and when eight meets eight, the crescent moon forms. On the twenty-third night, Yin and Yang return to their ancestral origin. This is called the Constant Way (Chang Dao), and it is also the time when the three Dantian (upper, middle, and lower) converge. Once a single speck of dust soils it, the flow of Qi loses its continuity.

Diagram of the Perfected Shu Zhu

Diagram of the Wondrous Transformation of the Heavenly Honored One (Tianzun)

Regulating the Five Qi (Zhong Li Wu Qi)

The scripture says: In the beginning of the kalpas named Yuandong Yuli, Longhan, Yankang, and others, after passing through countless vast eons, there was chaos (Hun Dun). Above, there was no color; below, there was no abyss. Wind and marsh pervaded the void, and the Vajra Qi bore up Heaven. Above and below Heaven there was no darkness and no obscurity, no form and no shadow, no boundary and no limit. Chaos was vast and empty, silent and without light.

In the age of Chiming, the celestial phenomena began to open, and their motions and measures formed naturally. The Primordial Beginning Heavenly Lord (Yuanshi Tianzun) stabilized Heaven and Earth and spread out the Five Chapters. The Red Writ of Jade Characters (Chishu Yuzi) and the Eight Majesties Dragon Script (Ba Wei Long Wen) protected and sustained the kalpic cycles so that Heaven would endure for a long time. Pervasive Qi (Fan Qi) spread and arrayed itself, and the various laws unfolded from it. The Primal Network (Yuan Gang) flowed and circulated, forming the Thirty-Two Heavens, which turned within the colorless realm and pervaded the ten directions. The stars moved, passing through the lodges of Dou and Ji and regulating the Five Constants (Wu Chang). The thirty-five divisions gathered into the Upper Origin Qi (Shang Yuan Zhi Qi), the Eight Radiances merged in hidden stillness, and the Qi entered a realm beyond the mysterious.

Within the mystery dwell the Supreme Emperor August Lord (Taihuang Shangdi) and other exalted Perfected. They drift in Taixia (the Supreme Cloud Realm) and chant the Dong Zhang (Cavern Scriptures). Golden true light shines brightly and abundantly, sound echoes among the clouds, jade tones draw in numinous Qi, and numinous wind gathers mist and haze. Purple Void Qi (Zi Xu Zhi Qi) is luxuriantly fine and assists the immortals. A thousand harmonious Qi and ten thousand meetings naturally accomplish the true Dao.

Within the true Dao there are spirits: the Great Lord of Long Life (Changsheng Dajun), Prince Wuying (Wuying Gongzi), the Venerable Spirit of White Origin (Baiyuan Shenzun), the Director of Destiny Taiyi (Taiyi Siming), Taokang, Heyan, and others. They hold talismans and registers, protect life, and nourish its roots. They roam in Shangqing (Highest Clarity), move through its inner chambers, and act in the eight directions of hidden darkness and in subtle, deep places. Below, they settle within the human body, dwelling in Niwan (the cultivation site in the head) and Jianggong (the cultivation site in the heart), harmonizing the five Qi and blending the hundred spirits.

The Master says: this scripture speaks of the foundational roots by which the Heavenly Honored One created the Dao and opened Heaven, and of the beginning of how the five kalpas generated all things.

Between Heaven and Earth, all is boundless and without limit. There is no distinction of dimness or darkness, and no form or shadow. It is endless and infinite, vast and empty, and no light can be seen.

The Master says: This explains the substance of the great Dao (the Way), from its root to its furthest extent.

At the beginning of the Chiming Kalpa (Chiming jie, a cosmic epoch in Daoist cosmology), the Celestial Diagram opened, and the workings of Heaven and Earth proceeded of their own accord. The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) settled Heaven and Earth and scattered the Five Sections of Crimson Writing in Jade Characters (five sections of heavenly scripture written in vermilion) together with the Eight Majestic Dragon Script (heavenly characters endowed with numinous power). These protected the course of the kalpa and caused Heaven to endure for a long time.

The Master says: After the Heavenly Worthy had passed through five kalpas of opening and transformation, he used the Fire of Dongyang (Dongyang zhi huo) to smelt the scriptures into form. This era is called "Chiming." These scriptures stabilized the Five Directions and protected the heavens. This is the Way by which the Five Directional Sovereigns nurture the myriad things. It was transmitted to the Five Elders (the Five Directional Venerable Deities) and the various perfected, and it is the Way of the middle rank.

The guiding principles of the myriad methods unfolded from this point, and the governing thread of the great Dao flowed on without cease. The thirty-two heavens revolved, moving through the Formless Realm and pervading the ten directions. The stars and the Winnowing Basket (Ji, a lunar lodge) advanced in their order, passing through the measures of the Five Constants. The total Qi of thirty-five parts (the primordial Qi that unifies all qi) returned to the Upper Primordial (Shangyuan).

The Master says: After the kalpa opened, the norms of the myriad methods were established. The various functions of cosmic creation all converged upon the Upper Primordial.

The Eight Scenes (eight numinous realms within the human body) merged subtly into one, and Qi (the vital energy of life and the primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth) entered the mysterious realm. Within this mystery were the Great Imperial Sovereign on High (Taihuang Shangdi) and the high perfected (high-ranking immortals), whose radiance spread throughout Taixia (the Grand Rosy Clouds). They chanted the Cavern Verses (scriptures of the Dongzhen cavern), their golden true Qi shone brightly and flourished, and their voices flowed among the clouds. The jade sound gathered and stilled the Qi, the numinous wind condensed into mists and rosy clouds, and the purple empty realm, graceful and luxuriant, assisted and protected the myriad immortals.

The Master says: The preceding passage speaks of the root of the great Dao of Heaven and Earth. What follows speaks of the inner scenes of the human body and the Way of cultivation. The Eight Scenes of Shangqing (Shangqing bajing) and the Twenty-Four Spirits of the Three Sections (sanbu ershisi shen) are the first among the myriad immortals and the lords of the multitude of spirits. The "Great Imperial Sovereign of the Mystery" refers to the Golden Mother of the West (Xiwang Mu, the Queen Mother of the West). This speaks of the supreme Way within the Great Cavern, the mystery upon mystery and the wonder within wonder. One who understands and cultivates this Way may become a Shangzhen (a supreme perfected).

Through a thousand kinds of harmonizing and the merging of myriad things, the true Dao is naturally accomplished. Within the true realm there are spirits: the Great Lord of Long Life, the Lad Wuying (Wuying Gongzi), the Venerable Spirit of White Primordial (Baiyuan Zunshen), the Director of Destiny of Taiyi (Taiyi Siming), Taokang, and Heyan. They govern the talismanic mandates and the registers of names, protect life and sustain its vitality, and travel upward into the Shangqing realm.

The Master says: This is precisely the Way by which the five spirits unite and the Great Cavern transforms the myriad things. It is the supreme Way transmitted to the Jade Dawn (Yuchen), the venerable spirits of Shangqing.

These spirits move in and out of splendid palaces and pervade the deep, secluded regions of the eight directions, and they also dwell in the most minute subtleties. Below, they guard the human body, abiding in the Muddy Pellet (Niwan, the upper dantian in the head) and the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, the palace of the heart). There they harmonize the five Qi and bring the hundred spirits into accord.

The Master says: The splendor of Taiyi is contained within and unfolds like a lotus. What is called the "Eight Obscurities" may be likened to places where warp and weft cross and the deep and hidden spread everywhere. The five Qi are all harmonized by the three palaces of the human body, and the hundred spirits take the Five Spirits as their foundation, from which they are generated.

The formula says: This is the first of two chapters, the supreme treasure among spiritual teachings and the highest of Ways. As the Jade Dawn Lord (Yuchen Daojun) said, it is the supreme Way received from the Primordial Boundless Salvation Scripture (Yuanshi Wuliang Dure Jing). The creation it describes is not something outside the body but the fundamental Dao (the Way).

The Three Heavenly Sovereigns, the Thirty-Nine Emperors, the Supreme Perfected of the Nine Empyreans, and the myriad emperors and Perfected of the Boundless Heavens all revere this Way. They gather to pay court in the Golden Gate and Seven-Treasure Jade Terrace of the Upper Palace of Purple Subtlety, where Spirit Consorts attend the incense and Perfected Beings oversee the rites. This Way is transmitted only once every forty thousand kalpas. Anyone who divulges it carelessly will have their name struck from the Jade Clarity registers, will see nine generations of ancestors sunk into the prisons of fire and poison, and will themselves suffer forever under the wind-blades, never pardoned through the kalpas, while seven generations of descendants will suffer the retribution of worms and sores in every life. Those who have not yet become Perfected have no standing to transmit this Way, and if they let slip even a single phrase, they will bring on lasting calamity. Without transmission from the Supreme Divine Master and the descent of the Perfected Beings' teaching, how could a humble immortal know this Way at all?

Eulogy of the Wondrous Conduct Perfected (Miaoxing Zhenren Song):

One Qi returns to its ancestral source and enters the dark realms of the eight directions. The Gate of Heaven and the Door of Earth open and close, opening and blocking, and the root of life lies in Taiwei (the Supreme Tenuity). The bright beams bear the ancestral Qi. Heaven enters and becomes Yang; Heaven opens within Yin; Earth releases and becomes True. As the workings of the true and the false interlace, water and fire arrive together, and the hundred spirits turn back toward the east. If one enters the valley chamber and divulges it recklessly, the foundation will overturn and collapse.

Diagram of the Taiyi Hanhua (Taiyi Enfolding Blossom):

The heart enclosure and the eight vessels rise and connect to the nine colors, while the interior conceals the five colors. Taiyi (the Supreme One) encloses its blossom like a white lotus, reaching sideways to the nine cauldrons.

Yi combined with Geng produces green; Ding combined with Ren produces blue-green; Wu combined with Gui produces purple; Bing combined with Xin produces pale red.

Diagram of the Mingling of the Five Spirits:

Ten Turns Returning the Numinous (Shizhuan Huiling):

The scripture says: "With ten turns the numinous returns, and the myriad Qi all become immortal together."

The Master says: The Way of the ten turns is the Way by which the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) arise, change, and complete their cycles. The so-called method of the ten turns is the Heavenly Honored One expounding the scripture ten times, manifesting the divine transformations. This is its principle.

The scripture says: "The assembled Perfected attend the seat."

The Master says: This phrase means that within a single body the assembled Perfected gather, and one may come to understand this through it.

The scripture says: When the Primordial Heavenly Honored One expounded the scripture once, the Great Sages of all the heavens praised it in unison. At that time, all the men and women of the nation who were deaf in one ear or ill in the ears regained their hearing.

The Master says: When the Perfected gather, they respond with goodness. The water number gives birth to one, and the myriad things under heaven receive its grace. Water-Qi rises to assemble and spreads through the valleys, nourishing the kidneys and increasing wisdom. Thus those who are deaf have their ear-orifices opened, and those with ear ailments recover their hearing. Speaking in terms of the supreme Way, the deluded do not understand the sounds and meanings within it; the external Perfected's ear ailment is not...

Hearing the fire of no sound, the keen ear turns deaf; gaining the Qi of True Oneness (Zhenyi zhi qi) within water, wisdom grows.

When the nature of wisdom (huixing) opens, the ears can also hear.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture twice, and the blind can see again."

The Master says: The human eye is the lord of the light of the whole body, and the root where the essences of sun and moon gather. It is the gateway for seeking the True Dao and the mysterious source for perceiving the Great Dao. The Shangdao Jinjing says: "The sun and moon hold the first place, and light belongs to Fire." What governs light in the body is the pupil-spirit within the eye. It takes the Fire of Yinghuo (Yinghuo zhi huo), the planet Mars, as its root, and it corresponds to the scattered radiance of the sun and moon. The generating number of Fire is two, and True Water of Heaven (Tianyi zhen shui) can bathe and nourish the primal root of life. Supreme Mysterious True Fire (Shangxuan zhen huo) rises from the heart, so the eyes regain their luster and brightness and connect with the three lights of sun, moon, and stars. This speaks of the blind regaining sight, and moreover it is the root of life's generation and transformation. Jiaché (the splitting of the seed-shell, the sprouting of plants breaking through the soil) is associated with the two kidneys, and it is the root-origin represented by the Xu and Hai hours. When Water returns to its origin (shui chao yuan), the three pupils converge upward, Fire arises in the heart, and one gazes at the three lights. The three lights gather in the two pupils and govern the brightness of the eyes. This is what is called xuyuan. As for Daoists who develop color blindness, it belongs to the same kind of situation.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture three times, and the mute can speak."

The Master says: The generating number of Wood is three. From the standpoint of the Ultimate Dao, all things are generated through the Five Phases (wuxing), and a single color contains five hues. Yin and Yang move alternately and in reciprocal cycles, while their function remains concealed. From the standpoint of the ordinary Dao, the mute cannot produce sound because the lungs govern the voice. From the standpoint of the Five Constants (wuchang), speech belongs to Metal. Metal governs sound. Therefore, when the Heavenly Venerable recites the scripture three times, by means of Wood's generating number and the principle of its marvelous transformation, Wood calls Metal in the West, the position of Metal's substance, so that Metal turns back and returns, and wondrous change occurs. This is why the mute can speak.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture four times, and those who are lame or suffer from chronic illness can rise and walk."

The Master says: The generating number of Metal is four. The so-called lameness and chronic illness include hemiplegia, injury to the muscles and blood vessels, contracted and bent limbs, difficult urination, and limping. The so-called accumulated illness is one passed down through generations, long built up and hard to cure. These conditions depend on whether the sinews are relaxed and whether the blood vessels flow smoothly, and they are also related to Wood's vessels and the spreading of Liver Qi throughout the body. This is the marvelous transformation corresponding to the number four, what the immortal practitioners call the method of the generation and reciprocal transformation of the Five Phases. From the standpoint of the Ultimate Dao, illness of the Dharma body (the pure body spoken of by cultivators) flourishes when Metal and Wood interact, and declines when each holds to its own place. This is the principle that Water and Fire depend on one another, and that Metal and Wood are mutually harmonious. Therefore, reciting the scripture four times uses Metal's generating number to bring about Wood's marvelous transformation. This is the meaning intended.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture five times, and stubborn, long-standing illnesses can be restored at once."

The Master says: Five is the generating number of Earth. The human flesh, blood vessels, and bodily form all belong to Earth…

When the earthy qi (qi) passes through five transformations, it can restore a complete body and make up the substance of the Five Phases (Wuxing). Thus blindness, deafness, muteness, lameness, chronic ailments, and illnesses that have resisted long treatment can all be healed in an instant, and the body returns to its original form.

This is the "generating number" (shengshu) of the Five Phases.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture six times, and white hair turns black, and fallen teeth grow back."

The Master says: This is the "completion number" (chengshu) of Water.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture seven times, and the elderly regain their vigor, and the young become even more robust."

The Master says: This is the completion number of Fire. Within the human body, a radiant light arises and reveals the jing (essence) of the five viscera. The elderly regain their strength, the young grow more vigorous, and their countenance becomes more forceful. All of these are the effects of the qi of Water and Fire.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture eight times, and women conceive, and birds and beasts become pregnant; whether life has already been born or not yet born, all are nourished and brought to completion."

The Master says: This is the completion number of Wood. The qi of Wood nourishes the myriad things and enables them to come into being. It also allows the sacred embryo (shengtai), the spiritual fetus condensed through cultivation, to gather numinous qi, so that eight fine breaths converge, differentiate, and take form, and the process of gestation suffers no loss. This is the function governed by the vital qi of Wood.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture nine times, and the hidden earth is revealed, and gold and jade take shape."

The Master says: When the sacred embryo has passed through nine revolutions and reaches the completion number of Metal, its form can no longer be concealed. Golden light and jade radiance shine throughout the body, what is called a "golden countenance and jade features," and the "jade-like flesh and jade-like fluids" moisten the whole person. With each breath and exhalation, the myriad things grow at once. When one blows the breath, it can transform into gold; when saliva falls to the ground, it can become treasure; and the myriad radiances of the Dao shine upon one another, both within and without. All of these are results of the Five Phases at work, and they manifest the appearance of gold and jade and the differentiation of the sacred embryo into form.

The scripture says: "Recite the scripture ten times, and withered bones grow anew, and the dead all rise again to become living people."

The Master says: This is the completion number of Earth. What is called "ten turns return the numinous" means that the myriad qi gather, so that a person may attain immortality; the remains are restored, the withered bones transform into immortal form, and one lives again. The Dao of reciting the scripture ten times begins with the generating numbers of the Five Phases and ends with their completion numbers. One who understands and grasps this method will attain longevity; one who practices it will become an immortal, leave the mortal body, and ascend, and this is the principle the text describes.

If merit is complete and cultivation is thorough, one may ascend to the rank of Highest Perfected. In practice, eighty-one days make one turn. Cultivating for eight hundred days belongs to the Lesser Vehicle (xiaocheng); cultivating for three thousand days belongs to the Greater Vehicle (dacheng). All cultivation adheres to the principles described here, and from this all the immortals can arise and be perfected. Although the gates of practice differ, they ultimately lead to the same end. The Master, a True Teacher, says: The oral instructions are all written out in the scripture. This is a Dao of the lower grade, and it is transmitted only to those who are truly virtuous.

The Perfected Fakong composed a verse:

From one to ten, the Five Phases form the root; Yin and Yang circulate without end, entering and leaving the sacred realm. The sun rises over Fusang, and the moon sinks into Xuanming; the myriad spirits pay homage to the true Dao, and at last they unite with the vast primordial chaos (hundun) of qi.

Swiftly, swiftly, as the statute commands (a closing formula in Daoist talismanic writing, indicating that a command must be carried out without delay).

Inhaling the Correct Qi (Regulating the Breath and Gathering Pure Qi)

The scripture says: "Draw in Qi thirty-two times."

The Master says: "The Correct Qi of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao) is the true Dao-Qi of the Thirty-Two Heavens, the pure primordial vital energy spoken of in Daoism. If one does not gather this Qi, inner cultivation has no foundation for success, and outward rites will have no response or efficacy. In that case one has only an empty body. One walks within the Upper Way yet chants numinous registers like a ghost of the lower realm, and all of one's efforts are in vain."

The Qi of the Great Yellow Heaven (Taihuang Tian) is yellow; that of the Great Brightness Heaven (Taiming Tian) is green; that of the Clear Brightness Heaven (Qingming Tian) is azure; that of the Mysterious Embryo Heaven (Xuantai Tian) is red; that of the Primordial Brightness Heaven (Yuanming Tian) is dark blue-green; that of the Upper Brightness Heaven (Shangming Tian) is black; that of the Void-Nothingness Heaven (Xuwu Tian) is jade-green; and that of the Supreme Ultimate Heaven (Taiji Tian) is purple.

The Master says: "By treading the Gang positions corresponding to the lunar mansions Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi, following the steps of pacing the Dipper, and then drawing in Qi according to its color, one obtains the Qi of these eight heavens. The Celestial Lords of the eight heavens will dispatch perfected immortals as attendants, so that one can perceive the affairs of the eight heavens and encounter no obstruction wherever one goes."

The Qi of the Vermilion Brightness Heaven (Chiming Tian) is white; that of the Mysterious Brightness Heaven (Xuanming Tian) is green; that of the Radiant Brightness Heaven (Yaoming Tian) is yellow; that of the Zhuluo Heaven (Zhuluo Tian) is azure; that of the Void-Nothingness Heaven is red; that of the Contemplative Brightness Heaven (Guanming Tian) is dark blue-green; that of the Mysterious Brightness Heaven is black; and that of the Great Radiance Heaven (Taihuan Tian) is jade-green.

The Master says: "By treading the Gang positions corresponding to the lunar mansions Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Ji, following the steps of the method, and then drawing in Qi according to its color, one obtains the Qi of these eight heavens. The Celestial Lords of the eight heavens will dispatch perfected immortals as attendants, so that one can perceive the affairs of the eight heavens and encounter no obstruction wherever one goes."

The Qi of the Yuanzai Heaven (Yuanzai Tian) is purple; that of the Great Peace Heaven (Taian Tian) is white; that of the Manifest Stability Heaven (Xianding Tian) is yellow; that of the Initial Yellow Heaven (Shihuang Tian) is green; that of the Great Emperor Heaven (Taihuang Tian) is azure; that of the Non-Thought Heaven (Wusi Tian) is red; that of the Upper Heaven of Gathering (Shangdie Tian) is dark blue-green; and that of the Ultimateless Heaven (Wuji Tian) is black.

The Master says: "By treading the Gang positions corresponding to the lunar mansions Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, and Zhen, following the steps of the method, and then drawing in Qi according to its color, one obtains the Qi of these eight heavens. The Celestial Lords of the eight heavens will dispatch perfected immortals as attendants, so that one can perceive the affairs of the eight heavens and encounter no obstruction wherever one goes."

The Qi of the Haoting Heaven (Haoting Tian) is jade-green; that of the Yuantong Heaven (Yuantong Tian) is purple; that of the Great Literary Heaven (Taiwen Tian) is white; that of the Great Simplicity Heaven (Taisu Tian) is yellow; that of the Great Void Heaven (Taixu Tian) is green; that of the Great Release Heaven (Taishi Tian) is azure; that of the Dragon-Transformation Heaven (Longbian Tian) is red; and that of the Supreme Ultimate Heaven is dark blue-green.

The Master says: "By treading the Gang positions corresponding to the lunar mansions Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, and Shen, following the steps of the method, and then drawing in Qi according to its color, one obtains the Qi of these eight heavens. The Celestial Lords of the eight heavens will dispatch perfected immortals as attendants, so that one can perceive the affairs of the eight heavens and encounter no obstruction wherever one goes."

Ingesting Qi (Absorbing and Internally Refining Primordial Qi through Breath Regulation)

The oral formula says: "Whenever one ingests the Qi of the Thirty-Two Heavens, one should first knock the teeth together nine times. Enter through the Heavenly Gate (the crown of the head, where Qi enters the body) into the Upper Primordial Net (here referring to the method of guiding the Qi's circulation). Let the Qi flow and spread through the diagram, then proceed step by step according to the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. Each day, visualize one celestial deity: the deity sits in a hall of gold and jade, the Celestial Emperor sits upon the throne above it, wearing a crown and dressed in…"

When ingesting qi, visualize the color of the celestial realm that corresponds to one's own heaven, and let qi of that color descend from the mouth. It should spread throughout the body like fine silken threads. Then draw the qi back into the body in the prescribed number of breaths. For all prayers and petitions, follow the method of "Emperor Xuan Governs the Gang Wind": report silently within the gale-force wind and stand still, waiting for the response to arrive. For the Dou Gang (Dipper Gang) stations in the four corner directions and in the Brahma region, select the direction that matches the lunar lodge governing that day. When taking qi, also practice the method of the Four Heavens.

Xuanzhen Yinhui (Secret Names of the Mysterious Perfected)

These are the hidden names and sacred appellations used in Daoist ritual, which are conventionally paired in sequence with the sexagenary cycle and the names of the hexagrams. The Dingchou year pairs with the name Dan Lou A Hui (Yu hexagram, Enthusiasm). Wu Yin Guan Yin pairs with Wu Yin (Sui hexagram, Following). Xu Yan Ming Shou pairs with Ji Mao (Gu hexagram, Work on What Has Been Spoiled). Fa Lan Pu Tan pairs with Geng Chen (Lin hexagram, Approach). Jia Na A Yi pairs with Xin Si (Guan hexagram, Contemplation). Hu He Liu Yin pairs with Ren Wu (Shi He hexagram, Biting Through). Hua Du Qu Li pairs with Gui Wei (Bi hexagram, Grace). Xian Pu Yu Zhen pairs with Jia Shen (no hexagram given). Jue Da Luo Da Zhuo pairs with Yi You (Fu hexagram, Return). San Yan Qing Yun pairs with Bing Xu (Wu Wang hexagram, Without Falsehood). Fei Sa Yu Du pairs with Ding Hai (Da Xu hexagram, Great Accumulation). Ming Mo Shang Men pairs with Wu Zi (Yi hexagram, Nourishment). Wu Xing Shang Shou pairs with Ji Chou (Da Guo hexagram, Great Excess). Hui Zhi Liu Xuan pairs with Geng Yin (Kan hexagram, The Abysmal). A Tuo Long Luo pairs with Xin Mao (Li hexagram, The Clinging). Si Xiang Xu Yi pairs with Ren Chen (Xian hexagram, Influence).

Nan Yan Dong Fu pairs with Gui Si (Heng hexagram, Duration). Yu Mou Shen Shen pairs with Jia Wu (Dun hexagram, Retreat). Fan Xing Luo Kong pairs with Yi Wei (Da Zhuang hexagram, Great Strength). Jiu Ling Tui Qian pairs with Bing Shen (Jin hexagram, Progress). Ze Luo Pu Tai pairs with Ding You (Ming Yi hexagram, Darkening of the Light). Lü Luo Da Qian pairs with Wu Xu (Jia Ren hexagram, The Family). Miao Mang Jiu Chou pairs with Ji Hai (Kui hexagram, Opposition). Shao Yao Yuan Zhan pairs with Geng Zi (Jian hexagram, Obstruction). Yun Shang Jiu Du pairs with the Jie hexagram (Deliverance). Fei Sheng Zi Qian pairs with the Sun hexagram (Decrease). Na Yu Yu Fu pairs with Xin Chou (Yi hexagram, Increase). Mo Luo Fa Lun pairs with Ren Yin (Guai hexagram, Breakthrough). Ji Chi Wu Jing pairs with Gui Mao (Gou hexagram, Coming to Meet). Lan Zi Yun Rong pairs with Jia Chen (Cui hexagram, Gathering). Fu Lang Kuo Yi pairs with Yi Si (Sheng hexagram, Pushing Upward). Shen Ying Zi Gong pairs with Bing Wu (Kun hexagram, Oppression).

Ding Wei pairs with Dao Li Chan You (Jing hexagram, The Well). Po Ni Jiu Tong pairs with Wu Shen (Ge hexagram, Revolution). Wan Sou Di Se pairs with Ji You (Ding hexagram, The Cauldron). Tai Miao Zhi Tang pairs with Geng Xu (Zhen hexagram, The Arousing). Liu Luo Fan Meng pairs with Xin Hai (Gen hexagram, Keeping Still). Jing Wei Xiao Yu pairs with Ren Zi (Jian hexagram, Development). Yi Mo Wu Ji pairs with Gui Chou (Gui Mei hexagram, The Marrying Maiden). Wan…

Shou Shao Du, A Ji Yu Zhu, Hua Mo Yan You, Nine Openings Self-Clarified, A Na Pin Shou, Immeasurable Fu Gai, Floating Luo Uniting Spirit, Jade Birth Long Sang, Passing the Cypress Void and Crossing the Immortals, Huo Without Self-Nurture, Nine Suns Guiding Qian, Kun the Mother Covering the East, Form Gathered into the Supreme Mystery, Tuo Luo Nurturing the Remote, Faint Qi Merging with the Clouds, Flying Heaven Great Ugliness, Overseeing the Upper Heavens, Sand-Count Kalpas, Longhan Ying Xian, Azure Descent Floating Li, Empty Song and Precious Treasure, Evil Sweeping Without Rank, Cavern Wondrous Self-True, Primordial Brahma Vast and Boundless, Dark Stillness Delivering People.

Beside these lines are marked sexagenary terms and hexagram names, such as Jiayin, Yimao, Xun, Dui, Tun, Meng, and Xu. They belong to the scripture's esoteric terminology and diagrammatic formulas, and their specific meanings cannot be determined from this passage alone.

The master said: "This method of practice is a diagrammatic formula founded by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), and it was transmitted in secret by the Jade Maiden Xuanzhen (Yunü Xuanzhen). Begin on the day Jiazi, with the hexagram Tun (Tun). The upper trigram of Tun is Kan (Kan) and the lower is Zhen (Zhen). A yang line corresponds to thirty-six breaths, and a yin line corresponds to twenty-four breaths. Exhale three cun and inhale three cun; together these make one breath. The pulse beats four times per breath, each beat about one and a half cun, for a total of six cun. What is called 'true qi' (zhenqi) refers to the true qi spoken of in cultivation. When the lines are 'old yang,' emphasis falls on exhalation; when they are 'old yin,' emphasis falls on inhalation. The oral instructions also mention the counts of thirty-two and twenty-eight, as well as steps such as 'sixty hours of urging the work.' The practitioner uses yuanqi (primordial qi) to form vessels and true script within the Dangu (the cavity referred to in internal refinement). The true script naturally appears as jade patterns, the Qiong Long emblem, and the Eight Awns, and is then refined with Dongyang true fire to form the Red Writing. To understand this method, one may consult the diagram of Guishan Yuanhuang. This is the method of ascending in broad daylight. If the principle is still unclear, then follow the ordered items, recite them, and take them internally for one year, and you will naturally become spiritually connected and await the descent of the Xuanzhen to give direct instruction."

Methods of Embryonic Transformation and Substance

The Huangren (Huangren) instructs: "The Yuanshi sacred embryo (the embryo cultivated with Yuanshi as its root) has a sequence of ten months of formation, and there are also methods of the seven heads and five roots."

The scripture says: "Superior Wondrous Head (age fifteen), Unmoving Superior Head (age twenty-five)..."

The Master said: "Once one attains the supreme subtle Head, one need not wait nine years for the work to mature. Attaining the 'Head of Unobstructed Supremacy' (wuxing shangshou) allows one to become a true immortal within seven years. Attaining the 'Anapin Head' (Anapin shou) means that after nine years one may expect to ascend to heaven. Attaining the 'Xuyanming Head' (Xuyanming shou) means that after twelve years of completed merit, the spirit and qi are fully formed. Attaining the 'Wan Head' (Wan shou) means that after eighteen years one may achieve Dao through corpse liberation (shijie). Attaining the 'Sanjie Jishou,' or 'Head Bowing to the Three Realms,' at sixty-five, makes one an immortal of earth and water, with one's name recorded in the Heavenly Repository. Attaining the 'Qunmo Shushou,' or 'Head Binding the Myriad Demons,' at seventy-five enables one to live long and transcend the world, unharmed by the myriad demons. The methods below all prolong life, and so does the 'Head Binding the Myriad Demons.'"

The scripture (Jing) says: "Above, there is no root of form; this is the Heavenly Root. Sever the Earthly Root, preserve the Root of Life, nurture the Root of Goodness, and eliminate the Root of Evil."

The Master said: "'Above, there is no root of form' refers to the complete purification of worldly attachments and afflictions, and entry into a realm without form or action. This is the Heavenly Root. Before one has penetrated the Heavenly Root, one must first sever the Earthly Root, no longer be burdened by karmic force, and repay the debts of suffering. Only then can one preserve the Root of Life and nourish the Root of Goodness. Whether one cultivates the Supreme Vehicle or the Middle Vehicle, the elimination of the Root of Evil comes first. Another account holds that the highest method cultivates the Heavenly Root, the middle method cultivates the Earthly Root, and both remove the Root of Form and extinguish the Root of Evil."

The Master said: "Only after one has understood the Seven Heads of the Holy Embryo and the Way of the Five Roots may one enter the cultivation of the Primordial Embryo's transformation. The Primordial Sacred Embryo (Yuanshi shengtai) is born after the Red Script and before the Azure Dawn, and it gestates in the Dafuli soil. Its heart-sac and eight vessels respond outwardly to the Nine Colors. It is nurtured in the Nine Cauldrons, and it is completed before the Seven Heads and the Five Roots, at the very beginning of the Red Script and Azure Dawn.

Heaven and earth began with number, and the key to cultivation lies in grasping the state that exists before the breath of mouth and nose has arisen. Once there is breath-qi, it circulates with the inhalations and exhalations. Over a full day and night there are three thousand five hundred breaths, and within a single breath the pulse responds four times. Each exhalation extends three inches, and each inhalation likewise extends three inches, so the qi moving in and out totals six inches. Each pulse beat extends one inch and five tenths. These sum to fifteen, symbolizing the great number of Yin and Yang. The bodies of heaven and earth are reckoned by three for heaven and two for earth, which together make three and two.

True qi enters the Nine Cauldrons, circulates the mercury (gong), gathers the lead (qian), and thereby transforms the Primordial Sacred Embryo. Each double-hour, the true qi circulates six thousand seven hundred and fifty inches. Across the twelve double-hours, the total is eighty-one thousand inches, or eight thousand one hundred feet, which is eight hundred and ten zhang. This is the total of true qi's circulation over the twelve double-hours."

Each shi (an ancient unit of time) is converted by standard reckoning into eight ke and twenty fen, and the twelve shi together make ninety-six ke. The four positions of Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun each occupy one ke, which together complete the total to one hundred ke. Each shi is set at 1,150 xi (breaths), so the twelve shi total 13,800 xi. Each xi counts as one zhu of fire, twenty-four zhu make one liang, and three hundred and eighty-four zhu make one jin. By this reckoning, 13,500 xi of true fire amount to 315 jin and two and a half liang. The yin number is eight and the yang number is twelve, so the degrees of motion of Heaven and Earth are also used to explain the circulation of qi and blood in the human body.

A full day and night is divided into one hundred ke, and each ke into sixty fen. Each shi of eight ke and twenty fen amounts to three hundred and sixty xi. In the span of a single inhalation and exhalation, Heaven and Earth move sixty li; over one full day and night they move 961,500 li. The celestial circle is 365 degrees and twenty-five and a half fen, and the half-circle is 182 degrees, 75 fen, and 75 miao (seconds). Each degree equals 1,464 li and six cun. The twenty-eight lunar mansions (star divisions used in ancient astronomy to mark the sky) turn along with Heaven and Earth, so that the Dou mansion seems to advance past the Ji mansion.

Each ke, Heaven and Earth move 10,800 li. Each ke is divided into sixty fen, and each fen into six xi. In one shi, Heaven and Earth move 84,004 li, and the qi of one shi increases by 6,750 cun; the qi of the twelve shi together moves 700,890 cun. When Heaven and Earth move, qi and blood move as well, and when Yin and Yang turn, the ying qi and wei qi (qi that circulates through the body, providing nourishment and protection) move too. When sun and moon meet, the inner qi unites, and when the inner qi unites, a precious treasure is produced. This treasure condenses into the great elixir, and when the great elixir is complete, the sacred embryo forms. The leakage of qi is caused by invasion of the eight evils (harmful influences that obstruct cultivation). The Dharma of Creative Transformation Elixirs takes this as its foundation: the ten Heavenly Stems combine, match the nine cauldrons, accord with the nine colors, and are completed through nine transformations.

Diagram of the Eight Channels of the Heart-Enclosure, from Inner Contemplation of the Primordial Origin

Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen; Xun, Li, Kun, Dui.

Primordial Spiritual Power

The scripture says: "One who penetrates the profound principles and explores what is subtle can fully grasp its order."

Those who have achieved mastery recite this scripture, and those who are studying also recite it. (Two items in total.) Make offerings and worship with reverence. Those who recite this scripture ten times... (Two items in total.) Superior students cultivate and recite it, and ordinary people may also receive and recite it. (Two items in total.) During the first month, observe a fast, and recite and chant this scripture.

Scripting Recitation Practices

During the seventh month, one may maintain continuous fasting and recitation, or fast and recite for ten consecutive months. Recitation should also be performed on the eight solar nodes of the year (bajie, the Eight Seasonal Nodes in Daoist reckoning) and on one's own birth-day, reciting the scripture one hundred, one thousand, or ten thousand times. These make three practices in all.

Burning incense and bowing in worship should be performed at six periods of the day, with ten recitations of the scripture at each.

When the movements of Heaven and Earth fall out of order, or when the sun and moon show eclipses and waxing and waning, the sage who has attained the highest perfection may encounter hardship, and later disciples may fall ill or be injured. At such times one should burn incense and recite the scripture ten times. Fasting, incense offering, and recitation should likewise be observed.

When the cosmic order is nearing its end, when the lunar mansions move irregularly, when the seasons fall into disorder, when the ruler suffers calamity, when pestilence spreads, or when a teacher or companion has died, one should fast and recite the scripture in order to dispel natural disasters, protect the sovereign, and dissolve harm below, so that all beings may be delivered and both the living and the dead may find support and blessing. With a sincere intention to observe the fast, one burns incense and recites the scripture ten times. Those who understand the correct pronunciation of the text should recite it while fasting.

The Master said: "These thirty-eight items are all spiritual powers and merits originally practiced by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), one of the supreme deities revered in Daoism. They are profound and beyond full description. If even one of them is lacking, the responses sought will not appear, and one cannot become a Perfected (zhenren), one who has attained accomplishment in the Way."

Mysterious Responses Obtained Through Recitation

The Master said: "When reciting, if you wish to know whether your merit accords with Heaven, observe whether one hundred and fifty kinds of mysterious responses appear. When these responses occur, there will come a day of ascending to immortality and rising into the void. If no responses appear, one should redouble sincere repentance, rectify oneself and maintain purity, and concentrate the whole mind, taking the appearance of mysterious responses as an auspicious sign."

Ten Auspicious Signs Seen by the Highest Sages

The heavens sing in unison from afar, and the myriad emperors offer ceremonial salutations. Rivers and seas grow still and silent, and mountains conceal their clouds and mists. The sun and moon cease their motion, and the Xuanji, the pivot of the Northern Dipper, no longer turns. Demons are bound, and ghosts and spirits lose their vitality. The dead are restored to life, and white bones take on human form.

Six Auspicious Signs Seen by Those Who Aspire to Learning

The Five Emperors come to attend and guard, and the Three Realms (the different levels of world, including Heaven, Earth, and humanity) together bow with their heads touching the ground. Demons lose their sight, and malicious spirits lose their vitality. Those on the verge of death are rescued, and those whose breath has ceased are restored to life.

Three Auspicious Signs Seen by Scholars

Earth deities (diqi) are subdued and commanded, and demonic spirits are bound. Those who are about to die are spared from death.

Five Auspicious Signs Seen by Devotees

The family gate flourishes, and prosperity continues across generations. Good deeds are bound into lasting karmic connections. No calamity can disturb the household, and the gods guard the gate. All the heavens descend together, and the myriad ancestors as well as the wandering and suffering souls of the netherworld (youming) are at once delivered.

After ascending to the Vermilion Palace, the red celestial abode, and undergoing nine years of instruction, one may be reborn as a person of high rank and distinction. If one continues to study the Dao and completes one’s cultivation and merit, one can become an immortal, ascend to the Golden Towers in the celestial realm, and feast and wander in the Jade Capital, the immortal city in the heavens.

Those who study the Dao at the highest level can gain immediate deliverance and ascend to the Southern Palace by cultivating and reciting this scripture. People in the world who receive and recite it can extend their lives and, in time, attain the Way of Corpse Liberation—a method of cultivation in which the physical body dissolves and the spirit temporarily departs before returning. The spirit leaves the body for a time, avoids the underworld, then regains its form and roams through the vast emptiness.

All who recite this scripture can receive ten auspicious signs: they are freed from the burdens of worldly service and delivered, ascending to the Southern Palace.

Reciting it in the first month brings two auspicious signs: one becomes an immortal, and one’s name is entered in the Yellow Registers and White Slips, Daoist records of the names of immortals and perfected beings. One’s name is removed from the register of the dead, and one is reborn in a higher realm.

Reciting it in the seventh month brings three auspicious signs: one receives the blessing of bringing stability to the state, so that it endures through generations; and one is often able to assist the ruler in pacifying the realm, earning the people’s praise for the peace they enjoy.

Reciting it in the tenth month brings six auspicious signs: one becomes a Perfected Being of the Nine Palaces.

Reciting it on the Eight Seasonal Nodes, two designated solar terms in each of the four seasons, brings one auspicious sign: the spirit becomes pure and upright, and the primal Qi endures. One is free from suffering, and the body shines with light. Attendants of the Three Realms offer protection; envoys of the Five Emperors come to welcome one, and the myriad spirits approach to pay homage. One’s name is entered in the celestial register, and, when one’s merit is complete, one ascends to Shangqing, a high celestial realm in Daoist cosmology.

Holding a ritual on one’s natal day, the day corresponding to one’s birth year, month, and day, brings ten auspicious signs: with eyes closed, one sits upright in the midst of blue, yellow, and white clouds, surrounded by dense mists. Azure Dragons, White Tigers, Vermilion Birds, Black Tortoises, lions, and white cranes line both sides. Sun and moon shine, filling the room with light. A circular radiance appears above one’s head, its light illuminating the ten directions.

Reciting the scripture in a ritual chamber brings nine auspicious signs: the Three-Five Officers, divine functionaries who convey commands from Heaven, the messengers on the left and right, the incense-attending Golden Youth, the message-bearing Jade Maiden, the Five Emperors’ Talisman Officers, the incense officials on duty that day, and other spirits come to offer protection.

Summoning through the Mysterious Board brings six auspicious signs.

Reciting the Dongzhang ten thousand times brings fourteen auspicious signs.

The movements of Heaven and Earth have their times of ending and decline; the sun, moon, and five planets likewise undergo changes of waning and waxing. Even the most holy and numinous beings meet with both good and ill fortune, while those who have only just begun their studies are all the more vulnerable to illness and injury.

Praying for protection and averting calamities brings four auspicious signs. If a beginner’s cultivation is still shallow, or their rank among the immortals not yet fully attained, and their allotted lifespan has run out and death is near, a fellow practitioner who has attained the Dao should burn incense for them and recite the scripture ten times to deliver their corpse. Once the ritual has been performed, the spirit ascends directly to the Southern Palace. The days it is due to receive are then determined according to its cultivation and merit.

Thus one can be reborn and continue through the cycle of reincarnation without perishing, and ultimately become an immortal.

Refining the Corpse by Great Yin (Three Auspicious Signs)

When the workings of Heaven and Earth reach their end, one should observe purification, burn incense, and recite the scriptures. When the stars move out of order and the Sun and Moon grow dim, one should likewise observe purification, burn incense, and recite the scriptures. When the four seasons fall out of sequence and Yin-Yang lose their balance, one should do the same. When a ruler is struck by calamity and war breaks out on every side, one should do the same. When epidemics spread and the people suffer death and injury, one should do the same. When a teacher or friend dies, one should do the same.

Practicing Purification and Following the Way (Ten Auspicious Signs)

The heavens will enter your name in their registers, and the myriad spirits will protect you. In this way, you can become a perfected person who has attained the Way and serve among the ministers of the sage rulers and the Golden Palaces of Heaven. The heavens record people’s merits and faults without the slightest error. The demon kings of Heaven will also recommend you, enabling you to attain the Way.

Performing Meritorious Deeds (Five Auspicious Signs)

The flying celestial spirit kings will descend to observe you, record your diligence and achievements, and report them to the heavens. The myriad spirits will come to pay homage, and the earthly deities will guard your doors. Once you have accumulated great merit, even the demon kings will recommend you for immortality.

Those Who Know Its Resonance Recite It (Six Auspicious Signs)

This scripture can ward off, avert, deliver from, and bring to completion anything; it is the sound of celestial truth and nature itself. Reciting it therefore brings flying celestial spirits down to observe, while the Supreme Lord responds in song from afar. The myriad spirits come to pay homage, and the deities of the Three Realms attend beside the celestial carriage. Demons bow their heads and surrender, while ghosts and monsters perish of their own accord. The scripture’s sound rings clear and bright like jade striking stone, bringing stillness and clarity to the worlds in all ten directions: rivers and seas grow calm, smoke and dust vanish from the mountains, all spirits submit in awe, and the immortals gather when summoned. No turbid Qi remains in Heaven, and no demonic evil remains on Earth. The netherworld and the realm of wisdom become clear and translucent, their vastness and mystery without end.

Twenty-Four Auspicious Signs of Reciting the Scripture

After one recitation, the great sages of the heavens praise it together, and all deaf people, men and women alike, in a whole country regain their hearing. After two recitations, the blind regain their sight. After three, the mute can speak. After four, the lame and the chronically ill can rise and walk. After five, stubborn illnesses that have resisted treatment for a long time are suddenly cured. After six, white hair turns black and lost teeth grow back. After seven, the old regain the vigor of their prime, and the young become strong and healthy. After eight, women conceive and birds and animals become pregnant; all young, whether already born or still unborn, grow and survive safely. After nine, gold and jade hidden underground are revealed. After ten, flesh and blood grow again on dry bones, which rise and become living people.

Recite inwardly the ten auspicious signs that the Primordial Sacred Embryo is coming into being.

Yin Elixir and Yang Elixir

The scripture says: “Flowing essence gives off a jade-like radiance, while vibrant Qi in five colors rises in abundance.”

The scripture says: “The body is luminous.”

The scripture says: “The wondrous head of the highest rank delivers people through ten transformations; a hundred demons conceal their subtle resonance, while separation and union occur naturally. The Red Writ of the Vast Cavern is the supreme truth beyond all nothingness. In the primordial kalpa of the Primordial Beginning, the various heavens were brought forth; the three celestial signs—the sun, moon, and stars—were opened and made manifest. These are the foundations of Heaven. In Heaven, there is no ancestor earlier than this: only the Dao exists as the fundamental substance. Writings in five colors unfold, nourishing the spirits everywhere. Without writing, there is no radiance; without writing, nothing can be manifested, established, accomplished, transformed, or brought to life.”

The scripture says: “Jade gives birth to the long-lived mulberry and cypress; the immortals are delivered through emptiness.”

The master said: “Flowing essence and jade radiance are the spirit treasure of Heaven. Cultivating and ingesting them brings one through to the true realm. Thus the Heavenly Perfected Sovereign said: ‘Before anything existed in the great void, the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning emerged within the three Qi.’ The Red Writ of the Vast Cavern was refined and smelted before it took form as jade characters. These characters opened and revealed the three celestial signs—the sun, moon, and stars—and nourished the spirits everywhere. Today, if one can imitate the process by which the Qi of the spirit treasure was brought forth before the Primordial Beginning, then gather this Qi and refine it into an elixir, ingesting it will enable one to become perfected.”

The oral instructions say: “On the cliffs of a high mountain, choose a place untouched by human footsteps, open to sunlight and moonlight from all four directions, and secretly build a site for cultivation. Make it round above and square below, five feet off the ground, with each side one zhang long. Cut thirty-two openings into the walls, arranged in the pattern of the twenty-eight lunar mansions. Like windows, they should let in sunlight.

“Begin cultivating each day when the Horn lunar mansion is in its ruling position. Take a round vessel made of the Seven Treasures, five inches in diameter, fill it with westward-flowing water, and expose it to sunlight. After forty-five days, five-colored flowing essence sand will congeal in the water. Remove it and ingest it: a flowing purple radiance will then appear on the face, enabling communication with the spirits and access to the true.

“To refine the great spirit treasure elixir, place a vessel beneath each of the thirty-two openings. When the corresponding lunar mansion is in its ruling position, take water from that direction and add Celestial Flower and the four kinds of spring water. The four springs are rain, dew, frost, and snow. Mix them together and expose them to sunlight and moonlight. After forty-five days, sand-like matter will rise to the surface and shimmer. Keep it clean at all times; do not let dust cover it.

“Then set up the altar and furnace, and regulate the fire according to the eight gates. Make a tripod from twelve liang of gold and a cauldron from twenty-four liang of iron. Use a yangsui fire starter to kindle the flame, and boil the mixture continuously, day and night…” The original text ends here.

Open the alchemical vessel once every forty-five days. When opening it, moisten it with moonlight—the essence of the Moon’s Qi—so that white blossoms condense below. Gather the white blossoms until you have a full pound. Then add twenty-four zhu each of the Maiden of the River (a name for mercury), the White Soul of Cinnabar Mountain (a name for lead-based substances), and the Vermilion Child of Crimson Mound (a name for cinnabar). Place them in the vessel and cover them with elixir. Refine them for seven double-hours over the fire of Yin-Yang, and the substances will rise and settle on the vessel’s lid. When the amount has grown to a pound, begin the work of the nine reversions. After nine years, the substance will naturally rise and congeal, forming a single vermilion fruit with a red stem within the embryonic womb. Swallow it, and you will immediately become a flying immortal. Bathe once every forty-five days. This is the same as the Way of the Golden Elixir: refine jade characters with fire, with the key lying in the Cinnabar Valley (a name for the Dantian). On the day corresponding to your birth stem and branch, follow the body’s apertures according to the method and swallow the essences of the Sun and Moon (for details, see the “Chapter on True Qi”). When your merit is complete and inner and outer forces respond to one another, you will soon be able to pay audience in Jade Purity, one of the Three Pure Ones’ heavens. When Jade Purity came into being, the essence of jade light descended and took root in a cypress on Fusang, the mythical place where the Sun rises. From there, in the realm of empty space, it transforms people and makes them immortal. This is also the subtle essential teaching of the Three Visions within the Great Cavern (the Shangqing scripture Great Cavern Scripture). Only after the elixir has been refined and used to aid the world may you take it yourself.

The Master said: The Supreme One Who Holds the Blossoms, formed from the falling red script, resembles a lotus. The lotus is its progenitor, with all other flowers following after it. It is also called the Elixir of Numinous Treasure and Pearl Light. It can cure every illness and revive the dead; taken for a long time, it brings longevity. On a Bing or Ding day, or during the hours associated with Xu, Hai, Chen, or Si, pick thirty-two unopened white lotuses with your left hand and thirty-two red lotuses with your right. Dry them over a fire until just dry, then burn them to ash over a fierce flame. Next, on the third day of the third month, the seventh day of the seventh month, and the ninth day of the ninth month, gather one pound each of a hundred kinds of flowers. Mix them with the lotus ash, then add five liang each of nine-jointed sweet flag, ginseng, rehmannia, asparagus root, atractylodes, dried ginger, and giant seed (black sesame). Pound and sift everything together. Use sweet wine brewed with a hundred flowers to make a paste, then roll it into pills the size of soybeans. Take five to seven pills with wine made without added lime. When gathering the ingredients and taking the medicine, recite the prescribed invocations (for details, see the “Chapter on Cultivation and Recitation”). Take one pill each day: after a hundred days, you will know distant events; after a year, you will be free of illness and never die; after a thousand days, the spirits of the Five Viscera will be full, and you will immediately attain long life.

The Great Practice of Brahma Qi

The scripture says: The mysterious, conjoined Qi of the Eight Luminaries—the Sun, Moon, stars, and other luminous manifestations or inner deities of Daoist teaching—enters the realm of the mystery within the mystery. Within it dwell the High Perfected, the Great August Emperor.

The Master said: This is the original Qi, wondrous and mysterious, of the Eight Luminaries of the Queen Mother of the West. It is also called the Lord of the Cinnabar Emperor. This is the highest and most perfect Way, transmitted by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning; all true immortals of the Three Realms depend on it. The great Brahma Qi in the human body corresponds to the measures of Heaven, so with every breath, we connect with the Qi of Heaven and Earth.

When the breath reaches a certain state, Qi moves through the body and harmonizes with the sun, refining the Great Medicine, an important achievement in Neidan cultivation. This is the path to becoming perfected and a rung on the ladder of advancing in the Dao.

The scripture says: “The Great Practice of Brahma Qi: Brahma Qi fills and spreads throughout the Vast and Deep Great Brahma, the profound, chaotic realm before Heaven and Earth were divided. The colorless realm of Great Brahma is the practice of Brahma.”

The master says: “People are born from the Vast and Deep Great Brahma and eventually return to it. To understand the Great Practice of Brahma Qi, one must first cultivate the twelve practices of Brahma, then go on to cultivate Brahma Qi. The source of Brahma Qi is the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother of the West. This, too, belongs to the Great Dao above the Great Cavern, an important Shangqing Daoist scripture and cultivation system.

“People receive Qi and are born; from that moment, their lifespan begins. The breath can be discerned through the pulses of the three regions and four arrivals. With each exhalation, pulse Qi moves three inches; with each inhalation, it also moves three inches. Together, one inhalation and one exhalation amount to six inches. Calculated by the Xuanji, an instrument for observing celestial phenomena, this corresponds to the sun’s movement.

“A day and night are divided into one hundred ke, each containing sixty fen. One shichen is divided into eight ke and twenty fen, making 140 fen in total. In a day and night, there are 13,500 breaths, or 360 per ke. With each inhalation and exhalation, pulse Qi moves six inches; by this calculation, the sun travels sixty li. Over a day and night, the sun travels a total of 96,001,500 li, following the celestial circuit and illuminating 365 degrees, 25 fen, and 50 seconds.

“The sun travels one degree each day. Half the celestial circuit is 182 degrees, 62 fen, and 75 seconds. Each degree is equivalent to 1,464 li, 6 inches, and 4 fen. The twenty-eight lunar mansions move in sequence, each with its own number of degrees. The Great Dao’s Brahma Qi circulates without pause, revolving around the Northern Dipper and passing through the mansion of the Winnowing Basket, cycling according to the order of the Five Constants.

“Each ke, the sun’s true Qi flows for 10,800 li. Each ke is divided into sixty fen; using 362 breaths as the basis, one calculates the sun’s flowing light. Each fen corresponds to six breaths, and the flowing light travels 360 li. In each shichen, the sun’s true light travels 86,004 li. In each shichen, Qi moves 6,750 inches; over twelve shichen, Qi and blood move a total of 700,890 inches.

“When the sun and moon meet, Yin and Yang join. As the sun and moon move, the body’s nutritive Qi and defensive Qi move with them, and the Great Medicine is thereby refined.

“What has been described above is the Nine Qi of the Ancient Cauldron, from an ancient internal cultivation method. Within the Qi gathers a small child called ‘Chu Qi.’ One must attend court, meaning to advance in accordance with the cultivation method, throughout the day and night. Even the slightest worldly distraction will cause one to lose the Great Practice of Brahma Qi, and…”

That which spreads throughout and governs the whole body is the foremost of the human body’s gates of death. Here lie the source of the Nine Qi (the nine primal energies that form the human body and the cosmos) and the depths of True Earth (the body’s original Earth). It is located between Xu and Hai in the northwest, joined to Jade Clarity, and opens toward the Muddy Pellet (a cultivation site in the head). It connects south to the Crimson Palace (the palace where the heart resides), above to the Qi of the lungs, and below to the Flesh Gate. The Flesh Gate is the gate of the sun and moon, and also the Cinnabar Chamber and Golden Abode. It lies about three inches north of the kidneys inside the body and connects laterally to the Twelve Spirit Chambers, where dwell the Lord of Brahma Qi and the True Mother, the Female One.

Diagram of West Tortoise Mountain

West Tortoise Mountain is also called Dragon Mountain and symbolizes the Way of Wood; the Metal Mother resides there, symbolizing the essential nature of Metal. It is the foundation of the Nine Heavens and of the body’s Nine Palaces, the deep abode of Yellow Qi, the palace of Brahma Qi, and the proper seat of True Earth. It lies in the northwest of Heaven, in the lands of Hai and Zi, and is also the source of the infant’s life.

West Tortoise Mountain extends for tens of millions of miles, with no measurable end, beyond ordinary dimensions. It rises to join Jade Clarity and reaches upward into the brain. Its meridians lead to the Jade Emperor’s Palace; to the southeast, it connects with the Gate of the Divine Tiger and links to the Qi of the lungs, as well as to the great stomach. To the northwest, it meets the Cold Cavern, the Kidney Palace, and the excretory gate, with their breaths and Qi flowing into one another. Its southern end opens toward the Grotto of Yang and joins with the heart; to the north it faces Gouchen and rests upon the Central Emperor’s Palace. Above, it fills Jade Capital, formed by the twenty-four joints and the Twelve-Storied Tower. It lies thirty thousand miles from the level plain and is where the Three Qi converge.

Here, Metal wells up to form walls, and Jade gathers into gates: this is the threshold of True Earth and Jade Liquid. The Golden Terrace and Royal Hall are as described above. Here are the Twelve Spirit Chambers, along with the inner landscape palaces of the Seven Regulators, Nine Palaces, and Three Fields. Another account says that above are the Flowing Essence Purple Gate and the Hall of Golden Radiance, connected laterally to five apertures that serve as gateways where the essences of the five organs gather.

There, naturally formed purple Qi clouds intertwine with phoenix patterns and nine-colored radiance, hanging down like lengths of silk. Red Radiance and Purple Essence dwell in the limbs, eight vessels, and the five organs and six bowels: these are the Five Qi generated within the body. Purple cassia grows on the mountain cliffs, and beautiful, jade-like woods cover the ridges; coral forms the branches, and jade the roots. Qian Forest bears fruit, and Red Children and White Rings arise as Qi circulates without obstruction—treasures wrought by cultivation.

Three kinds of flowers shine in Vermilion Radiance, while fragrant breaths that turn back spread through the Great Mystery. Through inner vision, one can summon the Three Luminaries; from this, five fragrances give rise to the Five Qi. The Eight Qi surge lushly, and jade-like tones ring through the air: these are the body’s formless, instrumentless sounds.

The Primordial Guiding Principle flows and unfolds.

The master said, “The Primordial Framework—the order and pathways through which primordial Qi moves—is the road of primordial Qi and the foundation of the Nine Heavens. In terms of the celestial directions, it lies in the northwest, where it joins Yuqing, one of the Three Pure Ones’ heavens. The southeast leads to the rosy clouds where Yang Qi rises and spreads, and above it is the Gate of the Divine Tiger in the Palace of Clarity. The northwest is the wilderness of the Cold Valley, above which lies the court of the immortals at the Golden Tower. At the southern extreme is the land of the Great Elixir, Fuli, where primordial Qi joins with the light of Dongyang. The north faces the crossing at Gouchen and the Qi of the Canopy. The framework passes through Guangling and reaches Yujing; it extends in all eight directions, and the currents of Qi converge in the wind. The mountain of the Western Tortoise is the numinous root of Heaven.

“The master continued, ‘Considered in its true nature, the Primordial Framework is the central pivot of Heaven and the meridians through which primordial Qi moves. It began to take shape before the source of the Dao had divided into distinct forms. It is the subtle part within the whole of Heaven and Earth, and the pivot of numinous Qi. It extends throughout the thirty-two heavens and connects the regions of the twenty-eight lunar lodges. Its transcendent aspect is called the Dao; what is transmitted down to the furthest reaches is called teaching. In practice, it can be matched to the human body; when put to use, it circulates according to established methods. This explains the human body and its functions by reference to the natural patterns of Heaven and Earth.

“‘The human body is only a temporary convergence. Its form is impure, and it comes into being through conception. Hair, down, and the like belong to the visible things of the mundane world. Only the human spirit can endure from beginning to end alongside Heaven and Earth, because human beings, too, receive ancestral Qi—the source Qi received by all things. Thus the head is round like Heaven, the feet square like Earth, the eyes resemble the sun and moon, and the body symbolizes Qian and Kun. The circulation of breath also accords with the measures of celestial motion. If people cultivate themselves until they correspond with Heaven and Earth, they can endure as Heaven does, transcending change without perishing.

“‘Those who are confused do not understand the truth of this principle or examine how it works in practice. They therefore claim that Heaven and Earth are already present within the human body, and that there is no need to seek them outside. This claim is incorrect. Though the methods of internal cultivation have branched into three thousand six hundred heterodox paths, one must still possess the orthodox method of the Golden Elixir. At the beginning of cultivation, Yin and Yang Qi must be brought together at the Yellow Way, and the three natures gathered in the Primordial Palace. Once cultivation is accomplished, the Yin soul disperses, and the Yang spirit unites with the Dao. Thereafter, according to the weight of one’s merits and the level of one’s natural endowment, one serves in the offices of the immortal realm, receives documents conferring an immortal rank, and enters the grotto-heavens. One must never conclude from this that because Heaven and Earth exist within one’s body, they do not exist outside it; or that because divine forms exist within, there are no spirits or ghosts without. To obtain only some minor technique of the lesser traditions and then believe that there is an inner realm but no outer one—how absurd! Indeed, some people have recently made this claim. It is regrettable that they never encountered a master who could transmit the essential teaching. Relying only on conjecture, they have never grasped its key…’”

This passage first explains that the Dao (the Way) cannot be understood as belonging only to a person’s inner life, nor only to the heavens and earth outside the body. Heaven is above, with the sun, moon, and stars as its patterns; the earth is vast and deep, and its order is expressed in mountains, rivers, and waterways. The human body, too, exists between heaven and earth, though its spiritual capacity is greater than that of other things. People have heaven above their heads and earth beneath their feet, yet it cannot be said that heaven and earth are wholly outside the body. Thus the “Primal Framework” discussed in the text is the constant principle by which heaven and earth operate. The text then uses heaven and earth as a point of reference to describe how the human body corresponds with Yin-Yang.

Heaven is strong and ceaseless in its activity, which is why heaven and earth endure. If people can understand the Great Dao and make their spirit clear, they too can keep life from perishing. This does not mean that the body itself is a miniature cosmos, nor can the Dao simply be said to exist only within or only outside the body. Such an understanding would still mislead later generations, so the author takes care to clarify the point.

The “Primal Framework” is the key to the ascent of the spirits and a wondrous path to the ranks of the various heavens. Once the source of the Dao is revealed, the spirit heavens dwell above Kongtong. The realms within cannot be fully described in words, nor can they be exhausted through sight and hearing alone. Those who truly comprehend them and practice in accordance with the true Dao can gradually come into accord with what is real. Those who recognize its mysteries can, through them, understand and reach still deeper mysteries. The forms of the celestial spirits and the location of the Primal Framework, including their relative distances and levels, can all be understood on this basis.

The human body also has Qi of the Primal Framework. It runs through the bones and blood vessels, through the spaces between the joints, and all the way to the crown of the head, like the path along which the Primal Framework moves in heaven. The human soul resides within the body just as primordial Qi moves through heaven. Those who understand how primordial Qi enters and leaves can cultivate life and attain longevity and flight. Those who do not understand are like people who have never learned the proper skills and know nothing of the ranks of office, yet rashly seek an audience with the ruler.

Primordial Qi gathers and nourishes the soul, giving rise to true Jing (essence). The root of true Jing lies in the right kidney. The right kidney is also called the “Gate of Life” and lies at the base of the spine. Beneath it is a large bone, whose marrow connects to the coccyx, the bones of the buttocks. The corresponding acupoint is called the “Turtle’s Tail.” The spirit here is called the “Queen Mother,” who faces south to govern, a name based on the idea that rulers face south when they govern. Because it is also located in the west, Daoists borrow the name “Mountain of the Western Tortoise” for it; it is also called the “Golden Tower.” In contrast, the right side is called the “Golden Tower,” while the left is called the “Jade Chamber.” The Jade Chamber takes its name from the saying that jade is nourished by mountain trees, and is associated with the east. The source of Jade Water is also where Yang essence is generated; when essence and Qi congeal and become manifest, this is called “Pure Mist,” a Daoist term for a location or manifestation associated with essence and Qi.

This is where Yuanwang Qi (the primordial vital energy that underlies the body and the workings of Heaven and Earth) originates, and where the raised platform described in the treasure diagram begins. At the center of Yuluo Xiaotai, a place of honor faces the heart. This is what is called the “Numinous Terrace,” where the spirit of the heart resides. The Shangqing realm lies above the Taiqing realm, and its boundary is directly beneath the heart.

The place where the heart hangs downward is the liver. About two fen below the liver are the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. Qi from here rises to the heart, while its source extends upward to beneath the tongue, where it is called “Gushing Spring.” Its Qi flows downward to the right kidney. If kidney Qi leaks from Gushing Spring and cannot be gathered back in, this is called “Clashing Blades.” This refers to the place where the Dipper’s Gang Star—the star at the tip of the handle—and Taibiao cast their light. The Qi there has a killing nature, and its spirit is the deity of the Realm of Desire.

Those who understand this principle press the tongue against the upper palate, guiding Qi upward along the spine and from there into the head. The passage from the head to Yujing, the celestial palace of Daoist tradition, is called the “Western Tortoise.” The Western Tortoise borders Yujing. Some people now mistakenly believe that the Western Tortoise lies at the back of the brain. In fact, four hundred million layers of Qi separate it from Yujing. The Qi at the center passes straight upward; in the heavens, Mars is the lowest point, so Qi reaches Mars first.

The heart belongs to Fire, so when Qi moves upward, the heart resonates with what is above. The Sun, Moon, and Mars are aligned; reflected in the human body, this alignment corresponds to the breasts and the heart. The breasts are the source of the eyes and can store essence and nourish sight. Thus, when people grow old and their Qi declines, their vision becomes dim, breast milk decreases, and kidney essence also wanes.

The Ji and Dou lunar mansions lie in the northeastern heavens. They are like the locks and pivots of Heaven and correspond to the Gen direction. In the human body, they correspond to the Jianjing acupoint on the right shoulder. The blood, Qi, and meridians of the human body begin on the right; the workings of Heaven begin in the northwest. When the celestial course travels westward to the Ox mansion, its movement comes to a pause. Yet the myriad things have not begun to grow, so the process of creation begins from here. This means that Qi reenters Mars.

Although a person’s Qi completes one circuit, its waxing and waning are still governed from this point. “Reentering the heart” refers to the heart within the heart. If Qi moves in the order Fire, Wood, Water, Metal, it falls into great decline. If it moves through the heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs, it passes through the Qi transport pathways—that is, the points along the back. By observing these points, one can discern how the upper and lower, left and right, correspond.

If one seeks out and traces the subtle workings of this, one finds that the passage in the throat winds upward to the crown of the head. Thus, the mystery of the “Dark” is profound and inexhaustible: it cannot be fully expressed in words, nor pointed out or named. The realm without color lies beneath the heart, within Kongtong, and to the left of the Dipper’s Bowl, the four stars at the front of the Northern Dipper. Then…

Beginning at the Dipper’s Mouth—the point where the handle of the Northern Dipper meets its bowl—press the tongue against the roof of the mouth. This is called the “Celestial Bridge.” It enables one to ascend, entering the Pure Realm and continuing as far as Jade Clarity. In this way, the realm of Jade Clarity corresponds to the head, the realm of Highest Clarity to the Crimson Palace, where the heart is located, and the realm of Great Clarity to the Dantian. The heart is the Numinous Terrace, where the heart-spirit resides; this makes clear the meaning of the term “Numinous Terrace.”

Thus, in practice, one must maintain vigilance, keeping one’s attention in the heart; one must also pay homage, directing it toward the head. When these three canopies have separated, one enters the realm of the “Great and Wondrous Court.” In this state, the “heaven within heaven” and the two spirits Wuying and Baiyuan naturally come together as reality within the heart, while the gathering of the divine spirits takes place in the head. When one cultivates the Way of Lingbao and reaches this point within oneself, the work is complete and can no longer be put into words.

I believe that the preceding text has already described how the Original Framework, the fundamental order governing the movement of Heaven and Earth, circulates and transforms in the heavens. Here I record how it corresponds to the human body. Those who study the Dao should understand deeply why the human body is so precious. The body can correspond to Heaven and Earth; one can refine and nourish the body and spirit, and bring together wondrous realms. Daoists use images of things to establish metaphors, and model their names on Heaven and Earth. Beginning with the body as it has taken shape, one cultivates through action; from action, one reaches Wuwei (non-action), and from form, one rises into the formless. Only then can one share the longevity of Heaven and Earth and unite with the Dao in its truth. Cultivation begins within oneself, yet is not confined to oneself.

Diagram of the Circulation and Transformation of the Original Framework

The Zhengao discusses a diagram of the Five Stars as described by the Perfected. In the diagram, the celestial bodies are generally arranged according to the directions as seen when facing south: Venus is in the west and Jupiter in the east. This arrangement is used because the positions of the Five Stars appear and disappear, shifting across the sky without a fixed pattern, whereas the stars of the Northern Dipper always remain arranged in fixed positions. The diagram therefore uses fixed directions to mark the Five Stars’ associations with the five directions; these cannot be changed to match the stars’ actual positions.

The Dipper-Stepping Pattern of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, 178 Steps in All

The formula says: First visualize your own spirit emerging from the Yellow Court, the place within the body where spirits are visualized and cultivated. Riding on clouds of five-colored Qi, it ascends straight along the Jade Tower, in the region of the throat, to the Muddy Pellet, the place within the head where spirits are visualized and cultivated. There, take flying steps across the Seven Stars. With each step, move upward in accordance with the stars’ positions, until you feel yourself lift off the ground and rise to a great height, surrounded by the clouds of Heaven.

Then step sideways across the Seven Stars, turn, and enter the Dipper’s Mouth, taking six consecutive steps. Visualize yourself with your back to the north and your face to the south, walking to the position of Mars. Visualize Mars as red. After passing Mars, walk eastward and visualize passing through the Palace of the Sun, which is red. Then walk westward and visualize passing through the Palace of the Moon, which is white. After passing the Palace of the Moon, proceed southwest, turn left seven times, and then, beginning from…

Set out from the north, pass the Celestial Star in the southeast, reach the northeastern corner, then turn and walk onward.

Pass in turn the Celestial Stars of the north, west, south, and east, then return to the northeastern corner. Face east and proceed straight from the Dipper Star (Tianshu, the first star of the Northern Dipper) on a circuit. After setting out, walk toward the position of Mars.

As you pass through the west, you will see Venus, which is white. Go beyond Venus and head north to the position of Mercury, which is black. From Mercury, pass eastward by Jupiter, which is blue-green. Then return from Jupiter to the Water Palace (here, the direction associated with Mercury). Proceed westward, pass Venus, and go straight to the position of Saturn in the central palace; Saturn is yellow. Then turn back from Saturn, pass Venus and Mercury, and reach the palace associated with Jupiter. Face the northwestern corner and rise straight up on clouds, where you will see the Golden Tower in Heaven.

The instructions say: Pay homage to the Thirty-Two Heavens, beginning with Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven and ending with Pingyu Jiayi Heaven. Then turn back and pay homage to the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. At each mansion, walk according to the steps used in treading the Dipper. Begin at the Winnowing Basket mansion, circle around, turn back to it, then face the Dipper’s Biao stars and proceed to pay homage to the Five Planets. Ascend into the realm of the divine in the order given above, and enter the Northern Dipper.

The Six Stars of the Three Platforms, a constellation near the Northern Dipper, are above your head. Walk around one section of the Dipper, taking six steps for each section to correspond to the Three Platforms constellation. Then come out and circle left for forty-nine steps, passing Mars. Next, walk east for eighty-one steps to the Sun and pay homage to the Immortal King of Filial Piety. Then walk right for sixty-four steps and enter the Dipper from the north. At the Moon, pay homage to the Illuminated King of Filial Piety. Turn left to come out, walk left, then turn right again. After seven returns, enter the Formless Realm, a higher heaven in Daoist cosmology.

Quiet your mind and visualize. See the perfected immortals coming and going within this realm as you travel through the ten directions, the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, and the Thirty-Two Heavens. At each mansion, take twelve steps according to the Ding-Star Dipper method. The entire circuit comprises three hundred and thirty-six steps and brings you to the Dipper position of the Winnowing Basket mansion. Return directly, face the Biao stars within the Northern Dipper, turn right, and walk south for forty-nine steps, entering once more the position of Mars.

Pass the Moon and walk thirty-six steps, then pay homage to Mercury. Walk east to the Sun, then turn right and walk sixty-four steps to complete the circuit at Jupiter’s position. Face east and pay homage to Jupiter, then turn around and proceed, setting out by way of Mercury’s Dipper position. Walk eighty-one steps past the Moon. When you have completed the route, face west and pay homage to Venus. Walk east to the Dipper’s mouth, take thirty-five steps into the central palace, and pay homage to Saturn. Then retrace your steps, passing again the mansions associated with Venus and Mercury, and look straight north toward the Golden Tower of Jade Capital, the golden palace in the celestial Jade Capital. Enter it and walk forward. Bow again, kneel upright, and pray:

I, the ritual master surnamed So-and-so, who holds a certain Daoist rank and uses this title in memorials, have been fortunate to inherit blessings and affinities from past lives. Thus I encountered the true Dao and entered a quiet chamber to still my spirit and cultivate.

I respectfully paid homage to the heavenly court. Beyond my body, I manifested another form and dared to journey to Jade Capital, the abode of the Heavenly Emperor. Gazing up at the sacred realm of the heavenly court, I felt fearful and deeply reverent.

I bowed twice, then solemnly made this petition:

My mortal body is dull in its faculties and would ordinarily be unable to ascend. Fortunately, my master taught me, enabling my consciousness to soar. I do not fear incurring guilt by speaking; I dare to give voice to my sincere devotion and enter the celestial realm to attend to its affairs… I earnestly beseech you for a gracious command. I await your instructions, filled with reverent fear. Respectfully submitted.

I bowed twice again, then retraced my path, sent my consciousness back, and entered my body through the crown of my head. I then recited this prayer:

I have now paid audience to the Perfected Ones and offered homage above the azure clouds. May the spirits conceal my debts and guard my body. Please raise me up and carry me away; may this secret method prove efficacious.

The preceding Diagram of the Flow and Transformation of the Yuan Gang explains the wondrous method of the Brahma-practice heavens, the celestial deities of pure cultivation. It begins with the flying spirit treading the Dipper and ends with paying audience to the Heavenly Emperor and beholding the Dao of the Primordial Beginning. If one focuses the mind and practices according to its prescribed methods, then, once the process of departure and return has become familiar, the ritual movements will accord without error. In this way, one can submit petitions to the heavenly court, convey its affairs, and command spirits and ghosts, ultimately shedding the mortal body and ascending to the realm of the immortals and Perfected Ones. One can also bring oneself into accord with the myriad Qi—the various primordial energies between Heaven and Earth—and refine and nourish the body. No method of paying audience to the Primordial has greater importance than this.

On the days of the Three Primes, the Eight Seasonal Nodes, Jiazi, or Gengshen, enter a quiet chamber, burn incense, and sit upright facing north. Half-close the eyes, still the mind, and focus the spirit. Breathe slowly and evenly. When the spirit and Qi are no longer stirred, straighten the body and let the consciousness rise from the crown of the head, like a cicada emerging from its shell, ascending into the distant heavens. Practice according to the method, progressing from the shallow to the profound, until what begins as visualization gradually becomes a real realm. Whether this can be achieved ultimately depends on the practitioner.

The Great Method of the Shangqing Lingbao, fascicle four